Kindle Reading 2016 #3
Kindle roundup time!
51. The Spanish Cape Mystery by Ellery Queen. Pretty decent EQ outing (visitors at a crime scene) although I agree with the reviewers who thought it would have made a better novella. It wasn't exactly padded but there's a convenient missed phone call that extends the plot. It's also pretty obvious, if you're a mystery reader who the culprit is. Amazon review here.
52. The Climb Up to Hell by Jack Olsen. Mountain-climbing human interest story involving a daring rescue on the Eiger in Switzerland and the aftermath. It was a pretty good read, definitely did NOT want to put the book down. It's focused more on the people involved in the events, although there is enough climbing description/technical language to make it clear what happened. Short but tense. Amazon review here.
53. All Things Bright and Beautiful by James Herriot. If you've read his work, you know what you're going to get. This one had several stories that got me right in the feels, luckily most of them with happy enough endings. I love Herriot's voice and the pictures he evokes. Torn between Maudie the housecat and the old cow who comes home for the best story. These have been coming up as $1.99 and $2.99 deals lately, so keep your eyes open. Amazon review here.
54. Amish Sampler by JEB Spredemann. This was one of the first books I read in this period. It was a collection of four novellas that could best be described as "Amish soap opera" with a fair amount of witnessing for "faith alone" salvation that I found distasteful. The first one, Amish by Accident, is the best of the bunch. There's also one with a serious anti-abortion screed. If you can find this one for cheap, it can be entertaining. You should just read the Amazon review here.
55. Bessie Coleman: Queen of the Skies by Phyllis J. Perry. The MV did Bessie Coleman for the school's Living History museum, and this was one of the books we read. Pretty decent.
56. Cordially Invited to Meet Death by Rex Stout. A Nero Wolfe novella basically hinging on the idea of a socialite who's got the nerve to ask Nero Wolfe to arrange a "murder" for a party. No, he doesn't kill her. Fast-paced but probably not a good introduction to Nero Wolfe.
57. Double Life by Linda Wolfe. True crime book dealing with Judge Sol Wachtler, and his mistress. It's a nice change from true murders, as this one mostly features messed-up family dynamics, cheating, and attempts to threaten. Amazon review here.
58. Round the Fire Stories by Arthur Conan Doyle. Sherlock Holmes is not in this one, but Doyle's talent for creepy and haunting is definitely on display. There's an excellent one about a wife's desperate last stand for her husband, another about an ingenious plan to inherit that bites back, and another about a disappearing train. Quite good. Amazon review here.
59. Tell Me A Story by Tamara Lush. This was an excellent erotica novella that starts out with storytelling and progresses as you would expect. Hot but not crude or nasty. I would definitely read more by this author. Amazon review here.
60. The Red Record by Ida B. Wells. Presentation of Wells' then-current reporting on lynchings in the late 19th/early 20th century time period.
61. The Search for an Abortionist by Nancy Lee Howell. Study from pre-Roe time period on how women managed to obtain abortions. It is someone's graduate study, and has lots of data and explanations concerning the data, but it also has lots of the human element from a time period I sincerely hope we aren't heading back to. Amazon review here.
62. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum. Classic I had never read, some interesting differences from the movie.
63. Tutt and Mr. Tutt by Arthur Train. An early lawyer in the Perry Mason model. Decent read but a little clunky.
64. Poisoned by Politics (R&R book) by Bill Hiatt. Brief look at one teacher's opinion on why our educational system is broken. He mostly lays the blame on people's desires for a "quick fix". Amazon review here.
65. The Rise of Memphis (R&R book) by Kitty Kendall. Erotica novella. Sadly this one was not as good as #59. See my Amazon review.
66. The Ultimate Guide to Raised Beds by Emily Josephine. Reference book about raised bed gardening. It was interesting, going in my idea file.
67. R. Holmes and Company by John Kendrick Bangs. If you ever wondered what the result of Holmes and Raffles meeting would be, look no further. This one was written by a major Holmes fan back in the day, and it's entertaining - especially the times when the narrator gets just slightly swindled. Amazon review here.
68. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. Yes, another childhood classic I am just now reading. Very enjoyable.
69. Odysseus in the Serpent Maze (Young Heroes) by Jane Yolen and Robert Harris. Excellent look at what Odysseus and Penelope might have been like as teens. It does a good job of projecting back and weaving in familiar elements with a twist. Previewing this one for the MV. Amazon review here.
70. The Return of Dr. Fu-Manchu by Sax Rohmer. If you read the first one, you know what you're getting. Yellow peril. Brave white men. The mysteries of the East. Nayland Smith definitely seems to be a spiritual ancestor to Miles Vorkosigan. Amazon review here.
71. Three Ghost Stories by Charles Dickens. Pretty much what the title says. Two of the three are pretty good (the middle one is the best, with a murder victim who haunts a juror) and the first one gets kind of muddled. Amazon review here.
72. The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle. I've read this and enjoyed it, but found a nice copy of it for free. This one does have the mansucript and articles that are missing in some e-versions.
73. The Unique Hamlet by Vincent Starrett. Holmes pastiche, a decent read if you find it for free.
74. The Poisoned Pen by Arthur B. Reeve. Professor Craig Kennedy short stories, sort of an old-school CSI. Interesting but definitely better in the short stories.
75. The League of the Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy. Another classic, you know what to expect. Disguises, rescues, Englishmen laughing in the face of death. More like a collection of shorts than a connected novel, although some of them do tie into each other.
76. For Mercie's Sake by Sharon Srock. Novella by Christian inspirational author. It's pretty good, and not overly preachy. Amazon review here.
77. The Stepford Wives by Ira Levin. I could not put this one down, especially to do housework! Creepy feminist classic, especially the ending. Amazon review here.
78. Uncle Abner: Master of Mysteries by Melville Davisson Post. Historical fiction about a man who believes in justice, both from men and God. Not exactly a detective, but one of those people who gets called on to help deal with issues, especially inheritance issues. The language is very good. Amazon review here.
51. The Spanish Cape Mystery by Ellery Queen. Pretty decent EQ outing (visitors at a crime scene) although I agree with the reviewers who thought it would have made a better novella. It wasn't exactly padded but there's a convenient missed phone call that extends the plot. It's also pretty obvious, if you're a mystery reader who the culprit is. Amazon review here.
52. The Climb Up to Hell by Jack Olsen. Mountain-climbing human interest story involving a daring rescue on the Eiger in Switzerland and the aftermath. It was a pretty good read, definitely did NOT want to put the book down. It's focused more on the people involved in the events, although there is enough climbing description/technical language to make it clear what happened. Short but tense. Amazon review here.
53. All Things Bright and Beautiful by James Herriot. If you've read his work, you know what you're going to get. This one had several stories that got me right in the feels, luckily most of them with happy enough endings. I love Herriot's voice and the pictures he evokes. Torn between Maudie the housecat and the old cow who comes home for the best story. These have been coming up as $1.99 and $2.99 deals lately, so keep your eyes open. Amazon review here.
54. Amish Sampler by JEB Spredemann. This was one of the first books I read in this period. It was a collection of four novellas that could best be described as "Amish soap opera" with a fair amount of witnessing for "faith alone" salvation that I found distasteful. The first one, Amish by Accident, is the best of the bunch. There's also one with a serious anti-abortion screed. If you can find this one for cheap, it can be entertaining. You should just read the Amazon review here.
55. Bessie Coleman: Queen of the Skies by Phyllis J. Perry. The MV did Bessie Coleman for the school's Living History museum, and this was one of the books we read. Pretty decent.
56. Cordially Invited to Meet Death by Rex Stout. A Nero Wolfe novella basically hinging on the idea of a socialite who's got the nerve to ask Nero Wolfe to arrange a "murder" for a party. No, he doesn't kill her. Fast-paced but probably not a good introduction to Nero Wolfe.
