In Which I Continue My Broken Ankle Recovery...

Last July I broke my ankle. It was horrible and lead to a hospital stay because I needed to have surgery. Then I spent months recovering... Today I went to a follow-up to find out that I need to have surgery again. It won't require a hospital stay this time, but I just want things to go back to normal. Unfortunately I seem to have lost my range of motion, so it is hard to say what the new normal is... So, what do you do when your day is depressing? Buy books!

 (I actually read this on Scribd last year, but they never got the other books in this series. I want to reread this book and move on to the rest of the series!)

Books for Christmas - 2015

Christmas tradition time! I didn't get quite as many books this year as in previous years, but it is still fun to share...

I had this pre-ordered, but then I cancelled a bunch of my pre-orders... So, I got it now.

From acclaimed, award-winning author Jo Walton: Philosopher Kings, a tale of gods and humans, and the surprising things they have to learn from one another. Twenty years have elapsed since the events of The Just City. The City, founded by the time-traveling goddess Pallas Athene, organized on the principles espoused in Plato's Republic and populated by people from all eras of human history, has now split into five cities, and low-level armed conflict between them is not unheard-of. 

The god Apollo, living (by his own choice) a human life as "Pythias" in the City, his true identity known only to a few, is now married and the father of several children. But a tragic loss causes him to become consumed with the desire for revenge. Being Apollo, he goes handling it in a seemingly rational and systematic way, but it's evident, particularly to his precocious daughter Arete, that he is unhinged with grief. 

Along with Arete and several of his sons, plus a boatload of other volunteers--including the now fantastically aged Marsilio Ficino, the great humanist of Renaissance Florence--Pythias/Apollo goes sailing into the mysterious Eastern Mediterranean of pre-antiquity to see what they can find―possibly the man who may have caused his great grief, possibly communities of the earliest people to call themselves "Greek." What Apollo, his daughter, and the rest of the expedition will discover…will change everything.

Had kind of stalled on this series! (Not because it is bad, but just other things getting in the way!)

This volume of the critically-acclaimed AMERICAN VAMPIRE follows the star of AV Volumes 1 and 2, Pearl, and her husband Henry, as he is recruited by a mysterious group of vampire hunters, off to World War II Japan to find a new breed of blood sucker. But what does the notorious vampire Skinner Sweet have to do with it?

Yep. Another one!

AMERICAN VAMPIRE flashes back to two very distinct points in American history. The first tale comes from the early 1800's with the "The Beast in the Cave" featuring art by the legendary Jordi Bernet (Torpedo, JONAH HEX). Learn about the original American Vampire, Skinner Sweet, and his involvement in the brutal Indian Wars, and an ancient evil hidden in the heart of the Old West. Plus, more about the man Skinner used to call his best friend - James Book! 

The second tale comes straight from 1950s America, where AMERICAN VAMPIRE is terrorizing the suburbs with hot rods, teenyboppers and fangs! "Death Race" focuses on ferocious new vampire hunter Travis Kidd - but what is his connection to Skinner Sweet? As the story comes to a violent end, a sworn enemy's identity is finally revealed, and lots of blood is spilled!

Another series I stalled on...

The critically acclaimed, smash-hit series rolls on with this collection of the blockbuster third arc, "P.E.!" The first days were just the beginning - when the faculty cancels classes and sends the students on an outing in the nearby woods, all hell breaks loose, sending the Glories on a mysterious journey through time and space. Nothing is what it seems to be as Academy's hold on the kids collapses and new threats emerge!

Got another one in this series at the same time as well.

Still reeling from the climactic events of "P.E.," the Glories find themselves lost in time and space, confronted by a new group of students who might be even more dangerous than the faculty themselves - the truants! Questions are answered and new mysteries emerge as Season One comes to a shocking end! Collects Morning Glories #20-25.

I have his other two books in hardcover, so wanted to grab this while it was still easy to get in hardcover. Such a pretty book!

Two seemingly unrelated stories--one in words, the other in pictures--come together. The illustrated story begins in 1766 with Billy Marvel, the lone survivor of a shipwreck, and charts the adventures of his family of actors over five generations. The prose story opens in 1990 and follows Joseph, who has run away from school to an estranged uncle's puzzling house in London, where he, along with the reader, must piece together many mysteries.

My friend gave me the first 5 books in this series, so I figured I should grab the last two. I find that once the year gets going, I buy mostly new releases and neglect backlist.

