Archive for 2006

Archive of Finished Books for 2006
(156 books total)

The Last Dragonlord by Joanne Bertin [BookCrossing]
I liked this book very much even though it had a lot of fantasy cliches. The only part that really bothered me was the battle over the regency. It felt like too much of a plot device to get the Dragonlords to the city rather than a necessary part of the plot. Also, Beren looked to be not such a great regency candidate, but in the end he and his wife almost seemed to be different people. [1/2/06]

Moll Flanders by Daniel Defoe [Rise of the English Novel class]
I read this book for another class many years ago when I was an undergrad. I really didn't remember anything of it. And now I remember why. I found it to be a rather boring and repetitive book. I didn't care about Moll at all and would have been happier if she had hanged in the end. But apparently the book is about redemption and turning an evil life around and by repenting becoming good again. But what I got out of it was that if one has money, it is easy to be good; however, if one is poor, it is almost expected to turn to a life of crime (or something like prostitution). I wonder which way Defoe meant it to be taken? [1/3/06]

Getting Medieval: Sexualities and Communities, Pre- And Postmodern by Carolyn Dinshaw
I think I really only understood about a fifth of this book. It's my first foray really into queer theory, so that is part of it, but also there is so much in it that I've never even considered before and so it was hard to grasp what Dinshaw was saying in many places. And just when I'd think that I understood something (like her definition of queer), she would write something else that would confuse the issue (like when she discussed Margery Kempe - though I think I figured out how "queer" fits with Margery). I'll have to put this on my shelf and come back to it again in the future when I've read a few other things (probably at the very least some Foucault). [1/4/06]

McKeachie's Teaching Tips by Wilbert J. McKeachie
I found part of this book (especially the first half) to be very helpful and I will be trying out some of the suggestions in class. Some parts of the book were not relevant for me (due to teaching English and not something like biology). Parts of the book weren't as interesting to me at the moment. So those parts, I skimmed over and will go back and read more carefully in the future. [1/8/06]

I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith [BookCrossing]
I'm not sure that I was extremely happy with the ending of the book. In this coming-of-age novel, I actually liked the beginning better when Cassandra was still on the threshold between childhood and adulthood. But the book does end with hope and that leaves a good feeling. And the writing itself was exquisite. There were so many phrases and sentences that I just lingered over and enjoyed. A beautifully written book. [1/12/06]

Single White Vampire by Lynsay Sands
I'm not even going to try to give a thoughtful entry for books like this from now on. I'm just reading them for fun - a little brain candy. So I'll just say that this one was definitely fun! [1/14/06]

Pamela by Samuel Richardson [Rise of the English Novel class]
Oy! I thought this book would never end. I was so tired of Pamela by the end of the book. Heck, I was tired of her by the middle of it. And I didn't completely believe her sudden reversal. She's kept a virtual prisoner of this man who would take her virtue, but as soon as he suggests some type of honorable relationship and frees her, she comes rushing back to him and happily marries him!?! This book may be considered the first "novel" and have been very popular in its time, but I did not at all enjoy it. [1/16/06]

The Prince by Machiavelli [BookCrossing]
Owing to the fact that I don't know much about Italian history, especially the political history, I fear that I missed a great deal that I might otherwise have gotten from this book. The footnotes were really not that helpful and would take quite a bit of background reading to really understand why Machiavelli wrote this and what effect it may have had. But in the more abstract sense of how a prince should behave, I found some very intriguing ideas. Although this was written in a later time period than what I am dealing with, I am interested in this mirror for princes genre and was happy to see what this one was like. [1/16/06]

Desire for Origins by Allen J. Frantzen
This book brings up many important questions for the study (and teaching) of Anglo-Saxon. My focus area is not A-S, but I may very well be teaching it in the future alongside Middle English, so many of the concerns are issues I should be thinking about. Even so, I think many of the ideas Frantzen brings up can be applied to Middle English studies. I shall have to ponder this book much more. [1/16/06]

Valiant: A Modern Tale of Faerie by Holly Black [BookCrossing]
At first, I thought that this book was a direct sequel to Tithe, but it was about someone completely different, although in the same world. And there is a glipse of the characters from Tithe. I'm not sure that I ever really liked Val, but I am happy for how things turned out for her in the end. [1/22/06]

Sex and the Single Vampire by Katie MacAlister [BookCrossing]
So happy to see the characters from the previous book again. Lots of fun! [1/25/06]

Sex, Lies, and Vampires by Katie MacAlister [BookCrossing]
This one was a little different, with the main vampire being The Betrayer. Instead of wanting, almost begging, to be redeemed, he doesn't think that he is worthy and it is his Beloved who begs him to let her redeem him. The ending seems to wrap up a little nicely (though Nell does comment a bit on that), but since it ends happily, that's all I really wanted with this book. [1/30/06]

Undead and Unappreciated by MaryJanice Davidson
Betsy is maturing a little more (though very very slowly) as the queen of vampires. This was another fun book and the ending made me happy. I was also pleased to see that the shoe fetish was toned down a little (I think it got a little much in the second book). [2/3/06]

Literary Theory by Terry Eagleton
I don't know why I keep having such a hard time wrapping my brain around the concept of literary theory. I do think this book was helpful in that it was more of a historical overview of theory than an explanation of different types of theory. I think some things started to sink in a little, but it's still not something that I feel comfortable with. [2/5/06]

Undead and Unreturnable by MaryJanice Davidson
There was a lot going on in this book and not all of it felt streamlined - most things were resolved by the end, but it still felt a little loose. Even so, it was a lot of fun to read! [2/5/06]

Troilus and Criseyde by Geoffrey Chaucer
I love this poem. There's just so much in it that it's hard to really even begin to describe it. But it's definitely a work that I will be rereading as I think it will be one that I will find something new each time that I read it. [2/9/06]

The Female Quixote by Charlotte Lennox [Rise of the Novel class]
I really liked this book! It's all about a young woman who has read too many French romances and thinks that life is really like that, so she takes events in her life that are perfectly harmless and misreads them into being much more than they truly are. Most of the time her "adventures" are rather absurd, which makes for some fun reading! [2/12/06]

The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove by Christopher Moore
There are other Christopher Moore books that I like better, but this one was quite funny - and yet at the same time had a lot of interesting ideas about us as humans. [2/22/06]

A Sentimental Journey by Laurence Sterne [Rise of the Novel class]
I'm happy that this book was so short because I did not like reading it. Perhaps the story was good but the style that it was told in made it so difficult to read and understand what was going on that I got frustrated by it.

Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris
I really liked this one! I'm definitely going to be reading more of this series. [2/27/06]

Dragonswan by Sherrilyn Kenyon
This book was short and could have been developed more, but it was mostly fun. Even so, it took a little while for me to really get into the book (which can be dangerous with a book so short). I did really really like that Channon was a Buffy fan. [3/2/06]

Size 12 Is Not Fat by Meg Cabot
I greatly enjoyed this book - so much so that I couldn't concentrate on any other reading that I needed to do for class because I just wanted to pick up this one to read. I'm glad there are going to be more books about Heather. What did I like about it? It was fun and funny. Had great characters. Good mystery (although I did suspect fairly early on who did it). [3/3/06]

Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris
Sookie is learning more and more how unhuman Bill is, yet at the same time he can show a very human side. They have some rocky parts in their relationship, but they are still going strong. I hope that continues through the rest of the books. I really like them together. I wonder what Sookie will get herself into next. [3/5/06]

The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot
This one is a reread for me and was just as delightful the second time around. [3/8/06]

Princess in the Spotlight by Meg Cabot
Another reread (prepping to catch up on the ones I haven't read yet, which will start with book 4). Mia is just so funny, but I do hope she realizes that just because she's a super nice person and a boy likes her, she doesn't have to be his girlfriend (I know I read the third book and I'm pretty sure she figures that out but I'll have to wait and see - silly memory of mine!) [3/9/06]

Princess in Love by Meg Cabot
Ah, I love happy endings. They just make me feel, well, happy. [3/10/06]

Princess Lessons by Meg Cabot
This supplement to the Princess Diaries series was a bit disappointing. I expected it to be a lot funnier than it was, but it just contained a few funny comments here and there. It actually read like an honest-to-goodness etiquette book, which made it rather dull. [3/10/06]

Princess in Waiting by Meg Cabot
I loved the references to the movie that was made of Mia's life in this movie because it was obvious that it was referring to the actual movie made from the books (which I watched again last night!). Too funny. I wish Mia would learn to be a little more assertive and trustful of herself (and those around her), but she is still really young (only 14). But at least she figured out what her secret talent is! [3/11/06]

Project Princess by Meg Cabot
There's not a lot that really goes on in this book - which wasn't too much of a surprise considering how short it is. But I think that the story actually could have been developed a little more instead of just filling like filler between two books. In fact, there's really nothing that goes on in the book that seems to be very important in developing the story or the characters. [3/11/06]

Princess in Pink by Meg Cabot
Some things in the book seemed to get a little out of hand, but how else could Mia's life end up? [3/11/06]

The Consolation of Philosophy by Boethius
Because this book forms a basis for many medieval writers (such as Chaucer), I felt it to be important to read it. And it's a wonderful work in its own right, although I think I will be reading it again in the near future so that I can make sure that I picked up on much of what it was saying. (And perhaps someday I'll try my hand at translating the Latin.) [3/12/06]

Evelina by Fanny Burney [Rise of the Novel class]
I think this is my second favorite of the books we've read for this class so far (The Female Quixote was my favorite). But Evelina is so naive and unknowing about the world (which I guess is the point) that it was frustrating reading her thoughts and actions sometimes. [3/13/06]

Princess in Training by Meg Cabot
Yay! I'm proud of Mia for standing up for herself (now hopefully she can do the same with Lilly). She's still got a lot of maturing to do (of course, she is only 15 years old), but I think she's going on the right track. I'm looking forward to seeing how she turns out - I wonder how far Meg Cabot will write Mia's life - past high school? I hope so. [3/14/06]

The Princess Present by Meg Cabot
Short and sweet. Although not an original idea ("Gift of the Magi"), it still made me smile. [3/14/06]

Party Princess by Meg Cabot
I read an ARC, so it was nice to be reading this book before it has even been released because it gave me another Princess Mia fix - but now I have to wait for the next one! Anyway, Mia learned quite a bit in this book. Meg Cabot is taking larger leaps of time between books now so Mia is almost 16 now and although still somewhat immature is growing up rather quickly. [3/14/06]

Fictions of Modesty by Ruth Bernard Yeazell
I read this because I am doing a report on it for my 18th century novels class. It wasn't too bad of a book - I actually made sense out of it and should be able to explain it fairly well. [3/16/06]

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
Now this is a well written book, with lots of mystery, thrill, and historical background. Kostova really excels at giving descriptions, making each place seem very real. The pace was a little slow to start, but I felt like I was in the shoes of the narrator who is fed a little bit of the story by her father over a series of months (so the pace works well with what was going on in the story). Now THIS is what a thriller should be like, in my opinion. I don't know what's going to happen next. I care about the characters. The clues are tantalizing but don't give too much away. Nothing like that crap book by Dan Brown. [3/24/06]

Dragonsblood by Todd McCaffrey [BookCrossing]
I really enjoyed this book (although there were a number of sad moments and I cried quite a few times). Todd McCaffrey sure can tell a great story - I hope he continues writing Pern books (of course I'd like some more from Anne McCaffrey as well!) because it felt great to be back in this familiar world. It makes me want to reread all of the rest. [3/31/06]

A Simple Story by Elizabeth Inchbald [Rise of the Novel class]
I found this one to be fairly dull and the writing style was a bit off putting. If I hadn't been reading it for a class, I wouldn't have finished it. [4/1/06]

The Unadulterated Cat by Terry Pratchett [BookCrossing]
Although I didn't find this book to be laugh-out-loud funny, I chuckled to myself quite a few times and smiled knowingly because so much about cats was absolutely right in this book. I don't think people who've never owned or been around cats before would really enjoy this one. [4/2/06]

Club Dead by Charlaine Harris [BookCrossing]
Although I really have been enjoying this series, I am really unhappy with the way the book ended. Obvioulsy Sookie and Bill have a lot of things to work out, but they also really need to sit down and be completely honest with each other. Maybe that will happen in the next book. Perhaps Bill is not the best guy for her, but I really like the two of them together and want to see them work things out (even though Eric is quite delightful!) [4/2/06]

Dead to the World by Charlaine Harris [BookCrossing]
Okay, well, I guess Sookie and Bill truly have broken up. *pout* I love Eric but it was weird to see him without his memory and then very sad when his memory returned and he then didn't remember what had happened while his memory was gone. *sigh* Poor Sookie. I hope things turn out better for her in the next book! [4/6/06]

A Quick Bite by Lynsay Sands
I liked this book a lot because it didn't have the typical plot (boy meets girl, they have a fight and break up and then spend the rest of the book realizing that they are perfect together). Instead we have boy meets girl and then a lot of external stuff happens though they themselves never give up on their relationship (though it takes Lissi a while to realize it). I also liked the vampire with a phobia for blood, though I would have liked to actually see it being cured. And I also liked that there was more to their relationship besides great sex (though there was definitely that!). [4/7/06]

Bite by Laurell K. Hamilton, Charlaine Harris, MaryJanice Davidson, Angela Knight, and Vickie Taylor
I've not read any of the Anita Blake books so the Hamilton story was blah for me since I didn't know what was going on. The Sookie Stackhouse story (Harris), a series that I absolutely love, was a little dull as well. It just felt like a story to fill up the book and not anything that really advanced any plot or character development. The Davidson story was cute and fun but not really that great either. Then the final two stories in this collection: I didn't really like either one. The Knight story had a good plot but there were two major problems that I had with it: the sex scenes weren't written very well and you just can't have magic being used without any cost - a witch who can just magic anything whenever she wants and not feel tired or need to build up power is just not "believable." The Taylor story could have been okay, but I just didn't feel myself getting into it very much. So, all in all, this collection of stories was rather disappointing. [4/14/06]

Getting What You Came For by Robert L. Peters
I skimmed through the parts of this book that didn't pertain to me (the beginning especially since I'm already in a PhD program so I don't need help in finding one). But overall, the book wasn't extremely helpful to me because it contained information that I've already figured out over the past few years. Some of the information is a little outdated. Plus the author is coming from a science background and so doesn't have as much to say about liberal arts. That being said, this could be a really helpful book for someone who is considering graduate school and wants to get a basic idea of what it might be like. [4/16/06]

