Narilka reads in 2020 - Vol 3

Happy new thread! Volume 3 for 2020.

My Rating System
- Absolutely horrible, don't bother

- Meh, I finished the book somehow but would not recommend it

- An entertaining read

- Highly enjoyable, I would probably recommend this book

- Excellent! The book may not be perfect but it was perfect for me. Possibly a new favorite.

A star is given for a book that falls between those categories.

Currently Reading


Listening To

Books Read in 2020
1. The Republic of Thieves by Scott Lynch
2. Pawsitively Cursed by Melissa Erin Jackson
3. Dead Beat by Jim Butcher
4. Where Gods Fear to Go by Angus Watson
5. Lying Low by Cynthia St. Aubin
6. The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow
7. Sweep with Me by Ilona Andrews
8. Soulless by Gail Carriger
9. The Disaster Artist by Greg Sestero
10. The Ranger of Marzanna by Jon Skovron
11. Daughter of the Blood by Anne Bishop
12. Terminus by Peter Clines
13. Junkyard Cats by Faith Hunter
14. Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson
15. Heir to the Shadows by Anne Bishop
16. Queen of the Darkness by Anne Bishop
17. Flux by Jeremy Robinson
18. Written in Red by Anne Bishop
19. And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
20. The Queen's Bargain by Anne Bishop
21. Changeless by Gail Carriger
22. The Alchemist and the Amaretto by Annette Marie
23. Vita Nostra by Sergey and Marina Dyachenko
24. Pawn of Prophecy by David Eddings
25. Murder of Crows by Anne Bishop
26. Queen of Sorcery by David Eddings
27. Retribution Falls by Chris Wooding
28. The Rage of Dragons by Evan Winter
29. Magician's Gambit by David Eddings
30. Castle of Wizardry by David Eddings
31. Throne of Jade by Naomi Novik
32. Vision in Silver by Anne Bishop
33. Thinking in Bets by Annie Duke
34. Enchanters' End Game by David Eddings
35. Tales of Beedle the Bard by J. K. Rowling
36. Blameless by Gail Carriger
37. A Subtle Agency by Graeme Rodaughan
38. A Traitor's War by Graeme Rodaughan
39. The Dragon's Den by Graeme Rodaughan
40. Night Shift Dragons by Rachel Aaron
41. Marked in Flesh by Anne Bishop
42. Deadly Sweet Tooth by Kaye George
43. Age of War by Michael J. Sullivan
44. The Girl and the Stars by Mark Lawrence
45. Patient Zero by Jonathan Maberry
46. Heartless by Gail Carriger
47. Age of Legend by Michael J. Sullivan
48. Etched in Bone by Anne Bishop
49. Age of Death by Michael J. Sullivan
50. Saving Sadie by Joal Derse Dauer
51. Timeless by Gail Carriger
52. Age of Empyre by Michael J. Sullivan
53. Creativity, Inc. by Ed Catmull
54. The Fellowship of the Ring by JRR Tolkien
55. The Dragon Factory by Jonathan Maberry
56. Location, Location, Damnation by Nick Moseley
57. The Self-Evolved Leader by Dave McKeown
58. Emerald Blaze by Ilona Andrews
59. Prudence by Gail Carriger
60. Druid Vices and a Vodka by Annette Marie
61. Dog Days by Jonathan Maberry
62. The Two Towers by JRR Tolkien
63. The Return of the King by JRR Tolkien
64. Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie
65. Deceased Estate by Nick Moseley
66. Murder by Other Means by John Scalzi
67. The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz
68. The Day Guard by Greame Rodaughan
69. Hangman's Pond by Nick Moseley
70. The Ghost's Story by Nick Moseley
71. Heaven's River by Dennis E. Taylor
72. Etiquette and Espionage by Gail Carriger
73. The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie
74. Real Food/Fake Food by Larry Olmsted
75. Spectre's Rest by Nick Moseley
76. Minor Mage by T. Kingfisher
77. Magic Steals by Ilona Andrews
78. King of Plagues by Jonathan Maberry
79. The Crane War by Greame Rodaughan
80. Killing Lazarus by Nick Moseley
81. Curtsies & Conspiracies by Gail Carriger
82. Ready Player Two by Ernest Cline
83. Grindhelm's Key by Nick Moseley
84. Keep Moving by Dick Van Dyke
85. The Art of Invisibility by Kevin Mitnik
86. Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson
87. A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking by T. Kingfisher
88. Waistcoats & Weaponry by Gail Carriger
89. The Gunslinger by Stephen King
90. Paternus: War of Gods by Dyrk Ashton

Fun Stats
Books Read: 90
Total Pages Read: 23672
Audio Book Hours: 213h 18m
Rereads: 11
TBR Challenge: 11/12

2020 Series Stats
In progress: 15
Up to date: 14
Completed: 13
Abandoned: 4

Mount TBR
Start 2020: 200
End 2020: ?

TBR Challenge

Aiming for 12 books. I'd be thrilled if I completed more :)

11/12

Primary
1. The Poppy War by R. F. Kuang
2. The Disaster Artist by Greg Sestero Completed 2/1/2020
3. Sins of Empire by Brian McClellan
4. Vita Nostra by Sergey and Marina Dyachenko Completed 3/27/2020
5. Real Food/Fake Food by Larry Olmsted Completed 11/1/2020
6. Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson Completed 2/18/2020
7. Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harai
8. The Art of Invisibility by Kevin Mitnick Completed 12/10/2020
9. Saving Sadie by Joal Derse Dauer Completed 7/16/2020
10. Written in Red by Anne Bishop Completed 3/7/2020
11. Soulless by Gail Carriger Completed 1/26/2020
12. The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow Completed 1/19/2020

Carryover from 2019
1. Circe by Madeline Miller
2. Never Grow Up by Jackie Chan
3. The Future of the Mind by Michio Kaku
4. Red Rising by Pierce Brown
5. Wool by Hugh Howey
6. Foreigner by C. J. Cherryh
7. Digital Fortress by Dan Brown
8. A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson
9. Hunter by Mercedes Lackey
10. A Cat Named Darwin by William Jordan
11. The Gunslinger by Stephen King Completed 12/30/2020
12. Throne of Jade by Naomi Novik Completed 5/2/2020

My Personal Incomplete Series Challenge
I always knew I juggle a lot of series, primarily so I don't suffer series burnout and also partly because shiny new books keep being published :D I decided it was time to make it "official" and actually track all the series I have in progress for the year. The list is frightening! Maybe this will give me some incentive to finish a few more series off before I start even more new ones. Maybe ;)

Series Stats Summary
In progress: 15
Up to date: 14
Completed: 13
Abandoned: 4

In Progress
Discworld: Rincewind - 6/8
Discworld: City Watch - 5/8
Discworld: Tiffany Aching - 1/5
Discworld: Overall - 29/41
Kate Daniels - 6/10
The Dresden Files - 7/15
Temeraire - 2/9
The Empire Trilogy - 1/3
The Guild Codex: Spellbound - 6/8
Joe Ledger - 3/11
The Custard Protocol - 1/4
Finishing School - 3/4
Mistborn Era 1 - 1/3
Whiskey, Tango, Foxtrot Mysteries - 1/4
Witch of Edgehill - 2/4

Up to date and waiting
The Band - 2/2 - #3 expected 2021
Skyward 2/2 - #3 expected Summer 2021
King of Scars 1/1 - #2 expected 2021
The Witchlands - 3/3 - #4 expected 2021
Awaken Online - 4/4 - #5 TBD
Innkeeper Chronicles - 4/4 - #5 TBD
The Darkwater Legacy - 1/1 - #2 TBD
The Hidden Legacy - 5/5 - #6 expected 2022
The Goddess War - 1/1 - #2 TBD
Threshold - 4/4 - #5 TBD
The Burning - 1/1 - #2 expected Nov 2020
The Book of the Ice - 1/1 - #2 expected Apr 2021
The Metaframe War - 5/5 - #6 expected Dec 2021
The Brackenford Cycle - 4/4 - #5 TBD

Deliberately On Hold
A Song of Ice and Fire - 3/5, 7 planned? Waiting for the author to finish the series.
Murderbot Diaries - 1/4 - hoping they go on sale, they're expensive for novellas
The Gentleman Bastards - 3/3, 7 planned? Waiting for the author to finish the series.

Completed in 2020
West of West - 3/3
Jane Avery Mysteries - 2/2
Black Jewels - 10/10
The Belgariad - 5/5
DFZ - 3/3
The Others - 5/5
Parasol Protectorate - 5/5
Legends of the First Empire - 6/6
The Lord of the Rings - 3/3
The Dispatcher - 2/2
Bobiverse - 4/4
Ready Player One - 2/2
Paternus - 3/3

Abandoned in 2020
Metamorphosis - 1/3
Tales of the Ketty Jay - 1/4
Vintage Sweets Mysteries - 1/2
Iron Druid Chronicles - 6/9

Congrats on the new thread!

Happy new thread. And thank you for the reminder that I really need to make a list of series to be completed.

Happy new thread!

>6 clamairy: You can see mine on my thread. It is terrifying.

I honestly do not have any expectation of competing it.

Thanks everyone!

August Series Update!

Started: 3
The Lord of the Rings
The Brackenford Cycle
The Custard Protocol

Progressed: 2
Joe Ledger
The Guild Codex Spellbound

Brought up to Date: 1
Hidden Legacy

Reviews Pending: 5 - I sucked at keeping up with reviews this month

The Two Towers

SPOILERS

Book 3, Ch 1-3: We start back up with Aragorn, Legloas and Gimli! I am impressed with how relatively faithful the movies are to these chapters. I also like the addition Peter Jackson did for Boromir's redemption. His death scene in the book is a page or two tops with his heroism implied. I like that the movie shows him trying to make up for his failure with Frodo by fighting for Merry and Pippin at the cost of his life. I feel bad for the guy. Time to head into Fangorn forest.

56. Location, Location, Damnation by Nick Moseley



Trevor Irwin, Trev to his friends, works as an estate agent in the town of Brackenford. It's an easy job - Trev knows the house market inside and out and there isn't much competition to speak of. Brackenford has always had a reputation for paranormal events, something self-proclaimed skeptic Trev has always scoffed at. Right up until the moment when Trev sees his first ghost possess a man at a local cafe. Who knew there was some truth to the old stories his granddad used to tell Trev?

Location, Location, Damnation is the first book in The Brackenford Cycle by Nick Moseley. It is an urban fantasy set in the sleepy town of Brakenford, UK. Full of cheeky dialogue and snarky humor, Trev is way in over his head as he is given a crash course on the paranormal situation in the region. The world features plenty of urban fantasy staples, familiar ones like vampires and ghosts, and others with a unique twist. My favorite hands down are the ghouls. They come across more goblinish and learned how to communicate with humans from tabloids. Fair warning to those outside of the UK - there is use of British slang that may be unfamiliar. My US based self had to look up a couple of them to make sure I understood what was being referenced.

Trev is the ultimate reluctant hero. I was both rooting for him and wanting to punch him the whole book. He's arrogant yet his first instinct is to run and hide when his world turns upside down which I found quite believable. His snarky, sarcastic humor both made me chuckle and roll my eyes at the vulgarity of some of the jokes. He does start on a character arc though, showing promise for actually becoming a good guy over the rest of the series. The supporting cast is pretty great. There's a several thousand year old cat spirit with a scathing wit; a prim and proper Victorian era ghost; Trev's granddad who acts as mentor and guide for all the supernatural stuff that's happening and who happens to enjoy scotch; and Trev's coworkers at the agency.

I had fun joining Trev for his worst day ever. I'm looking forward to seeing how his character grows and where this zany plot heads next.

Rating:

>12 Narilka: Dammit. That's a BB. Just went to the kindle store and bought it. The "look inside" sample had me hooked. Clearly the "Hot Cuisine" is a spiritual descendant or ancestor or something of Pterry's Mended Drum. The "location, location" is obviously not far from where I will be living in England after 15 October, but without the "damnation", one hopes.

