desert_vixen's lair

Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney - This is really lovely, and I love the idea of scattering wildflower seeds.

It's Saturday Morning by Garner/Ashley - A nice little reference to Saturday morning cartoons.

Rosie: Stronger than Steel by Lindsay Ward - This is a really nicely done children's book about the Land Girls in WW2 and their tractors (and the Rosies who built them). 

The Phantom Prince: My Life with Ted Bundy by Elizabeth Kendall - This is an updated version of the book, and it was interesting to read about Bundy from her POV, and also a look into a different time.

Emily of Deep Valley by Maud Hart Lovelace - A more adult look at the world of Betsy-Tacy, from a different POV.  I really enjoyed it.

Invisible Women by Caroline Criado Perez - This is a must-read, looking at how women are not taken into consideration in numerous areas, like medicine and car safety for two big ones.

Bellwether by Connie Willis - This was delightfully funny, a little more accesible than Doomsday Book, but very enjoyable.

A Color of His Own by Leo Lionni - Cass is a huge fan of this one.

Hello Hello by Brendan Wenzel - A really lovely collection of animal art in a board book.  I also really liked They All Saw A Cat last year.

In the Hall with the Knife by Diane Peterfreund - An interesting boarding school AU of Clue.  I enjoyed it but haven't read the next two in the series.

The Assassins of Thasalon by Lois McMaster Bujold - A nice addition to the saga of Penric and Desdemona.

Surfeit of Lampreys by Ngaio Marsh - So yes 2021 was essentially The Year I Met Roderick Alleyn (due to all the $1.99 Kindle deals).  I'd picked up an earlier one (I think the one were he actually meets Troy) and it was pretty forgettable.  This one was not.  I love the family and the mystery.

The Grub-and-Stakers House A Haunt by Charlotte MacLeod - I definitely enjoyed this addition to the screwball series.

Died in the Wool by Ngaio Marsh - This one was really good, loved the sort of retrospective look at murder.

Clown in a Cornfield  by Adam Cesare - I thought this was going to be really stupid, but it was actually a really good read.  Sort of like Scream if it were a book.

A Grave Mistake by Ngaio Marsh - I almost had this one figured out ahead of Alleyn, but then she got me.  Very enjoyable.

Money in the Morgue by Ngaio Marsh - This is a "unfinished book completed by someone else" and it was fairly seamless - the book wandered a bit, but I enjoyed it.

A Holiday by Gaslight  by Mimi Matthews - This was a lovely Victorian Christmas romance.

Knot of Shadows (Penric) by Lois McMaster Bujold - This was one of the strongest additions to the series, I thought, and since I read it right after finishing Chalion, the death magic was hard-hitting.  Loving Penric's evolution as a father and sorcerer.

Well-Read Women by Samantha Hahn - This was a lovely collection of art and profiles of fictional females, very enjoyable.                  

There were no catalog-related errors this month, thankfully.  However, apropos of a conversation xinef and I were having at the luncheon to honor Meg Justus' life about how the Kindles have plenty of space.  Partly due to my acquisition and auto-download of the Fairy Tail manga, I ran out of space. :)  The manga titles don't stay on the Paperwhite, but I also removed 300-plus titles to Amazon Cloud.  I also found a few misplaced titles.

August Kindle reading:

I read 26 Kindle titles this month on the Paperwhite, and deleted 25.  I forgot to count up how many I added, but it wasn't 51, so coming out ahead!

A Dead Liberty by Catherine Aird – An interesting mystery featuring a suspect who won’t speak on their own behalf and corporate scheming.

A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen – The classic play,  Depressing but worth reading.

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle – The SF/F childhood classic.  Good read – I see why people didn’t like the movie (which I quite enjoyed, but this was not one of my childhood classics) and I enjoyed it.

Attachments by Rainbow Rowell – I didn’t intend to read everything by this author this month, it’s just how it worked out.  This is her first novel, and it shows a little, but still a good read and love letter to being who you are.

Behind the Curtain by PC Zick – I’d read one other by this author, and this one was not as good.  The situations were just not all that believable, and required characters to act stupid.

Fly: Goose Girl Retold by Demelza Carlton – Another of the retold fairytales, this one links up to her Cinderella one.  It ended up being a good read, but the beginning of it does have some graphic violence and sexual violence – more than I really preferred.

