What I Read And What I Rejected In 2020

 I've been keeping these lists since 2007.  Usually, I read right around 120 books a year, an average of 10 books a month.  But this year, because of the pandemic, I read 200 books.  As usual, they are mostly mysteries: historical, crime, and cozy.  These are my "entertainment" books, and I do read a LOT of them, but there is plenty of non-fiction and a little steampunk mixed in.

Following my very thorough list of what I read is a list of books I rejected, but I'm not as thorough here, and there are probably at least another 2 dozen books I began and then tossed aside because they were awful.  Sometimes I forget to update that list.

Unfortunately, the numbers won't copy over.  Please trust me that there are 200 books on the list of what I read and 19 on the list of what I rejected.

What I Read:

2020
Behind the Shattered Glass by Tasha Alexander ***** historical mystery 1/1/20
 A Crimson Warning by Tasha Alexander **** historical mystery 1/3/20
Only To Deceive by Tasha Alexander **** historical mystery 1/5/20
Amid The Winter’s Snow by Tasha Alexander * historical “mystery” 1/5/20
Maryellen, the One and Only by Valerie Tripp **** MG historical 1/6/20
Maryellen Taking Off by Valerie Tripp **** MG Historical **** 1/6/20
Shot Through the Hearth by Kate Carlisle **** cozy 1/11/20
An Edible History of Humanity by Tom Standage **** non-fiction, food 1/12/20
 Farm Fresh Murder by Paige Shelton (again) **** cozy 1/13/20
 Fruit of All Evil by Paige Shelton (again) ***** cozy 1/14/20
 A Poisoned Season by Tasha Alexander **** historical mystery 1/19/20
 A Fatal Waltz by Tasha Alexander ***** historical mystery 1/20/20
 Tears of Pearl by Tasha Alexander ***** historical mystery 1/21/20
 Dangerous To Know by Tasha Alexander **** historical mystery 1/23/20
 Etiquette and Espionage by Gail Carriger (2nd time) **** YA steampunk paranormal 1/26/20
12 Angry Men by Reginald Rose (again) (2A) **** drama 1/27/20
 12 Angry Men by Reginald Rose (again) (1B) **** drama 1/28/20
 Curtsies and Conspiracies by Gail Carriger (2nd time) ****YA steampunk/paranormal 1/28/20
 Waistcoats and Weaponry by Gail Carriger (2nd time) **** YA steampunk/paranormal 1/29/20
 Manners and Mutiny by Gail Carriger (2nd time) **** YA steampunk/paranormal 1/31/20
 Death In The Floating City by Tasha Alexander **** historical mystery 2/3/20
 Hand on the Wall by Maureen Johnson **** YA mystery 2/4/20
 The Counterfeit Heiress by Tasha Alexander **** historical mystery 2/9/20
 The Adventuress by Tasha Alexander **** historical mystery 2/10/20
 How To Be A Tudor by Ruth Goodman **** non-fiction, history 2/13/20
 That Silent Night by Tasha Alexander **** historical mystery 2/14/20
 Black Tie Murder by Sara Rosett **** historical mystery 2/16/20
 A Terrible Beauty by Tasha Alexander *** historical mystery 2/16/20
 Danger at the Drawbridge by Mildred A. Wirt **** MG mystery 2/17/20
 Star of the East by Tasha Alexander *** historical mystery 2/17/20
 Uneasy Lies the Crown by Tasha Alexander ***** historical mystery 2/19/20
 Mr. Churchill’s Secretary by Susan Elia MacNeal **** historical A/A 2/22/20
Artist Trading Card Workshop by Bernie Berlin **** non-fiction, crafts 2/23/20
 Mormon Hierarchy: Extensions of Power by D. Michael Quinn ***** non-fiction, religion, history 2/29/20
 The Green Door by Mildred Wirt **** MG mystery 3/3/20
 Tiny Treasures  by AG Library *** non-fiction, crafts 3/7/20
 Salt Dough by AG Library **** non-fiction, crafts 3/8/20
 Fairies by Rachel Haab **** non-fiction, crafts 3/8/20
 Making Mini Books by Sherri Haab non-fiction, crafts 3/8/20
 Homicide For The Holidays by Cheryl Honingfor ** historical mystery 3/18/20
 Same-Sex Dynamics Among 19th-Century Americans: A Mormon Example by D Michael Quinn  (2nd time) ***** non-fiction, history 3/20/20
 Broken Bone China by Laura Childs cozy mystery *** 3/22/20
 In The Shadow of Vesuvius by Tasha Alexander **** historical mystery 3/26/20
 Felicity Carrol and the Perilous Pursuit by Patricia Marcantonio ****historical mystery 3/29/20
 Prudence by Gail Carriger (2nd time) **** steampunk 3/31/20
 Imprudence by Gail Carriger (2nd time) **** steampunk 4/4/20
 Princess Elizabeth’s Spy by Susan Elia MacNeal **** historical mystery 4/8/20
 Competence by Gail Carriger **** steampunk 4/11/20
 Reticence by Gail Carriger **** stampunk 4/12/20
 The Decent Inn of Death by Rennie Airth *** historical mystery 4/15/20
 Murder in the Manor by Fiona Grace *** cozy mystery 4/16/20
 Tale of the Witch Doll by Mildred A Wirt *** YA/MG mystery 4/17/20
 Poppy Redfern and the Midnight Murders by Tessa Arlen **** 4/19/20
Digging Up History by Sheila Connolly ** cozy mystery 4/20/20
 Good Mail Day by Hinchcliff and Wheeler *** non-fiction, crafts 4/21/20
 The Mystery of Black Hollow Lane by Julia Nobel *** MG mystery 4/22/20
 A Beautiful Blue Death by Charles Finch **** historical mystery 4/23/20
 The September Society by Charles Finch **** historical mystery 4/24/20
 Forest Feast by Erin Gleeson non-fiction, cookbook **** 4/26/20
  The Fleet Street Murders by Charles Finch **** historical mystery 4/26/20
 The Woman in the Water by Charles Finch **** historical mystery 4/30/20
 A Stranger in Mayfair by Charles Finch **** historical mystery 5/3/20
 Burial at Sea by Charles Finch **** historical mystery 5/3/20
 American Sherlock by Kate Winkler Dawson  **** non-fiction biography 5/4/20
 A Death in the Small Hours by Charles Finch **** historical mystery 5/4/20
 An Old Betrayal by Charles Finch **** historical mystery 5/7/20
 The Laws of Murder by Charles Finch **** historical mystery 5/9/20
 Home By Nightfall by Charles Finch **** historical mystery 5/10/20
 A Murderous Relation by Deanna Raybourn ***** historical mystery 5/19/20
 Dead Man’s Bones by Susan Wittig Albert **** cozy mystery 5/21/20
 London: A Travel Guide Through Time by Dr. Matthew Green ***** non-fiction, history 5/24/20
 Revenge of the Barbary Ghost by Virginia Hamilton *** historical mystery 5/25/20
 The Vanishing Houseboat by Mildred A Wirt. *** MG mystery 5/27/20
 Foods That Will Win The War And How To Cook Them 1918 by Charles Houston **** vintage cookbook 5/20/20
 At Wit’s End by Kirsten Weiss **** cozy mystery 5/31/20
 Pressed To Death by Kirsten Weiss **** cozy mystery 5/31/20
 Deja Moo by Kirsten Weiss **** cozy mystery 6/1/20
 Chocolate a la murder by Kirsten Weiss **** cozy mystery 6/2/20
 The Quiche and the Dead by Kirsten Weiss **** cozy mystery 6/3/20
 Bleeding Tarts by Kirsten Weiss **** cozy mystery 6/4/20
 Writing the Cozy Mystery by Nancy J. Cohen *** non-fiction, writing 6/7/20
 Dread Nation by Justina Ireland **** YA paranormal alt-history dystopia 6/8/20
 A Murder For The Books by Victoria Gilbert **** cozy mystery 6/10/20
 The Inheritance by Charles Finch **** historical mystery 6/11/20
 The Vanishing Man by Charles Finch **** historical mystery 6/13/20
 Gone Before Christmas by Charles Finch **** historical mystery 6/14/20
 Murder At The Breakers by Alyssa Maxwell **** historical mystery 6/15/20
 An East End Murder by Charles Finch ** historical mystery 6/16/20
 The Winter Garden Mystery by Carola Dunn **** historical mystery 6/17/20
 A Lady In The Smoke by Karen Odden **** historical A/A 6/18/20
 Requiem For A Mezzo by Carola Dunn **** historical mystery 6/19/20
 Murder on the Flying Scotsman by Carola Dunn **** historical mystery 6/19/20
 Damsel In Distress by Carola Dunn *** historical mystery 6/20/20
 Dead in the Water by Carola Dunn *** historical mystery 6/21/20
 Styx and Stones by Carola Dunn **** historical mystery 6/21/20
 Rattle His Bones by Carola Dunn **** historical mystery 6/22/20
 Murder on Astor Place by Victoria Thompson *** historical mystery 6/23/20
 To Davy Jones Below by Carola Dunn **** historical mystery 6/24/20
 The Case of the Murdered Muckraker by Carola Dunn ***** historical mystery 6/24/20
 Mistletoe and Murder by Carola Dunn ***** historical mystery 6/25/20
 Die Laughing by Carola Dunn **** historical mystery 6/26/20
 Mourning Wedding by Carola Dunn **** historical mystery 6/27/20
 Fall of a Philanderer by Carola Dunn **** historical mystery 6/27/20
 Gunpowder Plot by Carola Dunn **** historical mystery 6/28/20
 The Bloody Tower by Carola Dunn *** historical mystery 6/30/20
 Black Ship by Carola Dunn **** historical mystery 7/1/20
 Sheer Folly by Carola Dunn **** historical mystery 7/4/20
 Anthem For A Doomed Youth *** historical mystery 7/6/20
 The Last Passenger by Charles Finch *** historical mystery 7/8/20
 Gone West by Carola Dunn **** historical mystery 7/10/20
 Heirs of the Body by Carola Dunn **** historical mystery 7/11/20
 Superfluous Women by Carola Dunn **** historical mystery 7/13/20
 The Longest Yard Sale by Sherry Harris *** cozy 7/16/20
 The Secret Library by Oliver Teale *** non-fiction 7/18/20
 All Murders Final by Sherry Harris *** cozy 7/19/20
 A Great Deliverance by Elizabeth George **** crime 7/20/20
 Payment in Blood by Elizabeth George **** crime 7/22/20
 The All-Girl Filling Station’s Last Reunion *** historical fiction 7/23/20
 Butch Cassidy by Robert Patterson *** non-fiction, biography 7/24/20
 A View To A Kilt by Kaitlyn Dunnett *** cozy mystery 7/31/20
 Tart of Darkness by Denise Swanson *** cozy 8/1/20
Well-Schooled in Murder by Elizabeth George **** mystery 8/2/20
  Leave No Scone Unturned by Denise Swanson ** cozy 8/5/20
 Silent in the Sanctuary by DeAnna Raybourn **** historical mystery 8/15/20
 The Encyclopedia of Herbs, Spices, and Flavorings by Elizabeth Lambert Ortiz ***** non-fiction (again) 8/15/20
 A Suitable Vengeance by Elizabeth George *** mystery 8/16/20
 The Bishop’s Wife by Mette Ivie Harrison **** (3rd time) mystery  8/18/20
 The Cabinets of Barnaby Mayne historical mystery by Elsa Hart *** 8/19/20
 The Mystery of the Blue Train by Agatha Christie mystery **** 8/21/20
 Peril at End House by Agatha Christie **** (again) mystery 8/21/20
 The Last Seance by Agatha Christie **** 8/24/20
 Silent in the Grave by DeAnna Raybourn historical mystery **** 8/25/20
 Silent on the Moor by DeAnna Raybourn historical mystery **** 8/25/20
 Midsummer Night by DeAnna Raybourn historical mystery **** 8/27/20
 Dark Road to Darjeeling by DeAnna Raybourn historical mystery **** 8/28/20
 The Dark Enquiry by DeAnna Raybourn historical mystery ** 8/28/20
 Silent Night by DeAnna Raybourn *** historical mystery 8/30/20
 Feral Attraction by Eileen Watkins **** cozy 8/30/20
 12th Night by Deanna Raybourn **** historical mystery 8/31/20
 The Persian Always Meows Twice by Eileen Watkins cozy 9/1/20
 Bonfire Night by Deanna Raybourn **** historical mystery 9/1/20
 The Bengal Identity by Eileen Watkins **** cozy 9/3/20
 Gone, Kitty, Gone by Eileen Watkins **** cozy 9/4/20
 Lady Rogue by Jenn Bennet **** YA A/A 9/8/20
 The (Dis)Appearance of Nerissa MacKay by Lisa Shafer (again) ***** YA paranormal 9/8/20
 Nerissa MacKay and the Secrets of the Seventeen Scrolls (again) by Lisa Shafer ***** YA paranormal 9/9/20
 For The Sake Of Elena by Elizabeth George **** mystery 9/10/20
 Missing Joseph by Elizabeth George **** mystery 9/11/20
 Deadly Curious by Cindy Anstey ** YA historical mystery 9/13/20
 Playing For The Ashes by Elizabeth George ** mystery 9/17/20
 In The Presence of the Enemy by Elizabeth George ***** mystery 9/19/20
 Deception On His Mind by Elizabeth George **** mystery 9/20/20
 In Pursuit of the Proper Sinner by Elizabeth George *** mystery 9/22/20
 A Traitor To Memory by Elizabeth George **** mystery 9/24/20
 With No One As Witness by Elizabeth George **** mystery 9/26/20
 Murder on Amsterdam Avenue by Victoria Thompson **** historical mystery 9/30/20
 Killer Kung Pao by Vivien Chen *** cozy 10/3/20
 The Janus Stone by Elly Griffiths *** mystery 10/4/20
  The House At Sea’s End by Elly Griffiths *** mystery 10/5/20
 Careless in Red by Elizabeth George *** mystery 10/7/20
 This Body of Death by Elizabeth George **** 10/9/20
 Believing the Lie by Elizabeth George **** mystery 10/13/20
 Wicked Autumn by GM Malliet **** cozy mystery 10/19/20
 Fatal Winter by GM Malliet **** cozy 10/23/20
 800 Award-Winning Scrapbook Pages ed by Lisa Bearnson *** non-fiction, crafts 10/24/20
 Pagan Spring by GM Malliet **** cozy 10/25/20
 The Decorated Page by Gwen Diehn (again) **** non-fiction, crafts 10/26/20
 A Roomful of Bones by Elly Griffiths **** crime 10/27/20
 A Dying Fall by Elly Griffiths **** crime 11/3/20
 The Outcast Dead by Elly Griffiths **** crime 11/4/20
 The Ghost Fields by Elly Griffiths **** crime 11/7/20
 Case Histories by Kate Atkinson *** crime/mystery 11/8/20
 The Woman in Blue by Elly Griffiths **** crime 11/9/20
 The Chalk Pit by Elly Griffiths **** crime 11/10/20
 The Dark Angel by Elly Griffiths **** crime 11/11/20
 Kahlo by Andrea Kettenmann *** non-fiction, biography 11/13/20
 Getting the Most From Your Rice Cooker by Colleen & Bob Simmons **** non-fiction, cookbook 11/14/20
 Captain Dave’s Boathouse by Andrew Culver ** mystery 11/14/20
 Ruth’s First Christmas Tree by Elly Griffiths * mystery  11/16/20
 No Ordinary Sound by Denise Lewis Patrick **** MG historical 11/22/20
 Never Stop Singing by Denisse Lewis Patrick **** MG historical 11/22/20
 The Stone Circle by Elly Griffiths **** crime 11/27/20
 A Demon Summer by GM Malliet **** mystery 11/30/20
 The Lantern Men by Elly Griffiths **** crime 12/2/20
 The Haunted Season by GM Malliet *** mystery 12/3/20
 Devil’s Breath by GM Malliet *** mystery 12/5/20
 In Priory Wood by GM Malliet *** mystery 12/6/20
 Monarch: The Life And Reign Of Elizabeth II by Robert Lacey **** non-fiction, biography 12/8/20
 How To Make Christmas Wreaths And Garlands by Maddy Shaw *** non-fiction, crafts 12/9/20
 Thin Ice by Paige Shelton (2nd time) **** mystery 12/10/20
 Cold Wind by Paige Shelton **** mystery 12/12/20
 Real Food, Fake Food by  Larry Olmstead ** non-fiction 12/15/20
 Arsenic in the Azaleas by Dale Mayer *** cozy 12/17/20
 Victorian Farm by Peter Giin, Ruth Goodman, Alex Langlands ***** non-fiction, history 12/20/20
 The Wickenham Murders by Amy Mayers *** cozy 12/21/20
 The Hound of the Baskervilles (again) by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle ***** mystery 12/22/20
 Pepper: A History of the World’s Most Influential Spice by Marjorie Shaffer *** non-fiction, food history 12/28/20
 Salsas and Moles by Deborah Schneider **** cookbook 12/28/20
 The Valley of Fear by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (3rd time) *** mystery 12/30/20
 Edwardian Farm by Peter Ginn, Ruth Goodman, and Alex Langlands ***** non-fiction, history 12/30/20

