Found a Boulder Public Library hard copy edition of Cut to the Quick in superb condition (like it's never been cracked). I'm really enjoying it so far! Jill

If you want to read Kate, and can't find her, let me know. I would happily loan you my paperbacks!

Go Melissa (I am motivated to revisit my forgotten challenge)! Wow--I'm intrigued by some of your recommendations. Kate Ross is not that easy to find. It's a shame the culture and/or industry are such that 10-15 year old books are considered ancient history and difficult to come by...Jill

Long delayed update! I haven't forgotten about this challenge, but I have been procrastinating on entering my titles.

This has been a GREAT year for trying new mysteries, especially the historical mysteries which are probably my favorite things to read. I have three (THREE!) new series that I am all caught up on and already dying for the next book: Adelia Aguilar (Mistress of the Art of Death), Lady Julia Grey (Silent in the Grave), and Sebastian St Cyr (What Angels Fear). The St Cyr books are an adequate fix for Kate Ross's Julian Kestrel books, RIP. I am enjoying them VERY much, but really, Kate Ross is the best.

After reading about CS Harris I discovered she also writes romances as Candice Proctor, so I am reading a couple of those and enjoying them. Well-written, plus unlike many romance authors, she sets each book in a different place and time: I've read Civil War-era New Orleans; now I'm reading about 1840s Tasmania, with a convict hero.

Still need to get working on some more new Fantasy and SF authors, plus Joanne recommended some thriller/suspensey things I should get to soon as well.

I have been in the middle of a string of rereading (Laurie King's Mary Russell series) and new-books-in-series reading (#1 Ladies Detective, Anne Perry's Monk, Grave Goods) so I don't have much to report on new authors despite a long lag in posting!

I have started Game of Thrones, and it's really well told, but it's taking me a long time to read...it's got 8 main characters, all very different from one another, and I can only switch POV a couple of times in a sitting or my brain starts to implode with all the new information!

I tried Jemima J for another go at Chick Lit, but it uses 1st person, 2nd person, 3rd person limited AND 3rd person omniscient POV in the first third of the book alone, plus (my problem with all Chick Lit so far) I just don't care whether The Chick loses weight/changes jobs/colors her hair/fights with her best friend/gets the boy/lives happily ever after. Which is really, really odd considering how much I love romances, but there you go.

Which brings me to The Season, which I found charming--a Regency with training wheels. I say that with deep affection, having read about 947 Regencies myself. It explained all the terms and all the social norms, guiding the audience ably through what may have been THEIR first "Seasons" as new Regency readers. The author worked a little too hard to present her main characters as smart and iconoclastic and ahead-of-their-time-baby-feminists, but that was a minor complaint in a sweet story.

I also read The Apothecary's Daughter, which is a Christian historical fiction romance. I was happy to read something in this genre as I am woefully ignorant. Though this wasn't my sort of story, I could tell this one was pretty well done and it will be good to be able to recommend it!

And finally, I did actually read a mystery that wasn't also a historical! But I didn't like it. :)

"Time?" What is this "time" you speak of? :) This looks right up my alley, Jill, thank you! I'm having a faint memory of coming across his name during an author read-alike exploration in Novelist...I love G. G. Kay and that whole historical/fantasy mashup stuff. I put it on hold and will try to knock down my TBR pile a little while I wait for it!

If you've got lots of time on your hands, I REALLY liked George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series (book 1 is A Game of Thrones). I believe book 5 is coming out this year.

Nah. But I am just doing each book in one category for now! I want to find "grown up" fantasy authors I haven't read for that category. Any recommendations?

You know you could always put Graceling under fantasy and YA. Is that cheating?

Arapahoe Library District wrote: "From Jill: Okay--so I'm noticing that I haven't posted to my challenge in 29 days(!!) but here I am commenting on yours. I just copied the following posting from a goodreads chick lit group--and is..."

No, I don't consider Outlander "chick lit"!!!! I have read them all except the last one, and now of course there's going to be another "last one" later this year. Argh!

Thanks for the chick lit author recommendations. I will forge ahead!

From Jill: Okay--so I'm noticing that I haven't posted to my challenge in 29 days(!!) but here I am commenting on yours. I just copied the following posting from a goodreads chick lit group--and is Outlander considered chick lit? I love that series!

"I adore Sarah Mlynowski. Every single book I've read by her has been fast-moving and fun! These are the titles that I have read from her:

Milkrun
Fishbowl
As Seen on TV
Monkey Business
Me vs. Me

I have not read Sarah Mlynowski's young adult books (Bras & Broomsticks, Frogs & French Kisses, and Spells & Sleeping Bags), but I'm sure they are fabulous YA reads.

Also, Wendy Markham is an excellent author. I am always able to read her books cover to cover in one sitting.

Try her "Slightly" series:

Slightly Single
Slightly Settled
Slightly Engaged
Slightly Married

or her book:

Mike, Mike & Me

And I have to agree with Tracy...Jane Green is incredible. If you haven't read her, try starting with Jemima J or Mr. Maybe. You won't be sorry."

I have trouble with Chick Lit although I do like the Stephanie Plumb books and to me it's kind of Chick Lit :)

Everytime I try a true Chick Lit book though I get about half way through and want to pull my hair out.