From Twisted Roots by SH Cooper – A collection of creepy and/or thought-provoking stories, some sad and some lighter.  I would recommend it.  There’s a good and creepy one about a carnival, one about bullying, one about a little girl and her spiders (that one was sad), and a few supernatural savior type stories. 

Girls Who Rocked the World by Michelle Roehm McCann – This covers a lot of the same ground of Rejected Princesses but is aimed at a younger crowd.  Okay read.

Horror Movie a Day: The Book by Brian W. Collins – Pretty much what it says on the cover.  Interesting read through not-super-well-known horror flicks.

Pieces of Granite by Brenda Anderson – Christian fiction about a family dealing with some issues, pretty decent read.

Sealed With A Kiss by Leeanna Morgan, Leeanna – Modern romance with an overprotective father and a little girl who wants help finding a new mother.  It was good but not great.

Sweep in Peace by Ilona Andrews – Another in the author’s Innkeeper series, this one was a great deal more entertaining. 

“She wishes to obtain a small predator.”

“A small predator?”

“Yes.” Nuan Ara nodded. “The silent, stealthy, vicious killer that prowls by night and mercilessly murders its victims for food and pleasure.”

Um… What? “And she believes she can find this predator here?”

Nuan Ara nodded. “She has seen the images. They have glowing eyes and razor claws and are renowned for their cruelty.”

As she goes on to note, small predators are available at your local Petsmart.  We call them kittens.

Taming Natasha by Nora Roberts – An older one that I have read before, but picked up in a Kindle sale.

The Case of the Late Pig by Margery Allingham – A Campion mystery involving an old classmate who isn’t as dead as she seems.

The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold – A re-read of one of LMB’s best fantasy novels, bought at the Kindle sale.  Must say  I enjoyed it much more this time around, knowing where the story is going.

“What’s the matter with him?” he heard the maid’s voice, as their footsteps trailed off down the corridor, and the tears trailed down the inside of his nose.

The page answered disgustedly, “A madman, I suppose.”

After a short pause, the maid’s voice floated back faintly, “Well, he’ll fit right in here, then, won’t he…”

The Earl's Defiant Wallflower by Erica Ridley – A decent little Regency, with a heroine who’s a bit shaky on how dowries work and a husband who makes it not matter, as well as a nice resolution.

The Electra Story by Robert J. Serling – Story of the Electra plane and its downfall, written by the brother of Rod Serling.  Solid writing and interesting story.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams, Douglas - Mostly harmless.  Know where your towel is. Be a hoopy frood.  And be kind to mice.  Obviously a re-read.

The Luck of Roaring Camp and Other Tales by Bret Harte – The title story is good, along with “Outcasts of Poker Flats” and a few of the satires (especially the one with children trapped in chambers and explosions).  Some are not as good.

The Odd Job by Charlotte MacLeod – A pretty standard outing with the Kelling and Bittersohn crew, enjoyable read.

The Picnic by Marnie Hanel – A cookbook aimed at picnics, a nice little read.

The Recycled Citizen by Charlotte MacLeod – An involved story featuring the Kelling and Bittersohn crew, with a whole crop of Kellings.  Well worth reading.

Top Secret Recipes by Todd Wilbur – More focused on candy and desserts, not restaurant dishes, but worth reading.

Waiting for Nick  by Nora Roberts – Re-read of an older title, picked up on Kindle.  I really enjoyed this one when I was younger but it’s not aged as well.  But a bad day with Nora is still better than a good day with others.

We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson – Classic and creepy, and the reveal packs a punch.

Indiana  by George Sand – Rambling historical set in Paris, with plenty of infidelity, moralizing, and overplayed emotions, with a slight twist at the end.

Ruth by Elizabeth Gaskell – Long tale of a fallen woman who gets in bad through no real fault of her own, although this one features a male character who actually stands up for the injustice of her situation.  The end is somewhat predictable and Victorian.

Mini - 17 titles read, 21 added this month.  I basically use the Kindle app on my iPad Mini for graphic/color titles.

So, having discovered that there are only 3 Master’s Collections of Fairy Tail, and the individual volumes are 10.99 in paperback vs. 7.99 on Kindle, I might have decided to go with the Kindle versions.  (People don’t seem to be getting rid of their Fairy Tail collections on PBS or at used-book stores.)

Fairy Tail Rhodonite by Mashima/Shibiani – Side story that follows Gajeel, Levy, and Pantherlily.

