Catch #238!

I spent the day dropping books in the Oakland and Shadyside neighborhoods of Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh's bridges have become magnets for "love locks"—combination locks or padlocks that are attached to the wire mesh of the bridges by lovers declaring their undying affection for each other—so I thought leaving "Kramer vs. Kramer," a story about a bitter divorce and custody battle, would tell the other side of the story. It was the first book I left today and was journalled before I could even make release notes. The AnonymousFinder reports: "I was baked and was walking across the Schenley bridge and found this book! Humanity is fucking cool!!!!!!!!" Couldn't have said it better myself.

Stormy Persuasion, by Johanna Lindsey

Borrowed Kindle version from my local library because I just can't quit Johanna Lindsey's Malory series. "Stormy Persuasion," however, is not just a Malory tale, but a Malory-Anderson tale. I feel like I missed a book or two as there were characters I didn't remember—or maybe I skipped a book or two because reviews I read ranged from "meh" to "another rapist love story."

There were *lots* of characters in this one—Malorys, Andersons, good guys, bad guys—too many characters to keep track of while trying to remember their back stories, which rather took away from Judith and Nathan's story. Luckily (perhaps), I have a feeling I'll be reading the story again from Jack's point of view, as her storyline took an unexplored detour.

Neverwhere, by Neil Gaiman

What the heck? How could I not LOVE this book the first time I read it in April 2010? Can you believe I wrote:

I wish I were more familiar with London so that I could properly enjoy this wonderfully descriptive and imaginative book. Having never been to London Above, much less London Below, I feel like I missed out on some of the nuances of the story locales. When I read fantasy books, it's much easier for me to imagine completely fictional worlds than to try to fit the fantastical into real-life cities, streets, and buildings. Nevertheless, I still thoroughly enjoyed the story, the characters, and Neil Gaiman's writing skills.

This time around, I still haven't been to London Above or London Below, but it doesn't matter. Neil Gaiman made them both come alive for me. Not only is he a better writer than I am, he is a better reader. He can read me any book, any day.

The Bat, by Jo Nesbø

Borrowed Kindle version from my local library, based on bookczuk's review of a newer book in the series. Of course I couldn't read *that* book without reading all the books that led up to it, so I started with the first Inspector Harry Hole novel, The Bat.

The plot (paraphrased from amazon): Inspector Harry Hole of the Oslo Crime Squad is sent to Sydney, Australia, to observe a case involving the murder of a 23-year-old Norwegian woman, who is a minor celebrity back home. Harry is free to offer assistance, but he has firm instructions to stay out of trouble. He fails miserably.

I wasn't too sure about this book through the first few chapters—it was full of Crocodile Dundee-like stereotypes as Harry Hole settled into the story and that made it uncomfortable for me to settle into the story. As it went on, I felt a little more at ease, but I don't know that I always knew what was going on; I was often surprised by a turn of events, a twist, an unexpected reaction, and I liked that. I also liked that everything is important in this story. I will visit "Harry Holy" again.

Ripper, by Isabel Allende

I don't know who I am more disappointed by: Isabel Allende, for the way she wrote this book; Edoardo Ballerini, for the way he read this book; or me, for reading/listening to this book for 14+ hours. I think we may all be equally at fault.

This book is full of stereotypes and condescending preachiness and unlikable, unbelievable characters, many of them barely veiled real-life pop culture figures. It is a series of character vignettes loosely held together by a murder mystery that is being solved not by the San Francisco police department, but by the 16-year-old daughter of the investigating deputy chief and her merry band of computer role-playing gamer misfits around the world. Oh, and her grandpa. All of whom are given unusual access to confidential police files of an active investigation. Allende also takes on the U.S. military and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, particularly Navy SEAL Team 6, which just seems wrong. She may be spot on with her depiction of war and its post-traumatic stress, but its delivery was just off. And that may be the fault of the reader, Edoardo Ballerini. His tone throughout this whole book was that voice people use when they feel sorry for you.

Maybe he did feel sorry for me because I chose to listen to this book.

Stardust, by Neil Gaiman

Neil Gaiman kept Niece No. 4 and me company from North Carolina to West Virginia and we loved every minute. Stardust was the perfect antidote to my misguided beach read of John Dies At The End. Where John was dark and depressing, Stardust—especially Stardust read by Neil Gaiman—was magical.

I read the actual physical book once before, and have seen the movie a couple of times; after this re-read, the book wins hands down. It has a much better, romantic, and gentle ending than the movie and it was just what I needed to hear.

