Kindle Reading 2016 #6
Behind again on posting, but not reading...
134. A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro - A modern day update on Sherlock Holmes, taking the whole "if Holmes and Watson were real people and had descendants" tag, with teens. Charlotte Holmes and Jamie Holmes. It was an interesting take, but not something I plan to read more of. It's classed as a teen novel, but definitely has some behaviors (sex, rape, and drug use) that parents might want to be wary of. There was a lot of complaining in reviews about the novel's Watson having a thing for the novel's Holmes, but I actually LIKED that. Amazon review here.
135. Yummy Kawaii Bento by Li Ming Lee - A fabulous looking guide to maing all kinds of kawaii stuff for your kids' bento box. I enjoyed looking at it, but actually making any of it is probably not happening. Amazon review here.
136. The Tribe of Tiger: Cats and Culture by Elizabeth M. Thomas - This read had issues. For one, the Kindle version did not indicate that the book was written in the mid-90s and not updated. Some of the things the author wrote about, like how circuses were better environments for tigers than zoos, are definitely out of date. The other issue is that it rambles, a LOT, and includes details about things that aren't really relevant. Lastly, the author seems to be not quite so knowledgable about cats - for instance, not realizing that one of their cats was going blind. Amazon review here.
137. Abandoned Prayers by Gregg Olsen - An early 80s true crime novel about an Amish murderer (and a lot about the gay scene in those days that seems pretty unflattering, but I can't vouch for any of it) that was interesting. However, it doesn't really deliver on the mystery itself, nor has an update been written. Amazon review here.
138. Heartbreak Trail by Shirley Kennedy - This one gets its own post.
139. My Life as Laura by Kelly Kathleen Ferguson - So this is less about Laura Ingalls Wilder, and more about a woman trying to get her life together. If you already read The Wilder Life and you're not interested in someone's navel-gazing and relationship issues, skip this book. There is one saving grace, and that's her take on the TV show (that it was horrible). Amazon review here.
140. No Wind of Blame by Georgette Heyer - I got this from the KindleMatch program (where if you've bought a qualifying dead-tree copy, you can get the Kindle at reduced price). I love the mystery, of course.
141. The Good Years: From 1900 to WWI by Walter Lord - A ramble through this period of history by Walter Lord, generally focusing on one person or event at the time. It's worth a read, but nothing new in it. Amazon review here.
142. The Hunter Bride by Cynthia Woolf - Another entry for my bad examples file. It was free.
143. The Moving Finger by Agatha Christie - Another KindleMatch book and one of my favorite Miss Marple books, mostly because of the male narrator.
144. Though Mountains Fall by Dale Cramer - This is the final book in the Amish colony in Mexico trilogy. It had about as good an ending as I could have hoped for, and the tragic moments are dealt with in a way that makes them mean something. One characters's arc had an unsatisfactory but historically accurate ending, that might be setting up for other books, that wrenched me because it seemed like everything the character had worked for would be undone. The main character grew in a way that was consistent with his beliefs. It also had a great line - "Sometimes, when somebody speaks the truth in just the right words it fits into you like a key in a lock, and you know it like an old friend. " If you like historicals and Amish, I definitely recommend this whole series. Amazon review here.
145. Women in the Middle Ages by Joseph Gies - Decent older historical work on the title subject. The chapters that focus on individual women whose lives were documented are better than the broader chapters. I was able to get it for ninety-nine cents, which was a definite deal. Amazon review here.
146. The Bungalow Mystery by Annie Haynes - Another of the Golden Age mysteries that are being reprinted. This one is better for its period flavor than its actual mystery, but still readable.
147. Spaghetti Sauces by Biba Caggiano - Decent title on pasta sauce recipes - some of them are pretty basic, but look good. And it was a good price. Amazon review here.
148. More Than Meatballs by Michele Anne Jordan - Decent recipes, but the book has a definite tone of pretentiousness and organic above all that could get a little old. Amazon review here.
149. Penric and the Shaman by Lois McMaster Bujold - Another very readable novella for the Five Gods/Chalion universe. I really loved it, and if you read this LJ, you probably already read it. If you didn't, go get it! Amazon review here.