Daughter of the Blood by Anne Bishop
I've read this before a few years ago and remember really liking it. That memory of really liking it returned with this reading. This is a book that just feels quite different from other fantasy books. It's a little dark in places and things happen that are pretty horrible, but it's a really great story and written really well. [4/21/06]

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
This was a reread for me, but a delightful one because I adore Austen. My memory of the book has been fuzzed by the movie, so there were some parts of it that I had forgotten (like the conversation at the end between Elinor and Willoughby) and was happy to explore once more. [4/26/06]

Heir to the Shadows by Anne Bishop
Although I'm familiar with the story, I still found myself completely drawn in and did not want to put the book down at all. I'm very glad that I decided to reread this trilogy. [4/30/06]

Queen of the Darkness by Anne Bishop
Even though I remembered what happened (more or less), I still cried a little at the end of this one. Such a great trilogy! [5/2/06]

What Do You Say to a Naked Elf? by Cheryl Sterling
This book was better than I thought it would be. I rather enjoyed it and thought that the characters and story were well created. That is, until the end. I felt that the ending was a bit rushed and too pat. Everything came together in a way that, although not unexpected, seemed a little too perfect. [5/8/06]

Codex by Lev Grossman
Overall I really liked this book and was excited to see medieval references that were actually accurate. But I don't know that the whole plot thread with the computer game was really that necessary; it seemed like they could have figured it out without the game and so I didn't see the point of including it. I think the book would have been better without it. I also found the end to be slightly dissatisfying because I don't feel that everything got resolved. [5/10/06]

My Freshman Year: What a Professor Learned by Becoming a Student by Rebekah Nathan
Maybe I went into this book with my hopes too high. It was interesting, but I found it to be lacking. In reading the afterward, I think I figured out what that is. I would have liked to hear more of the personal student-to-student conversations, but I can understand why that would be an ethical problem to do so. But I do think that it left the book without some of the depth that otherwise could have been there. [5/12/06]

Kitty and the Midnight Hour by Carrie Vaughn
I thought that this book would be just some fun fluff. And it was that and also a quick read, but it was also really GOOD fluff. The writing was fantastic as were the characters and the situation was intense. Perhaps there were a few too many things going on at once, but that does give a lot of room for the sequel to continue. I'm very much looking forward to seeing where Kitty goes after this (well, Washington, of course *grin*). [5/13/06]

Chaucer's England: Literature in Historical Context edited by Barbara Hanawalt
I found some of these essays (the first few in particular) more helpful that some of the others, but it was definitely nice to see the joining of literary scholars and historians working together. [5/14/06]

Grendel by John Gardner
I've always heard really wonderful things about this book. So much so that I was ready to assign it to my class before I had even read it myself. I'm so glad that I decided to read it first! I did not like this book at all. I don't feel that it treated Grendel very sympathetically; in fact, I think he was even more monstrous than in the poem. There were parts that just didn't really make much sense. The only bit I liked was Grendel's interaction with Unferth. That was pretty funny and could have explained a lot of how Unferth's character developed into what it was in the poem. [5/16/06]

Night Play by Sherrlyn Kenyon
I have a new author to read books by now. I really liked this book and although at first I was a little confused as to how the world worked (even though I had read that short story), I think I finally figured it out. I'd like to read more of Kenyon's books. I really liked the characters, and I really liked how Vane didn't seem to care that Bride wasn't a super skinny person. In fact, he so didn't care that it wasn't even an issue for him to even think about. [5/20/06]

Dreams Made Flesh by Anne Bishop
The first story was a little confusing and unclear. In fact, I thought it was just a prologue or something at first and not the actual story. The second story about Lucivar and Marian was my favorite. I had been disappointed, reading the trilogy, to not see how they met and ended up together so this story definitely filled that hole. And filled it quite well! The third story really made clear just how powerful Saetan could be and what he could be capable of. *shiver* And the fourth story continued on from the trilogy. I'm not sure we really needed the story with the witch who desired Daemon (except as a means of plot) especially since it echoed so much of what had happened between Lucivar and Roxie (who did make an appearance), but otherwise, I really liked finding out what happened to Daemon and Jaenelle. [5/21/06]

Till We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis
I read this book a number of years ago and remember enjoying it enough to keep it in my personal collection. When I was thinking about what to use for teaching in the fall, I thought about using myths and folklore and thought that this book might be useful. And I think it will as I plan to use it for my fall class. I'm definitely going to need to read it again and try to think about it more and put more of it together. There's a lot there but it's not on the surface so will take some digging. [5/23/06]

Even Vampires Get the Blues by Katie MacAlister [BookCrossing]
Even though the basic setup is like the other books in this series (vampire finds Beloved), MacAlister is able to make the same old plot something quite different. Not only is Sam a half-elf, but there is a lot more that goes on with her character than with any of the other Beloveds in past books. Although I knew it would end happily (and wanted it that way!), it was tense sometimes as to how that ending would come about. This one just might be my favorite in the series. [5/27/06]

Bellwether by Connie Willis [BookCrossing]
I really liked this book a lot. It was just extremely well-written and plotted. The romance plot was subtle but satisfying. The science was not overwhelming. And I really liked how everything ended, even though I had some suspicions about what would happen. [5/29/06]

The Pillars of the World by Anne Bishop [BookCrossing]
Anne Bishop has done it again - created a world and peopled it with characters that are really fantastic. I was a little confused at the beginning because it just jumped right into the story without much explanation, but I sorted things out about a third of the way through. The descriptions of some of the things the Witches' Hammer did was gruesome and disgusting to read, and sadly they are methods used by actual Inquisitors. A powerfully told tale, one that I look forward to continuing in the other two books of this trilogy. [6/2/06]

Shadows and Light by Anne Bishop [BookCrossing]
I was really happy to see Ari and Neal again. From the description on the back cover, I was worried that the book would move on to other characters and leave them behind. And I really like Aiden and Lyrra, so the trilogy is progressing wonderfully. The ending really sets up the final book in the trilogy, so I'm looking forward to reading it. [6/11/06]

Talk to the Hand by Lynne Truss [BookRing]
I was a little disappointed with this book. I agreed with a lot of what she said and some of the stories were amusing, but it was rather dull in many places and it was actually almost a chore to finish. [6/14/06]

The China Garden by Liz Berry [BookCrossing]
This was a really nice young adult book. I really liked Clare but I wasn't so sure about Mark. He seemed to change personalities a little and it wasn't completely believeable at times. But the story was well told and something that I enjoyed very much. [6/16/06]

Daughters of the Moon: Goddess of the Night by Lynne Ewing [BookCrossing]
This is the first book of a long series (12 books) - a series that I think I'm going to enjoy very much. I like the ideas in the story and so far the characters work well for me. I'm looking forward to seeing how they grow and progress in future books. [6/18/06]

Love Bites by Lynsay Sands [BookCrossing]
Another fun romp. [6/21/06]

