March 2011 Reading List

This month, I've started a number of books that are still in progress, so my list looks woefully short.  I guess that's one problem with reading more than one book at a time (I usually have at least 2 going, usually 4 or 5.  I'm sitting on 4 at the moment I've started and am reading.)

Greater Inclination by Edith Wharton.  After remembering how much I don't care for Jane Austen last month, I picked this collection of short stories by one of my favorite authors from the same time period. I love the tragedy in most of her stories, but also the portrayal of the angst and turmoil of individuals living during that time.  I love her descriptions, and her style of writing.  (Checking with Amazon, I linked to the free Kindle version I read this month.  There is also a novel she wrote of the same name, but this is definitely a collection of short stories.)

The Glimpses of the Moon by Edith Wharton.  Once I got started, I didn't want to leave her behind.  I had read this one before, but I liked coming back to it.  I think it is one of her best, and I love the ending (no spoilers, though!)

Ravenous: A Food Lover's Journey by Dayna Macy.  Interesting. She's an author, who decided to write a book about her year-long journey about finding out more about the food she craved -- including how it's made. It was interesting.  The oddest thing to me?  How it always seemed that she prepared and ate a completely different meal than what she prepared for her husband and 2 kids.  I"m not sure that was the point of her book at all, but that was one of the things that I came away with.

Murder a la Mode by G.A. McKevett was about a former detective, who has a chance to appear on a reality show.  It's one of those female-character-murder-mystery novels that I enjoy for the fun factor.  This one didn't disappoint.

February 2011 Reading List

It feels like I forgot a couple books, but here's my reading list for February.  All were read either on my Kindle, or from the iPhone Kindle app. 

Uncubicled by Josh McMains.  I picked this up either when it was free or less than $2.  It looks like the book is now split into 2 books for some reason.  I didn't have any expectations, but it was a pretty good read with some twists and turns that I didn't expect.  Technology and mind games combined for an interesting story.

Valeria's Last Stand by Marc Fitten.  I grabbed this one because it was set in an Hungarian village (my great-grandmother immigrated from Hungary) and it was free.  I would have been happy to pay for this book because it was terrific!  It's a love story, but not like any that I've ever read before, because almost all of the characters are well past their 30's. Fitten did a fantastic job creating his characters and I was so invested in the story that I read it on both my Kindle and iPhone app.  (I usually read 2 different books on each -- but this one kept me interested so I made sure to sync the 2 so I could keep reading in spare moments.) 

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen.  I remember that I borrowed this book from the library when it was first released, but couldn't get into it.  Now that I look at the publication date, I realize that it wasn't that long after Lydia's birth when it came out, so I was probably sleep-deprived.  I'm glad I picked it up again, because I thought it was a good story. I especially liked how Gruen created the older version of the main character, and I felt that the story moved smoothly between current time and 60 years prior.

Bake Sale Murder by  Leslie Meier.  I enjoy these mystery series with a strong female character.  I've read a few in this series, and while I'm usually irritated by something in the character, it's not enough to keep me from reading.  The book is a quick read, and perfect for those lost moments when I only have 5 - 10 minutes to read.

Mansfield Park by Jane Austen.  Somewhere I read a comment that this was one of the best Jane Austen novels.  I've never been a fan, but going along with my decision to read (or re-read) more classics I chose this one for February. I still don't like Jane Austen.  I think the book could have been finished in less than half the pages and I wanted to smack almost all the characters up the side of their heads.  What a bunch of insipid, annoying, ridiculous people that populated the book.  I forced myself to finish it, and the ending was exactly what I expected around page 10.  bleck.  Next month I'm reading Edith Wharton, because I adore her novels.

The Hangman's Daughter by Oliver Potzsch.  Another book that I really enjoyed.  It is set in the 1600's, and is based on the author's family, who were executioners for generations. I liked the mystery and the history and thought it was very well-done.  It was the kind of book that took me a little bit to get into, and then parts of it disturbed/frightened me, but I couldn't put it down because I had to know what happened next.  I don't know that this author plans to make this a series, but I would like to read more about the characters if he did!

January 2010 Reading List

I used to post my monthly reading lists a few years ago, and I liked looking back over them recently.  I thought I'd try again this year to track what I read.  If there's a kid's book I especially like, I may post it, but I won't be listing all the children's books I read in a month since that list would easily count in the 100's.

In January, 2011, I read:

The Beautiful and Damned by F. Scott Fitzgerald
The Secret Agent by Joseph Conrad
Chinese Maze Murders: A Judge Dee Mystery by Robert van Gulik
Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder by Joanne Fluke
Stumbling Along the Beat by  Stacy Dittrich
Nunzilla was my Mother and my Stepmother was a Witch by Terry Silver
Franklin and Eleanor: An Extraordinary Marriage by Hazel Rowley

I read them all on my Kindle, and all except the last one I picked up for free.  I know I've said it before, but I still love my Kindle, over a year since first receiving it.  The fact that it is so easy to carry, I don't have to choose which book to carry with me, and that I can access all my books through my iPhone as well make it one of my favorite things.   Some books are free for just a short time, so I tend to check the bestselling free books each morning to see what I can add to my Kindle for future reading.

Of the books I read last month, I think I enjoyed the story about Franklin & Eleanor Roosevelt the most.  It was a wonderful look at their marriage and I felt that it was a gentle, but fair, explanation of their lives as husband and wife.

I kept hoping The Secret Agent would get better, but it plodded along.  I guess I'm glad I finished it as it goes along with my goals of reading more classics this year . . . but I enjoyed The Beautiful and Damned much more. (But I've always enjoyed Fitzgerald)