The History Book Club discussion

Hello Elizabeth...here is the thread for you and your books completed in 2010. Glad to have you participating.

Okay, finally getting down to this. For the record, I'm not counting board books or picture books or children's books less than 100 pages. Here goes.

1. The Mystery of the Fiery Eye by Robert Arthur
finished: Jan. 1, 2010
by

2. Killer Angels by Michael Shaara
finished: Jan. 2, 2010
by Michael Shaara

3. Mystery of the Silver Spider by Robert Arthur
finished: Jan. 5, 2010
by

4. The Odd Job by Charlotte MacLeod
finished: Jan. 8, 2010
by Charlotte MacLeod

5. The Mystery of the Screaming Clock by Robert Arthur
finished: Jan. 9, 2010
by

6. The Faith of a Scientist by Henry Eyring
finished: Jan. 14, 2010
by Henry Eyring

7. Fablehaven: Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary
finished: Jan. 16, 2010
by

8. Sorceress of Karress by Eric Flint and David Freer
finished: Jan. 20, 2010
by and Dave Freer

9. The Mystery of the Moaning Cave by William Arden
finished: Jan. 21, 2010
by William Arden

10. The Luck Runs Out by Charlotte MacLeod
finished: Jan. 23, 2010
by Charlotte MacLeod

11. The Mystery of the Talking Skull by Robert Arthur
finished: Jan. 24, 2010
by

12. The Chestry Oak by Kate Seredy
finished: Jan. 26, 2010
by Kate Seredy

13. Leprechaun in Late Winter by Mary Pope Osborne
finished: Jan. 27, 2010
by

14. The Case of the Lucky Legs by Erle Stanley Gardner
finished: Jan. 29, 2010
by

15. No Ordinary Time: Frankling and Eleanor Roosevelt: The Home Front in World War II by Doris Kearns Goodwin
finished: Jan. 31, 2010
by

16. Calamity Jack by Shannon and Dean Hale and Nathan Hale
finished: Feb. 5, 2010
by , Dean Hale, and

17. The Mystery of the Laughing Shadow by William Arden
finished: Feb. 13, 2010
by William Arden

18. Wrack and Rune by Charlotte MacLeod
finished: Feb. 19, 2010
by Charlotte MacLeod

19. The Secret of the Crooked Cat by William Arden
finished: Feb. 22, 2010
by William Arden

20. Lives of the Noble Greeks by Plutarch
finished: Feb. 23, 2010
Next time I'd like to read all the Lives (both Roman and Greek) and read it with someone else to discuss it and hopefully find a better edition with more notes, etc. A good read, I learned a lot. But would be better with those changes.
Lives of the Noble Greeks by

Good for you Elizabeth.

21. The Hub: Dangerous Territory by James Schmitz
Absolutely excellent science fiction stories from the 1960's.
finished: Feb. 26, 2010
by

