Books I Read and Reviewed In September

It's been a good month, with the first ARC I've been given to review, and some books I'd been looking forward to reading.
In (more or less) reverse order from newest review to oldest, the books I read in the past month were:

Against The Tide Of Years
S. M. Stirling

A quote from my review:

There's lots of familiar ancient history, just shifted a bit by the influence of the Nantucketers. That's one of the things I'm finding that I really love about the series: the historical detail....As a lover of ancient and classical history, one of the things I like about Stirling's Nantucket trilogy is being able to go "I recognize that!" when the characters run into a place, person or culture.

Catfantastic V
Editors: Andre Norton and Martin H. Greenberg

A snippet from my review:

A great book for any cat lover, sure to leave you purring with delight (it sure did me, and kept me up nice and late, reading). I should give it five stars if I did ratings. I think I'm going to have to set up a rating system and graphics soon, given the number of times I've said that lately.

There's stories by Andre Norton, Mercedes Lackey, David Drake, Barry Longyear and many more well known and great authors included in this volume.

The Quest Of The Holy Grail
Trans. P. M. Matarasso

A snippet from my review:

The Quest of the Holy Grail is many things: engaging, fun, exciting, and to one living in the medieval world, educational. The translator figures that the work dates to between 1215 and 1230. It is also of British authorship and is described as being a spiritual fable rather than a romance. It is also considered to be a part of the Prose Lancelot cycle.

I read this book for both the Pre-Printing Press Challenge and the Arthurian Challenge.

Ghosts Of Ottawa
Glen Shackleton

A snippet from my review:

Ghosts of Ottawa is the book to go with several of the walks offered by Haunted Walks in Ottawa: there's stories I recognize from the Original Haunted Walk, which I did a couple of days ago, and there's some that are clearly from their other walks as well. The stories are given in much more detail, and believe me - reading them in the daylight won't help if you're afraid to sleep afterwards!

Bitten
Kelley Armstrong

A snippet from my review:

Bitten is the first book of Kelley Armstrong's Women of the Otherworld series, which is very popular among fans of urban fantasy/paranormal novels. The book focuses on Elena, the only female werewolf and her struggles to make a life for herself away from the Pack. However, she gets drawn back in order to solve a bit of a mystery. I suspect the remaining books in the series are centered on other characters and other aspects of the otherworld.

Cleopatra's Daughter
Michelle Moran

A quote from my review:

I really like the weaving of history and fiction in Cleopatra's Daughter, and the historical notes at the end of the book make it even better, as there she elaborates a bit on exactly what was historical fact, and which elements the author chose to add to the story. But, when I was reading it, I couldn't really tell them apart - mark of a good storyteller.

The Man Who Loved Books Too Much
Allison Hoover Bartlett

A quote from my review:

I loved reading this book, and I couldn't put it down, finishing it after one AM the day I started reading it. The question the book asked me was "How far would you go to get that book?" There was no slow build-up. I was caught within the first few pages. The one thing I wish there was more information on was identifying books as valuable, such as what marks a first edition. Guess I'm going to have to do some research on my own now. I have to admit, I'm now curious.

The Heretic Queen
Michelle Moran

A snippet from my review:

There's a sense of the history of Egypt that just flows from the pages of this book and permeates the story, with elements that are familiar to us, but have been given a new and different spin for the story. Michelle Moran is clearly familiar with the period, and her love of history is clear in the way she's written her novels so far. Everything seems to fit together in such a way that it's not at all jarring to the reader.

Bookshelf Give Away: LAST CHANCE

I know I said my last post on the subject was the last, but I thought I'd better give out one last reminder, so if you've been thinking of entering, don't miss your chance.

The giveaway for the bookshelf ends tomorrow at midnight, Pacific Time. The sign-up post is here.

Clear Off Your Shelves Challenge

You've seen my TBR pile post LOL. This is the perfect challenge for me! It runs from October 1 to November 30, 2009.

The rules are, and the full rules post is here:

1. Any non-review books that are on your shelves and/or review copies that have been on your shelves for over six months.
2. This challenge will work a little differently than other challenges. Instead of picking a set number of books to read during this time period, you will pick a percentage. This means that a certain percentage of the books you read during these two months will have to qualify for this challenge. For example, let’s say you pick 40% and you end up reading 10 books in October and November. 4 of those books would have to qualify for this challenge in order for you to complete it. I am setting a minimum percentage of 20%.

I'm going to set a high percentage: 50%. I can't afford to buy any new books for the next couple of months (although there are several I really want to get). What's more, as I'm moving in the near future, I'm taking the title of the challenge literally, and getting rid of the books I read for this challenge once I'm done with them)

The books read for this challenge:

1. In Celebration of Lammas Night by Mercedes Lackey. Ed. Josepha Sherman
2. The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon
3. Lady Of The Forest by Jennifer Roberson
4. Lady of Sherwood by Jennifer Roberson
5. King And Goddess - Judith Tarr
   

Mailbox Monday - September 28th

Mailbox Monday is hosted each week by Marcia of The Printed Page blog, and it is so much fun. At the top of the post she warns that "Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists." She's right - especially on the toppling TBR piles.

Anyway, I missed out on last week's Mailbox Monday because I didn't have internet access, so this week it's a double whammy. No, going on vacation didn't stop me buying books in the slightest. Toronto has The World's Biggest Bookstore, and it was about two blocks from my hotel. I went in for two books, and came out with a bag full (then I went back the next day and got two more books), of which very little is actually fiction. Add to that, I bought books as souvenirs when I could. Including from the ROM Dead Sea Scrolls Exhibit, which was an incredible thing to see.

So, in the last two weeks I bought:

Catfantastic V edited by Andre Norton and Martin H. Greenberg
Jacket description:

Here's a book you can get your paws into as you explore the universe from a cat's-eye view. In this latest edition of tales about our furry friends you'll meet bold new adventurers, loyal companions, determined protectors, cats who can solve mysteries – or created them. You'll recognize such familiar felines as Skitty and Hermione, and encounter tabbies who are high-tech whiz-kits or wizards familiars.
Let some of today's finest tale-spinners, from Andre Norton and Mercedes Lackey to David Drake and Barry Longyear, lead you along trails only the cleverest of cats could find or follow, pathways to realms only reachable with the aid of our fearless four-footed comrades.
From a world where learning the truth about the native life-form could transform a boy's future...to a cat who discovers that love can even conquer time...to a cat familiar ready to tempt her wizardly master to seek out the greatest of magics...these are fantastical romps to claim the hearts and imaginations of cat companions everywhere.

Ghosts of Ottawa by Glen Shackleton
Jacket description:

Ghosts, graveyards, hangings and haunts
Do restless spirits haunt the nation's capital?

Since 1996, tour guides from Haunted Walks Inc. have been entertaining and educating the public with Ottawa's darker history and many ghost stories. Our guides are easily recongizable by their dark cloaks as they lead their groups through the quiet streets of historic Ottawa by lantern light.

