Because of the government shutdown, the places maintained by the National Park Service were closed, so I did not get to revisit Benjamin Franklin’s Printing Press, which was one of the things I had been looking forward to.

But it meant that many of the smaller museums were getting more visitors than they might otherwise have, and it freed up some of our time to see some of those places.

In reverse order, we visited:

The Museum for Art in Wood which was interesting, but also now has a good bit of my money spent in its shop.

I didn’t take any pictures (it was a small space and much was behind glass) but I do recommend visiting if you’re in Philadelphia.

Especially the gift shop.

In the middle was the Independence Seaport Museum.

In addition to historical items related to sailing…

…they had a lot of model ships.

I got twitchy just looking at some of them.

And they also had two ships you could tour: Olympia and Becuna.

Becuna is a 1944 WWII era submarine, and I didn’t feel like being that confined, so we didn’t even consider a tour.

But we did go aboard Olympia, which is a nineteenth-century cruiser that went into service in 1895 and served through the first World War.

It was fascinating.

First and foremost was the relative luxury of the officers’ cabins and mess compared to hammocks and single wooden box the rest of the sailors had. But it was also steam-powered, which meant all the apparatus for running a coal engine. And the giant guns which looked to me like cannon but were labeled as rifles.

I didn’t take any pictures, despite the fact for most of the time we were the only people on the ship, mostly because I was ruminating about the ship as we wandered around. And I got a bit melancholy, thinking of all the war she had seen, and the amount of blood that had been spilled on her decks.

Yet, I recommend the tour, especially in the off-season when there aren’t many people.

The first museum we visited was my favorite: The Science History Institute.

It was delightful.

It had a little bit of everything.

I liked the other two museums but loved The Science History Institute.

One of the things we try to do as much as we can, is to leave our trips as unplanned as possible. This does a couple things: First, it keeps me from fretting about time and what we have and haven’t done etc. If we don’t have a hard timeline, then we can take as much or as little time at places as we want, and if we see something interesting, we can just stop.

One of those places we decided to randomly stop at was the Boyertown Museum of Historic Vehicles.

I am fascinated by old vehicles.

First, I love the way many older cars look.

Secondly, I read a lot of historical mysteries and romances–some of my favorites are those that weren’t historical when they were written (like Arthur Conan Doyle & Agatha Christie).

It’s one thing to read about a doctor’s buggy…

…or a stage coach…

…or a WWI military ambulance.

It’s something else entirely to see that vehicle in person.

To imagine packing all your worldly goods and everything you’d need to build a homestead into a Conestoga wagon and taking off for parts unknown.

Or to be rushing through London streets in a Hansom cab (or even worse, to be thrown from atop a carriage in an accident).

The carriage suddenly jolted violently, knocking her to the floor, and for a split second, it felt as if the whole of it would tip on its side. But after a few terrifying heartbeats, it slammed back down to the road and came to an abrupt stop.

…

Bess’s voice came from the other side of the carriage and Winnefred’s calm disappeared in an instant. Bloody hell, the girl had been thrown from the top of the carriage.
—Nearly a Lady by Alissa Johnson

You observe that you have some splashes on the left sleeve and shoulder of your coat. Had you sat in the centre of a hansom you would probably have had no splashes, and if you had they would certainly have been symmetrical. Therefore it is clear that you sat at the side. Therefore it is equally clear that you had a companion.”
— The Adventure of the Creeping Man by Arthur Conan Doyle

So I was delighted to stumble across this transportation museum and be able to take my time looking at all the different vehicles, and maybe tie them into the stories I’ve read that featured them.

My dad always had aquariums.

When I was little, there were tropical fish, but later, after Brian and I were both grown, he got his first salt-water tank. Brian took that when we sold my parent’s house, and several of the fish my dad had bought survived Brian’s move to South Carolina.

Which is a long way of saying that aquariums make me think of my dad.

I had my own tropical fish for a while, but our house is small, and when Grandmom moved in, the fishtank (and a lot of other stuff) had to go to make space.

I never got another tank, even when we had room. They take maintenance, and I’m a little too lazy, which is why I love visiting aquariums when we travel. No work on my part, plus the kinds of creatures I enjoy watching you can’t have in a home tank anyway.

So this trip was planned around two aquariums: Mystic Aquarium, and Adventure Aquarium.

Mystic Aquarium was the first we visited, and I found I really enjoyed walking around Mystic. (And eating all the fresh seafood.)

Because I am terrible at paying attention to details, we discovered that much of Mystic Aquarium is outdoors.

And it was raining that morning.

I took very few pictures there, although I of course got some of my favorites.

I love watching jellyfish. Unfortunately, the rooms that hold them tend to be small and loud and echo-y, so that removes most of the relaxation factor.

I stripped all the sound from the videos. You’re welcome.

We went to Adventure Aquarium in the middle of our stay in Philadelphia. Travel-wise we’d probably have been better going on Friday, but aquariums can get busy and crowded, so we opted for a Wednesday.

Not sure it made much of a difference, as it was stroller day, and there were multiple school groups.

These were all kinds of creepy.

I mean, seriously creepy.

Luckily, there were some of the more calming species to watch.

Both aquariums were nice, but neither was a favorite I’d want to necessarily go out of my way to visit again.

Let me say first, there is something seriously wrong with Pennsylvania.

We went to multiple state parks, and there was not a SINGLE postcard to be purchased at any of them. I get that not as many people send cards and letters these days, but it’s not like postcards expire, or go stale and have to be thrown away.

And I doubt they’re THAT expensive to print. So: what the hell PA? Sure some of the places we stopped weren’t that exciting, but some of them were gorgeous and stunning and amazing–so very many missed postcard opportunities.

We attempted to avoid Interstates as much as possible, enjoying the scenery of back roads and trying to stop at places that looked interesting.

Our first stop was Bald Eagle State Forest which ended up being a brief stop, since where we ended up didn’t have much hiking. So after a quick scenic view, we moved on.

Winkleblech Vista

We went onto the Street of Shops in Lewisburg which was listed in one of the PA books as an interesting place to see.

It was strange and interesting and a lot. It quite literally had a little bit over everything.

We had a fun wander, but I got a bit overwhelmed so we moved onto Sellinsgrove where our hotel for the night was.

Then we took a short hike at Shikellamy State Park.