The reign of the Capetian kings has ended and John II, ‘The Good’, second of the Valois dynasty, has taken the throne. Under his leadership the Hundred Years War, one of the longest and bloodiest conflicts in history, escalates and England and France begin to tear each other apart. 

Cardinal Périgord, narrating the drama, shows us a monarch as vain and cruel as he is incompetent. Under his turbulent reign, warring factions plunder the land, famine threatens the people and the Black Death spreads far and wide. France is bleeding to death around the new king.

I accidentally have book 7 before book 6, but you get the idea...

The royal house of France has fallen. Charles IV is dead, fulfilling the curse of the Templars once and for all. This leaves the path to the throne open for Robert of Artois to place his cousin, Philippe of Valois, upon it. Having committed fraud, perjury and murder in the name of the new king, Robert expects to receive a title and his full reward.

But the days of betrayal are far from over and Robert is banished to England. In the land of France’s enemies vengeance sparks fresh conflict as King Edward III and his new ally prepare for war. As swords are sharpened the lion wakes and a pretender threatens France once more …

Instead of ordering this after the fact, I actually received it as a gift.

From the New York Times and internationally bestselling author of The Secret Keeper and The Distant Hours, an intricately plotted, spellbinding new novel of heartstopping suspense and uncovered secrets.

Living on her family’s idyllic lakeside estate in Cornwall, England, Alice Edevane is a bright, inquisitive, innocent, and precociously talented sixteen-year-old who loves to write stories. But the mysteries she pens are no match for the one her family is about to endure…

One midsummer’s eve, after a beautiful party drawing hundreds of guests to the estate has ended, the Edevanes discover that their youngest child, eleven-month-old Theo, has vanished without a trace. What follows is a tragedy that tears the family apart in ways they never imagined.

Decades later, Alice is living in London, having enjoyed a long successful career as an author. Theo’s case has never been solved, though Alice still harbors a suspicion as to the culprit. Miles away, Sadie Sparrow, a young detective in the London police force, is staying at her grandfather’s house in Cornwall. While out walking one day, she stumbles upon the old estate—now crumbling and covered with vines, clearly abandoned long ago. Her curiosity is sparked, setting off a series of events that will bring her and Alice together and reveal shocking truths about a past long gone...yet more present than ever.

A lush, atmospheric tale of intertwined destinies, this latest novel from a masterful storyteller is an enthralling, thoroughly satisfying read.

I am going to be lazy and just mention I received books 3-8 in this series as a gift. So excited!

And then I bought a few e-books:

Nymeth mentioned this one and it sounds like a 'me' book.

A history of the fantasy form, this work traces the genre from the earliest years with The Epic of Gilgamesh and The Odyssey through to the origins of modern fantasy in the 20th century with such acclaimed writers as Terry Pratchett and J. K. Rowling. An exploration of the great variety of fiction published under the heading “fantasy,” this engaging study seeks to explain its continuing and ever growing popularity.

We are watching the show, so I decided to try the comics. For some reason the trade copies are on the pricey side, so I got the first two as e-books.

Meet Jessica Jones. Once upon a time, she was a costumed super hero — but not a very good one. Her powers were unremarkable compared to the amazing abilities of the costumed icons that populate the Marvel Universe. In a city of Marvels, she never found her niche. The self-destructive would-be Avenger is now the owner and sole employee of Alias Investigations — a small, private-investigative firm specializing in superhuman cases. When she uncovers the potentially explosive secret of one hero’s true identity, Jessica’s life immediately becomes expendable. But her wit, charm and intelligence just may help her survive another day. Thrust into the midst of a conspiracy that reaches the highest levels, has Jessica burned too many bridges to turn to old friends for help?

This book was an e-deal and it is one on my wish list.

The Bookseller follows a woman in the 1960s who must reconcile her reality with the tantalizing alternate world of her dreams.

Nothing is as permanent as it appears . . .

Denver, 1962: Kitty Miller has come to terms with her unconventional single life. She loves the bookshop she runs with her best friend, Frieda, and enjoys complete control over her day-to-day existence. She can come and go as she pleases, answering to no one. There was a man once, a doctor named Kevin, but it didn’t quite work out the way Kitty had hoped.

Then the dreams begin.

Denver, 1963: Katharyn Andersson is married to Lars, the love of her life. They have beautiful children, an elegant home, and good friends. It's everything Kitty Miller once believed she wanted—but it only exists when she sleeps.

Convinced that these dreams are simply due to her overactive imagination, Kitty enjoys her nighttime forays into this alternate world. But with each visit, the more irresistibly real Katharyn’s life becomes. Can she choose which life she wants? If so, what is the cost of staying Kitty, or becoming Katharyn?

