desert_vixen's lair

 The following are the titles read as of February 1, 2016 on the Kindle.

 1. Animal Farm by George Orwell - I have read this one before, of course, but I enjoyed it much more this time around.  Found it on Gutenberg, I think.

 2. Calendar of Crime by Ellery Queen - 12 short stories featuring Ellery Queen.  I really enjoyed the one about the Emperor's Dice.  Worth reading but the regular price Kindle edition is a little pricey.  Amazon review is here.

 3. Devil's Wind by Patricia Wentworth - Adventure/romance in the Indian Mutiny era.  Amazon review is here.

 4. Ethel Morton at Rose House by Mabell S.C. Smith - Early 20th C teen fiction.  Available at Gutenberg.

 5. His Last Bow: Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle - Collection of later Holmes stories.

 6. Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling - Classic, available on Gutenberg.

 7. Kilmeny of the Orchard by L.M. Montgomery - One of her non-Anne works that I had never heard of.  This one is available for Kindle for only $0.99 and well-worth the price.  The best way to describe it is that it's a story Anne herself might have told and thrilled to.  Amazon review is here.

 8. Mary Louise by L. Frank Baum - No trip to Oz, but it's an early 20th century teen adventure melodrama.  Available on Gutenberg.

 9. Nan Sherwood at Rose Ranch by Annie Roe Carr - More early 20th century girls' books.  This one is okay, for the period.  Available on Gutenberg.

10. Paradise Valley by Dale Cramer - This was a surprisingly good book, based on actual historical events.  Early 20th century Amish community has members move to settle in Mexico after their children are taken away and forced to go to school.  Very good, doesn't whitewash Amish but makes them relatable.  Amazon review is here.

11. Philomel Cottage (short story) by Agatha Christie - Good short story about a woman who finds she's inadvertently married a Bluebeard type.

12. Tabitha by Vikki Kestell - This one ended up in my Bad Examples folder.  It's a way overwrought Christian historical combined with Cherry Ames.  Amazon review here.

13. The Automobile Girls in the Berkshires by Laura Dent Crane - Early 20th century girls' adventure book based on group of girls who go for automobile tours.  This one does have a great deal of period racism towards Native Americans.  Available from Gutenberg.

14. The People of the River by Edgar Wallace - White man's burden fiction about an English commissioner in Africa.  However, the commissioner actually treats the natives like people (children, perhaps) and individuals.  It belongs to its period, but it's an entertaining read.  For Bujold fans, the main character could be said to take an auditorial approach, at times.

Example: Bosambo he trusted in all big things, though in the matter of goods movable and goods convertible he had no such confidence.

Amazon review is here.

15. The Yellow Iris by Agatha Christie (short story) - Short story version of Sparkling Cyanide, but worth the read.

16. Triangle at Rhodes by Agatha Christie (short story) - Short story version of the love triangle in Evil Under The Sun, with a twist.  Enjoyable read.

17. Booby Trap by Rex Stout -  A Nero Wolfe novella set during World War II.  A little unusual ending for Wolfe (in my reading, at least).  Allows you to have the enjoyable image of Major Archie Goodwin in uniform.

18. James Beard Theory and Practice by James Beard - An interesting read from one of the cooking masters on not only how, but why.

19. In the Pulps by Rex Stout - A collection of various Stout short stories, many with an ironic twist.  They are not all mysteries.  Amazon review here.

20. The City on the Edge of Forever by Harlan Ellison - The original award-winning script for the TOS episode of the same name, and an introductory essay by Ellison.  I had no idea there were so many behind-the-scenes things.  I still love the original episode as aired, but I would have liked to see this one filmed as well.  Amazon review is here.

21. The Wicked Marquis by E. Phillips Oppenheim - Good historical fiction piece.  The titular Marquis isn't really wicked, but you'll pity the people who have to deal with him.  Amazon review is here.

22. Ravished Armenia by Aurora Mardiganian - Supposed to be a true historical account, but I have read that it was intended as propaganda based on actual events compiled together.

23. 15 Minute Healthy Organic Meals Under $10 by Susan Patterson - Trying to appeal to this niche but not very good.  My review says it all.

24. The Land of Ararat by Stephen Gregory - Good obscure historical stuff about Armenia but HORRIBLE Kindle conversion with artifacts and OCR scan issues.

25. Unfinished Murder: Pursuit of a Serial Rapist by James Neff - Solid true crime book about a serial rapist in 1980s Cleveland, with strong emphasis on how the victims dealt with it - or didn't deal with it.  Amazon review here.

DV