>13 haydninvienna: Cool! I hope you enjoy it :)

57. The Self-Evolved Leader by Dave McKeown



Dave McKeown believes that many common leadership practices are outdated and downright harmful to the teams we lead. Leaders have been taught that swooping in to save the day on a daily basis and being "always on" or connected to work are what proves they are valuable. In practice these are the kinds of strategies that prevent our teams from achieving high performance. McKeown also believes that with a shift in thinking and some hard work leaders can develop the skills to enable their teams to deliver the results needed to be successful in the fast paced, ever evolving modern business.

This is not a new idea. New ways of thinking about leadership has been touted by Simon Sinek, Jim Loehr and many others in recent years and it's something I subscribe to as I work to adopt a modern, agile style of leadership myself. What makes McKeown's book different is it takes many modern principles, distills them down to their benefits and potential obstacles to adoption, highlights these with examples and then provides actionable steps you can take to evolve your own leadership style. Several worksheets are provided at the end of the book to help you plan out and track your progress as you go. This is a great resource for anyone looking to evolve their leadership style or for those new to leading teams.

I won a copy of this book in a GoodReads giveaway.

Rating:

58. Emerald Blaze by Ilona Andrews



Emerald Blaze is the fifth book in the Hidden Legacy series by Ilona Andrews and the second of Catalina's trilogy. Even more over-the-top action ensues as House Baylor finds itself under attack when Catalina, through her role as Deputy Warden for the state of Texas, is sent to investigate the suspicious death of Felix Morton, Prime of house Morton. His four business partners, all Primes of their own houses, are suspects and there is something odd going on in the Pit Reclamation project they are working on. To complicate matters, Alessandro Sagredo is assigned to guard Catalina during the case and they are forced to work together no matter how much it pains her.

Good grief there is a lot of teenage angst in this installment. The way Catalina has matured in her role as head of house it's hard to remember she's only 21 right up until Alessandro enters the picture. Then it's hard to remember she's not 16. I understand why it happens, as a way show the emotional growth of both characters, but boy was it painful to read. At least we get Alesasndro's background finally. The fact that they get their HEA with one more Catalina book to go seems kind of early. Makes me wonder how Andrews will add tension back into the relationship in book 6.

That main gripe aside, this was a pretty fun book. The mystery was fairly simple for our characters to solve yet difficult to resolve. It takes most of the book for the heroes to plan out how to deal with the situation with minimal impact to Houston. I absolutely love the Baylor family and it was great spending time with them all again. Even Nevada and Rogan make an appearance! That epilogue was downright creepy and provides a nice hook for the remainder of the series.

As with the previous book it safe to say that if you're a fan of the series you are likely to enjoy this book. I know I did even with all the angst.

Rating:

>17 quondame: Soon my hold will come up!

>17 quondame: Fingers crossed :)

59. Prudence by Gail Carriger



I enjoyed The Parsol Protectorate enough that was excited to see Gail Carriger had written a follow up series starring the infant inconvenient of the main characters in Parasol. Prudence's metanatural abilities showed promise of many hi-jinks to come, especially if she ended up as adventuresome as her mother. While we do get some metanatural running amuck, what mostly happens is a lot of silly nonsense.

"When all else failed – overwhelm with inanities."

And that basically sums up Prudence the first book in The Custard Protocol by Gail Carriger.

Twenty years have passed and little Prudence (Rue to her friends) is all grown up. Gifted her very own dirigible by her adopted father Dama, Rue immediately paints it like a lady bug, names it The Spotted Custard and is off to India in search of some tea plants her Dama is interested in.

I wish I could say there was more to the plot but, alas, that's basically it. A good 75% of the book is devoted to detailed descriptions of dresses and hats, society gossip and fart jokes. Yes, the sly wit of Parasol has been traded for fart jokes.

The main characters aren't much better. Rue is rather dense. It took her forever to realize that there was a lot more going on than tea. She seemed rather to stumble from event to event haphazardly instead of through any actual plan. Prim was very like early Ivy, completely focused on the right clothes and social niceties. I am not a fan of Quesnel, who is obviously going to be the romantic interest for later in the series. Percy was OK and quite possibly the hero of this one through his research though Rue gets credit in the end where she actually resolves what little there is of the plot.

So what did I enjoy? The supporting characters were fantastic. Miss Sekhmet and Spoo were great. The introduction of other were-forms into the Parasol universe was also brilliant and something I hope gets explored more. There are so many options for Carriger to pull from mythology. The part of the plot related to the politics that our characters are fairly oblivious of was also interesting and a pity it wasn't focused on. Seeing favorite characters from the first series was also nice.

I wonder if reading this series out of publication order hurt my enjoyment at all. I might have to try the first book of Finishing School before returning for more Custard.

Rating:

60. Druid Vices and a Vodka by Annette Marie



Druid Vices and a Vodka is the sixth book in the Guild Codex: Spellbound series by Annette Marie. Tori has a moral dilemma when her favorite dark druid is caught by bounty hunters while he was pursuing private revenge on the witch who ruined his life. Meanwhile, rogue activity in the city has gone suspiciously quiet. Is it the calm before the storm? Yes, yes it is.

This ended up being one roller coaster of a story. The action starts almost immediately and there is barely any time to breathe as Tori and friends race from one emergency to the next. Tori is put through the emotional wringer as she is forced to face some uncomfortable truths about Kai, Ezra and Zach. I was impressed with the author for all the twists she crammed into the story. Even Twiggy gets a chance to shine and may be my favorite part of the book. While the main plot is set up for Ezra's demon problem, I did not expect the situation with Kai's family to manifest the way it did nor did I think Zach would end up as ruthless as he was. This gave the book an unexpected serious tone and left me feeling heartbroken for Tori at how it all ends. Tori is resilient so I'm sure she'll find a way through though I have absolutely no idea how it will all resolve over the remaining two books. It's also the first time I doubt that everyone will make it to the end unscathed.

Rating:

61. Dog Days by Jonathan Maberry



Dog Days is a Joe Ledger short story taking place not long after The Dragon Factory. Joe, recovering from his injuries, has one loose end to tie up. The story introduces us to Ghost, the newest member of Echo Team. Ghost is such a good boy! This is a great, revenge fueled short story that left me grinning.

One thing to note. It appears this story is only available in audio format and is currently available in the Audible Plus catalog for members to listen for free.

Rating:

With that, I'm temporarily caught up on reviews!! It wont last long. I expect to finish Two Towers today :D Speaking of....

Boy am I having a hard time with the Faramir chapters. It's taken me three days to push through and I still have Frodo's betrayal of Gollum to go. I actually think that's part of the problem - that section breaks my heart a little bit every time and it's not one I look forward to.

>22 Narilka: It might help you to know I thought it was not as painful to read about that bit in the book as it is to watch in the film. (I too always drag through The Two Towers. It is my least favorite of the three books, but oddly my favorite of the three films.)

>23 clamairy: I pushed through. You're right, it's a lot more drawn out in the film than the book. I realize why it's needed, it's just painful. Even with Gollum as a pure villain and already planning to betray Frodo and Sam, it's still the only kindness he's had in who knows how long that gets ruined out of necessity to save his life, basically reinforcing his world view. The hope of Smeagol ever winning out is gone forever. Never mind the pain it causes Frodo to be forced to deceive him. And with that done, I blew through the remainder of the book. Holy crap can Tolkien write an ending!

Return of the King

Not really a spoiler.

Book 5, Ch 1: It's like reading this fresh I remember so little! Nice tour of Minas Tirith for Pippin and us. Denethor comes across as quite shrewd in the books where he's mostly deranged in the movie. I'm liking book-Denethor better so far.

Yeah, PJ screwed Denethor up big time. (I met him once 15 years ago, so I can call him PJ.)

>26 clamairy: That sounds like an interesting story :)

>25 Narilka: Peter Jackson seems to have something against old men - with both Théoden and Denethor.

Both were competent rulers, whose decisions were coloured and poisoned by evil influences, leading both to different forms of despair. Replacing that with "possessed" and "crazy" does a disservice to both.

>25 Narilka:, >26 clamairy: Agreed - to both statements.

I just got through watching the three movies - it took a few days, but I miss them and wish there was more to see. I've never read them, and don't plan to, but I wish the Hobbit movies weren't such complete crap.

Return of the King

SPOILER

Book 5, Ch 2-3: It is nice seeing more Dunedan. Such a pity that was left out of the movies. Good to meet back up with Eowin again, even briefly. Merry has a new friend even if he doesn't know it. Time to see about the siege of Gondor.

>29 Bookmarque: Why wouldn't you read them?

Eh, just won't. High fantasy isn't my thing on the page. I'm content.

>32 Bookmarque: Fair enough.

Return of the King

SPOILERS

End of Book 5: Wow, the battle for Minas Tirith is EPIC!! Three whole chapters in the book. I love how Tolkien plays with the characters and our emotions during this. Hope to despair to hope. Yes, I'm a geek. I found a great blog series where a historian looks at the battle both from the film and book perspectives to discuss what is actually plausible: https://acoup.blog/2019/05/10/collections-the-siege-of-gondor/

There's one for Helms Deep too! I'm not finished going through the blog yet though initial thoughts is Tolkien gets a lot right and Peter Jackson... less so. Not a surprise really. Hollywood tends to go for spectacle over accuracy in the desire to sell more tickets.

This section also confirms what I stated above. Book-Denethor is much preferred. Like >28 -pilgrim-: explained, the explanation for his madness makes a lot of sense and is sad to see how an otherwise strong willed and intelligent individual can be poisoned by evil over time.

It's a shame some great scenes happen off screen. Gimli and Legolas's account of the Paths of the Dead would have been better shown instead of just told about after the fact. Same with Aragorn's struggle with Sauron when he reveals himself using the palintir. I wonder if this was for page count? Does anyone know or should I check Google?

What a clever gambit Sauron takes in using Frodo's items to demoralize his opponents in an attempt to win a quick victory.

Time to catch up with Frodo and Sam.

>34 Narilka: One of the things that I like about Tolkien is his parallels - where two people in similar positions, and goals, take different paths.

Boromir & Faramir. Denethor & Aragorn.

Neither Boromir not Denethor were evil. Or stupid. To make them appear so is to miss the point. Evil is so much more terrifying, when shown as deceiving good men into doing bad things, than simply when persuading bad or weak men to join it.

And I am not surprised that Tolkien does better than Jackson at portraying battle. He had fought in a war, unlike Jackson.

>35 -pilgrim-: Agreed, he does that very well. I also think that's a problem with the current norms of movies. With the typical 90-120 minutes to tell a story, movie makers are forced to make decisions on what to cut vs show. It's why IMO usually (but not always) the books are better since they are able explore that nuance. SFF can do so even more since SFF fans will accept longer tomes than other genres.

Return of the King

Spoilerish

Book 6, Ch 1-4: I am sad. I know I'm coming to the end. Sam has done his part getting Frodo to the mountain and Gollum has fulfilled his destiny. Praise them with great praise.

>37 Narilka: So, are you going to read ALL the appendices, or just the story telling ones?

>38 BookstoogeLT: None of the above. I've been scanning the appendices a bit during this read through. I think I'm good to go :)

>39 Narilka: Good choice. I wish I had done that on my read of RotK :-)

>39 Narilka: Aw. One of my favourite passages in the entire book is in an appendix. I'll leave you both to guess which one.

62. The Two Towers by JRR Tolkien



'...And people will say: "Let's hear about Frodo and the Ring!" And they will say: "Yes, that's one of my favourite stories. Frodo was very brave, wasn't he, dad?" "Yes, my boy, the famousest of the hobbits, and that's saying a lot."'

'It's saying a lot too much,' said Frodo, and he laughed, a long clear laugh from his heart. Such a sound had not been heard in those places since Sauron came to Middle-earth. To Sam suddenly it seemed as if all the stones were listening and the tall rocks leaning over them. But Frodo did not heed them; he laughed again. 'Why, Sam,' he said, 'to hear you somehow makes me as merry as if the story was already written. But you've left out one of the chief characters: Samwise the stouthearted. "I want to hear more about Sam, dad. Why didn't they put in more of his talk, dad? That's what I like, it makes me laugh. And Frodo wouldn't have got far without Sam, would he, dad?"'