The Safe-Keeper's Secret by Sharon Shinn [BookCrossing]
Shinn weaves words in such a way that the tale seems so simple and yet it is full of meaning and depth. I loved all of the characters and the book ended in just the right way. As I finished it, I closed it, laid it on my chest, and just breathed a happy sigh of contentment. [6/23/06]

The House of Gaian by Anne Bishop [BookCrossing]
What a great book! I admit that I hesitated to start this book because I knew that there were going to be some losses and I didn't want to know that anything really bad had happened to any of the characters that I had grown to love. And I was right. There are some losses. But there are also some joys and a few surprises. All in all, I'm glad that I read this trilogy and got to know these characters. I just want to know more about them!! I was disappointed that we didn't get to see much of Ari and Neall. I also would have liked a little more in the end about what happened to each character. Perhaps Bishop is leaving it open to write more books or perhaps something like with Dreams Made Flesh? I really do hope that something like that comes out in the future. I'm attached to these characters and I'm not ready to let them go! [6/26/06]

A Fistful of Charms by Kim Harrison [BookCrossing]
Wow, wow, and wow. Those are the words that describe this book. I knew it would be good. I knew that I would like it and perhaps maybe not like some things. But it was still even more amazing. Rachel's character opened up even more than she's done before, learning things about herself that she is having a hard time accepting. Nick came back, and now I hope that he doesn't ever come back again. Kisten, who I would have liked to see a whole lot more of, is so sweet. Dangerous, but sweet. I like him and Rachel together. And Ivy. What is going to happen in the future with Rachel and Ivy. Will they each get what they want? Is that even possible? And Jenks was better than ever - bigger than ever also! *grin* [7/3/06]

Summers at Castle Auburn by Sharon Shinn [BookCrossing]
Another Sharon Shinn book to leave me with a smile on my face. As I said about The Safe-Keeper's Secret - she has such a way of weaving words that just leaves me in wonder because it seems so simple and yet so amazing. There were some things that I thought a little similar to Safe-Keeper (especially the main character's initial attraction to a handsome but ill-mannered young man), but it was a really great book. I'd say that I want to read more about Corie, but if that happened, something would probably be going wrong and I want only the best for her. So I am content to leave her where she ended up. [7/5/06]

Undead and Unpopular by MaryJanice Davidson [BookCrossing]
I can't believe that I'm going to say this, but I was let down by this book. Not much really seemed to happen during the book. It wasn't quite as funny as some of the past Undead books. There were some serious things in there that just get passed over because it's supposed to be a light-hearted book and so it makes everything just seem a little flat. Oh, and the editing of the book was awful! Calling Jon "Jen" at one point, for example. [7/6/06]

Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman [BookCrossing]
I don't really know what to think of this book. It felt a little bland at most points. I've enjoyed other books by Gaiman much more than this one. But there's nothing specific that I can put my finger on. Well, I didn't really like Fat Charlie very much. It wasn't that I disliked him, but, well, I'll use the word bland again. That's what his character was like to me. [7/9/06]

Kitty Goes to Washington by Carrie Vaughn [BookCrossing]
I loved the first book because it was something a little bit different (and yet still fitting into the vampire/werewolf mythology) from the other paranormals that I've read. I like Kitty because she's both strong and weak at the same time - which is a lot more real, more human, than these paranormal characters are sometimes. So I was really looking forward to the sequel. Good news! The sequel does not disappoint. More of what I loved about the first book (though she wasn't on the radio as much, so I missed that a little), new characters introduced (Luis!), and Kitty being forced to become more public than she already was. Lots of action, character development, a little sex - all in all it was a great book. This is definitely a series that I'll be buying new as soon as each book comes out. I'm so happy that there will be at least two more Kitty adventures. I look forward to seeing where Kitty goes next. [7/11/06]

Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks [BookCrossing]
This was an absolutely fascinating book. Taking the historical account of an actual village that was hit by the plague and made the decision to "lock up" the village to help contain the plague, Brooks shows what could happen to people when faced by such a gruesome experience. How can you go on living when you see so many people around you dying, when your own family dies and you are the only one left? What happens to your faith in God? Can you make a new life for yourself when it is all over? These are the questions that Anna struggles with throughout the book. Her character is very real and very human and I suffered along with her while reading her story. [7/15/06]

Both Sides of Time by Caroline B. Cooney [BookCrossing]
Sometime the book felt a little underdeveloped (which happens with some YA books, especially by this author) and other parts didn't seem to need as much as they were given. (I didn't need POV sections from Ada or as much from Walk, for example.) Otherwise, the story is decent and enough to keep me reading the remaining books in this series. [7/17/06]

Out of Time by Caroline B. Cooney [BookCrossing]
Although the story itself was good and a lot better streamlined than the first book, it still felt a little flat to me, though I'm not really sure why. I'll definitely read the other two books in the series, but I don't feel that I have to read them right this moment. [7/17/06]

Forest Mage by Robin Hobb
Nevare has recovered from the Speck plague, but unlike other survivors, he is not weak and wasted away. Instead, he grows fatter and fatter, no matter how hard he works himself or starves himself. Spurned by his father, he tries to make a new life for himself, but he cannot be successful because the magic has hold of him and will not let him go. He must do as the magic wants of him. As he tries to resist, the magic cuts away everything that he holds dear. This book was painful to read in many places. I hated seeing Nevare get fatter. I hated seeing him suffer so much. I hated what happened to him and all the pain he went through. I only hope that he's hit the bottom and that things will get better from here. If he can just end up content like Fitz, I'll be content as well. But at this point, even that seems impossible. [7/28/06]

A Dirty Job by Christopher Moore [BookRing]
I've enjoyed each Christopher Moore book that I've read and I think that this is one of his best (though Lamb will always be my favorite). The story is completely solid with likeable (though really odd) characters. I'm not sure that I am completely happy with the ending, but overall, it was a really great book and I had a good time reading it. [7/29/06]

Dead as a Doornail by Charlaine Harris [BookCrossing]
It was really nice to read about Sookie again, but her life has certainly become even more complicated - if that was even possible! I hope she gets a little rest before whatever is going to happen in the next book happens. [7/29/06]

Definitely Dead by Charlaine Harris [BookCrossing]
Hmmm....maybe Sookie should really think about getting medical insurance. She just can't seem to stop getting attacked and beaten up. *sigh* I'm unhappy with the revelation about Bill, but I wish Sookie wouldn't just completely close herself off from him. I guess I still like him. And although Quinn seems like a really nice guy, there's just something that doesn't feel quite right to me. Maybe he's too good. (I know that I hate him calling her "babe" all the time.) But now I have to wait until next year for the next book!! [8/1/06]

Moon Called by Patricia Briggs [BookCrossing]
There were several things about this book that bothered me. Some things just fell into place way too easily. Other things were brought up and left hanging or made out to be not as important as they seemed from the beginning. And I never really felt that I was completely into the book. [8/4/06]

Storm Front by Jim Butcher [BookCrossing]
I went into this book expecting to like it a lot since I've heard so many wonderful things about it. While I wouldn't say it's one of the best books I've read, it was definitely well-written and entertaining and will be a series that I'll certainly continue reading. I like the set-up of the world, especially some of the details like electronics not working well around Harry. I like Harry himself. He's a good character and feels very real (meaning that he's not superhuman and has some weaknesses). The story was tight and intense. Even though I figured out who did it well before it was revealed, I was still intently reading to see how everything turned out. [8/6/06]

