Roberta’s (luvamystery65) Iron Druid Challenge. Thread 4

The past two years have been difficult caring for my mother. The past year was especially tough. We almost lost her and she has been in and out of the hospital numerous times. I’m always looking for fun reads to get me through my commute to the hospital and work (I work in the hospital) and back home. My mom passed away in September and although I miss her terribly I am glad she is not suffering. This past year I discovered The Iron Druid Chronicles from Mamzel’s thread. What a hoot this series has been. An added bonus is that my mom enjoyed every one of these books too! We’ve also read the two novellas and a majority of the short stories. Of course Oberon is our favorite but we love Atticus and Granuaile too. I wish that she would have been able to finish the series with me. Kevin Hearne is hilarious on Facebook and Twitter. Give him a follow for some great fun.

In honor of all that, I am making my 2014 Category Challenge Iron Druid themed. Of course I am taking liberty with the categories and binding them, as I need. I hope that 2014 brings harmony to our household and yours.



Nerding out with Kevin Hearne




I am holding my ticker here. I 'm going to use the same one for here and the 75 challenge. I picked this one because it reminds me of Atticus' knotwork tattoos that he uses for binding and shifting. The four leaf clover is for his home country Ireland.

Hounded COMPLETED



Where Atticus has decided to finally take matters into his own hands and confront the angry Celtic god who has been after him for centuries. Where Roberta will read all things Noir and Hard Boil etc… because who doesn’t like taking things into your own hands.

Spenser Ceremony
87th Precinct The Pusher
The Maltese Falcon

possible reads
The Song is You by Megan Abbott
Clandestine by James Ellroy

Hexed COMPLETED



Where Atticus battles witches with the help of werewolves and a vampire. Roberta will read all things supernatural because who doesn’t love ghosts, goblins and fangs.

Dresden Files Grave Peril
Talulla Rising
Mercy Thompson Moon Called

possible reads
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Hammered COMPLETED



Where Atticus heads to Asgard to repay a debt and help a friend get revenge on Thor. Roberta will head to Scandinavia and all things Scandi Crime because who doesn’t love reading about crime in a cold climate when she lives in HOT HOT HOT Houston.

Martin Beck The Laughing Policeman
Department Q The Purity of Vengeance
Inspector Sejer He Who Fears the Wolf

possible reads
The Bat by Jo Nesbo
Jar City by Arnaldur Indriðason

Tricked COMPLETED



Where Atticus is hiding out from the gods and needs the help of a Trickster to play dead. Roberta will read all things to do with tricks, traps and shenanigans because who doesn’t love puzzling mysteries, identities and nonsense.

Miles Vorkosigan Saga (including these because they include identity issues due to cloning and genetic engineering)
Shards of Honor I plan on reading the books in the Cordelia's Honor and Young Miles omnibus. Anything after those will be a bonus.
Barrayar
The Warrior's Apprentice
The Mountains of Mourning
The Vor Game

Vorkosigan Series is a Year Long Readshttp://www.librarything.com/wiki/index.php/Group_Reads_of_2014#YEAR-LONG

Year Long Vorkosigan Saga thread is http://www.librarything.com/topic/160914

American Gods Thanks again Mamzel!
The Coyote Road : trickster tales edited by Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling ; introduction by Terri Windling ; decorations by Charles Vess
Odd and the Frost Giants by Neil Gaiman
The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch

Trapped



Where Atticus is stuck at the base of Mount Olympus in his attempt to bind his apprentice Granuaille. Roberta will read all things about real life struggles to overcome because who doesn’t love a hero(s).

Unbroken November Group Read
http://www.librarything.com/wiki/index.php/Group_Reads_of_2014#NOVEMBER
I am Malala 4th Quarter Group Read (Biographies)
http://www.librarything.com/wiki/index.php/Group_Reads_of_2014#OCTOBER
Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed

Hunted COMPLETED



Where Atticus is on the run from the goddesses of the hunt Artemis and Diana. Roberta will read all things Western because I live in Texas and my Daddy is a cowboy. (It’s a stretch. Sue me) I’m a city girl through and through but I do love to visit the cowboy way.