It always amazes me how when you reread books at different points in life they are meaningful in different ways. The Two Towers really hit me with this concept. Back in the day my favorite was always the Rohan half, especially the battle of Helms Deep and Merry and Pippin's adventures with Treebeard. Even now Helm's Deep remains my favorite part of the movie. On this read through I was impressed by how engaging I found Frodo, Sam and Gollum's journey. Possibly it's because of all the lore and history revealed. Possibly it is the strength of Frodo and Sam's friendship and loyalty. Possibly it's due to being fascinated by Gollum/Smeagol's schizophrenia. Probably it is a combination of all three and more. Other than the few chapters with Faramir (which feels like a slog; Frodo being forced to deceive Gollum breaks my heart every time and I don't look forward to reading it) I blew through the second half of the book.

Tolkien sure knows how to write one hell of an exciting ending. Shelob. Enough said. It's straight to Return of the King for me.

Rating:

This years pirate treasure hunt is rough! I could only find 3 so far. I have some work to do :)

>43 Narilka: Thanks for the notice!

>43 Narilka: I used the hints page for at least half of them and still flailed about a good deal. I can't even remember how I finally managed the last one, though the clues were plain as could be, the steps were not.

>42 Narilka: Glad you enjoyed your re-read and thanks for sharing your thoughts. I agree with >40 BookstoogeLT:, I wish I'd looked at them more while reading, I really wasn't up to reading them this time through.

>45 quondame: I was able to get to 6 before going to the hints page. Got them all now. Whew!

>46 Karlstar: I finished ROTK two days ago. Just letting my thoughts process. Really enjoyed my reread of the series.

>43 Narilka: I stumbled across the hunt yesterday afternoon while I was at work. It was a slow day, but I was on my phone. managed to find 4 before the action at work picked up. On my phone I don't have the agility/talent/patience to search much. I think I could find a few more, their answers are on the tip of my tongue, but the simple search did not reveal them.

63. The Return of the King by JRR Tolkien



Then Elrond and Galadriel rode on; for the Third Age was over and the Days of the Rings were passed and an end was come of the story and song of those times.

Finishing this series always makes me sad. I'm never quite ready for the journey to end. Even writing this review has made me a bit melancholy as it reinforces the story is done for now. Even so, Tolkien's tale of hope is just what I needed to read, to be my light during our own dark times, a reminder that darkness is but passing and it cannot endure.

This book has so many great moments. The battle for Gondor is epic. Eowyn and Merry facing down the Wraith King. Sam carrying Frodo when Frodo couldn't go on. Ghan-buri-ghan! The Paths of the Dead. Frodo and Gollum and the Ring. Theoden's tragic death. Denethor's madness. If I was to list them all out, I'd be here all day.

One thing I appreciated this time around is how the story comes full circle, showing the growth of the four hobbits who left the Shire and have come back changed. It's a shame the impact of this is left out of the movies.

It should be noted that the final third of this book is devoted to appendices. While I skimmed through them a little as I read the story, I did not read them word for word on this read through. The end of Appendix B contains the highlights of "what happened after" for those of the Fellowship who remained behind. It was nice to see what everyone was up to after the main story.

I really need to do a full movie re-watch soon. And not wait so long for my next series reread.

Rating:

64. Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie



Even on holiday Hercule Poirot cannot help but solve crime. Taking a well deserved break on a cruise down the Nile, Poirot finds his unique skills are needed when Linnet Ridgeway, young, beautiful and ultra wealthy, is discovered shot through the head. Her murder won't be the last on this voyage.

The story takes a while to build up as a there is a lot of background information required for each of the characters to set the stage. I was surprised that I was almost two thirds of the way through the story before the murder occurred. All the foundation laying pays off and it's a race to the end as Poirot collects evidence to tease out who the murderer is on a ship full of suspects. It made me chuckle that Poirot uncovers a few other crimes along the way but since they're not related to the murder chooses instead to look the other way. Looking back, the person I originally suspected of the crime is the one who ended up being the murderer. Christie throws in so many red herrings and twists that I doubted myself. Well played!

I listened to the audio book narrated by Kenneth Branagh. He gives a stellar performance once again. I can't wait to see how he translates the story to the screen.

Rating:

65. Deceased Estate by Nick Moseley



Deceased Estate is a novella in The Brackenford Cycle. Trev and Oscar team up to investigate some paranormal activity in a graveyard while Granddad is out of commission with the flu. Get in, take a look, report back. Easy peasy. What could possibly go wrong?

Given that this is Trev and it's Brackenford, things go sideways pretty quickly. While he's still not sure about this hero thing, Trev can't quite leave a spirit in need hanging. The results are highly entertaining and funny. It could almost have been titled The Oscar and Trev Show these two are so hilarious together.

Rating:

>42 Narilka: & >49 Narilka: Thank you for your reviews. I too need to get back to these books more regularly. They ground me. (After all I'm mostly hobbit with a touch of elf, I think.)

I too need to rewatch the films, but I have to get my surround sound speakers up first!

>50 Narilka: I haven't read Death on the Nile (yet!), but I've watched both the Ustinov and Suchet adaptations. I'm looking forward to seeing Kenneth Branagh next as well!

>50 Narilka: I'm intrigued by the new film, too. I'm no fan of Branagh's previous Poirot project, but the photography of the new film looks stunning (if the trailer is anything to go by).

>52 clamairy: Get those speakers set up stat!

>53 Majel-Susan:, >54 BrokenTune: I enjoyed his Orient Express adaption. It kept enough of the spirit of the book. Fingers are crossed :)

September series update!

Progressed: 3
Joe Ledger
The Lord of the Rings
The Brackenford Cycle

Completed: 2
The Lord of the Rings
The Dispatcher

Reviews Pending: 1 - I almost kept up this month :)

>49 Narilka: That was a very nice summary!

>55 Narilka: You just reminded me that I still haven't watched that version of Orient Express yet.

>56 Narilka: Still liking Joe Ledger? I just found out that the series I have on tap is the Vampire Wars, not the Joe Ledger, by said author. I've read a couple of the short stories in that universe so I know I'll like them anyway :-D

>57 Karlstar: Aww, thanks :)

>58 BookstoogeLT: Yes, I still like Joe Ledger, two books and a short story in. He's in my audio book rotation which has heavy competition with new titles at the moment. Bobiverse #4 just released and I'm listening to now (Heaven's River). Then Ready Player Two is next month. Joe Ledger #3 should cycle back in December.

66. Murder by Other Means by John Scalzi



I never expected a sequel to The Dispatcher so was naturally intrigued when I saw this come up in one of my Audible recommendations. The world Scalzi has come up with, where murder is almost impossible, is fascinating. Or, as Tony Valdez points out, not impossible - you just have to get creative to commit a murder now.

Tony is presented a with quite a nasty puzzle to solve if he wants to survive, all starting after he accepts a morally questionable Dispatch job. Tony is racing against the clock as the body count starts to raise, with all the evidence pointing his way even though he couldn't have possibly caused any of the deaths.

It's a clever story and an entertaining read. I'd love to see what Scalzi would do with a full length novel in this world as the ending felt rushed this time around.

I listened to the audio book narrated by Zachary Quinto. It took me a bit to get used to his narration as the main character sounded monotonous in the beginning. As more characters added, it got better. This is currently available in the Audible Plus catalog for members.

Rating:

67. The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz



The Hard Thing about Hard Things provides insight into the mindset required to be a founding CEO of a start up. It's a scary place to be knowing your every action will impact the future of the company and all the people who work for you! Ben Horowitz starts the book off with an abbreviated biography of his experiences as a founding CEO during the Dot Com era before jumping in to practical advice those looking to set themselves on a similar path.

I found the book to be an interesting read. While I have no desire to be an entrepreneur or CEO, I'm always curious why those at the top make some of the decisions they do, especially when they seem to make no sense at all, and this provided a small peek into that process. Even working at a large corporation that's fairly stable I can see where some of Horowitz's advice is still highly relevant, such as hiring for strength rather than lack of weakness, the importance of training your staff and how to minimize company politics.

If you aspire to be a CEO, are interested in entrepreneurship or starting your own business, currently work at a start up or enjoy peeking behind the curtain at how some businesses operate, you'll likely gain a lot from reading this book. For everyone else, your mileage will vary.

Rating:

68. The Day Guard by Greame Rodaughan



The Day Guard is the fourth book in The Metaframe War by Graeme Rodaughan. It serves as a transition to the second story arc of the series. Still reeling from past events the Order of Thoth, the Vampire Dominion and the Red Empire begin to maneuver their forces into place as each continues to seek to control the fate of the fabric of reality. What no one realizes is a new faction has entered the game, one thought to be long extinct when it's remembered at all.

This book ended up being a combination of things I was expecting and some crazy twists that added a whole new perspective to the war between the factions we've been following so far. The Order of Thoth's story line was the most predictable and straight forward while the Vampire Dominion threw me a couple curve balls. The Day Guard troops were both what I was expecting and more thanks to Louise's brilliant planning with the Panopticon. The new faction introduced provides an entirely new layer to the narrative and some exciting opportunities for the future.

While there is plenty of action in the story, it is tempered by the need to move people into position for what is to come which slows down the frenetic pace of the previous installment. That said, Chloe's solo assault on the Red Empire Citadel is pure awesome. I read parts of it twice it was so enjoyable and cinematic. The fighting capability she's honed over the years leaves me in awe. I'm highly frustrated and intrigued at the twist thrown at her as I have no idea how she'll get around it to fulfill her plan against Crane, which I dearly want her to succeed with.

I was not expecting the twists introduced in this installment. It changes the game entirely. I'm excited to see where The Crane War goes from here.

Rating:

Somehow I managed to miss this thread when you were on LotR discussions. I still really love them, Faramir was another character so badly portrayed in the films. And yet the Hobbit films as mentioned were even worse. I think the only part of LotR I don't really like is the 2nd half of Two towers with Frodo and sam slogging through all of the dead marches.

The metaframe doesn't seem to get much love here, sounds a lot of fun though.

>63 reading_fox: Yes, I also found the Dead Marches rather a slog, the first time that I read LotR. After I had read The Silmarillion it had a lot more resonance and power.

>63 reading_fox: Oh yeah, the Hobbit movies were not so good. Just an excuse for a lot of CGI battles. Such a pity.

The Metaframe is a self published gem. It starts off a little rough but boy can the author write action! I discovered it through my book club on GRs.

I believe Pete Jackson has apologized to fans for the way The Hobbit series turned out. He was brought in to replace another director late in the game, and never felt like he had enough time to do the story justice. I don't think he had much to do with the script. The special effects team was the same as LotR, but they had much less prep time for any of it. It's so sad, because they could have made one really great film, and instead they made one okay-ish film, one bad film and one horrible film. Even Howard Shore's music wasn't as great as it had been for LotR. :o(

I made it through 1 hobbit film.

1

>66 clamairy: I watched "The Desolation of Smaug" for the first time this week. What struck me were how some actually rather good acting performances were being swamped by the CGI.

I didn't mind the expansion of the stay in Lake town, because Ib always felt the novel rushed that bit.

But if you are going to bring in The Necromancer, do it right! To give him the appearance that was forever destroyed when Isildur cut the One Ring from the hand of Sauron destroys Sauron's motivation in The Lord of the Rings, and why he prioritises his search for the Ring over the destruction of the combined armies of the West.

It is a classic example of movie dynamics versus book. Movies require that the enemy becomes MORE dangerous in later films, whereas in the first book, he is at his weakest.

69. Hangman's Pond by Nick Moseley



Hangman's Pond is the second book in The Brackenford Cycle by Nick Moseley. This one had me hooked beginning to end. How could you not be drawn in by this opening line?

"Typical Monday," Trev Irwin thought. "I spilled my breakfast, my car wouldn’t start, and someone’s trying to kill me..."