22. The Case of the Howling Dog by Erle Stanley Gardner
finished: Feb. 27, 2010
by

23. East by Edith Pattou
finished: Mar. 2, 2010
by

24. The Rose and the Ring by William Makepeace Thackeray
finished: Mar. 3, 2010
by

25. The Mystery of the Coughing Dragon by Nick West
finished: Mar. 4, 2010
by Nick West

26. The Viper's Nest by Peter Lerangis
finished: Mar. 8, 2010
[image error] by Peter Lerangis

27. The Curse of the Giant Hogweed by Charlotte MacLeod
finished: Mar. 12, 2010
by Charlotte MacLeod

28. Wait Till Helen Comes by Mary Downing Hahn
finished: Mar. 12, 2010
by

29. The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
finished: Mar. 13, 2010
by

30. Roberto and Me by Dan Gutman
finished: Mar. 14, 2010
Roberto & Me by

31. The Mystery of the Flaming Footprints by M. V. Carey
finished: Mar. 15, 2010
by M.V. Carey

32. Shane by Jack Schaefer
finished: Mar. 19, 2010
by

33. The Case of the Curious Bride by Erle Stanley Gardner
finished: Mar. 20, 2010
by

34. The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan
finished: Mar. 23, 2010
by

35. The Mystery of the Nervous Lion by Nick West
finished: Mar. 24, 2010
by Nick West

36. Keys to the Demon Prison by Brandon Mull
finished: Mar. 25, 2010
by

37. The Proper Care and Feeding of Husbands by Dr. Laura Schlessinger
finished: Apr. 3, 2010
by Laura C. Schlessinger

38. Oath of Fealty by Elizabeth Moon
finished: Apr. 7, 2010
by

39. The Case of the Counterfeit Eye by Erle Stanley Gardner
finished: Apr. 11, 2010
by

40. The Sea-Hawk by Raphael Sabatini
finished: Apr. 14, 2010
by

41. The Wish by Gail Carson Levine
finished: Apr. 15, 2010
by

42. They Found Him Dead by Georgette Heyer
finished: Apr. 16, 2010
by

43. Duplicate Death by Georgette Heyer
finished: Apr. 17, 2010
by

44. The Reluctant Widow by Georgette Heyer
finished: Apr. 18, 2010
by

45. The Railway Children by E. Nesbit
finished: Apr. 19, 2010
by

Love to see you reading Charlotte MacLeod. I read a number of her mysteries a few years ago and totally enjoyed them. They have nothing to do with history except that anything English is steeped in history.

John wrote: "Love to see you reading Charlotte MacLeod. I read a number of her mysteries a few years ago and totally enjoyed them. They have nothing to do with history except that anything English is steeped in..."

That is a good point, John. I found Charlotte MacLeod because one of my favorite authors (Elizabeth Peters) said MacLeod was one of her favorite authors. Worked out great!

Been a while since I posted. I've actually been reading all that time, but with the extra energy required to do this pregnancy thing, most of my reads have been "comfort" reads and of less historical or intellectual interest. I'm going back now to mark some of what I've been reading. I'm not marking the many rereads (I reread almost all of Georgette Heyer, for example), just books I've read for the first time.

Georgette Heyer

46. The Enchanted Castle by E. Nesbit
finished: Apr. 22, 2010
by E. Nesbit

47. A River in the Sky by Elizabeth Peters
finished: May 8, 2010
by Elizabeth Peters

48. The Double Comfort Safari Club by Alexander McCall Smith
finished: May 8, 2010
by Alexander McCall Smith

49. The God of the Hive by Laurie King
finished: May 22, 2010
by Laurie R. King

50. Mrs. Jeffries Speaks Her Mind by Emily Brightwell
finished Jun. 10, 2010
by Emily Brightwell

51. The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan
finished: Jun. 23, 2010
by Rick Riordan

52. The Case of the Dangerous Dowager by Erle Stanley Gardner
finished: Jun. 25, 2010
by Erle Stanley Gardner

53. The Eternal Frontier by James H. Schmitz
finished: Jun. 26, 2010
by James H. Schmitz

54. Vane Pursuit by Charlotte MacLeod
finished: Jul. 2, 2010
by Charlotte MacLeod

55. The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan
finished: Jul. 3, 2010
by Rick Riordan

56. The Case of the Shoplifter's Shoe by Erle Stanley Gardner
finished: Jul. 6, 2010
by Erle Stanley Gardner

57. The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan
finished: Jul. 8, 2010
by Rick Riordan

58. The Case of the Lonely Heiress by Erle Stanley Gardner
finished: Jul. 11, 2010
by Erle Stanley Gardner

59. Counseling With Our Councils by Russell M. Ballard
finished: Jul. 18, 2010
by M. Russell Ballard

60. Master and Commander by Patrick O'Brian
finished: Jul. 19, 2010
by Patrick O'Brian

61. The Family Vault by Charlotte MacLeod
finished: Jul. 19, 2010
by Charlotte MacLeod

62. The Riddle-Master of Hed by Patricia A. McKillip
finished: Jul. 28, 2010
by Patricia A. McKillip

63. The Case of the Glamorous Ghost
finished: Jul. 30, 2010
by Erle Stanley Gardner

64. Heir of Sea and Fire by Patricia A. McKillip
finished: Aug. 5, 2010
by Patricia A. McKillip

65. The Withdrawing Room by Charlotte MacLeod
finished: Aug. 8, 2010
by Charlotte MacLeod

How did you like Riordan's works? I have the first four.

by Rick Riordan

You are really cruising - good for you.

