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.

August Review Round Up

August sure has flown by. The end of the month snuck up on me almost before I was prepared for it.

Anyway, here's my round-up of my reviews for the past month:

The most recent book read and reviewed was Curse of the Tahiera by Wendy Gillissen.

A snippet from my review:

The characters grew on me quickly and I had to know what was happening to them next. I still haven't quite shaken them out of my head yet.

The book starts out as a typical fantasy/journey, but takes on it's own dimensions and character quickly, growing into it's own storyline.

Hunting Ground, by Patricia Briggs was a book I've been looking forward to since I finished Bone Crossed back in March. It's the latest book set in her Urban Fantasy world, the sequel to Cry Wolf.

A quote from my review:

One thing I like about all the books set in this world, and Hunting Ground is no exception here, is the way the author sets up her mysteries so you think the bad guy is one character, and then throws in a twist or two, to fool the reader. So far, every single time, the villain has proven to be someone else at the end of the book.

Defenders of the Faith by James Reston Jr.
This was the first book I've been offered to review, which makes it a bit special. It examines the years between 1520 and 1536 in both Europe/The Holy Roman Empire and the Ottoman Empire. Definitely an interesting read.

A snippet from my review:

Overall though, I really enjoyed reading this book, and I feel like I learned a bit more about history, and about this period in our history especially. I'd recommend this as a good overview/introductory book about the years between 1520 and 1536. Defenders of the Faith is going to stay on my shelves as part of my "permanent" collection of books.

Stargate SG1 The Barque Of Heaven by Suzanne Woods is my current favorite of the Stargate SG1 novels I've read to date. This was definitely a five star book, and I think I'm going to have to implement that kind of rating on All Booked Up soon.

A snippet from my review:

The story is non-stop, and I found that I didn't need to have seen any of the later episodes in order to understand it (still haven't gotten past episode nine of season one). I just couldn't put it down. The characters seemed true to the series as well, and there were several points where I could "hear" the dialogue in the voices from the series.

Stargate SG1 City Of The Gods by Sonny Whitelaw. Another of the Stargate SG1 novels. A nice, quick read for a change of pace.

A snippet from my review:

City of the Gods is set within the Aztec/Mayan cultures of Mexico/Central America, which I found quite interesting. The story links with the little I know about the region/period well, although I'm sure that the story would drive anyone who really knows the cultures crazy (as have some stories set in the periods and areas I'm more familiar with).

Stargate SG1 the First Amendment by Ashley McConnell. The first Stargate novel I read.

A snippet from my review:

Ashley McConnell seems to have the character "voices" and attitudes matching the show as far as I can tell. Looking at the list of her other novels, novelizations for TV shows seems to be her particular niche. I saw a Highlander novel, Quantum Leap and several other Stargate novels listed under her name as well.

Nefertiti by Michelle Moran was a very good novel, and a good introduction to her books. I'm now reading The Heretic Queen, and I'm looking forward to reading her new book Cleopatra's Daughter as well.

A snippet from my review:

With a rich and detailed landscape, Nefertiti paints a wonderfully fascinating picture of Egyptian life during the time of Nefertiti and Akhenaten. Nearly as much as King Tut, Nefertiti has captured the imagination of the world, and Michelle Moran has created a captivating picture of this powerful woman and the events of the time. Nefertiti is told from the perspective of Mutnodjmet, her sister, and a figure I hadn't heard of before I read this book.

Order in Chaos by Jack Whyte is another book I'd been looking forward to for a while. Ever since Standard of Honor came out, to be honest.

A snippet from my review:

Jack Whyte writes incredibly vivid and exciting books. On the other hand, I found that I still couldn't quite picture any of the characters in my head.

Anyway, Order in Chaos was well worth the read, and if you like historical fiction, I recommend it strongly.

Standard of Honor by Jack Whyte is one of the books I bought when it first came out, and never got around to reading. That was a mistake! The book was really good. On the other hand, waiting until now meant that I didn't have to wait for the next book to come out for very long.