John Dies at the End, by David Wong

So, maybe this wasn't the best book to read at the beach. It's not very light, there are some darkly funny moments, but overall I found it rather depressing—a normal person might have deduced all this from the title alone. Apparently I am far from normal.

I have read too many of these dystopian apocalyptic books of late. I want to laugh. I want to love. I want to believe in the goodness of humankind. I want a do-over.

Catch #237!

Road trip! I am enjoying a week at the beach with my family and left a trail of BookCrossing books at various restaurants and gas stations on my way here. The last gas station we stopped at in Virginia couldn't print a receipt at the pump, so I had no idea what town I was leaving Jean-Luc Picard and Guinan in. Thankfully, an AnonymousFinder set me straight: "Found on top of the gas pump in Bastian, VA!" Bastian! Of course! Thank you, AF, and enjoy!

An Officer and A Spy, by Robert Harris

My knowledge of the Dreyfus Affair prior to reading this book was that there was such a thing as the Dreyfus Affair. I had no idea who Dreyfus was or what the Affair entailed. Now I do. This was an interesting bit of fictionalized history. I loved hearing about France and Paris at the turn of the 20th century. I am so glad I listened to this book--after consulting Wikipedia to learn more/clarify some "characters" I would have butchered most of the French names. David Rintoul really did a nice job reading. Only a couple of times was I confused about who was speaking.

Allegiant, by Veronica Roth

Thanks a lot for making me cry, Veronica Roth. Although I didn't necessarily approve of where the story went (A whole world of possibilities was waiting outside the fence at the end of "Insurgent" and it ended up being this??? Or was that a brilliant commentary on the all-too-ordinary cruelty of humanity? Hmmm, reevaluating ...) you did manage to keep me emotionally invested in Tris and Four and the rest of the Divergent. Even with its faults and shortcomings, I liked "Allegiant." Maybe the movie plot will be different enough (different-good, that is) that I can say I loved "Allegiant."

The Ocean at the End of the Lane, by Neil Gaiman

Borrowed the audio version through my local library. Although this is a reread, having read the physical hardback book in June 2013, The Ocean at the End of the Lane was like a brand new story because Neil Gaiman was reading it to me. I got a much better sense of the characters and their tones when the author is reading them as he intended them to be read.

I follow Neil Gaiman and his wife, Amanda Palmer, on assorted social media platforms, and I remember Neil's tweets when he was writing this book, and Amanda's blog posts when he was sharing this book with her, and I feel like I'm all wrapped up in the symbolism of this book and their relationship and I shouldn't be because I am a stranger to them both. Neil has said this is his most personal book, and Amanda tells a story about how she and Neil were discussing the book one day and she asked him about a particular plot point and he said, "Don't you get it?" (or something to that effect) and then she did. I want to get it, too.

Well, part of me does.

Another part of me just wants to enjoy or not enjoy the story for what it is to me and forget about what it is to them. I love Stardust and Neverwhere and The Graveyard Book, but I don't need to know what was going on in Neil Gaiman's life when he was writing them to love them. I think I may need to scrub my mind and reread this for the third time as if it were the first.

Catch #236!

Another book from my mini-release spree through Oakland last month has checked in. I left J.D. Robb's "Immortal In Death" with the immortal Robert Burns outside of Phipps Conservatory before 2 p.m. New member bahall6 says: "Picked up the book where Journal Entry 2 left it at 3 or 4pm and brought it home to zip 13760!"

How I Killed Pluto and Why It Had It Coming, by Mike Brown

I was one of those people who mourned the passing of Pluto when it was demoted to "dwarf planet" status in 2006 (has it been that long already?), but I never really took the time to understand how and why that happened (I was busy, OK?).

Now I know it's all Mike Brown's fault.

And I'm OK with it.

This was a very interesting book: part memoir, part history, part science (but not scary, hard-to-understand science), part intrigue. Who knew the search for planets could be so enthralling? Mike Brown is a very good storyteller and I thoroughly enjoyed hearing about *everything* that was going on in his life, even when it had nothing to do with finding planets. If I ever get the chance to meet him at a cocktail party, I will feel like he's an old friend.

Takedown Twenty, by Janet Evanovich

Twenty times I have read about Stephanie and Lula and Morelli and Ranger and Grandma Mazur. Twenty times. The first book in this series, "One for the Money," was published in 1994. I don't know how much time is supposed to have passed in Stephanie's fictional world, but that's twenty real years for me. This installment was light and enjoyable (if you look past the violence and murder), but, like Stephanie Plum herself, I'm feeling like it's time to move on.