What I Rejected:

2020
The Shadow of Death by James Runcie. THE most invertebrate “detective” ever!  No personality, does everything everyone asks of him.  Also, the writing style is almost entirely all short, simple declarative sentences, subject/verb/complement.  It’s like reading one of those Hi-Lo books for adults who never learned to read higher than a 3rd grade level.  Absolutely exasperating.  198 pages historical mystery 2/13/20
The Masterpiece by Fiona Davis. I read about half of it and kept thinking it would start moving faster.  It never did. 3/5/20
The Adventure of the Peculiar Protocols by Nicholas Meyer. So much running around with nothing happening. No tension. Lots of racism.  Not at all in the style of Conan-Doyle, although the author seems to think he’s doing a pastiche, he’s not even close. About 40% of the book read 3/21/20
 The Chess Queen Enigma by Colleen Gleason. I know steampunk isn’t supposed to be historically accurate, but when the author has England growing cotton and importing wool in the 1880s without any explanation (like a huge climate change), I’m left to assume that the author is just plain stupid. Four chapters. 3/23/20
His Majesty’s Hope by Susan Elia MacNeal. I liked the first two books in the series, but in this episode, the protagonist is sent into Berlin in the middle of WWII, and it was just far too stupid.  I cannot abide stupidity in a protagonist.  Five chapters.  4/5/20
Lady Anne and the Howl in the Dark by Victoria Hamilton.  About two chapters was all I could take.  It was so hilariously bad!  The author has tried to write a Gothic thriller, but it just does not work in the 21st century!  It’s simply too stupid.  I’ve seen 9th graders write better plot beginnings than this. 4/20/20.
Murder in Millionaires Row... stupid protagonist.  April, 202
How To Be  A Heroine.  I grew bored after chapter one. May, 2020
The Art of Theft by Sherry Thomas  I’ve liked others in this series, but she’s made the characters into caricatures of themselves now, and I’m irritated 33%. May 15, 2020
 The Year 1000 by Valerie Hansen.  OK, but it drags a bit, and I ran out of time on ebook loan.  May 15, 2020
 The Anatomist’s Wife by Anna Lee Huber.  I waited SIX WEEKS for this ebook to become available, and then I found out it’s Outlander fanfic.  Sooooooooo bad!  Huber clearly knows NOTHING about Scots or Gaelic or Scottish English.  Then the protagonist is weak and  timid and the love interest is a pretty boy jerk.  Spare me.  I made it through two chapters before I gave up. 5/2020
 The Plot Is Murder by VM Burns. Trying to find more diverse authors for my classroom library and needing mystery genre books, I decided to read this cozy.  But the protagonist is a wannabe cozy author, so the reader is given pages and pages of the cozy the protag is writing before the plot even starts!  Ugh. 38 pages 6/6/20
 Shelved for Murder by Victoria Gilbert. 4 chapters.  The author knows nothing about either artists or dancers, yet she blissfully writes about artists and dancers.  She confuses linseed oil with turpentine and has the victim stabbed with a palette knife.  A palette knife might work for slicing an artery, but they’re too flimsy to use to stab someone in the chest. 6/14/20
Ranger Confidential by Andrea Lankford  about five chapters.  It was actually pretty decent, but it was a bit gruesome, and I just wasn’t in the mood for it.  Maybe later. 6/20/20
 A Snapshot of Murder by Frances Brody.  The author is in love with telling instead of showing; the whole murder scene (with the murder happening right next to the protagonist) is TOLD.  Everything is passive.  Also, the author switches between first person POV and 3rd person omniscient POV, a combination which really does not work.  The writing style is choppy.  I made it through 48% and gave up when a murder was described in a passive manner.  8/1/20
 woven In Moonlight by Isabel Ibanez  dull
 The Downstairs Girl by Stacey Lee 16%. I waited weeks for this to be available and it’s dull.  8/14/20
 Mexican Gothic. I really liked this at first, as it seemed to be that the heroine was going to be the rescuer instead of the victim (like in traditional gothic fiction), but then she began doing stupid things that made no sense with her personality and the circumstances.  As I cannot abide a stupid, weak protagonist, I stopped reading at 57%. 9/7/20
 Last Chance For Murder by Estelle Richards.  Cozy mysteries can be really good or really awful.  This one seemed promising....until the protagonist began making dumber and dumber decisions.  I cannot abide a stupid protagonist, particularly a female one. I stopped reading at 52% and deleted the whole (thankfully FREE) series from my kindle app. 12/26/20

