What I'm Reading: One of Our Thursdays is Missing

I really enjoy the speculative fiction of Jasper Fforde; in fact, last year, the first book in his new Shades of Grey series made my favorite books I read that year list.  Fforde's newest book (3/11) One of Our Thursdays Is Missing is the sixth book in his series which follows Thursday Next, a member of the literary division of the Special Ops, in an alternative England.  Thursday is able to travel between the real world and the book world.  It is a very complex but not difficult to understand set up, but for those who have never read the series I will tell you that just reading the mechanics of how it all works in the third book, The Well of Lost Plots is one of the most fun reading experiences I have ever had.

Truth be told, I was starting to get bored of the series after the fifth book, Thursday Next: First Among Sequels, but I just love Thursday and the way Fforde writes, so I got One of Our Thursdays is Missing as soon as it came out.  Turns out, I think Fforde was a bit bored too, because this new book is a total reboot of the series. And the result is fabulous.

The book world in this series used to be in the form of a giant library, but when One of Our Thursdays is Missing begins, the book world is in the middle of an upgrade to a new operating system.  The enitre world changes to a geographic format.  Fiction is now an island.  Here is where you can buy the map.  I copied this map and gave it to everyone in RA.  The map alone is worth reading the book.

Since you encounter this map in the books, endpapers, before you get to any text, right away, I knew Fforde was ready to inject something new into the series, and I was ready to follow him.  I am so glad I did.

The plot is also a reboot.  Instead of following the real Thursday Next, our protagonist is the book version of Thursday, who we have met in previous books.  She is a pale imitation, but, as the only real Thursday approved book version of Thursday, she is the only one who is qualified for the job Fforde sets up.  You see, the real Thursday is missing and the book version has to find her.  That is the plot, but the joy of reading the book is in the details.  For those who love the real Thursday, I will warn you, she only makes a small appearance her, but give the book version a chance you will grow to love her too.

Along the way, we not only come to love our new Thursday, but Fforde skewers every genre of fiction, current reading trends (such as vampires) and formula plots.  If you have never read a Thursday Next book, but love reading you could pick this title up and enjoy yourself.  If you just like reading in general and are okay with making fun of yourself, start back at the beginning.  This is a series I give out to many patrons, young and old, male and female, realistic fiction readers to speculative fans.  If you love books, you will be enchanted with Thursday Next.

Appeal:  While there is a suspense/mystery story line to each book, this is a series about characters.  Specifically for this title, character is huge because we are comparing what makes the book Thursday different from the real one.  Book Thursday is a reluctant heroine who must overcome her own insecurities and rise to the occasion. Her robot butler is also a great side-kick.

This is a fast paced book filled with car chases, intrigue, mystery, adventure, and a race against the clock. Each time Thursday conquers one challenge, we have maybe a page or three to recover, and then it is off again.

The satire is also relentless.  Fforde obviously loves books and reading, and his satire is constant but is all in good fun.  This is a book to be enjoyed by those "in the know."  He has too many literary references for anyone to physically count, but if you want to try, go to his website and join the discussion.  My favorite part is when Thursday goes to "Fan Fiction" and is besieged by other Thursdays and too many hobbits to count.

Much of the satire also comes from the metafiction aspects to the novel.  We are reading a series of books about a woman named Thursday Next, but this title is about the book version of the real Thursday, who, is really just a character in a book we read.  Huh?  Right.  So if you like that kind of plot line (personally, I love it), read this book.  If the last few sentences gave you a headache, that's fine, there are plenty of other books to read.  No worries.

These are intricately plotted mysteries, set in an alternative reality, filled with humor and adventure, with a compelling series protagonist who has grown over time.  These are thoughtfully constructed books.  They are not hard to read, but the series is complex and deeply layered.  You can read each book for its own merit and enjoy it, but you can also spend hours, days, ever years, pouring through the extra information.  I fall somewhere in the middle here.  For example, every single Fforde book (no matter the series) has no chapter 13.  Why?  Here's the answer.

If you are a big Fforde fan yourself, why not go to the Fforde Fiesta, an annual event in Swindon (the town where Thursday lives) for "those who like to embrace absurdity."  Here is the official blog for the event.

Three Words to Describe This Book:  metafiction, satirical, compelling

Readalikes: If you like the tongue in cheek, social satire of Fforde, you have to try Terry Pratchett's Discworld series.  I wrote about The Truth here.

