The Life of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle by John Dickson Carr

The Life of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle by John Dickson Carr

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
Fans of Sherlock Holmes or Professor Challenger should be sure to read mystery writer John Dickson Carr biography of Sir Arthur, they'll be glad that they did.


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Murder is Binding by Lorna Barrett

Murder is Binding by Lorna Barrett

Booktown Mystery Book 1

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
Excellent bookish mystery and the first book of which I hope becomes a long running series. How you not love a small town in NH that has been revitalized by turning main street into a group of specialty bookshops.


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The Upanishads by Swami Paramananda

The Upanishads by Anonymous

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
I actually read the Project Gutenberg release of this classic Indian text on Hinduism. It's a short 17,000 word translation by a Hindu mystic that visited Boston in 1909. Even though the translation is 90 years old it brought the message of the text to life for me, and the insightful commentary by the translator helped to get the message across of the book.


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Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World by Vicki Myron

Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World by Vicki Myron

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
I'm a sucker for animals and books, the two combined make for a great emotional read for anyone who loves animals and has ever lost one you'll be crying for Vicki Myron before the end of the book. Dewey even though I never met you, I'll never forget you.


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Evan Help Us by Rhys Bowen

Evan Help Us by Rhys Bowen

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
I missed the first book of the series but this novel has a good cast of characters and a beautiful setting but the plot suffers from too many coincidental strangers involved in a small village mystery.



Cast Of Characters



Colonel Arbuthnot - vistor boarding with Mrs Owens



Evans the Post

Evans the Meat

Evans the Milk



Constable Evan Evans boards with Mrs Williams



Taff Morgan - farmer

Ted Morgan - his son



Browen Price - school teacher



Reverend Parry Davis

Reverend Powell-Jones



Annie Pigeon

Jenny - her daughter



Betsy - barmaid






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The Best Cellar: A Werner-Bok Library Mystery by Charles A. Goodrum

The Best Cellar: A Werner-Bok Library Mystery by Charles A. Goodrum

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
Pretty crummy dialogue and underdeveloped characters almost sink this biblo-mystery but an interesting plot and great settings saved it for me.


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How To Live Forever by Colin Thompson

How To Live Forever by Colin Thompson

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
This kid's picture book is terrific, with outstanding extremely detailed artwork and a fantasy story of a boy searching a living library for a book that promises immortality.


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Tale of Hawthorn House: The Cottage Tales of Beatrix Potter The Tale of Hawthorn House: The Cottage Tales of Beatrix Potter by Susan Wittig Albert

The Tale of Hawthorn House: The Cottage Tales of Beatrix Potter by Susan Wittig Albert

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
Another solid entry in the Beatrix Potter series, this one aimed a little more towards children at least it seemed that way to me. Amazing series of mysteries, I've read the first four books and so far only one killing.


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Danny Dunn and the Homework Machine Danny Dunn and the Homework Machine by Jay Williams

Danny Dunn and the Homework Machine by Jay Williams

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
This book came out in 1958 but I still fondly remember my introduction to computers through it's pages when I was in first grade back in 1963 and I dreamed of actually owning my own computer. It wasn't to happen for 17 more years before I was the proud owner of an Atari 400. But I think the day that I brought that home I was still thinking about the fun Danny, Joe and Irene had with Miniac.


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The Tale of Cuckoo Brow Wood The Tale of Cuckoo Brow Wood by Susan Wittig Albert

The Tale of Cuckoo Brow Wood by Susan Wittig Albert

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
As good as the first if not better, this reminds me so much of Tolkien's Hobbit style, not the subject matter but this terrific cozy mystery is very appropriate to all ages. If you read to your children this would make an excellent choice, it'll keep you as interested in the storyline as the kids will be by the talking animals.My only problem is that I read this out of order, it seems that Fantastic Fiction listed this out of order it is really the third book in the series, The Tale of Holly How (2005) is in fact the 2nd. Now having obtained that from my local library I'll read that one next.

The Cottage Tales Website

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Rest You Merry by Charlotte MacLeod

Rest You Merry by Charlotte MacLeod

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
Laugh out loud funny, bachelor Professor Peter Shandy, must deal with Christmas, murder and an the unprecedented attention of the females in his sphere of colleagues at Balaclava Agricultural College in this biblo-mystery, when he first must inform his best friend that his wife was found dead by Peter after performing a prank on his neighbors.


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The Tale of Hill Top Farm: The Cottage Tales of Beatrix Potter by Susan Wittig Albert

The Tale of Hill Top Farm: The Cottage Tales of Beatrix Potter by Susan Wittig Albert

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
Loved this historical mystery, I'd give it 5 stars but I reserve that for books that I've read more then once. But this is at least a 4 and 1/2 star book for me. It's been compared to Rita Mae Browns series because of the talking animals, bet even though I recently read and like Brown's first novel in the series I found this to be highly superior.


