desert_vixen's lair

Kindle Reading: 17 read and 5 deleted...but 23 added.

1177: The Year Civilization Collapsed by Cline, Eric H – Reread of a book I have in dead tree format, it was on sale.  It’s an excellent read.

A Checklist for Murder by Anthony Flacco – True crime focused on a husband who takes out his wife and daughter in a faked car accident, only he doesn’t quite manage to kill his daughter.  It’s a good story, but an older one that makes you wonder about how society used to be.

A Fine and Private Place by Ellery Queen – Interesting mystery featuring a murder victim who has a serious superstition about the number nine.

A Message to Garcia by Elbert Hubbard – If you’ve read it, you’re familiar with the moral – sometimes a man who will just do what is required is what we need, and don’t ask questions. 

Carthage Must Be Destroyed by Richard Miles – Pretty much what it sounds like, solid account of Carthage and the Punic Wars.

Chasing Amanda by Robin Patchen – Supposed to be the prologue to a series, but it goes in my bad example file because it has a horrible portrayal of the military guy who must stay away from women because he’s dangerous and going to war. 

Colleen: Sweet Western Historical by Ashley Merrick – Exactly what it sounds like on the cover, but it was free and a nice little break.

Finding the Few: Outstanding Mysteries WW1 by Andy Saunders – Books about finding British pilots who were killed in the Battle of Britain, or rather identifying their remains and resting places.  It’s an excellent read.

Howard Hughes' Airline: Informal History TWA by Robert J. Serling – The history of Trans World Airlines, full of great one-liners and people stories.  Serling’s aviation writing is very engaging, although not as well-known as his brother Rod.

Journey to Fulfillment by Laurie Larsen – Kind of predictable fiction – kid is kidnapped and returned, parents’ marriage has issues because parents don’t communicate well, but good price point.

Kids Who Kill: Joshua Phillips by Kathryn McMaster – True crime that’s in my bad examples file because it’s horribly structured (like having important information at the end) about kid who kills his neighbor and stuffs her under his bed.

Leveraged Learning by Danny Iny – Interesting book about how learning and distanced education has changed.

Love Life and Work by Elbert Hubbard – More stuff by the guy who wrote Message to Garcia, in the same general vein.

Memories of the Russian Court by Anna Vrubovna – Memoirs of a member of Nicholas and Alexandra’s circle, mostly dedicated to humanizing them.

Paradise Lust: Searching for Garden of Eden by Brook Wilensky-Lanford – Pretty much what it sounds like, although it definitely has some strange theories on it.

The Dark Ages by Charles Oman – Exactly what it sounds like, in super tedious detail.  Reading it was like an endurance match.

Dead Tree Reading: 6 read, mostly off the new pile - discarded 11 off the pile and 3 new ones.                                                                           

Cadette Girl Scout Handbook (1963) by GSUSA (new) – New to me, but obviously not new.  It was an interesting read and solid add to my Scouting bookshelf.

British Nannies and the Great War by Louise Heren (new) – I found this on a clearance shelf at Half-Price Books and it definitely hits the social history sweet spot.  It’s about the Norland Institute for training nannies and their pre-Great War lives, very interesting.

Babies in the Forest by Swift/Mueller (new) – Cute forest animals, why say more?

Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey by Fiona Carnarvon – A decent solid read about the Carnarvon family, specifically the title lady.

FB: The Crimes of Grindelwald Screenplay by JK Rowling (new) – Screenplay of the movie, worth having for my collection (especially since it was on sale).

Fear by Bob Woodward (new) – Woodward’s book on the current administration, pretty good but not really anything shocking.

Kindle Reading:

I read 13 on the paperwhite and deleted 3.  But I added 21...

Dark Desires by Eve Silver – A Gothic Victorian featuring a girl with nowhere to turn and a doctor who needs help.  Of course, it’s a Gothic so there is a certain amount of Too Stupid To Live (TSTL) on the heroine’s part, but if you’re a heroine in a Gothic then you need to do things you’re told not to do.  There’s a whole running thing where she thinks he’s a resurrection man, but he’s really trying to make the world’s best anatomy book.

