TA DA!

1) How is the first month of 2018 over already?!
2) We had several beautiful weekends and so managed to get out and hike. Huzzah!

The best books of the month were pretty much old favorites. I’ve been re-reading Rising Stars, which is one of my favorite comics. There are mature themes, so older teens only. But aside from kids, I wish everyone would read this series. Something happens, and a small group of kids end up with amazing, never-before-seen powers, and this story is of both those individuals and how society reacts to them. It’s amazing and heart-breaking and wonderful.

And if you haven’t come across them, I do recommend Anna Lee Huber‘s Lady Darby series. They are historical mysteries, featuring an artist who learned about the human body when her previous husband forced her to illustrate his anatomy books by drawing his dissections.

The others were two Robert B. Parker books, narrated by Burt Reynolds. (Beware: after being converted to digital, the production is awful) Small Vices is one of my all-time favorite books. Although the mystery is good, the story itself, as a whole, is what I love, especially the months that Spenser spends in California. This isn’t an action-packed book (although there is action), it’s a story about friendship and recover and (most of all) hard work. When I’ve struggled, this is the book I’ve turned to remind myself that hard work can bring you out the other side. You’ll be different, but you can make it out the other side.

Supernatural Fantasy

Dead Man Walking: A country house murder mystery with a supernatural twist (2016) Simon R Green (7.5/10)
Silence Fallen (2017) Patricia Briggs (7.5/10)

Mystery

The Pyramid of Mud (2014/2018) Andrea Camilleri translated by Stephen Sartarelli (7/10)

Historical Mystery

Lady Darby
A Study in Death (2015) Anna Lee Huber (9/10)
As Death Draws Near (2016) Anna Lee Huber (8/10)
A Pressing Engagement (2016) Anna Lee Huber
Miss Marple
At Bertram’s Hotel (1966) Agatha Christie (7/10)
Barker & Llewellyn
The Black Hand (2008) Will Thomas (7/10)

Romantic Mystery

Devil May Care (1977) Elizabeth Peters (7/10)
Die for Love (1984) Elizabeth Peters (6.5/10)
Into the Darkness (1990) Barbara Michaels (6.5/10)

Graphic Novel

Rising Stars, Vol. 2: Power  (2002) by J. Michael Straczynski, Ken Lashley, Christian Zanier, Stuart Immonen, Brent Anderson, John Livesay, Brett Evans, Dan Kemp (9/10)

Rising Stars, Vol. 1: Born In Fire  (2001) J. Michael Straczynski, Jason Gorder, Keu Cha, Christian Zanier (9/10)

Audible Books

Spenser
Small Vices, Audible Version (1997) Robert B. Parker narrated by Burt Reynolds (9/10)
Hush Money, Audio Version (1999/2000) Robert B. Parker narrated by Burt Reynolds (8.5/10)
Sudden Mischief (1998) Robert B. Parker narration mangled by William Windom

OK! The stats! (HUZZAH!)

Trade Paperback: 2
eBook: 11
Audio: 3
Multiple Formats: 2
Re-read: 8

Half re-reads this month, mostly because of the posts I wrote up about books I love, I then remembered that I really needed to re-read a bunch of books.

Two trade paperbacks this month, because as much as I love ebooks, I prefer comics on paper. Probably because my screens are too small to see a whole page and read the text, which is a much better way for me to read comics.

Fantasy: 4
Mystery: 13
Romance: 3
Comic: 2

Mostly mysteries this month. Who knows why my brain wants what it wants. Not me. (The three romances were also mysteries.)

Male: 8
Female: 8

And we start the year with an even split between male and female authors.

And those are the books of January!