A snippet from my review:

Running through all three of the books, Knights of the Black and White, Standard of Honor and the newest one, Order in Chaos is a thread that seems as though it were straight from the book Holy Blood, Holy Grail. Jack Whyte is playing with the idea of an inner order that pre-dates the Templars in this series. Overall, I'd have to say it works too. The "Friendly Families", as he terms this, certainly do seem to add an extra air of mystery to the story. Perhaps it lessens the historical accuracy, but that's why its termed "historical fiction", after all.

Books Read In July

The round-up of the books I read and reviewed over the month of July. Plenty of fiction of all sorts here this month, and I actually got one of the books for my Pre-Printing Press Challenge read.

In reverse order, from the most recent review:

Beowulf - Howell D. Chickering
A snippet from my review:

There's a majesty and dignity to Beowulf that makes it an amazing read, and even the modern English cries to be read out loud. I did find though, that after Beowulf's return from killing Grendel's mother, I lost the thread of the poem and really had a hard time picking it up again...

...This is probably a very good edition for any student of Old English and of the history of the fifth to eleventh centuries in Europe. It's definitely worth the read, and not just because of the place that the poem holds as one of the earliest poems in the English language.

Aerie - Mercedes Lackey
A quote from my review:

The final book in Mercedes Lackey's Dragon Jouster series, Aerie made a satisfying conclusion. It was a quick read, with some very interesting twists, including to things we already thought we knew, such as the relationship being set up between Kiron and Aket-ten. Is that relationship as much a foregone conclusion as we thought?...

...Unlike the previous two books, where I wasn't certain if I'd read them when they first came out, I'm absolutely positive I hadn't read Aerie before. Like the other books in the series, Joust, Alta and Sanctuary it's a book suited for everyone from teens to adults of any age. There's nothing too graphic in it either, and some thought provoking ideas as well.

Sanctuary - Mercedes Lackey
A quote from my review:

...Either way, it was a very good read, although I did find it somewhat typical of Mercedes Lackey's young adult suited stories. I think I've noted it before, but the Dragon Jousters books are a set that would be quite well suited for either teens looking for more fantasy and for adults of any age who love dragons and fantasy novels. If you're a fan of Mercedes Lackey and you haven't read these books, you should give them a try. They're not exactly high literature, but they are (as are all of her books) a fun, although quick, read.

Alta - Mercedes Lackey
A quote from my review:

These books: Joust, Alta, Sanctuary and Aerie are perfectly safe for teens as well as adults, reminding me of the Owl trilogy (Darian) and the Heralds of Valdemar set (Talia), which are also by Mercedes Lackey, in terms of writing style. Also, the ages of the characters are similar to those of many teen books, although it's not explicitly stated anywhere.

Although part of a series, I found that Alta came to a satisfying conclusion of its own. None of this "middle book" stuff where either nothing happens, or the conclusion is left for the final book. Alta almost stands on its own, although there is plenty left for the following books to explore.

Joust - Mercedes Lackey:
A snippet (or two) from my review:

Joust is the first book in the Dragon Jousters series written by Mercedes Lackey, and it takes us back to the slightly young adult nature of some of her earlier books. I'd feel quite comfortable recommending this series to someone venturing out of the teen books into the adult ones, if they liked fantasy novels.

Anyway, Lackey has done something a bit different with this series: She's used ancient Egypt as her model for the lands, religion and civilization of Alta, but especially of Tia. It makes the books both familiar and alien at the same time, I found, as I recognized the source, but I'm not overly familiar with it.

The Serrano Connection - Elizabeth Moon
A snippet from my review:

It's really neat the way she mixes high and low technologies, such as horseback riding and space-flight, and it's all done in such a way that it fits together. The one doesn't seem out of place in the world of the other at all.

Honestly, I think that if you liked the Vatta's War series, also by Elizabeth Moon, I really think you'll like these two books. Now, I am trying to hunt down the next books in the series so I don't have to wait until September to continue reading. Hopefully the library will have them (or be able to interlibrary loan them to me) along with Trading in Danger, the first of the Vatta's War books.

The Hand of Isis - Jo Graham
This was honestly, my favorite book of the month.
A quote from my review:

We all know the story of Cleopatra, at leas the basics, how she was the lover of Caesar, and then of Mark Antony, and how she committed suicide after he was defeated by Octavian. Given that, we know more or less how the story is going to end. By half way through Hand of Isis I was wishing that somehow the characters would find a way to change what we know from history in order to have a happy ending, even though I knew it wouldn't happen.

