More, more, more...

I just finished Asking for the Moon- a collection of four Dalziel and Pascoe short stories. One is about their first case together, two are "ghost" stories, the last is a possible future episode...which takes place on the moon. I think Reginald Hill was just messing with his fans on that one. :p

Also finished Warped Factors. That was the nicest of all the Star Trek actor memoirs I've read- Walter Koenig sounds like a great guy. He's so interesting- studied psychology in college, had quite a few quirks that made acting a necessary profession...something he certainly passed on to his kids (son Andrew Koenig once said he got into acting like his dad because the whole family is "fucking crazy!"* I wouldn't go that far, but there's definitely depression and other issues there.). He doesn't bitch and moan about William Shatner like other Trek stars did in their memoirs. It's an older book- from 1998- and I can't believe I missed it. He doesn't talk about his family much, but it's clear how much he adores them- I can't even begin to imagine how he's dealing with the death of his son. I hope someday he writes a follow-up.

*yep, he really said that- on this web show: http://www.thestream.tv/watch.php?v=1011

I keep forgetting to update!

I've read a few more Dalziel and Pascoe novels- Good Morning Midnight, Death's Jest Book, and A Pinch of Snuff. Jest and Midnight continue the story of Dialogues of the Dead. All three are very complicated. Snuff is one of the early novels. I think I like the older books better- the storylines are simpler, and the focus is on D&P instead of bringing in so many new characters.

I have four Torchwood novels to read. I think I might put away D&P for a while so I can finish them.

Also, I'm waiting for Warped Factors, the autobiography of Star Trek actor Walter Koenig (Chekov). I've been wanting to read it for a while because I've always thought he was one of the more interesting cast members (the book is subtitled "A neurotic's guide to the universe"). And after the recent tragic loss of his son, Andrew, I'm even more interested in his story. The library only has one copy, so I may have to wait a while...

Finished another one...

Dialogues of the Dead. That one was creeeeeepy. And wordy. :p And the ending had a twist that I did not see coming...

I haven't picked out which D&P story to read next...but I have several to choose from!

Ten already!

I finished three more Dalziel and Pascoe books- Midnight Fugue, Arms and the Women, and On Beulah Height. Midnight is the first one I didn't like much- there were too many stories going on, and they didn't really connect until the last chapter.

Beulah was one of the best, though it's terribly sad- 15 years ago, three little girls go missing, and Dalziel couldn't solve the case. Now, another little girl vanishes under similar circumstances, and the cold case is reopened. Meanwhile, Pascoe's daughter becomes ill and nearly dies (and her friend does die). Sick, dying, or dead kids always make good drama, even if it's hard to read. Another part of the story that works so well is a young singer (a survivor of the earlier attacks) using Mahler's Songs for Dead Children as a clue to where the girls' bodies are.

Arms and the Women picks up after Beulah- little Rosie is recovering, and Pascoe's wife Ellie is nearly kidnapped and her friend assaulted. Dalziel realizes that the attacks have to do with something from Ellie's past involvement with left-wing groups, including one about women political prisioners. This one was a bit hard to get into, but was pretty exciting towards the end. It's nice to see the ladies in these books get to do things.

I'm still reading them out of order. The next one will be Dialogues of the Dead.

I had to take a break from D and P because M.C. Beaton's newest Hamish Macbeth story came in. I had to read it right away! Death of a Valentine has a murdered beauty queen who had dirty little secrets (don't they all) and a bunch of suspects. Meanwhile, Hamish has to fend off the advances of his obsessed female PC...the story begins with their wedding day! Very entertaining, though the killer was no big surprise. Hamish is once again injured in the line of duty. And that PC was a psycho! Fortunately for Hamish, Elsbeth comes back into his life long enough to help him out.

So that's ten for 2010! Next up, eight more Reginald Hill D and P stories, a short collection of Jane Austen's minor and unfinished works, and A Single Man by Christopher Isherwood. I've been waiting for that one! I can't wait to see the movie. So by Easter, I will have read twenty books. Much better than I did last year at this time.

Six weeks, six books.

I'd better keep this up! I've finished Death Comes for the Fat Man, and the book that follows, The Price of Butcher's Meat. I'll start the last book (most recent, anyway) in the D and P series: Midnight Fugue. I hope Hill plans on writing more.

Butcher's Meat is a continuation of Death- Dalziel is recovering from the bombing that nearly killed him at a seaside "health resort". A wealthy woman with ties to the resort is murdered, and many colorful suspects emerge. This novel brings back Franny Roote, a suspect from An Advancement of Learning. And he might have something to do with the current case...it's fun to watch Andy piece things together.

4 down, 46 to go.

I finished A Ruling Passion and An April Shroud, numbers 3 and 4 in the Dalziel and Pascoe series. I'm really loving these books! Fat Andy is such an awesome character. I just started a more recent novel (I'm reading them out of order now): Death Comes for the Fat Man, AKA The Death of Dalziel. This one is off to a good start...how can someone not like a book with chapter titles such as "Dead Men Don't Fart"? Even in a coma and near death, Andy is his un-P.C. self. Can't wait to finish this one!

A Good Start.

I've read the first two Dalziel and Pascoe novels, A Clubbable Woman and An Advancement of Learning. Very quick and entertaining reads! I've just started the third, A Ruling Passion. It shouldn't take me long to get through the entire series!

