Variable Star - Robert A. Heinlein, Spider Robinson

Variable Star is a chance to read one more Heinlein.  Robert Heinlein is one of the greatest names in science fiction.  Spider Robinson is another.  This book is excellent.  How does an 18 year old musician get a ride on a star ship?  What adventures will he encounter on the voyage?  Will the human race survive?  These are all answered in this book, and in a very entertaining way.  I actually read this one twice.  If there could just be more Heinlein.  Very highly recommended.    

61 Hours - Lee Child

61 Hours is the fourteenth Jack Reacher novel.  This is an awesome series.  I have yet to read one of Child's books that I could really lay down without wanting to read one more chapter.  I have to sleep sometime, but really don't want to in the middle of a Reacher novel.  This time he's stranded in South Dakota in the middle of winter.  Just in time to help with some trouble, of course.  The question is will Reacher make it out alive this time.  I've read the book and I don't know.  Very highly recommended.

Sizzling Sixteen - Janet Evanovich

Sizzling Sixteen is another Stephanie Plum novel. The usual cast of characters manage to survive guns, bombs, stampeding cattle, and alligators.  Will the lucky bottle provide good luck or bad? You might get confused when a horde of hobbits come to the rescue, but keep reading, you're not in a Tolkien fantasy :) Highly recommended.

Dead in the Family - Charlaine Harris

Dead in the Family is the 10th Sookie Stackhouse novel.  I have to assume you've read the previous novels in this series or you'll be lost.  I have to assume you are not trying to map the books to the HBO series or you'll be even more lost.

This book takes place in the aftermath of the faery war.  Some of Sookie's family died or were banished, and she's recovering from her wounds.  The book goes slower in the beginning but picks up a little momentum as it moves along.  Sookie has to deal with Eric's problems, Bill's problems, bodies buried in her woods, were issues, and lots of little things.  I particularly like the part where Sookie works with her little cousin Hunter to help him with his telepathic ability.  This was a good book and a good pace.  I hope there's still lots more to come.  Highly recommended.

Darkness Calls - Marjorie M. Liu

Darkness Calls is another Hunter Kiss novel.  I've enjoyed Liu's novels and short stories.  This time it was too convoluted for me to care.  You have demons and zombies and avatars and lightbringers and original humans and time travel and you name it.  I was very happy with Maxine, her little night demons, and fighting evil.  Liu should have left it at that because I doubt I'll read another one of these fantasy soap opera smorgasbords.  If you're desperate for more Hunter Kiss be my guest.

The Man Who Smiled - Henning Mankell

The Man Who Smiled is a Kurt Wallander mystery.  I'd never read Mankell before and I enjoyed the book.  Kurt Wallander is a Swedish detective who is considering retiring from the police force because he was forced to kill a man in self defense.  Then a friend is murdered and Kurt can't quit the police with the mystery unsolved.  The case gets more complicated as it goes along with an actual attempt on Kurt's life at one point.

I'll admit to being painfully parochial, but from my perspective this book paints the Swedish police as a bunch of wimps.  How they expect to fight crimes committed by people with guns and bombs when they don't even carry weapons of their own is beyond me.  Life in Sweden is apparently very different from life in the USA.  I'm sure the Swedes consider that a good thing.  So do I.  That said it was a good book and a first rate mystery.  Highly recommended. 

Tales of the Otherworld - Kelley Armstrong

Tales of the Otherworld is a collection of stories by Armstrong that flesh out some of her ongoing characters and fill in gaps in story lines.  You have the tale of how Clay and Elena met and how Elena became a werewolf.  There's a piece with the details of Lucas and Paige's wedding, a sorcerer and a witch.  Another story explains the beginning of the relationship between the vampires Cassandra and Aaron.  This collection is interesting, especially to Armstrong fans, and the proceeds go to charity.  Highly recommended.

The Dark Is Rising - Susan Cooper

The Dark Is Rising is a book for children and young adults.  It's about a boy in England who comes of age when he turns 11 and finds out he's got magical powers and the world depends on him.  It's a pretty daunting birthday gift.  He has allies that help train him and back him up in his fight against the dark.  Unlike some young adult books, this story actually avoids swearing and sex.  I applaud that.  While parts are hard to believe, remember it's magic and anything is possible.  This book is the second in a series, but I didn't realize that until I finished reading it and the other books were mentioned in the epilogue.  The story stands on it's own just fine.  Highly recommended.

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest - Stieg Larsson

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest is the last book by Larsson.  It's the third book in the series that started with The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and continued with The Girl Who Played with Fire.  You must read them in order and I highly recommend you do so.  Mikael Blomkvist and Lisbeth Salander are two of the most interesting characters I've ever read about.  Even given the cultural misalignment that you get at times because the story takes place in Sweden, there is a pace and an organization to these novels that keeps you reading into the wee hours of the morning.  The ending is very satisfying to me.  I wish there could be more but unless someone else picks up Larsson's pen this is it.  Very highly recommended.