150-52. Ever After High: Next Top Villain, EAH: Duchess Swan and the Next Top Bird, EAH: Lizzie Hearts and the Hedgehog's Hexcellent Adventure by Suzanne Selfors - Yes, Ever After High is turning into one of my guilty pleasures. The first title is an actual book, where the General Villainy students are "competing", mostly not by their choice, and the other two are tie-in short stories available in e-format for ninety-nine cents each. Amazon review of 150 here.
153. Her Gilded Prison by Beverly Oakley - This was a good Regency that is not clean or sweet, and has an older woman-younger man romance that's enjoyable, among seriously twisted family dynamics. The sensual scenes have their moments (good and bad) but the family dynamics deal really kept me involved. Amazon review here.
154. The Soda Fountain by Gia Giasullo - This is a mix of DIY recipes for soda fountain stuff and historical/nostalgia that I enjoyed. Amazon review here.
155. Isle of the Lost (Descendants) by Melissa de la Cruz - So if you have kids, you may have seen this Disney Channel Original Movie that really seems like it was written as some delightfully cracky fic. It's silly and has serious plot holes, but it's hard to stop. This book is a prequel that sort of addresses some of the plot issues. I got it for the MiniVixen last year in HC, but bought it for myself as a Kindle Daily Deal. Amazon review here.
156. Pizza: A Slice of American History by Liz Barrett - Another combo recipe and nostalgia/tidbit book, this time about pizza. Definitely worth the read. Amazon review here.
157. Baumgartners Hot Shorts by Selena Kitt - This is a collection of four erotica stories that are loosely connected (characters in an author's same series). Overall good - one of the stories was less good, but this may be due to the fantasy in it not being my thing. The first and fourth stories are really strong, and Kitt does a good job of writing characters as well as sex, and has characters that actually think about consequences. Amazon review here.
158. Mosses from an Old Manse by Nathaniel Hawthorne - A collection of darker Hawthorne tales. A free deal.
159. Death in the Clouds by Agatha Christie - Another KindleMatch title and a nice little Poirot mystery.
160. A Man of Character by Margaret Locke - Interesting read about a woman who has the power to create people with her romance stories. Worth a look. Amazon review here.
134. A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro - A modern day update on Sherlock Holmes, taking the whole "if Holmes and Watson were real people and had descendants" tag, with teens. Charlotte Holmes and Jamie Holmes. It was an interesting take, but not something I plan to read more of. It's classed as a teen novel, but definitely has some behaviors (sex, rape, and drug use) that parents might want to be wary of. There was a lot of complaining in reviews about the novel's Watson having a thing for the novel's Holmes, but I actually LIKED that. Amazon review here.
135. Yummy Kawaii Bento by Li Ming Lee - A fabulous looking guide to maing all kinds of kawaii stuff for your kids' bento box. I enjoyed looking at it, but actually making any of it is probably not happening. Amazon review here.
136. The Tribe of Tiger: Cats and Culture by Elizabeth M. Thomas - This read had issues. For one, the Kindle version did not indicate that the book was written in the mid-90s and not updated. Some of the things the author wrote about, like how circuses were better environments for tigers than zoos, are definitely out of date. The other issue is that it rambles, a LOT, and includes details about things that aren't really relevant. Lastly, the author seems to be not quite so knowledgable about cats - for instance, not realizing that one of their cats was going blind. Amazon review here.
137. Abandoned Prayers by Gregg Olsen - An early 80s true crime novel about an Amish murderer (and a lot about the gay scene in those days that seems pretty unflattering, but I can't vouch for any of it) that was interesting. However, it doesn't really deliver on the mystery itself, nor has an update been written. Amazon review here.
138. Heartbreak Trail by Shirley Kennedy - This one gets its own post.
139. My Life as Laura by Kelly Kathleen Ferguson - So this is less about Laura Ingalls Wilder, and more about a woman trying to get her life together. If you already read The Wilder Life and you're not interested in someone's navel-gazing and relationship issues, skip this book. There is one saving grace, and that's her take on the TV show (that it was horrible). Amazon review here.
140. No Wind of Blame by Georgette Heyer - I got this from the KindleMatch program (where if you've bought a qualifying dead-tree copy, you can get the Kindle at reduced price). I love the mystery, of course.