In this volume of supernatural tales from our favorite haunted buildings and places, we share the very best of over a decade's worth of research and investigation. Read about the trickster ghost of the Bytown Museum, the numerous haunted souls who lived and died in terror at the old Carleton County Jail, and the frightening personal accounts of supernatural events witnessed by our very own tour guides. These and many other real-life ghost stories and tragic tales are to be found inside.

Ottawa: An Illustrated History by John H. Taylor
The Amazon.com description:

Ottawa's early years as military outpost and lumber town did not suggest future greatness. Yet this rough little settlement (then called Bytown) would not remain insignificant: geography and politics soon combined to place it at centre stage as Canada's national capital.

Ottawa's fascinating story is recounted with skill and wit in John H. Taylor's Ottawa: An Illustrated History. Taylor tells this story in all its variations--the life of the French and the English, the rich and the poor; the politics of city hall and Parliament Hill; the varied social lives of Ottawans. The book focuses on the history of the city's relationship with its chief landlord--the federal government--but it does more. It weaves together, for the first time, all the complex strands that have shaped Ottawa's identity over the years.

Handsomely illustrated within 150 historical photographs, Ottawa: An Illustrated History is a colourful, fascinating chronicle of the development of the nation's capital.

Josephus: The Jewish War trans. G. A. Williamson
Amazon.com product description:

Josephus' account of a war marked by treachery and atrocity is a superbly detailed and evocative record of the Jewish rebellion against Rome between AD 66 and 70. Originally a rebel leader, Josephus changed sides after he was captured to become a Rome-appointed negotiator, and so was uniquely placed to observe these turbulent events, from the siege of Jerusalem to the final heroic resistance and mass suicides at Masada. His account provides much of what we know about the history of the Jews under Roman rule, with vivid portraits of such key figures as the Emperor Vespasian and Herod the Great. Often self-justifying and divided in its loyalties, "The Jewish War" nevertheless remains one of the most immediate accounts of war, its heroism and its horrors, ever written.

Toronto: An Illustrated History Of It's First 12,000 Years Ed. Ronald F. Williamson
The Indigo/Chapters description:

Peter Carruthers''s preface introduces the theme of Toronto as a middle ground: geographically a meeting point between Canada''s vast natural resource wilderness, such Atlantic Ocean seaports as New York and Montreal, and the sprawling continental Midwest, and since prehistory, a place of meditation and exchange between different cultures and peoples. With the stage thus set, Robert MacDonald''s first chapter takes us back 12,500 years, in its description of the geological and ecological history of the area''s ancient landscape.

Ronald F. Williamson then pieces together the little-known archaeological record that tells us about the lives of the aboriginal people who made temporary camps and villages along the river valleys and lakeshore.

Carl Benn describes the colonial transformation of York at the edges of the great struggles for empire during the 1700s, and its growth into the most important urban, institutional, cultural and commercial centre in Upper Canada during the early 19th century.

Christopher Andreae transports us to its age of industry, the century of technological and industrial evolution between the first local railway''s start in 1851 and World War II''s end.

Finally, Roger Hall brings Toronto into the twenty-first century, analyzing the forces that saw the city shuck its staid and sanctimonious image as a good place (in Northrop Frye;s words) to mind your own business and emerge as a vigorous, multicultural metropolitan centre that continues to re-invent itself.

Fingerweaving Untangled by Carol James
Amazon.com descriptions:

This publication is a welcome addition to the literature on the ancient craft of fingerweavning. Carol James, an accomplished Winnipeg weaver and teacher, has dedicated over 20 years to the art. Her knowledge and sash reproductions are based on the detailed study of historical artifacts and are housed in various heritage institutions such as the Manitoba Museum and the Musee de Saint-Boniface

Women In The Middle Ages by Francis and Joseph Gies
The back jacket description:

Women in the Middle Ages corrects the omissions of traditional history by focusing on the lives, expectations and accomplishments of medieval women. The Gieses' lively text, illuminated by illustrations from medieval manuscripts, art, and architecture, depicts the Middle Ages as avibrant time in which women were powerful agents of change.

The first part of the book gives the historical and cultural background for the lives of the women discussed. The authors offer a succinct but penetrating view of the religuious, scientific, and philosophical attitude that defined women's place in the medieval world.

The seven women represent different classes, countries and centuries: Hildegard of Bingen, twelfth century German nun and gifted mystic; Blanche of Castile, queen of France; Eleanor de Montforte, real life inspiration for a thirteenth century romantic tale; Agnes li Patiniere, a Flemish textile worker; Alice Beynte, an English peasant woman, Margherita Datini, wife of an Italian merchant; and Margaret Paston, partner of her husband and sons in the conflicts of pre-Tudor England.

Women In Early Medieval Europe by Lisa M. Bitel
Amazon.com product description:

Women in Early Medieval Europe is a history of the early European middle ages through the eyes of women, combining the rich literature of women's history with original research in the context of mainstream history and traditional chronology. Beginning at the end of the Roman empire, the book recreates the lives of ordinary women but also tells personal stories of individuals, using the few documents produced by women themselves, along with archaeological evidence, art, and the written records of medieval men.

A History Of The Church In The Middle Ages by F. Donald Logan
Back jacket blurb:

A History of the Church In The Middle Ages traces the story of the Christian Church in Western Europe over the thousand years or so that comprise the Medieval age. While this period witnessed the continuities of belief, ritual, and even institutions, it also experienced the remarkable changes when old forms were renewed or replaced and when new forms were created. Saitn Francis of Assisi, the gentle poverello of Umbria, the martyr Thomas Becket, the ill-fated lovers Abelard and Heloise, the visionary Hildegarde of Bingen, all testify to the diversity and richness of the medieval church.

Becoming Modern In Toronto by Keith Walden
Amazon.com product description:

North American cities of the late nineteenth century, grappling with the effects of industrial capitalism and urban growth, were subject to a succession of massive social transformations. Scientific and technological advances were shifting the balance of cosmopolitan power, and people faced the challenge of comprehending and adapting to the rapidly changing social environment. In Becoming Modern in Toronto, Keith Walden shows how the Toronto Industrial Exhibition, from its founding in 1879 to 1903 (when it was renamed the Canadian National Exhibition), influenced the shaping and ordering of the emerging urban culture. Unlike other studies of its kind, it fully integrates experiences on and off the fairground by viewing the fair as a microcosm of developing structures in the city and surrounding rural areas.
The book is arranged around seven thematic elements - order, confidence, display, identity, space, entertainment, and carnival - each of which concerns the way the Exhibition contributed to a search for definition in the face of innovation. The efforts to divide existence into logical, unambiguous categories and to promote controlled conduct was, however, constantly frustrated by the novelty of the fair itself. The Exhibition presented fairgoers with new perspectives and information, while the exhibits simultaneously denied and invited their participation. Though the fair seemed to glorify professional accomplishments and legitimate Tlite leadership, it also implied that the fruits of industrial capitalist society were not exclusive. Walden concentrates on these ambiguities, revealing how the status quo was both confirmed and challenged at the fair.
Becoming Modern in Toronto takes into account a variety of social tensions and concerns that pervaded late Victorian culture. It will be compelling reading for historians, sociologists, and cultural anthropologists, as well as for those interested in the symbolic and social meaning of public festivity and its regulation.