FAIL.

I did not reach my goal of 60 books for 2009. I didn't even make it to 50. Shame on me! But I have a huge stack to get me started for 2010- several novels by Gregory Maguire (starting with Son of a Witch), a whole bunch of Dalziel and Pascoe novels by Reginald Hill (this after seeing some episodes of the BBC series based on the characters), plus the upcoming Hamish Macbeth novel. That's about 20 books right there! Plus I have stuff from my to-read pile that I never got around to in 2009- Cheri and The Last of Cheri, Middlemarch, Villette, and several others.

I didn't even know she had a new one out...

M.C. Beaton's new Agatha Raisin story, There Goes the Bride (number 20!), is sitting on my desk as I type. As soon as I'm finished posting, I'll start reading! And a new Hamish MacBeth, Death of a Valentine, is coming in January! I hope these books keep coming for years.

Ianto Jones lives. :p

Well, at least he lives on in the latest Torchwood novels. I picked up three today- The House that Jack Built; Bay of the Dead; and Into the Silence. And there are three new ones coming soon! My cup runneth over. I'm going to be reading a lot this weekend!

A quick re-read.

Last week I saw the musical Wicked on Broadway. I figured it would be smart to read the novel by Gregory Maguire again, just to see all the differences. I loved the musical, and the book is just plain awesome. I'm going to read its sequel, Son of a Witch, next, and then his other books.

Now I need a new series to read...

I've just about finished Cross Bones, the last of the Kathy Reichs novels on my to-read list. I'm also listening to all of the books on tape. I'm trying to decide what mystery/crime author I should check out next!

21 books read. It's October. I have really been a slacker in the reading department this year. :(

Kathy Reichs is awesome!

I've read several of her books now- Deja Dead, Deadly Décisions, Fatal Voyage, Grave Secrets, Bare Bones, Bones to Ashes, and I'm just about finished with her latest, 206 Bones. Each book is about forensic anthropologist Dr. Temperance "Tempe" Brennan and the cases she helps solve. Some are absolutely gruesome, dealing with plane crashes, masacres, and serial killers. The detail is amazingly real (because of Reichs herself is a forensic anthropolgist and academic). And there are plenty of interesting supporting characters.

So far I think 206 Bones and Fatal Voyage are my favorites.

The television show Bones is so different. Only the character's name and occupation are the same. The books are so much better, but the show is a lot of fun. Book Tempe is far more interesting than television's "Bones". 

Once I finish 206 Bones, my total will be 21 books read (not counting several cookbooks, which I will probably add to the list). 

Still behind on my reading.

I just picked up Cheri and The Last of Cheri by Collette. I'm looking forward to reading them.

I've recently gotten hooked on the T.V. series Bones, which is (very loosely) based on the crime novels by Kathy Reichs. I enjoy the series, but I've heard the books are way better. So I'm going to start reading them. This will at least bring me a little closer to my goal of 50 books this year!

QFT.

I'm sorry, but the Twilight books are drivel. I couldn't get through the first one.

I've spent most of this summer rather ill, so my reading has suffered. I have finally finished Pride and Prejudice and Zombies...and I laughed through every freaking page. Looking forward to Sense and Sensibilty and Sea Monsters!

Three more.

I finished all three of the Torchwood novels this week. Very entertaining! So I'm up to 13 books...and it's already June. Pathetic! I'll read more this month.

Summer reading- started.

I've started with the three Torchwood novels I haven't read yet. I'm almost done with Pack Animals, which is good, gory fun and a lot like an episode of the show! Next up: Skypoint and Almost Perfect.

The more serious reading will start in June- I still have Cranford, A Passage to India, and Villette in my to-read pile.

I still can't believe I've neglected my reading so badly this year.

New Hamish Macbeth!

I read Death of a Witch, the newest M.C. Beaton novel, over the weekend. It was pretty good. The Hamish stories do get a bit repetitive after a while. This one has Hamish investigating the death of a woman who had tricked the men of Lochdubh into buying aphrodisiacs that didn't work. The killer is a bit of surprise, and the reasons for the killings is quite sad, and proves that Hamish doesn't know what really goes on behind the doors of his beloved village. The usual Hamish-is-unlucky-in-love subplot appears, too, with his two former loves and a possible new one clashing. That gets boring after a while. It would be nice if Hamish actually picks one and settles down! But then, I guess he wouldn't be Hamish.

So now I've read both new Beaton novels. It will be a long time before a new Hamish or Agatha Raisin story comes out.

That's book number ten. I really need to get back to reading...

R.I.P., J. G. Ballard.

The author of Empire of the Sun, Crash, and other novels died yesterday at 78.

Crash was kind of icky (I didn't even bother with the movie version), but Empire was a classic. I need to read it again.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._G._Ballard




I finished The Reader (better than the movie), and I'll read either Cranford or A Passage to India next. I've really neglected the books so far this year. :(

Book hunt.

I just picked up The Reader today at Borders. I liked the movie, so I thought I should read the book!

I was also looking for books by Colette (Cheri and the Last of Cheri) and Maguerite Duras (The Lover and Hiroshima Mon Amour), but couldn't find any. I'll have to get them from amazon.com.