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Mulch Ado About Nothing (Jane Jeffry Mystery, Book 12) Mulch Ado About Nothing by Jill Churchill

Mulch Ado About Nothing by Jill Churchill

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
Cast Of Characters

Jane Jeffry - heroine
Shelley Nowack - best friend
Mel - Cop and Jane's Boyfriend
Stefan Eckert - Director Arts and Crafts
Julie Jackson - teacher
Geneva Jackson Julie's sister
Dr. Stewart Eastman - fll-in teacher
Ursla Appledorn - classmate
Miss Martha Winstead - classmate
Charles Jones - classmate, Martha's neighbor
Arnold Waring - classmate
Katie JJ daughter
Mike JJ son

Good story about a gardening class gone awry.


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Wish You Were Here by Rita Mae Brown

Wish You Were Here by Rita Mae Brown

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
It's not the Cat Who (one of my guilty pleasure reads) but it's pretty good so far. Finished it today and really enjoyed the novel it's a good start to the series and I'll definitely read more Harry, Mrs Murphy and Tucker adventures in the future.


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Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews

Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
I'd say really a 2 1/2 star book, the first half was confusing as so many characters are introduced and seemingly dropped as soon as they started to become interesting, in the end the only two character's that seem to get any development at all are the heroine Kate Daniels and one of her adversaries through much of the novel.


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Cry Wolf (Alpha and Omega, Book 1) Cry Wolf by Patricia Briggs

Cry Wolf by Patricia Briggs

My review

rating: 1+1/2 of 5 stars the extra 1/2 comes from the 2nd part of the book.
I really enjoy urban fantasy, love Kim Harrison’s Hollow’s series which includes a little werewolf lore but had never read a novel focusing on werewolves and packs and just wasn’t drawn into the story much at all. I hadn’t read Briggs’s first series “Mercy” but started with this because it was an Urban Fantasy group read last August before I’d joined and thought I’d give it read. It’s very slow to get moving but about halfway through the pace picks up and it was a little better then the beginning had been. The main characters are somewhat likeable but the rest of the pack were either not very well fleshed out or unlikeable. It was good enough to finish but it’ll probably be a long time before I read another fantasy that focuses on werewolves. If you’re a big fans of werewolves or the Twilight series you may enjoy it, if not I’d give this a pass.


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On the Prowl by Patricia Briggs

On the Prowl by Patricia Briggs

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
Just read the Alpha and Omega short story before starting the novel, Cry Wolf which the short story serves as an introduction to the characters


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Bridge of Birds: A Novel of an Ancient China That Never Was by Barry Hughart

Bridge of Birds: A Novel of an Ancient China That Never Was by Barry Hughart

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
I enjoyed the book and I think any fans of Terry Pratchett will also enjoy it. The two main character's are funny and interesting, Number Ten Ox the narrator of the story and Li Kao a drunken wiseman and ancient scholar with a "slight flaw in his character" try to save the children of Ten Ox's village from a strange plague that has befallen them. They must travel all over China in search of a cure and defeat all manner of puzzles and monsters.


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Undead and Unappreciated (Undead Series, Book 3) Undead and Unappreciated by MaryJanice Davidson

Undead and Unappreciated by MaryJanice Davidson

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
I really like this series a lot and this book brings in another major character, Laura, the devil spawn who is destined to rule the world. She also just happens to be Betsy's half sister. The laughs are still coming and my only complaint with the book is it's too short. But that's a minor complaint, I'd much rather wish for longer books then feel that the story has been padded.


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Moonheart Moonheart by Charles deLint

Moonheart by Charles deLint

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
This novel is of course magical, because other wise it wouldn't be an Urban Fantasy, but it's also very musical.



From the Author's Note.

" this book was written under the influence of Alan Stivell, Andreas Vollenweider, Neville Marriner, An Triskell, Edgar Froese, Klaus Schultz, Radio Silence, Robin Williamson, Silly Wizard, the Fureys, and Kate Bush-to name the most prominent"



I too had my mp3 player dancing with Celtic tunes as I read the book, the music references peppered throughout the novel are almost a subliminal influence forcing you to listen to some Celtic tunes as you read.

Aside from that I loved the way that the author has integrated European legends and mythology with North American mythology, throwing in a healthy does of Taoism to boot makes for a very satisfying setting and story. The main characters are both believable and likeable; the human villains are a little one dimensional but that’s a small quibble for such a terrific novel.


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War for the Oaks by Emma Bull

War for the Oaks by Emma Bull

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
Terrific book from the introduction straight through to the appendix where the author includes scenes from a screenplay that she and her husband Will Shetterly wrote, scenes that didn't appear in the book.

Aside from the great extras this story has everything I'm looking for in an Urban Fantasy book, a quick introduction to the magic that makes it "Fantasy" and great characters that you really care about. I read this because it's a URBAN FANTASY GROUP BOOK OF THE MONTH -February Group Read. A terrific choice by it's members that's why I joined the group to get different recommendations of great books to read.


