Death at La Fenice (1992) Donna Leon Guido Brunetti is vice-commissario of police in the Venice, and a good detective as well. When a world famous maestro is found dead in his dressing room, from what seems to be cyanide poisoning, Guido is immediately pressured to find the killer, lest Venice receive bad press. Although […]
The Tomb (1984/2004) F. Paul Wilson Repairman Jack fixes things. Not appliances or houses or anything so prosaic, but instead fixes situations. When he is asked to “fix” two separate problems at the same time, little did he realize that the situation would turn deadly–and the girl he loves in mortal danger–the girl he loves […]
Heroes: Volume One (2007) As previously mentioned elsewhere, we finally finished watching Heroes. (Yes, I know we’re slow. But we were watching the DVDs.) Heroes: Volume One tells the stories in between the shows. We not only see Nathan and DL discovering their powers, but we also learn more about some of the characters who […]
Going Postal (2004) Terry Pratchett Going Postal is the next Discworld book in line, and like Monstrous Regiment, the primary characters are new ones. Although other characters continue to make an appearence, and Lord Vetinari plays an important part in the story, like Monstrous Regiment, Going Postal requires no previous knowledge of Discworld, which makes […]
Kitty and the Silver Bullet (2007) Carrie Vaughn The fourth kitty book sees Kitty returning to Denver for a family emergency. Unfortunately, he return places her in the middle of a vampire turf war where she is requested to take sides. As this was the fourth Kitty book, was I a little leery when I […]
When Gods Die (2006) C.S. Harris Last year I picked up What Angels Fear on because I thought it looked mildly interesting. I was pleasantly surprised to find an intriguing and fascinating Regency thriller. I then placed the the second book in the series When Gods Die on preorder, which means I’ve been waiting since […]
Dzur (2006) Steven Brust I’ve been reading Steven Brusts Vlad Taltos novels since about 1994, and I’ve been snatching them up eagerly as they’ve come out–at least until Dzur. Not because I don’t still love Vlad, but because I love reading this books, and don’t like reading hardback. So I decided to bite the bullet […]
Girl Genius 5: Agatha Heterodyne and the Clockwork Princess Agatha Heterodyne and the Clockwork Princess is the fifth volume in the Girl Genius series. Agatha is still traveling with the Circus of Adventure, Gil still thinks Agatha is dead, and Agatha still wants to meet up with her friends and newly discovered family. Unsurprisingly, she […]
Girl Genius Vol 4: Agatha Heterodyne and the Circus of Dreams (2006) Phil & Kaja Foglio I got lucky and the next Girl Genius came today (well, volumes 4 and 6 arrived. 5 should be here tomorrow.) I ended up tearing through volume 4–so much for drawing things out. Of course as soon as I […]
Girl Genius Vol 3: Agatha Heterodyne and the Monster Engine (2004) Phil & Kaja Foglio Now that Agatha is settling into Castle Wulfenbach, she is beginning to come to terms with her abilities. Now, she must learn about her heritage, and how her skills and her family’s past will change her life. We also see […]
The Shape-Changer’s Wife (1995) Sharon Shinn Everything I’ve ready by Sharon Shinn I have really liked, so when I saw The Shape-Changer’s Wife in a used bookstore, I picked it up. Then I left it on the bookshelf in one of those weird fits I go through, of worrying that a book–especially an earlier book–by […]
The Essential Bordertown: A Traveller’s Guide to the Edge of Faerie (1998) Terri Windling & Delia Sherman The Essential Bordertown is a collection of short stories set in Bordertown, the land between our world and Faerie. The stories are written with a teenage audiences in mind, with primarily teenage characters, and parts of a “traveler’s […]
The Traveler (2005) John Twelve Hawks The Traveler has been my riding the PRT/sitting in waiting rooms book for the past month. However, once I got a third of the way into the book, it moved out of my jacket pocket and became my primary book to read. Maya is the daughter of a Harlequin–a […]
Poltergeist (2007) Kat Richardson I enjoyed Greywalker enough that I pre-ordered Poltergeist when I came across it. This was a decision I did not regret. I liked Poltergeist even better than I liked Greywalker. Harper Blaine is still coming to terms with her ability to see and move into the Grey, the paranormal realm populated […]
Marvel 1602 (2006) Neil Gaiman, Andy Kubert, Richard Isanove I’ve been wanting to read this for awhile, but not enough that I would actually by it for myself. So I instead bought it for Michael of his birthday, so we could both enjoy it. (And yes, I let him read it first.) In Marvel 1602 […]
The Line Between (2006) Peter S. Beagle The Line Between is a collection of short (and some not so short) stories by Peter S. Beagle. It contains two short stories that are related to two of his books. Two Hearts is a sequel to The Last Unicorn and looks at some of the characters from […]
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows (2007) J.K. Rowling Seven and a half hours. Although not seven and a half hours straight, since there was a very large break in the middle to have dinner with my family. Which was good, because I had to hand it off to Michael, so hopefully he’ll be able […]
Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers (2003) Mary Roach I was wandering the bookstore and Stiff was sitting on one of the display tables, one of the “Recommended Summer Reading” tables or something like that. I’d heard a review or interview or something like that when it first came out, but never ran across […]
Brother to Dragons, Companion to Owls (1994) Jane Lindskold Brother to Dragons, Companion to Owls is an urban fantasy set in the future, with bits that remind me of The Velveteen Rabbit. Sarah lives in the Home–an asylum for the insane. Her past–adn even her last name–are unknown. She was initially diagnosed as autistic and […]
Runaways 7: Live Fast (2007) Brian K Vaughan, Adrian Alphona, Mike Norton, Craig Young After ordering and reading volume 6, Parental Guidance, I was able to read volume 7, Live Fast, and I have to say that the beginning made a lot more sense. The Runaways are dealing with their losses, and attempting to adapt […]
Runaways 6: Parental Guidance (2006) Brian K Vaughan, Adrian Alpohna, Craig Yeung I somehow missed publication of volume 6 of Runaways, but saw when volume 7 came out. Considering the events in Parental Guidance, I was quite confused when I started to read volume 7, and quickly realized I’d missed several important events. Luckily, Amazon […]
Fables 9: Sons of Empire (2007) Bill Willingham, Mark Buckingham, Steve Leialoha, Michael Allred, and Andrew Pepoy If you haven’t been reading Bill Willingham’s “Fables” then you have been missing out. In Sons of Empires we spend more time with Pinocchio and Geppetto and learn how they plan to carry the war into the Mundane […]
Sea Without a Shore (1996) Sean Russell Sea Without a Shore takes up immediately after the close of World Without End. Tristam is recovering from the events on the Lost Island, Averil Kent is further embroiled in politics and working with the Countess of Chilton to keep Palle and his followers from creating a mage […]
World Without End (1994) Sean Russell Reading “The River Into Darkness” series made me want to read another series written by Sean Russell, so I picked up the “”Moontide and Magic Rise” series, for which “The River Into Darkness” is the prequel. I was surprised to discover that I found this series much easier to […]
Magic Bites (2007) Ilona Andrews Kate Daniels works as a mercenary in a world that used to be ours, where technology is losing out to magic. Vampires are not romantic creatures (think the older vampires on Buffy) the vampire faction is held at bay by the shape shifters–neither group can take control, which is probably […]
The Demon and the City (2006) Liz Williams After reading The Snake Agent, I’ve been looking forward the reading the next Detective Inspector Chen book. (In fact, the paperback edition has been on pre-order for several months.) As with many authors I like, after getting a book, I’m hesitant to read it, for fear that […]
A Fistful of Charms (2006) Kim Harrison The fourth book in the Rachel Morgan series, A Fistful of Charms takes place several months after Every Which Way But Dead. Rachel and Ivy are still trying to figure out how to mend their relationships with Jenks, and Rachel is enjoying her relationships with Kistin, although she […]
The Stars Dispose (1997) Michaela Roessner I picked up The Stars Dispose used, several years ago. But for one reason or another, never got around to reading it. However, when I was looking for something different to read, I finally picked it up. In the 1500s, there was a power struggle in Florence. The de […]
Unshapely Things (2007) Mark del Franco Connor Grey is a druid who has lost most of his powers. An attack by radical environmentalist elf has left him crippled–not physically, but magically. So in addition to his disability payments, he takes occasionally jobs helping the Boston police department in attacks involving the fey. What I found […]
Proven Guilty (2006) Jim Butcher I started this book several weeks ago, and then put it down because I remembered why Harry had been annoying me so much for the past several books.However, I decided to give Proven Guilty and Harry another chance. At the start of the book I was still annoyed with him–he’s […]
Mister Monday (2003) Garth Nix I absolutely loved Sabriel. The following two books were also excellent, but I just adored Sabriel. I also liked his collection of short stories, Across the Wall. So when I saw he had another series, The Keys to the Kingdom, I… hesitated. Sometimes when an author has written a book […]
Petty Treason (2004) Madeline E. Robins The second Miss Sarah Tolerance mystery, Petty Treason takes place several months after the events of Point of Honor. Although her courtroom testimony following her last case has made her name known in London, she is continuing to work as an Agent of Inquiry, taking cases primarily from women […]
Point of Honour (2003) Madeleine E. Robins Point of Honour is a mystery novel set in Regency London. Sarah Tolerance is a Fallen woman, and as such she has few venues open to her that would allow her to make a living. The most common “career” for a fallen woman was prostitution, and indeed Sarah’s […]