As the lines between her worlds begin to blur, Kitty must figure out what is real and what is imagined. And how do we know where that boundary lies in our own lives?

And, that's it...

Week in Review (9)

Random Thoughts

I am so relieved. I mentioned last week that I had a cold. It didn't go down into my chest! That means that I am not coughing up a lung days after I feel better otherwise. Since that like never happens I am kind of excited! And, yeah, felt like mentioning it... It was a quiet week. I am hoping that March will be a good reading month. We are going away for a week, though, and I am not sure how much reading I will get done during that time. I decided to just bring one physical book and then my e-reader. This meant that when I found out about a 90 percent off coupon for Kobo I may have gone a bit overboard on books. It was fun getting these rather obscure books that my library didn't have and were costly to get otherwise. I included the list at the bottom of this post!

Lucy Maud Montgomery

Yeah... February was not a good month for Montgomery. I need to do better in March! It didn't really help that I only listened to one audiobook the entire month. That meant I didn't even get to Anne of Avonlea. Need to do better.

Graphic Novel Year

I managed to get to two graphic novels after not reading any last week! I finished Locke & Key - Volume 1: Welcome to Lovecraft by Joe Hill and Bayou Volume 1 by Jeremy Love. I even posted about them all ready here.

Other Reading Projects

Nothing for this...

Challenge News

A Snug Life Somewhere by Jan Shapin counts for the Historical Reading Challenge.

Queen of Hearts - The Crown: Volume 1 by Colleen Oakes counts for the What's in a Name Challenge for the category A Position of Royalty.

And, then the graphic novels work for the Graphic Novel challenge.

Audiobooks

Well, I finally finished The Splendour Falls by Susanna Kearsley and have moved on to The Winter People by Jennifer McMahon. Entirely not related to any other project I have going on, but I have heard really good things about it!

Currently Reading

The Debt of Tamar by Nicole Dweck 

Weekly Reading

A reread by audio. Review coming soon!

All ready reviewed this one here.

An enjoyable retelling of Alice in Wonderland. Review coming soon.

All ready reviewed this one here.

All ready reviewed this one here.

Weekly Posts

Week in Review (8)

Book Review: A Snug Life Somewhere by Jan Shapin

Book Review: The Martian by Andy Weir

#DWJMarch - Day 1 - Show us your Collection

Graphic Novel February - The Final Week - Six Sentence Saturday Style

#DWJMarch - Day 2 - Series Highlight: The Chronicles of Chrestomanci

New Additions

So, what did I get from the Kobo sale? Too much, but at least they didn't cost much! I am actually a bit amazed... I have had my e-reader 3 years... maybe 4? And I have only ever bought 69 e-books from Kobo. That is all discounted books and free ones, so not terrible... Anyway, yesterday I got:

The Novels of Jaran by Kate Elliot

Kiki Strikes: Inside the Shadow City by Kirsten Miller

Soldier from the War Returning by Thomas Childers

Ordinary Magic by Caitlen Rubino-Bradway

The Irresistible Fairy Tale - The Cultural and Social History of a Genre by Jack Zipes

Wisdom's Kiss by Catherine Gilbert Murdock

Unnatural Selection by Mara Hvistendahl

A Room of One's Own by Virigina Woolf

Millions Like Us by Virginia Nicholson

The Freedom Maze by Delia Sherman

Postcards from No Mans Land by Aidan Chambers

Rereading Women: Thirty Years of Exploring our Literary Tradition by Sandra M. Gilbert

Enchanted Hunters by Maria Tatar

Lud-in-the-Mist by Hope Mirrlees

And then I am participating in the Literature and War Readalong hosted at Beauty is a Sleeping Cat. My library didn't have any of the books I was looking for, so I was trying to find them elsewhere. I was happy to get them so cheap because I was going to get them anyway. I still can't find two of them, but I managed to get three!

Undertones of War by Edmund Blunden

Fear by Gabriel Chevallier

Toby's Room by Pat Barker

The Fives

(I stole this from Trish at Love, Laughter, and a Touch of Insanity.)