His Dark Kiss by Eve Silver – Same author, but stories don’t seem to be connected.  This one features the ever-popular brooding lord and the governess, but the lord has a very different hobby.  There’s also an unknown malevolent person in the neighborhood seeking revenge.  Pretty decent read.

God's Harvard by Hanna Rosin – A look at Patrick Henry and its student body.  Interesting material that tries not to judge and present them as they are. 

Old School Comfort Food by Alex Guarnaschelli – A little more of the author talking about their cooking experiences, and a little less of the recipes.  Worth reading over.

Signing Their Lives Away by Denise Kiernan – A look at John Hancock and crew – the signers of the Declaration of Inependence, and short looks at each of them. 

TCW Knew Shakespeare by Lilian Jackson Braun – A reread, picking them up as they are on sale.  I love all the little nods to Shakespeare in the plot, and Koko and Yum Yum are enjoyable.

The Alington Inhertance by Patricia Wentworth – I really enjoyed this one, which turns on legitimacy, a poor relation and the records at Somerset House – and a heroine who’s smart enough to get out (and gets lucky enough to find the hero along the way).  The ending is very good. 

The Beckoning Lady by Margery Allingham – An outing with Campion is always good, and this one has a touch of sadness – but I enjoy how we get there.   

The Dark Labyrinth: A Novel by Lawrence Durrell – This one is a little weird, and I almost gave it up.  A bunch of travelers get stuck in a cave during a cave-in.  Some of them survive, and some do not – but they end up in some very different places.  There’s a lot of introspection and an interesting ending.

The Fall of the Dynasties by Edmond Taylor – A look at just-pre-WW1 history, and the various dynasties, and it has some interesting bits.  It seriously drags, however. 

Trouble in Triplicate by Rex Stout – A trio of short stories featuring Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin set in the WW2 era.  A gangster wants Wolfe to do a job, the War Department needs Archie, and a very interesting story about an exploding cigar (some of the plot twists were somewhat predictable, but not when it was written).  The last story was my favorite.

Who Killed Bob Teal? By Dashiell Hammett – The Continental Op is at work again.  The title mystery is pretty good, and an interesting one about blackmail.

With This Ring by Amanda Quick – This is a reread, of one of my very favorite Quick books.  I love the whole plot with her writing the book, and the running thread of comments about what the hero would have discovered if he read one of her books.  It also features one of my very favorite slightly older heroes, sardonic and a great match for the heroine.

“If you had ever bothered to finish one of my novels, my lord, you would see that in the end the heroine always marries the hero.”

iPad reading: All Fairy Tail, since I was working my way to the end of the series.  Had fun reading them with Adrianna.

Fairy Tail Volume 63 by Hiro Mashima – The final volume of Fairy Tail.  Definitely what I was looking forward to seeing, and room for more stories!

Fairy Tail Volume 62 by Hiro Mashima – Building up to the end of the story. 

Fairy Tail Volume 61 by Hiro Mashima – Features an interesting plot twist about a character’s identity and how clueless some people can be.

Fairy Tail Volume 60 by Hiro Mashima – A nice bit of Erza backstory (that doesn’t involve the Tower of Heaven – or, as I like to call it, the Tower of Tragic Backstory).  Plus some great scenes for Wendy.

Fairy Tail Volume 59 by Hiro Mashima – Gray and Natsu face off.  Also Gajeel and Levy are reunited (one of my favorite scenes) after Gajeel protects Jet and Droy.  One of the best in the Alvarez arc.

Fairy Tail Volume 58 by Hiro Mashima – If you’re a Gray and Juvia person, this was an excellent volume.

Fairy Tail Volume 57 by Hiro Mashima – First, I love how the chapter titles are a countdown, essentially.  Also, this is better known as the volume in which Gajeel/Levy fans (or Gale, since this fandom is huge on portmanteau relationship names) get totally jerked around.  It might be the best volume of this whole arc.

Fairy Tail Volume 56 by Hiro Mashima – A little slower paced, but it’s about to get crazy.

