Main Corpse by Diane Mott Davidson *SPOILERS! *

Now I will review the previous books in this series later; but I had to review this one! I love this series but this volume just ticked me off! The story was pretty good, plenty of red herrings so you weren't sure till the end whodunit. But! *spoiler* Goldy, our main character, BROKE SOMEONE OUT OF JAIL, and suffered no consequences!! I don't care if she did end up catching the actual murderer but seriously? She breaks someone out of jail and nothing happens?? The author just brushed over it by making a "deal" with the DA. Pffft I'm thinking if you break someone out of jail, you're going to get in *some* sort of trouble. Anyway this was the 6th book in the series and the first disapointment, I love the characters and I *love* the recipes and descriptions of all the yummy food that Goldy makes.

Rating: Only 3 stars, the rest of the series gets 4.

Recommendations: The first book in the series is Catering to Nobody.

384 pages took about 3 hours.

Not a Review! An Appeal

If there is a book anyone would like me to read and review please let me know! I'll take requests, if I can get a copy. :) I'm always looking for new stuff to read, and I always want to broaden my recommendations for people! I hope people like the new system of reviewing whole series' (when I read them back to back anyway), I'll still do individual reviews for stand alone novels or if I'm just reading one book in the series. I also will occasionally do entries that aren't reviews, if I've got something good to talk about. :)

The Beaufort and Company Mystery Series by Mary Stanton

I love this series. It's unique. I can't think of another series that involves angels and the celestial courts. The main character, Bree, is engaging. Bree is a defense lawyer, in her regular (or temporal) life she is an expert in tax law, in her Celestial practice she handles appeals for justice for the dead. In addition to angels there is the "Opposition" there are demons and other nasties. The story lines generally go like this, there is a temporal case that somehow ties into a appeal in the Celestial courts. She has a Celestial practice that no one who is living can find, and a temporal practice. Aside from the mysteries Bree has a great family, an entertaining ex and a potential boyfriend. It's got a little bit of everything going on! The books, in order, are: Defending Angels, Angel's Advocate, Avenging Angels, Angel's Verdict, and Angel Condemned.

Rating: 4 stars

Recommendations: Like I said, this one is unique. There isn't anything that I know about that is similar.

Dead Bolt by Juliet Blackwell

I love this series. I wish Ms. Blackwell would hurry up and write more. I like the main character, I love her interactions with her friends and family. I especially love how much detail the author gives about home renovation. I think it's a nice touch that the main character, Mel, keeps old skeleton keys and interesting knobs and such from her jobs. There is just the write touch of the supernatural without making it seem silly or unbelievable and the mystery is pretty decent. I did not have everything all figured out halfway through. 

Rating: 4 stars

Recommendations: Ms. Blackwell has another series the The Witchcraft Mysteries that I like almost as much as this one; the first book is Secondhand Spirits. I also like the Home Repair is Homicide series by Sarah Graves; the first book is Dead Cat Bounce. No supernatural flair in that series.

336 pages took me about 2 and half hours.

Abby & Ophelia Mystery Series by Shirley Damsgaard

So, since I read the last 5 books in the series all in a row I decided to simply review them as a series. I reviewed Charmed to Death and the remaining 5 books were (in order): The Trouble with Witches, Witch Hunt, The Witch is Dead, The Witch's Grave, and The Seventh Witch. As I've mentioned in the previous reviews one thing that drove me crazy was how the main character is so inconsistent, she knows she needs to learn to trust her intuition but routinely ignores it, and how she always wants to protect others but puts herself in unnecessary danger. I am pleased to say that over the course of the series a lot of these things are improved. By Seventh Witch I was really starting to like Ophelia and she was (finally!) getting more comfortable with her powers. I'm also really glad that there was finally some romance for Ophelia! Unfortunately, the actual mystery part of most of the books were fairly predictable. The clues were too blatant (at least to me, Ophelia seems pretty dense about her intuition) and not enough red herrings to make you *think* you had it figured out. There wasn't even much of a reveal for the how's and why's of the crime. So, the rating:
3 stars out of 5

If you liked this series try: Bewitching Mysteries series by Madelyn Alt or The Psychic Eye Mysteries by Victoria Laurie.

All of these books were around 250 pages and took me maybe 3 hours a piece!

Charmed to Death by Shirley Damsgaard

I like the concept of this series. And for the most part I like the characters, and the writing; although I figured out who the killer was about half way through. The main character annoys me however. She is supposed to be learning about her psychic abilities but she regularly and deliberately ignores her own intuition, and then complains about how unclear her abilities are!! She is also so consumed with protecting her loved ones. Which is understandable except she also goes out of her way to show how capable they are! But overall I did enjoy this book and this series (this is book two) but I'm only going to give it three stars since I figured out the killer and his/her motivation so early.