Empire of the Summer Moon
Shane by Jack Schaefer
The Searchers

Possible reads
The searchers : the making of an American legend by Glenn Frankel
Dead Man's Walk by Larry McMurtry

Shattered COMPLETED



Where now the world has three Druids and who knows what will happen. Where Roberta will read whatever she wants to because who doesn’t love doing that!

Shattered
Cress by Marissa Meyer
Broken Homes by Ben Aaronovitch

Tír na nÓg



Tír na nÓg is the Land of Promise or the Otherworld in Irish mythology. To get to Tír na nÓg an adventurer needed a guide. Tír na nÓg is where Atticus crosses planes and pays his respect to the Tuatha Dé Danann. Where Roberta will use this extra category to list my shared, group, tutored or challenge reads that do not fit anywhere else.

GeoCAT

January - Canada and the U.S. - Dying to Cross
February - Middle East and North Africa - Jerusalem: Chronicles from the Holy City
March - Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean All the Pretty Horses
April - Eastern Europe -Safe Area Goražde
May - South Asia - The Interpreter of Maladies
June - Islands and Bodies of Water - Treasure Island
July - Polar Regions - Smilla's Sense of Snow
August - Western Europe - The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie
September - East Asia - Unbroken
October - South America - A Pen Pal for Max
November - Australia and Oceania - Cocaine Blues
December - Sub Saharan Africa - The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency

RandomCAT

January - The Janus Rules - Neverwhere
February - Children's Literature - A Wrinkle in Time
March - The First Birds of Spring - Birds of a Lesser Paradise
April - Poetry - Morning in the Burned House
May - Motherhood - Mother Jones: The Most Dangerous Woman in America
June - Celebrating the Rose (Kings Macc) - Pale Kings and Princes
July - Books about Books - Ex Libris
August - Back to school Playmates
September - TIFF The Theory of Everything
October - Book Bullet The Devil in the White City
November - Mayday Mayday! The Last Policeman
December - Wish Upon a Star A Bitter Truth

MysteryCAT

January - Detective Novels - Ceremony
February - Series - Broken Homes
March - YA and Children's Mysteries - The Guide Dog Mystery
April - Nordic Mysteries - The Purity of Vengeance
May - Classic and Golden Age Mysteries - The Man in the Brown Suit
June - Police Procedurals - The Laughing Policeman
July - Noir and Hard Boiled Mysteries - The Maltese Falcon
August - British Mysteries - The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie
September - Book Themed Mysteries - The Eyre Affair
October - Global Mysteries - Jar City
November - Historical Mysteries - Cocaine Blues
December - Cozy Mysteries - The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency

Unofficial AlphaCAT

January - D Death Comes for the Archbishop & V Shards of Honor Vorkosigan Saga
February - H Broken Homes & R Red Rising
March - L The Warrior's Apprentice by Lois McMaster Bujold & M All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy
April - I I, Robot & P The Purity of Vengeance
May - E A Curtain of Green by Eudora Welty & U The Unforgiven
June - A American Gods & Q Queen Lucia
July - C Cetaganda & W Dead Man's Walk
August - F He Who Fears the Wolf by Karin Fossum & T The Coyote Road: Trickster Tales
September - J The Bat by Jo Nesbo & O Go tell it On the Mountain by James Baldwin
October - N Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman & K The Stand by Stephen King
November - G & S Summer Knight by Jim Butcher & Talulla Rising by Glen Duncan
December - B & X Y & Z Paper Doll by Robert B. Parker I am Malala by Malala Yousafzai February 1965: The Final Speeches by Malcolm X & My Life as a White Trash Zombie

Reading Bingo Challenge 2014 COMPLETED



More than 500 pages: American Gods
Forgotten classic: A Curtain of Green
Book that became a movie: Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail
Published this year: Broken Homes
Number in the title: This One Summer
Written by someone under 30: A Madness of Angels
Book with non-human characters: Moon Called
Funny Book: Queen Lucia
Female Author: Shards of Honor
Book with a mystery: Still Life
One-Word Title: Shane
Book of short stories: Interpreter of Maladies
Set on a different continent: Out Stealing Horses
Non-Fiction: Dying to Cross
First book by a favourite author: Neverwhere
Heard about online: The Bat
Best-selling book: Unbroken
Based on a true story: Wild: From lost to found
Book at the bottom of TBR pile: Talulla Rising
Book my friend loves: The Widening Gyre thanks Julia
Book that scares me: The Devil in the White City
More than 10 years old: Their Eyes Were Watching God
Second book in a series: Blood Bound
Blue cover: A Fatal Grace