Jo Graham wrote characters that just came alive right off the page, from Cleopatra to Dion, their friend. There's no difference from the famous characters to the minor. They all got fleshed out and made real. Quirks, joys, disappointments, they're all there and all part of the characters' lives. Even the cities and temples I could see, hear and smell, even taste as I read.

The Ash Spear - G. R. Grove
A quote from my review:

G. R. Grove has set this series in the generation or so just after the time of King Arthur, and located it mostly in the Welsh and northern regions of the British Isles. However, from there the story is quite different from most of the Arthurian period stories I've read, which made for a refreshing change: Gwernin, who is both the main character and the viewpoint character is no warrior or leader, but instead is an apprentice bard with a healthy appreciation for the mystical (not to mention the practical).

Also, there is much more of a pagan presence throughout The Ash Spear than I've seen in some of the other stories of the period. However, it works, and I think, that fact is probably fairly historically accurate too, although I'm no expert on the period. Again, it is a refreshing change.

By Heresies Distressed - David Weber
A snippet from my review:

David Weber is well up to his ususal standards in writing interesting characters and exciting events. Even the "bad" characters are three dimensional and complex in their motivations. The way Weber writes, he hints at future events (most of the time) but doesn't give things away, so the reader is always wondering what's going to happen until it actually does...

...This is a series that's turning out to be just as good as David Weber's best known series about Honor Harrington, although it's very different. I've seen a few comparisons with the Dahak series as well.

Memoirs Of A Geisha - Arthur Golden
A quote from my review:

Told from Sayuri's perspective as she looks back on a long life as a geisha, Arthur Golden has written an engaging, detailed book from which I found that I could see the scenes he described. His descriptions are vivid, and the characters real (if not always likable). He has even included the fiction of a translator's note at the beginning of the book, adding another layer of verisimilitude to the picture Memoirs of a Geisha forms of Japanese life.

This isn't my typical book reading choice, but I was looking for a change of pace from fantasy and ancient history. I'm glad I did get it. Were I inclined to rate books here, this would be a definite five star novel!

The Swan Maiden - Jules Watson
A snippet from my review:

Jules Watson, the author has created a vivid and realistic (although magical) world which the reader can almost touch, hear and smell. That's one of the things I really liked about the book, the feeling that there was more to the world, and that there were other worlds touching on this one. Every life is interconnected and has it's place...

On the other hand, there were times when I found the story to be a bit slow moving and I found myself skimming for a few pages. Not enough to mar my enjoyment though.

Incubus Dreams - Laurell K. Hamilton
A snippet from my review:

...I also found quite quickly, that compared to Skin Trade I could really understand the complaints I've seen in other reviews of the recent books in the series. The crime factor was almost pushed to the background in comparison to the metaphysics and sex, especially the sex. Add to that the loose end of the family that wanted their son raised...

On the other hand, Incubus Dreams sets up some of the situations in later books with Malcolm and his vampires, including The Harlequin, so the lack of resolution in that case is key.

Books bought in June

Now that I've started participating in Mailbox Mondays this list is redundant, so this will be the last "Books Bought In..." list.

In more or less reverse order, the books are:

1. Barbara Hanawalt's Growing Up In Medieval London: The Experience Of Childhood In History
2. Anne Bishop's The Shadow Queen
3. J.R.R. Tolkien's Tales From The Perilous Realm
4. Jo Graham's The Hand Of Isis
5. Jules Watson's The Swan Maiden
6. Jamie's Food Revolution by Jamie Oliver
7. The Tattooed Map by Barbara Hodgson
8. Windflower by Nick Bantock
9. Skin Trade by Laurell K. Hamilton
10. Greek Fire, Poison Arrows and Scorpion Bombs by Adrienne Mayor
11. The Millionaire Next Door by Thomas J. Stanley and William D. Danko
    

Books I've bought in the month of May

I did a bit of book buying this past month. Not as many as in April though.


