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maribouThe Tale of Holly How, by Susan Wittig Albert
The beginning of this book struck me as kind of weak and cutesy, less like something Beatrix Potter might like and more like Beatrix Potter fanfic, but it settled down pretty fast and I was as into it as I had been into the first in the series after that. And apparently, judging by its Amazon reviews, I was in the minority with my early doubts.
(132/250)
Genius, by Harold Bloom (reread)
I'm sure it says any number of interestingly Freudian things about me that Harold Bloom is among my favorite comfort rereads. But he is, anyway. He has gaping blind spots but he can also be entirely brilliant, and I love his cantankerousness even when I think he is being stupid.
(133/250)
Forty Signs of Rain, by Kim Stanley Robinson
I don't want to say this is KSR for Dummies, because that might imply a lack of quality that I don't mean to imply. But it's... you know how Greg Bear's Vitals and to a lesser extent the Darwin's series are pitched to a mainstream audience instead of a genre audience? This feels kind of like that. It's not so difficult as the other books I've read by this author, and I found myself missing the effort - I don't just mean the infodumps either, I think the hardest KSR I've read was A Short Sharp Shock, and it's not even science-y at all. I don't mean he wrote it to cross over and make more money, I think he's trying to get people to catch on that Yes, Global Warming Is A Serious Problem and while I really enjoyed the book it sort of made me a bit twitchy at times 'cause I felt like I was the choir, and being preached to. But his loveably flawed characters and interesting conversations kept me happy anyway.
(134/250)
Fifty Degrees Below, by Kim Stanley Robinson
This one wasn't nearly as preachy, or at least it didn't feel that way, and I felt like it expected more of me, and I concomitantly adored it rather than just enjoying it. Rah!
(135/250)
The Hunting of the Last Dragon, by Sherryl Jordan
Engaging short YA fantasy. I think even I may be starting to tire of the 'bumbling youth grows into his own strength' genre but this one was quite appealing and well fleshed-out. Jordan is a dependable author.
(136/250)
Don't Tell the Grown-Ups, by Alison Lurie
A collection of adult essays about children's literature. Pretty fascinating. A few of the pieces fell flat, but I loved the Peter Pan essay, and the introduction, and the stuff about Ford Madox Ford. Overall, an excellent collection.
(137/250)
East, by Edith Pattou
A retelling of the classic folktale "East of the Sun, West of the Moon." I heartily approve of this book; it is rich and touching and a fun read. The beeoooootiful cover led me to entirely upheld high expectations. Yum.
(138/250)
Those Who Walk in Darkness, by John Ridley
If I'd read this one before its sequel, I wouldn't have read the sequel, and I really liked the sequel. It's not bad, but it's less morally satisfying and less emotionally complex.
(139/250)
The Truth-Teller's Tale, by Sharon Shinn
A quiet but tasty little book. Not too much happens, but it all happens in interesting (if predictable) ways. Still, I liked it a lot. I like the way magic is woven into the structure of this world (Booklist said "charmingly homespun, village-centered fantasy culture" and that sounds right), and the narrator's relationships ring very true. Will hunt up its companion novel.
(140/250)
Danse Macabre, by Laurell K. Hamilton
This one was definitely an improvement over the last one. The tight focus on Anita's powers made it a bit claustrophobic, but at least stuff was happening. And there were fewer horrible glaring typos than last time too. Perhaps we are on an upward swing.
(141/250)
Skeleton Man, by Tony Hillerman (unabridged audiobook)
This wasn't my favorite of his. It was more a thriller than a mystery and there wasn't enough intricate religious stuff. But it was still fun.
(142/250)
Inquisition, by Anselm Audley
I read and loved Heresy years ago and had completely failed to realize that books 2 and 3 are out! This is the second in the trilogy, and I quite enjoyed it, it was very gripping and an excellent "middle book". Looking forward to the conclusion. Can't help but compare Audley, who was published young and is ever so polished and worked-out, to Paolini, whom I keep hoping will hit the theoretical potential I'm starting to wonder if I imagined.
(143/250)
Brother Hood, by Janet McDonald
This book is too stiff, and self-consciously didactic, for me to enjoy. But I can see who would like it, and why, and it has good qualities. I'm glad I read it, but I won't be chasing her other stuff down any time too soon.
(144/250)