Why, you ask, did we choose a hotel in Sellinsgrove? Because it was ALSO for Shamokin Dam, and how could we not visit a place called Shamokin Dam?

But also because it was close to where we wanted to hike the next day: Ricketts Glen State Park.

This is why I couldn’t believe the state parks didn’t have postcards.

I mean, the Falls Trail has twenty one waterfalls.

It wasn’t an easy hike, at 5.7 miles of steep and rocky trail, but it was the perfect day for hiking, and the scenery was gorgeous.

The next day was a scenic drive through the Delaware Water Gap with some hiking.

Then eastward, for our first aquarium. (Aquariums in a separate post.)

Following a day of aquarium, wandering the town, and eating lots of seafood, we had another day of scenic driving with some hikes thrown in.

First stop was Jacobsburg Environmental Education Center for a hike along Bushkill Creek.

Then a wander around Ringing Rocks Park.

The final stop of the day was Ralph Stover State Park.

Then onto Philadelphia, where stayed and explored for several days.

I know I’ve barely kept this place going in the past couple years, but then, the past couple years have been a lot.

Being off social media has been good for my mental health, but not good for keeping in touch with people. And I don’t have places to share the random things I see or think about.

Which is of course what this was supposed to be back when I set it up in… 2003.

Wow. This place is old enough to legally drink.

Anyway.

We took a week off work to do some scenic driving, hiking, wandering, and sightseeing, and although my picture taking is not back up to what it was, I did take pictures of some of the things I found interesting, so I’ve got a couple things to share.

October Travels:
Pennsylvania State Parks
Aquariums
Historic Vehicles
Historic Ships and Also SCIENCE

I didn’t start my book blog until 2003, so there was zero tracking of what I read before then. So I have no idea of how many times I reread books by Charles de Lint or Guy Gavriel Kay or Robert B Parker etc, other than at least one more than the number of rereads I tracked once I started the book blog.

Most of my reading at that time was used books picked up from the Bookshelf–whatever looked interesting; since I was underemployed, I wasn’t reading any new releases.

The Lions of Al-Rassan (1995) Guy Gavriel Kay

(reread ~3x) (Historical Fantasy) [Rating: 9.5]

I love Guy Gavriel Kay’s writing. It’s breathtaking. He generally researches the crap out of a subject and time period that interests him, then with all that background creates a new world based upon his research. His books are slow reads, to be savored and thought about.

I have to be in a certain type of mood to read a Guy Gavriel Kay book, but when I’m in that mood, there is nothing else like his writing.

Whom the Gods Love (1995) Kate Ross

(Julian Kestrel #3/4 -completed) (reread 3x) (Historical Mystery) [Avg Rating: 8.7]

There are only four books in this series, because the author died entirely too young, but I love rereading them.

“People suppose what I do must be right, because I do it with conviction”

Sabriel (1995) Garth Nix

(reread 3x) (Fantasy) [Avg Rating: 9.75]

I remember the feeling of reading this for the first time, more than anything else.

Well, anything except Moggett.

Mogget yawned, showing a pink tongue that seemed to contain the very essence of scorn.

The Ivory and the Horn (1995) Charles de Lint

(reread) (Urban Fantasy) [Rating: 8]

Charles de Lint has long been one of my favorite authors. He is a master of the short story, and of tales that–despite the darkness often within–leave you with a sense of hope.

“What bedevils you,” he says, “is that you have misplaced the ability to see–to truly see behind the shadow, into the heart of the thing–and so you no longer think to look. And the more you do not look, the less you are able to see. Wait long enough and you’ll wander the world as one blind.”

I really really need to reread some of his anthologies.

Memory & Dream (1995) Charles de Lint

(reread) (Urban Fantasy) [Rating: 7]

This is a novel rather than a short story, and I tend to prefer his short stories.

Thin Air (1995) Robert B. Parker

(Spenser #22/33) (reread ~3x) (Mystery, PI) [Rating: 8.5]

This is one in a run of excellent stories. Even when I don’t necessarily remember the details of the mysteries, there are bits and pieces that lodge themselves in my brain.

Slums were immutable. The ethnicities changed, but the squalor and sadness and desperation remained as constant as the movement of the stars.

Sister Fidelma series (36 books -completed) by Peter Tremayne

Shroud for the Archbishop #2 (1995) [Rating: 8],  Suffer Little Children #3 (1995)

(reread) (Historical Mystery)

I loved this mysteries, but have very few of them as ebooks, so not much rereading.

(N)o one, especially no woman, should put up with verbal abuse from others. The Bretha Nemed makes it an offence in law for a woman to be harassed and especially to be verbally assaulted.

Death and Judgment (1995) Donna Leon

(Commissario Guido Brunetti #4/33) (reread 3x) (Mystery, Police) [Avg Rating: 7.7]

This is the story where Signorina Elettra finally comes into her own.

“I’ve had a modem installed on the Vice-Questore’s phone,” she said, pointing to a metal box that sat on the desk a few centimeters from the phone. Wires, Brunetti saw, led from the box to her computer.

The Nun’s Tale  (1995) Candace Robb

(Owen Archer #3/15) (reread) (Historical Mystery) [Rating: 7.5]

This is actually the first book in the series I read, as it was the first I came across, but I don’t recommend starting here, but rather at the beginning.

I’m not sure if this series is finished or not. Several years will pass and then there will be a new book.

Voodoo River (1995) Robert Crais

(Elvis Cole #5/20) (reread) (Mystery, PI) Rating: 7.25]

Don’t remember too much about this story, but remain amused by this:

Ben ate quickly, then asked to be excused and raced to the TV so that he could watch Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Murder in Grub Street (1995) Bruce Alexander

(Sir John Fielding #2/11 -completed) (Historical Mystery) [Rating: 7]

Whyyyyyyyy is most of this series not available as ebooks? Whyyyyyy?

The Silent Strength of Stones (1995) Nina Kiriki Hoffman

(Urban Fantasy) [Rating: 7]

Nina Kiriki Hoffman writes urban fantasy along the lines of what Charles de Lint does, and she is also very good at short stories. This is one of her earlier books.

Justice (1995) Faye Kellerman

(Decker & Lazarus #8/27 -completed) (Mystery, Police)

I started reading this series more than two decades after it came out, and although I was willing to cut it some slack for the time period, this is the book where I gave up. Too depressing.

