Have You Read?

[Kathleen]

Julia wrote: "Nope, I HNR it. Have you read it Kathleen? . . .

I read it a long time ago. I should probably reread it.

I have read several Walter Dean Myers books, but not Monster.

HYR Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith or any of retelling/spoofs of the classics?

[Julia]

I have read Queen Victoria: Demon Hunter by A.E. Moorat, but not yet Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, but it's right here on my bookshelf and plan/ hope to get to it in September, as there is movie coming out based on it this fall/ winter with Matt Smith! (He was the 11th Doctor on "Doctor Who.") I bought it in 2009.

HYR Alif the Unseen by G. Willow Wilson ?

[Kathleen]

HNR, It sounds like the plot of an action movie.

HYR Tunes for Bears to Dance To* by Robert Cormier

*It's next up in my tbr pile.

[Julia]

Yes, I have, I went through a Robert Cormier period. (Though I didn't remember the title this morning, I had to go the link and read the synopsis.)

HYR The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier ?

[Kathleen]

HNR, but I'll keep it in mind.

HYR Updraft by Fran Wilde ?

[Julia]

Kathleen, don't read The Chocolate War on my rec, because I'm not recommending it, necessarily.

HNR, Updraft, but it sounds neat.

HYR The Unquiet Past by Kelley Armstrong ?

[Kathleen]

Julia wrote: "HNR, Updraft, but it sounds neat."

Kevin Hearne mentioned it on his Facebook page and every urban fantasy that he has recommended I have enjoyed. I have added Updraft to my tbr list.

HNR The Unquiet Past

HYR, or are you planning to read, A Red-Rose Chain (October Daye, Book 9) by Seanan McGuire ?

Seanan McGuire has written that she always saw October's journey in distinct parts and this is the first book in the next portion of October's life.

[Julia]

I stopped reading the October Daye books with #3 or #2, or maybe it was #4. I liked them plenty, I just got out of the habit. I need to pick them up again. Have you started/ read A Red-Rose Chain?

HYR Lair of Dreams by Libba Bray ?

[Kathleen]

My local library always get multiple copies of the October Daye books. I try to get as many books from the library as possible since I read so much. This title is being processed and I am on the waiting list for one of the copies. I should have it and start reading it very soon. In fact, it will go to the top of my tbr stack.

HNR Lair of Dreams

HYR Gathering Tinder (Kindling Flames, Book 1) by Julie Wetzel ?

[Julia]

HNR Gathering Tinder, hadn't even heard of it until today, all I knew from the 'Guess' game was the author's first name. The reviewers really like it here.

HYR Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith or any of the other mashups of classics with horror yet?

[Kathleen]

I downloaded Gathering Tinder because it was free from Amazon. I enjoyed it so much I paid to download all the others in the series.

HNR, but hope to get to one of mash-ups eventually.

HYR Cursed (Cursed Magic) by Casey Odell ?

[Julia]

I collect things from Amazon, then I forget I dled them. I've got to get more into the habit of reading the Kindle.

HNR Cursed. Reviews here are either hate/ love it/ or meh. Have you read it yet?

HYR A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare ? (Because Cursed is also about a girl who runs to the forest and meets fairies there.)

[Kathleen]

Julia wrote: "...Reviews here are either hate/ love it/ or meh. Have you read it yet?..."

It is next up on my tbr list unless the library emails that A Red-Rose Chain (aRRC) is ready for pickup. Then I will get to it after aRRC.

Love A Midsummer Night's Dream and saw an excellent stage production last year. Hoping to enjoy this book.

HYR Fairest* (Lunar Chronicles, #3.5) by Marissa Meyer ?

*This is Queen Levana's story and sets the stage for the final book series, Winter, to be released November, 10, 2015.

[Julia]

Inexplicably, I have read none of Marissa Meyer's books, including Cinder and everybody who reads YA and sf/ f has read that!

Have you read The Maze Runner by James Dashner ?

[Kathleen]

Part of it. That section of books in my high school library is near a table that I like to sit at when proctoring a test. I really should check it out and finish the book, but on the other hand I can just grab it off the shelf and keep going the next time I am called upon to be a proctor. Just FYI, I loved the movie, so I do know how it ends.

HYR Fire and Flight* (ElfQuest, Book 1) by Wendy Pini, Richard Pini, & Delfin Barral ?

*This is one of my all-time favorite graphic novel series. I read it back in the nineties.

[Julia]

No, I haven't and it looks like I should remedy that soon to restore my clearly damaged geek cred.

I think this was the first graphic novel I read Maus, I: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History by Art Spiegelman . HYR it?