Bryan wrote: "How did you like Riordan's works? I have the first four.

by Rick Riordan"

It has taken me a while to remember to respond, Bryan. Sorry! I enjoyed Riordan's books a lot. The Percy Jackson series was fun. Basically, the whole premise was so clever and delightfully constructed. I also enjoyed the 39 Clues series that Riordan orchestrated and planned, even though a variety of authors wrote the books.

Overall, all good writing and fun to read. Although it misses something to make it great. Not as great as Harry Potter, for example, in my opinion. I'm not sure what it is, but I don't feel that Camp Half-Blood is really there, somewhere, in the same way Hogwarts seems to be real.

by J.K. Rowling

Bentley wrote: "You are really cruising - good for you."

Thanks, although the vast majority of my books this year are the light, comfort-read type. I'll blame it all on hormones. :) I should probably catch-up on my list here, it has been a while. I'm also re-reading a lot of books that I'm not even listing, like the Freddy the Pig series. I hope I'm ready to get back into some more meaty stuff by the time the Federalist Papers discussion restarts next year.

and the other 25 books in the series by Walter R. Brooks

by Alexander Hamilton and others

Well you are entitled to whatever hormones act up. And we will be glad to have you at the discussion in January.

Elizabeth S wrote: "Bryan wrote: "How did you like Riordan's works? I have the first four.

by Rick Riordan..."

Awesome, I look forward to reading them! Thanks.

66. Hero's Song by Edith Pattou
finished: Aug. 10, 2010
by Edith Pattou
3 stars. One of those books that is not as well written as it should have been. I very much enjoyed a different book by the same author, but this one had lots of "Oh, that could have been done better" moments.

67. The Case of the Sun Bather's Diary by Erle Stanley Gardner
finished: Aug. 13, 2010
by Erle Stanley Gardner
3 stars. In reading through all the Perry Mason novels that are at my local library, I'm finding I like the ones with interesting legal points more than one's that showcase how rotten and unfair the police can be. This is one of the former, had some fun legal nuances. Overall, however, the series just isn't as good (for me) as the Nero Wolfe books by Rex Stout. Rex Stout

68. The Atlantis Complex by Eoin Colfer
finished: Aug. 19, 2010
by Eoin Colfer
4 stars. I just really like this series, and this is a good addition. Fun, tricky, twisty.

69. The Palace Guard by Charlotte MacLeod
finished: Aug. 20, 2010
by Charlotte MacLeod
3 stars. Good addition to the Sarah Kelling series. Things are starting to get somewhere with her relationship with Max (taking longer than I thought). The mystery isn't as clever as other's by MacLeod, but still fun.

70. Harpist in the Wind by Patricia McKillip
finished: Aug. 27, 2010
by Patricia A. McKillip
3 stars. Phew! Nice to see the results of the series. Some very interesting revelations and twists. Overall, however, the series isn't my favorite type of fantasy.

71. The Bilbao Looking Glass by Charlotte MacLeod
finished: Sep. 1, 2010
by Charlotte MacLeod
3 stars. Good mystery. Some weird characters in this one.

72. Fire Arrow by Edith Pattou
finished: Sep. 4, 2010
by Edith Pattou
3 stars. Sequel to Hero's Song, read and rated in an earlier post. Many reviewers said this one was much better than Hero's Song, but I found them to be about the same. Some very clever world-building, but it was underutilized. In addition, the characters seemed weakly done, and the plot was iffy. A good read, but not great.

