Mystery Manor Adventure Forum

It's time to start my 2011 list here.

January
1. The Human Blend by Alan Dean Foster
2. Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
3. Cryoburn by Lois McMaster Bujold
4. Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years by Sarah L. Delany and A. Elizabeth Delany with Amy Hill Hearth

February
5. Deceiver by C. J. Cherryh
6. Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde
7. The Red Thread by Ann Hood
8. Denver Is Missing by D. F. Jones
9. Breathless by Dean Koontz

March
10. Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult
11. Side Jobs by Jim Butcher
12. Shakespeare by Bill Bryson
13. One of Our Thursdays Is Missing by Jasper Fforde
14. The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks

April
15. Ex Libris by Ross King
16. Ship of Fools by Richard Paul Russo
17. Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
18. Betrayer by C. J. Cherryh
19. The Other Life by Ellen Meister
20. The Swan Thieves by Elizabeth Kostova
21. Tea Time for the Traditionally Built by Alexander McCall Smith
22. The Coffin Dancer by Jeffery Deaver

May
23. The Empty Chair by Jeffery Deaver
24. The Stone Monkey by Jeffery Deaver
25. The Double Confort Safari Club by Alexander McCall Smith
26. The Saturday Big Tent Wedding Party by Alexander McCall Smith
27. Red Hats by Damon Wayan
28. The Vanished Man by Jeffery Deaver

June
29. The Twelfth Card by Jeffery Deaver
30. The Cold Moon by Jeffery Deaver
31. The Broken Window by Jeffery Deaver
32. The Burning Wire by Jeffery Deaver
33. The Help by Kathryn Stockett
34. Kraken by China Miéville
35. Embassytown by China Miéville

July
36. The Sleeping Doll by Jeffery Deaver
37. Roadside Crosses by Jeffery Deaver
38. A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick
39. The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin
40. Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hildebrand

August
41. The Anatomy of Ghosts by Andrew Taylor
42. While My Sister Sleeps by Barbara Delinsky
43. Ghost Story by Jim Butcher
44. People of the Whale by Linda Hogan
45. Spider Bones by Kathy Reichs
46. Book of Days by Lanford Wilson
47. Eragon by Christopher Paolini

September
48. 10th Anniversary by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro
49. The Face of Deception by Iris Johansen
50. Eldest by Christopher Paolini
51. Brisingr by Christopher Paolini
52. Flash and Bones by Kathy Reichs

October
53. King Rat by China Miéville
54. Perdido Street Station by China Miéville
55. 18 Minutes: Find Your Focus, Master Distraction, and Get the Right Things Done by Peter Bregman
56. Snuff by Terry Pratchett
57. The Procrastinator's Handbook: Mastering the Art of Doing It Now by Rita Emmett
58. The Killing Game by Iris Johansen

November
59. Change Anything: The New Science of Personal Success by Kerry Patterson et al
60. The Search by Iris Johansen
61. Body of Lies by Iris Johansen
62. Blind Alley by Iris Johansen
63. Inheritance by Christopher Paolini
64. Consider Phlebas by Iain M. Banks

December
65. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
66. A Novel Bookstore by Lawrence Cosse
67. The Prince of Mist by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
68. Families and Other Nonreturnable Gifts by Claire LaZebnik
69. Countdown by Iris Johansen
70. Stalemate by Iris Johansen

The Human Blend by Alan Dean Foster
This is a science fiction mystery story that takes place in the future. Large segments of the population now choose surgery to change their bodies for practical or aesthetic reasons - a practice called melding. A fisherman might choose to have gills and webbed feet or a musician could have his chosen instrument melded into his body. Criminals also take advantage of melding and can enhance their bodies for a fast getaway from a crime scene or to make weapons a part of their bodies.

The main characters, a melded thief running from the law and a natural (unmelded) doctor end up together when she decides, against her better judgement, to remove some tracking pellets under his skin that he “acquired” while being chased by the police. The object the authorities are so eager to recover is a silver thread that seems to be some kind of storage device similar to strange objects the doctor has removed from some of her surgical patients.