The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls In English Trans. Geza Vermes
The Amazon.com description:

The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls in the Judean desert between 1947 and 1956 was one of the greatest archaeological finds of all time. Hidden in the caves at Qumran by the Essenes, a Jewish sect in existence before and during the time of Jesus, the Scrolls have transformed our understanding of the Hebrew Bible, early Judaism, and the origins of Christianity. This fully revised edition of the classic English translation by Geza Vermes, the world’s leading scholar on the subject, offers an astonishing look into the organization, customs, and beliefs of the community at Qumran. Enhanced by much previously unpublished material and a new preface, this will remain the authoritative translation of the Dead Sea Scrolls for years to come.

The Complete World Of The Dead Sea Scrolls by Phillip R. Davies, George J. Brooke and Phillip R. Callaway
The Amazon.com product description:

The amazing discovery, the intense controversies, the startling revelations: the complete and fascinating story. Since the first scrolls were found in the Judaean desert by a Bedouin shepherd in 1947, the Dead Sea Scrolls have been the subject of passionate speculation and controversy. The possibility that the scrolls might challenge many assumptions about ancient Judaism and the origins of Christianity, coupled with the extremely limited access to the scrolls imposed for many years, only fueled fiery debates on their meanings and implications. With all the scrolls—more than 800 documents from eleven caves—now finally available in facsimile editions, and translations proceeding on many fronts, some conclusions can at last be drawn as to their authorship and origins, their implications for Christianity and Judaism, and their link with the ancient site of Qumran. This timely book, written by three noted scholars in the field, draws together all the evidence and presents the first fully illustrated survey of every major manuscript, from the Copper Scroll, the Community Rule, and the Temple Scroll to less well-known scripts such as the Florilegium and New Jerusalem.
• "The Scrolls Revealed" takes the reader through the discovery of the scrolls, and discusses the long and controversial publication process.
• "The Ancient World of the Scrolls" presents the dramatic historical backdrop against which the scrolls were written and describes Jewish religious life, the pivotal role of the Jerusalem Temple, and competing Jewish sects from the Essenes and Pharisees to the Early Christians.
• "Inside the Scrolls" provides a unique illustrated catalogue of the contents of all eleven scroll caves, including detailed analysis of every major scroll, and considers the methods of interpretation employed.
• "The Qumran Settlement" discusses recent archaeological work at the ancient site.
• "The Meaning of the Scrolls" examines the heated debates over the meaning for ancient Judaism and for Christianity and draws conclusions on the controversy surrounding their authorship.

With numerous fact files, reconstructions, scroll photographs, and a wealth of other illustrations, this book offers the most comprehensive and accessible account yet published of the Dead Sea Scrolls. 450 illustrations and photographs, 75 in color.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? - Sept. 28

I missed out on doing this last week, and so I'm a bit lost about what was actually this week and what was last week's books. Anyway, this is a weekly meme hosted by J. Kaye of J. Kaye's Book Blog.

Completed in the last week (or so. I was on vacation and didn't keep track as well):

Catfantastic V edited by Andre Norton and Martin H. Greenberg

This is an anthology of fantastic cat stories by authors such as Andre Norton, Mercedes Lackey, David Drake, P.M. Griffin and many others. This is one of my favorite series of anthologies. Of course, I'm a cat person, so that may well influence my enjoyment of the stories. Also neat, is the way several of the authors reappear throughout the different volumes, often bringing back the same characters and world.

It's also an one of an older set of anthologies, so it's a bit fun to try and find them now.

Against The Tide Of Years by S. M. Stirling

The middle volume in Stirling's Nantucket Trilogy, following on Island In The Sea Of Time. As such, it does suffer a bit from being a middle volume. There's no great climax at the end of the book, leaving much of the story to the third book, On The Ocean Of Eternity.

I found it a good book, but I'm not jumping into the next one right off. I need a bit of a break. So far, I've found that to be true of all of Stirling's books I've read. I like them, but not back to back.

Ghosts of Ottawa by Glen Shackleton.

The book to go with the Haunted Walk Tour of Ottawa. This might be my favorite of the books I've read this past week. Thing is, unless you order it from the publisher or through Haunted Walks Inc., you've got to get it in downtown Ottawa.

Books I'm reading right now:

The BBC Radio Play of the Lord of the Rings.
Thirteen hours, with each character having a different actor playing their voices. It's incredible.

Ariel by Stephen Boyett
I'm actually not enjoying this one very much.

Books I intend to read this week:

Defenders of the Scroll

Ottawa: An Illustrated History by John H. Taylor

Ghosts of Ottawa - Glen Shackleton

Ghosts of Ottawa
Glen Shackleton
Trafford Publishing
Copyright Date: 2008
9781425147983

The back jacket cover description:

Ghosts, graveyards, hangings and haunts
Do restless spirits haunt the nation's capital?

Since 1996, tour guides from Haunted Walks Inc. have been entertaining and educating the public with Ottawa's darker history and many ghost stories. Our guides are easily recongizable by their dark cloaks as they lead their groups through the quiet streets of historic Ottawa by lantern light.

In this volume of supernatural tales from our favorite haunted buildings and places, we share the very best of over a decade's worth of research and investigation. Read about the trickster ghost of the Bytown Museum, the numerous haunted souls who lived and died in terror at the old Carleton County Jail, and the frightening personal accounts of supernatural events witnessed by our very own tour guides. These and many other real-life ghost stories and tragic tales are to be found inside.

First off: this book cannot be found to the best of my knowledge on amazon.com or chapters/indigo.ca. I've searched in a half a dozen different ways. It can be found at the Haunted Walk kiosk in Ottawa when open in the evenings, and also at the Haunted Walk gift store. I found my copy in the Chapters on Rideau St. I've found the page on the publisher's website if you're not from Ottawa as well, or it can be ordered from the Haunted Walks Inc website.

Ghosts of Ottawa is the book to go with several of the walks offered by Haunted Walks in Ottawa: there's stories I recognize from the Original Haunted Walk, which I did a couple of days ago, and there's some that are clearly from their other walks as well. The stories are given in much more detail, and believe me - reading them in the daylight won't help if you're afraid to sleep afterwards!

Maybe it's my own fault. I went on the walk, and loved it, so I bought the book as another souvenir yesterday and read it last night. Needless to say, it was several hours later before I got to sleep! And, what's more, I wasn't staying in one of the locations on the tour. It was just the stories themselves that kept me awake and jumping at the slightest sound.

The stories are well told, the pages and print are high quality, and there's even illustrations of the buildings, or (where known) of the figures believed to be the ghosts. The book could stand to be longer: aside from the bibliography/further reading pages, it's only a hundred and thirty pages, but it's worth the price.