The Dante Club (2003) Matthew Pearl Based on historical facts combined with a murder mystery, The Dante Club tells how Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Oliver Wendell Holmes, James Russell Lowell, and J. T. Fields worked to translate Dante’s Divine Comedy into English. Unfortunately, the administration at Harvard University–for which Holmes and Lowell both work–is opposed to […]
Greywalker (2006) Kat Richardson Greywalker starts off strong–Harper Blaine gets beaten to death–although she is dead only for a few minutes. I’d been surprised when the guy belted me. Most people don’t flip out when they get caught in such a small fraud. I had expected am embarrassed apology and a hasty check to appease […]
Working for Devil (2005) Lilith Saintcrow Dante Valentine is a necromance–she is able to visit the realms of the dead and draw spirits back to the world where they can answer questions or communicate again with their loved ones. Although mages and other psis are out and somewhat accepted by the public, necromances still are […]
Snake Agent (2005) Liz Williams When I purchased this book I thought it was a mystery, after all, it’s “A Detective Inspector Chen Novel.” And since I bought the book on-line, I couldn’t see the cover clearly, so that didn’t tell me anything either. I just knew it had come up as recommended for me, […]
Lucifer Vol 1: Devil in the Gateway (2001) Mike Carey, Scott Hampton, Chris Weston I’d considered picking up Lucifer since I finished reading The Sandman. I liked the characters of Lucifer and what Neil Gaiman did with him, but I’d hesitated picking up the Lucifer, since it wasn’t written by Neil Gaiman, and I’ve been […]
Lady Crymsyn (2000) P.N. Elrod After finishing the last three books, I was reluctant to read this book, for fear it would continue what felt to me as a downward spiral. However, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that Lady Crymsyn went back to the things that I had liked so much about the previous […]
The Price of Murder (2003) Bruce Alexander The Price of Murder is the last, complete Sir John Fielding book written by Bruce Alexander. The body of a child is pulled from the river, and it is believed to be the body of a young girl reported as missing by her mother several weeks earlier. Meanwhile, […]
Jack, Knave and Fool (1998) Bruce Alexander I think the Sir John Fielding mysteries get better as the series continues. Characters continue to be introduced to the series, while familiar characters continue to make an appearance and play an important part in the life of Jeremy Proctor. In Jack, Knave and Fool Jeremy speaks of […]
Person or Persons Unknown (1997) Bruce Alexander About a year has passed since the events of Watery Grave and Jeremy Proctor is starting to become a full fledged teenager–in though if not in deed. Although he appreciates what Sir John Fielding has done for him, he begins to feel that he is being treated like […]
Nightlife (2006) Rob Thurman This book starts the action right on page one: It was the touch of a much warmer liquid on my fingers that let me know differently. It was blood. My blood. I tightened my hand over the one that held the knife handle. The blood covers both our hands, his and […]
Zorro (2005) Isabel Allende translated by Margaret Sayers Peden As I’ve mentioned before, I love swashbuckling adventures, and as swashbuckling adventurers go, Zorro is one of my favorites. Last summer, when “The Legend of Zorro” was out, I saw this book, but assumed it was related to the movie, and didn’t pick it up. My […]
His Majesty’s Dragon (2006) Naomi Novik During the Napoleonic wars, Captain Will Laurence of the HMS Reliant captures the French ship Amitie and its valuable cargo: a dragon egg. Unfortunately, the egg is close to hatching, so someone on the ship must become bonded to the dragon upon its hatching, and then leave the Navy […]
Whom the Gods Love (1995) Kate Ross Alexander Falkland has been killed. His head smashed in with a poker while one of his famous parties rages upstairs. But Alex is the darling of the ton (it took me awhile to figure this one out; the ton is the bon ton, or high society in London) […]
A Broken Vessel (1994) Kate Ross The second Julian Kestrel mystery, A Broken Vessel looks at prostitution in 1800s London, and the Reclamation houses that existed to recover these women. Julian is introduced to this world through his manservant Dipper, who discovers his lost sister, who is working as a ladybird. One of the most […]
Kingdom of the Golden Dragon (2004) Isabel Allende translated by Margaret Sayers Peden Alexander Cold asks his grandmother, Kate, if he can accompany her on her latest expedition for International Geographic, this time to a remote country in the Himalayas. A country nicknamed The Forbidden Kingdom, because of its far location and the fact that […]
Cut to the Quick (1993) Kate Ross Reading the T. F. Banks books put me in the mood for another Victorian mystery, and lucky for me, I had one waiting here to read. Julian Kestrel is a dandy. He’s making his mark on London society by being a sharp dresser, and the perfect gentleman–even if […]
The Thief Taker: Memoirs of a Bow Street Runner (2001) T.F. Banks aka Ian Dennis and Sean Russell I was browsing Sean Russell’s web page, when I saw two books listed that I didn’t own: The Thief Taker and The Emperor’s Assassin. My immediate reaction was one of shock: Sean Russell had co-written a series […]