5 Books I've Recently Added to my TBR Pile:

The Unwritten - Volume 8: Orpheus in the Otherworld (Next in the series)
The Martian by Andy Weir (Michelle made me. haha)
Find Momo by Andrew Knapp (Review copy)
House of Mystery - Volume 1: Boredom & Rooms (Project to find new series.)
Her Smoke Rose up Forever by James Tiptree Jr (Curiosity)

5 Books I'm Planning to Read (In the near future):

Doll Bones by Holly Black (I actually started this and then got distracted)

The Martian by Andy Weird (Currently reading)

Kilmeny of the Orchard by Lucy Maud Montgomery (My next Montgomery)

Empty Mansions by Bill Dedman (Heard good things!)

The Truth About Stories by Thomas King (Heard good things!)

5 Books I Own but Still Haven't Read:

(ha... This is almost silly considering how little a dent it makes!)

An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth by Chris Hadfield

Mary Poppins She Wrote: The Life of P.L. Travers by Valerie Lawson

The Clockwork Scarab by Colleen Gleason

Paris 1919 by Margaret MacMillan

S by J.J. Abrams and Doug Dorst

5 Books from Series I Need to Finish: 

(Another ha... There are so many!)

Five Hundred Kingdoms ~ I read the first two.

Skulduggery Pleasant ~ I am not sure what number I am to in this series.

Expanse Series ~ I have been reading book 3 for like a month!

Call the Midwife ~ I bought both sequels after reading the first one.

The Mortal Instruments ~ I read the first one!

5 Soon to be Released Books That I'm Looking Forward to Reading:

Night Broken by Patricia Briggs (New Mercedes Thompson!!)

Sea of Shadows by Kelley Armstrong (New series.)

Fables - Volume 20: Camelot by Bill Willingham (LOVE!)

Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson (Finally!!)

The Unwritten - Volume 9: The Unwritten Fables (Fables & Unwritten  CROSSOVER!!!)

Anyone else care to join in?

Week in Review (2)

Random Thoughts

Today will mark the end of Bout of Books. I will be curious to see what my numbers are provided I get time to read today. I am hoping to finish a few things up, so hopefully I end on a high note. I am still trying to get into a routine, so it is a work in progress. I would have liked to have read more, but life happens.

Don't forget that you have until January 20th, 2014 to sign up for Start 2014 'Write' hosted at the Estella Society. If you missed it you can read my post here and head over to the sign-ups here.

Lucy Maud Montgomery Year

Okay, if I waited to finish short story collections before moving on to her novels I would be here all year. So, I started Anne of Green Gables. I am doing it on audio and the narrator recently narrated Stiff by Mary Roach to me. It is going to take me a bit to get used to her telling a charming little tale of a girl with red hair and freckles. I do like her voice, though, so hopefully it works out. In short story land, I am still 50 pages away from finishing the first short story collection. I absolutely suck at reading short stories. My goal is to force myself to read the last 50 pages today. It isn't even that it is bad. I just am more likely to pick up a novel than a short story collection.

Graphic Novel Year

This is still happening. I could probably have read more graphic novels this week, but I am participating in an informal Graphic Novel Month in February. The goal is to read my own books, so I don't want to read everything now and have nothing for February. That is not to say I didn't finish anything. I read the following:

Ex Machina - Volume 1: The First Hundred Days by Brian Vaughan and Company

The Escapists by Brian Vaughan and Company

Fables - Volume 2: Animal Farm by Bill Willingham and Company

Other Reading Projects

I am 100 pages from finishing a Lois McMaster Bujold. I aim to finish that today... Then I am not sure what will be next... Another book by her, Mort by Terry Pratchett, or figure out where I am with J.D. Robb. (I had planned to catch-up on Terry Pratchett on audio, but I didn't like the narrator. There is a different one for some of them, so I might read some and listen to others.)

Challenge News

Henrietta's War by Joyce Dennys - Counts for the Postal Reading Challenge, the Audiobook Reading Challenge, and the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge. - Counts for Long-Awaited Reads Month.

Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan - Counts for the What's in a Name Challenge: A Number Written in Letters. - Counts for Long-Awaited Reads Month.

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell - Counts for the Audiobook Reading Challenge.

Fables - Volume 2: Animal Farm by Bill Willingham - Counts for the Graphic Novel Challenge.

Ex Machina and The Excapists by Brian Vaughan - Count for the Graphic Novel Challenge.

Reconstructing Amelia by Kimberly McCreight - Count for the What's in a Name Challenge: A Forename or Names.

Audiobooks

I finally finished Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell, sped through Henrietta's War by Joyce Dennys, and have started Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery. Next up will be The Black Flower by Howard Bahr for the Literature and War Read-along.

Currently Reading

It seems like a lot because I keep starting something and then getting distracted by something else...