I know there are lots of series of books out there—especially in the mystery/thriller genre—where the protagonist can exist indefinitely, but I want more for Stephanie. I want her to either make a choice between Morelli and Ranger or choose them both and stop feeling guilty about it. Then I won't feel guilty about choosing to read "Top Secret Twenty-One" when it is released in June.

Catch #235!

Yesterday was International BookCrossing Day, as declared by BCer MissTree and sanctioned by the BC powers-that-be in this BC forum post: "April 21, 2014 will mark the first ever International BookCrossing Day. How can you participate? It's easy! On that date, April 21, 2014, according to your own time zone or side of the date line, just release a book, or as many books as you'd like! The point is to get as many BookCrossers from around the world to participate in a mass release on the same date as possible."

Being a good(ish) BCer, I couldn't NOT participate, so I took the opportunity to continue my recently resumed releasing ways. I left five books in and around Greensburg and Colin Dexter's "The Secret of Annexe 3," which I thought would be languishing out in the rain, was found and journalled!

New member aleksandrvulkov says: "I love books. And finding this completely made my day. As soon as I get home I'm going to start reading. And I will have to join in on this collaborative effort to bring small joys through random books."

That journal completely makes my day. Darn it, I think I have been pulled back in.

Catch #234!

Inspired by Catch #233 a couple of weeks ago, I went on a mini release spree through the Oakland area of Pittsburgh today. I left five books in various spots. There were a lot of people out walking and jogging and dancing at the Color Festival and enjoying Phipps Conservatory and Schenley Park and just going about their business, so I was hopeful for a catch. The book I thought most likely to be confiscated or thrown in the trash, especially after seeing a couple of security guards heading its way, was Steve Berry's "The Charlemagne Pursuit," which I left on a bench by the Mary Schenley Memorial Fountain. Thankfully, new member bryandmoods found it first. "I didn't read it yet but it's heavy." he reports. "The guy on the back looks kinda racist but thats okay. I carried this book with me through the color festival it also went to buffalo wild wings with us after. I got the snack size boneless wings in medium and some fries. It was delicious!"

Catch #233!

"The Grouchy Ladybug" is on the move. An AnonymousFinder says, "Read to preschool class and finally released it. Released it at Station Square in Pittsburgh by Hard Rock / Just Ducky Tours. Hopefully a visitor to the city will take it to destinations unknown :) "

Although this is my first catch in almost three months, it happens to be one of the last books I released back in November 2013. We, like many other parts of the country, had a very long winter with consistently bad weather that made even going outside a chore to be avoided. That left me a lot of time to read, but now that the weather is improving, I should get back in the releasing mode, too.

Insurgent, by Veronica Roth

"Insurgent" starts right where "Divergent" ended. That's why I didn't understand the source of the conflict that rages between Four and Tris for most of this book. As far as I can recall (and it's been only a few weeks since I left them on the train headed for the Amity farm), they were on good terms at the end of "Divergent," facing their future together, stripped bare (not literally), no secrets between them. Maybe as time passed, survivors' guilt consumed them both, driving them apart rather than bringing them together. To me, the conflict seemed contrived—the book has enough conflict already without manufacturing any between our main characters.

Who or what is outside the fence? When will I be higher than user 9 of 13 on the library's waiting list for "Allegiant"?

A Feast for Crows, by George R. R. Martin

I couldn't help myself. I had to read ahead. "Game of Thrones" Season 4 premieres in 12 days and I just couldn't wait any longer to see what the future holds for the denizens of Westeros. I'm trying to enjoy the HBO series and the books on their own merits. I'm having my cake and eating it, too.

The war is (mostly) over and our favorite characters have gone off in all directions. So many directions, in fact, that "A Feast for Crows" follows only a few of them: Arya, Jaime, Brienne, Sansa, Cersei, Sam, and puts us on more intimate terms with the inhabitants of Dorne and the Iron Islands. There is an author's foreword that explains why we're hearing only half the story, and promising the second half within a year or so. Instead, it was six years before the next book in the series, "A Dance with Dragons," was released.

I thoroughly enjoyed immersing myself in the GoT world with this book. My only complaint is that it ended too soon, even at 784 Kindle pages.