73. The First World War by John Keegan
finished: Sep. 6, 2010
by John Keegan
3 stars. What an immense undertaking. Extra points for even the attempt to describe WWI in so few pages. However, there were many places where there was more detail than I was ready for. Some individual battles were selected for detailed description, when often I didn't have a clear picture of where the battle came in the overall conflict. The portions of the book that I enjoyed the most were places (like the Russian Revolution) where I already had a good overview of the subject, so the detail given increased by knowledge. And given that some things were too much detail for me, obviously there were some things that were basically skipped over. Also, as others have said, terrible maps.

74. The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson
finished: Sep. 10, 2010
by Brandon Sanderson
5 stars. What can I say, I really like this author's writing. This is the first book in his new series. As much as I've been looking forward to him finishing The Wheel of Time series, this book was so good, when I finished reading I thought, "Who cares about The Wheel of Time, let's get the show on the road with THIS series!" Awesome world building, another new, logical magic system, great characters (the good guys are good, the bad guys are icky, and a few who cover both), the right kind of surprises, sadness and triumph, it is all there. The story comes to a good conclusion, but there is so much left to explain and explore about the world, I'm really looking forward to the next in the series as soon as we can get it.

75. The Case of the Gilded Lily by Erle Stanley Gardner
finished: Sep. 14, 2010
by Erle Stanley Gardner
2 stars. Not as much interesting legal stuff. I got frustrated with some of the characters.

Good for you for finally getting Keegan's book done.

I decided I needed to just get it done. It was such slow, slogging reading, though, that I never got around to jumping back into any of the threads. The whole book was tougher than it should have been, which is why I marked it "good" but not "great."

It was dense; but you are right..it really did not need to be that dense.

76. Arrows of the Queen by Mercedes Lackey
finished: Sep. 16, 2010
by Mercedes Lackey
4 stars. Pretty darn good. It seems there are a number of fantasy series out there that start with a young girl growing up in an abused/repressed situation, she dreams of something bigger, some talent/ability is discovered in her, she gets the appropriate training, and her dreams come true to some extent. The thing I appreciate about this one is that the young girl does not unrealistically blossom as soon as she leaves home. She has scars from her past that take time to overcome. I like that the author does not arrange for her main character's background to just vanish.

77. The Case of the Deadly Toy by Erle Stanley Gardner
finished: Sep. 22, 2010
by Erle Stanley Gardner
3 stars. Pretty good Perry Mason. Decent court stuff, decent client, interesting legal tricks.

78. Arrow's Flight by Mercedes Lackey
finished: Sep. 23, 2010
by Mercedes Lackey
3 stars. Not as good, as in not as new-and-exciting, as the first book in the series. Which often happens with sequels. Still good and fun to read.

79. The Case of the Mythical Monkeys by Erle Stanley Gardner
finished: Sep. 26, 2010
by Erle Stanley Gardner
3 stars. My biggest complaint about this book is that the monkeys were hardly a part of the plot at all. :) Again, had some good legal moves that were interesting to read about. I also enjoyed (more than usual in a Perry Mason) discovering who the real killer was.

80. A Ghost Tale for Christmas Time by Mary Pope Osborne
finished: Sep. 27, 2010
by Mary Pope Osborne
3 stars. Such a short book, hardly worth mentioning on this list. However, does have some history to it, so here it is. The children go back in time to meet (and help inspire) Charles Dickens. Has good information about what the times were like.

85. Arrow's Fall by Mercedes Lackey
finished: Sep. 27, 2010
by Mercedes Lackey
3 stars. Good continuation of the series.

86. The Convivial Codfish by Charlotte MacLeod
finished: Oct. 1, 2010
by Charlotte MacLeod
3 stars. Good mystery in the Sarah Kelling/Max Bittersohn series.

87. The Eighth Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness by Stephen R. Covey
finished: Oct. 2, 2010
by Stephen R. Covey
2 stars. Took me a long time to read this, and I will confess that I merely skimmed some sections. I mostly rated it merely ok because it turned out to be not what I was looking for. I was looking for some help in developing leadership in my home life and volunteer service. But the book was so focused on the corporate environment that there wasn't much application for me. For those who were the target audience, probably a much better book.