I liked the crazy characters and the plot, as far as it went, but since this is supposed to be the first book in a trilogy, the mystery of the silver thread is not solved. In fact, we are left with (surprise, surprise) a major cliffhanger with all the threads, silver and otherwise, untied. I don’t know about anyone else, but I am sick and tired of writers who can’t make stand-alone stories anymore. Leaving a story open for a continuation is one thing. If I like the story, I’ll be glad to read the sequels. However, I’m tired of being manipulated into buying three sparse novels when one fatter one could have told the entire story.

I couldn't agree more. Dean Koontz is doing that in the Frankenstein series. He made us wait for almost 2 years for the third book. I very nearly didn't get it when it finally came out for that reason. Then the third book was a complete disappointment to me. I did pick up the fourth one in a weak moment a week ago and I'm glad I did in a way as it resolved some things, but then it left the story in a cliff-hanger again. I doubt I will spring for the final one as it annoyed me so much when the book ended. I'm OK with it if the next in the series is right on the heels of the last one, but that's not happening in this one.

One reason I rather enjoyed the Grave Sight/Grave Surprise/Ice Cold Grave series is because each crime was completely solved and each book was a stand-alone story. There was enough energy between the two main characters that was independent of the stories, that I wanted to read the next books to see how the relationship evolved. I thought Charlaine Harris struck a good balance between not leaving any kind of cliff-hanger as far as the "plot" of each book, but intrigued me enough with the characters that I wanted to purchase the next books in the series.

I usually only read series if they are done before I start. Then I can read them one after another and never get left hanging. I've been burned a couple of times in the past, most notably with George R.R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire series.

I agree that each author I love to read has developed strong characters who propel the series along. Caring about a character and wanting to know what happens next in his/her life is what makes me buy the next book. Two of the books in this year's list fall into that category, Cryoburn by Lois McMaster Bujold and Deceiver by C. J. Cherryh.

Cryoburn by Lois McMaster Bujold
Like many women in his life, I fell madly in love with Miles Vorkosigan when I first read about him in Warrior's Apprentice many years ago. Despite physical problems that would bring down a lesser man, he has fought the good fight for justice and equality in his part of the universe.

It has been a long journey since Miles was a self-appointed admiral of the Dendarii Free Mercenary Fleet. He is now married and has become a respectable Imperial Auditor for his home planet of Barrayar. So why is it that he finds himself smack in the middle of trouble yet again?

Sent to a conference on the planet of Kibou-daini to investigate a cryocorp's attempts to expand its franchise into the Barrayaran Empire, Miles soon finds himself lost in the vast network of cryocombs under the city. His rescue by a young boy who loves animals leads Miles to discover a network of corruption and conspiracy that reaches out from the currently frozen who are trying to cheat death and into the worlds beyond.

Suspenseful and clever, this one shouldn't be missed.

Deceiver by C. J. Cherryh
In the last novel, Bren Cameron, the human diplomat allied with Tabini, the atevi ruler of the Western Alliance, had moved to his country estate to ease the tensions in the capital after the atevi civil war. Newly returned from a two-year space voyage with Tabini's son and heir, Cajeri, and Cajeri's fierce grandmother, Illisidi, he ended up in the middle of a fight for Cajeri's life when the lonely boy decided to escape his tutors and visit his human friend.

In this juicy new novel of the Foreigner series, Bren's comfortable but relatively small estate has become a crowded fortress brimming with bodyguards to protect Cajeri, Illisidi, and Geigi, the chief administrator of the atevi space station who has been recalled to deal with the cause of the current problems - his nephew's betrayal. When Bren's brother is injured and his former girlfriend is kidnapped by the enemies, these powerful politicians devise a plan that may stop this on-going rebellion once and for all, if it doesn't lead to out and out war.

I have gobbled up each of the ten previous books in this series, and this is another satisfying entry in Cherryh's consistently realized alien-human universe.

