Kindle Reading 2016 #5
It's been a while since I updated. I'm actually behind.
107. The Black Gang by HC MacNeile - Bulldog Drummond and his boys are back in action with this British action-adventure from the early 20th century. Plenty of action, disguises, improbable escapes.
108. Banana Peels on the Track by Jason Lockwood - Memoirs of teaching English in post-Communist Slovakia. Based on my own post-Soviet experiences, pretty spot on. The author goes back and adds context, which I appreciate. Amazon review here.
109. Flappers and Philiosophies by F. Scott Fitzgerald - Short stories by Fitzgerald. Overall enjoyable reading.
110. On Killing by Dave Grossman - Interesting reading, although the reviews on Amazon are very mixed. Some concern for Grossman's sources (some of his combat accounts and reliance on SLA Marshall's work, which has been challenged) but the overall message is still interesting if you're interested in combat or military training.
111. The Maxwell Mystery by Carolyn Wells - Good period books, not great mysteries. This one is almost solvable, just working on the theory of "least likely person did it". Amazon review here.
112. The Wages of War by Richard Severo - Good look at how veterans have been treated over the country's history, but ends with a look at Vietnam vets. Very detailed, a little dry, but worth reading.
113. Wisdom to Know (Grant Us Grace 1) by Elizabeth Maddrey - Christian fiction that's actually pretty good (yes, I read a lot of it for the trainwreck factor). The people were pretty realistic, and mostly not too preachy. I did have an issue with this one because of the way drug abuse and abortion were treated (check out my Amazon review for more), mostly because I really disliked the way the male lead acted about a personal revelation from the female lead - it was too over the top.
114. Joint Venture (Grant Us Grace 0) by Elizabeth Maddrey - the author apparently wrote this novella after writing some of the books. If you come to the series cold, I highly recommend this one because I love the couple. There's a running plot with people thinking the male lead is gay because he's a hair-dresser (nothing like a little prejudice) but it all works out in the end. The couple in this one has seriously good chemistry. Amazon review here.
115. Courage to Change (Grant Us Grace 2) by Elizabeth Maddrey - I liked this one better than Wisdom to Know, although the lead from that book appears in here and I still dislike him. The couple is better, although there is some over-the-top drama. It's an enjoyable read.
Note about 113-115: the mothers in this series need jobs, because they have way too much time to meddle in their kids' lives and be prejudiced.
116. Mediterranean Diet by Lauren McDonnel - Yet another book on the Mediterranean Diet. Interesting, but not groundbreaking.
117. A Summons to Greystone Hall by Perpetua Langley - This is a Regency that I read for Choosy e-books (review in exchange for a copy). Decent read with a heroine who matures. Clean (super-clean) romance. Amazon review here.
118. The Withdrawing Room by Charlotte MacLeod - One of the early Sarah Kelling and Max Bittersohn books. Enjoyably quirky, although I can see how it would wear fast. Amazon review here.
119. Once A Wife by Patricia Keelyn - Decent romance involving a secret kid and long separated couple. It was okay, but some of the tension was sapped by the fact that the hostile character was removed from the scene. Amazon review here.
120. The War of the Worlds by HG Wells - SF classic, pretty good read.
121. James Beard's Menus for Entertaining by James Beard - How James Beard throws a party (especially a picnic). Maybe a little advanced or fancy for my tastes but definitely an interesting read. Amazon review here.
122. The House of the Seven Gables by Nathaniel Hawthorne - Classic dark Hawthorne, with a bit of light at the end.
123. How to Grow Potatoes by RJ Ruppenthal - Interesting info on growing potatoes.
124. Avoiding the Greener Grass by Nancy Anderson - One of the Christian marriage help books. Interesting as a Kindle bargain, but not advice I'm going to take.
125. America the Beautiful by Ben Carson - It was a Kindle deal. I couldn't help myself. No real surprises.
126. The Bat by Mary Roberts Rinehart - Pretty good classic mystery/thriller. Love the switched identities. Amazon review here.
127. The Land of Little Rain by Mary Austin - Excellent early 20th century writing about the desert that really comes alive. If you're a desert dweller, I recommend it. Amazon review here.
128. Death of an Airman by C. StJohn Sprigg - I was intrigued by the fact that it had an author recommendation from Dorothy L. Sayers, and dove in. A lot of Golden Age stuff is being reissued, and this one is worth a read. The characters are good, and the author plays out the red herrings very nicely. Amazon review here.
129. The Innocence of Father Brown by GK Chesterton - Classic mysteries, although they're not really focused on the crime solving part. They are worth a read.
130. The Mad Chopper by Fred Rosen - Decent true-crime book about the guy behind one of the first cases I ever read about, Mary Vincent (a teenage hitchhiker who had her lower arms cut off), and its aftermath, as well as the time the man actually succeeded at committing murder. Amazon review here.
131. Wagon Train Cinderella by Shirley Kennedy - I've read her Regencies, and she seems to be expanding into Westerns. This was a decent read, although the main character was a little doormat-ish. Amazon review here.
132-133. Ever After High: Darling Charming and the Horse of a Different Color and Dexter Charming and the Trouble with Jackalopes by Suzanne Selfors - Short stories to go along with Ever After High School Story #4, A Semi-Charming Kind of Life. Interesting and cute.