Two months have passed. Trev's wounds have healed and he's managed to keep himself out of harms way by not using the Sight. Things are, in fact, looking up. He continues to sell houses and his budding romance with Sarah shows promise. Then an unnaturally strong little old lady tries to kill him at a property viewing. Things quickly go from bad to worse when the local witch inhabitanting Hangman's Pond fortells that Trev will be dead by the end of the weekend.

The cheeky dialogue, snarky humor and supernatural action sequences are all back and more. Moseley begins to add depth to his characters and world. Oscar's backstory is heart breaking. The cat has done such a great job of dealing with immortality that you tend to overlook that it's not all it's cracked up to be. I hope something can be done for Oscar by the end of the series. Most enjoyable is how Trev is growing as a character. He has moments of actual compassion for his companions that are quite touching and begins to take an active role in events instead of looking for the nearest table to hide under. I wouldn't quite call him a "hero" yet though he is definitely headed in that direction. We learn a lot more about the Custodian's murky history and begin to see more of the role they'll play in events to come. I especially enjoyed the series of tests they put Trev through to gauge the strength of his Sight. Mosley continues to add different takes of typical urban fantasy tropes that continue to be highly enjoyable.

All of this leads up to one hell of an exciting ending that is also part tragedy. So many emotions! I'm fully invested in Trev's story now and am looking forward to continuing the series.

Rating:

70. The Ghost's Story by Nick Moseley



The Ghost's Story is a short story in The Brackenford Cycle by Nick Moseley. This story is a slight departure from the main series as it is Agatha's tale of her life and, more importantly, her death. As expected, Agatha's story is a tragic one. She carries around a lot of guilt due to her actions and I can understand why she is still tethered to the world. Moseley does a great job of giving Agatha her own voice, prim and proper, fitting for the time period. It will be interesting to see how this plays in to events to come.

Rating:

71. Heaven's River by Dennis E. Taylor



I have been looking forward to this book ever since I read on the author's blog that he was writing another Bobiverse story. I love the Bobs and the original trilogy. It's great to find out what's happening now that humanity's been saved and the Bobs have some free time.

What's happening is that Bob One has decided to go on a search for Bender, who disappeared over a hundred years ago. Meanwhile, replicative drift is a real and the latest generation of Bobs can hardly be considered Bobs any more. They are so un-Bob like that a schism is forming in the Bobiverse, particularly around how the Bobs interact with biological beings.

Initially I had mixed feelings about Heaven's River. The story style shifts away from the format of the original trilogy and focuses almost exclusively on one plot line. This initially makes the book feel slow and plodding as the deft weaving of multiple story threads of the previous books kept the pace moving and events exciting. Eventually I felt myself get caught up in the search and started to enjoy Bob's time with the Quinlins.

The secondary plot thread made me a little sad to see just how different the new generation of Bobs are and also also maks a lot of sense that over time this would happen. I just know I'd love to join the Gamers on some of their epic D&D sessions. I loved seeing how far the Bobs have come with their technology and also what's been going on with humanity, especially the addition of other non-Bob replicants. So many great ideas end up mentioned that leaves a lot to be explored in future books.

The story ends with resolution to the main plot line while also leaving things open enough for the author to write more should he choose to. If more stories of the Bobiverse are written I know where I'll be spending future Audible credits.

Rating:

>71 Narilka: I have to get this one! Thanks for the reminder.

October series update!

Started: 1
Finishing School

Progressed: 2
Metaframe War
The Brackenford Cycle (x2)

Completed: 1
The Bobiverse

Reviews Pending: 2

72. Etiquette and Espionage by Gail Carriger



Etiquette & Espionage is the first book in the Finishing School series by Gail Carriger. Set in the Parasol universe some 20 years prior to Alexia's adventures, E&E is a whimsical YA adventure that introduces us to Sophronia Temminnick as she's packed off to attend Mademoiselle Geraldine's Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality where, hopefully, Sophronia will at least learn how to curtsy properly. It doesn't take long for Sophronia to realize Mademoiselle Geraldine’s is no ordinary finishing school. It retains both a vampire and a werewolf as teachers and what kind of finishing school includes courses modern weaponry and technological advancements along side dancing, etiquette and fashion?

This story ended up being delightful. Airships, female friendships, mechanicals, mechanimals, werewolves in top hats and just the right amount of getting into trouble for Sophronia and friends. It's light on plot, deeper on characters and outright fun. The book keeps to the younger side of YA, where the characters all seem a couple years younger than their stated ages. Sophronia is the kind of YA heroine I enjoy. She's smart, clever, brave, loves to explore, is loyal to her friends and has fun bending the rules of the school. It was great to see her grow as the story progressed. All those annoying things like etiquette and eyelash fluttering have meaning as she learns to use them as part of the spy-craft she's being taught.

Easter eggs and small cameos from Parasol abound that fans of that series should appreciate. I don't know why I wasn't expecting them. They are just enough to add extra flavor to the world and yet nothing so important that you won't be missing anything if you haven't read Parasol.

I had a lot of fun getting to know Sophronia and friends at Madam Geraldine's. I wish I could have my own mechanimal! I'm looking forward to seeing how her education continues as she faces her second year.

Rating:

73. The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie



Ahh, Agatha Christie's debut novel and Hercule Poirot's first appearance! Lieutenant Hastings tells the story of what happened at a country estate near Styles, were a wealthy heiress is poisoned and local authorities are baffled. Hercule Poirot is on the case.

Since I've been reading the Poirot books out of order I can see how Christie will grow as an author and how she's fleshed Poirot out as a character in future novels. The mystery is rather convoluted which everyone's favorite eccentric Belgian solves it after making many deductive leaps that are shared in a big reveal at the end.

I listened to the audio book narrated by Richard Armitage. It took me a few minutes to adjust to a new voice for Poirot having listened to Kenneth Branagh's narration fairly recently. Once I made the switch, Armitage was a joy to listen to. This is currently available on Audible Plus and free for Audible members.

Rating:

74. Real Food/Fake Food by Larry Olmsted



Larry Olmsted is a foodie. Food is his passion, hobby and, according to the back of the book, at least partially his job as a food journalist. Real Food/Fake Food is Olmsted's homage to some of his favorite premium foods and outrage over the fact that imposters are everywhere. It also contains some great information for general consumers with tips on how to avoid food fraud when you can though most of this information tends to be a few paragraphs at the end of each chapter.

Olmsted breaks down fake foods into three categories: regional imposters (such as Parmesan cheese made in California instead of Italy); fraud (the swapping of a lesser quality ingredient for another or adding lesser quality ingredients to pure ones yet still selling it as the real deal); and synthetic chemicals masquerading as actual food (cheeses being made with ingredients not related to cheese at all such wood fibers or plastics). Olmsted's main focus is on regional imposters so if you're wanting a deeper look at the other two categories further reading will be required.

Depending on where you are in your real food journey will determine how much value you get from this book. If you've never done research at all into where food comes from and just how bad fraud is in the food industry, this book will likely be eye opening. If you have done some research this book won't come as a surprise though you should still learn something. I didn't realize just how bad fraud in the seafood industry is until reading this and doing further searching on my own. I don't think I'll be ordering seafood from a restaurant for a while!

This book is written exclusively from the US perspective. While the author does mention some very specific regional laws in other countries, and those outside of the US may find this information valuable, you'll have to check the laws of your country to see if your food sources have better or any protections. In the US, food manufacturers looking to make every last dime off consumers and our lack of proper government regulations make things a lot harder for the average person to tell the difference between what's real and what's fake. As if eating healthy, whole foods wasn't difficult enough!

My main issues with the book come from spelling and grammatical errors, lots of repetition and how pretentious the author's writing style comes across, especially in the early chapters.

In essence, buyer beware. Food fraud is everywhere at the grocery store and restaurants. The FDA is not doing its job to protect consumers and the responsibility is with us to stay informed, check labels and shop carefully.

Rating:

It feels good to temporarily be caught up on reviews. Even wrote one for this book I finished this morning :D

Kudos for catching up. I know if I don't write my reviews as soon as I've finished - well, I'd much rather read and browse than write.

>76 Narilka: Read that, and like you, I find it difficult to order/buy seafood anymore. Sometimes I just do it and pretend it's ok.

>78 quondame: I hear you there. I tend to read in bed before turning out the light so I'm not likely to get up and write a review when I finish in that scenario.

>79 MrsLee: It's like opening Pandora's box. Hard to forget now that I know. Yesterday at the grocery store I was examining EVOO bottles and did find some with the EU inspection stamp on them, which is encouraging. I think grocery shopping in the future is going to take longer as I make some adjustments. Restaurants though... oy.

>76 Narilka: & >79 MrsLee:
One of the big benefits of living in the EU is the level of regulation around food safety including the requirement for food labels to detail the ingredients and their quantities. Country of origin is compulsory for food items. Inspection and reporting helps keep the level of food fraud low.

That is not to say food fraud does not happen in the EU. There was the much reported horse-meat scandal where it was discovered some meat products had some horse-meat in it. When this news broke a French friend of mine was amazed that it was considered a scandal. In France horse meat can be found in the supermarkets and butchers alongside cattle beef, venison, port, lamb, etc...

The naming scams are hit hard here. Sparkling white wine can only be called Champagne if it is produced in the region of Champagne.

One of the big fears amongst British people who do not agree with the UK leaving the EU is that a trade deal with the USA could open the UK food market to products that were produced without the level of food-safety regulation that is in force in the EU.

As for seafood; no one in Ireland is more than seventy-five miles from the shore. Fresh fish is readily available. The one big scandal was that fish being sold in fish and chips shops as cod was not always cod.

>81 pgmcc: One of the big fears amongst British people who do not agree with the UK leaving the EU is that a trade deal with the USA could open the UK food market to products that were produced without the level of food-safety regulation that is in force in the EU.

And one of the rallying cries for those who were championing Brexit was to escape "excessive" regulation!

>81 pgmcc: I wish the US would adopt more regulations like the EU has regarding food safety and purity. Your Champagne example. The US doesn't doesn't recognize Appellation d'Origine Controlée protected status so any winery can create a sparkling wine and dub it Champagne regardless of what grapes are used, how it's aged, if they just inject CO2, etc. etc. as long as it ends up having similar qualities of champagne made in France. From the FDA's website:

The term "champagne" when used alone and apart from any qualifying or descriptive words has been commonly understood to describe an effervescent or sparkling wine produced in a Province of France, the gas therein being the result of natural fermentation.

In the case of U.S. v. Schraubstadter et al. the Court indicated that a wine having substantially the same qualities as the champagne manufactured in France and produced substantially in the same way, originating in California, should not be held to be misbranded if labeled "California Champagne."

...

POLICY:

The word "champagne" is objectionable when used to describe such products as soda water, artificially carbonated grape juice, artificially carbonated sweet cider, or similar beverages, and may cause such beverages to be misbranded.

Source: https://www.fda.gov/regulatory-information/search-fda-guidance-documents/cpg-sec...

>83 Narilka:
I love the “Policy” section. :-)

>81 pgmcc: "... is more than seventy-five miles from the shore. Fresh fish is readily available."

You're lucky. I live some 20 miles from the sea, but here in Durban "fresh" fish is frozen and comes mostly from Cape Town, 1200 miles away.

>85 hfglen: I agree we are very lucky. We have even found a fishmonger based on Howth pier that delivers to our house. We have ordered from them a couple of times since the pandemic started. Before that we would drive to Howth and buy fresh fish from the four fishmonger shops on the pier. The trawlers that bring the catches in are moored within sight of the shops.

>84 pgmcc: Yeah, some policy lol If the date on the page is accurate it was created in 1980 and never been updated.

>80 Narilka: I do read before going to sleep, and yes if I finish I don't go right to review then, but do get to it the next day. I finish much more often mid-afternoon these days, after breakfast my first session online, lunch, and my second session online. But the temptation to finish up before going to sleep is still strong.

