Kindle Reading 2016 #4
Jun. 11th, 2016 01:43 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
desertvixenI've gotten behind on posting here, but this is the next update of Kindle reading. I've almost filled another page because I've stalled, so there will be another Kindle posting sooner rather than later.
79. The Captive Heart (Daughters of Caleb Bender 2) by Dale Cramer - Excellent book, and great continuation of #1. I was so into the story, I was totally shocked when I got to the end. This one has more historically depressing (but accurate) moments, and I've got the third one downloaded. Amazon review.
80. Precious Victims (2015 update) by Don Weber/Charles Bosworth - I own the original of this in PB, but it's pretty bulky and my copy is not in great shape, so I was excited to see it as a Kindle deal. The case involves a couple who not once, but twice, had baby girls stolen from their home by kidnappers (while never bothering with the couple's son) and the road to trial. It's well-worth reading, and was one of my earliest exposures to the genre. There is a brief update for the 2015 version, which I always appreciate - although apparently not much had happened, other than one major event. There is one drawback - numerous OCR-type scan errors. Amazon review.
81. Blood Echoes: The Alday Mass Murder by Thomas Cook - Another true crime book that I found as a daily deal. It was pretty good, and I appreciated the fact that the author was sensitive to the victims' family and their issues. It also looks at the tendency for a group of victims to become a faceless lump. There were some complaints that the book gets too much into post-trial stuff, but that was a major component of the case, and it does not drag too much. Amazon review.
82. All Things Wise and Wonderful by James Herriot - If you love these, I don't need to say any more. This one was a little more of a tear-jerker, possibly because his military time is mixed in with it. Characters that you love appear. There are more cat stories in this one (and at least one, about the feral cat who liked a fireplace, that made me bawl my eyes out) which I count as a plus. Also Oscar, the cat who liked going to social events. Amazon review.
83. Anne of Green Gables by LM Montgomery - I only bought this on Kindle because it was free from Mysterious Press, which does a great job of editing. have it in paperback, of course.
84. Behind the Scenes: 30 Years a Slave by Elizabeth Keckley - Interesting non-fiction from a slave woman who earned her freedom, and made dresses for Mary Lincoln (as well as providing other services).
85. Did Jew Know? by Emily Stone - A humorous look at Jewish history and traditions here in the US. I found it to be interesting and loved the snarky tone of the writing - some stuff I knew, some I did not. Amazon review.
86. Know You More by Jan Thompson - Pretty sappy Christian romance, although I appreciated finding one where everyone is not white. The characters were interesting, but I'm not sure I'd read more.
87. Sojourn by M.M. Justus - I had read through this when it was originally being written on LJ, and although I had read the others, I had never gone back to read this. So glad I did! I loved the whole concept, and just everything about it. Amazon review.
88. Spy the Lie by Philip Houston - This was a decent read about deception/detection, although I noted the Amazon reviews are deeply divided. If you;re interested in the subject, it's probably worthwhile, especially if you can find it in a deal.
89. The Diva Ate Her by Anne Onymous - This is supposed to be a "memoir" (think Devil Wears Prada) written by a former assistant of Laurell K. Hamilton's. I bought it years ago, but just found it again when I was switching Kindles. It definitely falls into the "so bad it's good" category. Watch for the flog coming soon.
90. The Mystery of 31 New Inn by R. Austin Freeman - Another Thorndyke mystery. These are enjoyable, especially if you like Holmes, but many of the twists are no longer new. An example of Thorndyke's mystery solving method: "What I want to impress on you is the necessity of considering all the facts instead of bumping heavily against the most conspicuous one and forgetting all the rest." Amazon review.
91. Crimes of Passion by Howard Engel - This was an interesting true crime collection, examining the concept of the crime passionel. It's not US-centric, which means there are some ones you may never have heard of - there were, of course, plenty of familiar ones. It was a solid read. Amazon review.
92. Out of a Dream by Rosemary Hines - This is the first book in a Christian fiction series that's okay. It's better than the second one in the series, which I had picked up and read for free. However, that didn't take much. Amazon review.
93. Hidden Gems of the Western US by Daniel Gillaspia - Good solid guidebook to off-the-beaten-path places, along with plenty of links to info on the actual places. The author does a good job of describing the level of expertise and effort needed to tackle some, and continually cautions the readers not to be idiots or do illegal things. Amazon review.
94. Collision Course by Alvin Moscow - Solid read about the sinking of the Andrea Doria. It is contemporary to the actual event, although there have been some updates, mostly about people diving down to the wreck. It was an interesting read. Amazon review.
95. The Doll in the Garden by Mary Downing Hahn - This is a novella, and it's not as scary as many MDH books are. Instead, this one has a sweet edge and an otherworldly air. There are quite a few OCR-type errors, but the book is still very readable. And I loved Snowball the cat. Amazon review.