Sigurd and Gudrun is the latest book out by J.R.R. Tolkien. The actual text is written in the form of Norse poetry, but there are large sections of commentary on the poems, and also selections from Tolkien's lectures on the subject. I'm enjoying reading it, but I do find it slow going at times.

The Snow Queen, by Mercedes Lackey. I read this book back when it first came out in hardcover, and I finally got around to buying it. This is the most recent title in the Five Hundred Kingdoms series.

Fortune's Fool, also by Mercedes Lackey is another book from the Five Hundred Kingdoms series. Light, fantasy romance, based around well known fairy-tales, they're good books for cold, rainy days when you want a happy ending. This is another book I read back when it first came out, but that was a couple of years ago now.

Twilight of Avalon is the first book in Anna Elliott's new Trystan and Isolde trilogy. I found it reminiscent of Marion Zimmer Bradley's The Mists of Avalon, and really enjoyed the read.

Impressionism is a book about that period of art. I'll be honest and admit that I didn't buy this book for reading. I bought it because the pictures are all as large as they can be within the confines of the page, and as far as I can see, having flipped through the book several times, they are all in color. I love impressionist art work, and this has several of my favorite artists featured. I'm hoping to try and improve my own artwork by copying some of these in various media as a learning experience.

Greek Fire, Poison Arrows and Scorpion Bombs by Adrienne Mayor is turning out to be another fascinating read. The author has examined in detail various incidents from historical accounts to look at the ancient and medieval use of chemical and biological weapons. It's certainly a different perspective on history.

Books Read in April

I've got to admit this was the month for non-fiction reading. What else do you expect when it's final exams though. A round-up of my book reviews for this month, in reverse order with the most recent at the top of the list:

Daughter Of The Blood - Anne Bishop
A quote from my review:

This is the first of the Black Jewels series, and an incredible start at that. All of the characters have their quirks, the things that make them human in a brutal world.

Women of the Raj - Margaret McMillan
This was actually a book I bought for my mother.
A quote from my review:

Margaret MacMillan has written a number of bestselling books including The Uses And Abuses Of History, and Paris 1919 and, reading this one, I can see why. She has a way of making the daily details interesting and amusing to read. It was absolutely fascinating, looking at the lives that British women in India were living under the British Empire. The book is written with anecdotes, quotes, letters and the like from the women themselves. It is also lavishly illustrated with four sets of photographic inserts.

The Worlds Of Medieval Europe - Clifford R. Backman
A snippet from my review:

If you're looking for a good background book on the Middle Ages, this is a good one, and it is surprisingly reasonably priced too, at least compared to some of the other books I have.

Reading The Middle Ages - Barbara Rosenwein
This is a book of extracts from the primary source material of the Middle Ages.
A snippet from my review:

This is just as much a suitable book for someone who's just getting started in their study as it is for someone who has more background.

Bloodhound - Tamora Pierce
This, honestly is a book that I'd been looking forward to since last November when I gave in and read the teaser in the back of Terrier.
A quote from my review:

There's plenty of excitement, and as with the Alanna books it's possible to see what a good Rogue can do for the city as well as how much damage can be done by a bad one. That's another neat difference with this series: the thieves and other 'undesirables' are shown as real characters with good points as well as bad ones, not to mention actually playing a positive role in the world Tamora Pierce has created.

The Athenians And Their Empire - Malcolm McGregor
Not my favorite book of the month, I have to admit.
A snippet from my review:

...the book is quite readable, and doesn't take too long to get through. It's good as an overview of the period, but counter it with some other books as well.

Lover Unbound - J.R. Ward
The fourth book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series.
A snippet from my review:

Not my favorite of the series, but Lover Unbound was a really good read nonetheless. I did find the bad language to be a bit much, which is one of the reasons it moved away from my favorite slot.

Lover Revealed - J.R. Ward
The fourth book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series.
A snippet from my review:

From the outset of the first book Butch has been an interesting character and one of my favorites. Finding out more of his background and watching his interactions with the others has made this my favorite book in the series to date. The Brotherhood is protective of the human, but he wants to fight the lessers that have made themselves into such a problem.