>88 quondame: I usually write my review as soon as possible after finishing a book also. If I finish shortly before bed, I don't usually write the entire review, but I actually do get up to type some quick bullet points that I can turn into a review the next day. Once in a great while I’ll get carried away and end up writing the whole review, but usually I’m satisfied with the bullet points. I can do those very fast since I don't have to worry about making them intelligible to anybody else; I just need enough to jog my memory. Sometimes one bullet point will only consist of a word or two. Other bullet points might be more wordy if I have a precise phrasing in mind that I want to use in my review.

I’ve found that, if I don’t write down something after finishing a book, I can have trouble falling asleep because I keep composing my review in my head. After I feel like I have my thoughts down in writing so I won’t forget them, I can sleep. ;) I don’t always bother if it was a mediocre book that I don’t have many thoughts about, though.

>89 YouKneeK: An entire review of mine isn't much more than a bullet point for someone else. It usually benefits from a bit of a sit, just enough for the impression to set and not evaporate, which can happen quickly. I mostly comment on the pace I perceived the pace to be. I like fast, but not blurringly speeded up.

About the best we can do in the US is to read the ingredients label. A company can say anything they want on the packaging, but the ingredients are to be listed in order of quantity. So on a package of "Healthful Oaties Cereal" you may find in the ingredients listed that sugar is first or second. With corn right behind.

>83 Narilka: Isn't the label 'California Champagne' enough to say it isn't the real thing? Also, are you saying that companies can label, parmesan, as Italian if it isn't from Italy?

>91 MrsLee: Ingredient labels are our best defense! The list of things they put in some foods is ridiculous.

>92 Karlstar: >83 Narilka: The French took massive exception when a South African Champagne had the effrontery to win an international competition ahead of all theirs some years back. So now ours has by law to be labelled "MCC" (Méthode Cap Classique). Here we all know what it is and that it costs on average just under half as much as the imported product.

>93 hfglen: Are South African champagnes simply a matter of method (i.e. MCC) or of the grape used as well?

>95 -pilgrim-: It varies. All MCC (we have el-cheapo fizz as well) use exactly the same method as French champagne. The best use the same grapes, with up to 4 years on lees; others, generally from warmer areas, have problems sourcing cool-climate grapes such as Pinot Noir.

>92 Karlstar: I personally think "California Champagne" is enough to know that it's not the real thing. Not sure a lot of education goes on in this country though and some are only labeled "Champagne" and you have to read the fine print on the back of the bottle to see "Produced in California" or similar. As to labeling Parmesan as Italian if it's not from Italy, I don't think they can though they can just label it as Parmesan.

Now I'm sorry I googled this one. Here's the FDA standard for Parmesan in our country: https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/cfrsearch.cfm?fr=133.16...

There is no reference to country of origin in the regulation. The milk used can be bleached with peroxide! Awesome!! And then it's just listed as "milk" in the cheese ingredients.

That's for buying the whole cheese. Things get worse if you buy pre-grated: https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/CFRSearch.cfm?fr=133.14...

Composition. (1) Each cheese ingredient used is present at a minimum level of 2 percent of the weight of the finished food. Does this mean grated cheese only has to be 2% real cheese??

(c) Optional ingredients. The following safe and suitable ingredients may be used: ...(4) Flavorings other than those which, singly or in combination with other ingredients, simulate the flavor of cheese of any age or variety. That makes me feel warm and fuzzy.

Ingredient labels are a great start as far as they go. Seems there are plenty of loop holes to leave out things though.

I remember getting a packet of cheese slices in Boston. When I read the label it called the contents, "cheese flavoured slices".

>98 pgmcc: Ugh. That sounds horrible.

75. Spectre's Rest by Nick Moseley



Spectre's Rest, the third book in The Brackenford Cycle, takes a grim turn as Trev sets off with Desai, a Custodian, to the supernatural prison Spectre's Rest to interview a high-profile fugitive that has recently been captured. The fugitive swears he has information of vital importance to the Custodians and will only speak with Trev about it. Once they arrive it's obvious there is something wrong with the prison. Long kept secrets are about to impact everyone - prison staff, inmates and visitors - in unexpected ways.

This feels like a turning point in the series. This story is much darker than we've seen previously. What's different this time is Spectre's Rest is essentially a closed room mystery where the tension of figuring out "who dunnit" relentlessly builds until it becomes apparent that the likelihood of a solution that doesn't kill a lot of people seems remote. Trev is also separated from his normal companions for most of the book so while he is as snarky as ever, the witty banter between Trev and the rest of the cast isn't there. I missed it tremendously.

Moseley weaves an intriguing tale, adding more layers to the world he's created and provides us with more clues as to what's really happening in Brackenford. I think we might finally have a lead on who the ultimate bad guy is. We also gain a better understanding of where Sarah fits in the bigger picture. I feel bad for Trev! Speaking of, Trev continues to grow as he continues to become little more heroic. I really hope based on experiences in this book that people start to trust him more. It was very frustrating that he wasn't believed as he was trying to raise the alarm of all the weird stuff happening in the prison. My fingers are crossed.

The author sure knows how to write exciting endings. This one was an emotional roller coaster on top of all the action. I was so sad about Oscar! Then when he finally did reincarnate I was still somewhat sad as I had hoped he'd been set free to return to his own dimension. I think it's going to be a bumpy ride to the end of the series.

Rating:

>97 Narilka: This explains why some 'grated parmesan' tastes like sawdust. I avoid the stuff in the green(?) can, we've found some good quality ones at the grocery store that appear to actually be some variety of parmesan-like cheese.

>101 Karlstar: Cellulose is code for wood pulp on ingredient labels in the US. I have definitely seen it on grated and shredded cheese labels.

76. Minor Mage by T. Kingfisher



Oliver is a very minor mage. He only knows three spells and has an armadillo for a familiar. That doesn't stop him from setting off on a quest to bring rain back to his drought-stricken village when the villagers demand Oliver's help. Oliver is the only mage they have.

I don't care what the editor thinks, this is a charming middle grade tale about believing in yourself, doing the right thing and helping your friends. The story is told in a style that reminds me of one of Grimm's Fairy Tales, including some scary moments and a couple deep themes. It's an interesting blend of lightheartedness and melancholy as Oliver travels on his quest, making some profound realizations about the world.

Oliver is 12 years old and a determined hero even though he has self doubts. This makes him highly him relatable. Who didn't have doubts when they were that age? Or your current age for that matter? I know I did and do. The armadillo is wonderfully snarky and a loyal companion for his minor mage. Oliver meets some interesting people on his journey, including a young bard named Trebastian. Vernon's creativity is amazing. I have no idea how she thought up his very odd ability of making harps. I would read a whole book based on that idea.

Rating:

77. Magic Steals by Ilona Andrews



Magic Steals is a novella in the Kate Daniels series featuring Jim and Dali. The story is set while Kate, Curran and several members of the Pack are away in Europe taking care of things in Magic Rises. Dali is drawn into an investigation when a young woman knocks on her door desperate to find her missing grandmother. Jim is concerned enough by the dark magic that Dali uncovers to help investigate.

It's been a while since I read anything in the Kate Daniels universe and it was nice being back briefly in alternate Atlanta. It was great getting a second look into Dali and Jim's characters which I enjoyed a lot more this time. Jim is bad ass as ever! Dali is such a sweetheart and it's frustrating how insecure she is. She's a were-tiger for crying out loud with rare Indonesian magic! Good thing Jim's there to help her out and give her a hilarious pep talk. Overall it was a satisfying little mystery and romance.

Rating:

>104 Narilka: So I went and checked that one out!

>105 quondame: Hope you enjoy it :)

Stolen from fuzzi who stole it from SandyAMcPherson's thread, who stole it from RD’s thread, who stole it from PC's thread.

***

1. Name any book you read at any time that was published in the year you turned 18:
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

2. Name a book you have on in your TBR pile that is over 500 pages long:
The Way of Kings

3. What is the last book you read with a mostly blue cover?
Hangman's Pond

4. What is the last book you didn’t finish (and why didn’t you finish it?)
Tigana The story bored me and found myself looking for any excuse to set it aside.

5. What is the last book that scared the bejeebers out of you?
This is hard. I remember American Psycho creeping me out.

6. Name the book that read either this year or last year that takes place geographically closest to where you live? How close would you estimate it was?
Magic Steals, within 50 miles

7.What were the topics of the last two nonfiction books you read?
Food and entrepreneurship

8. Name a recent book you read which could be considered a popular book?
Death on the Nile

9. What was the last book you gave a rating of 5-stars to? And when did you read it?
The Return of the King Sept 2020

10. Name a book you read that led you to specifically to read another book (and what was the other book, and what was the connection)
I read a lot of fantasy series and tend to be a completionist so you can pick something from at least half the books I've read

11. Name the author you have most recently become infatuated with.
Jonathan Maberry

12. What is the setting of the first novel you read this year?
The city of Karthain

13. What is the last book you read, fiction or nonfiction, that featured a war in some way (and what war was it)?
The Return of the King - the war for Middle Earth

14. What was the last book you acquired or borrowed based on an LTer’s review or casual recommendation? And who was the LTer, if you care to say.
I have no idea. I should start tracking book bullets.

15. What the last book you read that involved the future in some way?
Murder by Other Means

16. Name the last book you read that featured a body of water, river, marsh, or significant rainfall?
Heaven's River

17. What is last book you read by an author from the Southern Hemisphere?
The Day Guard

18. What is the last book you read that you thought had a terrible cover?
The Dragon Factory

19. Who was the most recent dead author you read? And what year did they die?
Agatha Christie, 1976

20. What was the last children’s book (not YA) you read?
Does middle grade count? If so, Minor Mage

21. What was the name of the detective or crime-solver in the most recent crime novel you read?
Hercule Poirot The Mysterious Affair at Styles

22. What was the shortest book of any kind you’ve read so far this year?
Dog Days

23. Name the last book that you struggled with (and what do you think was behind the struggle?)
Deadly Sweet Tooth I never really connected with the characters

24. What is the most recent book you added to your library here on LT?
Manners & Mutiny

25. Name a book you read this year that had a visual component (i.e. illustrations, photos, art, comics)
Still reading, L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future 34 has beautiful illustrations

BONUS QUESTION!
26. What is the title and year of the oldest book in your physical library that you have reviewed on LT?
Tricky question. The oldest book that I own based on the year the edition I have was printed? Or oldest based on the year it was originally published though the copy I own is much newer?

>107 Narilka: That looks fun! I might add to the chain of thefts if I have time later, although I wouldn’t have answers for some of the questions. My answers to 10 and 14 would be similar to yours.

>108 YouKneeK: It will be fun to see your answers if you do :)

>107 Narilka: Oh, that was a lot of fun to read. My answers would also feature some Agatha Christie.

I have a conundrum and need some advice from fellow Dragoneers.

I really want to read the Stormlight Archives and have been resisting, trying to wait for the first arc to complete to binge all 5 books at once. Has anyone read Rhythm of War yet? Does it end in a cliff hanger??? I'm seriously thinking to put Stormlight into my 2021 rotation but don't want a cliff hanger and to be waiting 3 years for the final book.

I can neither confirm nor deny that I might have bought Rhythm today :D

>111 Narilka: Given that each one is 900 odd pages you probably want to give yourself a few years to get to the final ones. None of the first three have ended on cliffhangers yet. Although oathbringer was somewhat less impressive than the first two, so I'm not too inspired to read rhythem.

>104 Narilka: does sound fun!

>112 reading_fox: Yeah, they are door stoppers. I have no idea how long a 1000+ page book would take me to get through :) Something to think about. Thanks for the input.

78. The King of Plagues by Jonathan Maberry



The King of Plagues is the third book in the Joe Ledger series by Jonathan Maberry. A secret organization calling themselves the Seven Kings is weaponizing modern versions of the ten plagues of Egypt to sow unrest and destabilize the world's economies in an attempt to profit from the chaos. It is up to Joe Ledger and the DMS to unravel the evil plan before millions die.