Shards of Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold

The Antagonist by Lynn Coady

The Complete Stories by Flannery O'Connor

Lucy Maud Montgomery Short Stories, 1896-1901 by Lucy Maud Montgomery

Abaddon's Gate by James S.A. Corey

Pantomime by Laura Lam

Weekly Reads

Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan - Read my review here.

Fables - Volume 2: Animal Farm by Bill Willingham and Company. I am really enjoying rereading this series! 

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell - You can read my review of this one here.

Ex Machina - Volume 1: The First Hundred Days by Brian Vaughan and Company. A good start to a new series. Reading on will depend on how easily it is to get the rest of the books.

The Escapists by Brian Vaughan and Company - I really liked this. I think there are sequels, but I haven't been able to find them anywhere, so I will have to research more.

Reconstructing Amelia by Kimberly McCreight. I read this on a whim and didn't think I would like it, but wound up reading it in one sitting almost.

Henrietta's War: News from the Home Front 1939-1942. This book has appealed to me for ages. I couldn't easily get a paperback copy so went with the audio. Really good, but still would sort of like to read it one day.

Weekly Posts

Week in Review (1)

Start 2014 "Write" - Hosted at the Estella Society

Top Ten Tuesday - Top Ten Goals/Resolutions for 2014

Cat Thursday - Cat in a Drawer

Audiobook Review - Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Book Review - Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan

New Additions

The other half of my Christmas books:

Beauty and the Werewolf by Mercedes Lackey

The Truth About Stories by Thomas King

The War That Ended Peace by Margaret MacMillan

The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton

James Tiptree Jr.: The Double Life of Alice B. Sheldon by Julie Phillips

The Maleficent Seven by Derek Landy

Gold Diggers: Striking it Rich in the Klondike by Charlotte Gray

Last Stand of Dead Men by Derek Landy

A gift card I got after all the others:

Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple

For Review:

Under the Jeweled Sky by Alison McQueen

A Christmas book that shipped separately:

Letters from a Lost Generation 

The only order I actually didn't have gift cards for...

A Study in Darkness by Emma Jane Holloway

Shine by Lauren Myracle

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Septys

Loki's Wolves by Kelley Armstrong and Melissa Marr

Range of Ghosts by Elizabeth Bear

Written in Red by Anne Bishop

Some other stragglers... I don't know why they have to divide orders up so much:

The Best of all Possible Worlds by Karen Lord

Love Minus Eighty by Will McIntosh

Once Upon a Time: Shadow of the Queen (graphic novel)

Yeah... This is a lot of books. Good thing for the most part I will only have pre-orders trickle in until next Christmas.

Christmas Gift Cards - My Annual Christmas Present

Here is what I am thinking of getting this year with my gift cards:

I am getting this camera for Christmas, so I thought I should know how to use this camera and all the settings...

Been a while since I read anything by Valente. I have been curious about this book for a while and seemed like a good place to go next.

New Fables!! Yay!!

I have heard good things about this book and it sounds like something I would like. 

New Mercy Thompson book!!!!

I am still very sad that Diana Wynne Jones isn't still around. I knew I had to check this book out, though. She was a fantastic author and I look forward to her insights.

I don't need this because I have the two separate books, but I still added it to the list just in case. 

I really enjoyed Melanie Benjamin's previous two works, so I knew I was going to have to check out her third novel.

I have been in a fairy tale sort of mood lately and I haven't read Jack Zipes in forever... Thought it would be good to check him out again.

A Madeline L'Engle book that I don't own! Had to remedy that....

And because I have been a bit obsessed with postcards this year I thought I would get these Beatrix Potter ones. I love Beatrix Potter and have a collection of figurines and such. 

The sad thing is that there are many many other things that I want. The new Susan Carroll, for example. Or the Susanna Kearsley book that will be released next year. I am curious about Was by Geoff Ryman. Spitfire Girls by Carol Gould sounds like something I would like. I would like to get The Sword-Edged Blonde by Alex Bledsoe because I own all the books by this one and it is the first one, of course. I want to add to my Diana Wynne Jones collection and buy A Tale of Time City. I decided to just get one book by her for the moment. I really like the sound of Virginia Nicholson's books, like Millions Like Us, but never seem to read them. So, I just keep buying her. More Baths Less Talking by Nick Hornby is out. I only didn't get this one because I read the rest from the library... So, can't make up my mind. Lastly I have my eyes on Redshirts by John Scalzi. And, that is just novels. I have some graphic novels in mind, too.