88. One More Strain of Praise by Neal A. Maxwell
finished: Oct. 6, 2010
by Neal A. Maxwell
5 stars. I've loved everything I've read by this author. This book was the first one he wrote after beginning his battle with leukemia. I appreciate how he describes that the trial was difficult, but he found the principles he had been teaching all along were still true. This is the book where he shows that the theory and reality matched up. His chapters were based on the words of the hymn, "Sing We Now At Parting."

89. The Case of the Singing Skirt by Erle Stanley Gardner
finished: Oct. 7, 2010
by Erle Stanley Gardner
3 stars. Another solid Perry Mason mystery.

90. By the Sword by Mercedes Lackey
finished: Oct. 11, 2010
by Mercedes Lackey
4 stars. Next installment in the Valdemar series. Here is where the books increase in length and become more meaty. The story of other kingdoms of the area is involved, more magic, more world-building. Basically stepping up the overall series a notch.

91. The Plain Old Man by Charlotte MacLeod
finished: Oct. 13, 2010
by Charlotte MacLeod
4 stars. Another good Sarah Kelling/Max Bittsersohn mystery. This one is more investigated by Sarah while Max is out of the country. We get to know the Aunt Emma character better as Sarah helps her put on a play. Fun and clever ending.

92. Winds of Fate by Mercedes Lackey
finished: Oct. 14, 2010
by Mercedes Lackey
3 stars. Again, longer and meatier than the first Valdemar installments. But a little annoying for me to switch between the two main characters, who don't meet until the very end. Obviously a big setup for more things to come.

93. The Case of the Ice-Cold Hands by Erle Stanley Gardner
finished: Oct. 16, 2010
by Erle Stanley Gardner
4 stars. This Perry Mason book got 4 stars rather than the usual three because at one point there was such a clever legal twist that it made me laugh out-loud.

94. Winds of Change by Mercedes Lackey
finished: Oct. 21, 2010
by Mercedes Lackey
3 stars. More solid stuff. Not my favorite magic system, but good story.

95. The Recycled Citizen by Charlotte MacLeod
finished: Oct. 23, 2010
by Charlotte MacLeod
3 stars. Another good, solid Sarah Kelling/Max Bittersohn mystery. This time I knew who the bad-guy was a little earlier than usual. Hee, hee.

96. Failure Is Not an Option by Gene Kranz
finished: Oct. 31, 2010
by Gene Kranz
4 stars. I thoroughly enjoyed this telling of the story of NASA from Mercury to Gemini to Apollo from the perspective of one of the flight controllers. As other commentators have said, the book could have been a little less technical, but that didn't bother me too much. I enjoyed the story and the detail and the courage of the men involved.

97. Winds of Fury by Mercedes Lackey
finished: Oct. 31, 2010
by Mercedes Lackey
3 stars. Good wrap-up to this section of the overall Valdemar series.

98. The Case of the Horrified Heirs by Erle Stanley Gardner
finished: Nov. 2, 2010
by Erle Stanley Gardner
3 stars. Another solid Perry Mason.

99. Mr. Midshipman Hornblower by C. S. Forester
finished: Nov. 4, 2010
by C.S. Forester
4 stars. I really liked this one. I think a lot of what I liked was the person and character of Hornblower. I like his mathematical mind. Even though he is often shy and uncertain, he is brave when he needs to be. And often comes up with clever solutions to complex problems. I didn't realize until the book was over that this was the 6th one Forester wrote. I generally like to read series in the order they were written, but too late now. I think I'll read the rest of the series in author-written order, though.

100. Towers of Midnight by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson
finished: Nov. 7, 2010
by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson
4 stars. Wow. One more book in this series that spans the decades. I was amazed at how much was wrapped up, and yet there is so much left for the last book. Can't wait.