141. The Good Years: From 1900 to WWI by Walter Lord - A ramble through this period of history by Walter Lord, generally focusing on one person or event at the time. It's worth a read, but nothing new in it. Amazon review here.
142. The Hunter Bride by Cynthia Woolf - Another entry for my bad examples file. It was free.
143. The Moving Finger by Agatha Christie - Another KindleMatch book and one of my favorite Miss Marple books, mostly because of the male narrator.
144. Though Mountains Fall by Dale Cramer - This is the final book in the Amish colony in Mexico trilogy. It had about as good an ending as I could have hoped for, and the tragic moments are dealt with in a way that makes them mean something. One characters's arc had an unsatisfactory but historically accurate ending, that might be setting up for other books, that wrenched me because it seemed like everything the character had worked for would be undone. The main character grew in a way that was consistent with his beliefs. It also had a great line - "Sometimes, when somebody speaks the truth in just the right words it fits into you like a key in a lock, and you know it like an old friend. " If you like historicals and Amish, I definitely recommend this whole series. Amazon review here.
145. Women in the Middle Ages by Joseph Gies - Decent older historical work on the title subject. The chapters that focus on individual women whose lives were documented are better than the broader chapters. I was able to get it for ninety-nine cents, which was a definite deal. Amazon review here.
146. The Bungalow Mystery by Annie Haynes - Another of the Golden Age mysteries that are being reprinted. This one is better for its period flavor than its actual mystery, but still readable.
147. Spaghetti Sauces by Biba Caggiano - Decent title on pasta sauce recipes - some of them are pretty basic, but look good. And it was a good price. Amazon review here.
148. More Than Meatballs by Michele Anne Jordan - Decent recipes, but the book has a definite tone of pretentiousness and organic above all that could get a little old. Amazon review here.
149. Penric and the Shaman by Lois McMaster Bujold - Another very readable novella for the Five Gods/Chalion universe. I really loved it, and if you read this LJ, you probably already read it. If you didn't, go get it! Amazon review here.
150-52. Ever After High: Next Top Villain, EAH: Duchess Swan and the Next Top Bird, EAH: Lizzie Hearts and the Hedgehog's Hexcellent Adventure by Suzanne Selfors - Yes, Ever After High is turning into one of my guilty pleasures. The first title is an actual book, where the General Villainy students are "competing", mostly not by their choice, and the other two are tie-in short stories available in e-format for ninety-nine cents each. Amazon review of 150 here.
153. Her Gilded Prison by Beverly Oakley - This was a good Regency that is not clean or sweet, and has an older woman-younger man romance that's enjoyable, among seriously twisted family dynamics. The sensual scenes have their moments (good and bad) but the family dynamics deal really kept me involved. Amazon review here.
154. The Soda Fountain by Gia Giasullo - This is a mix of DIY recipes for soda fountain stuff and historical/nostalgia that I enjoyed. Amazon review here.
155. Isle of the Lost (Descendants) by Melissa de la Cruz - So if you have kids, you may have seen this Disney Channel Original Movie that really seems like it was written as some delightfully cracky fic. It's silly and has serious plot holes, but it's hard to stop. This book is a prequel that sort of addresses some of the plot issues. I got it for the MiniVixen last year in HC, but bought it for myself as a Kindle Daily Deal. Amazon review here.
156. Pizza: A Slice of American History by Liz Barrett - Another combo recipe and nostalgia/tidbit book, this time about pizza. Definitely worth the read. Amazon review here.
157. Baumgartners Hot Shorts by Selena Kitt - This is a collection of four erotica stories that are loosely connected (characters in an author's same series). Overall good - one of the stories was less good, but this may be due to the fantasy in it not being my thing. The first and fourth stories are really strong, and Kitt does a good job of writing characters as well as sex, and has characters that actually think about consequences. Amazon review here.
158. Mosses from an Old Manse by Nathaniel Hawthorne - A collection of darker Hawthorne tales. A free deal.
159. Death in the Clouds by Agatha Christie - Another KindleMatch title and a nice little Poirot mystery.
160. A Man of Character by Margaret Locke - Interesting read about a woman who has the power to create people with her romance stories. Worth a look. Amazon review here.