Between them, the book and the walk certainly give a different picture of the capital city of Canada. I highly recommend both the book and the walk as a very different and fun experience.

Frodo and the Great War

This is a very interesting blog post on a paper by John Garth. I have never seen or heard of this paper before, but given what the author of the blog is saying, I'd like to.

John Garth was looking at how the First World War influenced Tolkien's characterizations of Frodo and Sam. Very interesting indeed.

Against The Tide Of Years - S. M. Stirling

Against The Tide Of Years
S. M. Stirling
ROC
Copyright Date: 1999
978-0451457431

The back cover blurb:

In the years since the Event, the Republic of Nantucket has done its best to recreate the better ideas of the modern age. But the evils of its time resurface in the person of William Walker, renegade Coast Guard officer, who is busy building an empire for himself based on conquest by technology. When Walker reaches Greece and recruits several of their greater kinglets to his cause, the people of Nantucket have no choice. If they are to save the primitive world from being plunged into bloodshed on a twentieth-century scale, they must defeat walker at his own game: war.

Against The Tide Of Years is the sequel to Island in the Sea of Time, in which the island of Nantucket is somehow dropped from the twentieth century into about the twelfth century BCE. Where the first book details the early years and the expedition to Britain (or Alba, as it's called in the period), this book brings in the Mycenaeans and the Babylonians.

Some of the familiar characters named this time are Agamemnon, Iphegenia, Odysseus etc. Of course, the names are spelled quite differently, but it's possible to pick them out, and the Nantucketers certainly know who they are.

There's lots of familiar ancient history, just shifted a bit by the influence of the Nantucketers. That's one of the things I'm finding that I really love about the series: the historical detail.

One thing I've noticed about S.M. Stirling's books, and no this is definitely not a complaint, is that they take longer than you'd think to read. Dense, small type, and close set pages with lots of story, events and detail. This may be a series, but I'm finding that the books are best spaced out a bit with other reading in between. But, that's not affecting the reading, as I'm not finding myself to be too lost by the break.

Stirling fills these books with lots of detail: explanations of the adaptations of technology, scenery, climate etc. It all builds into the story to make a well written whole. As a lover of ancient and classical history, one of the things I like about Stirling's Nantucket trilogy is being able to go "I recognize that!" when the characters run into a place, person or culture.

I will note that Against The Tide of Years is a middle book. The story leaves plenty unresolved for the third book: On The Ocean Of Eternity.

TBR Pile - Truer Than I'd Like To Think

Found at Grasping For The Wind. That's about the state of my TBR pile, and it's not going to get any better that I can see. I keep buying books faster than I can read them.

Book Rambling: Cover Images, Series and Reprints

Cover images...

If it's not an author you already love (the way Mercedes Lackey is for me, or J.R.R. Tolkien), I'd bet the cover image plays a part in your choice of a new book to read. They're carefully planned, designed and created to appeal.

That's all well and good, but what about when you're reading/buying a series and the publishers change the cover style completely half way through?

They've done it with Jack Whyte's Camolud Chronicles (although, to be fair, they only really did it after the main series was completed, so theoretically it's quite possible to have a matching set). I'm commenting about this one, because I'm missing one of the Sorcerer pair, and I can never remember which one it is when I'm at the used bookstore.

Diana Gabaldon's books are another example. The first books had the strip with the title in the bottom third of the page, and a painting/mixed image for the rest of the cover. I'll admit that that was one of the things that attracted me to the first book, Outlander. Now, it's a plain solid cover color with a simple celtic ornament in the center, and has been from The Fiery Cross onwards.

Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark Hunter novels are another example of reprinting with new covers. This one downright confuses me some of the time, as I have them in one set, and the ones in the store are different. At least it's not too different in style (up until Acheron and Bad Moon Rising, anyway). However, I still think of Night Play, for example as being the pink book. now the main cover color is blue. Kind of throws me off a bit when I'm searching them out for customers.

The other headache in covers/editions for me is the History of Middle-Earth series. There's so many editions, and all have different page numbering.

The Pern series by Anne McCaffrey are another set of books where the covers have changed over the years. Some of the earlier books have been reissued in the new covers, but not all, I don't think. Also, the Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter novels by Laurell K. Hamilton are mixed like this. The change is at Obsidian Butterfly, I think.

Question is, are you collector enough to want to have matching sets for books? If so, do you do anything about the re-issues (such as re-buying the series), or do you just gripe mentally, and put up with the multiple cover styles?

Personally, I tend to put up with it (although, as I said, I'm hunting certain exceptions in the used book store). The one exception is the History of Middle-Earth series. I'm trying for the black HarperCollins trade paperbacks, simply so they'll all work with the index volume, which I intend to buy.

Last Chance To Win!

This is the final warning for my giveaway of the book case. The draw is set to happen in a week's time, on September 30, 2009. The rules and originating post is here. I repeat, last chance to enter is within the next seven days. Good luck.

Catfantastic V - Andre Norton and Martin H. Greenberg

Catfantastic V
Edited by Andre Norton and Martin H. Greenberg
Daw Books
Copyright Date: 1999
0886778476

The jacket cover description:

Here's a book you can get your paws into as you explore the universe from a cat's-eye view. In this latest edition of tales about our furry friends you'll meet bold new adventurers, loyal companions, determined protectors, cats who can solve mysteries – or created them. You'll recognize such familiar felines as Skitty and Hermione, and encounter tabbies who are high-tech whiz-kits or wizards familiars.
Let some of today's finest tale-spinners, from Andre Norton and Mercedes Lackey to David Drake and Barry Longyear, lead you along trails only the cleverest of cats could find or follow, pathways to realms only reachable with the aid of our fearless four-footed comrades.
From a world where learning the truth about the native life-form could transform a boy's future...to a cat who discovers that love can even conquer time...to a cat familiar ready to tempt her wizardly master to seek out the greatest of magics...these are fantastical romps to claim the hearts and imaginations of cat companions everywhere.

I love cat stories, and I've been a sucker for the earlier anthologies of Catfantastic. I'll admit that right from the start. I have enjoyed volumes I-III previously. This is another exceptional one in the series. As a lover of the previous books there was story after story from authors I recognized: Andre Norton had another story about Noble Warrior, P.M. Griffin's Tenth Life Cat is set using the same rules as her stories about Turtle from previous books, there's another Skitty story by Mercedes Lackey, and these are just a few of the many offerings.

There are a few stories where the cat dies at the end, fair warning, as they are more than slightly sad, but overall there are some absolutely wonderful stories. Some of my favorites included: Grow Old Along With Me by Lee Barwood (I wish this story could happen for real), Goliath by R. Davies (a bit sad, but lovely), A Cat's Tale by Paul Goode, Preliminary Report by Barry B. Longyear, Tenth Life Cat by P. M. Griffin (which I've already mentioned), and too many others to mention.

There were a couple of stories I didn't care for, but I'm sure someone else considers them to be their favorites: the story of Hermione (on stylistic grounds: the actual Story was Great, but I don't care for the Excessive capitalization Hermione uses in her Writing, much as I have in this sentence), and The Maltese Feline (I just don't care for that style of story with any characters).

