Thursday, December 30, 2010

Nobdy brght a comptr so it lks like it'll b pesky txt upd8s! Snowy Breckenridge, CO has brght on a lovely case of altitude sickness. -6 temps 2day or 2morrow!

Monday, December 13, 2010

november reads

17 books this month and I'm still pushing towards 150 for the year...doesn't look like I'll make it at this point, but I'm not giving up yet!

I'm in the process of rereading J.D. Robb's (Nora Roberts) 30+ book In Death series (futuristic romantic suspense)

Josh and his partner Brent buy a historic, though VERY high maintenance, mansion and the epic farming/decorating adventure begins! Brent worked for Martha Stewart for a while and he and Josh both go a bit overboard on their own home as a result. Very funny and touching!

Bertrice Small's The Channel series
I read the first in this series last month (Private Pleasures). Mildly entertaining erotica centered around a town where women can subscribe to a "television channel" that allows them to experience any fantasy for real. If you've read Bertrice Small before, you know the game.

A slim book and a lightning fast summation of the history of Islam and its development in the modern world. A bit dry and repetitive but overall fairly informative.

Entwined by Elizabeth Naughton
The 2nd book of Naughton's Eternal Guardians series (Marked). Greek myths, huge heroes, lots of angst and sexiness. It's not great, but it is very entertaining!

Hearn seems to be the imminent collector and translator of Japanese folktales and fables for the last century or so. This collection was more strange tales and stories (and that was the original subtitle of this reprint of a 1904 title), nothing too creepy. Fascinating studies of butterflies, mosquitoes, and ants (in relation to folktales and fables) at the end of the book.

Who doesn't know what this is? I loved rereading it and I also loved the movie Part 1!

Such a good story of how many of these dogs beat the system (which usually recommends euthanization for dogs seized from fighting situations) to become therapy dogs and/or loving family pets. I thought the experience would be a lot rougher than it was. Truly heartwarming and the volunteers involved are so dedicated to what they do...very inspiring.

2nd book in a long-running British young adult series about three seventh-grade friends learning about life, dating, and friendship. Since there are three girls, I'm not sure what will happen to the story as of book 4 but I'm willing to find out!

Under the Bright Lights by Daniel Woodrell
After Winter's Bone, I wanted to read some of his other work and I am not disappointed! This is the first book in his Rene Shade detective trilogy and it is very raw and spare, like a rangy junkyard dog, and just as snappy. Woodrell is not one for flowery language or extra detail, just the bare bones of the story scraping across your nerves. He is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors.

Mythical Beasts of Japan: From Evil Creatures to Sacred Beings by Koichi Yumoto, Akiko Taki, and Hiroyuki Kano
This thick little book is composed mainly of illustrations from hundreds of years of Asian art, but the few areas of explanatory material are totally worth the journey. I picked this up after finishing Kwaidan and loved a further exploration of the world of Asian myth and legend!

150 books, here I come!