Overall, The King of Plagues is a slower yet fairly action packed entry into the Joe Ledger series. It was interesting to see bad guys from Patient Zero brought back to be this book's super villains. We get a lot of their point of view this time around, which is part of what slows the pacing down some. Also different is the story focuses entirely on germ warfare and bio terrorism, leaving out the fantastical elements of the first two novels. By keeping the story more real world and based on technology we have today, combined with the fact that we're in the midst of a highly virulent pandemic, events felt incredibly plausible and in this manner heightened the terror factor more than the previous books.

Luckily we know Joe will save the day. Joe is as bad ass as ever and I loved the additions to his team. While still sad about Grace, it was nice to get to know Cersi, a new scientist on the team. Meeting Aunt Sallie was everything I never expected it to be - she's pure awesome of a different sort. Ghost is easily the best DMS agent has, so loyal and fierce. Joe would not have done so well without Ghost watching his back. Church is as mysterious as ever even as we learn something knew about his background. What I really appreciated is that Joe is able to make peace with his decision to stay with the DMS and keep walking in the darkness to protect the light.

In the end, while Echo Team saves the day, plenty of dangling threads are left open leaving Maberry with a lot of options for where he wants to take his story next. I doubt this the last we've seen of the Kings or Nicodemus.

Rating:

>111 Narilka: >112 reading_fox: I agree with reading_fox, I was so disappointed with Oathbringer I may abandon the series. A giant book where a lot of words are wasted and it felt like I was being forced to read 800+ pages just to get to the part where something might happen.

>115 Karlstar: I felt the same way about book 1 and haven't read any further. I like Sanderson's stand alones and the second Mistborn series (starting with The alloy of law) but The way of kings just didn't work for me. Which is a shame because the series would have kept me occupied for years!

>116 Sakerfalcon: I'm a big fan of Alloy of Law. Much shorter, much more to the point, it is just a better book than the Stormlight Archive books.

>116 Sakerfalcon: >117 Karlstar: I've been waiting for him to start writing the 4th book of that one before I start it. I loved the original Mistborn trilogy and was very happy not to have to wait years between books :)

>114 Narilka: Wrong franchise but....
Go Joe!!!

79. The Crane War by Greame Rodaughan



All of the groundwork laid out in The Day Guard pays off in The Crane War, the fifth book in The Metaframe War by Graeme Rodaughan. Events pick up where the fourth book leaves off: the Order of Thoth has taken heavy losses; The Mirovar Force Team is plotting how to best use the newly discovered information about the Panopticon; Cornelius Crane is as paranoid as ever; Chloe continues to play the faithful servant while working on a solution to her implant problem. The action is non-stop and the schemes within each faction definitely keep things interesting.

One of Rodaughan's strength lies in his ability to write heart pounding cinematic action. The Crane War does the impossible by dialing up the intensity. The blending between various points of view and fighting styles is seamless. Once reaching the final third of the book it was hard to take breaks, there was so much constantly happening. I'm not sure if I was more impressed with Chiara's defense of the nemesis tower or Anton and Arthur's final showdown in the hanger at the end. All that was missing was a rampaging tank!

Plot-wise, I am enjoying the Vampire Dominion side of things a lot more than the Order of Thoth. Chloe and Crane's constant power plays against each other, with Chloe's meticulous scheming and Crane's inherent paranoia, are delightful. On the flip side, The Order of Thoth is feeling YA in an unpleasant way when compared to the vampires. I'm sure a lot of it has to do with most of the Mirovar team being teenagers, but still!

The new world building snippets we see are both great at answering questions and frustrating at what they don't answer. I loved finally getting to meet the myth himself, Arthur Slayne, and seeing more behind the loremaster ability. Chloe makes a great discovery that I hope gets delved into deeper in the next installment. The Red Empire takes a back seat while the Order and Dominion clash.

This was a satisfying read. Now starts the long wait for book six.

Rating:

80. Killing Lazarus by Nick Moseley



Once I commit to a series I stop reading the back of the book synopsis, preferring to go into each new installment blind. Because of this I was quite surprised to be given a story from Ezekiel Barker's point of view, the ambiguous villain from book two. Killing Lazarus, a novella in The Brackenford Cycle, is Barker's story of how he fares after events in Hangman's Pond and the odd job he takes in an effort to make ends meet while avoiding the Custodians.

Barker has a small mystery to unravel, one that keeps him questioning while we the reader see how things connect back to the main story. While Barker is an interesting character, I was really hoping for another story of one of the main cast given how most of them were missing in book 3. I don't doubt that Barker's actions will have an impact on the final book of the series. The only question is how big the impact will be to the finale to come. I think we're in for some surprises.

Rating:

Just so you know the touchstone for Crane War takes me to the Red Badge of courage. I seem to remember others talking about having problems recently with the touchstones...

>122 BookstoogeLT: Thanks. Fixed it.

November Series Update!

Progressed: 4
The Brackenford Cycle (x2)
Kate Daniels
Joe Ledger
Finishing School

Brought up to date: 1
The Metaframe War

Reviews pending: 1

81. Curtsies & Conspiracies by Gail Carriger



Gail Carriger has done it again. Curtsies & Conspiracies, the second book in the Finishing School series, is an absolute delight. I enjoyed this one even more than the first. The story opens with the girls returning to Madame Geraldine's just in time for the strangest mid-term exam ever, which Sophronia passes with flying colors. Making top marks isn't all it's cracked up to be as Sophronia's friends turn against her in apparent jealousy. Or is it? Is everything at this school a test? Before they know it, the School is heading to London for the season... and for a covert mission that has implications the supernatural and humans alike. With boys!

Hanging out with Sophronia and friends at Madame Geraldine's School is so much fun! Carriger's signature wit and clever dialogue are on full display, reminding me of my favorite parts of Parasol Protectorate though aimed at the YA crowd. With this trip to London Carriger is able to work in even more cameos by Parasol characters. Lord Akeldama is at his outrageous best and does not disappoint.

Life is definitely difficult for Sophronia with everyone, even Dimity, turned against her. She has finally realized the full value of her friendships. That doesn't stop Sophronia in the slightest from being up to her usual tricks and intelligencer activities. While I wasn't crazy about the start of a possible love triangle, parts of it are relevant to both Sophronia's training and the plot so it doesn't detract from the story too much. I love that even Bumbersnoot has an important role to play. I wish I could have my own Bumbersnoot.

Speaking of plot, there is one! It leans towards the political side and it's great to gain insight into Vampire society and hierarchy. There is a lot for Sophronia to figure out, all of which leads up to one of the best endings I could have hoped for. It's a good thing Countess Nadasdy is already (un)dead or the extreme excitement in her Hive might have been fatal due to the bad manners of it all. And best of all, Monique won't be returning to the school. Which does make me wonder who the new antagonist will be. I'm looking forward to seeing how Sophronia's education continues in the third book.

Rating:

>125 Narilka: Glad this is continuing so strong for you.

>125 Narilka: I'm very fond of the Finishing School series. If you're interested in audiobooks, the reader for this series is excellent. I only listen to audiobooks where I've already read the print, owing to my tendency to get distracted and lose the thread of the story, and I've listened to all of these more than once.

>126 BookstoogeLT: I'm happy too. YA is so hit or miss.

>127 tardis: I do enjoy audio books. I might look that up in the future.

82. Ready Player Two by Ernest Cline



Have you ever been excited and surprised by an unexpected sequel to a book that you thought was going to be stand alone? That's how I felt when I heard the news there was going to be a sequel to Ready Player One. I had no idea where the story would go but was game to give it a try, excited to head back to the OASIS for more adventures. Ready Player Two follows a similar plot line to the first book. Days after winning Halliday's contest, Wade discovers a secret vault that contains a technological advancement and a new quest that relies heavily on knowing pop-culture references the creator of the OASIS was in to, both of which will change the OASIS and humanity forever.

The biggest problem with the book is Wade Watts. In the first installment Wade was the underdog, geeky and likeable, easy to root for. In Ready Player Two Wade has turned into the very thing he was fighting against since winning Halliday's contest: a complete and utter corporate jerk. He kills people in game who say mean things about him, sometimes even going so far to ruin their real lives just because he can. He cyber-stalks his friends and other people he finds interesting, abusing the God-like powers granted to him as owner of the OASIS to invisibly listen in on private conversations. He releases new hardware that plugs directly into users brains without a second thought and believes he is helping make lives better by distracting people from the their real problems. He's also incredibly rude to his ex-girlfriend whe he's supposedly still in love with and learns tolerance to others via... porn. Right. This could have been offset if the supporting characters have been given more page time but unfortunately they aren't. This is all Wade's show.

After a lot of info dumps and being caught up on how low Wade has fallen, it takes about a third of the book before the new quest starts. The set up is silly and that's ok. This is where the story finally picks up and returns to the fun of the first novel. Yep, there is plenty of geekery, both from the 80's and other eras, though it's highly focused on seven very specific topics as part of the quest.

After doing some searches it appears Cline was trying to address criticisms from Ready Player One with this book. It's too bad as it takes away from the geeky magic he had achieved as his political commentary comes across as very heavy handed.

I listened to the audio book narrated by Wil Wheaton. He does a fantastic job and does what he can with the material.

Overall, Ready Player Two is entertaining and not the worst sequel I've read but doesn't recapture the magic of the first book. The story is fully wrapped up yet leaves enough concepts left to explore in the future should Cline decide to write more. I will likely give further entries to the series, if there are any, a pass.

Rating:

I was hoping to make this a catch up on reviews weekend but I've already run out of steam for today lol Three more to go. Hope I can get at least two more done tomorrow.

>129 Narilka: I was wondering about this one. I enjoyed the first one quite a bit, and I didn't really see what would logically follow. I think I'll probably look for it at some point, but not in a rush. Thanks for the thorough review!

>129 Narilka: Oh no. Well, I'm not surprised. The reviews I've seen so far were all rather harsh. :(

>129 Narilka: I was never interested in even the first book but the reviews from some of my wordpress friends has been less than stellar. Definitely has not done a thing to tempt me :-D

>129 Narilka: I’ve been moderately curious about Ready Player Two since I liked the first one, but I was skeptical whether I’d enjoy another book in the setting and whether the author had enough creativity to make it something fresh (in a good way) or just more of the same.

I really appreciate your review, because now I feel pretty confident in choosing to skip this one! I would have been annoyed by the changes in Wade’s character even if things improved later.

>133 BookstoogeLT: You should totally read it so we can enjoy your ranty review after :D ok, ok, your decision to avoid is a good one. I think you'd have problems with Wade's questionable morals if nothing else.

>131 Jim53:, >132 clamairy: Yeah, this book seems to have angered many fans.

>134 YouKneeK: Happy to help!

>125 Narilka: I read Etiquette and Espionage a few years ago and was not at all impressed. I think you have clarified what the problem was. I don't think Finishing School stands well alone, without a knowledge of The Parasol Protectorate (which I don't have).

I think what I experienced as "repeated introduction of possibly interesting characters who do nothing important and then vanish" are what you are experiencing as delightful cameos by well-loved characters!

>137 -pilgrim-: Yeah, I can see that making it a less enjoyable read.

83. Grindhelm's Key by Nick Moseley



Story threads start to come together in Grindhelm's Key, book four of The Brackenford Cycle. Trev finds he must make a decision he's been putting off for as long as possible: To commit to his supernatural life and join the Custodians or turn his back on it all forever. As if that wasn't enough pressure, Sarah's back in town and needing some sort of help, a psychotic walking corpse wielding a soul-sucking lantern is stalking him and Cled needs some help dealing with an elemental. Just another average week in Trev's double life.

Trev has come a long way in these four books. While still fairly reluctant, he's finally living up to the promise of the hero we all hope he'd become, consciously choosing to do the right thing and stand up for those in need of his help. In a small way I think Bad Trev helps with this, though that aspect can easily get out of hand. It's definitely something to keep an eye on.

Oscar the kitten has to be hands down my favorite at this point. So much mayhem and snark in one adorable, tiny package! And so many opportunities for for him to show up unexpectedly since his size lets him sneak around easier.

