Finished TO HAVE AND TO KILL

 

I thought the first book I read in this series was better (it was actually the second book in the series), but the first book often has enough background about the characters that less time is devoted to the plot.  This book did have a pretty good plot and a very good ending.  

I have now started Fire in the Sky, Book 2 of Contact:  The Battle for America.  This is another novel  by the Gears based on archeology.  In book 1, de Soto arrived in Florida and started slaughtering and enslaving the cultures already living there.  Two people came together:  a trader, Black Shell, and his soon to be wife, Pearl Hand.  This pair gather anyone who wants to fight the invaders and begin a guerilla war.

Finished DEAD WATERS

When I finished the first book in this series, I thought it was a little childish, but inventive.  The latter is still true as this series grows on me, but I now know it is merely overloaded with 20-something testosterone.  This was fun to read.  I had to finish it last night before I could sleep--and I was really tired.  So, pretty good book.

 I am now about to start To Have and To Kill,  by Mary Jane Clark.  I believe I have read a later book in this series, so, I'm reading them out of order.  Oh well.  I love this author and am looking forward to the book.

Finished THE CASE OF THE KILLER DIVORCE

 

This mystery was unusual in a couple ways--the ending was different from most, the the lawyer protagonist is less impersonal that most.  I enjoyed the book quite a bit.

I have now started DEAD WATERS by Anton Strout.  Simon Canderous, working as a clairvoyant for The Bureau of Extraordinary Affairs has come up against a woman made of water who can control water and has killed a man by drowning his lungs, while leaving the rest of him dry.  It is Simon's job to arrest her and/ or stop her somehow, but can you imagine trying to arrest or even kill water?

Finished RAFAEL

I had thought this book was going to be only about a character study of Rafael and Anita's relationship with him.  But no, there was some serious action in this also and we met an entirely new supernatural (were) culture.  Very inventive.  I'm sad that I am beginning to catch up with LKH's writing.

I have now begun #2 of Barbara Venkataraman's Jamie Quinn mysteries, The Case of the Killer Divorce.  Working with divorces is emotionally difficult for a lawyer, but when the divorce turns into a murder case and her client is entitled and arrogant, well, it can be murder.

 

Finished THE TWISTED SWORD

As usual, I enjoyed this book immensely.  It seemed more eventful that most of the others, but not always in a good way.  It certainly held my attention and kept me reading into the night.  Looking forward to the next one.

 I have now started Rafael, by Laurell K Hamilton, another Anita Blake book.  I evidently skipped Sucker Punch to get to this one, but in reading the blurb, I figured this is a stand alone book concentrating on Rafael, another complicated character, of course, and skipping a book shouldn't hurt the story for me.  I'll get back there.

Finished HOME WORK

 

Once again, I have enjoyed Julie Andrews' writing style.  In this book she takes us through her life and films from Sound of Music through Victor/ Victoria.  However, in there were a number of films I didn't even know about.  I intend to start looking for them.

I have now started The Twisted Sword by Winston Graham.  It is the 11th book in the Poldark series.  We now find Clowance married to Steven Carrington and Jeremy also married and living in Belgium.  The other three children of Ross and Demelza are living at home.  Ross is asked to go to France to observe the mood as they establish a new government after the defeat of Napoleon.  The whole at home family will go for three months all expenses paid by the British government.  A new adventure begins...

Read 50 more pages of WAR AND PEACE, then finished THE HIDDEN.

 

This book is surprisingly more readable than I thought.  I have to admit I was warned--I should be keeping an annotated list of characters--they are confusing, not just because there are so many of them, but also because almost every character has title, first name, last name, and nicknames.  But, that is just too much work.  That is not the real reason I'm taking it in 50 page sections, though.  The print is really fine and makes me and my eyes tired.

I have also finished The Hidden, by Heather Graham.  Stayed up late last night finishing this.  It varies from Heather Graham's usual formula a little.  My favorite difference is that we get to revisit a number of characters from former novels in the series.  One of the reasons I enjoy these novels is that I get to revisit places I saw on my numerous solo camping trips throughout the country.  I didn't spend long in Estes Park, but I did find a marvelous micro-brewery there at the foot of the Rockies.  I'd never been to such a place before--I went looking for food (which I found) and had 2 or three taster glasses of different brews.  All while surrounded by picture windows looking out on the forest. A delicious experience, as was reading this story.

I am now about to start Home Work, a Memoire of My Hollywood Years, by Julie Andrews