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
It is easy to see why this novel, written in 1937, still endures as a classic. It’s the story of Janie Crawford, a woman of the South, who despite a life of poverty, severe trials, and three marriages, manages to develop and keep her own sense of self. Refusing to live in sorrow, bitterness, and fear, Janie deals with life with wit and a healthy dose of realism that the reader can’t help but admire. Heartfelt and beautifully written, it’s a wonderful story that remains as relevant today as it was 74 years ago.

Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years by Sarah L. Delany and A. Elizabeth Delany with Amy Hill Hearth
This is an oral history told by two sisters of mixed race who lived through a turbulent but amazing period in our history while carving out their own niches in the world. Bessie broke barriers to become a dentist, and Sadie quietly integrated the New York
City Schools to become a high school teacher. Although different in personality, the sisters remained close all their lives, and they tell their joint stories with with warmth and humor. These stories include their large extended family and such famous people as Booker T. Washington, Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, W. W. B. Du Bois, and Paul Robeson. They experienced Harlem in its heyday, dealt with the Jim Crow laws, and discovered new hope with the words of Martin Luther King and the Civil Rights movement. This is an important work of American history from two great ladies who experienced it first hand and lived a long time to tell about it.

Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde
I think Jasper Fforde is one of the most creative and clever writers I have ever read. His Thursday Next series in which the characters take literal leaps into literature is one of my all-time favorites, and now he does it again with a different kind of story.

In this novel, the world, for as long as anyone can remember, is ruled by a Colortocracy. A person’s standing in society is based on his/her color perception, and people of complimentary colors are not allowed to marry. Underground feed pipes keep municipal parks green, and there are healers who use colors to cure illnesses and addicts who use forbidden colors to get high.

Eddie Russett wants to move up in society. With his better-than-average red perception, he has a half promise of marriage to Constance Oxblood, a wealthy family looking to add as much red as possible to strengthen their hue. However, when Eddie and his father, a healer, are relocated to the fringe town of East Carmine, his plans are soon put in disarray by the nasty and spoiled Violet deMauve, a corrupt group of ruling Yellows, and an intriguing Grey named Jane, who opens his eyes to the truth behind the brightly painted facade in which he has always believed.

This is Fforde at his cleverest, and I can’t wait to read his next installment. If you liked Nick Harkaway’s The Gone-Away World, then this is the book for you.

The Red Thread by Ann Hood
This is a novel about a woman named Maya Lange who opened an adoption agency called The Red Thread after losing her own baby in a freak accident. She finds comfort in placing babies from China with American couples who want to adopt. Because of the reproduction laws in China which limit families to one or two children, and because boy babies are preferred, the orphanages are filled with abandoned female infants. The author deftly weaves the stories of six couples who want to adopt with those of the Chinese birth mothers and families who must give up their children. Their stories, including that of Maya herself, are moving and unforgettable. Quick access to a box of tissues is recommended when reading this one.

Denver Is Missing by D. F. Jones
Between detours for favorite authors and those books I’m reading for my book discussion group, I’ve been going through the fiction books on my shelves and choosing one author for each letter of the alphabet. For “j” I chose this yellowed paperback with a 1971 copyright. Considering the price was $1.25, I figured it was unread long enough and started in.

Now most of you know I keep a database of all the books I’ve read and/or own, but I didn’t bother to check it because I knew I hadn’t read this one. In fact, it wasn’t until I went to mark the book as read that I saw that I had already read it in 1974. Usually there’s an ah-ha moment when a familiar part jumps out at me, but this one didn’t register in the memory department at all from first page to last.

While it’s not most memorable book I’ve ever read, the story has suspense and a somewhat plausible story. Deep ocean drilling on a spur of the East Pacific ridge to hopefully get a sample core of the earth’s mantle leads to an environmental disaster when an enormous geyser of pressurized nitrogen begins filling the atmosphere. As the nitrogen encircles the globe and causes mass asphyxiation, especially in the high cities like Denver, rioting breaks out and the country comes under marshall law. To escape the lockdown of San Francisco, four people end up in a sailing yacht in the vast Pacific. Heading towards Hawaii and then Australia, they must weather a huge storm caused by the atmospheric disturbance, and then an enormous tidal wave caused by the collapse of the area around the geyser.

