Book-Baba strikes again!

I do the catch-and-release-books thing. With me it's certain authors. If I find them for $1 or less, I'll get them, just to release them out into the world. Bujold, always, Robert M. Arthur, some Nortons, etc., depending on condition.

Back in January, I found out that one of our German filkers is a rabid Robert M. Arthur fan & didn't know about his short story collections, of which I just happened to have extra copies. One of the attendees at GaFilk is serving in Germany, so he was able to mail them for me from there, to great cross-global glee. I've since recommended the Amelia Peabody books to her; she's enjoyed the first one, & is continuing the series. Squee!

Books Read--2015

January, 2015
Kaoru Mori--A Bride’s Story Volume 1
Sheila Roberts--The Nine Lives Of Christmas
Mary Roberts Rinehart--The Best Of Tish
Katherine Addison [Sarah Monette]--The Goblin Emperor
Elizabeth Enright--The Four-Story Mistake
Terry Pratchett--Pyramids [reread--Mark Reads]
Tate Hallaway--Precinct 13
Sheila Roberts--Better Than Chocolate
Dawn Eastman--Pall In The Family
Goscinny & Uderzo--Asterix The Gladiator
Goscinny & Uderzo--Asterix & The Banquet
Goscinny & Uderzo--Asterix & Cleopatra
Seanan McGuire--“Velveteen Vs. The Thaw” [reread]
Seanan McGuire--“Velveteen Vs. Balance”
Sharon Lee--”The Gift Of Music” [Archers Beach reread]
Shelley Freydont--High Seas Murder

February, 2015
Shelley Freydont--Silent Knife
Jennifer Ashley--The Many Sins Of Lord Cameron
Tamora Pierce--Daja’s Book [reread--Mark Reads]
Erika Chase--A Killer Read
Vaunda Micheaux Nelson--Bad News For Outlaws: Bass Reeves
Goscinny & Uderzo--Asterix & The Cauldron
Jennifer Ashley--The Duke’s Perfect Wife
Goscinny & Uderzo--Asterix In Spain
Kaoru Mori--A Bride’s Story Volume 2
Goscinny & Uderzo--Asterix & The Roman Agent
Elizabeth Enright--Then There Were Five
Shelley Freydont--Midsummer Murder


So many delights and new discoveries! Although _The Madness Of Lord Ian McKenzie_ is my favorite of the Jennifer Ashley series, the others are quite entertaining. I'd not read much romance for a while, so it was a nice re-introduction.

I'd never read Astérix in English before, so it was delicious to discover that the puns are ever bit as dire in English [only I get more of the references].

Elizabeth Enright continued to be a revelation of complicated, intelligently written *fun* I wish I'd found decades earlier. Only, would I have been able to savor the lyrical moments as much then?

The Kaoru Mori series is so fabulously illustrated & has such vivid characters!

I don't read nearly as much sf/fantasy as I used to, in part because of the time and opportunity cost, but _Goblin Emperor_ was so immersive! Languages & cultures & world-building & a sweet, insightful protagonist who was a delight to spend time with, oh, my!

Mark [Oshiro] still flails epically over at Mark Reads, & cosy mysteries with punny titles are still fun.

Books Read--2015: The Adventure Continues

March, 2015
Wilanne Schneider Belden--Mind-Find [reread]
Sheila Roberts--Merry Ex-Mas
Erika Chase--Read And Buried
Terry Pratchett--Guards! Guards! [reread--Mark Reads]
Tamora Pierce--Briar’s Book [reread--Mark Reads]
Erika Chase--Cover Story
Holly Black--“Ten Rules for Being an Intergalactic Smuggler”
Faith Erin Hicks--The Adventures Of Superhero Girl
Elizabeth Enright--The Sea Is All Around
Jennifer Ashley--The Seduction Of Elliot McBride
Shelley Freydont--The Sudoku Murder
Elizabeth Enright--Spiderweb For Two
Seanan McGuire--“Velveteen Vs. Balance” [reread]
Seanan McGuire--“Velveteen Vs. Spring Cleaning”
Sheila Roberts--What She Wants
Shelley Freydont--Halloween Murder
Terry Pratchett--Eric [Mark Reads]
Elly Griffiths--The Crossing Places
Ann Waldron--The Princeton Murders
Sharon Pape--Sketch Me If You Can

April, 2015
Ingri & Edgar Parin d’Aulaire--Abraham Lincoln
Jacklyn Brady--A Sheetcake Named Desire
Deb Baker--Murder Passes The Buck
Erika Chase--Book Fair And Foul
Shelley Freydont--A Merry Little Murder
Shelley Freydont--Sudden Death Sudoku
Jennifer Crusie--What The Lady Wants [reread]
Jennifer Crusie--Getting Rid Of Bradley [reread]
Tamora Pierce--Magic Steps [reread--Mark Reads]
Shelley Costa--You Cannoli Die Once
Jacklyn Brady--Cake On A Hot Tin Roof
Sarah Addison Allen--Lost Lake


This time I read lots more mysteries, most of them fairly fun. Some were good enough to read one or even two in a series, but not continue thereafter; others are definite keepers.