I wish you luck with this.

I also read Death by Chick Lit for my Chick Lit category and I am so unimpressed. Does anyone else have another Chick Lit title for me to try? I'm going to get Pajama Girls next.

The Library Paradox by Catherine Shaw
Some Danger Involved by Will Thomas
Cure for a Charlatan by Caroline Roe
Cocaine Blues by Kerry Greenwood

Wow, I didn't realize how many new historical mystery series I just tried out! Time to hit some other categories!

Library Paradox was very enjoyable, the third in the Vanessa Duncan series. Vanessa is a young wife and mother in Victorian England who solves mysteries. I enjoyed the portrayal of a woman who is very conventional in some respects (her world revolves largely around her husband, her children, and her home; one of her concerns while she's out researching a case is making sure she can find a respectable tea shop for her meals so her reputation isn't damaged), but in other respects is very conscious of women's place in society and chafes at and pushes at some of the boundaries placed around her. This story was a little more cerebral than, say, the Maisie Dobbs books (which for me pack more of an emotional wallop) but the characters are interesting and the plot was well-drawn, if not groundbreaking. I will definitely go back and pick up the others in the series.

Some Danger Involved is also set in Victorian England, about a young Welsh gentleman, fallen on hard times, who is employed by a "private enquiry agent." (The job advertisement mentions, "Some danger involved.") Definitely a nod to Sherlock and Watson, but enjoyable in its own right. Not of the same caliber as Anne Perry's William Monk series, but I would recommend them to people who like her. I will probably not keep reading the series, though.

Cure for a Charlatan is like a Jewish Brother Cadfael: Medieval setting, doctor/healer main character, faith & religion important strands in the stories. Cadfael is one of my absolute favorites, so it's hard for me to be objective about anything else in his niche. This is no exception: it was a decent story with an interesting setting, but for me it just can't compare & I won't continue with the series! (Picky, picky.)

Finally, Cocaine Blues, which I desperately wanted to like--1920s flapper in Melbourne--but was frustrated with some of the cliches and shortcuts employed by the author...my review is here.

I have read that one and was thinking of it as I finished Mistress!

A fun junior title about Henry II is A Proud Taste for Scarlet and Miniver - it is mainly about Eleanor of Aquitaine, but the whole setting is in heaven waiting to find out if and when Henry will make it out of Purgatory. Probably would be more appreciated by adults than kids

I read Mistress of the Art of Death after seeing it on Jill's page & truly enjoyed it. Great characters, good mystery, though definitely brutal. I loved Henry II...I'm going to have to read some real history to brush up on him!

I'm putting this under Mysteries, even though the historical setting was rich and detailed. I'll try to read a new contemporary mystery author, too.

Alyson: I just pinned JoAnne to the wall this week and made her give me a bunch of authors for my fiction lists, but she's not wild about Chick Lit either so I need the help!
Karen: I thought I could drum up new historical fiction authors myself, but Novelist doesn't have If You Likes for many of my authors, so this is a good tip too.

Thanks ladies! I just read Outliers and Eat Pray Love so it's time to get back to fiction and to this challenge!

I occasionally dabble in Historical Fiction - a recent find (recent in turtle time, like two years ago) was Bernard Cornwell. 'Sharpe's Fury' was quiet good. Even better was the Bristish TV series based on the books starring Sean Bean (need I say more!!)Sharpe's Fury Richard Sharpe and the Battle of Barrosa, March 1811

You have no Chick Lit yet! Try The Pajama Girls of Lambert Square. I would call it Chick Lit with a little substance!

I am reading a historical fiction right now, Tsarina's Daughter which is really good. Actually I should say listening. I like the narrator alot.

Second read: Graceling by Kristin Cashore, for my Young Adult shelf. This is almost cheating because Kristin is a first-time author, so she's a new author to everyone!

I started by making shelves for Chick Lit, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, Thriller/Suspense, and Young Adult. I will look for at least one new author in all of these categories, then try to add a few more categories as I go along.

My first read was Heavy Weather by Bruce Sterling, for my Science Fiction shelf. This was recommended to me by my husband...he must have known I would appreciate the Library of Congress references.

OK, here I go! I'm going to challenge myself to read new fiction authors this year, to help me when I'm on the Readers Advisory desk.

Chick Lit
Death by Chick Lit by Lynn Harris

Fantasy
I have tried Elantris and Game of Thrones but didn't finish either one. However, I only didn't finish Thrones because it was so long and had a hold on it...so there's hope I will get back to this one!

Historical Fiction

Mystery
Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin
The Library Paradox by Catherine Shaw
Some Danger Involved by Will Thomas
Cure for a Charlatan by Caroline Roe
Cocaine Blues by Kerry Greenwood
The Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz
Silent in the Grave by Deanna Raybourn
What Angels Fear by CS Harris

Romance
The Apothecary's Daughter by Julie Klassen
Midnight Confessions by Candace Proctor
Veil of Night by Lydia Joyce

Science Fiction
Heavy Weather by Bruce Sterling

Thriller/Suspense

Young Adult
Graceling by Kristin Cashore
Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
The Season by Sarah MacLean
What I Saw and How I Lied by Judy Blundell
A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray
Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Season by Sarah MacLean