57. Double Life by Linda Wolfe. True crime book dealing with Judge Sol Wachtler, and his mistress. It's a nice change from true murders, as this one mostly features messed-up family dynamics, cheating, and attempts to threaten. Amazon review here.
58. Round the Fire Stories by Arthur Conan Doyle. Sherlock Holmes is not in this one, but Doyle's talent for creepy and haunting is definitely on display. There's an excellent one about a wife's desperate last stand for her husband, another about an ingenious plan to inherit that bites back, and another about a disappearing train. Quite good. Amazon review here.
59. Tell Me A Story by Tamara Lush. This was an excellent erotica novella that starts out with storytelling and progresses as you would expect. Hot but not crude or nasty. I would definitely read more by this author. Amazon review here.
60. The Red Record by Ida B. Wells. Presentation of Wells' then-current reporting on lynchings in the late 19th/early 20th century time period.
61. The Search for an Abortionist by Nancy Lee Howell. Study from pre-Roe time period on how women managed to obtain abortions. It is someone's graduate study, and has lots of data and explanations concerning the data, but it also has lots of the human element from a time period I sincerely hope we aren't heading back to. Amazon review here.
62. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum. Classic I had never read, some interesting differences from the movie.
63. Tutt and Mr. Tutt by Arthur Train. An early lawyer in the Perry Mason model. Decent read but a little clunky.
64. Poisoned by Politics (R&R book) by Bill Hiatt. Brief look at one teacher's opinion on why our educational system is broken. He mostly lays the blame on people's desires for a "quick fix". Amazon review here.
65. The Rise of Memphis (R&R book) by Kitty Kendall. Erotica novella. Sadly this one was not as good as #59. See my Amazon review.
66. The Ultimate Guide to Raised Beds by Emily Josephine. Reference book about raised bed gardening. It was interesting, going in my idea file.
67. R. Holmes and Company by John Kendrick Bangs. If you ever wondered what the result of Holmes and Raffles meeting would be, look no further. This one was written by a major Holmes fan back in the day, and it's entertaining - especially the times when the narrator gets just slightly swindled. Amazon review here.
68. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. Yes, another childhood classic I am just now reading. Very enjoyable.
69. Odysseus in the Serpent Maze (Young Heroes) by Jane Yolen and Robert Harris. Excellent look at what Odysseus and Penelope might have been like as teens. It does a good job of projecting back and weaving in familiar elements with a twist. Previewing this one for the MV. Amazon review here.
70. The Return of Dr. Fu-Manchu by Sax Rohmer. If you read the first one, you know what you're getting. Yellow peril. Brave white men. The mysteries of the East. Nayland Smith definitely seems to be a spiritual ancestor to Miles Vorkosigan. Amazon review here.
71. Three Ghost Stories by Charles Dickens. Pretty much what the title says. Two of the three are pretty good (the middle one is the best, with a murder victim who haunts a juror) and the first one gets kind of muddled. Amazon review here.
72. The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle. I've read this and enjoyed it, but found a nice copy of it for free. This one does have the mansucript and articles that are missing in some e-versions.
73. The Unique Hamlet by Vincent Starrett. Holmes pastiche, a decent read if you find it for free.
74. The Poisoned Pen by Arthur B. Reeve. Professor Craig Kennedy short stories, sort of an old-school CSI. Interesting but definitely better in the short stories.
75. The League of the Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy. Another classic, you know what to expect. Disguises, rescues, Englishmen laughing in the face of death. More like a collection of shorts than a connected novel, although some of them do tie into each other.
76. For Mercie's Sake by Sharon Srock. Novella by Christian inspirational author. It's pretty good, and not overly preachy. Amazon review here.
77. The Stepford Wives by Ira Levin. I could not put this one down, especially to do housework! Creepy feminist classic, especially the ending. Amazon review here.
78. Uncle Abner: Master of Mysteries by Melville Davisson Post. Historical fiction about a man who believes in justice, both from men and God. Not exactly a detective, but one of those people who gets called on to help deal with issues, especially inheritance issues. The language is very good. Amazon review here.