And thus ends my retrospective.

I didn’t get an eReader until 2011, but once I had one, my reading quickly shifted to predominantly ebooks (by 2012 60% of my reading was ebooks; by 2016 I was at 91% ebooks (that percentage is currently back down to 65%, but only because 35% of my current reading is audio)).

Which is why I have fewer rereads of books from the mid 2000s, because they were paper books, so I need a second copy (ebook or audiobook) for a reread.

Stand-Alone

A History of the World in 6 Glasses (2005) Tom Standage

(2013 favorite) [Rating: 10] (Non-Fiction)

I like non-fiction, but it doesn’t pull me in the way fiction does, so I read it much slower, and thus a whole lot less of it. (And now I must force myself to NOT go back to old spreadsheets to compare how long it takes me to read fiction vs non-fiction.)

Child of a Rainless Year (2005) Jane Lindskold

(reread 4x) [Rating: 8.9] (Urban Fantasy)

This is a phenomenal book, and I love it just as much every time I go back to it.

(L)ike so many who look at themselves too often in mirrors, she thought that this reverse image, seen rigidly straight on as we are so rarely seen by others, was her truest self.

A Short History of Myth (2005) Karen Armstrong

[Rating: 8] (Non-Fiction)

I have always appreciated Karen Armstrong’s research and writing–I have many of her books in paper and electronic format. I just wish reading about religious history wasn’t so depressing.

The City of Falling Angels (2005) John Berendt

[Rating: 8] (Non-Fiction)

Although I had owned this book for several years, I didn’t read it until I found Donna Leon’s Brunetti series, in which Venice is as much a character as Brunetti and his family.

The Oxford Murders (2005) Guillermo Martinez, translated by Sonia Soto

[Rating: 7] (Mystery)

I remember nothing about this.

Spook  (2005) Mary Roach

[Rating: 6] (Non-Fiction)

I want to reread this, to see if my feelings changed, knowing now what to expect.

Comics

Rising Stars: Born in Fire (2001), Power (2002), Fire and Ash (2005) J. Michael Straczynski

( /5 -complete ) (reread 5x) [Avg Rating: 9.75] (Superhero)

This is one of the first graphic novel series I picked up on my own (on the recommendation of someone), and it still astounds me every time I read it.

The Rabbi’s Cat (2005) Joann Sfar

(2012 favorite) [Rating: 9] (Historical Fantasy)

I should really do a better job rereading comics and graphic novels.

Digger, Vol. 1 (2005) Ursula Vernon

(1/6 -complete) [Rating: 8] (Fantasy)

I discovered this in 2021, and it is a delight.

Series

Snake Agent (2005) Liz Williams

(Detective Inspector Chen #1/5 -complete) (reread 3x) [Rating: 7.8] (Supernatural Mystery, Police)

This is a marvelous series, with a mixture of fantasy, supernatural, science fiction, and mystery.

The trouble with Hell, Zhu Irzh reflected bitterly, was not so much the palpable miasma of evil (with which he was, after all, ingrained) but the bureaucracy.

THUD (2005) Terry Pratchett

(Discworld #33/40 -complete) (reread 3x) [Rating: 8.75] (Fantasy)

The 7th book in the Watch subseries of Discworld.

Vetinari waved a languid hand. ‘But full carts congesting the street, Vimes, is a sign of progress.’ he declared.

‘Only in the figurative sense, sir,’ said Vimes.

The Paper Moon (2005) Andrea Camilleri translated by Stephen Sartarelli

(Inspector Montalbano #9/28 -complete) (reread) [Rating: 7.75] (Mystery, Police)

Although the book was written in 2005, the English translation wasn’t published until 2008, so this isn’t technically a back list read.

“(I)n our neck of the woods, and not only our neck of the woods, politics is the art of burying one’s adversary in shit.”

“What’s politics got to do with me?”

“A lot, even if you don’t realize it. In a case like this, do you know what your role is?”

“No. What’s my role.”

“You supply the shit.”

Tiger Eye (2005) Marjorie M. Liu

(Dirk & Steele #1/11 ) (reread) [Rating: 6] (Paranormal Mystery)

These books are nice distractions, with lots of action and adventure but you know things are going to turn out ok in the end.

Bangkok Tattoo (2005) John Burdett

(Sonchai Jitpleecheep #2/6) (reread+ audio 3x) [Rating: 7] (Mystery, Police)

In some ways, Sonchai’s Bangkok reminds me of Brunetti’s Venice–history, corruption, and religion mashed together into something that works for no one.

Blood from a Stone (2005) Donna Leon

(Commissario Guido Brunetti #14/33) (reread 3x) [Rating: 7.5] (Mystery, Police)

This was a particularly depressing story.

To Kingdom Come (2005) Will Thomas

(Barker and Llewelyn #2/16 -ongoing) (reread) [Rating: 7.75] (Historical Mystery, PI)

This is another series that I can’t read one book right after the other, but once I’ve read a book I forget to return to the series.

The Traveler (2005) John Twelve Hawks

(1/3 -complete) [Rating: 8] (Urban Fantasy)

This story stuck in my brain and I really do want to finish the series, yet somehow have failed to do so.

The Forgotten Man (2005) Robert Crais

(Elvis Cole #10/20 -ongoing) (reread) [Rating: 8] (Mystery, PI)

Starts out like Spenser, then becomes it’s own thing, and then, like Spenser, the characters stop aging.

Urban Shaman (2005) C. E. Murphy

(Walker Papers #1/9 -complete) (reread) [Rating: 6.75] (Supernatural Mystery, PI)

One day I will read the rest of this series, instead of getting distracted and forgetting about it.

And Only to Deceive (2005) Tasha Alexander

(Lady Emily #1/19 -ongoing) (reread 3x) [Rating: 6.75] (Historical Mystery)

First read I got mad because this was as much a romance as a mystery, and I wasn’t expecting any romance. Second time I was prepared and liked it better.

The Secret History of the Pink Carnation (2005) Lauren Willig

(1/12 -complete) [Rating: 6] (Mystery)

The only thing I remember about this is that there was a modern timeline and she was researching an historical timeline

Still Life (2005) Louise Penny

(Chief Inspector Gamache #1/20 -ongoing) (reread audio) [Rating: 7.5] (Mystery, Police)

I recently listened to the first several books of this series, but ended up stopping when things took a darker turn than I was capable of dealing with.