If you like the metafiction aspects and/or the literary references that pop up everywhere at any time try Alan Moore's graphic novel series The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, or Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn.

If you like the humorous tone and a compelling but flawed protagonist try the Spellmans series by Lisa Lutz.

If you like lighter, fast paced mysteries with tons of plot twists, eccentric but lovable characters, and an interesting setting try the Vish Puri mysteries by Tarquin Hall.

For nonfiction fans, I have a few options of books about books and reading to suggest:  A History of Reading by Alberto Manguel, The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary by Simon Winchester, Maps and Legends: Reading and Writing Along the Borderlands by Michael Chabon, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King, and Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books by Azar Nafisi.

What I'm Reading: Shades of Grey

I love Jasper Fforde's 2 light and literary fantasy series and always eagerly await his new books (click here to see what I have said about Fforde's books in the past). This winter, Fforde began a new series with Shades of Grey set in a dystopian, post apocalyptic world (after "the thing that happened") where people can only see a limited color range and the world is run by a series of odd rules set by a long dead leader. No one is allowed to think for themselves and what colors you can see (and how much) dictates your place in society, with the color-blind relegated to near slavery. Unlike his highly literary previous series, in the Shades of Grey world, librarians are left to roam bookless stacks. The horror!

This novel got mixed reviews so I was in no hurry to read it; that is until Betty championed it on the BPL Browser's Corner. I trust Betty. She has led me to some very good books. So I read Shades of Grey and boy and I glad that I did.

After finishing the novel, I totally understand why it got mixed reviews. It is because of its appeal.

This is not a light, fluffy literary romp in a parallel universe like the Thursday Next series or the Nursery Crimes. This is a serious, dystopian novel in the style of a Fahrenheit 451 or 1984. In Shades of Grey we follow one young man as he literally comes-of-age in Fforde's created world. He moves to a new town, meets new people, and with the help of a young woman named Jane, who dares to openly question the status quo in a world where those who passively follow the rules are rewarded, begins to question everything he has ever been told.

Like other dystopian novels, Shades of Grey has a darker tone. This could bother some fans of Fforde. I personally love dystopian fiction, especially how it uses a speculative world to make you more closely examine your own place in your society. I also enjoy the darker, cautionary tone, but it is completely different from Fforde's other, very popular series.

Here's a great example of the darker tone from the text. As our hero is deciding to continue his fight for justice at the end of the novel, he is warned that innocents may have to die. As the book closes, he is tested on this front. He has to knowingly send 2 of his friends on a train to certain death so as not to give away the larger mission. This is a dark moment for our hero, and a much more morally ambiguous choice than Fforde's jaunty heroine Thursday Next would ever have to make. Personally, I loved the complexity, but not all may agree, especially given Fforde's previous work.

In terms of pacing, it is important to point out that like all first books in a fantasy of science fiction series, the book starts off slowly. Fforde has to introduce us to the physical world, its rules, quirks, and characters. He has created it and we are along for a tour. The reader has to keep reading and trust that everything will be explained throughout the course of the story. Luckily, I knew to trust Fforde and keep going. Then, like others in its genre, Shades of Grey slowly picks up the pace until it speeds up into a compelling page turner by the end. I was literally left wishing there was more.

Thankfully there will be another book to continue the story. Fforde does tie up the loose ends of this novel, but leaves the reader waiting to find out what will happen in the next adventure. Darn you Jasper Fforde...now you have me hooked on 3 series.


Three Words That Describe This Book: dystopian fantasy, thought-provoking, great characters

Readalikes: Earlier in this post, I mentioned that Shades of Grey is an example of dystopian fiction. Click here for a longer list of dystopian novels.

But if pressed for specific readalikes, I would say that this book is Terry Pratchett's Discworld series meets Fahrenheit 451. Discworld because it creates what appears to be an outrageous, fantasy world, but one which both skewers and comments on our current world in a way that is entertaining, thought-provoking, and a bit frightening. Fahrenheit 451 because of the storyline of a hero being awakened to what is wrong with his world by a young woman who has dared to question everything.

Nonfiction readers may also be interested in reading more about color theory after finishing  Shades of Grey.

What I'm Reading September 2007

Ok, so it's October 1, and I am a day late on recounting some of the books I read in September, but for the record, my watch claims it is September 31st.