Lover Awakened - J.R. Ward
The third book of the Black Dagger Brotherhood. As with the others, the villains were creepy and even more evil than I'd thought, while the heroes are nowhere near perfect, but interesting to say the least.
A quote from my review:

Lover Awakened is the third book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series, and I've heard it called the best of them. While I'm not entirely certain that that is my opinion as well, this was yet another book that I couldn't put down, and I found myself reading until one thirty in the morning yet again.

Lover Eternal - J.R. Ward
The second book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series.
A quote from my review:

The sequel to Dark Lover, this was another book that I couldn't put down. The characters are gripping and the story moves fast. And the twist at the end... It's a romance novel, but for a while I was wondering as I couldn't see any way for the traditional happy ending.

On Basilisk Station - David Weber
The first book in his best-selling Honor Harrington series.
A quote from my review:

I can't describe the book from the perspective of a first time reader anymore, it's been too long for that, but this is a book that can be read again and again - as can the rest of the series.

Dark Lover - J.R. Ward
The first book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series. I picked it up on a whim after a co-worker said that the series looked interesting. WOW! The next day, I was at the bookstore buying the next few books in the series.
A snippet from my review:

No complaints of "I finished this book in less than four hours" here. Instead, Dark Lover kept me up past midnight at least once, and Lover Eternal, the sequel, is following the same trend (1:30 AM last night).

Books bought in April

I went a little crazy in buying books this month. The list below is copied from my Unread Books list.

1. On The Prowl - Anthology (Romance) Mass Market Paperback
2. Knight Of Darkness - Kinley MacGregor - Fiction (Romance) Mass Market Paperback
3. Sword of Darkness - Kinley MacGregor - Fiction (Romance) Mass Market Paperback
4. **Lover Eternal - J.R. Ward - Fiction (Romance) Mass Market Paperback
5. **Lover Awakened - J.R. Ward - Fiction (Romance) Mass Market Paperback
6. **Lover Revealed - J.R. Ward - Fiction (Romance) Mass Market Paperback
7. Lover Enshrined - J.R. Ward - Fiction (Romance) Mass Market Paperback
8. Dark Lover - J.R. Ward - Fiction (Romance) Mass Market Paperback
9. Lover Unbound - J.R. Ward - Fiction (Romance) Mass Market Paperback
10. Sword and Sorceress VIII - Fiction (Anthology) Mass Market Paperback
11. Sword and Sorceress XV - Fiction (Anthology) Mass Market Paperback
12. Sword and Sorceress XIV - Fiction (Anthology) Mass Market Paperback
13. Sword and Sorceress X - Fiction (Anthology) Mass Market Paperback
14. Sword and Sorceress VI - Fiction (Anthology) Mass Market Paperback
15. Sword and Sorceress IX - Fiction (Anthology) Mass Market Paperback
16. Alta - Mercedes Lackey - Fiction (Fantasy) Mass Market Paperback
17. Rocket Ship Galileo - Robert Heinlein - Fiction (Science Fiction) Trade Paperback
18. The Number Of The Beast - Robert Heinlein - Fiction (Science Fiction) Mass Market Paperback
19. The Real Middle Earth - Brian Bates - Non Fiction (History) Trade Paperback
20. To Sail Beyond The Sunset - Robert Heinlein - Fiction (Science Fiction) Mass Market Paperback
21. Lammas Night - Fiction (Anthology) Mass Market Paperback
22. Roman Poets Of The Early Empire - Poetry - (Primary Source) Trade Paperback
23. Redline The Stars - Andre Norton and P.M. Griffin - Fiction (Science Fiction) Mass Market Paperback
24. Derelict For Trade - Andre Norton and Sherwood Smith - Fiction (Science Fiction) Mass Market Paperback
25. Readings In Medieval History - Patrick Geary - Non Fiction (History) Trade Paperback
26. Troilus And Criseyde - Geoffrey Chaucer - Poetry (Primary Source) Trade Paperback
27. Falls The Shadow - Sharon Kay Penman - Fiction (History) Trade Paperback
28. The Reckoning - Sharon Kay Penman - Fiction (History) Trade Paperback
29. The Early History Of Rome - Livy - History (Primary Source) Trade Paperback