The characters are mostly stereotypical, and the social interaction is more typical of the early 1960s than a decade later. Also, there is a disturbing rape scene by a group of big bad soldiers that I found offensive. Hmmm. Come to think of it, this is a rather forgettable novel. I wonder why they didn’t make it into a disaster movie.

Breathless by Dean Koontz
While walking in the woods, a man and his dog discover some unusual animals romping there. The creatures follow him home, and he and his veterinarian friend establish a relationship with them that could change the world as we know it forever. Finding out the true nature of these animals and where they came from is the essence of the story. Koontz flips back and forth between these characters and the experiences of several others who eventually have a role to play in the main story. Despite the fact that the author stretched scientific theory a tad to make it fit the story, it was still an exciting book that kept me reading well past my bedtime.

I absolutely loved Breathless - it kept me up long past my bedtime too.

Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult
In this excellent novel, a shooting in a high school leaves a small New Hampshire town reeling in shock and grief. The author writes a compelling story about the victims, the shooter, and their friends and families. She doesn't pull any punches, but she let's us see how something like this could come about. She also puts in an interesting twist that makes for a dramatic ending.

Side Jobs by Jim Butcher
This collection of short stories fills in the gaps between the Harry Dresden novels. We get to learn more about the familiar characters that populate Harry's world, including Will and his wife, Georgia, Harry's half brother, Thomas, Sergeant Karen Murphy, his close friend and former knight, Michael, and several others. The stories are well-written and contain the same blend of humor, horror, and mystery found in the author's longer works. As a bonus, it also has a novella called Aftermath, which takes place after the frustrating cliff-hanger ending of Changes. It's from Murphy's point of view, but I would say that it promises more to come in the Dresden saga.

Shakespeare by Bill Bryson
Having seen four plays by the bard during my theatre in London trip this past January, I decided to read this book while the productions were still fresh in my mind. I've always enjoyed Bryson's witty writing, and this one didn't disappoint.

Although we know much about Shakespeare's plays and Elizabethan England, there is relatively little we know about the man himself. Bryson sifts through centuries of half-truths, myths, and outright lies about the playwright/poet and presents a wonderful biography that celebrates Shakespeare's significant contributions to literature and the English language. It's a little gem of a guide. If you enjoyed The Story of English by McCrum, Cran and MacNeil, you're bound to enjoy this one.

One of Our Thursdays Is Missing by Jasper Fforde
Jurisfiction's prime operative, Thursday Next, is overdue for a conference to settle differences between Racy Novel and Women's Fiction before a genre war starts. It falls to the written Thursday, who inhabits the books about the real Thursday's adventures, to solve a series of mysteries and discover what happened to her counterpart. This entails an illegal visit to RealWorld and relentless pursuit by the Men in Plaid. (There is an outrageous car chase scene that would be right at home in The Untouchables.) This is another terrific romp through Fforde's BookWorld - the 6th in the Thursday Next series - and it should not be missed.

The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks
This is a romantic and touching story about a love that was meant to be as told by an old man in a nursing home. Although the story is simple, Sparks' characters are not. They have great depth and complexity, and they quickly won over my heart. Be warned, however, to have a good supply of hankies on hand for this one.

Thanks for all your postings, LK - I read all your reviews avidly!

You're welcome, Boobie! I'm glad you enjoy them.

If you liked Nineteen Minutes, Jodi Picoult has a new book out," Sing Me Home". I'm reading it now, and I think she has hit an all time high for discussing current events in one novel. We're talking about marriage, acceptance, partner choices, frozen embryo's, bible thumpers, and love. This book has me talking to myself!

Did you know that The Notebook was inspired by his wife's grandparents?