American Author Challenge

January/Willa Cather- Death Comes for the Archbishop
February/William Faulkner- The Hamlet
March/Cormac McCarthy- All the Pretty Horses
April/Toni Morrison- The Bluest Eye
May/Eudora Welty- A Curtain of Green
June/Kurt Vonnegut- God Bless You, Dr. Kevorkian
July/Mark Twain- Life on the Mississippi
August/Philip Roth- The Plot Against America
September/James Baldwin- Go Tell it on the Mountain
October/Edith Wharton- The New York Stories of Edith Wharton
November/John Updike- The Maple Stories
December/Larry Watson- Let Him Go

I am also reading a Spenser by Robert B. Parker every month with Mamie (Crazymamie) and Donna (Donna828). This has been so much fun and we started 2014 with book 9.

The Spenser Project

January – Ceremony #9
February – The Widening Gyre #10
March – Valediction #11
April – A Catskill Eagle #12
May – Taming a Sea-Horse #13
June – Pale Kings and Princes #14
July – Crimson Joy #15
August – Playmates #16
September – Stardust #17
October – Pastime #18
November – Double Deuce #19
December – Paper Doll #20

BOOKS READ or LISTENED to in 2014

January
1. Their Eyes Were Watching God
2. Neverwhere
3. Death Come for the Archbishop
4. Ceremony
5. Dying to Cross
6. Shards of Honor
7. Still Life
8. Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption
9. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
10. Shane
11. Out Stealing Horses
12. A Fatal Grace
13. Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail
14. Watchmen
February
15. Barrayar
16. Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist
17. The Picture of Dorian Gray
18. Cress
19. The Widening Gyre
20. Grave Peril
21. A Wrinkle in Time
22. Jerusalem: Chronicles from the Holy City
23. Red Rising
24. The Hamlet
25. Broken Homes
March
26. Melt
27. Beating the Lunchbox Blues
28. A Madness of Angels
29. The Warrior's Apprentice
30. Valediction
31. All the Pretty Horses
32. The Mountains of Mourning
33. Harriet the Spy
34. The Guide Dog Mystery
35. Birds of a Lesser Paradise
April
36. The Bluest Eye
37. A Catskill Eagle
38. The Vor Game
39. I, Robot
40. Morning in the Burned House
41. The Searchers
42. Odd and the Frost Giants
43. Safe Area Gorazde
44. The Purity of Vengeance
45. The Searchers: The Making of an American Legend.
May
46. The Lies of Locke Lamora
47. A Curtain of Green and other stories
48. The Man in the Brown Suit
49. Taming a Sea-Horse
50. Interpreter of Maladies
51. Clandestine
52. Mother Jones: The Most Dangerous Woman in America
53. The Unforgiven
June
54. American Gods
55. God Bless You, Dr. Kevorkian
56. The Laughing Policeman
57. The Pusher
58. Shattered
59. Empire of the Summer Moon
60. Pale Kings and Princes
61. Queen Lucia
62. Queenpin
63. Treasure Island
64. Miss Mapp
July
65. Cetaganda
66. Smilla's Sense of Snow
67. Dead Man's Walk
68. Ex Libris
69. Crimson Joy
70. Life on the Mississipi
71. Ethan of Athos
72. Labyrinth
73. Borders of Infinity
74. The Maltese Falcon
75. The Song is You
August
76. Brothers in Arms
77. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie
78. Moon Called
79. This One Summer
80. Playmates
81. The Coyote Road: Trickster Tales
82. He Who Fears the Wolf
83. Blood Bound
84. Iron Kissed
September
85. Stardust
86. Go Tell it on the Mountain
87. The Eyre Affair
88. Unbroken
89. The Bat
90. The Plot Against America
91. Bone Crossed
92. Alpha & Omega
93. Cry Wolf
94. Hunting Ground
95. Silver Borne
96. The Theory of Everything
October
97. Anansi Boys
98. River Marked
99. Fair Game
100. The Devil in the White City
101. The Stand
102. A Pen Pal for Max
103. Jar City
104. Wicked Girls
105. Pastime
106. The Coroner's Lunch
107. Cockroaches
108. The New York Stories of Edith Wharton

The Devilles (Bruce, Téa and Freddy) Now you see Freddy darling's face.