Fairy Tail Volume 55 by Hiro Mashima – This is also a great volume.  Gajeel and Levy have a great set, Mavis and Laxus have a great set – Laxus is good in this one in general – and Aquarius makes an appearance to deliver Backstory…I mean, Star Memory!  Important because Aquarius is lost during the Tartaros arc. 

Fairy Tail Volume 54 by Hiro Mashima – This one is slow, provides buildup.

Fairy Tail Volume 53 by Hiro Mashima – This one features a ton of backstory for Mavis and Zeref, very interesting.  The Laxus Boom panel is one of my favorites, and the other dragon slayers get some good art moments as well (particularly Gajeel). Also gives the run-down of the bad guys we’ll be seeing.  And it’s home to chapter 453, or the “did I just see that or are they messing with us?” moment for Gale shippers.

Fairy Tail Volume 52 by Hiro Mashima – This one introduces the Alvarez Empire arc, which is (sad kitty face) the final arc.  Also features chapter 443, the hot springs chapter.  It’s enjoyable.

Fairy Tail Volume 51 by Hiro Mashima – Loose ends get wrapped up, we find out what Gajeel, Levy and Pantherlily have been up to, and Erza Scarlet becomes the Seventh Master.

Fairy Tail Volume 50 by Hiro Mashima – Transition volume, since there’s a year long time skip after the Tartaros arc.  Pretty entertaining.

Fairy Tail Volume 16 by Hiro Mashima – The end of Battle of Fairy Tail arc, and the introduction of Wendy Marvell, the sky dragon slayer.

Fairy Tail Volume 41 by Hiro Mashima – Transition volume between Grand Magic Games and Tartaros.

The Lion in the Living Room by Abigail Tucker – Book about the relationship between people and cats (I prefer to liken mine to tigers, personally) that’s pretty good.  It’s definitely better than The Tribe of Tiger, and more up to date.  There are some disturbing passages about euthanasia at shelters and people hating cats, but overall it’s a good read.  A Christmas gift from last year.

Prince Caspian by CS Lewis – So sometimes I feel like I skipped a lot of classics of childhood.  I never read Narnia.  I’ve enjoyed LWW, and this one was pretty good.  I enjoyed the playing with time.          

Murder on Union Square by Victoria Thompson, Victoria - A new acquisition, and possibly the next to last one I read in the series.  I feel like maybe the series has run to about its end, and I don’t like some of the changes in the setup.  It isn’t bad, but I don’t know that it warrants buying in HC any more.

Leverage in Death by JD Robb – The latest in the series.  This one was pretty decent, although I maintain something needs to be done to shake it up.  I do like the whole side plot with Nadine’s Oscar.

SV Twins #3 The Haunted House by Francine  - Got this in a Paperback Swap trade.  It’s pretty decent, with an afterschool special plot on bullying.

ST Redshirt's Little Book of Doom by Pearlman/Jung – Cute little picture book of redshirt cartoons, picked up on a clearance rack.  It’s worth looking through.  They’re all takes on either classic movie posters or Trek in jokes.

Sons from Afar by Cynthia Voigt – Another book in the Tillerman cycle, focused on the brothers and their search for their absent father, and dealing with some of the challenges of growing up.  It was a bit of a slow read, but satisfying.

A Dream of Miracles by Ruth Reid – This is the third of a series I read in March, set in the Upper Peninsula.  I really enjoyed the other two, especially with the change in scenery, but this one got tedious.  Too much of the big bad Englisch world against the Amish, too many characters who are either just abrasive or slimy, and of course the one Englischer who acts decent actually has an Amish background.

An Old-Fashioned Mystery by Runa Fairleigh – This was mildly entertaining, sort of a gorier take on And Then There Were None with more sarcastic characters, but then it got to the end and went all meta (essentially, blaming the author and the reader for the murders because they could have stopped any time).

Around the Bend (Sandy Cove 4) by Rosemary Hines – Another of the Sandy Cove books, dealing with the main character’s grandparents, and one of their deaths.  This is actually a pretty good one, and deals with the issue in a satisfactory and touching matter.

