My 2016
Reading List, with quick comments about each one.
I reached my
year end goal of reading 75 books!
- Mycroft Holmes Casebook by David Dickinson
A
nice collection of detection stories, solved by Mycroft Holmes,
brother of one of the most
famous detectives in the world. Conveniently available in electronic
format (Kindle). Mystery.
- The Alchemyst: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel by Michael Scott
The
first book in a series with teenage twins (a brother and a sister) as
the main characters who
have adventures with an ancient alchemist (who really was a
historical figure, but these
adventures are fictional). Mythology and fantasy in a modern setting.
- Allegiant by Veronica Roth
Could be categorized as utopian fiction, aimed at the YA market, but
interesting enough for
adults, too.
Part of a Divergent series, which has also been made into a movie.
Takes place in a
world where
ones life path is determined in a special ceremony when a teenager.
The world is
suffering the
aftermath of some huge disaster.
- The Tale of Halcyon Crane by Wendy Webb
A
nice Gothic piece which takes place in the present day. It has been
called 'tourism horror' by
one
reviewer, but I don't necessarily agree with the horror label, it is
a good Gothic to me;
Heroine finds
out about her true identity after moving in to the mansion left to
her by her family
in an
idealistic setting, discovers family secrets and all the rest that I
love about the Gothic
genre.
- Fated (Alex Versus #1) by Benedict Jacka
While mourning the fact that there were no more Dresden Files books
to read (I'd read them
all), a book
loving friend sent me the first book of the Alex Verus series. Kind
of a knock off of
the Dresden
Files but has interesting characters that get involved in the
paranormal in today's
world.
- Homo Sylvanus by Amber D. Sistla
A Sci Fi
novelette I gave a try to on Kindle because it was either free or it
cost one dollar. About
genetic
engineering, a father tries to help his teenage daughter illegally. I
don't remember much
about it so
that means, to me, it was kind-of forgettable.
- Detection by Gaslight by various, including Rudyard Kipling, Arthur Conan Doyle, Robert W. Chambers, Baroness Orczy, etc. (Victorian and Edwardian Crime Stories)
I absolutely
loved this old collection of stories about Crime solving and “Occult”
Detectives. I
never realized
this was a category, but it opened up a new sub-genre to me that I
realized I
enjoyed, Harry
Dresden, Alex Verus, and the Greywalker Series with Harper Blaine, to
mention
a few.
- The Life and Times of Jesus from Child to God by Joseph Lumpkin, a collection put together by the author from varied ancient sources telling mostly about the childhood of Jesus.
- Atlantis Rising Magazine volumes: 99, 100, 101, 112,113, 114
Atlantis
Rising is a new age magazine that comes out 6 times a year. The
kindle version is about
half the price
of the printed version and makes for interesting middle of the night
reading when
I am unable to
sleep due to discomfort from a chronic health condition. I don't
believe
everything I
read in it, but it definitely gives one food for thought. I have been
slowly catching
up on back
issues on my kindle (all caught up now). My least favorite section is
the astrology
because the
lady goes on and on about it, so it is good for putting me to sleep,
when I reach
that part.
- The Cabinet of Curiosities by Preston and Child (Agent Pendergast #3)
Wow,
I did not know what I was getting myself into when I started this
series last year. I was
browsing the audio book section of the local library and found the
“Gideon” books by these
authors. I enjoyed listening to them in my car, so I started looking
for other books by Preston
and Child as well. I have became obsessed with the Agent Pendergast
series and have finished
them all, racing through them this year. I stayed up late way too
many nights reading on and on.
Well worth the effort!! Now I am looking to read everything these
guys have written, as a pair
and individually. This particular story is important to the rest of
the series as it is when the
character Constance Green is introduced. She eventually becomes an
important part of the
series. I am going to re-read this one in 2017, to make sure I did
not miss any important plot
points about Constance and also because I know her appearance will
be better understood in the
later books after I re-read it. Slow down while reading this one to
integrate what comes in the following novels.
- Still Life with Crows by Preston and Child (Pendergast #4)
Another fast
paced Pendergast novel, introduces Corrie Swanson, a character who
also appears in later books in the series.
- Amazed by Grace by Sheri Dew
Inspirational
reading from a well loved woman of faith.
- Midwinter Blood by Marcus Sedgwick
One of my most
favorite books for the year. This book still “haunts me”. It is a
bit surreal but it grabs you into unusual circumstances you are not
really sure you understand and pulls you straight into the story.
I'm still there on that island with these characters. Amazing.
- Haunted Utah by Andy Weeks
A collection
of folklore and local ghost stories specific to Utah.
- Dinosaurs in the Attic by Douglas Preston
I told you I
was searching out everything Preston and Child have
written.....Preston writes about
his time
employed at the Museum of Natural History in NYC. Quite interesting,
and relevant to
the Agent
Pendergast series, too, as the museum is the setting for several of
the investigations in the novels.
- The Lost Stones by Paul Rimmasch
A
novel exploring the possibilities and realities of the seer stones of
the Jaredites, (which
the Utah crowd/LDS members can relate to).
- Adventure Stories #4 by Seabury Quinn and Others
A kindle
freebie and pretty interesting if you like oldish literature, Conan
Doyle, Kipling, and
such authors.
- Forget Me Not by Dieter F. Uchdorf
Inspirational
reading from a well known and well loved religious leader.
- Lirael by Garth Nix
The
second book in the Abhorsen series by Nix. I thought I really liked
Sabriel, the star of the
first book in the series, but I realized I absolutely loved Lirael
even more, after reading this
book. I also fell in love with the “disreputable dog”, a great
character in this book. Could be
described as a zombie story for those that don't really like zombie
stories or maybe a zombie
story that was written before zombie stories were “cool”.
Nothing like the Walking Dead, which
I think is kind of boring and soap opera-ish (from only watching two
episodes on TV, read
The
Road by Cormac McCarthy instead,
WD is a rip off of it.
- Brimstone by Preston and Child (Pendergast #5)
Another
spine tingling, fast paced, Pendergast adventure.
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