Infernal (2005) F. Paul Wilson

(Repairman Jack #9/16 -complete) [Rating: 6] (Supernatural Mystery)

I love a supernatural mystery; it’s been a long time but IIRC the earlier books switched back and forth between mystery and supernatural. I of course got distracted and never finished the series.

Every Which Way But Dead (2005) Kim Harrison

(Rachel Morgan #3/18 -ongoing) [Rating: 7] (Supernatural Mystery)

As noted previously, Michael read more of this series than I did.

Cross Bones (2005) Kathy Reichs

(Temperance Brennan #8/24 -ongoing) [Rating: 7] (Mystery)

I initially loved this series, then every book ended with Tempe and Ryan working things out, and the following book began with the two of them on the outs.

Just… UGH.

Peach Cobbler Murder (2005) Joanne Fluke

(Hannah Swensen #7/30) [Rating: 6] (Mystery)

I recently picked this series up, and read several books but backed off when she couldn’t make up her mind about what guy she liked.

I didn’t start my end of the year round-ups until 2008, so I’ll just divide 2005 into front list and back list reads.

First up, front list (of course)

Frontlist (Read in 2005-2006)

Series

Cast in Shadow (2005) Michelle Sagara

(Cast #1/19 -ongoing) [Rating: 9] (Fantasy)

The last book I read in this series was Cast in Chaos (2010). I have later books in the series, but wanted to do the reread I’d need to get back into the series.

Nightside by Simon R. Green

Hex and the City (2005) (#4/12) [Rating: 8], Paths Not Taken  (2005) (#5/12 -complete) [Avg Rating: 6.5]

(reread 3x) (Supernatural Mystery)

As previously mentioned, I haven’t read the last book in this series, but I WILL. Someday. Up until that last book I was reading them as soon as they were published.

Dead as a Doornail (2005) Charlaine Harris

(Sookie Stackhouse #5/13 -complete) [Rating: 8] (Paranormal)

— was reading the Sookie books as soon as they came out until I got completely fed up and quit the series after 2009’s Dead and Gone. Every single male characters falling in love with Sookie was just… ugh.

Kitty and the Midnight Hour (2005) Carrie Vaughn

(Kitty Norville #1/16 -complete) (reread) [Avg Rating: 7.5] (Urban Fantasy)

This was another series I pre-ordered and read as soon as it came out–until the final book, which I put off reading for several years.

Seventy-Seven Clocks (2005) Christopher Fowler

(Bryant and May #3/18) [Rating: 7] (Mystery, Police)

I picked this up on a whim and then went back to read the earlier books. Grandmom quite enjoyed these books.

For Camelot’s Honor (2005) Sarah Zettel

(Paths to Camelot #2/4 -complete) (reread) [Avg Rating: 7] (Historical Fantasy)

I loved the first book so much that the second ended up being a little bit of a let down.

The Good, The Bad, and the Undead  (2005) Kim Harrison

(Rachel Morgan #2/18 -ongoing) [Rating: 7]

Michael kept up with this series longer than I did; I dropped off in 2008, not because it was bad, but more there were other things I wanted to read more.

Dead Beat (2005) Jim Butcher

(Dresden Files #7/18 -ongoing) [Rating: 7] (Supernatural Fantasy)

I dropped this series completely when I heard the next book ended in a major character death. I realized this was one of those series where the main character just gets stronger and stronger and stronger. I don’t mind characters learning and become more talented, but I dislike it when characters suddenly have more power to deal with problems rather than using wit and teamwork.

Cold Service (2005) Robert B. Parker

(Spenser #32/39) [Rating: 6] (Mystery, PI)

This series is being continued by another author, but I’d already kinda dropped back on keeping up about this time.

Stand Alone

Zorro (2005) Isabel Allende translated by Margaret Sayers Peden

[Rating: 8] (Historical)

This book started off a search for the Zorro book that I read as a teen.

Where’s My Cow? (2005) Terry Pratchett

(Discworld) [Rating: 9] (reread) (Fantasy)

The Discworld picture book of Sam Vimes reading Where’s My Cow to little Sam.

“Children’s Winner of the Ankh-Morpork Librarians’ Award. OOK!”

Across the Wall (2005) Garth Nix

[Rating: 7] (Fantasy Anthology)

This is a collection of short stories, some set in the world of Sabriel, some not.

Comics

Fables by  Bill Willingham

Vol 5: The Mean Seasons (2005) [Rating: 7], Vol 6: Homelands (2005) [Rating: 9] ( /22 -complete) (Urban Fantasy/Folktale)

At this point I was avidly and eagerly awaiting each new volume, and would do so for the next ten years.

Ex Machina by Brian K. Vaughan

The First Hundred Days (2005) [Rating: 7], Vol 2: Tag (2005)  [Rating: 7] ( /10 -complete) (Science Fiction)

I picked this up because it intrigued me, and kept reading for the same reason.

Runaways: Vol 4: True Believers (2005) Brian K Vaughan, Adrian Alphona, Craig Yeung

[Rating: 7] (Marvel Superhero)

I loved the first seven books of this series, then got mad after a writer change and stopped reading.

 

I’m simply going to note these last two, with no links or further commentary

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince (2005) J.K. Rowling

Anansi Boys (2005) Neil Gaiman (reread)

Comics

I really need to get new reading glasses so I can get back to reading comics on a regular basis.

Read in 2015 or 2016

Black Widow: Vol 1: The Finely Woven Thread (2015), Vol. 2: The Tightly Tangled Web (2015), Vol. 3: Last Days (2015)

Nathan Edmondson and Phil Noto (2015 favorite) (Marvel Superhero) [Avg Rating: 8.3]

I enjoyed the Black Widow comics, especially because they were readable without knowing all the backstory and what happened elsewhere in the Marvel Universe.

Fables Vol. 21: Happily Ever After (2015), Fables Vol. 22: Farewell (2015)

Bill Willingham, Mark Buckingham, Steve Leialoha, and Andrew Pepoy (Urban Fantasy/Folktale)

These were the last two volumes of the Fables series, which I loved. I really need to go back and reread the whole thing.