Behind Her Smile (Sandy Cove 6) by Rosemary Hines – Sandy Cove strikes again, this time dealing with young women, eating disorders, seeking attention by having sex, and feeling unpure.  It was actually better than expected, and I appreciated that the author drove home the message that it’s okay to make mistakes in that area.

** Consenting Adult by Laura Z. Hobson – Very dated book dealing with how homosexuality was treated in the 1960s.  The focus of the book is the mother’s relationship with her son – trying to understand and support, even when she is driving him nuts.  It has what I would characterize as a happy ending.

Corpses at Enderby by George Bellairs – Inspector Littlejohn mystery, British cozy type.  It was okay, but I will pass on any others.

Diana of Orchard Slope  by Libbie Hawker – This is a Green Gables variation, looking at events through Diana’s eyes and very focused on Diana’s mother being super strict and a little snobby.  It was entertaining, but a little too focused on the Diana-likes-Gilbert-and-feels-guilty/frustrated angle.

Flowers for the Judge by Margery Allingham – A decent Campion outing.  Nothing extraordinary, however.

** Madame X: A Story of Mother-Love by  Alexandre Bisson – Overwrought historical fiction dealing with a mother and wife who abandons her husband and son, and of course ends up paying the ultimate price.  She is reunited with them at the very end for maximum tear factors

Mermaid: Twist on the Classic Tale by Carolyn Turgeon – This is an excellent variation on the Little Mermaid that respects the story while adding in a story about the girl who does marry the prince.  The end has a nice twist.

** Mother's Choice by Elizabeth Mansfield – Regency romance with mild tearjerking.  If you’ve read Elizabeth Mansfield, you know what to expect.  This one did have a mildly annoying deal involving lying to someone who had a head injury.

** Randy by Sharon Srock – This is a contemporary Christian author whose stuff has been surprisingly good.  The main character has decided to forgo motherhood to break the cycle of abuse she lived through, but Fate decides something else is in store.  There’s some rough patches but the end is lovely.

** Real Food for Mother and Baby by Nina Planck – Interesting stuff about eating during pregnancy but a little navel-gazy and guilt-trippy.

Something New (Plain City Bridemaids) by Dianne Christner – This is the second in a series about a trio of Mennonite friends and their romances.  It was entertaining but I don’t feel the need to pick up the whole set. 

The Bilbao Looking Glass by Charlotte MacLeod – This month featured several go-rounds with the Kelling and Bittersohn crew.  I liked this one, mostly because deserving people get what’s coming to them.

** The Child Who Never Grew by Pearl S. Buck – Non-fiction about the author’s experience with a child who is severely mentally disabled.  Some of it is very raw and may not qualify as light reading, but it is very honest and still applicable today.

The Convivial Codfish by Charlotte MacLeod – This one was the lightest of the Kelling mysteries this month, more enjoyable for the characters than anything else.  The drollness with which MacLeod invokes characters – “his family was in railroads when there were railroads to be in” – is always enjoyable.

** The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan – This book hits both Asian & Pacific Islander and mother themes.  I read it in high school for a class, enjoyed it, watched the movie, and then didn’t give it much thought after my paperback copy was damaged in a move.  It was on sale on Kindle, so I decided to pick it up again.  I enjoyed it a little more this time, but I think it’s definitely held up well, although some of the characters are pretty dated.  I love the meddling aunties.

The Resurrection Man by Charlotte MacLeod – I think this was the best of the Kelling mysteries this month, with two linked mysteries, although the end is a little sad, but hopeful.

True Summit: What Really Happened Annapurna by David Roberts – I read Maurice Herzog’s Annapurna last year, and that book is a masterpiece of great white explorer’s burden.  This one looks a little more at the other players and some of the events, but also examines Herzog’s later life.  Interesting, but not as dishy as I had hoped. 

Yield: Emily and Damon by Lilia Moon – A wedding planner has to meet with a BDSM club owner about doing a wedding there for two of his clients.  Of course, they hit it right off.  It goes in my bad examples collection, however, because some of the language is laughable.  For one, the author has personified the guy’s equipment just a little too much – “She kisses me until my cock wants to plunder her through my pants.” – and points off for repeated use of the word “sopping”.  Sorry, not sexy.  BDSM factor is medium.