Fairy Tail S Volume 1 by Mashima – Collection of side stories, funny and a little naughty in a few places.

Fairy Tail S Volume 2 by Mashima - Collection of side stories, funny and a little naughty in a few places.

Fairy Tail Volume 13 by Mashima – One of the better volumes of the Battle for Fairy Tail arc.

Fairy Tail Volume 15 by Mashima – Also a great volume of Battle for Fairy Tail arc, with the final showdown between Laxus, Natsu and Gajeel.

Fairy Tail Volume 24 by Mashima – The end of Edolas and the beginning of the S-Class trials.

Fairy Tail Volume 25 by Mashima – More S-class trials.

Fairy Tail Volume 26 by Mashima  - Still more S-class trials.

Fairy Tail Volume 32 by Mashima – The Grand Magic Games, which I think is my favorite arc.

Fairy Tail Volume 34 by Mashima – The Grand Magic Games, which I think is my favorite arc.

Fairy Tail Volume 35 by Mashima – The Grand Magic Games, which I think is my favorite arc.

Fairy Tail Volume 36 by Mashima – The Grand Magic Games, which I think is my favorite arc.

Fairy Tail Volume 37 by Mashima – The Grand Magic Games, which I think is my favorite arc.

Fairy Tail Volume 38 by Mashima – The Grand Magic Games, which I think is my favorite arc.

Fairy Tail Volume 39 by Mashima – The Grand Magic Games, which I think is my favorite arc.

Fairy Tail Volume 40 by Mashima– The Grand Magic Games, which I think is my favorite arc.

Fairy Tail Volume 49 by Mashima – The end of the Tartaros arc.

Aug Dead Tree Reading:

I read 6 titles off the pile and 4 new titles.  I discarded 28 books off the pile and 2 newer ones as well.  Progress!

28 old discards and 2 new discards          

Cirak's Daughter by Charlotte MacLeod – YA mystery by the author of the Sarah Kelling & Max Bittersohn, decent little read.

Fairy Tail Master's Collection 2 by Hiro Mashima – Volumes 6-10 of the series (of 63).  Not my favorite part of the series but worth having.

Fairy Tail Master's Collection 3 by Hiro Mashima – Volumes 11-15 of the series, which does include part of one of my favorite arcs.  However, I was quite disappointed to find out that this one was the last of the master’s collection set finished. 

Accident by Danielle Steele – An interesting story that deals with both parents dealing with their children being in a bad car accident and the fact that one of the fathers was not where he said he was going to be…because he’s having an affair with someone.  It was an excellent read.

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell – So I loved the whole angst of going away to college and trying to function without the comfortable things you’re used to, and writing fanfic.  But she didn’t tell us if she killed off the Draco-character…  It was a really good read.

Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell – Read it last year on Kindle and really enjoyed it, enough that I got a dead tree copy of it.  I think I liked it better knowing where the story was going, and I still really loved the relationships.  And now I need more.

The Serrano Sucession by Elizabeth Moon – Omnibus of Change of Command and Against All Odds.  A fitting end to the Serrano series.

Garden of Lies by Amanda Quick – I used to really enjoy her Regencies and the Arcane series, but some of these the stories just got old.  This one is Victorian but I liked the plot of the mystery, and more importantly, I liked the couple.

BSC #6: Kristy's Big Day  by Martin/Galligan – The latest of the Baby-Sitters’ Club novels to be turned into a graphic novel.  This is one of my favorites, so I was excited to see it finally come out.

The Private Life of The Cat Who by Lilian Jackson Braun – Snippets of the Siamese from The Cat Who series.  It’s very short and fluffy.

A Dream of Miracles by Ruth Reid – This is the third of a series I read in March, set in the Upper Peninsula.  I really enjoyed the other two, especially with the change in scenery, but this one got tedious.  Too much of the big bad Englisch world against the Amish, too many characters who are either just abrasive or slimy, and of course the one Englischer who acts decent actually has an Amish background.

An Old-Fashioned Mystery by Runa Fairleigh – This was mildly entertaining, sort of a gorier take on And Then There Were None with more sarcastic characters, but then it got to the end and went all meta (essentially, blaming the author and the reader for the murders because they could have stopped any time).

Around the Bend (Sandy Cove 4) by Rosemary Hines – Another of the Sandy Cove books, dealing with the main character’s grandparents, and one of their deaths.  This is actually a pretty good one, and deals with the issue in a satisfactory and touching matter.