96. The Chauffeur and the Chaperon by Charles and Alice Williamson - Very much a period book, as well as one of the ones where the authors got paid by the word. However, it is an interesting read. One thing that is interesting is how the author switches POV characters - basically splitting the book into quarters. When a new one picks up, we learn things we didn't know before that cast a light on the previous section's actions. Amazon review.
97. Wishes by Jude Deveraux - This one was a daily deal, and although I own the paperback, I couldn't resist. It's a Cinderella story of sorts, with Cinderella being a young woman in the 1890/1900s and the fairy godmother being a dead woman from modern times (1980s) who's essentially in Purgatory and has to earn her way out. It's short and amusing.
98. Frontier Gift of Love by Dorothy Wiley - I got this for free, which helped. If you like historical and overwrought drama (with several cases of padding out the storyline through character stupidity), then you may enjoy it. Read my Amazon review.
99. Hustlers, Harlots, and Heroes: Regency/Steampunk Field Guide by Krista D. Ball - Good writing guide for Regency and Steampunk, gets into the less-elegant side of life. It seemed pretty good, based on a lot of other things I've read. The only drawback is that the formatting on the Kindle Paperwhite is HORRIBLE, but much better on the iPad. Amazon review.
100. The Gold Bag by Carolyn Wells - Better period read than mystery. The amateur detective is particularly amateur in this one. Amazon review.
101. A Book of Remarkable Criminals by H.B. Irving - This is not so remarkable. A lot of these people I had never heard of, and the stories were not that good. It's very overwritten. Amazon review.
102. Countdown to Death by Iain McChesney - Modern update of And Then There Were None that I quite enjoyed. It's modern and snarky and has some lovely allusions to the original. There's also a running theme with a little cartoons being left with each body that I quite enjoyed. Amazon review has spoilers.
103. A Cabin Full of Food by Marie Beausoleil - Interesting cookbook for self-sufficient and Canadian types.
104. Ruined Forever by DL Carter - So this sounded like it was going to be good. How can you go wrong with Mr. Collins taking a header down the stairs at Longbourne? It started out okay, but was seriously uneven. Darcy ends up channeling Perry Mason, and Lady Catherine is totally off her rocker. There was an interesting plot point brought out that didn't go anywhere - what if the Mr. Collins who showed up wasn't actually the real Mr. Collins? (He was, more's the pity.) Just read the Amazon review (spoilers).
105. The Anglomaniacs by Mrs. Burton Harrison - Good period piece, inspired by my read of "To Marry An English Lord", with an ending I wasn't expecting. Amazon review.
106. Wrecked by Elle Casey - This is a seriously over-the-top and funny teen novel, and enjoyably bad involving four teens getting island-stranded after issues with their cruise ship. May be some issues that parents do not like. Amazon review.
79. The Captive Heart (Daughters of Caleb Bender 2) by Dale Cramer - Excellent book, and great continuation of #1. I was so into the story, I was totally shocked when I got to the end. This one has more historically depressing (but accurate) moments, and I've got the third one downloaded. Amazon review.
80. Precious Victims (2015 update) by Don Weber/Charles Bosworth - I own the original of this in PB, but it's pretty bulky and my copy is not in great shape, so I was excited to see it as a Kindle deal. The case involves a couple who not once, but twice, had baby girls stolen from their home by kidnappers (while never bothering with the couple's son) and the road to trial. It's well-worth reading, and was one of my earliest exposures to the genre. There is a brief update for the 2015 version, which I always appreciate - although apparently not much had happened, other than one major event. There is one drawback - numerous OCR-type scan errors. Amazon review.
81. Blood Echoes: The Alday Mass Murder by Thomas Cook - Another true crime book that I found as a daily deal. It was pretty good, and I appreciated the fact that the author was sensitive to the victims' family and their issues. It also looks at the tendency for a group of victims to become a faceless lump. There were some complaints that the book gets too much into post-trial stuff, but that was a major component of the case, and it does not drag too much. Amazon review.
82. All Things Wise and Wonderful by James Herriot - If you love these, I don't need to say any more. This one was a little more of a tear-jerker, possibly because his military time is mixed in with it. Characters that you love appear. There are more cat stories in this one (and at least one, about the feral cat who liked a fireplace, that made me bawl my eyes out) which I count as a plus. Also Oscar, the cat who liked going to social events. Amazon review.
83. Anne of Green Gables by LM Montgomery - I only bought this on Kindle because it was free from Mysterious Press, which does a great job of editing. have it in paperback, of course.
84. Behind the Scenes: 30 Years a Slave by Elizabeth Keckley - Interesting non-fiction from a slave woman who earned her freedom, and made dresses for Mary Lincoln (as well as providing other services).
85. Did Jew Know? by Emily Stone - A humorous look at Jewish history and traditions here in the US. I found it to be interesting and loved the snarky tone of the writing - some stuff I knew, some I did not. Amazon review.
86. Know You More by Jan Thompson - Pretty sappy Christian romance, although I appreciated finding one where everyone is not white. The characters were interesting, but I'm not sure I'd read more.