The Last Light of the Sun by Guy Gavriel Kay [BookCrossing]
This book was extremely well written. So many characters leading separate lives that would intertwine with one another. Very solid plot, excellent characterizations. But I especially loved the little historical bits. It was obvious (to me) that Aeldred was modeled off of King Alfred the Great (even down to the little story about burning the cakes!!) and it was fun to try to pick out the bits that were actually based off of history. [8/10/06]

Powers of Detection edited by Dana Stabenow [BookCrossing]
Like most short story collections, there were stories that I really liked a lot and stories that I didn't like at all as well as many in between. As I had expected, my three favorite stories were the ones by Charlaine Harris (I thought I had missed something in Definitely Dead - I wondered who Claude was and now I know!), Anne Bishop (I love the world she has created and it was fun to get a Surreal story), and Sharon Shinn (although I figured out who did it before the main character, I still liked the story a lot and would love to read more about this world she created). Stories that I mostly liked were "Cold Spell" which I thought was clever, "The Nightside, Needless to Say" which was okay but I figured out who did it rather quickly, "The Boy Who Chased Seagulls" even though, again, I figured things out before the end, "Palimpsest" which is good that I liked it because I have the books set in the same world on my wishlist, and "Justice is a Two-Edged Sword" which was a decent sword and sorcery story. And then there were stories that I didn't like: "Lovely" was just kinda gross with the raven eating humans, "The Judgment" because I just didn't completely understand the end (I got it a little but I still felt as if some explanation was missing), "The Death of Clickclickwhistle" which I started but just couldn't get into so I skipped over it, and "Cairene Dawn" because it just wasn't believable to me that someone who spent so much time in Egypt wouldn't know the stories about Isis, Osirus, and Set. [8/13/06]

Ricardian Poetry by J.A. Burrow
Burrow takes four major late 14th century authors - Chaucer, Langland, Gower, and the Gawain-poet - and tries to create a description of the poetry of this time that will encompass all four of these disparate authors. Overall, I think he does a good job, though I don't always agree with what he's said. And he does focus on Chaucer quite a lot, so it would have been nice to get a little more equal weight with the others. But the book did help me to look at these works with some different angles, which is always a good thing. [8/13/06]

Disappearing Nightly by Laura Resnick
I had a hard time really getting into this book. I did want to keep reading to find out what happened, but it never really grabbed me and made me want to keep reading right now. It's the first in a new series, and I'm not sure that I will be reading any further in this series. This one just felt a little flat to me for some reason that I can't really put my finger on. [8/16/06]

Castle in the Air by Diana Wynne Jones
I read Howl's Moving Castle long ago and remember loving it, so I was so excited when I saw this sequel. Then I was disappointed because I didn't see Howl or Calcifer or Sophie or anyone that I remembered from the first book so I was wondering how it was a sequel. I think that disappointed expectation caused me to not get into the book at first. But as I kept reading, the book got me hooked and then some of the characters started showing up near the end (or *spoiler* revealing that they had actually been there all along */spoiler). I was so happy to read a book that actually surprised me, after a whole string of ones that I kept figuring out before the end. [8/18/06]

Master of Ecstasy by Nina Bangs [BookCrossing]
I wasn't sure what to think of this book at first, but over all I rather liked it. I loved Sparkle the cat - very funny. And although there was quite a bit of sex in the book, it was actually quite well written, so I enjoyed reading it. And there was a pretty decent plot and characterization. I wasn't entirely clear why the women thought they would be given immortality if they had sex with a vampire, but perhaps that is explained better in another book or I skipped over an explanation. I'll definitely read more books by this author. [8/19/06]

How to Marry a Millionaire Vampire by Kerrelyn Sparks [BookCrossing]
I liked this one overall. I'm not sure that the whole part with Shanna's father and his CIA group was entirely necessary - that part seemed a bit rushed (and her father just seemed to act really immature). But other than that, I really enjoyed reading about Shanna and Roman and hope that there is more about them in future books by this author. [8/22/06]

Empire of Magic by Geraldine Heng [prelim reading]
I really enjoyed the chapters on Geoffrey of Monmouth and the Alliterative Morte Arthure. I also enjoyed learning about a romance I had never heard of - Richard Coer de Lyon. Also, the chapter on the Constance stories allowed me to read them in a slightly new way. I was less interested in the chapter on Mandeville's Travels and I admit to skimming a good section of that chapter. [8/22/06]

Zel by Donna Jo Napoli [BookCrossing]
The book follows along fairly consistently with the Rapunzel story. What I enjoyed most about it, though, was the split points of view. I thought it a bit odd that Zel and Konrad were third person and the Mother was first person, but I think this was more of a story about the Mother than Zel or Konrad. The story gave depth and humanity to the Mother rather than just making her an evil witch. She does everything because she loves Zel, but her love gets twisted in her selfishness. [8/23/06]

Dark Lover by J.R. Ward
I actually didn't get into this book at first and almost put it down. I didn't really like Wrath and didn't want to read more about him. But I know people have raved about this book so I kept reading. And I'm really glad that I did. Wrath's character developed a lot throughout the book (in a very good way) and I like the way he ended up. I also really liked Beth a lot and with her and Wrath much happiness together. I'll definitely be reading more books in this series. [8/26/06]

The Year My Life Went Down the Loo by Katie Maxwell [BookCrossing]
I can't help but compare this book to the Georgia Nicholson series. And in doing so, the Emily series comes out on top. I often got annoyed with Georgia, especially with how she treats her best friend. Emily hasn't done anything to annoy me yet (okay, except perhaps for using the word coolio a little too much). Emily's character just feels more realistic to me. Perhaps it's because she's two years older than Georgia and so a little more mature. Whatever it it, I'm very much looking forward to reading more about Emily. [8/26/06]

Four Romances of England : King Horn, Havelok the Dane, Bevis of Hampton, Athelston
This is the first time that I've read any of these romances. Nothing really stands out in any of them (except the extremely lengthy and multi-episodic nature of Bevis of Hampton), so I hope I can remember them when it comes time for prelims in case I need to use any of them. [8/27/06]

They Wear What Under Their Kilts? by Katie Maxwell [BookCrossing]
Yup, still very much liking these books. Emily just gets herself in super funny situations. I laughed so hard during the whole spray painting sheep bit. And the two-headed hedgehog? Oh my Crod! Of course she's completely blind that Fang is the right guy for her, but there are still several books left (and supposedly new ones will come out) so I have hope that she'll figure it out eventually. [8/28/06]

What's French for "Ew!"? by Katie Maxwell [BookCrossing]
Many more crazy adventures with Emily. You just have to wonder if she can do anything without causing some huge bit of trouble. But if she did anything normally, she wouldn't be Emily. Quite a few laugh out loud moments while reading. And I must say that I'm quite happy with the way things turned out between her and Devon. [8/29/06]

The Taming of the Dru by Katie Maxwell [BookCrossing]
*happy sigh* and many laughes. I was so excited that Emily had finally realized that Fang was the right guy for her - and then Fang comes home - with a GF! Eek. But Emily deals with it in her special Emily way and through lots of zany adventures and a few injuries, the ending is just perfect. [8/30/06]