Read 2017-2020

Lady Mechanika: Mystery of the Mechanical Corpse (2015)

Joe Benitez, Peter Steigerwald (1/8 – ongoing) [Rating: 7.5] (Steampunk)

I love this series and back the new volumes on kickstarter.

Valor: Swords (2015) edited by Isabelle Melançon and Megan Lavey-Heaton

[Rating: 8.5] (Fantasy/Adventure)

This is a middle-grade / YA comic of female-focused folk & fairy tale-type stories.

Series

Looking at some of the series I dropped off reading, and some of the synopses of recent books, maybe I’m ok not going back to revisit those worlds.

Read in 2015 or 2016

Dark Ascension (2015) M. L. Brennan

(Generation V #4/4) [Rating: 7] (Urban Fantasy)

A different take on the vampire mythos with lots of other folklore sprinkled in. I need to reread this series.

Deadly Spells (2015) Jaye Wells

(Prospero’s War #3/4) [Rating: 7] (Supernatural Mystery)

Magic cops, which is a favorite subgenre of mine.

Falling in Love (2015) Donna Leon

(Commisario Brunetti #24/33) [Rating: 7.5] (Mystery)

Set in Venice, it’s almost a police cozy, and the city is the reason I keep reading.

A Red-Rose Chain (2015) Seanan McGuire

(Toby Daye #9/19 -ongoing) [Rating: 7] (Urban Fantasy)

I fell off reading this series, and keep meaning to start up again, but that’s a lot of catch-up, the they synopses of the last couple of books look really depressing.

Pocket Apocalypse (2015) Seanan McGuire

(InCryptid #4/15 -ongoing) [Rating: 7] (Urban Fantasy)

This series changes main characters as it goes along, and at some point I didn’t care as much for the characters and dropped off.

Bound by Flames (2015) Jeaniene Frost

(Night Prince #3/4) [Rating: 7] (Supernatural Romance)

Vlad the Impaler. The story pulled me in and didn’t stop, but when I’d finish there’d be a lot of things that bothered me.

The Dark Side of The Road (2015) Simon R. Green

(Ishmael Jones #1/11) [Rating: 8] (Supernatural Mystery)

Another series where I fell off and restarting is a bit daunting. As always. his humor is what I enjoy most.

Read 2017-2021

Kitty Saves the World (2015) Carrie Vaughn

(Kitty Norville #14/16) [Rating: 8] (Urban Fantasy)

This is actually the last book in Kitty’s story arc. The later two books are about secondary characters. This is a series where I love the world building, and she has lots of excellent short stories set in this world, a couple of which are favorites.

Magic Shifts (2015) Ilona Andrews

(Kate Daniels # 8/10) [Rating: 8] (Urban Fantasy)

Another series I fell off reading, because the stories shifted from stand-alone urban fantasy to more epic fantasy where nothing is every really tied up at the end of the book.

A Pattern of Lies  (2015) Charles Todd

(Bess Crawford #7/13) [Avg rating: 6.25] (Historical Mystery)

I like this series, but my habit of reading the books in a series one after the other doesn’t work here, so I’ll read a book and then forget to come back to it and then I have to start all over.

Vision In Silver (2015) Anne Bishop

(The Others #3/5) [Rating: 7] (Fantasy)

More of an alternate reality than urban fantasy. I like the world building but somehow I fell off reading the series.

A Geek Girl’s Guide to Murder (2015) Julie Anne Lindsey

(#1/3) [Rating: 7.5] (Mystery)

Geek girl cozy mystery series.

The Mermaid Murders (2015) Josh Lanyon

(The Art of Murder #1/5) (Queer Mystery) [Rating: 8]

Procedural with on-again off-again romance.

Model Citizen (2015) Lissa Kasey

(Haven Investigations #1/4) (Queer Mystery) [Rating: 8]

These books have pretty much all the trigger warnings, yet they pulled me in and wouldn’t let go. What sticks out most to me is the realistic portrayal of concussion.

The Rest (2017-2022)

These are stand-alones or books that can be read outside of their series.

A is for Arsenic: The Poisons of Agatha Christie (2015) Kathryn Harkup

[Rating: 8.5] (Non-Fiction)

Agatha Christie, science, and murder. Perfect.

Good Enough to Eat (2015) Alison Grey & Jae

(Queer Fantasy Romance) [Rating: 7]

This was a fun story that I will probably reread at some point.

The Rogue Not Taken (2015) Sarah MacLean

[Rating: 6.5] (Historical Romance)

I tend to enjoy the first books in her series, but end up getting annoyed at a character or plot in some later book.

You’re the Earl That I Want  (2015) Kelly Bowen

[Rating: 7.5] (Historical Romance)

I remember absolutely nothing about this book.

Getting It Right (2015) A.M. Arthur

[Rating: 8.5] (Queer Romance)

Another book with all the trigger warnings. The story stuck with me, and I want to reread it and read other books in this series, but… all the trigger warnings is too much for my mental state these days.

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet (2015) Becky Chambers

(Wayfarers #1) (Science Fiction)

This is a favorite of so many people, and I get why, but I read it when what I really wanted was more Murderbot, and that’s not what this is.

I found this list to be particularly interesting. There are books here that got a middling rating initially, but I’ve come back to repeatedly, as well as books that maybe I didn’t rate very highly, yet the stories stuck in my mind and I had to revisit them.

Read in 2015 or 2016

Dead Heat (2015) Patricia Briggs

(Alpha & Omega #4/6) (reread+ audio 8x) [initial rating: 7.5; Avg rating: 8.4]

This whole series works extremely well for me on audio, which is why it has so many rereads. And because one of the secondary characters, Asil, is one of my favorites.

The series is also full of bits that are almost short stories on their own.

“Shut your piehole, punk kid,” Max said, thumping her on the head with the palm of his hand.

“I’m telling Mama you said ‘Shut your piehole,’” Michael said. “‘ Shut your piehole’ is a bad word.”

“‘ Shut your piehole’ is three words, Michael,” said Mackie.

Undaunted, Michael said, “I’m telling Mama you used three bad words.”

I am up to date on this series, however, I had a LOT of issues with book six, which makes me nervous about another book in this series.

A Talent for Trickery (2015) Alissa Johnson

(The Thief-Takers #1/3 -complete) (reread 5x) [Initial rating 7; subsequent readings 8.5]

This series has so many things that have stuck with me. I love how she writes characters and dialog, and how I feel like I know the characters.