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Heart Of Stone (The Negotiator Trilogy, Book 1) by C.E. Murphy

Heart Of Stone by C.E. Murphy

My review

rating: 2 of 5 stars
"Talking to you in the park the same night that girl died was an unspeakably bad coincidence" Alban to Margrit



That's just one of my problems with this book, he watches her for 3 years and speaks to her on the night of the 1st murder. 2nd coincidence Cara another of the old races comes to her for help, why because she was on TV. She arrives on the same day that Grit wins the pardon and is on TV isn't that awful fast. BTW Cara is a squatter, does she even have a TV or power to run it? 3rd bad coincidence her mother already knows the vampire. 4th coincidence her sometimes boyfriend is in charge of the murder investigation. I take it that later in the series perhaps the author is going to reveal why all these coincidences take place. My other big problem with the book is the length of the opening before much of anything "fantasy" takes place. The first 75 pages read more like a legal thiller than an "urban fantasy novel" I think that the info in those pages might better have been presented later in the story and get right into the puzzle/action with the background added later. Just my opinion but I think I would have enjoyed the book more that way if it had started out in the night club.






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Friend me over at Goodreads

I'm new to Goodreads and looking for Friends that enjoy the same types of books I do, such as High Fantasy, like LOTR, Urban Fantasy like the Kim Harrison Hollows series, funny Urban Fantasy like Undead and Unwed or Thorne Smith's Topper, gritty realistic fantasy like The Blade Itself (The First Law Book One) by Joe Abercrombie, fantasy with a mystery theme like Nury Vittachi - The Feng Shui Detective, kick ass witches like Magic Lost, Trouble Found (Raine Benares, Book 1) by Lisa Shearin, YA like Artemis Fowl. If your tastes run the same, friend me so we can trade recommendations. My Goodreads profile can be found here.

The Graveyard Book The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
Great book, I love Neil Gamian's work from Sandman to Neverwhere to his work with Terry Pratchett in Good Omens and later solo novels.

Best News is that today, it won the John Newbery Medal for the most distinguished contribution to children's literature.

I'd highly recommend the audio book version read by the author. I watched everyday as he crossed the country promoting the book, in different bookstores reading a chapter a day the video was then posted online. Thank You Neil, I ordered my copy of the audiobook after seeing you read the first chapter, but it was great not having to wait for it to be delivered before hearing and seeing more.


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Undead and Unemployed by MaryJanice Davidson

Undead and Unemployed by MaryJanice Davidson

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
I liked that the sex scenes were cut back from book one, but it just wasn't as funny as the opener "Undead and Unwed" which had me laughing out loud, something pretty rare for me even though I read a lot of tongue and cheek stuff. This book is still a great read but I recommend starting at the beginning so you get the full storyline about how "Elizabeth Taylor", no not that E.T., becomes a vampire and how it changes her life or death depending how you look at it.


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Undead and Unwed by MaryJanice Davidson

Undead and Unwed by MaryJanice Davidson

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
What a funny book, this is a 4 9/10 star book at the least, the only reason I took a star away because I thought the sex scenes intruded on the storyline, not every scene but enough that I wished they were cut back on. The high point of the Ms. Davidson's novel for me is her characters and their dialogue. Only other complaint is that it's too short but I'd rather finish a good book wanting more rather than a mediocre book that I think is padded for length.


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Dead Witch Walking (Rachel Morgan/The Hollows, Book 1) Dead Witch Walking by Kim Harrison

Dead Witch Walking by Kim Harrison

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
I couldn't believe it when I began this book on of the first urban fantasies I'd read. When into a bar walks a witch Rachael an investigator for Inderland Security (sort of a supernatural FBI) , with her pixy partner Jenks who works as her backup. She sits and drinks with another I.S. investigator, Ivy, a living vampire as she tries to spot the leprechaun who's " accused of fabricating a rainbow for the purpose of misrepresenting the income generated from said rainbow, failure to file the appropriate requisition forms for said rainbow, failure to notify Rainbow Authority of said rainbow’s end-" . Set in a fantasy modern day Cincinnati.


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Across the Nightingale Floor (Tales of the Otori, Book 1) Across the Nightingale Floor by Lian Hearn

Across the Nightingale Floor by Lian Hearn

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
Loved all four books of the Asian fantasy series, and any fans of Shogun are sure to enjoy this series. While the setting isn't medieval Japan, all the character's could have stepped out of the Shogun's household either as ninja assassins or magic users. This first book introduces us to Takeo, a boy who's village is destroyed by the currently ruling Shogun.


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The Hobbit

Kevin's book montage

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book data from Goodreads
characters
Bilbo Baggins, Gandalf, Thorin Oakenshield, Smaug
setting
MiddleEarth
Written for J.R.R. Tolkien"s own children, The Hobbit met with instant critical acclaim when first published more than sixty years ago. Now recognized as a timeless classic with sales of more than 40 million copies worldwide, this introduction to Bilbo Baggins, Gandalf the Wizard, and the spectacular world of Middle-earth tells of the adventures of a reluctant hero, a powerful and dangerous ring, and the cruel dragon Smaug the Magnificent.

I've loved reading fantasy since the late 1960's when I picked up a copy of The Hobbit in my library and my life was changed forever.