Starring you to keep you on my radar...

>14 mckait: Thanks Kath.

Looks like you are very close to finishing your 2014 Challenge so I'll just settle in, get comfortable and see how it all ends. :)

Joining Judy and settling in for the final push to the finish line for your challenge, Roberta!

>15 luvamystery65: & >16 DeltaQueen50: Thanks Judy and Lori! I'll finish next month when I read I am Malala for the Y in the AlphaKIT challenge. About to start Talulla Rising so I can close out the Hexed category.

Awww Freddy! But of course all of them are cute. Happy new thread!

>13 luvamystery65:
Aw, beauties!!

Looks like you are right on target.

Last thread to finish out the year! I'll be sorry to see the Druids depart!

>19 rabbitprincess: They are my loves. Little devils the three, but my loves.

>20 -Eva-: I am biased but I agree.

>21 Roro8: I'm really excited to be on target Ro.

>22 mamzel: I will be sorry too Mamzel. This was a fun challenge and it turned out very different than what I thought it would be like. I expected to focus more on the first three categories, but I ended up enjoying my Tricked category and my Hunted category. I've also read more non-fiction this year than I used to. I've delved into some short story collections due to some of the challenges and it reminded me that I used to love to read short stories when I was in my twenties. I read quite a few anthologies back then but now I am also enjoying some single author collections.

Bingo Challenge is completed! http://www.librarything.com/topic/182500#4904934

Happy new thread, and congrats on finishing the bingo challenge!

starred!

>25 mathgirl40: & >26 mckait: Thank you both!

#111



HUGE APOLOGY TO MR. GLEN DUNCAN

Last year I reviewed The Last Werewolf by Glen Duncan and I loved the story but I thought

...the author's writing style was pretentious. Jake is smart and well read. I get it all the literary quotes and the language he uses. That fits well with a character that has lived more than 200 years but something about the descriptions and the writing reminded me of this quote from Cold Comfort Farm It was winter. The grimmest hour of the darkest day of the year. The Golden Orb had almost disappeared behind the interlacing fingers of the hawthorn. That was hilarious in CCF because CCF is a parody but TLW is not.

I was wrong. I'm not ashamed to admit when I'm wrong. Mr. Duncan isn't pretentious, Jake was. He was over 200 years old, extremely well read, a bit of a snob and very, very tired of life. His voice was loud and clear and I mistook Jake's voice for the author's writing style. I'm glad my LT friends told me to stick with the series. They said I would like Talulla. I love her. Her voice is strong and she gets to the point. In her reading Jake's diaries I discovered that it was Jake's voice and not the author's. Jake was pretentious and he was wrong about a few things but his diaries save the day for Talulla.

I stayed up extremely late devouring this book. I can't wait for the next but I'll have too. I have to drive to the neighboring county library system to get it because my library doesn't have it. It sounds like it will be worth the drive.

I waited a whole year to read this book. What a fool I was!

>28 luvamystery65: - I will take that review as a positive endorsement of Duncan's book. ;-)

Always happy to see love for Glen Duncan. He's definitely one of my current favourite authors.

>29 lkernagh: ;-) Loved Talulla Rising Lori.

>30 AHS-Wolfy: You did tell me he was good Dave. When I'm finished with this trilogy I am going to read another one of Duncan's books. Of the books available to me via library, what would you recommend I try?

I, Lucifer
Death of an Ordinary Man
The Bloodstone Papers
A Day and a Night and a Day

Out of those 4 options I'd probably pick Death of an Ordinary Man. Although I, Lucifer is possibly more accessible I think the former is more representative of the rest of his work.