Behind Her Smile (Sandy Cove 6) by Rosemary Hines – Sandy Cove strikes again, this time dealing with young women, eating disorders, seeking attention by having sex, and feeling unpure.  It was actually better than expected, and I appreciated that the author drove home the message that it’s okay to make mistakes in that area.

** Consenting Adult by Laura Z. Hobson – Very dated book dealing with how homosexuality was treated in the 1960s.  The focus of the book is the mother’s relationship with her son – trying to understand and support, even when she is driving him nuts.  It has what I would characterize as a happy ending.

Corpses at Enderby by George Bellairs – Inspector Littlejohn mystery, British cozy type.  It was okay, but I will pass on any others.

Diana of Orchard Slope  by Libbie Hawker – This is a Green Gables variation, looking at events through Diana’s eyes and very focused on Diana’s mother being super strict and a little snobby.  It was entertaining, but a little too focused on the Diana-likes-Gilbert-and-feels-guilty/frustrated angle.

Flowers for the Judge by Margery Allingham – A decent Campion outing.  Nothing extraordinary, however.

** Madame X: A Story of Mother-Love by  Alexandre Bisson – Overwrought historical fiction dealing with a mother and wife who abandons her husband and son, and of course ends up paying the ultimate price.  She is reunited with them at the very end for maximum tear factors

Mermaid: Twist on the Classic Tale by Carolyn Turgeon – This is an excellent variation on the Little Mermaid that respects the story while adding in a story about the girl who does marry the prince.  The end has a nice twist.

** Mother's Choice by Elizabeth Mansfield – Regency romance with mild tearjerking.  If you’ve read Elizabeth Mansfield, you know what to expect.  This one did have a mildly annoying deal involving lying to someone who had a head injury.

** Randy by Sharon Srock – This is a contemporary Christian author whose stuff has been surprisingly good.  The main character has decided to forgo motherhood to break the cycle of abuse she lived through, but Fate decides something else is in store.  There’s some rough patches but the end is lovely.

** Real Food for Mother and Baby by Nina Planck – Interesting stuff about eating during pregnancy but a little navel-gazy and guilt-trippy.

Something New (Plain City Bridemaids) by Dianne Christner – This is the second in a series about a trio of Mennonite friends and their romances.  It was entertaining but I don’t feel the need to pick up the whole set. 

The Bilbao Looking Glass by Charlotte MacLeod – This month featured several go-rounds with the Kelling and Bittersohn crew.  I liked this one, mostly because deserving people get what’s coming to them.

** The Child Who Never Grew by Pearl S. Buck – Non-fiction about the author’s experience with a child who is severely mentally disabled.  Some of it is very raw and may not qualify as light reading, but it is very honest and still applicable today.

The Convivial Codfish by Charlotte MacLeod – This one was the lightest of the Kelling mysteries this month, more enjoyable for the characters than anything else.  The drollness with which MacLeod invokes characters – “his family was in railroads when there were railroads to be in” – is always enjoyable.

** The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan – This book hits both Asian & Pacific Islander and mother themes.  I read it in high school for a class, enjoyed it, watched the movie, and then didn’t give it much thought after my paperback copy was damaged in a move.  It was on sale on Kindle, so I decided to pick it up again.  I enjoyed it a little more this time, but I think it’s definitely held up well, although some of the characters are pretty dated.  I love the meddling aunties.

The Resurrection Man by Charlotte MacLeod – I think this was the best of the Kelling mysteries this month, with two linked mysteries, although the end is a little sad, but hopeful.

True Summit: What Really Happened Annapurna by David Roberts – I read Maurice Herzog’s Annapurna last year, and that book is a masterpiece of great white explorer’s burden.  This one looks a little more at the other players and some of the events, but also examines Herzog’s later life.  Interesting, but not as dishy as I had hoped. 

Yield: Emily and Damon by Lilia Moon – A wedding planner has to meet with a BDSM club owner about doing a wedding there for two of his clients.  Of course, they hit it right off.  It goes in my bad examples collection, however, because some of the language is laughable.  For one, the author has personified the guy’s equipment just a little too much – “She kisses me until my cock wants to plunder her through my pants.” – and points off for repeated use of the word “sopping”.  Sorry, not sexy.  BDSM factor is medium.