Divergent, by Veronica Roth

So it's after 2 a.m. and I just swiped past the last page of this book on my Kindle. It's been awhile since I stayed up to finish a book, but how can one go to sleep when the fate of a fictional free world is at stake? For the most part, I enjoyed reading "Divergent." There were times in the very beginning and the very end when the writing style seemed a little clunky, but the middle was pretty solid and that made me forgive (if not forget) the shaky parts. I know just enough about Chicago to "know" most of the landmarks and buildings in Tris' world, so that was a nice bonus for me. I'm looking forward to seeing the movie, whose trailers have matched my imagination so far, and to reading the next book in the series.

If Love Be Blind, by Emma Goldrick

What a gem. My sister recently came across this oldie but goodie in her "Harlequins-that-I-might-want-to-read-again" cache from the 1980s. She and a friend have been talking about its "so-bad-it's-good" qualities for so long I felt I had to read it. If this is what the ideal romance was supposed to be like in 1987, I am glad times have changed. There were definite jaw-dropping I-can't-believe-these-characters and THIS-was-romance-in-the-1980s??? moments, but in the end, I would rather have read the story of Penn's snow blindness than Philomena's humiliating journey from head of the typing pool to wife of the boss.

Books Read in 2013

So long, 2013, and hasta la vista to the 56 books I read in the last 365 days. That's the same number I finished in 2012, although since 2012 had an extra day, being Leap Year and all, it's almost like I read more in 2013.

I seem to have read a lot of e-books and audiobooks this year, which isn't really good news for all the real books that are languishing on my shelves (four BILLY bookcases and counting!). I should make some sort of resolution for 2014 like e-book, audiobook, real book, real book. Because resolutions always last.

So here is a list of the books I finished in 2013. You can follow the links to their journal entries on BookCrossing; those books without a link were either borrowed, or are in my permanent collection for the moment. (E) indicates they were read on my Kindle/Nook/iPod Touch; (A) means they were audiobooks; (R) means I re-read some old friends.

My favorites this year? "Redshirts," by John Scalzi; the six books that made up Stephen King's "The Green Mile"; "Sacré Bleu," by Christopher Moore; and "On Her Majesty's Secret Service," by Ian Fleming, because it was read by David Tennant.

January
1. Jake Howard's Wife, by Anne Mather (R)
2. I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence, by Amy Sedaris (A)
3. Tess of the d'Urbervilles, by Thomas Hardy (A) (E)

February
4. Something Wicked This Way Comes, by Ray Bradbury
5. Redshirts, by John Scalzi
6. Doctor Who: The Devil in the Smoke, by Justin Richards (E)

March
7. Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen
8. Never Sit in the Exit Row, by Denise Howard (E)
9. Doctor Who: The Taking of Chelsea 426, by David Llewellyn (E)
10. The Two Dead Girls (The Green Mile, Book 1), by Stephen King

April
11. A Loving Scoundrel, by Johanna Lindsey (A)
12. The Mouse on the Mile (The Green Mile, Book 2), by Stephen King
13. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith (E)
14. The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox, by Maggie O'Farrell (A)
15. Birth Marks, by Sarah Dunant
16. Roast Mortem, by Cleo Coyle (E)

May
17. Damned, by Chuck Palahniuk (A)
18. The Rose Hotel, by Rahimeh Andalibian (E)
19. Serenity Volume Three: The Shepherd's Tale, by Joss Whedon, Zack Whedon, and Chris Samnee
20. Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim, by David Sedaris (A)
21. The Family Under the Bridge, by Natalie Savage Carlson
22. Coffey's Hands (The Green Mile, Book 3), by Stephen King
23. Love Virtually, by Daniel Glattauer
24. The Bad Death of Eduard Delacroix (The Green Mile, Book 4), by Stephen King
25. War Horse, by Michael Morpurgo

June
26. Son, by Lois Lowry
27. Gone Girl, by Gillian Flynn (E)
28. Sacré Bleu, by Christopher Moore (A)
29. Notorious Nineteen, by Janet Evanovich (E)
30. Doctor Who: Marco Polo, by John Lucarotti (E)
31. Night Journey (The Green Mile, Book 5), by Stephen King
32. Pieces of My Heart, by Robert J. Wagner (A)
33. The Ocean at the End of the Lane, by Neil Gaiman

July
34. Coffey on the Mile (The Green Mile, Book 6), by Stephen King
35. On Her Majesty's Secret Service, by Ian Fleming (A)
36. The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky
37. Death Comes to Pemberley, by P.D. James (E)
38. Doctor Who: A Big Hand for the Doctor, by Eoin Colfer (E)
39. Everyone Worth Knowing, by Lauren Weisberger (A)
40. The Brief History of the Dead, by Kevin Brockmeier
41. Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict, by Laurie Viera Rigler
42. Doctor Who and the Crusaders, by David Whitaker (E)