>32 AHS-Wolfy: Thanks for the input. I've wish listed Death of an Ordinary Man for next year's challenge.

I forgot to note that with Talulla Rising I have completed my Hexed category.

>31 luvamystery65: I think Death of an Ordinary Man sounds quite interesting too.

>35 Roro8: I look forward to your thoughts if you do read it Ro. :-)

I've had a look around for it. I can't get it on Kindle, Kobo or iBooks. My library doesn't have it either. I can the paperback for about $15 online. I think it will probably fit well for one of the SFFFcat months next year (not sure which) so I am going to order it and try to keep my hands off it until then. Which month were you going to read it for?

>37 Roro8: Ro I don't see Death of an Ordinary Man fitting into any of the SFFF cat months unless it was the Creatures and Critters one, which is July. Although Ghosts aren't creatures. I was thinking maybe Fantasy February for the 75 group or the Horror group has Supernatural in February and Ghost in July. Would any of those dates work for you? Of course, if you would like to plug it in for SFFF, just let me know what month works for you and I'll join you.

I love the idea of a Ro shared read! Maybe we can get Roni (Ronincats) to join us? I call her Ro too!

ETA: Weird nurse to nurse question. Have you ever seen a ghost at work?

I like the idea of a group read too. Any of the months you suggested would be good for me.

Re ghosts at work, I haven't, have you?

We can give it a go in February if we are both free and if not we will put it off until July. I still need to see if Roni has read it.

Yes, once outside of ER when I was working a night shift. It was very brief and I don't even know if it was real, but I do believe in ghosts.

Ok, we'll see what suits Roni too.

I'm not sure that I believe in ghosts but I have a couple of weird experiences that I couldn't explain any other way. But, like I said, I haven't ever seen one.

(edit to fix typo)

>41 Roro8: Those weird experiences I think happen in our profession and surely at hospitals where life is started and life ends.

I'll keep you posted after I PM Roni.

November Plans

The Maple Stories for AAC COMPLETED
Double Deuce for Spenser Project COMPLETED
Cocaine Blues for MysteryCAT (historical) and GeoCAT (Australia) COMPLETED
The Last Policeman for RandomCAT (Mayday Mayday) COMPLETED
Talulla Rising by Glen Duncan AphaCAT G also for my Category Challenge Hexed category COMPLETED
Summer Knight by Jim Butcher AlphaCAT S IN PROGRESS
The Redbreast shared read with Ellen COMPLETED

Want to squeeze in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets to complete my Hexed category COMPLETED
Black Sheep's Meadow a mystery my cousin A.J. wrote this year. IN PROGRESS

So I have completed most of my November planned reading! I am in the middle of listening to Summer Knight for the AlphaKIT letter S. I've also started my cousin A.J.'s book Black Sheep's Meadow. I'm going to start plowing into my December planned reads and check these books off my list. Next year we have some amazing challenges but I am not going to commit myself completely. I'll take it month by month.

December Plans

Let Him Go AAC – Larry Watson & Christmas group read: Read a book given to you last Christmas. Thanks RD!
The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency GeoCAT Sub-Saharan Africa & MysteryCAT Cozy mystery
A Bitter Truth by Charles Todd RandomCAT Wish Upon a Star & Christmas Murder Mystery group read
Paper Doll Spenser #20 & AlphaKIT B Robert B. Parker
AlphaKIT X Y & Z
February 1965: The Final Speeches Malcolm X
I am Malala by Malala Yousafzai
My Life as a White Trash Zombie Z NEXT UP!!!

If time permits I will finish off the year with Lucia Lucas, Mercy Thompson and Miles Vorkosigan!

#112



Cocaine Blues by Kerry Greenwood is a fun, flirty little mystery featuring Phryne Fisher. Perfect in between book.

#113



The Maple Stories by John Updike is a collection of short stories featuring Richard and Joan Maple starting with the early years of their marriage and on through divorce and grandparenting. Richard Maple is very whiny, but Joan is not exactly a saint either. They spend most of their years not exactly being their best towards each other but what strikes me is Updike's writing and with this collection of stories the passage of time has a very real feeling. The man can write but his characters are like so many of us flawed. I guess that mirror is the part we dislike the most.