Seriously, as I am nearing the end of the calendar year I am faced with some holes in my assigned reading list. Most RAs are expected to read at least 1 book from their libraries most popular genres each year. In our case, at the Berwyn Public Library, we have an agreed upon list which includes more than 1 book in some genres. This month I tackled my Young Adult requirement and, the one I dread the most, my Romance requirement. So here are three of the books I read this past month and at least one option for a readalike.

After much hemming and hawing, I chose to read the regency romance Fool For Love by Eloisa James. One of the reasons I chose a James' novel is the fact that her books are known for eschewing many of the traditions of the regency romance; that and the fact that she is also a Shakespearean scholar. She did not disappoint in this regard. In fact, when looking at the customer comments of Amazon, you can clearly see a divide between those who like the straying and those who are unsettled by it. To each their own; however, if you are looking for a sexy, historical romance, with sharp wit and well drawn characters, and do not mind that the situations and characters are a bit outside the normal boundaries of the genre, anything by Eloisa James is a good choice.

Specifically, Fool For Love is about Henrietta and Simon. Simon, a London dandy, and the new guardian of his two young sisters, heads off to the country to check on the rumor of his Aunt's pregnancy, which if true, and produces a male child, could spell the end to his fortune. Henrietta, is a young girl from the country with a bad hip who believes she can never marry and bear children. Simon is struck by Henrietta's sharp tongue and wit; while Henrietta is intrigued by Simon's worldliness and self confidence. Together, the two find a love and happiness neither thought would ever be theirs. True to the genre, this romance ends resolved and happy. There are also a few recurring characters from James' other Duchess Series titles. If you like the regency setting and the wit of James' books, and you do not mind the sensuality, you can also try Amanda Quick's Seduction or Julia London's Highlander Unbound.

After speaking to one of the Young Adult librarians here at Berwyn, I selected Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli as one of my two YA titles for 2007. It is extremely popular at our library, and after reading it, I see why. Stargirl is new to Mica High school (AZ); in fact, after years of homeschooling, she is new to school in general. She plays her ukulele in the lunchroom, carries around a pet rat, and cheers for the wrong team. Narrated by wallflower, Leo Borlock, Stargirl is a compelling entry into the subgenre of the nonconformist teen tale. A few other notable novels in this vein are Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen, Razzle by Ellen Wittlinger, and the classic The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier.

I also read Jasper Fforde's latest entry in the Thursday Next Series, Thursday Next: The First Among Sequels. The books in this bestselling series take place in an alternate reality Reading, England where literary crimes must be patrolled, Thursday can travel inside literature, and the Goliath Corporation rules all. This novel takes place 14 years after Something Rotten. Thursday is married to Landon, they have three children, and she is no longer working for the literary division of Special Ops, well at least not officially. Much of this novel revolves around the falling read rates in all of England. Thursday spends a great deal of time in the book world battling herself, or at least the book version of herself, and trying to stop "the end of time." Confused yet? This is a series for book lovers. If you want to give it a try I would suggest starting with The Eyre Affair to see if you like Fforde's humor and the onslaught of literary references.

Readers who love Thursday Next and are looking for something similar to tide them over until the next installment should check out Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn. In this epistolary novel, a young girl named Ella, lives on the fictional island of Nollop off the coast of North Carolina. The island is named for Nevin Nollop, the author of the famous sentence “The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog.” When the local government begins banning letters of the alphabet as they fall off of Nollop’s memorial statue, Ella begins to fight for her community’s freedom of expression. Ella does what she can, but with each falling letter it becomes more difficult for her to communicate.

What I'm Reading: Series Roundup

In this review, I am going to write about three 2012 releases in series that I always read.  In this case I will not hash out the appeal for these books/series as the "why" you would enjoy them has remained constant in each series and I have already gone into that in detail.  I will link to the previous reviews with those details and talk about key changes or issues in the newest books.  Finally, I will update any readlaike options.

Here goes...

The Case of the Deadly Butter Chicken is the third book in the Vish Puri modern India set, Private Detective novels by Tarquin Hall.  Please click here to see my reviews of the two previous novels in the series for details.

Again we have the mix of appeal in the eccentric characters, the frame of what is good and bad about modern India, and a satisfying mystery.  In the past I have linked Vish Puri with Flavia de Luce, and although a pudgy, middle aged, Indian private detective in the 21st Century and an 11 year-old, amateur detective/budding chemist in 1951 England do not sound like they are similar at all, I can assure you the appeal in their stories is almost identical.  They both have a fairly cozy mystery, a strong family angle, eccentric characters, and a detailed frame.