August
43. The Romanov Bride, by Robert Alexander
44. The Boy in the Suitcase, by Lene Kaaberbol and Agnete Friis (E)
45. Cheaper By The Dozen, by Frank B. Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey
46. About A Boy, by Nick Hornby

September
47. Through Violet Eyes, by Stephen Woodworth
48. My Cousin Rachel, by Daphne du Maurier

October
49. A Game of Thrones, by George R.R. Martin (E)
50. The Bad Beginning, by Lemony Snicket (R)
51. A Clash of Kings, by George R.R. Martin (E)

November
52. A Storm of Swords, by George R.R. Martin (E)

December
53. The Blue Lagoon, by Henry De Vere Stacpoole (E)
54. Gregor the Overlander, by Suzanne Collins (E)
55. Doctor Who: Planet of Giants, by Terrence Dicks (E)
56. An Unexpected Song, by Iris Johansen

Damned, by Chuck Palahniuk

Borrowed this unabridged audiobook from my local library. Read by Tai Sammons. This is my first Chuck Palahniuk book, and I liked it. Even though I found it completely gross and repulsive and meandering and inconsistent at times, I can forgive all for validating my opinion that viewing "The English Patient" is so great a punishment that it should be served only on those consigned to Hell for all eternity. I loved the irreverent dark humor and will definitely keep my eyes, and ears, out for more by Palahniuk.

Roast Mortem, by Cleo Coyle

Read on my Kindle. This is the ninth installment of Cleo Coyle's Coffeehouse Mystery series and I have mixed feelings about it. I really liked the look inside the workings of an FDNY house, but the execution of the story felt kind of clunky. The metaphors were a little too obvious; the dialogue was a little too unnatural; the recipes were a little too numerous; the characters were acting a little too much out of character; and the plot was a little too much like the TV series "House" (this is what happened! no? then this must be it. no? then how about this? no? does this work? i knew it all along.). To top it off, the Kindle edition I read was riddled with typos. I don't know if the print version suffered the same fate; I tend to think "probably" since the first few books of the series had the same problem.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith

Read on my Kindle. I didn't have high expectations for zombies at Longbourne, but I was pleasantly surprised at how well they blended into the story. It was amusing to go back and forth between this book and Jane Austen's original and realize just how much snark came from her; it gave me a whole new appreciation of the source material. I thought this was really well done and quite satisfying.

Doctor Who: The Devil in the Smoke, by Justin Richards

I was thrilled to find this book available through my local library's digital lending program. For some reason, I have been too frugal to pay the less than $3 that amazon.com is asking for it. This was an entertaining story that sort-of-kind-of tied in with the 2012 Doctor Who Christmas special, "The Snowmen," in that it featured Madame Vastra, Jenny, Strax, and snowmen in Victorian England. But it's the devil in the smoke who is the villain of this story, and even though the Doctor and his beautiful blue box don't make an appearance, I liked it, and I would recommend it to any fan of the Eleventh Doctor.

Books Read in 2012

Well, it's the end of 2012 and I managed to finish 56 books in the last 366 days--that's 5 more than in 2011. That's probably due to the long stretches between new Doctor Who episodes and the extra 24 hours thanks to Leap Year. That and the fact that the lawn-mowing season started in May this year, and continued through November. Stupid grass.

I made my first BookCrossing wild releases on the European continent this year when I travelled to Paris, France, in May. Two of the books I released there were caught and journalled, making them my first international catches.

Here is a list of the books I finished in 2012. You can follow the links to their journal entries on BookCrossing; those books without a link were either borrowed, or are in my permanent collection for the moment. (K) indicates they were read on my Kindle Fire or the Kindle app on my iPod Touch; (A) means they were audiobooks; (R) means I re-read some old friends. My favorites this year? The Writer's Tale: The Final Chapter, by Russell T. Davies and Benjamin Cook; Let's Pretend This Never Happened, by Jenny Lawson, a/k/a The Bloggess (who I was lucky enough to meet in person!); The Innocents Abroad, by Mark Twain; Gathering Blue, by Lois Lowry; Messenger, by Lois Lowry; American Gods, by Neil Gaiman; and The Graveyard Book, by Neil Gaiman (who I was lucky enough to see in person!).