#114



The Last Policeman by Ben H. Winters is the story of Hank Palace, newly promoted Detective in Concord, NH. The world is going to end in 6 months but Hank has found a suicide that he strongly suspects is murder. Why solve it? Hank has layers of reasons to do so. The strongest being that just because the world is going to end does not give people the justification for despicable behavior. I figured out early on whodunit but not the why. Going to read book 2 sooner rather than later.

#115



I absolutely loved The Redbreast by Jo Nesbø. This is the third outing for Harry Hole. I’m really thrilled that I came to this series late enough to read it in chronological order. I wasn’t sure how Harry was going to survive Bangkok, but he did. He is back to work and a freak circumstance lands him in an Inspector position and out of the way politically. Harry is assigned to investigate neo-Nazis. As usual, Harry senses things are off before he can put all the pieces together. This plot was thrilling and I loved the past and present weaved together for a complex story. I can see some threads were unresolved and I’m sure they will be back later in the series to complicate Harry’s life. I loved the ending.

My only problem with this book is

I loved Ellen and Harry’s dynamic. It’s very rare in literature to have a friendship between a man and woman without sexual tension. Mr. Nesbø why did you make me so happy only to crush my joy with a bat?

I'm impressed. You've almost finished your November planned reads already. I like your review of the Jo Nesbo book.

>48 Roro8: Meanwhile the laundry has piled up. ;-) Thanks!

>49 luvamystery65: - Ignore the laundry. Important stuff first..... unless, of course, you are running out of clothes! ;-)

>47 luvamystery65:
One of the reasons I love his books is that that he doesn't balk at killing off major characters - it keeps me on my toes, big time!>

>51 -Eva-: I love that he does that too! It's just that I really enjoyed Ellen with Harry and I KNEW he was going to kill her I just hoped he would wait another book or two.

#116



My Life as a White Trash Zombie by Diana Rowland is hilarious fun. My only previous zombie book has been the Grimnoir Chronicles and zombies only played a minor role. They were fairly traditional zombies. These are not. Eat brains function highly. Don't eat brains and go full on out of control zombie. Angel Crawford is as white trash as you can get. Seriously! She wakes up one day in an ER from an apparent overdose but something is not right. Only thing is she can't remember. The story takes her in the journey to discovering what she is. Is it really that bad when being a zombie is an improvement over your previous life? Slow on plot but big on back story and building up Angel's world.

53> Sounds promising. Maybe I'll get to it next year or in a couple of months.

>54 BookLizard: My Life as a White Trash Zombie is total brain candy. Save it for a rainy day.

I can't believe that I haven't gotten to My Life As A White Trash Zombie yet!

That cover surely got my attention!

>56 DeltaQueen50: I'm shocked! It's so fun.

>57 mamzel: I know! She is described very much like the cover. LOL!

#117

Summer Knight by Jim Butcher is book 4 in the Harry Dresden Files. Harry has hell to pay for starting a war with the vampire Red Court in book 3. Susan has left and Harry is trying to find a way to help her. Meanwhile, the White Council has called him to task and his rank as a Wizard is at stake. The Faries are going to war and the Winter Queen comes calling on Harry because his Godmother has sold his debt to her. Fun times! Harry started out his usual "I have to do this all myself" but it seems he has learned that he is better working things out with friends.

I'm reading a novella of his on my Kindle called Working for Bigfoot. I have not read the whole series (yet). Some day.

>60 mamzel: I enjoyed the fourth installment. I believe I will continue. I do love the audios.

#118



The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith is a reread for me. It has been some time since I read it. I loved the pace and I love Mma Ramotswe. She is very good detective although she can be fooled. She is a good friend and I am quite happy with the ending. I love rooibos tea and when I found out that it is the bush tea that Precious drinks daily it made me smile to have that simple connection with her.

I don't think I went far with this series but I think I will continue since it is available on Overdrive.