Dead Tree reading was productive in the negative.  I actually read and catalogued 4 books, but discarded 13 off the pile, as well as the 3 new ones that I tried to add.

Murder in the Bowery by Victoria Thompson – Another entry in the Gaslight Mysteries.  I admit the series is kind of falling off for me, but this one features another missing person-turned-murder plot and not enough development of secondary characters.  There is an interesting one-off character, but that’s about it.

Black Ships Before Troy by Rosemary Sutcliff – Sutcliff tackles the Iliad.  It’s very nicely written and lyrical, what you would expect from her.

Girl Scout Handbook (1953) by Girl Scouts of America – Doing a little Girl Scouts history research and adding to my vintage collection.

Mr. Parker Pyne, Detective by Agatha Christie – I got this one to read to Adrianna, since I’ve read most of the stories in e-form.  She really enjoyed it, and I enjoyed revisiting a few, especially The House at Shiraz and The Oracle at Delphi.  His approach to happiness is an interesting one.

31. A Love Song for Kayla by Kimberly Rose Johnson – Sweet Christian romance, but nothing exceptional.

32. A Miracle of Hope by Ruth Reid – Amish fiction set in Upper Michigan for a change of scenery, and the book is very good.  This one features a marriage of convenience between two wounded characters, very nicely done.

33. A Woodland Miracle by Ruth Reid – Amish fiction in Upper Michigan, this one is more of a suspenseful one, but also well done.  The books are a very loose series, not superconnected.

34. Harm's Way by Catherine Aird – Cozy mystery featuring Inspector CD Sloan, this one starting with the recovery of a finger that’s missing its body…There were a few turns in this one.

35. My European Family by Karin Bojs – An interesting look at using genealogy to research family history, back to prehistory.  Not just about the author’s search but the search in general, using her story as a spin off.  The science seems pretty solid, and there is a ton of stuff in the bibliography for the curious.

36. The Cypria: Reconstructing Lost Prequel to the Iliad by DM Smith – A look at some of the fragments of other Trojan War stories, including Iphigenia at Aulis in its entirety.  Recommended for the Trojan War fan.

37. The Lady and The Tigers by Olga Greenlaw – Contemporary history account of Olga Greenlaw, whose husband was part of the group.  The language has not been altered for modern sensitivities.

38. The World of Laura Ingalls Wilder by Marta McDowell – This is a look at the actual world of LIW, i.e., the landscapes and climates.  It’s an interesting read, with Laura-as-naturalist.

39. To Wake The Dead by John Dickson Carr – An actual solvable mystery involving Dr. Fell, this one is pretty entertaining.

40. Top Secret Restaurant Recipes 3 by Todd Wilbur – Copycat recipe book, not as many in this one that I liked.

41. Victorian Murderesses by Mary S. Hartman – Victorian true crime book that examines female murderers and some of the circumstances involved.  More academic than I expected from the title.

42. Winter Kisses by Beth Wiseman – Sweet Amish novella.

43. Witches, Midwives, and Nurses (2nd Ed) by Barbara Ehrenreich – My kickoff read for Women’s History Month, this is an update of an earlier book.  I appreciated where they went through and admitted a few places where they overstepped on the history or were proven wrong by later research. 

Dead tree - I read 6, discarded 4, so made some progress.  However I did add one of the books below (for school) and added 4 Trixie Belden books that were discarded from Adrianna's pile.

13. Win Bigly by Scott Adams – Interesting look at Trump and some of his decisions, as well as how people perceive them.  Unfortunately, the book also convinces me that the guy who wrote a comic I enjoyed was also an insufferable egotist who can’t shut up about himself and how right he is.

14. High Society: Portraits of Franz Xaver Winterhalter by Arnoldsche Art Publishers – Gorgeous art book dealing with Winterhalter’s works.  It was a new purchase, but for school.

15. EAH: The Class of Classics  by Dragon/Sheron – Cute Ever After High graphic novel featuring a look at some of the parents.