January

1. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, by Ransom Riggs (K)
2. The Brilliant Book of Doctor Who 2012, edited by Clayton Hickman
3. The Paris Wife, by Paula McLain (K)
4. The Writer's Tale: The Final Chapter, by Russell T. Davies and Benjamin Cook
5. I Want It Now!, by Julie Dawn Cole (K)
6. Death on a Silver Platter, by Ellen Hart
7. Espresso Shot, by Cleo Coyle

February
8. Big Fish, by Daniel Wallace
9. Hemingway's Ghost, by Layton Green (K)
10. Number the Stars, by Lois Lowry
11. Dead Until Dark, by Charlaine Harris (A)

March
12. The Night Circus, by Erin Morgenstern (K)
13. Doctor Who: Night of the Humans, by David Llewellyn (A)
14. Lulu Meets God and Doubts Him, by Danielle Ganek

April
15. Waiting for Gertrude, by Bill Richardson
16. Wishful Drinking, by Carrie Fisher (A)
17. Highlander: Scimitar, by Ashley McConnell

May
18. Chasing Mona Lisa, by Tricia Goyer and Mike Yorkey (K)
19. Star Trek: Nemesis, by J.M. Dillard (A)
20. 1776, by David McCullough (A)
21. Because She Can, by Bridie Clark (A)
22. Doctor Who: The Last Voyage, by Dan Abnett (A)
23. Doctor Who: Dead Air, by James Goss (A)
24. Let's Pretend This Never Happened, by Jenny Lawson, a/k/a The Bloggess
25. The Innocents Abroad, by Mark Twain
26. Murder on the Eiffel Tower, by Claude Izner

June
27. In Our Time, by Ernest Hemingway
28. The Tale of Despereaux, by Kate DiCamillo (A)
29. A Study in Scarlet, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (K)
30. Any Place I Hang My Hat, by Susan Isaacs

July
31. The Guinea Pig Diaries, by A.J. Jacobs (A)
32. I Was Amelia Earhart, by Jane Mendelsohn (A) (R)

August
33. The House of Mirth, by Edith Wharton (K)
34. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum (K)
35. Survival of the Sickest, by Dr. Sharon Moalem
36. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, by J.K. Rowling (A) (R)

September
37. Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë
38. The Eyre Affair, by Jasper Fforde (R)
39. Best Foot Forward, by Joan Bauer (A)
40. Portrait of Bethany, by Anne Weale
41. Gathering Blue, by Lois Lowry
42. Messenger, by Lois Lowry

October
43. Reunion, by Michael Jan Friedman (A)
44. American Gods, by Neil Gaiman (K)

November
45. The Graveyard Book, by Neil Gaiman
46. Pearl Harbor, by Randall Wallace (A)
47. Wide Sargasso Sea, by Jean Rhys
48. Moranthology, by Caitlin Moran
49. FlashForward, by Robert J. Sawyer
50. Visions of Sugar Plums, by Janet Evanovich
51. If We Ever Break Up, This Is My Book, by Jason Logan

December
52. Holiday Grind, by Cleo Coyle
53. The Mirror Crack'd, by Agatha Christie
54. Dead End in Norvelt, by Jack Gantos
55. The Professor and the Madman, by Simon Winchester
56. A Shtinky Little Christmas, by Patrick McDonnell

Chasing Mona Lisa, by Tricia Goyer and Mike Yorkey

I really liked the action-adventure-spy-mystery parts of this book that takes place in the days just before and after the liberation of Paris in August 1944, but I could have done without the cliché love stories. It was like the authors took a few pages from a Ken Follett book, then a few pages from a Harlequin romance, back to the action, time for some gooey stuff, back and forth, and so on. I did enjoy it, but I would have liked to like it all.

The Night Circus, by Erin Morgenstern

Wasn't there an episode of "Torchwood" that featured a circus that was open only at night and that seemed to appear like magic in a clearing in the forest? With that in mind, I thought this book would be more sinister than it turned out to be. Erin Morgenstern was very adept at describing her fantastical world and drawing the reader in, but I'm not sure anything really happened plotwise. Perhaps that's part of the mystery of the circus.

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, by Ransom Riggs

Borrowed from my local library. I was expecting this book to be a grownup horror story. It started off strong and properly spooky, but the second half devolved into some sort of teen X-Men-wannabe action-adventure with an icky-if-I-think-about-it-too-much love story thrown in. It was a promising premise: I loved the strange old photos, but the story took a wrong turn for me. If Riggs had finished the story he started, or started the story he finished, I probably would have liked both books better than this amalgamation.

