I re-read 4:50 from Paddington (or What Mrs. McGillicuddy Saw) by Agatha Christie because I had recently watched a new production of it staring Geraldine McEwan, which had some different details from the version with Joan Hickson, and I wanted to check them against the original. Of course, by the time I read the book, I had forgotten the two movie versions. Expect a comparison review at some point in the future when I have time to watch the movies again.
Category: 50 book challenge
#6
Today I felt well enough to read a book, although not well enough to leave the house beyond getting the mail out of the box. One of the things that annoys me about being sick is that I have all this time between naps to read the numerous unread books in my house, but I never feel like reading any of them when I’m ill. Of course, the book I chose to read this afternoon isn’t from my vast collection of unread tomes. It’s one I discovered in the juvenile literature section of my place of work on Sunday when I was hunting down an Ursula Le Guin book.
A Book Dragon by Donn Kushner is the story of Nonesuch, an English dragon who learns how to make himself small enough to fit between the pages of a book. One particular book, specifically, that he is guarding. Over time, the book ends up in a modern New England shop, and Nonesuch takes on the role of protecting all of the books in the shop as well as the humans who live there. This is a young adult book, but not so dumbed down to be dull for adults. The glimpses into human lives passing in front of the eyes of the dragon are an added treat for anyone familiar with Anglo-Saxon history.
#5
Mrs. Mallory Investigates by Hazel Holt is the first book in a modern cozy mystery series featuring a middle-aged widow in a seaside English town. I saw it recommended in A Common Reader last year. I recently found a copy of this book, so I decided to give it a whirl. Earlier this fall, I had read a later book in the series, but without the back story on the character, it was hard for me to get into it. This one was a little more accessible, but still not quite as entertaining as I had hoped. The whole thing is told in first person, so that’s at least something different from my usual reads.
#4
Turn the Other Chick is the fifth book in the Chicks in Chainmail series edited by Esther Friesner. The book is a collection of 22 short stories by fantasy authors (including one by the editor) that almost all involve at least three elements: a chick (er, woman), chainmail (or other body armor), and adventure with the chick wearing said chainmail. Most of the stories are told tongue-in-cheek, with some more entertaining and coherent than others. My favorites are as follows:
- The Girl’s Guide to Defeating the Dark Lord by Cassandra Claire – Being kidnapped by a Dark Lord can have a happy ending.
- The Gypsy Queen by Catherine H. Shaffer – Transgendered barbarian swordspersons find true love.
- Over the Hill by Jim C. Hines – Grandma Guardswoman isn’t ready to retire just yet.
- Defender of the Small by Jody Lynn Nye – Be kind to your small fury friends.
#1, #2, & #3
Three down, forty-seven to go.
On Monday, I read The Riddle-Master of Hed by Patricia McKillip because it was the shortest of the three books I was considering (The Rover by Mel Odom and The Garden of Iden by Kage Baker were the other two). Good book, but bad choice if I was expecting something quick and light. The book has a cliff-hanger ending, which leads to Heir of Sea and Fire, which also has a cliff-hanger ending that leads to the final book in the trilogy, Harpist in the Wind. The whole thing reminded me of Le Guin’s Earthsea books with a little hint of The Book of Three. I’d recommend it to anyone who enjoys epic fantasy with wizards, magic, shape-shifters, and light romance.
50 book challenge
I plan to read at least 50 books this year.
I just read about this 50 Book Challenge thing on a variety of blogs, and it intrigued me. I keep a recently read list on this blog, and I was surprised to discover that I read 67 books last year. Some of them were short and fluffy, while a few were rather substantial. Most were read before July. I’ve gotten out of the habit of obsessive reading, and I’m thinking that a goal might help me get more motivated to make time for books. Also, the number 111 after my unread tag on LibraryThing is an unpleasant sight. So, I plan to participate in the 50 Book Challenge in some fashion. I have no goals beyond reading at least 50 books this year and I don’t have a list of what I will read beyond the unread books in my current and future collection.