I think reading the series in the author written order would spoil it in a way; you forget how events were supposed to be ordered by the author even though he ordered them according to his timeline.

It is always interesting to know how the series was put together but reading the events is something different and most want to go in chronological and a timed order. It is very confusing trying to remember what came before and after otherwise.

Actually, that has never bothered me. What I miss from not reading in written order is how the author develops the character. In the case of the Hornblower series, it would be interesting to think as I read Mr. Midshipman how the author already knew where Hornblower was going in his life. That would restrict some of Forester's choices for what to do with Hornblower as a midshipman, and I would enjoy observing how Forester handled such restrictions. I realize other people like to read series in the chronological order, and that is fine for them. Just my personal preference, not what I think everyone should do.

No I certainly understand what you are saying but so much is forgotten unless you reread them; but to each is own preference right. (smile). You certainly have gotten ahead.

Wow 100! I am aiming for that this year but not sure I will make it. A great list of authors I've not yet explored, will have to check them out. :)

Thanks, Velvetink. Most of my books this year have been quick reads due to a time-intensive pregnancy, and now a sleep depriving (although cute) baby. Normally I rotate more non-fiction and longer classics into the mix. I'm hoping to return to my usual rotation in 2011. Let me know if you have any questions about any of the authors or books.

Well done Elizabeth an awesome effort given the circumstances. Hope to be joining you in the sleep derprivation stakes next year, my partner and I have a little bundle on the way after two years of trying :)

Congratulations! Years of trying definitely makes those sleepless nights seem more worthwhile.

Cheers Im looking forward to it

101. The Silver Ghost by Charlotte MacLeod
finished: Nov. 9, 2010
by Charlotte MacLeod
3 stars. The continuing adventures of Sarah Kelling and Max Bittersohn

102. Cryoburn by Lois McMaster Bujold
finished: Nov. 10, 2010
by Lois McMaster Bujold
4 stars. Another fun adventure in the Myles universe. Been waiting for another book in the series for a long time, and this does not disappoint.

103. The Case of the Troubled Trustee by Erle Stanley Gardner
finished: Nov. 11, 2010
by Erle Stanley Gardner
The defense actually has to present a case in this one. In other words, Perry Mason didn't wrap things up before the prosecution finished its stuff. Rare. But you do get the frustration of seeing the prosecution cross-examine and tear apart witness testimony.

104. Storm Warning by Mercedes Lackey
finished: Nov. 13, 2010
by Mercedes Lackey
Exciting beginning to a whole new Valdemaar series. Lots of new magic stuff, though, and it can get a little confusing.

105. The Balloon Man by Charlotte MacLeod
finished: Nov. 20, 2010
by Charlotte MacLeod
I was reading this one in the hospital the day after the baby came. One of the nurses asked what kind of book I was reading. I answered, "A murder mystery." She seemed to think it was a trifle incongruous.

Great job Elizabeth and funny hospital story

106. Storm Rising by Mercedes Lackey
finished: Nov. 22, 2010
by Mercedes Lackey
3 stars. The number 2 book in the series isn't quite as good as the number 1 book. Probably because the magic isn't as new and interesting now. Still a good read.

107. The Resurrection Man by Charlotte MacLeod
finished: Nov. 25, 2010
by Charlotte MacLeod
3 stars. The fun continues with Sarah and Max.

108. The Case of the Beautiful Beggar by Erle Stanley Gardner
finished: Nov. 26, 2010
by Erle Stanley Gardner
4 stars. As always, the Perry Masons that I like best are the ones that include the fun legal stuff, and less of the bad/unfair police stuff.

109. Bowdrie by Louis L'Amour
finished: Dec. 2, 2010
by Louis L'Amour
4 stars. This one is a reread. Short stories about Texas ranger Chick Bowdrie. A western book, but many stories have a definite mystery theme to them. Lots of fun.

110. Storm Breaking by Mercedes Lackey
finished: Dec. 5, 2010
by Mercedes Lackey
3 stars. Did we really need to resurrect the bad guy? Other than that, thrilling conclusion to this trilogy.