Dead Tree reading was productive in the negative.  I actually read and catalogued 4 books, but discarded 13 off the pile, as well as the 3 new ones that I tried to add.

Murder in the Bowery by Victoria Thompson – Another entry in the Gaslight Mysteries.  I admit the series is kind of falling off for me, but this one features another missing person-turned-murder plot and not enough development of secondary characters.  There is an interesting one-off character, but that’s about it.

Black Ships Before Troy by Rosemary Sutcliff – Sutcliff tackles the Iliad.  It’s very nicely written and lyrical, what you would expect from her.

Girl Scout Handbook (1953) by Girl Scouts of America – Doing a little Girl Scouts history research and adding to my vintage collection.

Mr. Parker Pyne, Detective by Agatha Christie – I got this one to read to Adrianna, since I’ve read most of the stories in e-form.  She really enjoyed it, and I enjoyed revisiting a few, especially The House at Shiraz and The Oracle at Delphi.  His approach to happiness is an interesting one.

 Time for another Kindle roundup!

 26. The Last Houseparty by Peter Dickinson - This was one of those books where I liked the blurb, but the story didn't work for me.  The Kindle version could have used some more obvious breaks (the book has a number of flashbacks/time trips), but the mystery really didn't get solved.  Amazon review is here.

 27. Harvest of Blessings by Charlotte Hubbard - This is part of an Amish country series (book 5) but has a number of characters who deal with the English world.  I enjoyed it, the author lets you know there's continuity but you're not lost if you haven't read the other books, and I definitely want to read more.  This is focused on Nora, a woman who ran away from her Amish community as a teen when she was raped and got pregnant by a respected member of the community.  She's lived English a long time, and ends up not going back to the Amish ways, but turning Mennonite instead.  Very readable. Amazon review is here.

28. The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman - Classic creepy story of Victorian days, and done so that it's hard to tell if there really are "designs" on the woman or not.  CPG was a huge feminist, so not sure if the husband was deliberately trying to drive the wife over the edge, or if it was just benevolent but badly carried out behavior of the "poor little woman" type.  Amazon review is here.

29. Blood Justice: True Story of Multiple Murders by Tom Henderson - True crime, deals with a pair of murders that were seemingly unconnected, and an offender who kept getting away because his initial crimes were no big deal.  It was a good book, not overly sensational, and humanizing.  Amazon review is here.

30. Etiquette (1922) by Emily Post - I read this because it was nominated for Yuletide (specifically the characters in the examples).  I may be doing a NYR on it.  It's an etiquette book, so no real huge surprises.

31. Flights of No Return by Steven A. Ruffin - Good roundup of flights that took off and never came home.  Some of them are missing-presumed-crashed planes, such as the Avengers of Flight 19, Glenn Miller's last flight, and MH 370.  There are some in here that I had not heard of, but if you've read anything on this subject, there will be some golden oldies.  Good overview of the subject.  Amazon review is here.

32. Helmets and Lipstick: An Army Nurse in WW2 by Ruth Haskell - Good WW2 memoir, but not one of the better nurse ones.  This one is very focused on the hurry up and wait mentality of the US Army, and there's not very much about actual medicine at all.  (The author had to be evacuated due to an injury of her own, which may account for some of this.)  It's very readable and entertaining though.  Amazon review is here.

33 & 34. Sending Jack Off to Jesus and My Big Fat Southern Gay Wedding by Sara York - These books, along with Pray The Gay Away, make up a trilogy focused on young gay men living in the South.  Jack, the son of a very anti-gay preacher, is the main character.  In Sending, Jack gets sent off to one of the places where they try to make young men not gay anymore, and almost gets killed from mistreatement - luckily his mother defies her husband and gets him out of there.  Jack has a partner, Andrew, who also has issues with family not accepting him as he is.  After a lot of tension in Sending, including Andrew hitching around the country, MBFSGW goes a little too far towards the "we're gay and everyone's okay with it" side (not to mention about a third of the young male cast at that point revealing that they're also gay) but to be honest, you're kind of enjoying the happy ending.  The author does not have everyone convert to insta-acceptance, which I appreciated.  I also appreciated the way she communicated safe sex messages (protection and consent) without coming across as preachy.  Amazon review here and here.