This story is jam packed with action that keeps the pace moving. Moseley continues to layer on the world building, adding even more unique twists to common urban fantasy staples, this time elementals and a fresh take on jack o'lantern. The tone continues to stay on the darker side though thankfully it's a little less bleak than Spectre's Rest. Now that events from previous books are weaving back in to the narrative, I'm excited to see where the story will go from here. I'm (im)patiently waiting for book 5.

Rating:

>129 Narilka: I didn't feel that Ready player one needed a sequel and was rather dismayed to see that Cline had written one. I will resist it.

>125 Narilka:, >137 -pilgrim-: I loved the Finishing School series and I haven't read anything else by Carriger. But I do enjoy boarding school stories and YA without too much angst or romance, and the series met both those needs.

84. Keep Moving by Dick Van Dyke



Keep Moving is Dick Van Dyke's memoir and ode to aging. Written as he was about to turn 90, Dick has a lot of opinions and advice on the subject. Most of it boils down to the title, Keep Moving! Stay active, keep doing those things you enjoy for as long as possible and let your inner child play so you can stay young at heart. I especially enjoyed the chapter where he briefly reviewed the historical events he's witnessed and wish this section had been longer. Still, all the anecdotes and advice are entertaining and enjoyable to read.

I listened to the audio book narrated by the author. Dick's joy and love of life comes through brilliantly both in his writing and narration. There are a couple sections where he reads off long lists and the points kind of blend together, which might have been better reading for yourself rather than listening.

Currently available on Audible Plus.

Rating:

>141 Narilka: I will add this to my audible pile. Thanks for the recommendation.

>141 Narilka: I'm in trouble then. I much prefer to sit on a couch and read all day :-D

>143 BookstoogeLT: I have learned to read while moving. I've taken books on walks. (Flat terrain only.) I've put them in bags and taken them into a pool, propped them up in an inflatable tube and kicked my way around for hours. These days I prop my Kindle up on the drink shelf of my treadmill and walk while reading.

>142 clamairy: Enjoy :)

>143 BookstoogeLT: Keeping the mind working is a kind of exercise right? Right?? :D

I'm such a book geek. The State of the Sanderson is out: https://www.brandonsanderson.com/state-of-the-sanderson-2020/

He's planning Wax & Wayne 4 for next year!!!!!! SQUEEEEEEE!!!

Which means, I'm turning 2021 into a Mistborn year. Be prepared for a lot of Sanderson reviews from me. I'm rereading Era 1 now and will probably do one a month here on out which means Mistborn for 6 months :) Annnnd Skyward 3 when it releases next summer. SQUEEEE :)

I've needed a creative outlet so picked up some coloring books and markers. Would you guys be interested in seeing completed pictures? I'm not that great with blending and think they turn out reasonably pretty anyway. I listen to audio books while I color so it's two hobbies in one :)

>146 Narilka: Thanks for the reminder. I went and read it. I just shook my head. He's doing too much. Which I wouldn't mind if it was all stuff I was interested in, but the Stormlight Archive didn't work for me, I don't care about movies or audio and several of his newer "series" haven't interested me either. Just finish up the stuff I want for goodness sake!

Sigh. "Arteests"....

>129 Narilka: I didn't much like Armada either, despite thinking RP1 was great fun. I probably would read it if I come across it.

>148 BookstoogeLT: The audio book company makes sense. I see it as a natural extension of his Dragonsteel publishing company. I wouldn't mind seeing some of his works translated to the large or small screen though I always view these things with trepidation as there are just too many bad movies made from great books.

>149 reading_fox: Maybe your library will have it available if at some point.

>150 Narilka: "...there are just too many bad movies made from great books."

But then you also get the occasional Forrest Gump - where the movie is far, far superior to the book. You're right though; more often than not it does seem to work out the other way around... ;)

>147 Narilka: One can never have too many pretty pictures, of course we want to see them!

>146 Narilka: VERY excited about Wax and Wayne 4!

>147 Narilka: Yes, of course!

>147 Narilka: The Green Dragon always welcomes more colour!

Ok! I'll get some photos this week :)

85. The Art of Invisibility by Kevin Mitnik



Do you use a cell phone? A tablet? Any "smart" devices? Drive a car manufactured in the 1980s or later? Use the internet? Have a job? Go shopping? Post on social media? Basically live in a modern society? You are being tracked. Constantly. Big Brother and Big Data are everywhere, collecting information about you and your habits every minute of every day. Some claim it's for the greater good, such as fitness devices providing health data, or to better target marketing, such as department stores texting you about sales as you shop. But what about less ethical reasons? Data breaches and successful hacking attempts are making headlines at a record rate.

Luckily there are things you can do to help protect yourself. Kevin Mitnick, a ex-convict turned ethical hacker, outlines steps you can take today in his book The Art of Invisibility. It is a practical guide and you don't need to be an IT guru to use Mitnik's advice, though having a basic understanding of computers is helpful. The book is broken into two sections. The first half provides the basics on how to protect yourself online, such as using secure passwords, installing browser add ons to increase security while surfing the web and not using free wifi networks for online banking (duh!). The second half is where things get really scary as Mitnick shows just how insecure all technology is, things we use every day without even thinking, how your job is monitoring you and even how recycling or selling old equipment can lead to identity theft. Lax security is everywhere and it's frightening just how unaware and/or accepting most of us are.

The good news is that true invisibility on the internet and in daily life is achievable though increasingly difficult as technology continues to evolve. It requires a lot of diligence, probably more than most people are willing to commit to. Mitnick offers enough advice for you to choose what level of privacy you'd like to acheive and how to go about it.

We are only as secure as the weakest link in the chain and that weakest link is us in a lot of cases due to ignorance. It's up to us to protect ourselves by staying informed. This book is a great place to start on your personal cyber security journey.

Rating:

86. Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson



Reread Dec 2020: I love rereading favorite books. I gain a new insight and greater appreciation on each read through. This time around I am blown away at Sanderson's meticulous planning. I love how he weaves in all the little hints to let us know exactly what is coming and still we readers don't connect the dots until afterwards. I also completely missed that this was a partial heist story on my original read through! The ending still gives me chills. What a great way to start a holiday week.

Original review from 2016 below.

-----------------------------------

For a thousand years the Lord Ruler has ruled the Final Empire as a god. Ash falls continuously during the day and mists rule the night. The Skaa people have been subjugated for so long they no longer have the will to fight back. Rumors of a survivor of the Lord Ruler's most brutal prison have emerged and hope is reignited. In the pits Kelsier "snapped" and came away with the powers of Allomancy, the power of a Mistborn. A brilliant criminal mastermind, Kelsier has turned his cunning to the ultimate plan: to overthrow the Lord Ruler and end the Empire.

Mistborn: The Final Empire is the first in Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn series. The book gets off to a slow start. We are gradually introduced to the world of the Final Empire and it's peoples as the foundation for the story. It didn't take long for me to get fully immersed in this new land of ash and mists. Sanderson is an extraordinary world builder. The atmosphere is oppressive and relentless. Ash falls continuously from the sky, creating a dreary wasteland. Green grass, flowers, trees with leaves of any color but brown are unheard of though there are hints they may have existed at one time. You get the feel of a wrongness to this world. Magic is real but only usable by Allomancers, an ability passed down from the nobility to their offspring. The magic is defined by the ability to "burn" metals - that is a person with Allomantic powers can ingest certain metals and use them as wells of hidden strengths. Each metal is aligned with a specific ability, either physical or mental, and it either pulls or pushes. This concept lays at the core of the story and is the basis of some amazing action scenes.

The story is told primarily from two points of view: Kelsier and Vin. Both characters are highly likable. Kelsier, the Survivor of Hathsin, is the brilliant mastermind and crew leader to a gang of misfits he has recruited to take part in his scheme. Naturally Kelsier is a Mistborn, an Allomancer who can use all the metals instead of just one. His experiences of a past betrayal and surviving the mines have made him fairly set in his beliefs. He also serves as mentor to Vin, a street urchin that Kelsier discovered and is training in the Allomantic arts to assist with his gang's job. Vin, the street urchin, goes on quite a character arc. She starts off as a half starved, highly suspicious and very untrusting. Through Kelsier's training and while playing her part of the crew Vin transforms into a highly competent and capable heroine. They were both a lot of fun to read. Both have their motivations well explained and are deep and complex individuals. Vin stole the show for me. She was highly sympathetic from the start and I was rooting for her the whole time. I felt a pride for the character as she overcame her lot in life and continued to grow throughout the story. I believe there is much more for us to discover about Vin in future books.

About the only downside is premise of the story is fairly conventional and has been done before: a hero from the oppressed masses rises up to lead a rebellion and overthrow the evil empire. Star Wars anyone? Yet Sanderson's telling of it is masterful. The book has something for everyone. Lots of action, a unique and way cool magic system, intrigue, politics, conspiracies, romance, believable characters and a fully realized world. I will definitely be continuing this series.

Remember, there's always another secret.

Rating:

>157 Narilka: So glad to hear it holds up to re-reads. I haven't re-read since it was originally released because I just didn't want to experience that "it was good because it was new" feeling.

>146 Narilka: Good to hear there will be another Wax and Wayne, I'm a big fan of that series. Thanks for the review on RP2 also, I had a feeling I was going to want to skip it, now that feeling is confirmed.

Just curious, what were some of the criticisms Cline was trying to address?

>159 Karlstar: Hmmm. Some articles that may or may not be helpful:
https://www.vox.com/culture/2018/3/26/17148350/ready-player-one-book-backlash-co...
https://aux.avclub.com/ready-player-two-tries-but-fails-to-make-up-for-the-pro-1...
https://slate.com/culture/2020/12/ready-player-two-review-ernest-cline-sequel.ht...
https://www.tor.com/2018/03/12/why-so-much-backlash-ready-player-one-is-basicall...
https://www.them.us/story/ready-player-two-panned-non-binary-sex

Seems mostly along the lines of glorifying toxic gamer culture, poor depictions of women and transphobia. IMO I don't think RP2 helped any of that at all.

Here's my most recent coloring page:



I need to figure out better lighting when taking these. It looks kind of dark.

>161 Narilka: Very pretty! I never had any coloring book skills even with simple kid-level drawings, so I would be abysmal at something as complicated as that!

>161 Narilka: I don't think that is too dark at all. Just subtle rather than strident.

>160 Narilka: Thanks, I checked those out. I can see what they are getting at.

>161 Narilka: Very nice!

>162 YouKneeK:, >163 -pilgrim-:, >164 Karlstar: Thanks!

Happy Holidays!

>166 Narilka: Same to you!

Completed this one over Christmas.

>169 Narilka: What kind of coloring "things" are you using for these? Markers, water colors, etc? And what brand?

>170 BookstoogeLT: I use alcohol markers. My current set is 120 colors from Shuttle Art: https://smile.amazon.com/Shuttle-Art-colors-Dual-Markers/dp/B078S2MVR2/ref=sr_1_...

There are a lot off different brands on Amazon that all look similar and also seem to have great reviews. I'm pretty happy with my purchase.

>171 Narilka: Very nice.

>171 Narilka: Thanks. I just ordered a sharpie set so I'll see how that goes for marking up the Doom minis. If they don't pan out, I might try this set.

Looking forward to that picture of Warbreaker!

>173 BookstoogeLT: Not sure how well alcohol markers will work on plastic figurines. You might want to look into a cheap acrylic paint set instead.

>174 Karlstar: I'll get that photographed and posted tomorrow.

My afternoon and evening got completely hijacked by a call from my sister. If all goes well I'm going to be an aunt :)

>177 Narilka: Congrats! :)

>177 Narilka: That is the best sort of time hijacking - congratulations!

>177 Narilka: Congrats!

>178 YouKneeK:, >179 -pilgrim-:, >180 Karlstar: Thanks!

Photos of Warbreaker! Purple foil on black leather was hard to capture. Hope some of it comes out. I also had a lot of "help" taking these photos. Both my boys found the process fascinating lol




Each chapter has decorated paragraph starters:



And there is beautiful interior art:

>182 Narilka: Oh, that’s really pretty! I don’t collect physical books and have never read Warbreaker, but even I can see the appeal of that one! :) It doesn’t hurt that I love dark purple.