#119



I loved I am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and was Shot by the Taliban by Malala Yousafzai and Christina Lamb. What a powerful story of a girl that was raised in a culture that diminishes the potential of women. Her father was born a man of humble means but when he had a daughter for his first born he cherished her and shared his love of education with her. Her love of her homeland comes through as well as the adoration she has for her father. What child would not love a father that treats her as gem? What hard choices they made as family to risk death for championing education for not only girls but for poor children as well. Is this the best written autobiography? No, but her point comes across and her story MUST be told.

I am so happy she won the Nobel Peace Prize with Kailash Satyarthi. I was happy to hear that she did not seek asylum in the UK but lives there for her safety. It is important to her to return to the Swat Valley one day. Google the images. I hope she is able to realize this dream.

#120



Black Sheep's Meadow was written by my younger cousin A.J. Mayers. This is his fourth book and his first mystery. A nice effort by A.J. I hope he continues to write. He has a very devious mind and I see a lot of potential for a really disturbing crime novel in his future.

#121



Paper Doll by Robert B. Parker is #20 in the Spenser series. I am relieved that the last book of the year was a good one. Let me start with my criticism. I loved this book until page #142 then the blond who is whore came into the story. It really could have been a mystery without making her a whore but Mr. Parker loves his damaged, blond whores. She could have been greedy and left it at that. Well Mr. Parker is not with us anymore and I can't send him a nastygram. This will have to do. Now for the praise. The story focuses on the mystery and Spenser solving it. He does and Quirk features strongly in this story. I hope we get to this side of Quirk in the future. Susan is here but not annoying. Thank you for that! Pearl makes her appearance and Hawk has a very brief appearance. Hey a brief appearance by Hawk makes the book gain a star in rating.

#122



February 1965: The Final Speeches by Malcolm X. This book focuses on last 3 weeks of Malcolm X life and the speeches and interviews he gave. Malcolm X died 6 months before I was born. I cried as I read this book. I read his autobiography in the late 1980s. I loved that he left the Black Muslim movement and converted to Sunni Islam the last two years of his life. I am glad he realized that the white man was not a devil, only some of them. To read his words today after what has happened in Ferguson and NY and so many other places, you realize that Malcolm X was prophet. He predicted much of what has happened in the last 50 years. He said you can make laws but not enforce them. You can speak integration but practice segregation. Doing so makes you a hypocrite. 50 years later not enough has changed in the United States.

With I am Malala I am officially finished with my 2014 Challenge!

I have only to read my RandomCAT book, A Bitter Truth by Charles Todd and my AAC December book, Let Him Go by Larry Watson. Both are additional challenges I imposed on myself.

To finish off the year I am also listening to Mirror Dance by Lois McMaster Bujold. Onward and forward with the Vorkosigan Saga! I picked up You Better Not Cry by Augesten Burroughs for another Christmas read. Thanks to Judy, The Menace for that book bullet.

If time permits I will continue with Mercy Thompson and perhaps Lucia in London.

I also hope to get jump start on War and Peace.

Congratulations on completing your challenge! :)

>68 rabbitprincess: Thanks RP! A Bitter Truth also qualifies as my Christmas Murder mystery this year. ;-)

So no dancing girls for me to finish off my Challenge but I will post this gif I put up on my 75 thread. I am headed to Lost Pines outside of Austin Texas next week to meet up with Katie (katiekrug) for a girl's getaway, also known as our first annual Reading Retreat. We are going to fancy shmancy Hyatt Resort. Whoop! Reading, napping, chit chatting and wine consuming are in my near future.



Here is where we are headed http://lostpines.hyatt.com/en/hotel/home.html

They have a reading room called the Scribes Club and a nice dining room called Stories Dining that has shelves of books by Texas authors. Cool!

I am so excited. I haven't been on a trip for a few years. Whoop!

Congrats on completing your challenge!

Congratulations! Enjoy your well-deserved vacation.

>71 AHS-Wolfy: Thank you Dave!

>72 BookLizard: Thanks Liz! I am currently listening to Mirror Dance but I hope to get to Death Masks on my drive home from the trip.

Congratulations on finishing your challenge, Ro. Even though I am very envious of your Reading Retreat with Katie, I'm still wishing that you two have a great weekend.

Great dancing-picture!!! Congrats on finishing!