The mystery here is very interesting and accessible, even for fans who are new to the series.  The murder involves cricket players and possible game fixing schemes, but as Puri looks into the case, it actually has much more to do with the ongoing hard feelings between India and Pakistan.

This case gets much deeper into Puri and his mother's relationship (always a fun part of the series), as Puri, who had vowed never to set foot in his ancestral home of Pakistan, must cross the border,  In the course of the case, he learns about the difficult secrets his mom has been keeping for her entire life involving the partition of Pakistan and India.

Series Order Issues?  This series continues to be one that is enhanced by reading it in order, but it is by no means a necessity.  Hall gives you enough background on the characters too allow the story to flow whether you know who they are or not. Also, since Puri has been a detective longer than the books have been chronicling his fictional career, Puri frequently refers to cases no reader has ever heard of.  In this case, if the frame of the legacy of partition is of interest to you as a reader, I would jump right in with this installment.

Three Words That Describe This Book:  character driven, India-Pakistan relations, humorous

Readalikes: Again, click here for past readlaikes.  They all still hold. 

With this title in particular, readers might want more information on the conflict between India and Pakistan.  Multiple resources have led me to suggest The Great Partition: The Making of India and Pakistan by Yasmin Khan.

Next up is the newest installment in Jasper Fforde's entertaining and satiric Thursday Next series, The Woman Who Died A Lot (#7).  Click here for the numerous times I have reviewed the other books in the series books and/or talked about Ms. Next here on the blog.

The Woman Who Died A Lot marks a new turn in the series.  We have moved up a bunch of years.  Thursday is now middle-aged and still quite battered from the last installment, One of our Thursdays is Missing, where the real Thursday was missing for most of the book.  Here in the 7th book, Thursday is back in the alternative England of Fforde's creation, but she is not longer in Special Ops, nor is she strong enough to travel into books.  Her new job is as the head of the Swindon Library system, but she is still battling Goliath.  The title of the novel refers to the fact that Goliath has figured out to create Thursday clones.

The plot revolves around the stupidity surplus, smitings by the almighty God who had finally revealed himself to humanity, the disbanding of the time travel service and experiments into the promise of new plots to be found in the DRM (Dark Reading Matter).  Thursday, her husband Landen, kids Tuesday, Friday and Jenny, as well as other familiar characters are all involved.

To the uninitiated this sounds crazy, but to Thursday Next fans, you know that all of these overly satiric, crazy plot lines will all come together in the end, and along the way you will have too many literary references to keep track of.  Also, the end hints that the next will return us all to the book world.

Series Order Issues? This series needs to be read in order.  Issues from as far back as the first book pop up here in book #7.  Interestingly, the 6th book is the least important to have read.  The 3rd and the 6th books take place completely in the book world so those two can be read as stand-alones, but this book, needs the frame of 1, 2, 4 and 5.

Three Words That Describe This Book: metafiction, satire, "punny"

Readalikes:  Click here to get a detailed list of dozens of readalikes for the series.  I would also suggest
 Mr Fox by Helen Oyeyemi for readers who like the whole metafiction thing.

And now for something completely different, the second book in the planned vampire-witch romance/thriller All Souls Trilogy by Deborah Harkness-- Shadow of Night.  If you have not read A Discovery of Witches please click here and read my review.  It will set up this sequel which begins moments after the first book ended.

While we still have the paranormal romance here, Shadow of Night is much more of a historical adventure story.  First, I need to note that there is more sex in this installment.  Personally, I could have done without the multiple, detailed witch/vampire sex scenes (in fact I did do without them; I fast forwarded the audio to get back to the plot).  But, I also recognize that this may enhance the story for others, since this sequel does mover forward more methodically than the first.

I should note that 80% of the novel takes place in 1590 with only a few flashes to the present of the first installment.

The pacing is slowed because of all of the historical detail, which I personally enjoyed.  Also the entire reason they go back to 1590, besides looking for the book known as Ashmole 782, is to allow Diana to learn how to be a witch.  I will not give away the big twist in the confusion over Diana's inability to control her powers, but it is important to note that this plot element adds a huge coming of age theme to the novel.