My Favorite Mystery Genre Series

I read mysteries (historical, true crime, cozies) for fun. I like smart heroines, good research, plots that surprise me, realistic characters, and detailed settings. Here are some of my favorite authors and/or mystery series. I recommend ALL of these. :) 

Historical or set in the past because they're older books: 

 1. Pretty much anything Sherlock Holmes. OK, well, you can skip A Study in Scarlet because the plot structure stinks and Conan Doyle really screwed up geography and history. But The Sign of Four is fabulous, and nothing matches Hound of the Baskervilles. And, of course, the short stories are wonderful. If you only know Sherlock Holmes from movies or TV, it's time you picked up the originals.

 2. Anything by Agatha Christie. I particularly like Sleeping Murder, The Seven Dials Mystery, Murder on the Orient Express, and Mrs. McGuinty's Dead. 

 3. The Maisie Dobbs series by Jacqueline Winspear. These are set beginning in post-WWI England, and they are fabulous. Maisie is my favorite kind of female protagonist: smart and able to rescue herself. The research behind these books is meticulous as well. My favorite of the series is An Incomplete Revenge -- but don't start there; you need to read them in order.

 4. Not quite as good as the Maisie Dobbs series but still very good is Tasha Alexander's Lady Emily series. These have fine plots in various European locations and are well-researched, but Alexander is often forgetful about minor details from past books and has real trouble creating believable children or teen characters. Also, Lady Emily's husband is rather a male Mary Sue; he's just too perfect to be credible, and he almost comes off as a joke. 

5. An excellent self-published series of historical mysteries comes from M. Louisa Locke, who is a historican and sets her books in turn-of-the-century San Francisco. Each one focuses on a real scandal/social problem/political issue of the time and shows careful research. I know that many self-published books are sub-par, but these are not. In fact, they are far better than many books published by the big names of publishing. 

 6. Alan Bradley's Flavia DeLuce series. This is set beginning in 1950 in a fictional village in England. They are funny and tightly-plotted. Plus, they appeal to many ages, as Flavia is a pre-teen genius who has no trouble concocting a poison or looking at a corpse, yet who still believes in Father Christmas. 

7. The Veronica Speedwell mysteries by DeAnna Raybourn. These are very much action-aventure stories as well and aren't quite meant to be realistic, but the plots are great and the characterization is superb -- no Mary Sues or cardboard characters here! 

8. The Art Oveson series by Andrew Hunt. There are, sadly, only three of these. Oveson is a cop in Salt Lake City during the depression, and these feel very real. Occasionally, Hunt makes a historical blunder (he has Oveson's pregnant wife teaching school in one book, and I know that female teachers were fired if they were married -- so that a man could have their job -- in SLC at the time, and he also can't remember what subject the wife teaches from book to book), but overall, they're gritty and gripping. I do wish there were more of them.

 9. The Three Investigators series. These are MG novels, but they are far superior to Hardy Boys or Nancy Drew. Set in the early 1960s in a fictional suburb of Los Angeles, these tales are great for young readers and still good for adults who don't mind MG. Jupiter Jones is a realistic character: fat, very smart, from a non-traditional family (raised by his aunt and uncle), and determined. The main problem with these is that they are out-of-print and can be hard to find. It took me several months to track down copies of all the volumees when I decided to buy the whole series. 

 10. The Charles Lennox series by Charles Finch. The plots of these are good, but Finch is a bit sexist and into benevolent patriarchy, sooooo.... they're not my favorites. They are set in the mid-Victorian era, mostly in London. 

11. Also good but not fabulous for the same patriarchal reasons are the Tony Hillerman books about various cops on the Navajo Reservation in Utah/Arizona. Set in the 1990s, these are a wonderful introduction to Navajo culture and life. 

Cozy: 

 1. Paige Shelton's cozies. They're light, they're fluffy, but they're good. Some cozies --- and I read a LOT of cozies -- are just so very....nothing. But Shelton's feature excellent characterization and good plotting. I like her Dangerous Type series the best, but her Farmers' Market and Southern Cooking Class mysteries are good, too. And she's just started a new series, set in Alaska, that is less cozy and more true crime. 

 2. Also straddling the border of cozy and crime is The Bishop's Wife series by Mette Ivie Harrison. Harrison tackles BIG issues of Mormonism from an insider's POV: polygamy, homosexuality, women's equality, transpeople, etc. while penning tight mysteries. These are good. Really good. 

 Crime: 

1. Ian Rankin is hands-down my favorite crime writer. Technically, his genre is Tartan Noir, but the reader need not have been to Scotland to understand the books. I own an entire shelf of his books: all but the last two of the Rebus series and several of the others as well. There's a reason why Rankin is so well-liked in the City of Literature; he's just that good. 

There you go. These are my favorites. If you're in the market for a good mystery, you might give one of these series or authors a try.

What I Read And What I Rejected In 2016

I've done this every year since 2007.  It seems that "normal" for me is 10 books a month or 120 per year.  I know lots of people do more than that, but I have lots and lots of papers to grade, which definitely cuts into my reading time.
I still read mostly mysteries for fun and plenty of YA -- but then again, my job sort of pushes me that way.

Here's the list of what I read: (It looks like the numbers didn't copy over. Bummer.  There are 137 in total here.)
2016