Rating: 3 stars

Recommendations: The first book in this series is Witch Way to Murder. Although if you're looking for an even better paranormal series check out Madelyn Alt's Bewitching Mysteries, book one is The Trouble with Magic.

304 pages took about 3 hours.

Not a Review!

Alright, it's a new year and it's time to get going again with this blog! For the new year I'm going to get reviews posted in a more timely manner, and not do lots of reviews at a time. That just results in boring reviews. I've also decided *not* to review every single book I read. Some of the books I run into I'm just not that passionate about. I'll probably do a "meh" review at the end of each month with mention of the books that didn't make it on here for a full review. I think this year I will plan ahead and just tell you now that I won't be posting over the holidays! I think that's it for now. Thanks,
Speed Reader

Sentenced to Death by Lorna Barrett

I'm not sure why my library has books 1,2,3 and 5 of this series but I'm all caught up now. I am really starting to enjoy the character development in this series. I almost didn't even care about the mystery really, although it was clever.

Rating: 4 stars

Recommendations: The rest of this series, the Bibliophile mysteries, and I just found a new series the Library Lovers.

340 pages took about 3 hours.

Thirteenth Child by Patricia Wrede

This was a delightful young adult novel and a great introduction to a new series and world. The main character is an "unlucky" thirteenth child. Eff. Her family moves out to the American frontier to give her a chance to grow up without stigma. The story follows Eff from childhood till she is eighteen. I say the American frontier, but this is a alternate universe that only bears a slight resemblance to ours. There is magic for one and magical creatures like Dragons, and apparently the South won the Civil War... there are other differences but you get the idea. I'm really looking forward to the next book in this series.

Rating: 5 stars

Recommendations: Patricia Wrede has written a lot of young adult novels. I really enjoyed Dealing With Dragons and that whole series. The next book in the Frontier Magic series is Beyond the Great Barrier.

344 pages took me about 2 hours

Dragonsbane by Barbara Hambly

I've always loved this book. Part of it is the cover art, by Michael Whelan, I always loved this dragon. The story starts out as a fairly typical dragon story, a dragon has invaded and they need a hero to come slay it. But very quickly we discover that this is not your typical dragon story at all. The characters are complex and so are their motives.

Rating: 4 stars

Recommendations: I like Barbara Hambly, everything I've read by her has been great. There are sequels to this book called Dragon Shadow and Dragon Star that I haven't read yet. I did like The Witches of Wenshar.

391 pages took me about 3 hours, maybe I've read this one many times before

A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett

This was one of my favorite books as a child. I found the story, and still do, so poignant and so richly drawn. I love the main character, she is so solemn and intelligent. She is also courteous and kind. In a lot of ways I wanted to be like her when I was a kid. She was pampered but not spoiled and she wondered if she would still be a good person (a princess) if her circumstances were not so kind. Even as a child I found this a very adult book in some ways. There are complicated undertones to the story that you really only appreciate as an adult, this is why I continue to read and re-read this book. It's still a wonderful children's story but it is also a coming of age story and a commentary on social class. I love it. This particular edition has absolutely gorgeous illustrations by Graham Rust. I have an edition of The Secret Garden with the same illustrator.

Rating: 5 stars

Recommendations: Read the Secret Garden by the same author.

192 pages took about an hour and half

The Darkest Road by Guy Gavriel Kay

This is the third and final volume in the Fionavar Tapestry. It is the brightest, deepest, saddest and most glorious of the three. I cry throughout pretty much the last third of the book, because it's so sorrowful, so lovely and there is so much beauty. I love these books, they echo into my life and that is powerful.

Rating: 5 stars

Recommendations: Any of Kay's books.

448 pages took me about 5 hours, I was simply crying too much.

The Wandering Fire by Guy Gavriel Kay

This is the second book in the Fionavar Tapestry. I think it suffers a little from being the second of a trilogy. A lot of this book is concerned with setting up the last book. Now don't get me wrong, a lot happens and like the first book it completely absorbs me. I read this book in one day. There is so much woven into this story, so much depth that speaks to me so much. This book was much deeper and sadder than The Summer Tree* and the last book of the trilogy is even more again. This trilogy is one of those books that I don't take to work, it's too private for me, I don't want to explain why it is so sad and so glorious.

Rating: 5 stars

Recommendations: Anything by Guy Gavriel Kay!

400 pages took me about 4 hours

* denotes a book reviewed on this blog.

