Finished two books and have started a new one.

 

Our internet has been out all week.  I think something froze/ broke with the weather here in Dallas, TX.

So,  I have a couple of books to report on.  This Simon Canderous series is what I called tongue-in-cheek and by that I mean a similar roller coaster ride to the Indiana Jones movies or Star Wars.  Simon is a wise cracker humorist in dark situations, which he has in common with Buffy the Vampire Slayer or the new fun series on Sci-Fi--Resident Alien (title character doesn't know he is funny) which gets funnier each week. This is the first time we have encountered vampires in this series, and I do like quirky vampires.  I've been enjoying this series and will buy more.

I have now started You Don't Own Me, Under Suspicion # 6 by Mary Higgins Clark and Alafair Burke.  I enjoy this series very much.  This time a young woman is under suspicion of having killed her husband (or having him killed) six years ago, but the police never found enough evidence to arrest her.  Her in-laws are adamant that she is guilty and have come to Laurie Moran at Key News to ask her to prove it on her Under Suspicion tv show.  This requires even more than the usual diplomacy on Laurie's behalf to get all parties to agree to be interviewed on camera

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And now I am reading Moon Hunt, another Novel of North America's Forgotten Past.  The first part of the book is occupied with the politics of Cahokian life, completely saved from boredom by Seven Skull Shield, thief and rogue who works as one of our protagonist's spies.  His antics often make me laugh out loud, and his dog is a great match for him.  I have only gotten to the actual beginning of the plot now, but I have been thoroughly entertained.

Finished UNDER THE DRAGON'S TAIL

 

I first discovered these stories on Ovation Channel under the name The Artful Detective.  Now they are simply Murdoch Mysteries.  These are procedurals set in the late 1800's and early 1900's.  Think about how little detectives had then to help in comparison to what they have now.  In these, we follow Murdoch as he solves crimes using his observations (not as much like Sherlock Holmes, but rather of behavior and reactions.)  I enjoyed this one more than I did the first (this is the second), I think because it dealt sensitively with women's issues.  Of course, woman author.

Now I have started Dead Matter, by Anton Strout, the third of his Simon Canderas books.  Simon works with the Department of Extraordinary Affairs in New York City.  He has a special talent to see a thing's history by touch.  With people, he also can see their thoughts.  He wears gloves all the time....except while working.  The books are tongue-in-cheek humor with lots of action.  So far Simon has encountered a huge daemon in a grocery store and a hoard of murderous ghosts in a graveyard and I am only on page 40.

 

 

 

Finished CRIMSON DEATH

 

Wow this was a long book.  And I was wrong.  In looking at it I assumed it would have a complicated plot/adventure.  But it took more than half the book to even get to the adventure part.  Prior to that, it was about complicated relationships.  Now, I find that interesting...character and relationships, and this author gives me lots of them.  When the adventure did get started, however, it did become exciting in an edge of the seat kind of way.  Of course I knew Anita would survive--there is a next book--but how she was going to do it was a mystery as well as which of her inner circle would survive.

 

I have now started Under the Dragon's Tail, the second of the Detective Murdoch series.  I like the way Maureen Jennings introduces each character before she begins the mystery.  We learn a little about each character, although we will learn more as we go on.  We also learn a little bit more about Detective Murdock in each book.  Right now, a woman is found dead in her house, a victim of an obvious accident.  Of course, we readers of mysteries know it will most likely turn out to be murder....

 

Finished THE LOVING CUP, book 10 of the Poldark series

 

I think each of these books is better than the last.  This had beautiful moments, quiet moments, funny moments, and seriously tense moments.  These books are a joy to read.

I am now about to start another Anita Blake book (#25).  This one appears to be as long as the last book I read, so I may get further behind on my challenge (55 books this year), but I do enjoy these books and I've learned that the longer ones are the best.

Finished HOME

 

Surprisingly long and complete.  During Julie's early years, she was in vaudeville which prepared a huge number of our actors, singers, and especially comedians for a life on Broadway, TV, and movies.  But Julie takes the time to introduce us to all the people she met along the way--famous or not--and describes them all interestingly and lovingly.  Even the people whose tempers were "iffy", she enjoyed what was good about them--she describes them at their worst, but waxes poetic about the things she loves about them.  She comes across the same as she does in most of her movies.

I have now started The Loving Cup, the tenth book in the Poldark series.  It starts with Geoffrey Charles Poldark coming from the war in Europe (fighting Napoleon) with his new wife.  He stops at Falmouth where he visits his Aunt Verity and Uncle Andrew.  His plan is to stop by his step father's home to meet George's new wife and introduce him his.  Then to go home to Trenwith which has fallen into disrepair.  Not an easy few days ahead of him.

Finished The Silenced

 

As usual with this author another light enjoyable read.  I had guessed who the perpetrators were but wasn't sure until the end--there were just so few people it could have been.

I am now about to start Home  A Memoir of My Early Years by Julie Andrews.  She is one of my favorite entertainers, so I am looking forward to it.

I Read another 50 pages of WAR AND PEACE

 

This book is so long and the print so fine that I thought it was better for my eyes as well as my focus that I thought it should be consumed in thin slices (like a good fruitcake.)   In this slice the young men are off to war.  Their women mourn and worry while the men are off on a 1000 mile march to reach Russia.

 I am now about to start The Silenced by Heather Graham.  I enjoy these novels because they are set in locations I have visited in my travels.  This appears to be set in a number of Civil War battlefields and cemeteries in Southern Pennsylvania, Maryland, and perhaps in Virginia.  Cool...