Not If I See You First by Eric Lindstrom *** YA realistic/romance (blind protag) 1/1/16
Rebel Mechanics: All Is Fair In Love And Revolution  by Shanna Swendson  YA steampunk adventure ***** 1/4/16
Emma: A Modern Retelling by Alexander McCall Smith ***** romance 1/6/16
Murder In Grosse Pointe Park by Steve Miller ** true crime  1/9/16
Death By Darjeeling by Laura Childs **** cozy 1/11/16
Gunpowder Green by Laura Childs **** cozy 1/13/16
Shades of Earl Grey by Laura Childs **** cozy 1/15/16
English Breakfast Murder by Laura Childs **** cozy 1/20/16
The Jasmine Moon Murder by Laura Childs **** cozy 1/25/16
 Chamomile Mourning by Laura Childs **** cozy 1/29/16
 Blood Orange Brewing by Laura Childs **** cozy 1/30/16
 Dragonwell Dead by Laura Childs **** cozy 2/2/16
 Worlds of Ink and Shadow by Lena Coakley YA historical fantasy 2/4/16
 Pirate Hunters by Robert Kudson ***non-fiction 2/5/16
 Strings of Murder by Oscar De Muriel ***** crime/mystery 2/6/16
 Paper Play Crafts by Shannon E. Miller **** non-fiction, crafts 2/7/16
 Worldwide Ward Cookbook by Barton *** non-fiction, cooking 2/8/16
 Washi Tape by Courtney Cerruti ** non-fiction, crafts 2/11/16
 The Hourglass Factory by Lucy Ribchester *** historical crime/mystery 2/12/16
 The Mangle Street Murders by MRC Kasasian **** historical crime/mystery 2/13/16
 Silver Needle Murder by Laura Childs **** cozy 2/14/16
 Oolong Dead by Laura Childs **** cozy 2/15/16
  The Lanvin Murders by Angela M. Sanders cozy **** 2/17/16
 The Obituary Society by Jessica l. Randall cozy **** 2/20/16
 The Teaberry Strangler by Laura Childs cozy **** 2/21/16
 These Vicious Masks by Tarun Shanker & Kelly Zekas ***** YA paranormal 2/23/16
 Dark Days Club by Alison Goodman ***** YA paranormal historical fiction 2/26/16
 Even Dogs In The Wild by Ian Rankin ***** tartan noir crime 2/28/16
 The Curse of the House of Foskett by MRC Kasasian **** historical crime/mystery 3/2/16
 Scones and Bones by Laura Child * cozy 3/4/16
 Fat Girl Walking by Brittany Gibbons *** non-fiction 3/5/16
 Front Lines by Michael Grant **** alternate history (WWII) 3/7/16
 Zero Day by Jan Gangset **** a/a YA 3/10/16
 Revenge and the Wild by Michelle Modesto *** Old West/Paranormal steampunk, 3/12/16
 The Girl From Everywhere by Heidi Heilig **** time travel/fantasy/action- adventure 3/13/16
 Flunked by Jen Calonita MG reworked fairy tale. *** 3/15/16
 The Mormon Cookbook by Julie Jensen **** non-fiction, cookbook 3/17/16
 The Agony of the Leaves by Laura Childs **** cozy 3/18/16
 Star Wars: The Force Awakens Visual Dictionary. non-fiction about fiction **** 3/24/16
  The Sherlock Holmes Book by DK publishing non-fiction about fiction ***** 3/28/16
 How Did It Really Happen? by Readers’ Digest non-fiction **** 4/1/16
 Sword and Verse by Kathy MacMillan **** YA high fantasy 4/8/16
 Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan ***** realistic (YA-like, quest) 4/9/16
 Steep And Thorny Way by Cat Winters *** YA historical/racial Hamlet re-telling 4/15/16
 Top Secret Cover-Ups by Jon E. Lewis ** non-fiction 4/15/16
 Sweet Tea Revenge by Laura Childs **** cozy 4/19/16
 Ceremonies of the Seasons by Jennifer Cole **** beautifully illustrated non-fiction 4/22/16
 Steeped in Evil by Laura Childs **** cozy 4/23/16
At Bertram’s Hotel by Agatha Christie ***** (really good!) cozy 4/26/16
 The Harlequin Tea Set and Other Stories by Agatha Christie *** cozy, short stories 4/28/16
 A Tyranny of Petticoats ed. by Jessica Spotswood **** short story collection/historical/paranormal 5/1/16
 Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare (period 3B) ***** tragedy 5/2/16
 The Hollow by Agatha Christie ***** cozy, mystery 5/4/16
 Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare (Period 4B) ***** 5/4/16
 Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare (Period 4A) ***** 5/5/16
 The Pale Horse by Agatha Christie ***** cozy mystery 5/8/16
 After The Funeral by Agatha Christie ***** cozy mystery 5/10/16
  Destination Unknown by Agatha Christie **** thriller 5/12/16
 Romeo and/or Juliet by Ryan North *** choose your own adv. YA 5/14/16
 Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder by Joanne Fluke **** cozy 5/18/16
 Candy Christmas by Joanne Fluke ** Christmas novella 5/19/16
 Everland by Wendy Spinale **** Peter Pan retelling/steampunk 5/24/16
 Reviving Ophelia by Mary Pipher **** non-fiction/psychology 5/27/16
 Into the Dim by Janet B. Taylor **** YA sci-fi time travel romance 5/30/16
 The Blessing Way by Tony Hillerman **** mystery/thriller 6/1/16
 I’m Traveling Alone by Samuel Bjork **** crime 6/2/16
 The Dance Hall of the Dead by Tony Hillerman **** crime 6/3/16
 The Listening Woman by Tony Hillerman **** crime 6/4/16
 The People of Darkness by Tony Hillerman **** crime 6/8/16
 The Dark Wind by Tony Hillerman **** crime 6/9/16
 The Ghost Way by Tony Hillerman **** crime 6/10/16
 The Glittering Court by Richelle Mead **** alternate history YA romance 6/13/16
 Skinwalkers by Tony Hillerman **** crime 6/15/16
 A Thief of Time by Tony Hillerman ***** crime 6/17/16
 Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld ***** romance/P&P re-write 6/18/16
 Talking Gods by Tony Hillerman **** crime 6/21/16
 Coyote Waits by Tony Hillerman **** crime 6/23/16
 Sacred Clowns by Tony Hillerman **** crime 6/24/16
 Fallen Man by Tony Hillerman ***** crime 6/27/16
 The First Eagle by Tony Hillerman ***** crime 6/29/16
 Salt To The Sea by Ruta Sepetys **** YA historical WWII 7/1/16
 Harry Potter & the Sorcerer’s Stone (14th time) YA fantasy 7/6/16
 Evergreen Falls by Kimberley Freeman (semi-historical 20s mystery) **** 7/7/16
 Harry Potter & the Chamber of Secrets (13th time) YA fantasy ***** 7/8/16
 The Watchmaker’s Daughter by CJ Archer **** YA historical urban fantasy 7/9/16
 The Transatlantic Conspiracy by GD Falksen ***young YA, older MG 7/12/16
 Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban (15th time) YA fantasy ***** 7/13/16
 Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire (15th time) YA fantasy ***** 7/17/16
 A Curious Beginning by Deanna Raybourn YA historical mystery***** 7/18/16
 And I Darken by Kiersten White ***** YA alt hist (Vlad Tepes is female) 7/22/16
 Love, Lies, and Spies by Cindy Antsey **** YA pseudo-Austen silly romance 7/26/16
 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix ***** YA fantasy (11th time reading) 7/29/16
 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince ***** YA fantasy (11th time) 8/5/16
 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows ***** YA fantasy (7th time reading) 8/7/16
 Superfoods for Children by M. van Straten & B. Griggs ** non-fiction cookbook 8/10/16
 Extraordinary Tales of Victorian Futurism: Steampunk ed. Mike Ashley **** 8/11/16
 A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro YA mystery **** (too many drugs) 8/14/16
 Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by JK Rowling et al *** YA fantasy, drama 8/14/16
 Whose Body by Dorothy Sayers **** mystery 8/25/16
 Clouded Witness by Dorothy Sayers **** myster 8/30/16
 Fifty Plants That Changed The Course Of History by Bill Laws **** non-fiction: history, botany 8/31/16
 The Perilous Journey of a Not-So-Innocuous Girl by Leigh Statham **** YA steampunk 9/3/16
The Perilous Journey of a Much-Too-Spontaneous Girl by Leigh Statham **** YA steampunk 9/5/16
 A Shakespearean Botanical by Margaret Willes **** non-fiction, historical botany 9/9/16
World of Shakespeare:Plants by Alan Dent *** non-fiction, historical botany 9/10/16
 Short Stories From Hogwarts: Power, Politics, and Pesky Poltergeists by JK Rowling et al *** YA fantasy 9/11/16
 Hogwarts: An Incomplete and Unreliable Guide by JK Rowling et al. *** YA fantasy 9/13/16
 Hogwarts: Heroism, Hardship, and Dangerous Hobbies by JK Rowling et al *** YA fantasy 9/15/16
 The Woman In White by Wilkie Collins ***** Gothic mystery 9/22/16
 Imprudence by Gail Carriger ***** Steampunk/paranormal 9/28/16
 Thrice The Brinded Cat Hath Mewed by Alan Bradley ***** 9/30/16
 A Square Meal: A Culinary History of the Great Depression by Ziegleman and Coe **** Historical non-fiction 10/9/16
 Becoming Brigid by Lisa Shafer YA paranormal ***** 10/12/16
 Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Cordova YA paranormal *** 10/14/16
A Season of the Witch: Magic & Mayhem of Halloween in Salem, Massachussets by JW Ocker **** non-fiction, travel 10/20/15
 Emily’s Runaway Imagination by Beverly Clearly ***** (read many times as a child) MG historical 10/29/16
 Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake YA fantasy *** (non-ending) 11/3/16
 Cross Talk by Connie Willis ****** (fabulous!) sci-fi romance 11/6/16
 Inking by Carol Hepner *** non-fiction, crafting 11/7/16
 Scrapbooking Techniques for Beginners by Rebekkah Meier **** non-fiction, crafting 11/7/16
 Handmade Scrapbooks by Country Living **** non-fiction, crafting 11/12/18
 A History of Ambition in 50 Hoaxes by Gale Eaton **** non-fiction 11/25/16
 A Dark and Stormy Murder by Julia Buckley **** cozy mystery 11/26/16
 Us Collector’s Edition: Fantastic Beasts **** non-fiction, film 11/26/16
 Cheddar Off Dead by Julia Buckley **** cozy mystery 11/27/16
 The Diva Paints the Town by Krista Davis **** cozy mystery 11/30/16
 Murder on the House by Juliet Blackwell **** cozy mystery 12/2/16
 Herald of Death by Kate Kingsbury **** cozy 12/15/16
 Newt Scamander: A Movie Scrapbook by Rick Barba **** MG non-fiction, film 12/6/16
 Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them by Newt Scamander (JK Rowling) **** MG/YA fantasy. 12/17/16
 Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: Original Screenplay by JK Rowling ***** YA fantasy, drama 12/8/16
 Wolf By Wolf by Ryan Graudin (2nd time) **** YA alt history WWII 12/19/16
 Iron To Iron by Ryan Graudin **** YA alt history WWII 12/21/16
 Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco *** YA historical slightly steampunk 12/2716
 Rogue One: The Ultimate Visual Guide by Pablo Hidalgo ***** non-fiction, film 12/28/16
 Readers’ Digest Extraordinary Uses For Everyday Things (92nd time) ***** non-fiction 12/30/16
 Desolation Flats by Andrew Hunt ***** historical mystery 12/31/16



Here's the list of manuscripts: (not a big list this year. Too many job changes affected my writing.)
2016
Nerissa MacKay and the Secrets of the Seventeen Scrolls 7/3/16
Nerissa MacKay and the Secrets of the Seventeen Scrolls 10/2/16

Here's a partial list of books I tossed aside.  Often I didn't bother to write them down.  I'll try to do better at that in 2017.  (There are 9 books listed.)

2016

The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness.  All the action happens in the chapter headings.  Seriously.  Chapter one is in present tense, a few teenagers lying on grass discussing the homework they’re not doing, and way too few dialogue tags -- so it’s confusing who’s saying what.  They disinterestedly watch some super-hero type kids run past, but they’re too bored to care much.  And I’m too bored with this book to continue reading it.  1/4/16
Serafina’s Black Cloak by Robert Beatty. It’s condescending and childish, more MG than YA.  The book trailer was way better than the book. 29 pgs. Jan, 2016
Passenger by Alexandra Bracken. Confusing. Unlikeable characters.  I can’t bring myself to care what happens to them.105 pages and the main conflict has as yet to be presented. Jan., 2016 YA fantasy.
The Witch of Lime Street by David Jaher. non-fiction about Houdini’s exposing spiritualism.  ZZZZZZZ. 50 pages. 2/14/16
 The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood by Howard Pyle. Pyle glorifies a life of crime, not adventure. Robin is a total rich, entitled, immature douchebag and the merry men are basically frat boys drunk in the forest, fighting each other and every other man who comes near in one huge testosteronefest. 38 pages. 2/16/16
The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins. I’d read multiple reviews raving about this book. But the first 30 pages are about an alcoholic girl who calls her ex-boyfriend and can’t remember it.  She’s stupid, the book is dismal.  Nothing happens in 30 pages.  Why should I keep reading?
3/25/16
Exit, Pursued By A Bear by EK Johnson.  A Winter’s Tale is a depressing enough story, but this one adds rape, so it’s really depressing.  I read a few chapters, then skimmed a few.  Ugh. 6/8/16
Girl Waits With Gun by Amy Stewart. I’ve loved her non-fiction, but I found I couldn’t get into her characters at all.  Too annoying. 6/16/16
Before the Awakening  (Star Wars) by Greg Rucka. Sometimes a movie should not be made into a book.  about half the book. 7/10/16

"But They Were CALLING To Me!"