The Summer Tree by Guy Gavriel Kay

I wish sometimes I were a poet so I could adequately convey how beautiful and moving I find this book. This is one of my favorite books that I've ever read, however I can only read this book very occasionally. Unlike say, The Lord of the Rings which I read about once a year or so. I read this book, and the rest of the trilogy, so seldom, because I cannot bear to read it more than that. This story is so rich and so all consuming for me that I simply cannot read it more often than every 4 or 5 years. I think this might be my 3rd or 4th reading. Now, I am the sort of person that can read a book and then turn right around and read it again, if it's something I loved. This book ties together so much mythology and brings it so very alive. It reads like it should be a spoken epic. The language is so rich and simply drips off your tongue. I simply love it.

Rating: 5 stars! 6,7,8 stars!!

Recommendations: The rest of the Fionavar Tapestry of course. Book two is The Wandering Flame. Everything I've ever read by Kay, I am very fond of Tigana and The Lions of Al-Rassan.

400 pages, I honestly don't know how long it took me to read this book, I am completely swept away when I read this book

Basic Butchering of Livestock & Game by John Mettler

This isn't exactly the sort of book you can just read. It is much more a manual than that. But I wanted to get sort of the flavour of the book. It gives, fairly clearly and concisely instructions on how to kill, dress, and butcher just about any sort of meat animal. There are some nice diagrams to further illustrate. There are also some recipes for cooking various cuts of meats, but there are other better books for that. I learned a few things and I think, when we have livestock of our own, this book will be valuable.

Rating: 5 stars

Recommendations: I don't really have any, I think now I would like more cooking/preparing/storing type of books. Any suggestions?

208 pages took me only about an hour, but like I said this isn't really a book to just read :)

Chicken Tractor by Andy Lee & Patricia Foreman

This book has a great spirit to it, very infectious while still being full of practical advice. You just want to get out there and get going. It also doesn't get bogged down in a lot of technical details. It just gives you the philosophy behind the chicken tractor idea and enough practical knowledge to get you started. If you want a lot of technical details then there is a nice bibliography.

Rating: 5 stars

Recommendations: Try Joel Salatin's Pastured Poultry Profits.

324 pages only took me a little over 2 hours.

Skirting the Grave by Annette Blair

This is one of the first cozy mystery series I've read. The author also writes romance and it shows, this series is a lot more steamy than your typical mystery. I like it. The main character, Madiera, is a vintage clothes seller and clothing designer. She is also psychometric, she gets visions sometimes when she touches clothing. She also has two men in her life, and is trying to choose between the two. I absolutely love the interplay between Mad and her two men. And also the relationship between Mad and her family. It's charming. I also loved the mystery in this one, there were so many twists and turns it was excellent.

Rating: 4 stars

Recommendations: The first book in this series is A Veiled Deception. It's best to read this series in order.

288 pages took about 2 hours!

Glossed and Found by India Ink

This is the latest in the Bath and Body mysteries. I've been fascinated by the characters in this series. They are very complex characters and I like learning about them and seeing how they interact. This time there is no murder but an abduction that must be solved. The mystery in this book is clever and has a great motive. There is something very mundane about some of the motivations of the villains (I won't give anything away!) that I like. I find that this author seems to understand human nature very well.

Rating: 4 stars

Recommendations: This is the third book in the series. The first one is Scent to Her Grave*.

257 pages took me about 2 hours

* denotes a book that has been reviewed on this blog.

Chapter and Hearse by Lorna Barrett

I had missed this series, I couldn't find this volume in the series for a while but now I'm back on track. The heroine of this series owns a mystery bookstore (some of the books I've read are recommendations from these books actually!) and seems to have the bad luck to be connected in a series of murders. I love this book and the earlier books because the heroine reminds me of me in a lot of ways, she loves books and she honestly wants to help people. The characters in this book seem a little more deep in your typical mystery series. I like it. The mystery almost is secondary to the personal relationships but that being said the mystery was clever.

Rating: 4 stars

Recommendations: The first book in this series is Murder is Binding.

352 pages only took me about 2.5 hours!

The Jefferson Key by Steve Berry

This was the latest in the Cotton Malone books, it was set in the US and featured pirates lol it was great fun. I finished it in one day. One of the things I like about this author is he does a lot of research and includes it in his books. In fact, in the afterword he talks about what in the book was based on fact and what was his own creation, I like that. I like the Cotton Malone books and Steve Berry in general. He tends towards the more believable end of the action adventure genre.

Rating: 4 stars

Recommendations: Any of Steve Berry's books are great. I especially liked The Third Secret.

480 pages took around 5 hours.