107. The Black Gang by HC MacNeile - Bulldog Drummond and his boys are back in action with this British action-adventure from the early 20th century. Plenty of action, disguises, improbable escapes.
108. Banana Peels on the Track by Jason Lockwood - Memoirs of teaching English in post-Communist Slovakia. Based on my own post-Soviet experiences, pretty spot on. The author goes back and adds context, which I appreciate. Amazon review here.
109. Flappers and Philiosophies by F. Scott Fitzgerald - Short stories by Fitzgerald. Overall enjoyable reading.
110. On Killing by Dave Grossman - Interesting reading, although the reviews on Amazon are very mixed. Some concern for Grossman's sources (some of his combat accounts and reliance on SLA Marshall's work, which has been challenged) but the overall message is still interesting if you're interested in combat or military training.
111. The Maxwell Mystery by Carolyn Wells - Good period books, not great mysteries. This one is almost solvable, just working on the theory of "least likely person did it". Amazon review here.
112. The Wages of War by Richard Severo - Good look at how veterans have been treated over the country's history, but ends with a look at Vietnam vets. Very detailed, a little dry, but worth reading.
113. Wisdom to Know (Grant Us Grace 1) by Elizabeth Maddrey - Christian fiction that's actually pretty good (yes, I read a lot of it for the trainwreck factor). The people were pretty realistic, and mostly not too preachy. I did have an issue with this one because of the way drug abuse and abortion were treated (check out my Amazon review for more), mostly because I really disliked the way the male lead acted about a personal revelation from the female lead - it was too over the top.
114. Joint Venture (Grant Us Grace 0) by Elizabeth Maddrey - the author apparently wrote this novella after writing some of the books. If you come to the series cold, I highly recommend this one because I love the couple. There's a running plot with people thinking the male lead is gay because he's a hair-dresser (nothing like a little prejudice) but it all works out in the end. The couple in this one has seriously good chemistry. Amazon review here.
115. Courage to Change (Grant Us Grace 2) by Elizabeth Maddrey - I liked this one better than Wisdom to Know, although the lead from that book appears in here and I still dislike him. The couple is better, although there is some over-the-top drama. It's an enjoyable read.
Note about 113-115: the mothers in this series need jobs, because they have way too much time to meddle in their kids' lives and be prejudiced.
116. Mediterranean Diet by Lauren McDonnel - Yet another book on the Mediterranean Diet. Interesting, but not groundbreaking.
117. A Summons to Greystone Hall by Perpetua Langley - This is a Regency that I read for Choosy e-books (review in exchange for a copy). Decent read with a heroine who matures. Clean (super-clean) romance. Amazon review here.
118. The Withdrawing Room by Charlotte MacLeod - One of the early Sarah Kelling and Max Bittersohn books. Enjoyably quirky, although I can see how it would wear fast. Amazon review here.
119. Once A Wife by Patricia Keelyn - Decent romance involving a secret kid and long separated couple. It was okay, but some of the tension was sapped by the fact that the hostile character was removed from the scene. Amazon review here.
120. The War of the Worlds by HG Wells - SF classic, pretty good read.
121. James Beard's Menus for Entertaining by James Beard - How James Beard throws a party (especially a picnic). Maybe a little advanced or fancy for my tastes but definitely an interesting read. Amazon review here.
122. The House of the Seven Gables by Nathaniel Hawthorne - Classic dark Hawthorne, with a bit of light at the end.
123. How to Grow Potatoes by RJ Ruppenthal - Interesting info on growing potatoes.
124. Avoiding the Greener Grass by Nancy Anderson - One of the Christian marriage help books. Interesting as a Kindle bargain, but not advice I'm going to take.
125. America the Beautiful by Ben Carson - It was a Kindle deal. I couldn't help myself. No real surprises.
126. The Bat by Mary Roberts Rinehart - Pretty good classic mystery/thriller. Love the switched identities. Amazon review here.
127. The Land of Little Rain by Mary Austin - Excellent early 20th century writing about the desert that really comes alive. If you're a desert dweller, I recommend it. Amazon review here.
128. Death of an Airman by C. StJohn Sprigg - I was intrigued by the fact that it had an author recommendation from Dorothy L. Sayers, and dove in. A lot of Golden Age stuff is being reissued, and this one is worth a read. The characters are good, and the author plays out the red herrings very nicely. Amazon review here.
129. The Innocence of Father Brown by GK Chesterton - Classic mysteries, although they're not really focused on the crime solving part. They are worth a read.
130. The Mad Chopper by Fred Rosen - Decent true-crime book about the guy behind one of the first cases I ever read about, Mary Vincent (a teenage hitchhiker who had her lower arms cut off), and its aftermath, as well as the time the man actually succeeded at committing murder. Amazon review here.
131. Wagon Train Cinderella by Shirley Kennedy - I've read her Regencies, and she seems to be expanding into Westerns. This was a decent read, although the main character was a little doormat-ish. Amazon review here.
132-133. Ever After High: Darling Charming and the Horse of a Different Color and Dexter Charming and the Trouble with Jackalopes by Suzanne Selfors - Short stories to go along with Ever After High School Story #4, A Semi-Charming Kind of Life. Interesting and cute.