A few days ago I went to the local thrift shop and picked up a small armload of paperbacks for 50¢ each.
Yesterday, our librarian announced that, since our junior high is being absorbed into the local high school, there is no need for the teachers' library (of more "grown up" books) which has been located in the teachers' workroom for about 8 years.  He told us to take whatever we wanted.  I took about 8 thrillers and biographies.
And today I went to the local library in order to return some items -- and brought home a bag of things to read.
Also, my TBR stacks are teetering on the dresser and floor of the spare bedroom anyway, and all my bookshelves (in every room of the house except the bathroom) are STUFFED.
However, I did use self-restraint today.
You see, it's the public library's used book sale week.  And today was BAG DAY, wherein patrons could fill a large back of books for $5.00.
I held back and did not go.
You should be very proud of me.

But I could definitely relate to the teenage girl I saw exiting the local library as I was entering it.  She was holding a full-to-bursting tote bag of books and following her mother, who had a disgusted look on her face.  As I passed the pair, the girl whined loudly to her mother, "But they were CALLING to me!"
Oh my dear girl, I know EXACTLY how you feel!

Book Review: To Helvetica and Back by Paige Shelton

I love cozy mysteries, and Shelton has been my favorite cozy writer for several years now.
I first got hooked on her Farmers' Market series, then smoothed right into her Country Cooking School series.  But now Shelton has a new series out --- this one is minus the recipes of the other two because it's book-themed.
To Helvetica and Back is set in Star City, a fictional version of Park City, Utah.  There are quaint shops, a film festival, and suspicious polygamists lurking not far away.  And skiers.  Plenty of skiers.  The real Park City attracts them from all over -- and one never knows what might be hiding in their pasts.
These elements add to Shelton's excellent characterization skills.  The protagonist is dealing with people she's known forever -- but does she know everything about them?  Not as much as she thought.  And then there's that cute geologist who's new in town.  Her best friend, who just happens to be a cop, has been hinting there's a problem in his past.  Is he really a murderer?
I love how much of Utah Shelton manages to work into this book: mining, skiing, polygamy, the Sundance film festival, geology.  It's great.
And the mystery of a typewriter with coded keys.... even though it was more than obvious what all the numbers referred to, the whole point of Why?  and Why wait so long?  made this into a real mystery.
I rather miss the ghosts from Shelton's Country Cooking School series, and it is odd not to have a few of her great recipes in the back, but I enjoyed the book restoration and sales tidbits.
If you think cozies are silly, then this is not for you.  But if you like them, try out this first-in-a-new-series book by Paige Shelton.  You won't be disappointed.

Spend Christmas With A Half-Vampire! Giveaway!

Let's have another book-and-swag giveaway!  (Hey, it's Christmas.  Why not?)

Of all my books, the Half-Vampire ones have remained the most popular.  I guess there's just something alluring about a vampire....
Fortunately for all of you, I still have some Half-Vampire swag left to give away with books.  Let's start with this bundle here:

This prize pack will include a copy of Confessions of an Average Half-Vampire by Lisa Shafer (that's ME!), a "Just another average half-vampire" tee-shirt (size XL), a bookmark featuring Confessions on one side and the sequel, All in the Half-Vampire Family, on the other, a button featuring the blood splatter and the Half-Vampire logo, and the "Vampire's Lair" scent pack from Adventure Scents tucked into a "frosted blood" jar with a silver lid.
(To learn more about the books, click on the titles or visit my "books" page.)

Are you age 13 or older?  Good.  You can enter.  Here's the giveaway:




a Rafflecopter giveaway

And the winner is.....

Mary S. has won the tote bag full of goodies!

But don't worry; another giveaway is coming soon. :)

Thoughts On Book Extras: Others' vs. MINE

     So, I just finished reading Wolf By Wolf, an alternate history, slightly sci-fi action-adventure YA novel by Ryan Gaudin.  It's a pretty decent book.  But I got it from the Uppercase Box subscription service, and their big hook is that they put post-it notes in throughout the book (five, in this case) to provide the reader with "extra" that supposedly aren't available elsewhere.  That seemed  like a great idea to me, and I was eager to try them out.
     The first one gave me a video of the author doing what good authors do at book readings, explaining the inspiration and research for the book.  It was pretty interesting, but it was hardly exclusive.  The second bit was more information on the type of motorcycle used in the book.  Again, pretty interesting, but it was nothing I couldn't have googled myself.  The third item was a video -- available on vimeo and youtube -- of Ewan MacGregor taking a 115-day motorcycle trip.  Now, I love listening to Ewan's normal accent (he's a Scot!), but the video was like watching someone's unedited road trip family vacation.  zzzzzz  The 4th "extra" was simply a question inviting people to comment about what they thought when they "learned" what the title meant -- on page 267.  Well, since my opinion was that the several meanings of the title had been obvious just from reading the book blurbs and the first few pages, I felt this was a pretty stupid "extra."  The fifth and final one was equally disappointing, as it was just another comment area with "What did you think of the end?"  Well, it's obvious that the author hopes to publish a sequel, so that was hardly a "special" extra.

     I'm going to brag here and state that the "extras" in The (Dis)Appearance of Nerissa MacKay are far  more numerous and really much better than at least 3/5 of what I got with Wolf By Wolf.  And the best part is that a reader need not join any special club or use a code to access them; they're right in the book.
     The most obvious extras are at the first of each chapter.  There are themed playlists and funky wardrobe and hairstyle ideas for every single chapter.  And Nerissa's playlists are so eclectic that anyone should be able to get some new ideas for listening by checking out the songs.
     Then there are footnotes here and there to clarify and explain a few things the reader might need to know.  For example, one footnote is a link to a video of the folksong Nerissa is learning in her German III class.
     And at the end of the book are recipes and homework tips.  Plus, there is info about the author (me!) and my other books, with links/URLS to trailers, twitter, etc.
     If you want extras, people, you don't have to look very far with this book:

Want a copy?  You can buy one here.
You can also check my Current Contests page to see if there's one available to win.  (As I type this, that is indeed the case.)

Treat Yourself To A Bookish Goodie Bag Giveaway!

Christmas is coming.  Wouldn't you like to win a goodie bag filled with bookish stuff?  Well, now is the time.  Check this out:

If you are 13 or older and live in the USA, you may enter to win this bookish prize.
Here's what you'll get: a copy of The (Dis)Appearance of Nerissa MacKay by Lisa Shafer (that's ME!), a copy of Popular by Maya Van Wagenen (Maya dresses up in 50s garb throughout the book; Nerissa would approve of that.), a handmade bookmark with pressed/dried Colorado wildflowers (I have a friend who makes these), a Late Bloomer sticker from Wings by Aprilynne Pike,  a glass mug in which you can make Auntie Jane's ginger-milk tea (recipe included in (Dis)Appearance), a Half-Vampire button (from All in the Half-Vampire Family by Lisa Shafer -- that's ME!), a Tree of Life pin, featuring the gorgeous pen-and-ink drawing from the cover of Becoming Brigid by Lisa Shafer (that's ME!) (The artwork was done by Lynn Shafer -- that's DAD!), and your very own tote bag, suitable for library books or Christmas gifts, featuring vintage (not retro, but truly vintage) Christmas advertising artwork from the Salt Lake Hardware Company in the 1950s (artwork by Lynn Shafer -- that's DAD!).
There are various ways to enter, and, as I type, I already have 16 people who've entered without entering (:D) by reviewing my books and/or sending me photos (after 10/1/15; I won't count those who did it before then.).  I'll be hand-entering their names.
A winner will be selected on December 15, and if the winner is prompt in getting me shipping info, s/he should get this awesome goodie bag before Christmas!
What are you waiting for?  Enter!



a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Family That Reads Together.....

These lovely ladies are reading The (Dis)Appearance of Nerissa MacKay.
Have you gotten a copy yet?  You can get one here.

Also, if you review the book or send me a photo of yourself reading the book (under 18s accompanied by a parent, as above), your name will be entered into my upcoming contests for books and swag. :)

Review of September's Lit Cube

Recently I discovered subscription boxes, which are basically an updated version of a Book of the Month Club, only they're not just books.
There is just something intriguing about the idea of getting a box of surprises -- and that is how these people make their money; humans love surprises.
I looked at a lot of different book-themed subscription boxes, and I finally decided that Lit Cube would be the best for me.  I looked at videos of "unboxings" of some of their previous months' stuff; people were showing off nice tote bags, books, cards giving codes for free ebooks, jewelry, cute bookmarks, and beautiful journals.  (I'm a sucker for tote bags and notebooks or journals.)
I signed up for a one-month "gift box" for September, with the theme "We will never be royals."
The website said they shipped on the 16th of the month, but when that day drew near, I got an email saying some of the merchandise had been damaged, so, most boxes would ship on Sept. 17th and 18th, but about 100 would ship no later than Saturday morning -- with a little extra something inside them as an apology.
Thursday I received an email from Lit Cube saying my box had shipped!  There was a link to the USPS tracking website showing that a shipping label had been created at 10:03 AM that day -- but nothing else had happened.
I waited.  And waited.
I'd been so excited for this box.  I could hardly wait; it was like Christmas!
By Saturday, twitter and instagram were alive with people who'd gotten their boxes, but I hadn't.  In fact, the USPS tracking site still said it was still in pre-shipping.
Sunday I emailed Lit Cube, asking what was happening.  I was assured that mine was among the boxes  awaiting replacement items.
I asked why I'd been sent an email saying the box had shipped when it hadn't been shipped.  I received no reply.
Monday at 8:44 PM, according to the tracking website, my box was finally delivered to the post office in Florida.
Finally, Wednesday when I arrived home from school, the long-awaited box was there, waiting for me!!
I eagerly opened it.
I can sum up my review in a single word: Meh.
This is what was in the box:

First there was a tacky, badly-designed tee shirt featuring what the insert card (which probably cost a dollar or more to print and which is useless -- why have a card saying what's in the box when you're looking at what's in the box?  Duh.) claims is a mash up of Star Wars and Game of Thrones.  To me, it looks like Cinderella with a blaster and soccer socks, surrounded by a 13-year-old girl's doodles.  The tee is a Gildan, however, and the print is properly cured.  Maybe I'll sleep in it or else cut off the sleeves and sew it into a grocery bag.  It's too awful to wear outside the house.  The insert card claims this is worth $16.99, but I know tee shirts, and with a Gildan 100% cotton tee in a dark color with a 5-color print and a print run of at least 300, it'd go wholesale for no more than $8.50, tops.  Somebody's making a major profit off this item.
Next was a coupon for a discount on audio books.  The insert card claims this to be worth $7.99, but it's worth nothing  unless you pay for it.  It's not for a free audio book; it's just for a discount.  Since I don't like audio books anyway, it's useless for me.  What a waste.
Then there was a bookmark.  Not a cute bookmark, mind you, but an ad for another book shoved into a smelly plastic sleeve with a scribble on it in Sharpie which may be an autograph.  But it's so poorly written that I haven't yet decided which way is up on it, let alone what it says.  This is worthless.  It's an ad, not a card for a free ebook, and it's not even attractive.
Then there was a little collectors' card with a pic of a castle and the theme on it.  What's the point of this?  It's another waste of money.
Then there was a mug -- a 1/3 sized mug.  I guess it's for espresso. It's too little to use for a drink, too little to use as a pencil holder, too big for a doll, too fragile for a child.  I guess I can put paper clips in it.
The insert card said the mug's worth $7.99, but to me it's worthless.
Then there was a soda insulator wrap printed with "Write drunk; edit sober."  I can't recall I've ever really wanted a soda insulator, and I find the message rather offensive  (I don't drink.), but at least it's full-sized.  It's probably worth a dollar, but the card doesn't mention it.
Next was a card advertising yet another book (not a code for a free ebook, just another ad), but this one said it had nail decals.  Stapled to the back was a tiny plastic baggie containing five -- not ten, mind you, but FIVE -- little gold crowns.  So, I guess I could do the nails on one hand.  Or maybe every other finger.  How stupid is that?  I guess I can use the crowns in a craft sometime, but they're very tiny.  Still, they're more usable than the stupid mug is.  The card doesn't mention this item, but I guess it's worth maybe 25¢ at most.
Then there was a little tin, decorated with a VW Beetle and the word "Emma." Inside was something that I think is tea -- loose, with no sanitary wrapping over the contents at all, so heaven only knows whether or not it's contaminated with anything.  I don't drink tea, but even if I did, I wouldn't touch something questionable like this.  I guess I can use the little tin, but I don't understand why it's a VW named Emma or what on earth that has to do with the "royals" theme.  The insert card says it's worth $4.99, but I'm thinking more like $1.50.  The tin is cheap and it's only decorated with a sticker.
Finally, there's the book: Cage of Deceit. I have to admit that it looks pretty decent -- except that it's published by Clean Teen, which means it may very well be filled with Sunday School lesson stuff, which I loathe in a book.
The insert card says it's worth $12.99, but Amazon says it's worth $11.30.
Still, I hope it's enjoyable, as it's the most acceptable thing in the box.

My overall thoughts on Lit Cube would be, "I paid $34.95 for THIS?!!"
None of the cute stuff of previous boxes was in this one: no jewelry, no tote bag, no cute book mark, no journal, no notebook.  Most of what I did get is useless.
Also, the problem is the range of ages here is too weird.  The tee shirt and the book are clearly for young teens.  The nail stickers could be for any age.  The insulator has an "adult" message, and the tea and the espresso mug are geared toward adults.  Hello, Lit Cube, who's your intended audience?  Make up your mind!

I haven't written them off entirely, but I'm not signing up for another month right now.  Instead, I've purchased an Owl Crate for October.  I don't like the Owl Crate subscription payment bit as well, as there's no way I can buy October and then see if I like it or not before paying for November, but I will see if their box is less pathetic than this.

Book Review: Uprooted by Naomi Novik

Before I read this book, I read a review in which the reviewer claimed that this book "feels like it's always been with us."
After reading this book I know why; it's Tolkien-based.
Don't get me wrong; it's a very good book.  But I am left with the distinct impression that the author's process went something like this:
Why did Old Man Willow encase the hobbits in the first place?  Why would a tree do that?
What if Tom Bombadil were a sexy, taciturn wizard instead of an immortal hillbilly in yellow boots?
What is Goldberry's story?  And what if she were the daughter of the Old Forest instead of the River's Daughter?
And what if more women in Tolkien besides Eowyn had active roles instead of passive ones?  What if Tolkien weren't so into benevolent patriarchy anyway?
What is the history of The Old Forest?

Answer these questions, throw in Baba Jaga so it doesn't sound all Tolkien, put in some Polish names, and you've got Uprooted.

Although it's not particularly original, it's well done.  It's rather like discovering that pieces from one puzzle can form a different picture if you put them together in a new way.
The characterization is superb, the pacing is good, and the plot works decently (although predictably).
I am most pleased with how good a book this is for girls.  The protagonist (who has a long and unpronounceable name -- why would an author do that?) is a terrific role model for girls.  She's truly a  "strong female character," but not in physical strength.  She matures a great deal in the book.  And better yet, about half of the strong, important characters are women (both for good and for bad!).  I loved this.
Her friendship with Kasia works well, and the book is not JUST about romance with the sexy wizard.

One caution: there is one attempted rape scene, one almost sex scene, and one sex scene.  These are not gratuitous, but are integral to the plot.  However, this book might not be appropriate for very sensitive or young kids.  (I probably wouldn't give it to anyone younger than 12, but that's just my opinion.)  It's also not appropriate for overly-sensitive parents.

But overall, this is a very good book, and I definitely recommend it.

A Little List of Steampunk For Your Reading Pleasure

I love steampunk -- when it's done right.  And what do I mean by that?  Well, I mean that it's actually set in the age of steam.  I'm good if there's a bit of paranormal involved.  Or clockwork.  But if it's all magic, then it's not steampunk, as far as I'm concerned.  Plus, the book should not be set before 1800 nor after 1900  (although Scott Westerfeld's steampunk WWI series is so good, I'll make an exception for it.).

So, if you like steampunk, I have some suggestions for you, both for things you should read and things you shouldn't bother to pick up.

Steampunk for Adults:

1. All Men of Genius by Lev AC Rosen.
This is my favorite steampunk book ever.  It is NOT a series (for a change!).  It mixes 12th Night with Victoriana and steam in a wonderful way.  It has no direct sex, but many mentions of it are made.  I think it would be suitable for mature teens, but I wouldn't put it in my classroom for fear of repercussions.
2. The Parasol Protectorate series by Gail Carriger.
This is too spicy for school, but it's pretty tame for adults.  (This is no 50 shades of steam.)  This series has paranormal in it, too -- and it's hilarious.
3. Gears of Wonderland by Jason G. Anderson.
Alice gets an action/adventure, guy-friendly makeover with this tale.  And it's a bit violent, but most teens should be fine with it.
4. The Hounds of Autumn by Heather Blackwood
This is rather a steampunk, female Hound of the Baskervilles.  I liked it very much.  It has one or two adult references.
5. Prudence by Gail Carriger (sequel to come)
This is set some 20 years after the Parasol Protectorate.  It would be suitable for most teens, but there are hints that book 2 (Imprudence) may be spicier.
6. Doktor Glass by Thomas Brennan
Not bad.  Adult characters, violence, and plot

Steampunk for YA:
1. The Etiquette and Espionage series by Gail Carriger
These are prequels to The Parasol Protectorate -- and they're hilarious
2.  The Leviathan series by Scott Westerfeld
WWI steampunk with 2 protagonists.  Masterful and a good way to get boys to accept a book with a female protagonist.  Again, there is that hint of 12th Night.
3. Ripper by Stefan Petrucha
Mostly action/adventure. Mildly steampunk.  Good book
4. The Friday Society by Adrienne Kress
Steampunk Charlie's Angels.  Pretty good, although it tries a little too hard to be multi-cultural and feels stilted
5. Airborn by Kenneth Oppel
Not bad.  Desert island survival stuff
6. This Dark Endeavor by Kenneth Oppel (has sequels)
This is sort of steampunk and sort of alchemy.  It's really set too early to be steampunk, as it reimagines what Viktor Frankenstein's early life might have been like.
7. The Inventor's Secret by Andrea Cremer
The steampunk is great; the plot and character development are filled with holes and inconsistencies.
8. The Dark Unwinding by Sharon Cameron
Sort of steampunk, mostly not.
9. The Fever Crumb series by Philip Reeve
Steampunk, but dark and depressing
10.  The Unnaturalists by Tiffany Trent
Heavy on the magic, mild on the steampunk.  Plot predictable.
11. A Lady of Devices by Shelley Adina
Meh.  She tried for Oliver Twist in reverse.  The steampunk is pretty good, but the plot feels contrived.

Don't bother with these:
1. The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross
This was so poorly-written I could barely get through it.  Garbage.
2.  The Iryn Worm Affair by Lillith Saintcrow
Awkward plot.  Too much magic.
3. The Golden Compass series by Phillip Pullman
The first one wasn't bad, but then he tried to write a kids' version of CS Lewis' creepy outer-space mythology, only in reverse.  The three books build up to what should be a totally apocalyptic battle between God and the forces of evil -- and then it just peters out into nothing.  It is the LAMEST battle ever.  Seriously, the crap that Stephenie Meyer wrote into Breaking Dawn (yeah, I trudged through that slime) is more gripping.
Also, I cannot really tell why people say this series is steampunk.
4. Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare
I tried for a week to get into the first one of these -- and I could not.  I could not figure out what was going on, and I could not care two bits about the characters.
I have no clue why these books are selling so well.

WANT!

So, Rae Carson, author of the fabulous Girl of Fire and Thorns series, has a new series coming out.  I just learned about the first book today:

Here's the Goodreads summary:
Lee Westfall has a secret. She can sense the presence of gold in the world around her. Veins deep beneath the earth, pebbles in the river, nuggets dug up from the forest floor. The buzz of gold means warmth and life and home—until everything is ripped away by a man who wants to control her. Left with nothing, Lee disguises herself as a boy and takes to the trail across the country. Gold was discovered in California, and where else could such a magical girl find herself, find safety? 

Rae Carson, author of the acclaimed Girl of Fire and Thorns trilogy, dazzles with the first book in the Gold Seer trilogy, introducing a strong heroine, a perilous road, a fantastical twist, and a slow-burning romance, as only she can.