Life, Love, and the Pursuit of Hotties by Katie Maxwell [BookCrossing]
After finishing the fourth book, I had to pick up this one right away. I'm so happy that Katie Maxwell agreed to write more Emily books. There was one scene that had me laughing for well over a minute and lots of other very funny scenes. Also many happy moments. I really enjoyed reading this series of books. [8/30/06]

Once Upon Stilettos by Shanna Swendson [BookCrossing]
I may have read the book out of order (Enchanted, Inc. comes before this and I don't even have that on Mount TBR much less have I read it), but I didn't feel that I was missing out on too much by starting with this book (though I will go back and read the first one eventually). And this book was great. It just made me feel really good while reading it, and the ending still has me smiling. In fact, all I'm thinking about is how happy and content I am with the book rather than any deeper thoughts about it. [9/1/06]

Richard the Redeless and Mum and the Sothsegger edited by James M. Dean
I'm going to need to do a lot more reading on details in Richard II's reign before I will really be able to understand the first poem in this book. The notes were helpful, but I know there was a lot I missed out on. I liked the second poem, especially the dream vision, but I'm not sure what I could do with it. So these two poems will sit in my head to see if they will be useful for prelims or the dissertation. [9/2/06]

The Stanzaic Morte Arthur edited by Larry D. Benson
There wasn't anything too surprising or unusual about this text. So it was a pretty quick read, though perhaps I should have paid more attention to see if I could find something special about the text so I could use it for something. But right now, it doesn't seem that it's going to stand out in my mind. [9/3/06]

Psycho Kitty? Understanding Your Cat's Crazy Behavior by Pam Johnson-Bennett
Each time I read one of this author's books, I am reminded of the importance of interactive play time with my cats. So I'm beginning to do it again and hope to keep it up. I don't think that I learned anything especially new in reading this book, but it did reinforce and remind me of what I've read in the past. And I cried while reading the last two stories. I think I'm going to keep this book out and available so I can look at it and remind myself of making sure to play with my cats a little each day. Some days it's easy to get busy and forget that they need attention, too. [9/8/06]

Night Bites by Nina Bangs [BookCrossing]
Good plot. Good characters. Good sex. What more could you ask for? [9/9/06]

Fool Moon by Jim Butcher [BookCrossing]
I think Harry should meet up with Sookie Stackhouse. They both get completely beaten up in each of their books. Perhaps together they could either figure out a way not to get beaten up or they could comfort each other while they are recovering. *grin* I really enjoyed this adventure of Harry's, and I actually didn't figure out what was going on until the book revealed it, which is a nice change from some things I've been reading lately. [9/11/06]

Grave Peril by Jim Butcher [BookCrossing]
These books just keep getting more intense and not everything winds up perfect in the end; I'm definitely interested in finding out what happens to Susan in future books. [9/16/06]

Enchanted, Inc. by Shanna Swendson [BookCrossing]
Even though I read this out of order, I still greatly enjoyed reading this book. I think I actually kinda liked knowing where things were going to be heading at times. I'm definitely looking forward to more of this series! [9/18/06]

The Three Richards by Nigel Saul
At first, I was only going to read the sections in this book that pertained to Richard II (since that's the king I'm primarily interested in), but I actually enjoyed Nigel Saul's writing style and decided to try reading the whole thing. I'm glad that I did because he really did a lot of interweaving of the three kings, so it would have been more difficult to try to single out just one. There was a little too much repetition in some parts of the book, but overall I learned quite a lot! [9/19/06]

A Taste of Darkness by Nina Bangs [BookCrossing]
Nina Bangs just really knows how to write a satisfying book. *happy sigh* [9/21/06]

Sir Perceval of Galles and Ywain and Gawain edited by Mary Flowers Braswell
Hmmm....I was hoping one (or at best both) of these romances would fit into my ideas for my dissertation, but if they do, it is not very obvious. At least they were good stories (even though it was strange to read about Percival in a story that didn't include the grail). [9/21/06]

Got Fangs? by Katie Maxwell [BookCrossing]
I wasn't aware, before I started reading this, that this was actually a Dark One/Beloved tale. I knew that it was in the same universe as Katie MacAlister's Dark Ones books but thought that it was just a side story - but nope, it's the story of a Beloved and Dark One. Not that there is anything wrong with that! I enjoyed the story very much and hope to read more about Fran and Ben. [9/23/06]

Hello, Gorgeous! by MaryJanice Davidson [BookCrossing]
This book was a little strange, but overall I thought it was fun and a good light read. Caitlyn is a little too much like Betsy at times, but there are some differences. Despite the picture on the cover and the tag ("saving the world - one Manolo Blahnik at a time..."), Caitlyn does not have a shoe fetish. In fact, shoes are only mentioned once and in passing. So I'm not sure about the cover design and quote. [9/24/06]

Hoccleve's Regiment of Princes: Counsel and Constraint by Nicholas Perkins
I have not yet read this poem by Hoccleve, but Perkins does a good job of making me feel that I can still follow along with his argument. I found the beginning of this book more helpful than the final chapter or two, but it did help me out a lot in thinking about mirrors for princes. [9/25/06]

Drop Dead, Gorgeous! by MaryJanice Davidson [BookCrossing]
I was expecting more of Caitlyn and Dmitri in this book and although they are in it, the book was about two different characters. Once I got past that surprise (and a bit of a disappointment - plus Caitlyn just seemed really annoying in this book!), it was a pretty fun read. [9/26/06]

Summer Knight by Jim Butcher [BookCrossing]
Well, Harry doesn't get quite as physically beaten up in this book as he did in the last. That being said, he still has quite an adventure and some very tense moments. My only wish is that I had some brownies to clean up my apartment for me. *grin* [9/30/06]

Tall, Dark, and Hungry by Lynsay Sands [BookCrossing]
I really enjoy spending time with the Argeneau family and this book did not disappoint. A nice feel-good pick-me-up story. [10/2/06]

Political Allegory in Late-Medieval England by Ann W. Astell
This is one of those books that I really really wish that I had written myself. Prof. Astell makes a lot of brilliant connections in this book between various texts (Chaucer, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Malory, Gower) and the political situations of their times. I'm not quite as convinced by the Malory chapter and the connection to Joan of Arc, but the chapter on Sir Gawain and the Green Knight was especially amazing. I'm just so excited that she is my advisor and that I can actually discuss these ideas with her! (I've already done so a little with the SGGK chapter) [10/5/06]

Carpe Demon by Julie Kenner [BookCrossing]
I really enjoyed this book a lot. Although it definitely is very Buffy-esque (which isn't a bad thing), it's also got its own story and feeling to it. I only wish that I could read some stories about Kate and Eric; I think those would also be a lot of fun. [10/6/06]

Fray by Joss Whedon
This was a fantastic story - taking the Slayer mythology and putting it far into the future. At first I didn't like Melaka very well, but once I got to know her better, I thought that she made an excellent Slayer. She has a strong sense of duty, even when it goes against her personal feelings. But she also has personal feelings. [10/7/06]