The focus here is on the historical frame and Diana and Matthew's adventures in the past.  It is more historical fiction than paranormal thriller.

Like the first book, the issues of this novel are resolved, but we are left at a cliff hanger for the next book to begin. Also, while the first book ended with the hope of answers to be found in the past, this novel ends on a more ominous note, one I would liken to The Empire Strikes Back (also a second story in a trilogy).

Speaking of, normally I do not enjoy second books in a trilogy, but in this case, I really enjoyed this novel.  I enjoyed the historical fiction aspects of the novel, the history of witches, and seeing characters from history interacting with Diana and Matthew.

Three Words That Describe This Book:  intricately plotted, Elizabethan setting, coming of age

Series Order Issues?  Here I think the jury is still out.  The story in Shadow of Night is greatly enhanced by having read the first book, but since this installment takes place entirely in the past, readers who are intrigued by stories with an Elizabethan setting but were not interested in the modern day witch-vampire frame of A Discovery of Witches may still want to try Shadow of Night.  However, if you plan to read all three books to get the complete story, you must start with A Discovery of Witches.

Readalikes: Click through to see my original list of readalikes.

I think there is a great appeal in this installment for books about or set in Elizabethan times.  To start I would suggest:

• The Elizabethans by A.N. Wilson (well reviewed popular history of the era, 2012 publication date; use the link to find more nonfiction options)
• Voices of Shakespeare's England edited by John A Wagner (collection of primary documents, geared to high school and up)
• There are many Elizabethan set mysteries, but I chose the Lady Appleton series by Kathy Lynn Emerson because of the setting and the sleuth's job as an herbalist (similar to the witch healers in Harkness' novel)

Also readers might want to reads works by or about of Marlowe or Shakespeare since both are characters here.

Finally, although they are completely different books, I found the time travel aspect, the way it was handled, and the respect for not changing history too much all compatible with 11/22/63 by Stephen King (review soon).

What I’m Reading: The Outsmarting of Criminals

Reviews keep coming...

Earlier this month I read the first book in a new cozy series, The Outsmarting of Criminals: A Mystery featuring Miss Felicity Prim by Steven Rigolosi

I placed this book on hold immediately after reading this review in Library Journal:

/* Starred Review */ After being mugged in New York City, Miss Felicity Prim plans to embark on a new career: "criminaloutsmarting." She is going to do it the cozy way by moving to a small hamlet in Connecticut, where she'll buy a cottage with a garden. All this in Chapter 1! The staff of the doctor's office where she works is distraught when Felicity announces her resignation, especially the doctor, who wants to marry her. She'll have none of this until she tries her new venture, though. Investigating as a concept gets decidedly real when a corpse turns up in her basement (a secret basement, by the way). Det. Ezra Dawes and his team make a valiant effort to keep up with Felicity. Concurrently, Felicity and her sister learn they have a secret half-sister, and thus she has a second case to solve. Mercy! VERDICT This title had me at the cover—all done in Edward Gorey style. The tongue-in-cheek humor Rigolosi showed in his earlier work (Androgynous Murder House Party ) is key to this pitch-perfect mash-up of the greatest traditional/cozy mystery tropes. Similar in tone to Kerry Greenwood's Phryne Fisher series although with a contemporary setting; a pleasure from cover to cover. --Teresa L. Jacobsen (Reviewed March 1, 2014) (Library Journal, vol 139, issue 4, p74)

Between my love of books about books, the fact that I am leading the ARRT Crime Fiction Genre Study, AND that I had just led our 2 hour discussion on cozies a few weeks before, this book was exactly what I needed.

You get the plot and some of the appeal from the review, but let me talk a bit more about WHY someone would enjoy this book.  First, it is adorable.  If you like reading and are someone who gets caught up in books on a regular basis, I mean so caught up in the characters that you forget they ARE NOT REAL [you know you’ve done it]-- this is the book for you.  Felicity is that kind of reader of mystery novels, especially the classics.  But you don’t have to love mysteries to enjoy this series.  Rather, it is that “getting caught up” in a book aspect that is shared here.

This is a mystery about a reader and the books she loves first and foremost. But, it is also a "wink, wink" parody of mystery novels, their plots, and the eccentric characters who live on the small towns of cozy mysteries.  The official term for this type of book about books where the reader is in on the joke is technically called metafiction. In terms of appeal what that  term means is that you, the reader, should expect to have a fun romp in an endearing, engaging, and witty book about a love of books and reading.  The reader is in on all of the jokes, we crave the next plot twist ripped from the classic cannon of mystery fiction, and we can’t wait for what’s still to come.