35. She by H. Rider Haggard - This was one I had not read, so when it was free I pounced on it.  However, it's not one of the better ones, like King Solomon's Mines.  It's got everything you expect from a Haggard novel, and no real surprises.  Amazon review is here.

36. The Blooding by Joseph Wambaugh - I had read this one ages ago, but it's a pretty hefty mass market paperback, so I was happy to find it on Kindle for $1.99.  This is about the first case in Britain (or ever) to be solved by DNA, with a little about the discovery of DNA.  Wambaugh's gift for writing shows here, and for a long book it keeps you engaged.  Amazon review is here.

37. The Glitter Dome by Joseph Wambaugh - This is one of his novels, about cops in LA during the 1970s and 1980s.  It's readable and entertaining, but may not be to everyone's taste (very un-PC).  The end has a twist I saw coming about two seconds before it happened.  Amazon review is here.

38. What Wendy Wants by Nikki Sex - This is an erotica book with an interesting twist - husband and wife accidentally get their Kindles switched, and he discovers she has some very naughty stuff on there.  This causes him to realize how much their sex life has degraded, so he decides to give her the fantasy for real.  It's got a definitely cheesy vibe to it, but it goes so far into the cheese that you're actually entertained.  It is a fantasy - I mean, what else would you call a book where the male lead can't remember the last time he orally pleasured his partner, and in the next chapter he's got a FetLife account?  Amazon review is here.

39. Writing Irresistable Kidlit by Mary Kole - This is a pretty good book about writing in general, with an emphasis on things specific to kidlit (young adult and kids books).  Worth reading.  Amazon review is here.

40. The Chase of the Golden Plate by Jacques Futrelle - A sleight-of-hand historical mystery romp.  It's readable but not a standout.

41. Ruse and Romance by Suzanne G. Rogers - Enjoyable but pretty forgettable historical romance (vaguely Victorian era).  The entire cast sort of has TSTL syndrome. Amazon review is here.

42. Retirement Basics by Donna Davis - Rundown of retirement stuff (current for 2016).  It was free when I got it, but I wouldn't recommend paying for it, strictly an overview and no real shockers.  There's also a ton of plugs for other stuff by the author in the body of the book, which irritates me.  Amazon review is here.

43. The Seven Secrets by William LeQueux - A historical fiction mystery that's pretty engaging and readable - I definitely wanted to find out how it ended - but even for Victorian-era writing, the narrator (a medical doctor, you don't say, narrating a mystery!) is kind of a misogynistic tool who jumps to conclusions about someone.

Example: "When I think of all my own little love episodes, and of the ingenious diplomacy to which I have been compelled to resort in order to avoid tumbling into pitfalls set by certain designing Daughters of Eve, I cannot but sympathise with every other medical man who is on the right side of forty and sound of wind and limb."

Amazon review is here.

44. Terri by Sharon Srock - This is an inspirational fiction book, part of a series.  I'd read one of the other books and enjoyed it, so I decided to give this a try.  It was also readable but not as good as the other book (Callie).  Not overly preachy, which is good.  Amazon review is here.

45. The Dating Manifesto by Lisa Anderson - This is written by someone who works for Focus on the Family, but it was cheap.  It was actually pretty good, although not really relevant to my interests.  Amazon review is here.

46. Make Me Whole by R.C. Matthews - This is an erotica title that deals with a MFM threesome.  There's a twist, though, because one of the Ms has become paralyzed.  The sex scenes showed promise (hot and inventive) but the overall theme of the book is helping the paralyzed M come to terms with his new life, rather than being resentful over what he's lost.  It was good, but I take points off for the soap opera-y elements towards the end.  This was a title I was given through Choosy Bookworm to review.  Amazon review is here.

47. The Thinking Machine on the Case by Jacques Futrelle - Another of the books dealing with The Thinking Machine, Professor Van Dusen.  This was a better approach, because the short stories in it make the Thinking Machine less annoying, and more entertaining.  The book-length one I read got a little too quirky for my taste.  There is an editing issue where parts of a story get mixed up with another story, but it's pretty clear where the mistake happens.  Amazon review is here.

48. A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs - My first exposure to John Carter of Mars, but I guarantee it won't be my last.  Very readable.  Amazon review is here.

49. Twin of Ice by Jude Deveraux - One of her Chandler Twins two-book set (and a start to her Taggart family offshoot of the Montgomery series).  I had read it years ago, but cheap on Kindle... so hard to resist.  It was still enjoyable.