Julie > Recent Status Updates

Charlie borrowed Mma. Ramotswe's van and has returned it with a dent in it's floor and an odd smell. When her husband investigates, he discovers that Charlie is keeping a baby elephant in his uncle's back yard (possibly without asking to do so.) The only real problems with adopting a baby elephant are...yep, you guessed it...they eat and grow.

This is the first in a series...I probably won't live until the last book comes out. The series is called The Great God's War. A war has been raging, started by brothers who fell in love with the same woman...centuries ago. It continues because magicians are involved constantly improving their techniques to kill people...

I then returned to The Code Breaker for another 50 pages. Again we are immersed in how complicated giving credit to the correct scientist(s) when several in different parts of the world worked to develop something as earthshattering as a procedure that can cure virus born diseases, many cancers, and even some genetic diseases!

A welcome change from Amazonia, I now get to calm down as I deal with squabbles about the renovation of a Community gathering place, the Post Office being threatened with closure, and a major magazine wanting to feature the little town engendering more squabbles. But Melanie is at least at peace at home...

Take everything you know about the dangers of the Amazon, multiply them by ten, then double them for the increased danger of greedy humans, and you have a THRILLER with sci-fi leanings. This is not a Sigma Force novel and I miss my beloved characters, but Rollins is deft with characters and those I am meeting in this book are also wonderful. A series of "out of the frying pan into the fire" adventures.

Called out on a freezing Christmas Eve to help police at a murder scene who turns out to be her father, Alex starts working taking in the scene before realizing who the victim is and she and her police contact are in trouble for her even being there. Relieved of the case, but then still involved because she was the first psychic there making her insights valuable, she is attempting to do her job while grieving...

This is the second of the Gale Women series by Tanya Huff. I loved The Curiosity Emporium, the first book in this series. Charlie is home to discover that Jack (teenage dragon/magician) is probably more difficult to house and raise than Allie had expected.

This huge book with the skinny pages and the fine print broke in half while I was reading. It actually helped...holding it open to read the words at the binding was breaking my hands. But the story is readable enough. Jonathan's war work being finished, he has begun to write a book, which Mr. Norrell is not happy about. Then the scene switched to Faerie, which is fun.

I am now about to start another book by a favorite author, Henry Melton. Alpine Destiny continues the colonization of the Moon (Luna). The Alpine colony was completely destroyed by fire before the last book in the series started. Only two brothers survived and they were separated in the last book. Looking forward to see what happens next.

Color me confused. This seems to be the 7th book in the series, but I think I have only read 3. So I have some catching up to do. However, the characters are being described to me, so I'll probably be okay. I'll need to figure out which ones I have missed the next time I order.

I have now started Murder by the Book, which I am also reading out of order. This is the first book of the series, but I read book 2 first. Not a problem. Enough information was given in the second to get one into the story. The only problem is the 20-something angst that I often find annoying. Also, I hope to learn later in the series why some characters are so mean.

I have now gone back to the Outlander book I missed. Since this was covered in the tv show, I never felt like I'd missed anything, but off course I did. Many stories not covered or not covered in depth by the tv show keep me reading. In this book we watch the beginnings of the Revolution develop without (as yet anyway) meeting any names we recognize from history.

Sometimes, especially when driving alone at night, I relish my anonymity. If I sleep in a rest area, no one would dream I am a woman alone. I wonder if I may have been famous in a former life...I so dearly love my anonymity. We all know what happened to Harry's mother and have heard things about the British press. But the being hounded from early childhood...well, that is obtuse. Well written and readable.

We are now back in Moscow and St. Petersburg learning more about the at home adventures and misadventures of our warriors. The story remains interesting and readable, but the book is so heavy, my arthritic wrist begs for a break.

Now, once again, I turn to Melinda's life in the hamlet of Prosper. As autumn approaches again (September now) Hobo (her dog) is winning a hero award for saving her farm and several others by warning her of a fire. Looking forward to another peaceful read.

About to start this. I don't quite believe I have read 15 of these Sigma Force books. Time flies while you are having fun. I know something will happen in this book!

A group of really quirky people live with love and respect for each other (much of the time). They recognize the quirks in each other, but do they recognize them in themselves? At first I thought I was going to be bored silly, but now I'm intrigued wondering what they will do next.

I have now just barely started The Enchantment Emporium by Tanya Huff. She doesn't write one series of books forever. She has lots of three, four, and five book series....several of which I've read and all of those I have enjoyed. This is the first of a three book series which I am looking forward to.

I have now just barely started Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead. It looks to be a whole new Vampire 'verse and a whole new series (to me.) We shall see how I did with this.

This is the 7th book in The Outlander Series. It picks up after Jamie's and Claire's house burns down with an accidental tragedy which is probably incidental to the story but is disturbing to Jaime, Claire and Ian. Jaime is thinking of going to Scotland to return Ian and get his printing press. I'm thinking something may interfere with his plans (the American Revolution.)

The book starts with biographies of the people who surround Claudius as he is growing up. He is derided by his Uncle Augustus (current emperor) and his Aunt Livia who believe that, since he stutters and is sickly that he is also stupid. There are people who see the truth and befriend him, though. Much of the first part of the book reads like a gossip column about the ruling class.

I then returned to War and Peace During this next 50 pages, we see our soldiers return to Moscow after a disastrous several battles with the French. But the Russians chose to see the defeat as the fault of a few of their Generals, and instead to celebrate the actions a the normal enlisted man. So, resumption of the normal parties, feasts, and balls could go on being given in honor of this one man.

I found this browsing in out daughter's collection in the middle of the night when I couldn't sleep. I had seen the tv series? but books are nearly always better. I am thoroughly enjoying it. It has that predictable/unpredictable feeling--you know what is coming but you don't know when or what will happen. I am presently at the point after they have met in Claire's real time but before they get married.

Love the quirky characters, the weird worlds in this 'verse and the action. A very small group of wonderful folk plan to overturn a huge and powerful empress who governs a universe of planets. Impossible odds. I am enjoying this series.

It picks up with Bass hunting a pair of outlaw brothers. In disguise as a very hungry bum, he convinces their mother to invite him in a give him something to eat. When the brothers come home, he drinks with them, waits for them to go to sleep, then handcuffs them. Sneaky and effective. I'm hoping for a flashback to explain how he got from his escape from slavery to here.

If you want action in a totally foreign universe with diverse and interesting (even when not likable) characters, this is fun. Second book I have read in the series.

I am enjoying getting to know Belinda Penhurst, a 41 year old woman who has lived in a castle in this small village most of her life. Of course it is set in present day and the castle does not support itself, so Belinda has organized tours and books events to help pay the overhead. Her unpredictable brother often skirts the edge of the law requiring her to rectify his messes.

This is a fictionalized biography of Bass Reeves (black US Marshal born into slavery in Oklahoma.) This is a trilogy of books. This first book deals with the raising of this young slave, favored by his master, but carefully taught to be wary by his mother.

One of my Goodreads friends was reading it and I thought it sounded interesting, so I bought it. Our two heroines couldn't be more different, but they are great friends and work very well together, though a bit shocked by each other. So far the book has been fun.