Now many may find this piling on of all of the inside jokes a bit much.  Not me though.  Warn people that it is an exaggerated, adorable, send up and they can decide if they are interested for themselves. This is a book for which someone’s enjoyment will be highly dependent upon their expectations and mood as they read it.

But it is not all puns and inside jokes.  Rigolosi is a good writer. An example can be seen in his brilliant, “show don’t tell” portrayal of Felicity’s terrible driving. That bit of writing skill is worth reading the book.  It is a great running gag but done in an understated way that I really enjoyed.

The Outsmarting of Criminals is a fast paced, fun, page turner. It is a perfect summer read for all book lovers. And don’t blame me if after you finish the novel you too are thinking about leaving the rat race behind and becoming a cozy amateur detective yourself. Just make sure to buy a house that comes with its very own secret basement.

Three Words That Describe This Book: adorable, witty, eccentric characters 

Readalikes: This series takes everything I love about Bradley’s Flavia de Luce series and Hall’s Vish Puri series and smooshes [I know, not an actual word] them together.  Click here for more on Flavia and here for more on Puri including dozens more readalike options.

But really anything on the ARRT crime fiction genre study list from the April Meeting of Amateur, Cozy, and Humorous mysteries will work as a suggestion here.

This series also reminded me of a backlist, harder to find British mystery series that also is a parody of mystery novels by L.C. Tyler and beginning with The Herring Seller’s Apprentice.  Here is the link to my review of that book and here is the link to the Goodreads info on the whole series.

And finally, the best series for people who love books, reading, and metafiction is Jasper Fforde’s Thursday Next series. I think it should be required reading for book lovers.

More reviews coming over the weekend [especially since I took yesterday off from posting].

Monday Discussion: Looking Toward 2011

Last week's Monday Discussion asked what the best book your read this year was.  Click here for the full comments, but here is a quick list of the responses:

• The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
• On the Way to the Wedding by Juila Quinn
• The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart
• Half the Sky by Nicholas Kristof 
• Hours of Idleness by Lord Byron
• My Life in France by Julia Child
• A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
• The Lonely Polygamist by Brady Udall
• The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins
• Little Bee by Chris Cleave
• The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
• Winter's Bone by Daniel Woodrell

Thanks to all the participants.  Now on to this week's discussion.  Let's stop looking back at 2010 and look ahead to 2011.  Publishers are already starting to advertise 2011 releases. I already have patrons coming in clamoring for titles that don't come out until the end of March.

So for today's Monday discussion, what titles are you most looking forward to?  Click here, here, here, here, here, here, and here to take a peak at some of the biggest titles due out this Winter and Spring.  These links go through April 2011 and include fiction and nonfiction.  I will compile your responses and post them next week.

For me, some of my favorite lighter mystery writers like Lisa Lutz and Alan Bradley have new books coming out in the next few months.  Jasper Fforde will also return with a new Thursday Next book in March, while Orson Scott Card is releases a new contemporary fantasy that I am excited about.  And I can't forget my own book which will be out sometime in late spring/early summer 2011 (click here for the most up to date information as it becomes available).  Use the links in the previous paragraph to check out what is coming and let the rest of us know what you are excited about.

Finally, for those who are interested, I also posted my list of the best horror books of 2010 on RA for All: Horror.  I will have my best list of everything I read in 2010 posted here at RA for All later this week.  I have the list whittled down to 12 and have to make 2 more painful cuts from the final list.  After today however, RA for All will go off of its regular Monday through Friday schedule until the New Year.  I will continue to post over the holidays just not on a reliably daily basis.

To follow any Monday Discussion, past or present click here.

Female Detectives

I saw this list of the Top 10 Female Detectives over on Lit Lists and it reminded me how many of my readers specifically do request mysteries with female leads.  The post also included another list of great female detectives here.

I thought I would share a few of my personal favs too.  So off the top of my head here are the female detectives I particularly enjoy with their authors in parentheses:

Cassie Maddox (Tana French)
Maisie Dobbs (Jacqueline Winspear)
Izzy Spellman (Lisa Lutz)
Thursday Next (Jasper Fforde)
Flavia de Luce (Alan Bradley)

Check out the lists above too for a much more comprehensive sampling of the great female detectives in books. Feel free to share some of your own favorites too.