So many of the authors were familiar to me from outside of the Catfantastic world too: Lyn McConchie, who's written with Andre Norton, P. M. Griffin the same, Mercedes Lackey, and several others.

A great book for any cat lover, sure to leave you purring with delight (it sure did me, and kept me up nice and late, reading). I should give it five stars if I did ratings. I think I'm going to have to set up a rating system and graphics soon, given the number of times I've said that lately.

The Quest Of The Holy Grail

The Quest of the Holy Grail
Trans. P. M. Matarasso
Penguin Books
Copyright Date: 1969
978-0140442205

The back jacket blurb:

The fusion of fabulous legend and Christian symbolism gives The Quest a tragic grandeur and mystical aura.

The richly colourful word of the court of King Arthur is the setting for a story that was intended on another level as a guide to the spiritual life, aimed at the court rather than the cloister. Chivalrous adventurers like Gawain, Lancelot and the saintly Galahad journey across a land strewn with fantastic dangers, temptations and false promises. Combining Celtic myth and Arthurian romance, The Quest is an absorbing and radiant allegory of man's equally perilous search for the grace of God.

The Quest of the Holy Grail is many things: engaging, fun, exciting, and to one living in the medieval world, educational. The translator figures that the work dates to between 1215 and 1230. It is also of British authorship and is described as being a spiritual fable rather than a romance. It is also considered to be a part of the Prose Lancelot cycle.

Thank goodness for the footnotes and the endnotes though. The former mark the (many) references to scripture and the Bible, while the latter explain details of the translation, source myth and other things, including explaining biblical references in more detail. It really is a fascinating read, even on re-reading. This is the second time I've read this work, although it has been a few years (it was one of the textbooks for a class on Arthurian Literature I took a few years ago).

On the other hand, I found it a bit heavy handed at times. The knights are always having visions and running off to the nearest (usually conveniently located) hermit/priest to get them explained. Which raises a question. Some of these hermits had servants and seemed to be part of large cloisters. I've always been given to understand that being a hermit was supposed to be a solitary way of life.

In terms of structure, the work follows first one knight or group of knights, then another. The main Knightly figures of the Quest are: Lancelot, Gawain, Galahad, Bors and Perceval, although others are mentioned and at times do play roles: Hector and Lionel are two of the latter.

The interpretations of the the characters are interesting too. I've been working my way slowly through the Middle-English poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and there, Gawain is more or less a paragon, the best of the best. However, here, he's regarded as somewhat less. A comparison would be quite interesting. As would a similar look at the other characters of the Arthurian world.

Even with the spiritual and biblical layers, I found The Quest of the Grail to be a fairly light read, although there were times that I found that I could only read a few pages at a time.

I read The Quest Of The Grail for both the Arthurian Challenge and the Pre-Printing Press Challenge.

Bitten - Kelley Armstrong

Bitten
Kelley Armstrong
Seal Books
Copyright Date: 2001
978-0770429096

The jacket blurb:

Elena...The Werewolf

Living in Toronto for a year, Elena is leading the normal life she has always dreamed of, including a stable job as a journalist and a nice apartment shared with her boyfriend. As the lone female werewolf in existence, only her secret midnight prowls and her occasional inhuman cravings set her apart. Just one year ago, life was very different. Adopted by the Pack when bitten, Elena had spent years struggling with her resentment at having her life stolen away. Torn between two worlds and overwhelmed by the new passions coursing through her body, her only option for control was to deny her awakening needs and escape.

But now the Pack has called Elena home to help them fight an alliance of renegade werewolves who are bent on exposing and annihilating the Pack. And although Elena is obliged to rejoin her “family,” she vows not to be swept up in Pack life again, no matter how natural it might feel. She has made her choice. Trouble is, she's increasingly uncertain if it's the right one.

Bitten is the first book of Kelley Armstrong's Women of the Otherworld series, which is very popular among fans of urban fantasy/paranormal novels. The book focuses on Elena, the only female werewolf and her struggles to make a life for herself away from the Pack. However, she gets drawn back in order to solve a bit of a mystery. I suspect the remaining books in the series are centered on other characters and other aspects of the otherworld.

Kelley Armstrong has a knack for descriptions:

He looked every day of his sixty-two years, his body's revenge for fifty years of being subjected to every stress test known to man.

That's one thing about the book I liked, as also her well-created characters. On the other hand, I (and I don't know Toronto at all) didn't see anything in her descriptions of the city that especially marked Armstrong's Toronto as the Toronto of this world. No street names or anything. That could be my lack of knowledge though. Admittedly, much of the action in the story isn't anywhere near Toronto, either, just the beginning and part of the end of the book.

While I found the book to be quite good, I don't have a burning desire to find the next book in the series. To be honest, I was expecting that result, as this was the second time I've purchased a copy of Bitten, and I've had this copy for over a year.

However, as I've already stated, the series is very popular, and has been recommended to me by several people. What's more, the books are being re-printed with fancy new covers in a trade paperback format, rather than the older mass market style. I'm not sure which I prefer, actually. I have the older one, but the new covers are pretty neat too.

I'm considering Bitten to fill another requirement for the What's In A Name Challenge: the requirement for a title to be a medical condition.

Chalice - Robin McKinley

This review originally appeared at Royal Reviews on the fifth of September, a bit earlier than I'd expected. Here is an edited and slightly expanded version, posted in honor of the one year release date for the hardcover edition:

Chalice
Robin McKinley
Putnam
Copyright Date: 2008
978-0399246760
272 Pages
Young Adult

The Amazon.com description:

As the newly appointed Chalice, Mirasol is the most important member of the Master’s Circle. It is her duty to bind the Circle, the land and its people together with their new Master. But the new Master of Willowlands is a Priest of Fire, only drawn back into the human world by the sudden death of his brother. No one knows if it is even possible for him to live amongst his people. Mirasol wants the Master to have his chance, but her only training is as a beekeeper. How can she help settle their demesne during these troubled times and bind it to a Priest of Fire, the touch of whose hand can burn human flesh to the bone?

Robin McKinley weaves a captivating tale that reveals the healing power of duty and honor, love and honey.

I love Robin McKinley, her Blue Sword is one of my favorite books of all time, and until just recently, I hadn't realized that it was actually a Young Adult novel. The same thing is true of Chalice. It reads as just a fantasy novel, good for any age.

Chalice is the story of Mirasol, newly chosen as the Chalice of Willowlands after the death of the previous Master and Chalice in a horrific fire. When the story begins, Mirasol is waiting ceremonially for the new Master, who was something never seen before: someone who had returned from a life as one of the priests of Elemental fire. Mirasol herself is something never seen before: a honey Chalice, when most of the previous Chalices were focused through water or wine.

Everything is beautifully described, from the tastes of various types of honey to the details of the characters. Even the bees come in for description several times, all of which adds to the book and its' atmosphere.