111. Bowdrie's Law by Louis L'Amour
finished: Dec. 8, 2010
by Louis L'Amour
4 stars. Another reread. More Chick Bowdrie stories, still just as fun and well written.

112. The Case of the Worried Waitress by Erle Stanley Gardner
finished: Dec. 10, 2010
by Erle Stanley Gardner
3 stars. Pretty good Perry Mason. Not so much of the evil-police stuff, but also not as interesting court/legal stuff as usual. So good, but not great.

113. Owlflight by Mercedes Lackey
finished: Dec. 13, 2010
by Mercedes Lackey
3 stars. The ending was a little too formulaic for me--everything wrapped up a little too pat, with everyone learning the lessons they "need" to learn. But overall a good tale and worth adding to the Valdemaar saga.

114. It Was An Awful Shame and Other Stories by Charlotte MacLeod
finished: Dec. 16, 2010
by Charlotte MacLeod
4 stars. Boy, am I glad I bought this one (unread) from the library's used sale. Charlotte MacLeod writes wonderful short stories. It takes real talent to write good short stories, and MacLeod has that talent. Overall, I think I like her short stories better than her novels. And I like her novels.

115. Beat To Quarters by C. S. Forester
finished: Dec. 18, 2010
by C.S. Forester
4 stars. Wow. What a sea adventure. Great battles, clever tricks, real injury, death, and self-doubt, and the good-guys win. Mostly. :) The end seemed quick, or maybe unfinished, to me. Lots of questions about "what happens next." I guess that is why there are more books in the series!

116. Owlsight by Mercedes Lackey
finished: Dec. 22, 2010
by Mercedes Lackey
3 stars. But better than the first in this trilogy. More interesting stuff about medicine, the characters are a little more real.

117. Alcatraz Versus the Shattered Lens
finished: Dec. 23, 2010
by Brandon Sanderson
5 stars. New book in Sanderson's juvenile series. Just as wacky, fun, interesting as the others in the series. Highly recommended to start at the beginning.

118. The Case of the Queenly Contestant
finished: Dec. 24, 2010
by Erle Stanley Gardner
3 stars. Pretty good Perry Mason. Has some similar plot with an earlier Perry Mason book, but there is still plenty of originality.

119. The Warriors: Into the Wild
finished: Dec. 25, 2010
by Erin Hunter
4 stars. Better than I expected it to be. Interesting concept and story. Enough wrapped up at the end of the book to be satisfying, but enough left over for subsequent books to keep me reading.

120. The Case of the Careless Cupid by Erle Stanley Gardner
finished: Dec. 25, 2010
by Erle Stanley Gardner
4 stars. More fun legal tricks than most of the Perry Masons.

121. Warriors: Into the Wild by Erin Hunter
finished: Dec. 26, 2010
by Erin Hunter
4 stars. One of my nieces was reading and enjoying this series, so I thought I'd give it a try. Surprisingly good. I didn't think cats living in the wild in competing clans would make a good plot, but it does. I also like that some parts of the plot were resolved, but others left open for later books in the series.

122. Ship of the Line by C. S. Forester
finished: Dec. 28, 2010
by C.S. Forester
4 stars. Another great Hornblower book. But what a cliffhanger at the end! Arg! Gotta get the next one quick. :)

123. Owlknight by Mercedes Lackey
finished: Dec. 30, 2010
by Mercedes Lackey
3 1/2 stars. First half was the same-old stuff, lots of ruminating and descriptions of the various cultures of the world. Well done and somewhat interesting, but gets redundant. I enjoyed the second half more, where the characters go on a questing adventure.

And... done for 2010. (Since I know I won't finish my current book today.)

Congratulations on reading so many! I see you have an Alexander McCall Smith on your list. I discovered his Mma Ramotswe series this year and branched out to his 44 Scotland St and Sunday Philosophy Club series as well. So delightful to read his stuff. They're all charming.