47, 48. 49, 50

No time to comment, but here are some books I've read lately...

• Sandstorm by James Rollins
• The Summer that Never Was by Peter Robinson
  
• Christmas at Fairacres by Miss Read
  
• The Caxley Chronicles (which was three books in a collection, but I can't remember their individual names). Also by Miss Read
  

43, 44, 45 and 46

This is a book I forgot to blog. For some reason, though I hate reading nonfiction, I've never found it difficult to read about financial stuff. This was another good book, though Andrew and I both wondered if she was really writing a marriage book disguised as a finances book. Still, we've been trying to apply the principles and keep working on that aspect of our marriage.

I'm on a mission to read everything buy James Rollins. Now I'm wondering if I should pace myself. Don't get me wrong, this was another great book. It's just that the first two were so different from each other, and now the last two have been more of the same. Still great writing and great stories, just kind of similar. But then I reminded myself that the first book I read by him was actually his latest book (at the time) and it was completely different. So I'll keep reading...

This book was recommended to me by a friend who knows I like(d) Ted Dekker. I enjoyed Robert Liparulo's other two books, so I didn't even bother reading what this one was about before ordering it. Then it arrived and I read the praise on the inside cover. And I was scared. Gory. Thriller. Read it with the light on. Should I really be reading it?? But actually, apart from some gore which really was along the lines of the left behind books, this wasn't toooooooo bad. An interesting end times tale with a twist. And Liparulo is a very talented story teller. I'm very excited for his next book.

And now I'm off to bed to finish the last few pages of this one. I know! TWO non-fictions in less than six months! What's wrong with me?

41 & 42

After hearing so many comments about Dorothy Sayers' mysteries, I decided I needed to check one out for myself. One commentary warned that perhaps she was less popular than she should be due to the obscure references she makes in her stories.

I wonder if it's more likely due to the fact that she wrote closer to the other end of the 20th Century and so her books are a bit more difficult to read than say, oh most modern fiction. Not that I didn't enjoy Murder Must Advertise, it was a refreshingly different kind of mystery for me. Intelligent. Humorous. With a not-so-subtle commentary on society's consumerism. Actually, it surpised me how little the world has changed in the last 100 years.

There were enough references to Jeeves and Wooster that I've decided I definitely need to read some of P.G. Wodehouse's work and not just buy it for my brother. Oh. And I'm going to keep an eye out for more of Sayers' work too.

The other book I read was The Return Journey by Maeve Binchy. This was another anthology of short stories. I find these difficult at first because Binchy is so talented at characterization and story telling that is really hard to let go of the current story and move on to the next one. In her short stories I always feel like I've only just gotten to know the characters then I'm moving on to knew ones and new stories. Bleh. And yet I can't stop reading...

The Dirty Duck (40)

Another Martha Grimes, this one rather an oldish one.

Good, but not my fave.

And I just realised that in The Wink we didn't really find out if Viv and the Count called off their wedding. Gah!

36, 37, 38, 39

At this rate, I might beat the number of books I read last year. Although, I've decided to stop trying for meaty books. It's just too hard (trying?!) to read classics when you keep getting interrupted!

We were on holiday this past five days and I managed to read four books.

I absolutely adore James Rollins. Unfortunately everyone seems to have discovered him at the same time I did. Everytime I walk into a used bookstore and ask for his books I hear, "Oh we just sold several this morning. I'm not sure we have any..." He's brilliant. Really. This was his first book. So good I forced Andrew to begin it the moment I finished and he too had to devour it. Very Michael Crichton-ish and very, very good. Though I'm not sure I'd watch the movie. Too scary.


I had to read this one because it's the first in the series (of the last James book I read) and I think I read somewhere that this was her first novel. Which is very interesting considering up until now I'd only read Children of Men and her Adam Dalgliesh books. And he plays a huge role in these books (albeit only as being quoted by Cordelia as having taught her dead partner everything he knew about solving mysteries.) Still, very interesting to read a book in which he figures so largely and knowing (I think) that she had yet to write a book about him.

Also, this was better than the other Cordelia book. I think there's another C book. I'll have to dig it up somewhere...

THIS Dan Brown had no religious stuff going on. Though I suppose the thought of finding life on another planet might scare some Christians, but not me. Anyway I quite like his writing style too, but it's not as good as Rollins'.


I think I say this after every Martha Grimes book I read. My favorite. And I really am going to buy all her books and (one day) read them all in order.

*happy sigh* I still have four more new (used) books from Penticton's Book Store to go read.

32, 33, 34

Have to say this was not my favorite PD James. I read another book review on this one and I think I might agree that it's in part because it is hard to warm up to the main character. I wanted to like her but it just didn't happen.

Also, I didn't figure out the mystery before she did.

I think my mystery figuring out must be in a downward spiral. This book had me guessing right until the end too. In fact, I did something I never do...I read the last page of the book before I was even halfway through the story. Yes, that's how obsessed I was solving the mystery.




I do love these Richard Jury mysteries. Funnily enough, I read The Case Has Altered first and it makes several references to Five Bells. One of these days I shall have to collect the entire Richard Jury series and read them from beginning to end.

28, 29, 30, 31

Time to catch up on what I've been reading...

When we first arrived in Switzerland, I started with this. Pretty stock Rendell, I'd say.


Next it was Death of an Expert Witness by PD James. Probably my favorite of the books I read while we were on our trip.

I quickly moved on to this one...
And then I ran out of books. Dave leant me Leanings by Peter Egan. Brilliant reading. Who knew motorcycle stories could be so funny? I found myself laughing out loud, quoting whole sections of the book, and I can't stop thinking about it. I only got a little into the book, so I have to steal it from Dave so I can finish it.

Home again and two weeks without a book. I picked this one up at Costco and pretty much devoured it. Today I'm hoping to drag my kids to a used bookstore in search of more by him. Just brilliant.