Without further ado, the book list:
The Thirteenth House by Sharon Shinn: This is "A Novel of the Twelve Houses," which basically means it's part of the same series as Mystic and Rider. Some of you may remember that was the only book I read last month. It continues the story of the people from the last book but tells it through a different character's perspective this time: Kirra. She is part of the nobility but is also a mystic, which lowers her status and would lower it even more were it not for her father and her sister. After her sister is announced heir to her father's lands, Kirra, a shape shifter, offers to go to the summer social season disguised as her sister. She falls in love the Regent of the Realm and has an affair. It's all quite delicious if you ask me, but pure fluff, as so much of what I read is these days. My favorite quote from the book is this: "'I don't care,' he said. 'I look at you and I see heartache, and I don't care. I think of you, and I know loving you will hurt everyone else I love, and I don't care. You may end up hating me, and I may end up mourning you the rest of my life, and I don't care.'" It goes on to talk about how much he loves her and she can't run away from that, but it's rather mushy, so I left it off. Personally, I love love that loves folly. I have alwyas rather felt a lot of compassion for Edna St. Vincent Millay when she says, "Yet women's ways are witless ways/ as any sage will tell/and what am I that I should love/so wisely and so well?" This book really resonated with me. If you like romances and fluffy fantasy novels, you will probably enjoy it as well.
Dark Moon Defender by Sharon Shinn: This is yet another novel of the twelve houses. It is told through the eyes of Justin, one of the Riders who has served with Kirra and Senneth and the rest and through the eyes of Ellynor, a novice at the Luminen convent. I won't give away the "surprise" about Ellynor, even though I knew it from the moment the book brought her in. I thought it was going to be really dreadful because I felt Justin was probably my least favorite character, but it really helped to have Ellynor's story intertwined. In addition, Justin wound up having hidden depths. These are, apparently, all romances set against the backdrop of a country on the brink of civil war, so the plot moves the world closer to that war while the characters fall for each other in droves. I would be surprised if the next book isn't about Cammon because the author seemed to be laying the foundations for a story devoted to him. On the whole, these books ruin my life because I can't put them down until I've finished them, and now I have to wait until she writes another one. I recommend this series.
His Last Bow by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle: More Sherlock Holmes awaits you in this book. It was somewhat less interesting than the earliest ones that got me hooked on Sherlock Holmes but somewhat more interesting than the last one I read. I personally enjoy these books a great deal, but I can only take them in small doses because after awhile, they all read the same. I also am starting to wish Doyle would have just gotten over his love/hate relationship with the character, admitted he was a sellout, and stopped trying to end the series and then find creative ways to bring it back again. I did enjoy the character development, though. The introduction put me on the look-out for the small glimpses into Holmes's heart, and I enjoyed those moments a lot. I wouldn't start Sherlock Holmes here, but then, the series isn't meant to start here. I recommend it, but not as highly as my other two reads this month.
Well, kids, that is it for the books. Happy reading and feel free to share your own picks in the comments.
Posted by LoWriter at November 1, 2006 08:30 AMok... i didnt mean to do it, but only read one book in full this month. excuses? yes. plenty. my list includes: the ground beneath her feet (a 600 page heavy hitter - i'm 150 pages from the end), and fortress of solitude (a 16 hour audiobook of which i have 1.5 hours left). my work reading was my savior.
interpreter of maladies by jhumpa lahiri
short stories by an award-winning, first time author. lahiri is really freaking good. she's got a nack for portraying the intricacies of humanity in a bright, warm light. all are stories that involve indian immigrants in the usa. all are worth your time. perhaps i'm pushing too hard here, but hell, it's the only book i finished in october!!
I read a bit this month, of course so here it goes:
Anne's House of Dreams, the 5th book in the series which occurs after Anne & Gilbert get married. It is an interesting backwards glance into our history - I espcially found it interesting that the author never uses the word pregnant or even mentions the pregnancy, suddenly Anne just has a child, or two, and looking back you notice that she might have mentioned Anne's 'condition' once or twice - but not in a obvious way (like saying pregnant or with child). To be honest, I was quite tierd of these books by this one and though good, it isn't as good as any of the first four. I am holding off reading six until I can get some other books in.
Poison Study by Maria Snyder. First time book by a SciFi author, it is an admirable first outing, but though the story is interesting it isn't as engaging as Sharon Shinn. It is written in the first person and yet doesn't touch you. All of the mysteries are easy to figure out and not particularly original. I am hoping the second book is better, but I will wait until it is in paperback to read it.
Dark Moon Defender by Sharon Shinn. I sped through this one just because I wanted to see what happened. I have to admire Sharon's way of stretching herself, her last two books have played with plotlines in a way she hasn't done before. She has played with the woman as warrior and leader in a relationship (Mystic & Rider) for the first time she has had a character engaged in a extramarital affair with a non-happy but oh so satisfying ending (Thirteenth House) and now she has changed it up by leaving out key pieces of the plot for you to find out later. For example: you know that one character is going to fight with the family members of another character, but she doesn't include the scene in the book. I understand why, and it works well. I just admire an author for stretching. Lo refers to these as fluff, but I think they do try and tell something about the human condition. Besides which, I love a good story.
Eva Moves the Furniture by Margot Livesley. Amazing, this book made me cry in public (thanks book!) and it was just sooooo amazing. Read it, love it, now! I wrote about it more on the board.
I didn't include the ones I started and stopped or anything, because sometimes I'll re-read a book for a day and then decide 'not again right now'. Have a great one!
Posted by: 10lees at November 1, 2006 12:58 PM