He took hold of her hand gently and turned it over to study the wrist. His thumb caressed the palm of her hand. “Has this happened before?”

“Manacles? Yes, but—”

“No, not manac—” His head snapped up. “Wait. Yes? Yes? Who the hell put you in manacles?”

“My father. He felt it was important I know how to get out of them.”

Dark Heir (2015) Faith Hunter

(Jane Yellowrock #9/15 – complete) (reread+ audio 3x) [Avg Rating: 7.8]

I picked up this series when the first book came out, and pre-ordered every book as it came out. Yet I haven’t read the final two books in this series. Partially because I have a bad habit of putting off reading the final book in a series, partially because a major character was killed in book 13, and partially because things had reached a point where the books were no longer stand-alone stories. It’s not that there were cliffhanger endings, just that there were too many things to be resolved in a single book.

Why that makes a difference I don’t know, my brain just thinks it does.

I really enjoy Khristine Hvam’s narration, which is why most of my rereads have been listening to the audiobooks.

The Soldier’s Dark Secret (2015) Marguerite Kaye

(reread) [Avg rating: 7.75]

This is a book I wasn’t expecting to like as much as I did.

It’s a Harlequin Historical, so I expected it to fit into tight and restrictive patterns. It did follow the expected beats, yet was so much more, with a hero suffering from what we now term PTSD, a heroine with her own problems, and importantly, neither’s problems are magically solved by love.

Read 2017-2024

Think of England (2015) KJ Charles

(reread 4x) [Avg rating: 8.75]

I can’t believe I’ve only read this story four times. Likely, every time I come across one of my posts for it, I end up rereading all the quotes I have for it–and there are many.

KJ Charles writes queer historicals–some mysteries, some fantasy, some straight up romances. I love almost all of them, but her mysteries tend to be my favorites.

This is a stand-alone, about a man looking into the accident that caused the deaths of seventeen of his men and the mutilations of even more, as well as his being invalided out of the army.  It’s a golden retriever black cat pairing, and we get only the golden retriever’s POV which is perfect for this story.

“I, er,” said Curtis, with the natural awkwardness of an Englishman caught reading poetry. “I just, er, picked this up.”

A Queer Trade (2015) K.J. Charles

(Rag & Bone) (reread) [Avg rating: 7.25]

This is an historical fantasy novella with a very intriguing magical system, and a trade I’d never seen a main character have before, which fascinated me.

How to Be a Normal Person (2015) TJ Klune

(reread) [Avg rating: 7.25]

This is an odd story. It’s a bit of a romp, with over-the-top characters, but many parts of it stuck in my brain.

That One Friend

We all have them. You know what I’m talking about. That One Friend. Yes, That One Friend who you love dearly and enjoy very much, but who can be a bit on the wild side. Their personality isn’t for everyone. What you might consider bubbly, others might potentially consider undesirable. Before you decide which of your friends is That One Friend, make sure you look inside yourself to make sure that you’re not That One Friend.

Oh hey, it’s me.

The Bellingham Mystery Series Volume 1 (2015), The Bellingham Mystery Series Volume 2  (2015) Nicole Kimberling

(reread 3x) [Avg rating: 8.2]

I stumbled across Nicole Kimberling in a queer mystery anthology and immediately sought out her books. The main character is a reporter who–despite working for a free local paper, feels himself an investigative journalist, and keeps looking into local crimes.

I really like her writing and wish she was able to write more.

Status Update (2015) Annabeth Albert

(#gaymers) (reread) [Avg rating 7.25]

A closeted professor who teaches at a Christian college and an ADHD video game designer on an accidental road trip together.

What stuck with me in this story was Noah’s religious faith and how it made him fear his family’s reaction to him (as well as the loss of his job if he came out).

The Book Riot podcast has been “power ranking” the books of 10, 20, and 30 years ago, and though I have zero interest in power ranking books, I was curious about the books from those years I’d read, and how they’d held up (assuming I read them as front list and not back list).

I decided to note whether I reread the book, how many rereads, and if any of were audiobook listens.

Whether a book is part of a series is important, as is how far into the series it is; Books in a long, ongoing series, are less likely to be rereads, and I tend to judge them against the rest of the series, rather than books by other authors. I also wondered how many series I’ve abandoned–or at least not finished.

Couple things of note:

In my year-end round-ups (where I’ve been looking for end-of-the-year favs) I’d stopped noting older back-list books. This was mostly due to how much I read during the pandemic (a lot) as a way to shorten the lists a bit. But as my reading (especially new-to-me books) has been slow the past couple years, I should probably make note of back-list books again.

Books that can stand alone are ones I’m more likely to reread over and over. And audio books where I like the narrator are ones I’ll listen to repeatedly. That will become apparent in the next post.

Interestingly, there is only a single romance here–everything is fantasy or mystery.

These are the books published in 2015 that made my year-end favorites lists.

2015 Favorites

Half-Resurrection Blues (2015) Daniel José Older

(Bone Street Rumba #1/3-complete) Urban Fantasy (reread+ audio 4x) (2015 favorite)

Despite the undead, I love this series.

The Dragon Conspiracy (2015) Lisa Shearin

(SPI Files #2/8) Supernatural Mystery (reread+ audio 3x) (2015 favorite)

No new additions to this series in the past couple years, however, individual books could be read as stand-alones.

Who Buries the Dead (2015) C.S. Harris

(Sebastian St. Cyr # 10/21-ongoing) Historical Mystery  (+audio) (2015 favorite)

I am not quite current with this series, but did do an audio re-read earlier this year to get mostly caught up.

Tales from the Nightside (2015) Simon R. Green

(Nightside-complete) Supernatural Mystery (2015 favorite)

I still have not read the final book in this series. I own it–preordered it likely–but haven’t read it. And I’ll want to do a full reread before I finish the last book.

2016 Favorites

Newford Stories: Crow Girls (2015) Charles de Lint

Urban Fantasy (reread) (2016 favorite)

A Soupçon of Poison (2015) Ashley Gardener

(Kat Holloway #0.5/8-ongoing) Historical Mystery (2016 favorite)

This series is a pre-order for me.

