Finished TURNING SEASON

 

How is something so calming and gentle keep my attention?  But, it sure does.  The problems of a person keeping farm animals as a small garden plot and working full time at a general store are familiar to me and perhaps my understanding helps as well as the small town politics and lightning gossip is quite interesting.

I am now about to turn back to War and Peace.

Finished THE WATER DANCER

 

What a beautiful book!  Though often unsettling, I find myself at the end, satisfied and at peace.  

Now, once again, I turn to Melinda's life in the hamlet of Prosper.  As autumn approaches again (September now) Hobo (her dog) is winning a hero award for saving her farm and several others by warning her of a fire.  Looking forward to another peaceful read.

Finished KINGDOM OF BONES

 

James Rollins' Sigma Force books are a combination of high action, science (and history), and great characters.  I loved Benji (on the low end of the Spectrum) as well as the other new characters, heroes heroine, and villains...  The subject matter of plague is fascinating and I can count on the reliable satisfying ending.  I also loved the setting of central Congo.  Thank you, Mr. Rollins.  I'll be back in your universe again soon. 

I am now about to start The Water Dancer,  set in this country during slavery, a subject I return to again and again.  The book has great reviews.

Finished QUITE A YEAR FOR PLUMS

 

I am not at all sure how this got into my "to read" pile.  It reads like Garrison Keeler, who I found boring and this the same.  I do like quirky characters but I also like something to happen in the books I read.  I read it all the wait through thinking these characters must do something, but I was disappointed..

I'm now about to start James Rollins' Kingdon of Bones.  I don't quite believe I have read 15 of these Sigma Force books.  Time flies while you are having fun.  I know something will happen in this book!

Finished THE ENCHANTMENT EMPORIUM

 

Imagine a large family of magical persons (witches?).  A young person in this family wants to get out from under the constant advice and directions from her "Aunties" and is given the opportunity by her grandmother.  Will she run into more problems than she can handle by herself?  Loved this book.  I haven't read a book by this author that I don't love.

I then started Killing Custer by Margaret Coel.  This is a Wind River Mystery, #17. with Father John O'Malley and Vicky Holden.  A Custer impersonator rides in a parade in Lander, close to the Wind River Reservation and is killed there.  Everyone assumes an Indian killed him, and even Father John and Vicky start to have doubts....  Again, I enjoy these mysteries.  This one also has an exciting ending.

I have now started Quite a Year For Plums, by Bailey White.  In this a group of really quirky people live with love and respect for each other (much of the time).  They recognize the quirks in each other, but do they recognize them in themselves?  At first I thought I was going to be bored silly, but now I'm intrigued wondering what they will do next.

Finished VAMPIRE ACADEMY

 

I really enjoyed this.  I'm sure it is classified as a YA, but this nearly 80 year old  is hooked.  The 'verse is new and unlike any vampire book I've read.  There is teen-age angst, but there is also triumph and tragedy enough to keep me reading.  After the original book, there were several more stories which can serve as background and further adventures.  Don't skip them...they may have been even better than the book.

I have now just barely started The Enchantment Emporium by Tanya Huff.  She doesn't write one series of books forever.  She has lots of three, four, and five book series....several of which I've read and all of those I have enjoyed.  This is the first of a three book series which I am looking forward to.

Finished AN ECHO IN THE BONE

 

I do enjoy these books.  Difficult to believe since I am reading them so slowly.  I am now pretty much caught up with the tv show, but tv is about to zoom past me.  But there is so much more in the books than is in the tv series.  Exciting stuff, family stuff, terrifying stuff, and gentle caring stuff.  Books are better, as always.

I have now begun and finished a book in a new mystery series (new to me) and I seem to have started with the second book in the series.  I'll catch the first one eventually.  Though it has a lot of 20 something sexual angst, which these days I find kind of boring, I thought the mystery was pretty good.  Set in a New England seaside village known for a history of pirate activity, it is possible I loved it in part because I am familiar with the area.

I have now just barely started Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead.  It looks to be a whole new Vampire 'verse and a whole new series (to me.)  We shall see how I did with this.