But it's not out until freakin' SEPTEMBER!
Augh!

Fortunately, the wait for Gail Carriger's new series is nearly over:

When Prudence Alessandra Maccon Akeldama (Rue to her friends) is given an unexpected dirigible, she does what any sensible female would under similar circumstances - names it the Spotted Custard and floats to India in pursuit of the perfect cup of tea. But India has more than just tea on offer. Rue stumbles upon a plot involving local dissidents, a kidnapped brigadier's wife, and some awfully familiar Scottish werewolves. Faced with a dire crisis and an embarrassing lack of bloomers, what else is a young lady of good breeding to do but turn metanatural and find out everyone's secrets, even thousand-year-old fuzzy ones?

Only two weeks until the Custard Protocol is out!

Anatomy of a Cozy Mystery

There's a lot of kerfluffle going on in Salt Lake right now over Mettie Ivie Harrison's new mystery book, The Bishop's Wife, which is set in Draper, Utah (a wealthy suburb of SLC), and is based on the well-known case of Susan Cox Powell, a woman who disappeared from another suburb of SLC a few years back.  At first, Powell was criticized by the public for having "abandoned" her children, but more and more info came to light, and it soon became apparently that it was unlikely she had.  Since her evil husband murdered their two children and committed suicide a few years after Powell's disappearance, most people now are fairly convinced that Powell was murdered by her overly-patriarchal husband.
I have not yet read The Bishop's Wife, but its negative reviews fall into 2 categories: the first is from readers offended that Harrison deals with the HUGE problem of male superiority complex in the LDS church, and the second is from readers who apparently have no clue what modern cozy mysteries have become.  It is the second issue which I wish to address.
First of all, let me state that I LOVE mystery novels.
I was never a Nancy Drew fan as a kid, but I was obsessed with The Three Investigators series, books with stories far better than Nancy's or the Hardy Boys.  With plots dealing with stolen jewels, stolen artwork (my favorite case was The Stuttering Parrot), revenge, mummies, lost pirate treasure, and reportedly haunted houses, I was entertained for hours.
In my twenties, I got hooked on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and his classic Sherlock Holmes mysteries.  Once again, there was a great deal of variety in the crimes and the plots.  It never got dull or boring.
Then I discovered crime fiction and began my obsession with Ian Rankin's novels.  Although its usually murder going on here, there is a lot of variety in what happens.
Very recently, I began reading tons of Agatha Christie novels.  Now, Christie is the inventor of the cozy, but her books still have what modern cozies lack: variety.
I still read lots of current cozies, but I'm beginning to tire of their sameness.  And it is the cozy formula about which some readers are complaining with Harrison's new book.
Let me summarize the modern cozy formula here:
1) The protagonist must be a woman between 30 and 45 years of age.  She must be single -- divorced, widowed, never married.  She is generally plump, yet male characters invariably find her attractive.  (This always makes me laugh!  In real life, men do not hit on fat women.  Nope.  Doesn't happen unless the guy has a very poor self-image.)
2) The protagonist must be into some kind of small business or self-employment.  This serves the dual purpose of giving the woman lots of free time for investigating and as a hook for readers.  (Like antiques? Baking? Knitting? Crafts?  Bookstores? If so, there's a cozy mystery for you!  However, you must like traditionally girly stuff; if you're into fishing, running marathons, or dirt biking, there might not be a cozy for you.)  The book's title will also be a terrible pun on this hobby, such as Needles of Doom or Purling For Murder.
3) The protagonist must have a cop in her life.  Usually she ends up dating the hunky and conveniently single cop, but sometimes the cop is her dad, brother, or even her son.  This gives her an "in" to the police side of things -- and someone to rescue her.
4) The protagonist must be stupid.  She will always forget her cell phone when walking into the forest or the abandoned cellar.  Or she may be a luddite who cannot use a cell phone or a computer at all.  She will never have the common sense to foresee even the most obviously dangerous situations.  This trait simplifies the plot and is supposed to make the reader feel smarter.
5)  The crime is always murder.  Always.  Usually, the protagonist finds the body herself.  There is ZERO variety in the type of crime in modern cozies.
6) The setting is nearly always a small town.  I think the purpose of this is to simplify the plot by reducing the area in which the crime takes place, but it may also be so that the protagonist knows everyone and has connections.  Naturally, if the cozy becomes a series, it becomes increasingly unbelievable that so many murders would take place in a single small town, however.
7) The plot always goes as follows: a murder is committed and either the protagonist or someone of whom she feels very protective is implicated, the protagonist will then snoop and be nosy, she will be warned repeatedly by the police to stay out of the investigation, she will continue to snoop, she will then walk right into the hands of the murderer and need rescuing by either the police or her love interest (or both).
8) The book will be poorly edited.  Let me give examples from the cozy I read most recently, Victoria Hamilton's (not her real name) Muffin But Murder.  (Surprise!  A baking mystery!)
Pg 38. The word "between" is spelled with three E's.
Pg.  66 Non-dialogue writing contains the phrase "with the attention of Lizzie and I" instead of "Lizzie and me."
Pg. 68 contains a similar mistake with "for Cranston and I" instead of "for Cranston and me."
Pg. 73 contains use of the word "candelabra" as if it were a singular noun, when "candelabra" is the plural of "candelabrum."
Pg. 131 contains a verb tense shift which garbles the meaning of the sentence.  Hamilton writes, "I would have loved to pair it with natural wood trim, but it would [have] take[n] forever to strip the baseboards...."  I have shown the corrected version in brackets.
Pg. 134 contains the phrase "to whomever took over Junior Bradley's position." It should be "whoever" in this construction.
Pg. 241 contains another error of this type: "whomever you are" instead of "whoever you are."
Pg. 262 has yet another of the same: "who you met in jail" instead of "whom you met in jail."
Pg. 272 brings us back to not knowing objective case with "to snuff both Bob and I" instead of "me."
Pg.286 gives us "than her" instead of "than she is," using a subordinating conjunction as if it were a preposition.
 This is typical for cozies.  First of all, I find it inexcusable for a writer not to know the basics of English grammar, but I'm also offended that the so-called copy editors are not doing their job either.  In other types of professionally published books, I often find one or two errors, but most cozies are like the one I just dissected above: deplorable when it comes to mistakes.

So, with The Bishop's Wife all the rage as a Mormon cozy right now, I'll simply have to read it.  Perhaps it will surprise me and be different.  It's set in Draper, which is not a small town.  However, the protagonist seems to be a woman of the correct age with no job so she can snoop, and the crime does seem to be murder.  If the protagonist turns out not to be stupid and if the copy editor turns out not to be  a waste of space, I will be pleasantly surprised.

What I Read And What I Rejected in 2014

I usually try to read 120 books a year, which is 10 books a month.  Some years I do far more, but this year I didn't quite make it.  Of course, if you add in time wasted on books I rejected and add in time spent on my manuscripts, then I more than made that goal. :)
As usual, I read more mysteries than anything else.
Below is the list of what I read, followed by the list of what I rejected -- the latter of which tends to interest more people. :)
In 2014, I began rating the books with stars.