[Kathleen]

HNR, but always intended to read.

HYR Trailer Park Fae (Gallow and Ragged, Book 1) by Lilith Saintcrow ?

[Julia]

HNR but it sounds a bit like Ilona Andrews series On the Edge ? Is it?

HYR the Ilona Andrews books above?

[Kathleen]

HNR the On the Edge series. So, I can't say whether or not Trailer Park Fae (TPF) is similar. TPF is on my tbr list. Haven't actually read it yet. It was recommended as something that I would like.

HYR Daughter of the Blood (The Black Jewels, Book 1) by Anne Bishop ?

[Julia]

Yes I have read it.

HYR Outlander by Diana Gabaldon ?

[Kathleen]

Daughter of the Blood was recommended to me by one of my adult daughter's friends. What did you think of it?

HNR Time travel, in general, gives me a headache thinking about the paradoxes.

HYR A Discovery of Witches (All Souls Trilogy, Book 1) by Deborah Harkness ? There is time travel in the middle book of the series, but I thought that it flowed very smoothly and enjoyed this trilogy immensely.

[Julia]

Now I'm not sure whether I've read Daughter of the Blood or not. The characters names are familiar, but the plot-- I got nothing. I've read something by Anne Bishop that I liked. Maybe it was this.

Outlander and the other novels are time travel because the author wanted to write about the mid 1700's and wanted women in it who had agency, accomplishments, the main character was a battlefield nurse in World War II, proto- feminists, and time travel was the only way she could figure out how to have strong women, who are not noble- born.

I started A Discovery of Witches, but gave up on it. I wasn't in the mood, I think. At some point I will go back to it, but I didn't know it had time travel! I like time travel, but agree with you that the writer has to be careful of paradoxes.

HYR A Break with Charity: A Story about the Salem Witch Trials by Ann Rinaldi ?

[Kathleen]

HNR

HYR Way of the Wolf (Shifter Legacies, Book 1) by Mark E. Cooper ?

[Julia]

HNR

HYR Sharp Teeth by Toby Barlow ?

[Kathleen]

HNR

HYR The Crucible* by Arthur Miller ?

*We are currently reading this play in English 11.

[Julia]

Yes, I have read it, several times, and seen it and listened to it, too. A few years ago I read all the books, mostly novels I could find about the witchcraft scare in Salem in 1692.

HYR Conversion by Katherine Howe ? This one posits an interesting theory on what happened to those girls-- and compares them to some modern girls who had something similar happened to.

[Kathleen]

HNR, What does it suggest happened? I've read about most of the more common theories.

HYR Speak* by Laurie Halse Anderson ?

*Our 9th grade students read this novel.

[Julia]

That the girls in the present had the same thing some girls in the last few years had in a suburb of Rochester, NY had, Conversion Disorder, and perhaps the girls in Salem in 1692 did as well. But there's other stuff, too. Personally, in 1692, I think the girls were given attention and ran with it.

Yes, I've read Speak.

HYR Sold by Patricia McCormick ?

[Kathleen]

HNR

HYR The Martian* by Andy Weir ?

*Loved the book, loved the movie, but the book is better.

[Julia]

I don't know, about The Martian by Andy Weir it's pretty close for me, it was nice to visualize some things I had few reference points for. And it's such a hopeful book and movie! Yes, I have read the book and seen the movie. I hope the movie's available to buy soon, I think it will be a good Hanukah gift for my husband.

HYR The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury ?

[Kathleen]

I had a Ray Bradbury phase when in high school, over four decades ago. I read everything that Bradbury wrote including The Martian Chronicles.

HYR Fahrenheit 451* by Ray Bradbury ?

*My favorite Bradbury book.

[Julia]

Oh yes, I've read Fahrenheit 451, I've read many versions of it: there's this graphic novel Fahrenheit 451: The Authorized Adaptation this play Fahrenheit 451 and this which is short stories he wrote around and before it A Pleasure to Burn: Fahrenheit 451 Stories.

Have you read or heard Trigger Warning: Short Fictions and Disturbances by Neil Gaiman especially the short story "The Man Who Forgot Ray Bradbury?"

[Kathleen]

HNR, but it sounds interesting.

HYR Slayers (Slayers, Book 1) by C.J. Hill ?

[Julia]

HNR, it's got a lot of good reviews and sounds good.

HYR Ghetto Cowboy by G. Neri ?

[Kathleen]

HNR

HYR Evensong (Meratis, Book 1) by Krista Walsh ?

[Julia]

HNR. Wow, this sounds like a fun one!