Sir Gawain: Eleven Romances and Tales edited by Thomas Hahn
Some of the romances in this book were ones that I had heard of but hadn't read yet (such as the Awntyrs off Arthur and the Avowying of Arthur) and others were brand new to me both in reading and knowing about them. I liked some better than others and some will fit into my research better than others, but that is to be expected. I think the introduction to the volume and the intros to each text were well written and quite informative. [10/16/06]

Alliterative Revivals by Christine Chism
I'm not sure that I understood the overarching idea behind this book besides the fact that all of these poems were alliterative. But I did like the chapters on the texts that I'm familiar with, even if the chapter on the Alliterative Morte went a little close to what I want to say about the poem, but never in the same way or with some of the details I want to mention, so I should be fine. [10/17/06]

Wynnere and Wastoure and the Parlement of the Thre Ages edited by Warren Ginsberg
These two dream visions are relatively short, but there is a lot that is packed into them. I need to take some time to go over them a little more in detail at some point so I can be sure to get more out of them. [10/21/06]

Fictions of Advice by Judith Ferster
This book was very helpful in explaining the "mirror for princes" genre. It's one that I'll definitely be coming back to for prelims and even my dissertation. [10/22/06]

Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon [BookCrossing]
This is a very lengthy book and I really took my time in reading it, which made it more enjoyable in some places (I didn't feel that I was rushing anything), but as much as I enjoy being in Claire and Jamie's world, I did get a little tired of it after a while. But I still wept quite a bit several times in the end of the book and I will continue reading the other books, but I'll just wait a while before doing so. I need to break this story up with reading about lots of other people in between because this one is just really intense. [10/24/06]

Death Masks by Jim Butcher [BookCrossing]
Another enjoyable Harry Dresden story, although I have to admit that I was a little let down regarding the duel since so much led up to it. But otherwise, great story, love Harry, can't wait to read more. [10/27/06]

Layamon's Arthur: The Arthurian Section of Layamon's Brut edited by Barron and Weinberg
Comparing this text to the Alliterative Morte Arthure is quite interesting. This text doesn't seem to be very critical of Arthur (although there are some moments) and instead very seriously paints him as noblest of kings (whereas I see the Alliterative Morte being quite critical of Arthur). This text will definitely provide me with some meat for my prelims and my dissertation. [10/29/06]

Dead and Loving It by MaryJanice Davidson [BookCrossing]
I was a little disappointed in this collection of stories. The first one was decent, I didn't really like the second one, the third one was pretty good, and then the Betsy story was the one I had been looking forward to reading, but there wasn't much to it. So it's nice to fill in the story with a piece I had been missing, but the book didn't excite me all that much. [10/29/06]

Dates from Hell by Kim Harrison, Lynsay Sands, Kelley Armstrong, Lori Handeland [BookCrossing]
Although the story itself wasn't especially exciting, I really enjoyed the Kim Harrison story for the extra characterization of Ivy (and Kisten). It really does help to explain a little more about why she acts the way she does and why Rachel is so important to her. The Lynsay Sands story was just loads of good fun. The Kelley Armstrong was good enough to make me definitely want to read her full-length books. I was not quite as thrilled with the Lori Handeland story, but just because it was my least favorite of the four doesn't mean that it was bad. [11/2/06]

Date Me, Baby, One More Time by Stephanie Rowe [BookCrossing]
The book was fun (and parts of it, especially with Satan made me laugh a lot) but nothing super special. And why was Mona so important to keep around? If it was so much trouble, why not just destroy it? Beyond questions like that, I really did enjoy the book for the laughter and the light-heartedness. [11/6/06]

Bound by Donna Jo Napoli [BookCrossing]
I think having studied Cinderella this semester for the class I'm teaching, including the Chinese version of the story, really helped me appreciate this book more than I might have otherwise. I greatly enjoyed how Napoli took the very short Chinese story and developed it into the tale of Xing Xing. [11/7/06]

Light My Fire by Katie MacAlister [BookCrossing]
I couldn't wait to read this one when it was released, and although I'm sure I would have been okay if I had had to wait to read it, I'm happy that I did because it was a very enjoyable book. It had all the things that I like: funny Jim, yummy Drake, clueless Aisling and even better, there were actually some answers in this book. We find out some quite important things about Drake and even what Rene is and how he fits into the picture. There is a LOT that happens in this book and not everything gets worked out in the end (in fact, it seems like it's even more jumbled and a mess), so there's plenty of room for more Aisling Grey books in the future, something I'm very happy about. [11/9/06]

Spinners by Donna Jo Napoli and Richard Tchen [BookCrossing]
I've never really liked the story of Rumplestiltskin as much as some of the other fairy tales, but this book really made the story come forth in a completely different way that made me very much enjoy it. How sad to see things become so twisted because of love. Love truly is powerful, and not always in a good way. [11/13/06]

Artemis Fowl: The Lost Colony by Eoin Colfer [BookCrossing]
Although Artemis as a criminal mastermind was quite fun in the first few books, I'm happy to see him maturing and using his "powers" for better purposes now. I'm also looking forward to seeing how Minerva might be used in any future books. This was another exciting adventure from Artemis and company! [11/18/06]

Queen of Babble by Meg Cabot [BookCrossing]
Such a good, happy, wonderful book. It left me glowing. It all ends in the predictable way, but predictable isn't always bad and Meg Cabot has a way of making the ending absolutely perfect. And it's just what I needed to read right now. [11/21/06]

Horrible Histories: The Cut-Throat Celts by Terry Deary [BookCrossing]
This was a fun book to read. It actually was quite accurate historically, so I was able to enjoy the humor and not worry overly much about inaccuracies (like sometimes happens to me when I read). The illustrations were a great addition and I don't think the book would have been as fun without them. That being said, I should have read the book differently - meaning that I should have read a little bit per day rather than all of it in one go. The humor started to wear thin toward the end because I just got it all at once instead of a bit more spread throughout. [11/23/06]

California Demon by Julie Kenner [BookCrossing]
I enjoyed the first book but it didn't make me want to immediately reach for the next book. So I waited before reading this one. *sigh* It just got better and now I desperately want to reach for the third book - but it's not published yet! Horrors! I want to know if Kate is right about David (something I suspected before she did) and how Allie reacts when Kate tells her everything. I also wonder if we'll get to see that conversation at the beginning of the next book or if it'll start after the conversation (I want to see it). [11/24/06]

Prisoner of Time by Caroline B. Cooney [BookCrossing]
Book 3 in this quartet follows the brother and sister of the main characters from the first two books. I liked Devonny quite a lot in the first two books and I like her even more now. Also, I felt this book was woven a bit more tightly that the previous two books. I'm looking forward to the final book to see how everything wraps up. [11/24/06]

A Bite to Remember by Lynsay Sands [BookCrossing]
At first, I wasn't sure what to make of this book since I had found Vincent quite annoying when he was a side character in one of the other books. But in his own book, Vincent is not annoying at all. I really liked how this one was different from the other books - Jackie already knew about immortals and she had a past experience that caused her to distrust them intensely. So although she needed to build her trust, we didn't have to go through the whole explanation of how there really are "vampires" and that they aren't soulless blood-sucking fiends. It was a refreshing change. And the story itself was good - I didn't figure out the who did it or the why even though I now see that there were some clues. [11/26/06]