Books Read in 2011

Another year has come and gone and my mind is 51 books richer--that's 29 fewer than in 2010, which is almost entirely due to my discovery of and obsession with David Tennant and Doctor Who. My reading in 2011 was rather destination based: I read a number of books only because I was travelling somewhere where I wanted to release them, and I wanted to read them first. It was a good way to get them off Mt. TBR, but it often felt like I was assigned to read them rather than wanted to read them at that particular point.

Here is a list of the books I finished in 2011. You can follow the links to their journal entries on BookCrossing; those books without a link were either borrowed, or are in my permanent collection for the moment. (K) indicates they were read on my Kindle Fire, which I unexpectedly love. My favorite reads this year? The True Story of Hansel and Gretel, by Louise Murphy; Alice Bliss, by Laura Harrington; The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins; Catching Fire, by Suzanne Collins; Mockingjay, by Suzanne Collins; Airman, by Eoin Colfer; and my reread of Pride & Prejudice, by Jane Austen.

January

1. The Next Queen of Heaven, by Gregory Maguire 

2. Unpleasant Ways to Die, by Evan Fleisher
3. Just A Geek, by Wil Wheaton
4. Getting Rid of Bradley, by Jennifer Crusie
5. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, by Rebecca Skloot (audio)
6. Strega Nona Meets Her Match, by Tomie dePaola

February
7. Boy: Tales of Childhood, by Roald Dahl
8. Swapping Lives, by Jane Green
9. The Swallows of Kabul, by Yasmina Khadra
10. The Inside Ring, by Mike Lawson

March
11. Everyone Is Entitled to My Opinion, by David Brinkley
12. Murder In The Supreme Court, by Margaret Truman
13. Weight, by Jeanette Winterson (audio)
14. 101 Things You Didn't Know About Einstein: Sex, Science, and the Secrets of the Universe, by Cynthia Phillips, Ph.D., & Shana Priwer
15. Waiting-for-Spring Stories, by Bethany Roberts
16. Sizzling Sixteen, by Janet Evanovich

April
17. Murder at Ford's Theatre, by Margaret Truman
18. The Land of Narnia, by Brian Sibley
19. In the Company of a Courtesan, by Sarah Dunant (audio)
20. Murder on the Lusitania, by Conrad Allen

May
21. Skeleton Hiccups, by Margery Cuyler
22. Dream When You're Feeling Blue, by Elizabeth Berg
23. The Wright 3, by Blue Balliett
24. Austenland, by Shannon Hale
25. A Dirty Job, by Christopher Moore (audio)
26. I'm A Stranger Here Myself, by Bill Bryson
27. The Venetian Betrayal, by Steve Berry

June
28. Little Bee, by Chris Cleave
29. No Country for Old Men, by Cormac McCarthy (audio)
30. The True Story of Hansel and Gretel, by Louise Murphy

July
31. Inés of My Soul, by Isabel Allende (audio)
32. A Reporter's Life, by Walter Cronkite (audio)

August
33. Her Fearful Symmetry, by Audrey Niffenegger
34. Alice Bliss, by Laura Harrington

September
35. The Johnstown Flood, by David McCullough (audio)
36. The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger

October
37. Dance of Death, by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child (audio)
38. Hallowe'en Party, by Agatha Christie
39. Practical Magic, by Alice Hoffman
40. Rosemary's Baby, by Ira Levin

November
41. The Case of the Glamorous Ghost, by Erle Stanley Gardner
42. The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins
43. Catching Fire, by Suzanne Collins (K)
44. Pride & Prejudice, by Jane Austen (reread) (K)
45. The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, by Alexander McCall Smith
46. Smokin' Seventeen, by Janet Evanovich (K)
47. Airman, by Eoin Colfer (K)

December
48. Mockingjay, by Suzanne Collins (K)
49. Case Histories, by Kate Atkinson
50. Plugged, by Eoin Colfer (K)
51. Explosive Eighteen, by Janet Evanovich (K)

Wild Releases #1160 & #1161

CAKE put on a fantastic show last night at the Riviera Theatre, even though the fans were *really* bad at identifying what kind of tree was being given away. I swear that added a half hour onto the show, so we got home pretty late. Unfortunately, we had to get up obscenely early for a full day of seeing Chicago by bus. The weather was dreary again, and since it was Sunday, some of the buildings we were supposed to be able to get into were closed, but overall it was a good day. I left Elizabeth Berg's "Dream When You're Feeling Blue" on a blue seat on the 151 Sheridan bus around 8 a.m., and Blue Balliett's "The Wright 3" on a wall outside the Frank Lloyd Wright designed Robie House around 11 a.m.