The Sarah Addison Allen was one of her more immersive books; I do enjoy them so.

When only the best will do, Mark Reads is alternating between Tamora Pierce and Terry Pratchett. There's nothing like taking time to savor great books, especially with a thriving community to show one whole new ways to experience them.

Books Read--2015: The Great Re-Read Explosion

May, 2015
Alex Bledsoe--”The Two Weddings Of Bronwyn Hyatt” [Tufa]
Goscinny & Uderzo--Asterix & The Big Fight
Goscinny & Uderzo--Asterix In Britain
Goscinny & Uderzo--Asterix & The Normans
Gail Oust--Rosemary And Crime
Esther Friesner--”A Place For Everything”
Monica Ferris--Darned If You Do
Terry Pratchett--Moving Pictures [reread--Mark Reads]
Monica Ferris--Threadbare [reread]
Monica Ferris--And Then You Dye [reread]
Monica Ferris--The Drowning Spool [reread]
Gail Oust--Whack ‘N Roll
Susan Easton Black--The Son Of Man: The Early Years
Susan Easton Black--The Son Of Man: The King Of Kings
Monica Ferris--Crewel World [reread]
Monica Ferris--Framed In Lace [reread]
Monica Ferris--A Stitch In Time [reread]
Monica Ferris--Unraveled Sleeve [reread]
Monica Ferris--A Murderous Yarn [reread]
Monica Ferris--Cutwork [reread]
Monica Ferris--Crewel Yule [reread]
Monica Ferris--Embroidered Truths [reread]

June, 2015
Monica Ferris--Sins And Needles [reread]
Monica Ferris--Knitting Bones [reread]
Monica Ferris--Thai Die [reread]
Monica Ferris--Blackwork [reread]
Monica Ferris--Buttons And Bones [reread]
Nancy Atherton--Aunt Dimity And The Summer King
Nancy Atherton--Aunt Dimity And The Wishing Well [reread]
Nancy Atherton--Aunt Dimity’s Death [reread]
Nancy Atherton--Aunt Dimity And The Duke [reread]
Nancy Atherton--Aunt Dimity’s Good Deed [reread]
Nancy Atherton--Aunt Dimity Digs In [reread]
Nancy Atherton--Aunt Dimity's Christmas [reread]
Nancy Atherton--Aunt Dimity Beats The Devil [reread]
Nancy Atherton--Aunt Dimity: Detective [reread]
Nancy Atherton--Aunt Dimity Takes A Holiday [reread]
Nancy Atherton--Aunt Dimity: Snowbound [reread]
Nancy Atherton--Aunt Dimity And The Deep Blue Sea [reread]
Nancy Atherton--Aunt Dimity Goes West [reread]
Linda Tirado--Hand To Mouth: Living In Bootstrap America
Nancy Atherton--Aunt Dimity: Vampire Hunter [reread]
Nancy Atherton--Aunt Dimity Slays The Dragon [reread]
Nancy Atherton--Aunt Dimity Down Under [reread]
Nancy Atherton--Aunt Dimity And The Family Tree [reread]
Nancy Atherton--Aunt Dimity And The Village Witch [reread]
Nancy Atherton--Aunt Dimity And The Lost Prince [reread]
Terrie Farley Moran--Well Read, Then Dead
Tamora Pierce--Street Magic [reread--Mark Reads]
Shelley Freydont--Serial Killer Sudoku
Courtney Alameda--”Trigger”
Sharon Pape--To Sketch A Thief
Gail Oust--’Til Dice Do Us Part
Wiebe & Upchurch--Rat Queens Volume 1: Sass And Sorcery
McGuire, Seanan--”Polychrome Vs. The Court Of Public Opinion And Not Punching Anyone”
Sharon Lee & Steve Miller--”Chimera” [Liaden story]
Frances Hodgson Burnett--The Lost Prince [reread]
Goscinny & Uderzo--Asterix & The Magic Carpet
Katherine Addison [Sarah Monette]--The Goblin Emperor [reread]
Goscinny & Uderzo--Asterix & The Secret Weapon
Goscinny & Uderzo--Asterix & Obelix All At Sea
Jim Henson--It’s Not Easy Being Green


My official definition of an acid-test author is, being able to read 10 or more of their books in two weeks and not burning out. [That's how I first read Charlotte MacLeod years & years ago, 10 books from 4 series in 2 weeks & didn't burn out, hence the coinage of the term.]

That was certainly put to the test here, when new releases in two favorite series incited re-reads of the whole thing. Sometimes it's getting reacquainted with old friends, sometimes it's to see if a particular scene or bit of business is as delicious as you remember. It gets stuck in your head, kind of like an earworm, only for books.

So, what books have been earworming y'all lately?