Not only does Mirasol have to figure out her new role "on the job" as it were, because she was chosen for the role of Chalice with no warning, soon there are outsiders scheming for control of Willowlands, her home.

As the story builds, we learn of the role of the Master and the Chalice in the magic of this world, where everything seems to be done in a very ritualistic manner. The roles of Master and Chalice are not the only ones though: there's also the Landsman, Oakstaff, Clearseer and Prelate, among others who make up the Circle that runs the Demesne. This is my one real complaint about the book. Even by the end of the story, I still had no clue what these other members of the Circle actually did, what their roles in the world McKinley had created are. Also, the conflict in the story could have used a slight bit more fleshing out. I didn't quite see the motivations some of the "villain" characters had.

Really, the story is focused on a very small part of the world, and we never leave it, although there are hints of things going on outside of the region of Willowlands. It actually makes for a nice change in a way, where the story isn't revolving around world-shaking events, although, for the people involved in the story, the outcome is vitally important.

I've got to make a special note about the cover art for Chalice. It's absolutely gorgeous! In fact, I think it might be one of the prettiest covers I've seen this year. Simple and clean, but beautiful. There's a slight celtic feel, but it seems like the sort of thing you might see painted on English chinaware (on the Antiques Roadshow, usually).

Reading Update

I'm on vacation, just got into town after a few days on the train today. At the moment I'm borrowing a computer and internet access, but I hope to be able to post reviews sometime in the next couple of days. I plan to get the first one written tonight or tomorrow. As it is, I do have some books to review now. Coming in the future to this blog are reviews of:

1. Kelley Armstrong's novel Bitten
2. The Quest of the Holy Grail (for the Pre-Printing Press Challenge and the Arthurian Challenge)
3. The BBC Radio Play of The Lord of the Rings. At the moment I'm finishing episode seven. This is honestly one of my favorites.
4. After that I'll either be finishing S. M. Stirling's Against The Tide Of Years or reading Boyett's novel Ariel.

Yes, I did pack a lot of reading material. And, going by previous vacations, I'm bound to buy more.

Mailbox Monday - September 14

Note: I'm writing this ahead to post, so at some point in the next week, I'll add the proper linking and meme description.
This last week has been an incredible week for books coming in.

In the mail on Thursday, I found my copy of Cleopatra's Daughter by Michelle Moran, which I've been looking forward to for a while now.
The amazon.com description:

The marriage of Marc Antony and Cleopatra is one of the greatest love stories of all time, a tale of unbridled passion with earth-shaking political consequences. Feared and hunted by the powers in Rome, the lovers choose to die by their own hands as the triumphant armies of Antony’s revengeful rival, Octavian, sweep into Egypt. Their three orphaned children are taken in chains to Rome; only two– the ten-year-old twins Selene and Alexander–survive the journey. Delivered to the household of Octavian’s sister, the siblings cling to each other and to the hope that they will return one day to their rightful place on the throne of Egypt. As they come of age, they are buffeted by the personal ambitions of Octavian’s family and court, by the ever-present threat of slave rebellion, and by the longings and desires deep within their own hearts.

The fateful tale of Selene and Alexander is brought brilliantly to life in Cleopatra’s Daughter. Recounted in Selene’s youthful and engaging voice, it introduces a compelling cast of historical characters: Octavia, the emperor Octavian’s kind and compassionate sister, abandoned by Marc Antony for Cleopatra; Livia, Octavian's bitter and jealous wife; Marcellus, Octavian’s handsome, flirtatious nephew and heir apparent; Tiberius, Livia’s sardonic son and Marcellus’s great rival for power; and Juba, Octavian’s watchful aide, whose honored position at court has far-reaching effects on the lives of the young Egyptian royals.

Selene’s narrative is animated by the concerns of a young girl in any time and place–the possibility of finding love, the pull of friendship and family, and the pursuit of her unique interests and talents. While coping with the loss of both her family and her ancestral kingdom, Selene must find a path around the dangers of a foreign land. Her accounts of life in Rome are filled with historical details that vividly capture both the glories and horrors of the times. She dines with the empire’s most illustrious poets and politicians, witnesses the creation of the Pantheon, and navigates the colorful, crowded marketplaces of the city where Roman-style justice is meted out with merciless authority.

Based on meticulous research, Cleopatra’s Daughter is a fascinating portrait of imperial Rome and of the people and events of this glorious and most tumultuous period in human history. Emerging from the shadows of the past, Selene, a young woman of irresistible charm and preternatural intelligence, will capture your heart.

I ended up buying a translation of the Chronicle of Bury St. Edwards and two more Stargate SG1 novels: The Cost of Honor and A Matter Of Honor, both by Sally Malcolm.

Then, there's the books I got from Random House:
Confessions of a Radical Industrialist by Ray C. Anderson
Amazon.com description:

In 1994, Interface founder and chairman Ray Anderson set an audacious goal for his commercial carpet company: to take nothing from the earth that can’t be replaced by the earth. Now, in the most inspiring business book of our time, Anderson leads the way forward and challenges all of industry to share that goal.

The Interface story is a compelling one: In 1994, making carpets was a toxic, petroleum-based process, releasing immense amounts of air and water pollution and creating tons of waste. Fifteen years after Anderson’s “spear in the chest” revelation, Interface has:

*Cut greenhouse gas emissions by 82%

*Cut fossil fuel consumption by 60%

*Cut waste by 66%

*Cut water use by 75%

*Invented and patented new machines, materials, and manufacturing processes

*Increased sales by 66%, doubled earnings, and raised profit margins

With practical ideas and measurable outcomes that every business can use, Anderson shows that profit and sustainability are not mutually exclusive; businesses can improve their bottom lines and do right by the earth.

Galore by Michael Crummey
Amazon.com product description:

Sprawling and intimate, stark and fantastical, Galore is a novel about the power of stories to shape and sustain us. This is Michael Crummey’s most ambitious and accomplished work to date.

An intricate family saga and love story spanning two centuries, Galore is a portrait of the improbable medieval world that was rural Newfoundland, a place almost too harrowing and extravagant to be real. Remote and isolated, exposed to savage extremes of climate and fate, the people of Paradise Deep persist in a realm where the line between the everyday and the otherworldly is impossible to distinguish.

Propelled by the disputes and alliances, grievances and trade-offs that bind the Sellers and Devine families through generations, Galore is alive with singular characters, and an uncommon insight into the complexities of human nature.

The Golden Mean by Annabel Lyon
Amazon.com description:

What would it have been like to sit at the feet of the legendary philosopher Aristotle? Even more intriguing, what would it have been like to witness Aristotle instructing the most famous of his pupils, the young Alexander the Great?

In her first novel, acclaimed fiction writer Annabel Lyon boldly imagines one of history’s most intriguing relationships and the war at its heart between ideas and action as a way of knowing the world.