73> I wanted to try the Vorkosigan series this year, but just never got to it. Maybe I'll try the audiobook. Is the narrator good?

Congratulations on completing your challenge! Have a great time on your holiday.

Have a nice holiday and enjoy the free reading!

Congratulations on completing your challenge and enjoy your girl's getaway with Katie!

>74 DeltaQueen50: Don't be envious. We wish you were joining us!

>75 -Eva-: Thanks Eva!

>76 BookLizard: I wasn't sure if I would like it but I have loved the series. Grover Gardner is the narrator and he is excellent. Does you library system have Hoopla? All of the series is available on Hoopla in audiobook format.

>77 Roro8: Thank you Ro!

>78 MissWatson: Thanks so much!

>79 lkernagh: I am super excited to be meeting up with Katie. Thanks.

Hope you guys have a great time!

>81 LittleTaiko: I had a blast! It was so beautiful there. Katie is so fun to be around.

Sending you best wishes for the holidays! Hope you get lots of books under the tree. All the best in the new year.

>83 rabbitprincess: I didn't get any books this year but I did get an Amazon gift card! I hope your holiday was lovely.

Now to catch up on some reviews. Very brief reviews.

#123



Frost Burned

#124



Night Broken

#125



Shifting Shadows

All three books were awesome brain candy! Absolutely loved the collection of short stories!

#126



Death Masks by Jim Butcher is number 5 in the Harry Dresden Files. I really loved the plot and I super happy that Harry isn't trying to do everything alone anymore. I liked how he was forced to confront the side of him that craves danger and darkness. What ruined this book for me was the sex scene. It smacked too much of rape. If I explain it then I'll give away some of the plot. It's my opinion and I'll stand by it.

#127



A Bitter Truth by Charles Todd is 4th in the Bess Crawford mysteries. She is a British World War I nurse and she is home in England for Christmas leave. She finds a woman beaten and frightened at her doorstep. Bess is pulled into the woman's problems and heads to Sussex with her. While there a murder is committed and everyone is a suspect. The plot was a bit thin and the characters from the mystery were unlikeable except for Bess and Brandon, her friend. The ending was a bit of a left turn and wrapped up very quickly. I like Bess enough to try out book 1.

*Rant*

When I checked this book out for the Christmas Murder Mystery group read and RandomCAT read, my library had it listed as Book 1 in the series. I don't like to read series out of order but I don't think it gave too much away and I wasn't lost in the story. It is still frustrating. Not the first time this has happened, but I've been able to catch it because I verify the order independently. Lesson learned.

#128



Mirror Dance by Lois McMaster Bujold is the ongoing story of Miles Vorkosigan. This time Miles is killed and cryofrozen in a battle his clone brother Mark gets involved in. The story was very long, brutal but I think ultimately important to the series as a whole. The ending was very satisfying to me.

86> Now I'm trying to remember which part you're talking about. Books 6 & 7 were among my favorites, so you're in for a treat.

So are you going to join me in reading The Walker Papers series this year?

>89 BookLizard: I'll PM you my thoughts on it. I'm actually working tonight so in the next few days if I don't PM you tonight.

You are so wicked! Another series! Yes, I will join you. When do you plan to start it? My library has Books 1-4 and 7 & 8. I'll check the other 2 library systems I use for the missing ones.

90> Whenever you want to start. I have a couple of other series I can finish first if you want to wait. I read the first book back in 2013 and liked it, but didn't continue with the series for some reason. I'll want to reread it before I jump into the rest of the series.

ETA: Now I know why I didn't continue with it . . . looking back at my LT library, I can see I was busy reading the Dresden files. LOL.

Are you going to continue with Miles Vorkosigan?

Here's to a Happy New Year!

>91 BookLizard: I think we decided on February right?

>92 hailelib: Absolutely! I'm listening to Memory right now.

I loved Memory!

>94 hailelib: I am loving it so far!

#129



Let Him Go by Larry Watson is my final book of the year. It was good. Some of the characters could have used a little more fleshing out but all in all a decent read. I look forward to reading more by this author.

Please join me in my 2015 Challenge thread http://www.librarything.com/topic/180198