Vamps and the City by Kerrelyn Sparks [BookCrossing]
At first I liked the book only so-so. Then I found some parts of it incredibly funny and had a number of laugh out loud moments. Then it turned serious at the end - but there was a happy ending. Something happened that I really hoped would and it was definitely different from the usual vampire love story. So by the end, I really liked this book a lot. [11/27/06]

Wolf Tower by Tanith Lee [BookCrossing]
I really liked Claidi and enjoyed watching her expand and explore the world beyond the House. But I wasn't expecting the ending of this book. What I mean is that since I knew there are three more books, I expected this adventure to last quite a bit longer and that what happened at the end of this book would happen at the end of a later book. So I was a little surprised with how quickly everything turned out. Yes, it was the ending I wanted, so that part was nice. But I'm also not sure I want to read the next book to find out that Claidi's happy ending might not stay. [11/29/06]

Wolf Star by Tanith Lee [BookCrossing]
I'm not sure that I liked this book as much as the first one. A lot happened at the beginning and some amazing revelations came at the end, but the middle felt like not much at all was happening and it just dragged on and on. I think that's why it took me longer than I expected to read it. [12/2/06]

Wolf Queen by Tanith Lee [BookCrossing]
This one seemed back on track and I liked it better than the previous one. I'm wondering if perhaps it is because in this one and the first book, Claidi is actually moving and traveling whereas in the second, she stays in one place most of the time. Some of the things that happened in this book were a little strange and not quite what I expected. But I'm really interested to find out how everything turns out in the next book. [12/2/06]

Wolf Wing by Tanith Lee [BookCrossing]
I thought Claidi's journey alone was a bit long and dragged out. And then there was a big information dump when she met Ustareth. It would have been nicer to have that information spread out a bit more. But I did like how the book ended, so that was good. [12/3/06]

For All Time by Caroline B. Cooney [BookCrossing]
It was interesting to get each chapter from a different person's point of view, but I guess that had to be done since everyone was so spread out. I'm not entirely sure that I liked how this ended (was it really him or not?) but I suppose it ended in the only way that it truly could. But I didn't really get very much excitement out of reading this one. [12/4/06]

Benighted by Kit Whitfield [BookCrossing]
I had to stop reading this book for a while when I was about halfway through it. Although the world-building is great and the writing amazing, the story and main character was just too dark and depressing and it was making me feel depressed while reading it. So I read several other books and then decided to pick this one up again. Once I did, I read the rest of the book in one evening. It was still dark and depressing and a lot happened that I wish would not have. And there wasn't a happily ever after ending. I think I get too used to having that in books and wanting that. But the ending did have a ray of hope, which for this book was much more fitting than a super happy ending. After I finished it, I sat around and thought about it for a while and about how some things are parallel to our own world. There's an author interview in the back of the book and one of the questions was "Is DORLA a metaphor for the witch hunters of earlier times?" The author replied: "No. [...] It's passed into the position where we use it as a metaphor, rather than use metaphors for it. [...] There's a terrible tendency in people to decide that this or that group is the enemy, then believe all sorts of evils about them that they'd never consider if they actually knew the people they're so frightened of, and it's something we'll never get too civilized to fall prey to. [...] What we need to do is look back into the past, see how horrifically wrong the witch hunters were, and then remind ourselves that the people in that era considered themselves just as modern and clever as we do - and then take a close look at what we're doing." That's what really took up most of my thoughts. [12/4/06]

Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke [BookCrossing]
I liked the story, but I wasn't extremely impressed with the book. Some of the events just seemed to happen a little too smoothly (they'd meet exactly the type of person/creature they needed at exactly the moment they realized they had a need). [12/9/06]

The Truth-Teller's Tale by Sharon Shinn [BookCrossing]
This was a nice book that I was feeling just so-so about until the dancing instructors came to town. Then things really picked up. Although I expected the ending by that point, I hadn't expected the ending before then so it was a great way to take the book and the characters and I was very happy with the book by the end. [12/10/06]

Freakonomics by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner [BookCrossing]
I know that some of what the books says would be considered very controversial (the connection between abortion and lowered crime rates, for example), but it really does make a lot of sense. The book helped open my eyes to things that I don't normally think about, or if it was a question I had thought of, it made me see the possibilities within that question in a much different way than I had ever really thought of. I can understand why this book is so popular. [12/11/06]

Blood Rites by Jim Butcher [BookCrossing]
We find out a lot about Harry's mother in this book, which is nice since there have been some hints in earlier books that there is more to her than Harry (or we) realizes. We also find out more about Thomas and why he's so helpful around Harry. Definitely a lot of new information came out in this book and I'm eager to see how it plays out in future books. [12/15/06]

The Secret History of the Pink Carnation by Lauren Willig [BookCrossing]
I had heard many good things about this book -- and I definitely agree. I loved the chick lit/spy novel/historical fiction combination. Amy was a fun character and her interaction with Richard was a joy to read. I just had a really good time reading this book. [12/17/06]

Eldest by Christopher Paolini
The second installment in a trilogy is usually always my least favorite. And I think this one fits that mold. Most of the book dealt with travel or learning and was a bit slow at times. It felt like the whole book was really just a setup for the final book. One thing I did really like, though, was that we got a rather full story of what happens with Roran. I think I enjoyed reading his story more than Eragon's at times. [12/22/06]

The Magic Circle by Donna Jo Napoli [BookCrossing]
This was a retelling of the Hansel and Gretel story, explaining the witch's point of view. It does a really great job of characterizing the witch and explaining how she ended up in the cottage in the woods and really making her sympathetic. [12/23/06]

The Creature in the Case by Garth Nix [BookCrossing]
I've only read the first book in the trilogy (this book is a companion to the trilogy), so I knew a little about the world but not a lot. This was a nice little adventure book, but I'm sure I would have appreciated it even more if I had finished the trilogy. That being said, I did enjoy the book. [12/23/06]

I'm the Vampire, That's Why by Michele Bardsley [BookCrossing]
This book was just okay. I thought it was going to be a bit different than what it ended up being - I thought it was going to be something similar to Carpe Demon, so the vampire would be trying to figure out how to be a vampire and a mom at the same time, figuring out the day-to-day tasks. But that's really not what I got. Instead it was a typical romance with bad guys to fight and a couple to get together with the kids being only a small side story. So it was a bit disappointing. Perhaps if I hadn't gone into it with those expectations, I would have liked it better. [12/25/06]

The Mislaid Magician or Ten Years After by Patricia C. Wrede & Caroline Stevermer
It was so much fun to be back with Cecy and Kate. Their letters are always so delightful to read, and I enjoyed seeing how everything going on with Kate and everything going on with Cecy all came together to be something larger going on around them. And the addition of the children was also quite nice. I do hope there will be another book in the future. [12/26/06]

Fairest by Gail Carson Levine
I really enjoyed this retelling of Snow White. I also like the links to Ella Enchanted. Aza was a great character to journey with. The only thing I wasn't sure about was everyone singing all the time - it did stretch my imagination quite a bit. [12/27/06]

Dead Beat by Jim Butcher
Oh my! As if things weren't intense in other books - this one was even more so. I was disappointed that Murphy wasn't really in it, but I can see why - she wouldn't have quite fit in. So much more going on with Harry; I'm wondering what it's going to be like for him as a Warden in future books. [12/30/06]

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updated: 12/30/07