As The Golden Mean opens, Aristotle is forced to postpone his dream of succeeding Plato as the leader of the Academy in Athens when Philip of Macedon asks him to stay on in his capital city of Pella to tutor his precocious son, Alexander. At first the philosopher is appalled to be stuck in the brutal backwater of his childhood, but he is soon drawn to the boy’s intellectual potential and his capacity for surprise. What he does not know is whether his ideas are any match for the warrior culture that is Alexander’s birthright.

But he feels that teaching this startling, charming, sometimes horrifying boy is a desperate necessity. And that what the boy — thrown before his time onto his father’s battlefields — needs most is to learn the golden mean, that elusive balance between extremes that Aristotle hopes will mitigate the boy’s will to conquer.

Also at stake are his own ambitions, as he plays a cat-and-mouse game of power and influence with Philip, a boyhood friend who now controls his fate.

Exploring a fabled time and place, Annabel Lyon tells her story, breathtakingly, in the earthy, frank, and perceptive voice of Aristotle himself. With sensual and muscular prose, she explores how Aristotle’s genius touched the boy who would conquer the known world. And she reveals how we still live with the ghosts of both men.

A Gate At The Stairs by Lorrie Moore
Amazon.com description:

In her best-selling story collection, Birds of America (“[it] will stand by itself as one of our funniest, most telling anatomies of human love and vulnerability” —James McManus, front page of The New York Times Book Review), Lorrie Moore wrote about the disconnect between men and women, about the precariousness of women on the edge, and about loneliness and loss.

Now, in her dazzling new novel—her first in more than a decade—Moore turns her eye on the anxiety and disconnection of post-9/11 America, on the insidiousness of racism, the blind-sidedness of war, and the recklessness thrust on others in the name of love.

As the United States begins gearing up for war in the Middle East, twenty-year-old Tassie Keltjin, the Midwestern daughter of a gentleman hill farmer—his “Keltjin potatoes” are justifiably famous—has come to a university town as a college student, her brain on fire with Chaucer, Sylvia Plath, Simone de Beauvoir.

Between semesters, she takes a job as a part-time nanny.

The family she works for seems both mysterious and glamorous to her, and although Tassie had once found children boring, she comes to care for, and to protect, their newly adopted little girl as her own.

As the year unfolds and she is drawn deeper into each of these lives, her own life back home becomes ever more alien to her: her parents are frailer; her brother, aimless and lost in high school, contemplates joining the military. Tassie finds herself becoming more and more the stranger she felt herself to be, and as life and love unravel dramatically, even shockingly, she is forever changed.

This long-awaited new novel by one of the most heralded writers of the past two decades is lyrical, funny, moving, and devastating; Lorrie Moore’s most ambitious book to date—textured, beguiling, and wise.

Cleopatra's Daughter - Michelle Moran

Cleopatra's Daughter
Michelle Moran
Crown
Copyright Date: 2009
978-0307409126

The amazon.com description:

The marriage of Marc Antony and Cleopatra is one of the greatest love stories of all time, a tale of unbridled passion with earth-shaking political consequences. Feared and hunted by the powers in Rome, the lovers choose to die by their own hands as the triumphant armies of Antony’s revengeful rival, Octavian, sweep into Egypt. Their three orphaned children are taken in chains to Rome; only two– the ten-year-old twins Selene and Alexander–survive the journey. Delivered to the household of Octavian’s sister, the siblings cling to each other and to the hope that they will return one day to their rightful place on the throne of Egypt. As they come of age, they are buffeted by the personal ambitions of Octavian’s family and court, by the ever-present threat of slave rebellion, and by the longings and desires deep within their own hearts.

The fateful tale of Selene and Alexander is brought brilliantly to life in Cleopatra’s Daughter. Recounted in Selene’s youthful and engaging voice, it introduces a compelling cast of historical characters: Octavia, the emperor Octavian’s kind and compassionate sister, abandoned by Marc Antony for Cleopatra; Livia, Octavian's bitter and jealous wife; Marcellus, Octavian’s handsome, flirtatious nephew and heir apparent; Tiberius, Livia’s sardonic son and Marcellus’s great rival for power; and Juba, Octavian’s watchful aide, whose honored position at court has far-reaching effects on the lives of the young Egyptian royals.

Selene’s narrative is animated by the concerns of a young girl in any time and place–the possibility of finding love, the pull of friendship and family, and the pursuit of her unique interests and talents. While coping with the loss of both her family and her ancestral kingdom, Selene must find a path around the dangers of a foreign land. Her accounts of life in Rome are filled with historical details that vividly capture both the glories and horrors of the times. She dines with the empire’s most illustrious poets and politicians, witnesses the creation of the Pantheon, and navigates the colorful, crowded marketplaces of the city where Roman-style justice is meted out with merciless authority.

Based on meticulous research, Cleopatra’s Daughter is a fascinating portrait of imperial Rome and of the people and events of this glorious and most tumultuous period in human history. Emerging from the shadows of the past, Selene, a young woman of irresistible charm and preternatural intelligence, will capture your heart.

The story starts out with the deaths of Antony and Cleopatra, then follows the life of their three children, Alexander, Selene and Ptolomy as they are forced to go to Rome and live in Octavian's family.

From the perspective of Selene, we meet Octavian (Augustus), Livia and a whole host of other Roman figures, including Julia, Octavian's daughter, and Marcellus, who is his heir. There's also Tiberius, the son of Livia.

This is a book that's good for both older teens and adults. There's nothing overly descriptive in terms of violence or sex, but the descriptions there are are enough to bring the scenes, characters and Roman lifestyle vividly to life. The settings of the story included the Colosseum, Capri, the Forum and the Palatine hill, among others.

There's slightly less of the descriptions of food, settings and scenery in Cleopatra's Daughter than there were in Michelle Moran's previous two books, but there's still enough to get a feeling for the world of Ancient Rome.

It's clear that the author loves ancient history, as she's done a wonderful job setting the stories she writes in that world: first ancient Egypt with Nefertiti and The Heretic Queen, and now the beginnings of Imperial Rome.

Reading Suetonius and Tacitus gave me a bit of a mental picture for some of the characters such as Julia and Livia, and I have to say, Michelle Moran's characterizations are vivid, and spot on with the ancient sources. She's woven a good story with a satisfying ending. I'll leave it up to you to decide if it's actually a "happy" ending. It does resolve all the plot points of the story though.

I really like the weaving of history and fiction in Cleopatra's Daughter, and the historical notes at the end of the book make it even better, as there she elaborates a bit on exactly what was historical fact, and which elements the author chose to add to the story. But, when I was reading it, I couldn't really tell them apart - mark of a good storyteller.

One thing Michelle Moran has done with her previous two books is inspire me to go looking for more information about the historical figures she's written about. Cleopatra's Daughter is no different.

I'm going to make this a double recommendation and suggest reading Jo Graham's Hand of Isis as well. The former is historical fantasy, while this one is historical fiction, but I think the two books go well together. Either way, Cleopatra's Daughter picks up where Jo Graham's book ended, almost exactly.

I loved Cleopatra's Daughter and I can't recommend it enough. Michelle Moran has written a book where the anticipation and the wait to read it has definitely been worth it (and the late nights reading).

