Finished DAFFODIL SEASON, one other, and made progress on two others

 

Another season on Melinda's farm and business in Prosper.  Problems arise and some get solved.  But we are left with a nagging one.  Through it all her farm, animals, family, and a new love interest sustain her.

I then started One of Us is Lying, by Karen McManus, young adult novel.  I gave this to my great granddaughter for Christmas and was intrigued enough to buy a copy for myself.  5 high school students wind up in detention, all for the same reason.  During the hour, one of them dies...of ingesting peanut oil which he is allergic to.  Assuming the culprit to be one of the others in the room, the police, press, and other students start accusing all of them.

I then returned to Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell.  In the section I read, Jonathan suffers a family loss.  Magic from an unknown source is bothering Childermass.

I have now begun The War Within, the second book in Stephen Donaldson's Great God's War.  Belliger and Amika have joined forces in an alliance to protect their nations from a sinister threat they have been told about by the magicians at the library (which is the real target of the threat.)

Finished HOW TO TRAIN AN ELEPHANT and two other books

 

Charlie has rescued an orphaned baby elephant, but he is going to need help with it whether he thinks so, or not.  As always, I enjoyed this addition to the Ladies' Detective Agency saga.  A welcome break from life.

Then I read Trouble with the Cursed, #16 in the Hollows series.  I have enjoyed this series from the get go.  It does seem to get more outlandish and creative with each new book.  Once I convince myself to just go with it, I love the ride.  A really fun series.

Then I read #23 in Heather Graham's Krewe of Hunters books.  This one is Wicked Deeds.  It is a modern Edgar Allen Poe story set in Baltimore.  I had thought that the switch from strangers solving the mystery together and fall in love at the same time tradition of these books would be a little less intense when the couple doing the solving is married.  And no, not less intense, but intense about different things...  Loved it as usual.

Finished SEVENTH DEIMATE, THEGREAT GOD'S WAR

 

Within a very few pages, I knew this was an allegory (I mean, everyone who has taken any Latin at all knows belleg....is a root meaning "war" and ami...is a root meaning "friend."  The first half of the book seemed pretty childish and stupid, but this is Stephen R. Donaldson, so I read on.  This is the first of a series of books which it appears will explore the human condition in its foibles (catastrophes), to include magic and wisdom and friendship.  I am intrigued.  I will read on...  (this is very much the way I felt after finishing the first book in his Gap series and that was epic!) 

I have now started How to Raise and Elephant by Alexander McCall Smith, another of his #1 Ladies' Detective Agency books.  Charlie borrowed Mma. Ramotswe's van and has returned it with a dent in it's floor and an odd smell.  When her husband investigates, he discovers that Charlie is keeping a baby elephant in his uncle's back yard (possibly without asking to do so.)  The only real problems with adopting a baby elephant are...yep, you guessed it...they eat and grow.

Finished THE BLESSED SEASON and 50 pages of THE CODE BREAKER

 

You would think the holidays would be a busy enough time for retail business owners, especially if they also have a small working farm, but what with the US Post Office deciding to close their Prosper branch because it is so small....  Well, really hectic since the townspeople are sure that this means the end of their town.  What can they possibly do to save their beloved town?  I enjoyed this relaxing read as always.

I then returned to The Code Breaker for another 50 pages.  Again we are immersed in how complicated giving credit to the correct scientist(s) when several in different parts of the world worked to develop something as earthshattering as a procedure that can cure virus born diseases, many cancers, and even some genetic diseases!

I have now started Seventh Decimate by Stephen R. Donaldson.  This is the first in a series...I probably won't live until the last book comes out.  The series is called The Great God's War.  A war has been raging, started by brothers who fell in love with the same woman...centuries ago.  It continues because magicians are involved constantly improving their techniques to kill people...

Finished AMAZONIA

 

I stayed up late night before last to finish this.  Nail-biter for several reason, starting with likable characters whose lives were in danger from epidemic, crazy gunmen, and mutated monsters.  All of the likable characters were given opportunities to be heroes, but that did not protect them from death.  Whew, I was exhausted when I finished and slept long and hard afterward.

I have now started The Blessed Season, by Melanie Lageschulte.  A welcome change from Amazonia, I now get to calm down as I deal with squabbles about the renovation of a Community gathering place, the Post Office being threatened with closure, and a major magazine wanting to feature the little town engendering more squabbles.  But Melanie is at least at peace at home...

Finished THE HANGED MAN

 

Her Majesty's Psychic Service, of which Alex is a member, can see if people are lying and often much more.  The people "gifted"? with these abilities often see then as a curse, troubling and interfering with their lives.  But, at least in this service, they can be of some help to society.  I am hoping this will be a series...so far it is just the one book, but I'll keep looking.  Thoroughly enjoyed the book for it's adventure, mystery, and fabulous characters.

I have now started Amazonia by one of my favorite authors, James Rollins.  Take everything you know about the dangers of the Amazon, multiply them by ten, then double them for the increased danger of greedy humans, and you have a THRILLER with sci-fi leanings.  This is not a Sigma Force novel and I miss my beloved characters,  but Rollins is deft with characters and those I am meeting in this book are also wonderful.  A series of "out of the frying pan into the fire" adventures.

Finished THE WILD WAYS and another book

 

In the first book of this trilogy, The Enchantment Emporium, we met Alison (Allie) who rose to great power in a town somewhat new to the establishment of the Gale family (the Aunties) who hitherto held most of the power in the family.  As the younger generation grow their stomping ground, we met Charlotte (Charlie) who was a "wild power" (unpredictable).  This book explores Charlie's growth into her power and interests.  Loved it.  Solving problems when you have power which is wild and unpredictable can be difficult, especially when you adversary is an older family member with the same wild power.

Then I read The Aura of Night  by Heather Graham.  Is this really Krewe of Hunters, # 37?  I don't think I have read them all.  Luckily each one stands on its own.  This adds an extra supernatural power to just seeing ghosts.  This book's new characters have the ability (to differing degrees) to hear what the speaker is not saying.  Reading between the lines.  Quite interesting.  And helpful.

I have now started a new series (Her Majesty's Psychic Service)  by P. N. Elrod.  I read all of her Vampire Files series.  This new series (set in Victorian London) starts with The Hanged Man in which we are met with Alexandria (Alex) Victoria Pendlebury.  Called out on a freezing Christmas to help police at a scene of a hanged man, who turns out to be Alex's father.  She started working looking at the scene before realizing who the victim was and she and her police contact are in trouble for her even being there.  Relieved of the case, but then still involved because she was the first psychic there making her insights valuable, she is attempting to do her job while grieving...