87. Sojourn by M.M. Justus - I had read through this when it was originally being written on LJ, and although I had read the others, I had never gone back to read this. So glad I did! I loved the whole concept, and just everything about it. Amazon review.
88. Spy the Lie by Philip Houston - This was a decent read about deception/detection, although I noted the Amazon reviews are deeply divided. If you;re interested in the subject, it's probably worthwhile, especially if you can find it in a deal.
89. The Diva Ate Her by Anne Onymous - This is supposed to be a "memoir" (think Devil Wears Prada) written by a former assistant of Laurell K. Hamilton's. I bought it years ago, but just found it again when I was switching Kindles. It definitely falls into the "so bad it's good" category. Watch for the flog coming soon.
90. The Mystery of 31 New Inn by R. Austin Freeman - Another Thorndyke mystery. These are enjoyable, especially if you like Holmes, but many of the twists are no longer new. An example of Thorndyke's mystery solving method: "What I want to impress on you is the necessity of considering all the facts instead of bumping heavily against the most conspicuous one and forgetting all the rest." Amazon review.
91. Crimes of Passion by Howard Engel - This was an interesting true crime collection, examining the concept of the crime passionel. It's not US-centric, which means there are some ones you may never have heard of - there were, of course, plenty of familiar ones. It was a solid read. Amazon review.
92. Out of a Dream by Rosemary Hines - This is the first book in a Christian fiction series that's okay. It's better than the second one in the series, which I had picked up and read for free. However, that didn't take much. Amazon review.
93. Hidden Gems of the Western US by Daniel Gillaspia - Good solid guidebook to off-the-beaten-path places, along with plenty of links to info on the actual places. The author does a good job of describing the level of expertise and effort needed to tackle some, and continually cautions the readers not to be idiots or do illegal things. Amazon review.
94. Collision Course by Alvin Moscow - Solid read about the sinking of the Andrea Doria. It is contemporary to the actual event, although there have been some updates, mostly about people diving down to the wreck. It was an interesting read. Amazon review.
95. The Doll in the Garden by Mary Downing Hahn - This is a novella, and it's not as scary as many MDH books are. Instead, this one has a sweet edge and an otherworldly air. There are quite a few OCR-type errors, but the book is still very readable. And I loved Snowball the cat. Amazon review.
96. The Chauffeur and the Chaperon by Charles and Alice Williamson - Very much a period book, as well as one of the ones where the authors got paid by the word. However, it is an interesting read. One thing that is interesting is how the author switches POV characters - basically splitting the book into quarters. When a new one picks up, we learn things we didn't know before that cast a light on the previous section's actions. Amazon review.
97. Wishes by Jude Deveraux - This one was a daily deal, and although I own the paperback, I couldn't resist. It's a Cinderella story of sorts, with Cinderella being a young woman in the 1890/1900s and the fairy godmother being a dead woman from modern times (1980s) who's essentially in Purgatory and has to earn her way out. It's short and amusing.
98. Frontier Gift of Love by Dorothy Wiley - I got this for free, which helped. If you like historical and overwrought drama (with several cases of padding out the storyline through character stupidity), then you may enjoy it. Read my Amazon review.
99. Hustlers, Harlots, and Heroes: Regency/Steampunk Field Guide by Krista D. Ball - Good writing guide for Regency and Steampunk, gets into the less-elegant side of life. It seemed pretty good, based on a lot of other things I've read. The only drawback is that the formatting on the Kindle Paperwhite is HORRIBLE, but much better on the iPad. Amazon review.
100. The Gold Bag by Carolyn Wells - Better period read than mystery. The amateur detective is particularly amateur in this one. Amazon review.
101. A Book of Remarkable Criminals by H.B. Irving - This is not so remarkable. A lot of these people I had never heard of, and the stories were not that good. It's very overwritten. Amazon review.
102. Countdown to Death by Iain McChesney - Modern update of And Then There Were None that I quite enjoyed. It's modern and snarky and has some lovely allusions to the original. There's also a running theme with a little cartoons being left with each body that I quite enjoyed. Amazon review has spoilers.
103. A Cabin Full of Food by Marie Beausoleil - Interesting cookbook for self-sufficient and Canadian types.
104. Ruined Forever by DL Carter - So this sounded like it was going to be good. How can you go wrong with Mr. Collins taking a header down the stairs at Longbourne? It started out okay, but was seriously uneven. Darcy ends up channeling Perry Mason, and Lady Catherine is totally off her rocker. There was an interesting plot point brought out that didn't go anywhere - what if the Mr. Collins who showed up wasn't actually the real Mr. Collins? (He was, more's the pity.) Just read the Amazon review (spoilers).
105. The Anglomaniacs by Mrs. Burton Harrison - Good period piece, inspired by my read of "To Marry An English Lord", with an ending I wasn't expecting. Amazon review.
106. Wrecked by Elle Casey - This is a seriously over-the-top and funny teen novel, and enjoyably bad involving four teens getting island-stranded after issues with their cruise ship. May be some issues that parents do not like. Amazon review.