>182 Narilka: Oh, that is gorgeous.

>182 Narilka: Wow, that's a nice one!

>169 Narilka: Very pretty.
>177 Narilka: Wonderful!
I know nothing of Warbreaker, but wouldn't it be lovely if all books were as prettily made as that one?

>186 MrsLee: Yes that would be lovely.

Some of my older coloring pages....









Tomorrow I need to get on with writing reviews. I have 3 currently outstanding.

>188 Narilka: These are all very pretty! The first one made me hungry for strawberries. :) How long do they typically take you to do?

Love your handiwork! Do you listen to anything in particular while coloring?

>182 Narilka: What a gorgeous book!

>189 YouKneeK: Hmmm. Something like 6-18 hours spread out across 2 days to 2 weeks. Depends on complexity of the design and whether I can fit in a couple hours of coloring at a time or if it has to be 30 minute chunks.

>190 clamairy: I listen to audiobooks while I color. So whatever is up in Post 1 under "Listening To" :) Which happens to be Paternus: War of Gods for the two most recently completed.

87. A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking by T. Kingfisher



Ursula Vernon (aka T. Kingfisher) has done it again. A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking is another whimsical middle grade story about Mona, a minor mage, who has to save her city with magical baking. Like any good tale it tackles a couple deeper themes and gets pretty dark now and then. Life can't be all dancing gingerbread men and malevolent sourdough starters!

14-year-old Mona is not having a good day. It all starts when Mona discovers a dead body in her aunt's bakery as she prepares for a day of work. There's an assassin on the loose, targeting people with magical powers no matter how minor. To make matters worse, the head Inquisitor intends to pin the crime on Mona!

I love how imaginative Vernon is with the magical powers she comes up with and how she puts them to use. As a magical baker Mona can ask muffins to be extra fluffy, soften bread that has hardened and make gingerbread men dance. She accidentally puts too much magic into some sourdough starter bringing it to life and now kept as a sort of pet in the bakery basement. It also makes the best sourdough in town. Mona does not want to be a hero, loving nothing more than to work in the bakery making baked goods all day. She has to face her fears and overcome her self doubts to learn how to use her magic in the defense of the city, though she's a bit resentful at being needed to do so since the people who should be saving the day or, better yet, preventing the situation from escalating out of control, have failed miserably. This seems like commentary on the state of the world, though I don't know if it was intended as such. The message that even the smallest talent can be incredibly useful when applied creatively is powerful. Plus, how can you not love a magical baker with a gingerbread man for a familiar?

The supporting characters are just as interesting as Mona. Spindle, a 10-year-old kid from the streets, is an expert thief and helps Mona survive when things go sideways. Knackering Molly has a crazy magical ability that turns out to be more powerful than original imagined. Don't mess with Aunt Tabitha!

I enjoyed my time with Mona and friends. Looks like I need to check out Summer in Orcus next.

Rating:

>182 Narilka: - that looks better than the story inside. I was always a little disappointed with warbreaker, it's such a clever idea but doesn't quite hold together as a plot.
>192 Narilka: - that sounds like fun and a perfect festive read.

88. Waistcoats & Weaponry by Gail Carriger



Waistcoats & Weaponry is the third book in Gail Carriger's Finishing School series. The girls end up on a train caper when they agree to help Sidheag return to Scotland to deal with a family matter. Along the way Sophronia uncovers a plot that could have dire consequences for all of England.

For the first time in this series the plot relies heavily on knowledge of events in Parasol Protectorate as they pertain to what happened with the Kingair Pack. While I think you might be able to get by without reading Parasol prior to the first two books, W&W might be an unsatisfying read for those who don't have the background on what's happening with the Pack and why it's such a big deal for our characters.

The love triangle that was hinted at previously unfortunately comes more to the forefront. Like Sophronia I wish everyone had stayed as they were. I enjoyed it a lot more when it was just harmless, practice flirting as part of Sophronia's education than trying to turn into a real romance. It seems the situation may be partially resolved by the end but, then again, maybe not. Time will tell on how Soap's transformation will impact their relationship going forward. For what it's worth I don't think Felix has a chance with Sophronia. She's not that traditional.

As much fun as the train caper is there is something missing from the story that I can't quite put my finger on. Maybe it is our characters growing up and I'm not ready to let them go yet. Or maybe it's my annoyance with the romance thread. That said, I'm looking forward to seeing how Sophronia finishes.

Rating:

89. The Gunslinger by Stephen King



The Gunslinger, the start of Stephen King's magnum opus The Dark Tower, is such a strange read. It's broken into 5 parts that read sort of like inter-related short stories that is also a semi-cohesive whole. The plot can be summarized by the book's opening line:

The man in black fled across the desert and the gunslinger followed.

Such a catchy opener! Too bad I had a hard time getting into the story. The reader is dropped into the middle of a weird, post-apocalyptic western-style world with very little explanation of who our characters are, what their motivations are or what's going on at all. As more of the gunslinger's background is revealed in flashbacks there are hints that there is some great purpose to this relentless hunt across the desert though this reader is still left wondering what that purpose is. Yes, the two finally meet and the man in black gives a long soliloquy philosophical that was quite interesting. It just wasn't enough to feel like any of my questions were answered at all. The gunslinger not a likable or sympathetic character, being ruthless in his pursuit of the man in black, making for a frustrating read. The most enjoyable part of the book are the world that is similar to ours yet different enough to be unsettling in a way I ended up liking.

I have been told that this is the weakest book in the series and encouraged to give the second book a try before deciding if I want to stop. I admit I am curious to see where the story goes next though I'm in no great rush to continue.

Rating:

December series update!

Started: 1
Mistborn Era 1

Started yet undecided on continuing: 1
The Dark Tower

Progressed: 1
Finishing School

Brought up to date: 1
The Brackenford Cycle

Completed: 2
Ready Player One
Paternus

Reviews pending: 1

>195 Narilka: I too struggled a bit with The Gunslinger but found it worth powering through to get to Book #2, (I actually gave up on Book #1 on my initial attempt but came back to it later before continuing with the rest of the series). The Drawing of the Three takes the story to another level and begins to explain the world in greater detail. I guess I am agreeing with the advice you have already received that you should at least give the 2nd installment a chance before stopping.

The other favorite from that series, (for me), was #4, Wizard and Glass, which is almost all back story. The one I enjoyed the least was #5, Wolves of the Calla. I would rate the titular The Dark Tower and The Gunslinger in a tie for the 2nd weakest. Other readers have had markedly different reactions... ;-)

For what it's worth, I too rated The Gunslinger at My very short review at the time, (January of 2013):

"A good setup for what follows but slower and less focused in places than I am used to seeing from King. Nevertheless, an intriguing start to an epic fantasy story."

My highest rating was for books #2 and #4. The rest were or lower. Star ratings are very subjective though. I tend to think of 2.5 as 'Average', when viewed on a 1-10 scale.

>195 Narilka: I gave up on the series after the first book as well. And when someone whose taste I trusted went on a rampage about the final book, I felt very justified in abandoning it where I did :-D

2020 year end stats!

2020 General
Books Read: 90
Total Pages Read: 23672
Audio Book Hours: 213h 18m
Rereads: 11
TBR Challenge: 11/12
Reviews Pending: 1

Ratings
Overall Average: 3.9

2.5 stars: 2
3 stars: 11
3.5 stars: 19
4 stars: 35
4.5 stars: 15
5 stars: 8

I'm either very forgiving in my ratings or am really good at picking things I know I'll like. Probably a combination. Not a bad thing either way :)

The 5 Star List
Paternus: War of Gods by Dyrk Ashton
Creativity, Inc by Ed Catmull
Terminus by Peter Clines
The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow
The Return of the King by JRR Tolkien
The Two Towers by JRR Tolkien
The Fellowship of the Ring by JRR Tolkien
Magician's Gambit by David Eddings

Half the list is rereads of old favorites. I guess I shouldn't be surprised. If any year needed comfort reads it was 2020!

2020 Never Ending Series
In progress: 15
Up to date: 14
Completed: 13
Abandoned: 4

Mount TBR
Start 2020: 200
End 2020: 211

I didn't over buy as many books as I thought I would. Still, I'd love to see this number go down in 2021.

Other Random Stuff according to GoodReads
Shortest Book: The Ghost's Story @ 64 pages
Longest Book: Paternus: War of Gods @ 852 pages

Average book length: 333 pages

Most Popular: The Fellowship of the Rings with 3.1M people shelved (Just over 43k cataloged on LT)
Least Popular: Grindhelm's Key with 42 people shelved (I have the only copy cataloged on LT at this time)

Highest Rated on GRs: Paternus: War of Gods with an 4.63 average rating

Reading Plans for 2021?
I'm terrible at keeping to reading plans but let's give it a shot anyway.

• I'll be wrapping up the Finishing School series off the bat as I started the final book this morning.
• I'd like to try out Riyria Revelations, Gods of Blood and Powder, and Cradle.
• With Brandon Sanderson stating he'll be finally writing the final Wax & Wayne book this year, this is likely to be a Mistborn reading year. Just waiting for that progress bar to appear on his website before committing.
• Looking forward to some new releases: Dark Jewels #11 & Skyward #3 are on the top of my TO BUY list
• Reduce that Mount TBR number
• Complete some series I've had in progress for over a year now

>199 Narilka: I hope you enjoy the Riyria Revelations. I thoroughly enjoyed them and liked the prequel series, Chronicles, just as much.

One final post on my old thread to review the last book I read in 2020.

90. Paternus: War of Gods by Dyrk Ashton



I described book 1 as "Take every myth ever, put them in a high speed blender, pick up where their eon spanning war most recently left off and drop it all on top of two unsuspecting college kids volunteering at a nursing home" and book 2 as "Higher stakes, bigger and bloodier action, and even more mythology packed into a story that I seriously thought already featured just about every world myth ever." I didn't think it was possible and I have no idea how he did it. Dyrk Ashton pulled out all the stops, cranking up the dial on everything I loved about the two installments by adding even more myths, raising the stakes yet again and packing an emotional punch in the best way possible. Paternus: War of Gods is insanely epic and a highly satisfying end to the Paternus trilogy.

With a blood-curdling cry, the Deva charge down the slope, and the final battle of the last Great War begins in earnest.

The story picks up where the last book leaves off. There's not much time for Fi, Zeke, Peter and the rest to mourn their losses. The Maha yuga is coming to an end and the Deva must finish their preparations before meeting their enemies in battle, the outcome of which will ripple across multiple worlds.

There are so many things I loved about this book it is making it difficult to write this review. If I go on about everything I enjoyed, we'd be here all day. To keep it simple, let me try a top 5 list:

• Fi and Zeke's training as they discover their own powers and learn how to use them
• Meeting the twins, who are hilarious and bad ass in equal measure
• The Prathamaja Nandana
• Incredible, cinematic battles
• How emotionally invested I got with the characters, both Deva and Asura

The first half of the book, while not lacking in action or drama, is the calm before the storm. Once the battle begins, all hell breaks loose. This is war. No characters are safe and there are plenty of surprises to be had in the chaos of battle. Consider yourself warned.

I finished this series as I began, with the audio book narrated by Nik Magil. Magil picked up the gauntlet thrown down by Ashton and successfully kept the ever expanding cast of character's voices distinct from each other. Job well done.

I'm going to have to give mythology-based fantasy a break for a while as I don't think other books will be able to stand up compared to what Ashton has achieved with War of Gods. For UF fans or anyone who enjoys mythology-based fantasy and also enjoys well written action, you need to give this series a try. For me, the Paternus trilogy has placed Dyrk Ashton as one of my favorite independent authors. I'm looking forward to whatever Ashton writes next.

Rating:

>201 Narilka: Oh, a series I haven't heard of and it sounds just the sort of thing I might like. Whee!

>202 quondame: Hope you enjoy it! The author just released an omnibus. Be warned, the first 30% or so of the first book is a bit rough as the author works to find his voice. It's worth pushing through.

>203 Narilka: Thanks!