2014

1. The Time Traveler’s Guide to Medieval England by Ian Mortimer ***** non-fiction, history. 1/4/14
2. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley ***** mystery. 1/4/14
3. The Weed That Strings The Hangman’s Bag by Alan Bradley ***** mystery. 1/7/14
4. A Red Herring Without Mustard by Alan Bradley ***** mystery 1/10/14
5. I Am Half-Sick of Shadows by Alan Bradley ***** mystery 1/11/14
6. A Study In Silks by Emma Jane Holloway **** mystery, steampunk 1/14/14
7. Speaking From Among The Bones by Alan Bradley ***** mystery, 1/16/14
8. The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches by Alan Bradley ***** mystery 1/17/14
9. Time Bound by Rysa Walker *** sci-fi, time travel. 1/19/14
10. Raiders of the Lost Ark *** YA action/adventure 2/2/14
11. Temple of Doom *** YA action/adventure 2/3/14
12. Gated by Amy Christine Parker ***** YA dystopia 2/4/14
13. The Last Crusade. YA action/adventure *** 2/5/14
14. Kingdom of the Crystal Skull *** YA action/adventure 2/6/14
15. Standing in Another Man’s Grave by Ian Rankin ***** tartan noir/crime/mystery 2/7/14
16. The Hidden History of Utah by Eileen Hallet Stone *** non-fiction 2/9/14
17. The Time-Traveler’s Guide To Elizabethan England by Ian Mortimer ***** non-fiction. 2/20/14
18. Poison Pen by Sheila Lowe *** crime, 2/23/14
19. Outcasts by Adrienne Kress **** YA paranormal (angels) romance 3/9/14
20. Saints of the Shadow Bible by Ian Rankin ***** crime 3/25/24
21. Farm Chicks’ Christmas by Serena Thompson **** non-fiction, crafts, antiques 3/15/14
22. Farm Chicks in the Kitchen by Serena Thompson **** non-fiction, recipes, crafts 3/18/14
23. All Men of Genius by Lev AC Rosen ***** New Adult steampunk (2nd read) 3/27/14
24. The Abused Werewolf Rescue Group by Catherine Jinks *** YA, sort of paranormal, a/a 4/6/14.
25. A Breath of Frost by Alyxandra Harvey **** YA paranormal witchcraft 4/15/14
26. Eats by Arnold Adoff ***** children’s poetry 4/17/14
27. Pacific Graveyard by James A. Gibbs **** non-fiction 4/20/14
28. St. Nick by Alan Russell **** Christmas sort-of cozy mystery 4/21/14
29. Side Effects May Vary  by Julie Murphy **** YA realistic fiction/romance 4/27/14
30. All Things Shakespeare Vol. 2 by Kirstin Olsen **** non-fiction 5/1/14.
31. My Family For The War by Anne C. Voorhoeve **** sort of YA historical fiction 5/6/14
32. Noggin by John Corey Whaley *** sort of sci-fi/realistic YA 5/10/14
33. Good Times Travel Agency: Ancient China **** MG time travel + non-fiction. 5/16/14.
34. The Falconer by Elizabeth May *** YA steampunk in Edinburgh but NO ending! 5/23/14
35. Evil Under The Sun by Agatha Christie **** mystery 5/24/14
36. Five Little Pigs by Agatha Christie **** mystery 5/26/14
37. The Ghost of Graylock by Dan Poblocki *** YA ghost story 5/27/14
38. Appointment With Death by Agatha Christie *** mystery 5/30/14
39. Hercule Poirot’s Christmas by Agatha Christie *** mystery 5/31/24
40. Sleeping Murder by Agatha Christie ***** mystery 6/1/14
41. Mrs. McGinty’s Dead by Agatha Christie **** mystery 6/1/14
42. Taken At The Flood by Agatha Christie ** mystery 6/2/14
43. Cards on the Table by Agatha Christie *** mystery 6/6/14
44. Seven Dials Mystery by Agatha Christie ***** mystery 6/8/14
45. The Secret of Chimneys by Agatha Christie **** mystery 6/11/14
46. By The Pricking of My Thumbs by Agatha Christie **** mystery 6/13/14
47. Crooked House by Agatha Christie *** mystery 6/14/14
48. The Hallowe’en Party by Agatha Christie *** mystery (not her best) 6/19/14
49. The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson ** horror (silly, weak protagonist) 6/20/14
50. A Touch of Gold by Joyce and Jim Lavine ***mystery 6/21/14
51. The Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie *** mystery 6/22/14
52. The Regatta Mystery and Other Stories by Agatha Christie **** mystery 6/23/14
53. A Sinister Sense by Allison Kingsley ** mystery 6/25/14
54. Perfected by Kate Jarvik Birch *** YA sort-of dystopian romance 7/3/14
55. Northanger Abbey by Val McDermid ***** parody, suitable for YA 7/4/14
56. Everything I Need To Know I Learned From A Little Golden Book by Dianna Muldrow *** gift book/coffee table book 7/5/14
57. Superfood Smoothies by Julie Morris ** cookbook, so ridiculous it was funny! 7/6/14
58. Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen ***** romance 7/9/14
59. Sense and Sensibility by Joanna Trollope **** romance, updated Austen 7/10/14
60. Poirot Investigates by Agatha Christie **** mystery, short stories 7/12/14
61. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie *****mystery 7/13/14
62. Dr. Mutter’s Marvels by Cristin O’Keefe Aptowicz **** narrative non-fiction, medical history 7/18/14
63. The Vigilante Poets of Selwyn Academy by Kate Hattemer ***** realistic YA, NOT romance, funny 7/18/14
64. Soulless by Gail Carriger (2nd read)***** humorous paranormal steampunk 7/22/14
65. Changeless by Gail Carriger (2nd read) ****** humorous paranormal steampunk 7/23/14
66. Blameless by Gail Carriger (2nd read) ***** humorous paranormal steampunk 7/24/14
67. Heartless by Gail Carriger (2nd read) ***** humorous paranormal steampunk 7/26/14
68. Timeless by Gail Carriger (2nd read) ***** humorous paranormal steampunk 7/29/14
69. Dead Man’s Murder (4 novellas) by Agatha Christie **** mystery 8/3/14
70. Third Girl by Agatha Christie ****mystery 8/4/14
71. If Catfish Had Nine Lives by Paige Shelton **** 8/8/14
72. The Edge of the Woods by Ceinwen Langely **** paranormal fairytale 8/16/14
73. Red blazer girls by Michael w Biel.  *** YA mystery 8/27/14
74. Plain But Wholesome: Foodways of the Mormon Pioneers by  *** non-fiction 8/31/14
75. The Lewis Man by Peter May **** crime/mystery (Scottish author) 9/9/14
76. A Republic of Pirates by Colin Woodward ***** non-fiction 9/13/14
77. The White Magic Five &Dime by Steve Hockensmith ***** cozy mystery 9/19/14/
78. Popular by Maya Van Wagenen **** memoir 9/20/14
79. Salt & Storm by Kendall Kulper *** YA paranormal, witches 9/25/ 14
80. Retronaut by Chris Wild **** non-fiction, 9/27/14
81. Vault of Dreamers by Caragh O’Brien **** YA dystopia 9/29/14
82. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie *** YA, Realistic 10/1/14
83. Winterspell by Claire Legrand **** new adult fantasy/steampunk 10/5/14
84. Strange Angel: The Otherworldy Life Of Rocket Scientist John Whiteside Parsons by George Pendie **** non-fiction, biography. 10/13/14
85. Arches and Canyonlands in Pictures. ***** non-fiction, travel souvenir book. 10/18/14
86. The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place **** YA/MG mystery 10/23/14
87. Sweet Unrest by Lisa Maxwell *** YA paranormal romance- ghosts, voodoo 10/29/14
88. The Monogram Murders by Sophie Hannah ****mystery in style of A.Christie 11/1/14
89. Harriet, The Spy by Louise Fitzhugh ***** MG feminist realistic 11/2/14
90. The Cure For Dreaming by Cat Winters ***** easy YA feminist historical paranormal 11/4/14
91. The Penguin Book of Witches ed by Katherine How **** history, non-fiction 11/8/14
92. A Corpse For Yew by Jim and Julie Levine *** cozy mystery 11/10/14
93. The DaVinci Code by Dan Brown **** thriller 11/16/14 (2nd reading)
94. Waistcoats and Weaponry by Gail Carriger ***** YA steampunk 11/22/14
95. Deadly Secrets by Terry Odell ***** cozy mystery 11/27/14
96. The Inventor’s Secret by Andrea Cremer *** YA steampunk 11/28/14
97. The 3 Investigators: The Mystery of the Haunted Mirror by MV Carey *****MG mystery 11/29/14
98. Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch *****YA fantasy 12/1/14
99. Ramona The Brave by Beverly Cleary *****MG realistic, humor 12/3/14
100. Ramona And Her Father by Beverly Cleary *****MG realistic, humor 12/3/14
101. Ramona And Her Mother by Beverly Cleary *****MG realistic, humor 12/3/14
102. Ramona Quimby, Age 8 by Beverly Cleary *****MG realistic, humor 12/4/14
103. The House of Silk by Anthony Horowitz **** mystery 12/8/14
104. “The Curious Case of the Copper Corpse” by Alan Bradley *** mystery 12/10/14
105. “The Three Monarchs” by Anthony Horowitz ***** mystery 12/11/14
106. Maple Mayhem by Jessie Crocket *** cozy 12/13/14
107. Moriarty by Anthony Horowitz *** mystery 12/18/14
108. The Man Who Invented Christmas by Les Stanford **** bio (of Dickens) 12/20/14
109. Home For Christmas by Jan Brett. Children’s ***** 12/21/14
110. The Secret Language of Color ***** non-fiction 12/30/14

At this point, I spent way too much time playing on pottermore. :)

Manuscripts read in 2014:

2014

1. The (Dis)Appearance of Nerissa MacKay 6/7/14
2. The (Dis)Appearance of Nerissa MacKay 6/19/14
3. The (Dis)Appearance of Nerissa MacKay 7/29/14

Books rejected in 2014:

2014

1. Copernicus Legacy: Forbidden Stone by Tony Abbott Too many characters, too stereotyped.  They all felt fake.  Plus, the book was condescending, even for MG.  Zilpha Keatley Snyder always managed to respect her audience, why can’t current MG writers do that?  Ugh.  about 3 chapters. 2/22/14.
2. Deadly Magic by Elisabeth Crabtree.   so dumb.  sometime in Feb. 
3. Cress by Marissa Meyer about 100 pages.  I’ve grown to hate all the characters but Cinder.  Cress is an idiot.  I cannot read books wherein the protagonist is an idiot.  3/1/14
4. Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond.  For 50 pages he’s done nothing but repeat himself.  He also completely ignores the fact that isolated groups of people who may have discouraged differences, creativity, and/or innovation were less likely to progress than those living in areas with more trade and/or contact with different groups of people.  3/17/14
5. The Atlantis Gene by AG Riddle.  200 pages and the author just keeps killing any character with whom the reader feels empathy.  The 2 remaining protagonists are idiots.  Plus, the whole book so far is like reading an Old Spice commercial with ADHD; all we do is bounce from one scene to another.  gag!  Glad I got it on a 99¢ sale instead of wasting even more money on it.  3/17/14.
6. We Have Always Lived At The Castle by Shirley Jackson.  It’s just so filled with hatred.  I’ve tried to get past the first 30 pages for days, and I can’t.  6/25/14
7. Thornyhold by Mary Stewart. 1/3 way into the book and NOTHING has happened except the story is TOLD, not SHOWN, of how the protagonist with the weirdest spelling of “Jill” I’ve ever seen is a poor-me little victim-mentality with zero ambition and even less personality.  This is NOT the Mary Stewart I know. 8/6/14.
8. UnEnchanted by Chanda Hahn. 16 pages of total crap.  Author needs proofreader, and switches back and forth three times over whether the protagonist is going on a completely unexplained field trip to a bakery or a candy factory.  Horrid.  8/7/14
9. The Italian Secretary by   Caleb Carr    6 chapters in and it’s STILL all exposition.  Plus, author has Holmes believing in ghosts, which does not fit with his character type at all.  8/11/14
10. Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain.  Vulgar.  He writes the way 9th grade boys talk. 8/16/14
11. The Bones of Paris by Laurie King.  I read about 12 chapters, then realized the author had already given away the fate of the victim and the identity of the villain.  What’s the point of reading further in a mystery novel? 8/29/14
12. Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan I read 248 pages before I got tired, not of Pollan, but of the anarchistic rebel born-again Protestant isolationist farmer with whom he deals for several chapters.  Sept., 2014.
13. Atlantia by Allie Condie.  This woman has MAJOR SDT issues.  The characters are so flat.  The plot sounded great, but it’s so flat.   Bleah.  7 chapters.  I gave up on 11/6/14
14. The Museum of Extraordinary Things by Alice Hoffman.  This was worse than Thomas Hardy.  Every character is stuck in a hopeless and depressing life.  There is no way out.  Even in love, they are corrupted and will see no salvation.  Life is meaningless; go kill yourself.  This sort of book is why so many adults read YA fiction; adults who read to escape this kind of depression and hopelessness do not appreciate reading it.  3/4 the book. December 2, 2014.
15. Napoleon’s Buttons.   It was okay, but not as interesting as it might have been. After 100 pages or so, I forgot about it until it was due at the library. dull.  12/15-ish/14.