A Study in Death (2015) Anna Lee Huber

(Lady Darby #4/13-ongoing) Historical Mystery (2016 favorite)

This series is a pre-order for me.

Once Upon a Marquess (2015) Courtney Milan

(Worth series#1/3) Historical Romance (reread) (2016 favorite)

Shadowshaper (2015) Daniel José Older

(Shadowshaper #1/3-complete) YA Urban Fantasy (2016 favorite)

I didn’t finish this series, because I wasn’t in the mood for YA, and now I’ll need to reread the first book before I continue on.

Witches of Lychford (2015) Paul Cornell

(Witches of Lychford #1/6) Urban Fantasy (2016 favorite)

I fell behind on this series, and really should get back to it.

The Beat Goes On: The Complete Rebus Stories (2015) Ian Rankin

(Inspector Rebus) Police Mystery (2016 favorite)

I finished this series up to Rebus’s retirement, but haven’t read any of the post-retirement stories. I regularly consider a reread of the series, but I’ve had trouble with thrillers and darker stories in recent years. At the very least I should reread this anthology, as Rankin is good with short stories.

2017 Favorites

A Curious Beginning (2015) Deanna Raybourn

(Veronica Speedwell #1/10-ongoing)  Historical Mystery (+audio) (2017 favorite)

The last book I read (#9) annoyed me, so I’m not current on this series and haven’t decided if I want to continue.

2018 Favorites

Undeath & Taxes (2015) Drew Hayes

(Fred, the Vampire Accountant #2/8-ongoing) Urban Fantasy (reread+ audio 5x) (2018 favorite)

According to the author this series isn’t complete yet, but there are no cliffhangers so you can read without fear. Which is one of the reasons I’ve reread it so many times, since I can start and stop without difficulty.

Voyage of the Basilisk (2015) Marie Brennan

(Memoirs of Lady Trent #3/5-complete) Fantasy (+audio) (2018 favorite)

I love this series and the audio books. Now I want to reread it.

2024 Favorites

Shady Hollow (2015) Juneau Black

(A Shady Hollow Mystery #1/6-ongoing) Fantasy Mystery (+audio) (2024 favorite)

This was recently picked up by a publisher and reissued. It is delightful and I eagerly await a new book.

We finally made it to the Grand Canyon! (If you’re friends with me, it’s quite possible you already know this because I sent approximately a million post cards.)

I love taking the train. I relaxed and read for two days to Arizona and two days back east.

Once we got to the park, we saw there were lots of people there, even though it was mid February; I can’t imagine what it’s like there at the height of tourist season. I imagine I would have not enjoyed myself anywhere near as much.

Something I’ve noticed before is that I really don’t love the mountains in the west. I finally figured out why: a lot of the landscape there looks to me like areas of West Virginia after strip mining and mountain top removal–bare rock with maybe a single species of trees. I eventually recognized what was bothering me, and it helped a bit to acknowledge this was natural and not human destruction, but I do prefer my worn-down, lived-in Appalachians.

In Grand Canyon National Park, we hiked about a mile and a half down the Hermit’s Trail, but never went further in/down. I think I’d like to take a mule down and up, but maybe not hike the whole way. Coming out felt like the hardest mile and a half we’ve ever done, and we weren’t pushing ourselves.

But it was an amazing hike and view.

But I think my favorite things in the park were Hermit’s Rest …

… and the Desert View Watchtower …

… which were designed by Mary Colter in 1914 and 1932.

In the tower I loved how the small windows forced you to focus on one part of the landscape, instead of trying to take in everything.

Since we had a week, we took some time and visited Walnut Canyon National Monument …

… Glen Allen Dam, Horseshoe Bend, Lee Canyon, Wupatki National Monument …

… and Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument

Sunset Crater Volcano was fascinating, and I kept wondering how much of what we were seeing was “normal” and how much was from the 2022 Tunnel fire.

Regardless, it was all fascinating.

What were my favorite (new-to-me) books of the year?

The top rated were Mortal Follies & Confounding Oaths by Alexis Hall, Shady Hollow by Juneau Black, The Masquerades of Spring by Ben Aaronovitch, and Lady Ambition’s Dilemma (2024) by Jane Steen

All of the books belong to series–only two stand-alone books had a rating 8 or higher, but then only 10% of the books I read this year were not part of a series.

Of those books, Vintage topped the publishers, with self-published coming in a respectable second.

• Vintage: 7
• Self-Published: 4
• Berkley: 3
• Del Rey: 2

Book Covers

My favorite covers:

Mortal Follies series by Alexis Hall

I love how these covers are both beautiful and openly queer. But mostly I love how pretty they are.

A Grave Robbery (2024) by Deanna Raybourn

I have loved every single Leo Nickolls cover in this series. They are clearly part of this specific series, but most importantly, they are gorgeous.

 

The Masquerades of Spring (2024) by Ben Aaronovitch

This series (excluding the early American releases) has covers that are clearly part of this specific series (even when they are not set in London and don’t feature London rivers) while still being different, and usually with Easter eggs for that book.

 

The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies (2023) by Alison Goodman

I noticed this cover and decided to give the story a chance because of it. There are so many little bits of the story present, but gives nothing away.

 

 

Self-published books dominated my favorite covers, which really should put the professional publishers still putting out terrible covers to shame.

• Self-Published: 10
• Vintage: 7
• Berkley: 5
• Del Rey: 2

I want to note the artists who had more than one cover I loved this year–especially those who created covers for more than one author.

• Perry De La Vega: 7 (Shady Hollow series)
• Nicole Lecht: 4 (Lily Adler series)
• David Baldeosingh Rotstein: 3 (The Nightingale Mysteries series)
• Leni Kauffman: 2
• Regina Flath: 2
• Rita Frangie: 2 (Mortal Follies series)
• Stephen Walter: 2 (Rivers of London)
• Radiante Mozzarelle: 2 (Mortal Follies series)
• Patrick Knowles: 2 (Rivers of London)
• Kim Killion: 2 (Kat Holloway)
• Jenny Zemanek: 2 (Uncanny Romance)
• Larry Rostant: 2

The Statistics

This was a slow reading year for me–2015 was the last time I read so few books in a year.

I don’t feel bad about it–the ridiculous streak had to end some time. And to keep myself from worrying about it, as always, I set my reading goal to something I knew I’d easily meet.