Also, for the best resource for all things mystery, go to Stop You're Killing Me.

What I'm Reading: Favorites of 2010

Okay, so I finally sucked it up and picked the 10 books I most enjoyed reading in 2010.  This year was harder than most for me.  So what follows is my "Year in Reading," a list of the 10 books which I loved for one reason or another.  The links are to my initial reviews on each title and any comments are further thoughts about the book.

Interestingly, I have almost all fiction this year (8 fictions vs only 2 nonfiction).  I think this has to do with the year I had though.  I spent most of 2010 researching and writing my new book and read a lot of horror and disturbing books.  Since I was engaged in writing about them, many of these stuck with me.  In fact, 5 (or half) of the books on this list ended up mentioned in my book in one way or another.

Finally, as I look at the overall list, in most of these books, things do not end well.  Thankfully it is only in 2 of them where the main protagonist end up dead, but in almost every book, there is a level of uneasiness, defeat, or unsettledness that ends each story.  But by no means does that mean these books are sad or upsetting.  Many are hopeful that better things are to come; we just might have to wait awhile.  If you use the links to click through to my reviews, you will get a better sense of what I mean.

The first 2 books listed were my absolute favorites, but after that it is a toss up depending on what mood you catch me in.  For the record, No. 11 is The Reapers Are the Angels.  See, I couldn't actually get the list to only 10 in the end. Enough analysis, here is the list:

• The Passage by Justin Cronin: No other book this year has stayed with me longer than this 700+ page epic.  It is the best book I have read in a long time.  I still think about the story, the characters, and the beauty of the language.  It has it all: it is thought provoking, character-centered, steadily paced, has great action sequences, and is engrossing.
• Await Your Reply by Dan Chaon:  I read this book twice this year, and loved it both times. Click here for the book discussion report. Back when I finished it in the beginning of January, I predicted that it would end up on this list.  I was right.  This is also a disturbing but thought-provoking look at what makes up our identities.  Await Your Reply was one of the most popular "best books" of 2009.
• The Lonely Polygamist by Brady Udall.  Again this book stayed with me.  It was layered, well constructed, realistic, and fascinating. It was my second favorite book with a 2010 copyright.
• The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters.  Creepy and historical, all wrapped up in a compelling story of a British family in decline during the post-WWII era.  Don't read this book however, if you like nicely closed and clearly defined endings.
• Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde. This is infinitely darker than his Thursday Next series, but if you don't mind that, this book is great.  I also read the highly touted The City and the City by China Mieville this year, and I thought Shades of Grey tackled the same issues, better.
• Horns by Joe Hill.  I think Joe Hill could write a phone book and I would love it.  He has really taken over as THE horror author in the world right now.  What is so interesting about Horns however is that our protagonist is slowly turning into the Devil and although we are rooting for him, we do not trust him.  It makes for an interesting read.
• The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls.  I read this memoir for book club and can't stop thinking about it.  I loved how Walls recounts the crazy but true episodes from her life in a way that does not make the reader feel bad for the family's misfortune.  She infuses optimism and hope even when the family is starving and their house is falling down around them.  And as an added bonus, the writing is great too.
• Solar by Ian McEwan.  This is a hysterical and dark novel in which the protagonist keeps making the worst decisions and the reader just sits back to watch it all collapse on him.  McEwan is a genius.
• In the Woods by Tana French.  This is one I just finished after years of it being on my to read list.  I knew it was supposed to be good, but I was pleasantly surprised by how good it turned out to be.
• The Big Year: A Tale of Man, Nature, and Fowl Obsession by Mark Obmascik.  This is the shocker on my list, at least to me.  The reasons I read this book had nothing to do with RA principles, and the reasons I loved it were purely personal.  (use the link to see) But, I also loved how much this book taught me about birds, competitive birding, and the American landscape.  I read a few nonfiction books about America and nature this year (click here for 2 more), but this was the best of the bunch for many reasons. When I went back to look at my year of reading, it was only then that I realized how much this book stuck with me.

So that's the list.  Remember, you can see everything I have read and reviewed by using the What I'm Reading tag.  Also, for my list of the best horror titles of 2010, click here.

Feel free to continue to share your favorite books here on RA for All.