Wild Release #1159

I'm visiting friends in Chicagoland this weekend and we have a full schedule of sightseeing and CAKE worshipping planned, even though the weather is rather chilly, rainy, and yes—windy. We just got back from a tour of Wrigley Field, where we got to go up in the press box and down in the dugout. We were even witnesses to a wedding proposal on the big scoreboard! (He said yes, but we're not sure he really wanted to.) After our tour, we walked to El Burrito Mexicano for some delicious takeout (excellent guacamole!), and I left Gary Larson's "The Far Side Observer" on top of a newspaper box on the sidewalk outside.

Catch #185!

The mystery of where "Summer Garden Murder" is now has been solved. An AnonymousFinder writes: "I love the concept of  "Catching a Wild Book". It was a good story. I had not read any of this series before."

Wild Release #1158

I smuggled John Bellair's "The Hand of the Necromancer" into the Greensburg-Hempfield Area Library book sale because the front cover scared me too much to leave it in my car any longer. I left it on the table with the children's books and bought a nice big bag of books that don't scare me.

Catch #184!

"Abe Lincoln's Hat" has been found (again) by 6of8, who picked it up at the convention, but somehow missed journalling it. It sounds like it is ready for a big adventure now!

Wild Release #1157

I found myself at Lowe's in Greensburg this evening, so I took the opportunity to leave "Evening," by Susan Minot, on an inviting lawn chair in the garden section while I was there.

Catch #183!

It's been a little over eighteen months since I released "The Resident Witch," so I was very happy to receive a journal alert from an AnonymousFinder today. "It's a difficult read.. it took me awhile," they report. I'm glad it was read, no matter how long it took!

Wild Release #1156

If Greensburg were home to an Outback Steakhouse restaurant, it would have been the perfect place to leave "Mutant Message Down Under," by Marlo Morgan. Unfortunately, we are limited to steakhouses that hail from Texas, so I had to make do, leaving the book on a window ledge in the vestibule of LongHorn Steakhouse.

Catches #179 – #182!

Convention catches continue to trickle in! Today, "George Washington and the General's Dog" and "101 Things You Didn't Know About Einstein" were journalled by FutureCat; "Under the Duvet" was journalled by melydia; and "Weight: The Myth of Atlas and Heracles" was journalled by azuki.

Wild Releases #1154 & #1155

I was kind to my car today and took it for an oil change at Jiffy Lube (I had a coupon, and they are jiffy). Before I hit the road, I left "Miss Julia Hits the Road," by Ann B. Ross, on a table in the waiting room.

Later, Sister No. 6 forced me to go annual and perennial shopping with her at Laurel Nursery in Latrobe, so I took the opportunity to leave "Summer Garden Murder," by Ann Ripley, tucked in a trellis display.

April Stats

Wild Releases: 49

Catches: 21
Wild Finds: 19

Year-to-date 

Wild Releases: 90

Catches: 26

RABCKs: 1
Wild Finds: 19

Wild Release #1153

It's the day the media has been waiting for breathlessly since the boy who will be King was born: the Royal Wedding of Prince William (the pilot) and Catherine Middleton (his new wife). In hono(u)r of today's festivities, I left Anita Shreve's "The Pilot's Wife" on the window ledge at King's.

Catch #178!

"The Great American Road Trip" was the first book to leave my hands at the BookCrossing Convention, liberated by the first BookCrosser I met in real life: discoverylover. Little did I know then that she and Skyring were planning a great American road trip of their own, travelling from coast to coast before heading home to New Zealand and Australia, respectively. I should do that myself someday!

Wild Release #1152

What better place to find a western than Texas Roadhouse? I left Larry McMurtry's "Sin Killer" in the free newspaper rack in the waiting room around 5 p.m.

Catch #177!

It's funny to get journal alerts for my books from people I actually know now. Having spent a day at Arlington National Cemetery with bronwyna, I was pleased to see that she caught and enjoyed "Suite Francaise" and is showing it around Australia.

Catch #176!

authorauthor picked up "The War of the Worlds Murder" at the BC Convention and she's already read and reviewed it! I'm always glad to see books that were given to me by other BookCrossers reach new readers.

Wild Release #1151

It's been awhile since I released a book at the Westmoreland County Courthouse, so I remedied that this afternoon. I left "The Trials of Rumpole," by John Mortimer, on a lamp post flanking the old entrance to the Courthouse around 3 p.m.