For many reasons, there was a lot of rereading this year. (Go ahead, ask me about TIAA. Just get comfy because we’ll be here awhile. And I will use a lot of profanity.)

66% rereads in fact.

This was due in large part to the fact I listened to 56 audiobooks–a full third of this year’s books were audiobooks.

I don’t speed up my audiobooks like a lot of people do, because I’m not trying to get through them to read more. I’m just trying to distract myself while doing other tasks. Audiobooks allow me to read when I can’t focus, and allow me to remain on my feet and moving when I can’t settle down.

Since I can (and have) easily finish two books in a day, needing a week or two to finish an audiobook slows things down significantly.

But, as I said, audiobooks allow me to enjoy reading when I am unable to sit down and focus, and keep me from just lying on the sofa playing solitaire games on the computer.

I did read new-to-me books this year, however, I realized that most of the new books I read were part of a series.

If I read a new (or new-to-me) book, it was likely to be part of a series.

This is because the same factors that lead me to reread also come into play with an ongoing series: I already know the characters, I already know the authors style and writing, and I generally know the feel and flow of the book (is it cozy? is there a HEA?)

Although I read more mysteries than anything else, when you add in secondary genres (romantasy, fantasy mysteries) things evened out.

Am I frustrated my TBR pile continues to grow and is overwhelmingly huge? Yes. But if I’m lucky, this year will be less complicated (and less miserable than the past five years) and I’ll be able to read all the new books that interested me, but I couldn’t bring myself to start.

So this year I read 173 books. I listened to more audiobooks than ever, and if I had more reareads than ever, at least I enjoyed most of the books I read. My lowest rated book was a 3 (that was for a comic I was expecting not to like but read primarily for completion) and my average rating was 8, which meant it was quite enjoyable.

And that’s 2024.

Book Covers

• Romance Covers
• Mystery Covers
• Fantasy Covers

The Books

• Audio
• Romance
• Mystery
• Fantasy

Nightingale Mysteries by Katharine Schellman

Historical, Queer

In NYC during prohibition, a young woman who works as a seamstress and spends her nights at a speakeasy comes across the body of a murdered man.

If they had been out on the street, Vivian knew that Bea would have never spoken to the distinguished white man at all, and he would never have glanced at the Black waitress or her Irish friend, no matter how pretty they were or polite he was. But the rules could be different behind back-alley doors with no addresses.

This series is much darker than her Lily Adler series.

(W)orking at a dressmaker’s shop meant they both had to be fashionable at work, though not too fashionable or customers would think they were getting above themselves. Miss Ethel, the shop’s owner, preferred her seamstresses and shopgirls to look a little conservative—to counteract what she clearly believed were the loose morals of any girl without a family supporting her in the city.

Both series have characters of color and queer characters, but Lily Adler is a comfortably settled widow while Vivian and her friends live always on the edge of poverty and disaster.

Rating: 7.5/10 to 8.5/10

Published by Minotaur

Last Call at the Nightingale (2022) 8.5/10, The Last Drop of Hemlock (2023) 8/10, The Last Note of Warning (2024) 7.5/10

The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies (2023) by Alison Goodman

Historical, Queer

Gus and her twin sister are spinsters who, while they have a comfortable existence, still have to follow the demands of society and are dictated to by their younger brother.

It was also true that after I learned about coverture from my reading, I became less and less inclined to hand over my half of our inherited fortune and all my legal and property rights—including the rights of my own body—to a husband. It would have to be a grand love, indeed, for me to willingly merge so completely with a man that I was all but legally obliterated. Most women did not have the choice to say no, but I did.

When they inadvertently become involved in intrigue, Gus discovers she enjoys the adventure and becomes involved in several other adventures.

Be sure to check the trigger warnings for this book–there are quite a few mostly related to the times in which they lived.

Rating: 8/10

Published by Berkley Prime Crime

(The Ill-Mannered Ladies)

Kat Holloway / Below Stairs Mysteries by Jennifer Ashley

Mrs.Holloway’s Christmas Pudding* (2023),  Speculations in Sin (2024), A Measure of Menace* (2024)

Historical, Novella*

This year I read two novellas and one novel in this series. All three were very good, although I’m not certain you could jump into the series at this point.

Rating: 8/10 to 8.5/10

Self-Published / Published by Berkley

Kat Holloway: A Soupçon of Poison (2015), Death Below Stairs (2018), Scandal Above Stairs (2018), Death in Kew Gardens (2019), Murder in the East End (2020), Death at the Crystal Palace (2021), The Secret of Bow Lane (2022), The Price of Lemon Cake (2023), Mrs. Holloway’s Christmas Pudding (2023), Speculations in Sin (2024), A Measure of Menace (2024)

A Scandal in Mayfair (2024) Katharine Schellman

Historical

I’ve been listening to this series and am enjoying spending more time in this world.

I like best the mysteries and the dialog.

As Lily made her way down the stairs, she heard Amelia asking, “Can you teach me to pick locks too?”

“Certainly, miss,” Jem replied, at the same time as Jack declared,

“Absolutely not.”

Rating: 8.5/10

Published by Crooked Lane Books

Lily Adler: The Body in the Garden (2020), Silence in the Library (2021), Death at the Manor (2022), Murder at Midnight (2023)

Lady Ambition’s Dilemma (2024) Jane Steen

Historical

This series has a new book every couple years, and I wish she were able to write faster.

Lady Helena has a large family, and despite the spread in their ages (she has nieces and nephews her own age) they are close and regularly involved in each others lives (whether Helena wants them or not).

The third book finds one of Helena’s nephews embroiled in scandal and murder, but more than that we learn more about her friends and the world in which she lives.

This series doesn’t have witty dialog, but it has characters who care about each other and are interesting in their own rights.

“It hasn’t helped to have Jonathan here, reminding us all he can fight and ride and stride around in that ridiculous uniform while I play children’s games. I’m angry—not at him, but at this.” He put his good hand under the elbow of his withered arm, lifting it into view.

“This doesn’t make you less of a man.” I caught his twisted right hand in mine, caressing it.

Rating: 9/10

Published by Aspidistra Press

Lady Helena Investigates: Lady Helena Investigates (2018), Lady Odelia’s Secret (2022), Lady Ambition’s Dilemma (2024)

The Books of 2024