Bookshelf Giveaway Reminder

This is just a reminder that my bookshelf giveaway is set to end on September 30th, 2009. If you want to enter for a chance to win a very nice little bookcase, the rules and entry post is here. Good luck.

Weekly Geeks - "What's the Plan" Response

This week's question at Weekly Geeks is:

Do you have a plan of what you're going to read the rest of the year? Have you had a master plan all along? If so, have you stuck to it? What helps you to decide what you're going to read next? Challenges? Book groups? Or do you have the luxury of closing your eyes and picking any book off your shelf?

The second question is talking about spreadsheets and ways of organizing books to be read, but I don't.

Anyway my answer is more or less option three. I do tend to read whatever suits my mood whenever I finish my previous book, but these days, I'm usually picking up books I've been sent for review before I tackle anything on my shelf. Hardcover books usually get the pick over e-books too (and I'm feeling a bit guilty over that, as I have a couple of e-books I've received from the LibraryThing Member Giveaway that I need to read).

There's also a couple of challenges calling my name too: The Arthurian Challenge, the Pre-Printing Press Challenge, and the What's In A Name Challenge. All of them need some reading to be done towards them. Where I can, I'm overlapping books for those (mostly the Pre-Printing Press and the Arthurian Challenge).

I don't spreadsheet my reading, but I do have a document where I list the books I've been sent, where the reviews are to go and when I finally get to them and get the reviews posted. It's nothing fancy, but it does keep my commitments at the front of my mind. There's also the rough list of my TBR pile/Unread Books on my blog.

I choose my reading based on what I feel like. Sometimes I get a real itch to read an old favorite or something, where I can almost see specific passages, or else it will be because I'm in the mood for more like the previous book I read, or I'm on a particular author "kick". The last is what's motivated me recently with Michelle Moran's books. At the moment I'm reading Cleopatra's Daughter and loving it. Not overly certain what's next on the list though. Perhaps A Breath Of Snow and Ashes, as the book following it is due out soon. Not particularly organized perhaps, but fun.

Book Rambling: Review Quotes and Buying

This is something I started thinking about when I purchased my copy of Ariel by Stephen Boyett. One of the things that tipped me over towards buying it was the review quote from S. M. Stirling on the front cover.

How much do those review quotes influence your buying? I know as well as you do that they're there for just that purpose, so I'm wondering how effective they are?

I've been aware of the Diana Gabaldon quotes on some of the Laurell K. Hamiliton novels, but I think I'd already become hooked before I started paying attention to the reviews.

There are a few others that I can remember noting, but can't find now, because I can't remember the book(s) they're on. Generally the quotes are along the lines of the book being "unputdownable" or something like that.

Thing is, you know these quotes are going to be positive, otherwise they wouldn't be on the book cover in the first place. No publisher is going to print negative reviews right on the book.

The case with Ariel is the first one I can think of where the review was the thing that made me decide to get the book for sure, although I will admit I was leaning towards buying it anyway.

In a related note, I'm trying to figure out if these review quotes on covers are a relatively new thing. Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter series has them, Diana Gabaldon has them on the Outlander books, but there aren't any on the front cover of the Camolud Chronicles by Jack Whyte, or the Valdemar series by Mercedes Lackey or the Pern books by Anne McCaffrey. All of these series span at least ten years or more though, so I guess it may be more genre instead of age, although I'll admit that this isn't the most exhaustive sampling to base a survey on.

Cleopatra's Daughter Arrived

My copy of Michelle Moran's latest book, Cleopatra's Daughter just arrived in the mail today. Apparently it came around 8:30 this morning and I only just noticed it now. Forget finishing S. M. Stirling's Against The Tide Of Years for now, although I'll get back to that one next week. All other books have been dropped until I've finished reading this one.

The reviews I've seen on other blogs have been so promising on top of the way I loved her previous two books, so I've been anticipating this one a lot.

Book Talk Meme

Found this one over at J. Kaye's Book Blog and thought it looked like fun. I know, so many memes, so few book reviews right now. It's because I'm nowhere near the end of either book I'm reading right now...Unless you want a review of a half-finished book?

1. Do you have a favorite author?

Yes! J.R.R. Tolkien. There's other authors I love, but this is the one who really started my love of reading, is the gold standard against which I compare a lot of other authors, and is the one I collect. By any definition, that makes him my favorite, even if I'm actually reading less Tolkien these days.


2. What are your favorite genres?

Science-fiction/Fantasy, historical fiction and history mostly.

3. Least favorite genre?

Religion, self-help. Oh yes, also Horror (I don't count Laurell K. Hamilton as horror even though the bookstores do).


3. What fictional character are you secretly in love with?

I can't think of any.


4. What genre would you like to read more of but don’t?

That would have to be young adult fantasy. I'm poking around over there and finding more books to love.


5. What was your favorite book when you were 10 years old?

The Lord of the Rings. I was eleven when I'd worn out my first copy to the point pages were falling out of the FOTR. And most of that was because I'd read it, then flip back to the first page of the first book and start again.


6. What books are on your wish list right now?

Too many to count. My Amazon wishlist is over three hundred and eighty items long (mostly books too). There's a lot of history books, and some of the harder to find books on Tolkien there as well as normal fiction.
Some of the top books though include:

1. Gwenhwyfar: The White Spirit (A Novel of King Arthur)by Mercedes Lackey
2. An Echo In The Bone by Diana Gabaldon
3. Cleopatra's Daughter by Michelle Moran
4. The Black Ships by Jo Graham
   

Tuesday Thingers - Sept. 8, 2009

Tuesday Thingers is hosted each Tuesday at Wendi's Book Corner.
This week's questions:

Have you explored the Series feature of your Statistics? Were you surprised by how many series you have/haven't read? Were your series mostly complete, or did you find that you had only read one book from a lot of different series? What was the largest number of books in a series? Feel free to answer a few or all of these questions. :)

My personal listing (counted in my head) runs to between eighteen and twenty series, and it's incomplete. Adding in the ones from the series post takes it to 25. How to count series like the Valdemar books where there are a bunch of trilogies set in the same world? I've just counted them as one series.

I read series a lot (I've got an entry where I list the series I read, just so I can keep track) I've got a question in return for you: How accurate do you think the Series statistic on LibraryThing is? I took a look at it today and I've got to say: Not Very! At least half the series I read are in there multiple times.

The LibraryThing listing for series for me is definitely tending towards incomplete as I'm generally adding fiction only as I read the books (trying to delay the need to actually pay for my account as long as possible), and some of the series listed, I've read all of them (multiple times, in some cases). The non-fiction series tended towards just the one book in the series, while fiction tends to be more complete (whether it's complete on LibraryThing is another question entirely as again, I don't tend to list books I don't own, or have yet to read/re-read and review)

Anyway, according to LibraryThing, I've been reading from 52 series. Now, as I've already noted, the Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs is in there at least three times. Same for the Valdemar books by Mercedes Lackey. It's a neat thing to keep track of though.