HYR The Aeronaut's Windlass by Jim Butcher ?

[Kathleen]

I have downloaded Slayers and Evensong to my Kindle, but haven't had a chance to read either book.

HNR The Aeronaut's Windlass, but it sounds interesting.

HYR Shadow of the Wolf* (Sherwood's Doom Trilogy, Book 1) by Tim Hall ?

*I just checked it out of my high school library today. It arrived with other new books last week. Robin Hood as a shapeshifter -- how cool is that!

[Julia]

Shadow of the Wolf looks good! Thanks for the tip. No, I HNR it. Yet.

HYR, or do you intend to read, The Marvels by Brian Selznick ?

[Kathleen]

I have added it to my tbr list. Thanks for the tip.

HYR Two Tales of the Iron Druid Chronicles (Iron Druid, #.6, #3.5) by Kevin Hearne ?

[Julia]

Nope, I HNR Two Tales of the Iron Druid Chronicles. Yet.

HYR The Aeronaut's Windlass by Jim Butcher ? I liked it a lot! It's the first book of a new series by him, with a steampunk feel, pirates who work for the monarchy, and a very different world. And now that I look, I see that asked you this less than two weeks ago.

HYR Fool Moon by Jim Butcher ? It's not the first Harry Dresden book, but a lot people think it's better written than #1 .

[Kathleen]

Yes, according to Goodreads, in 2009. I read the first few Harry Dresden books and then lost interest, not sure why. It was a while ago.

HYR Moon Dance (Vampire for Hire, Book 1) by J.R. Rain ?

[Julia]

No, I HNR it.

If were to go back to a series about paranormal mystery solvers that I haven't read all of I might pick up again Unshapely Things by Mark Del Franco . HYR any of those books?

[Kathleen]

I have read all of the Connor Grey books, loved the series, but did not like Connor's fate in the final book. Having said that, I was disappointed Mark Del Franco's publisher dropped the Laura Blackstone series. She was in the same universe as the characters from the Connor Gray books and I was hoping Laura would visit Boston.

HYR Uprooted* by Naomi Novik ?

*This is my current book. I just started it last night.

[Julia]

Are you enjoying Uprooted? I HNR it yet, but I DL it to my husband's/ my Kindle, I think.

Are you looking forward to some new books this holiday season-- either for you or to give as gifts?

[Kathleen]

So, far, I am finding that Uprooted drags. I also have Winter (Lunar Chronicles, Book 4) by Marissa Meyer in my tbr pile and I am switching to it unless Uprooted picks up soon.

Among other books, I recently purchased Agent Zigzag: A True Story of Nazi Espionage, Love, and Betrayal based on Marta's (from this group) recommendation for my husband. Last year I gave him The Port Chicago 50: Disaster, Mutiny, and the Fight for Civil Rights based on your recommendation and he enjoyed it.

HYH (Have you heard) that Mike Mullins is writing a fourth Ashfall book? Please see this link for more information.

[Julia]

No! Thanks for that link! Good news, eventually. If he has to turn it 12/31/16 then we'll be able to buy it eight to ten months later, I think.

Anything new you are trying for Thanksgiving?

[Kathleen]

No, neither my adult daughter or son will be able to home for Thanksgiving. So, it will be a quiet holiday for my husband and me.

HYR Winter* (Lunar Chronicles, Book 4) by Marissa Meyer ?

*I did abandon Uprooted (after a rape scene of the young heroine). Uprooted is nothing like the Temeraire series. Just started Winter and am loving it.

[Julia]

I haven't even read Cinder, so no I HNR Winter by Marissa Meyer. Don't know why, it should be very much what I like.

Bummer that Uprooted wasn't for you.

Are you looking forward to lots of reading over Thanksgiving weekend? On Friday we're going a tiny village an hour or so from here with seven or something used bookstores, it's also my birthday.

I also have a bunch of library books to read: The Killing Moon, Elfhome, Redemption in Indigo and Fates and Furies.

[Kathleen]

Yes, I have a stack of books that I hope to demolish over the holidays.

HYR The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 1), or any of the other mythology based series, by Rick Riordan ?

Next up in my Thanksgiving tbr pile is an anthology which includes the short story Percy Jackson and the Singer of Apollo.

[Julia]

No, not even one of them, but after very recently hearing or was is reading? that he wrote these for his son with ADHD and dyslexia, I'm thinking I might.

I'm thinking I might make a small Christmas- tree like cone of books in my holiday decorating-- mainly to feature our "Doctor Who" and other geek-y toys-- do you do any holiday decorating with books?