16. Uppity Women Speak Their Minds by Vicki Leon – Quotes and brief historical sketches from uppity women.

17. Women at War in World War II  by Brenda Lewis – Excellent coffee table book about various aspects of women in World War II – mostly focused on British and American, but some coverage given to others, such as Russian women.

18. Rejected Princesses by Jason Porath – From the blog of the same name, this is a good book for women’s history aimed at the high school market and up.  Adrianna and I read it together, and I especially appreciated the author’s honesty about what parts of it were likely not fact but presenting the stories as a whole.

1. The Trojan War: Very Short Introduction by Eric H. Cline – A gift from my Secret Santa!  Good little read, nothing new but an excellent collection on the subject.
2. Company Command: The Bottom Line by Meyer/Beatty – This is work-related, but it was pretty good.  I’m now a 1SG, so my reading time is down a little.
3. Chewie and the Porgs by Shinick/Hsieh – Cute illustrated book focused on Chewie and porgs.
4. Home Alone by Hughes/Columbus/Smith – An illustrated retell of Home Alone.  I’m not a huge fan of the movie, but it definitely took me back to childhood.

There were also 3 discards, so the dead tree pile went down to 197.

 January Kindle Reading:

1. Amish Seeds of Change by Rachel Stoltzfus – This author does a lot of short sweet “modern Amish” with some character conflict.  Short but free.

2. Courageous Faith by Rachel Stoltzfus – Part of a mini-series by the author, pretty decent.

3. Fraying at the Edge by Cindy Woodsmall – Second book in a trilogy by the author, who does a lot of Amish conflicting with the world around them.  The main conflict is a switched-at-birth set of girls who now have to switch worlds.  She does a good idea with one of the fathers, who is an atheist and kind of a jerk, but he’s not a jerk BECAUSE he is atheist.  It’s the second book, so cliffhanger time.

4. Gathering the Threads by Cindy Woodsmall – This is the third book in the trilogy, and it definitely packs a punch, while dealing with characters gracefully and not casting anyone as just bad.  Everyone grows and changes, although I was pretty sure it would end the way it did.

5. His Amish Baby  by Samantha Bayarr – Amish arranged marriage story because the girl is pregnant (by his best friend).  Interesting, keeping my eye out for the second book.

6. Murder at Bray Manor by Lee Strauss – Post-WWI cozy mystery in England (not first book in series).  It was good but not a showstopper, and I had the end figured out.

7. My Heart Belongs in Silver City NV by Samantha Bayarr – So I have an attraction to books that take place in my home state.  This was silly and fluffy, but it was free.  Not much depth.

8. Poison in the Pen by Patricia Wentworth – This is sort of a take on Christie’s Moving Finger, but with Miss Silver instead of Miss Marple.  I quite enjoyed it.

9. Prisoners (Wings of Fire Winglets) by Tui T. Sutherland – Novelette for the Wings of Fire series my daughter is really into.

10. Slight Mourning by Catherine Aird  - Good English cozy mystery with fun characters.

11. The Amish Bachelor by Samantha Price – Good sweet first book in a series with several brothers who needs brides.  I definitely want to read more.

12. The Amish Girl and Her Garden by Samnatha Bayarr – Follow up to a slightly darker Amish book from last year.  It was okay.

13. The Baumgartners Plus One by Selena Kitt – Erotica title, very good.  Threesomes and girl on girl, but there is an actual story, and that’s good too.  I had read the book that comes after this one already, so I did know where it was going.

14. The Clock Strikes Twelve by Patricia Wentworth – Excellent Miss Silver mystery where the alibi hinges on clocks.  Good family drama and an end that serves justice.

15. The Greek Diet: Look and Feel like Greek Goddess by Maria Loi – Mediterranean diet book.

16. The Mermaid (Everland) by Caroline Lee – The fairytale Western town has a nice double twist on the Little Mermaid.  Very enjoyable title.

17. The Prince's Pea (Everland) by Caroline Lee – Good inversion of the Princess and the Pea in a fairytale Western town.

18. Warner and Wife by Rex Stout – Early Rex Stout, light and entertaining.

 However, I pretty much bought/acquired as many Kindle titles as I read, so no real progress.

 DV