Sweepers - P. T. Deutermann

Sweepers is a novel about revenge left to grow very cold indeed.  A navy seal named Galantz, who isn't picked up on the river bank in Vietnam.  A navy lieutenant named Sherman who left the seal behind when under attack.  Over 20 years later the seal becomes a sweeper and the lieutenant becomes an admiral.  This book paints an intricate tale of lies, love, deceit, and murder.  As always Deutermann's story grabs the reader and won't let go.  Very highly recommended.

The Medusa Stone - Jack Du Brul

The Medusa Stone is my first Du Brul novel.  His protagonist, Philip Mercer, reminds me of Cussler's Dirk Pitt.  He's a geologist instead of an oceanographer, but they share the same amazing ability to escape from impossible odds, defeat the insane villain, and get the beautiful girl.  This was a great adventure with plenty of action, suspense, and surprises.  Africa, diamonds, kidnapping, and terrorists are a potent mix.  Highly recommended.

Inked - Wilks, Chance, Galenorn, Liu

Inked is a collection of four novellas.  They're all about magic in one form or another, but tattoos are important to each.

Wilks I'm familiar with.  In fact, I've been waiting for some time for Blood Lines to come out on the kindle.  I've read the first two books in that series on my kindle and would like to continue.  Her Human Nature is a good short story to go with the the World of the Lupi series.

Chance I've only read in anthologies so far.  I like this  story, Skin Deep, about war mages and werewolves and all things magical.  It's got a good story line.  I'll add Chance to my list of authors to watch.

Galenorn's Silver Etched contribution is little more than soft core porn wrapped in a magical otherworld setting. Other than all the sex it's suspiciously like the early Rachel Morgan stories by Kim Harrison. Downtrodden harassed female police person overcomes the odds and catches the bad guy. Harrison did it very well. Galenorn not so much. The debauchery is definitely not my cup of tea.

The best of the bunch is Liu's Armor of Roses.  Maxine Kiss is back and traveling in time.  As improbable as Liu's universe is, the characters make it fun to read about.  I read to escape reality and Liu's books make an excellent catalyst for the imagination.

All in all, highly recommended.

Hunted - P.C. Cast, Kristin Cast

Hunted is book five of the House of Night series.  This book has lots of big changes in it.  The kids, along with the rest of the world, are in some serious danger.  Zoe and her friends and Grandmother and a Nun have to come together in a new way.  At least this one ends with something of a hiatus so the next book is not needed right away.  I really enjoy this series though.  It's kind of like a modern Nancy Drew with the supernatural, vampyres, and significantly more making out added in.  Maybe not like Nancy Drew after all :)  Highly recommended.

Untamed - P.C. Cast, Kristin Cast

Untamed is the fourth House of Night Book.  The House of Night series is really a big continuing story, but up until this book there was a clear conclusion to each novel.  This time there is a huge event right at the end that changes everything.  Zoe is still becoming stronger and more sure of herself.  The rest of the "nerd herd" is hanging in there with her.  However, the forces against them are getting stronger and coming out of the dark into the open.  Normally I read other books between books in the series but this time I went right to book five, Hunted.  I have to find out what happens after the end of Untamed.  I have a feeling I may be on a House of Night marathon.  Highly recommended.

Dead Beat - Jim Butcher

Dead Beat is another Harry Dresden novel.  This time Harry is dealing with some necromancers with delusions of godhood.  Unfortunately if Harry doesn't stop them they may well make their delusions come true, and the rest of humanity would be in big trouble.  Dealing with his own demons is keeping Harry busy too.  It's another story with non-stop action.  You won't believe what corpse Harry has to animate to beat the bad guys.  Very highly recommended.

Shutter Island - Dennis Lehane

Shutter Island is a thriller with a huge twist, maybe.  The story takes place on Shutter Island, which is home to a mental institution for the criminally insane.  Two federal marshals are sent to the island to help find a missing patient.  What starts out as a locked room mystery soon expands to encompass the whole island.  I've read this novel and I'm still not sure of the ending.  I'm not sure which way I'd like it to end either.  Very highly recommended.

Chosen - P. C. Cast, Kristin Cast

Chosen is the third book in the House of Night series.  This series is like a Saturday serial.  Each book is sort of a cliff hanger and you just have to keep reading.  At least they're worth reading.  Zoe manages to alienate her friends and loose all three of her boyfriends this time.  One fatally.  She's getting stronger but still need some maturity to go with that strength.  The House of Night school is almost under siege because two vampyres have been...well read the book.  Highly recommended. 

Betrayed - P. C. Cast, Kristin Cast

Betrayed is the second book in the House of Night series.  The House of Night is a high school for teenage vampyres.  This book continues with Zoe now the high priestess in training and head of the dark daughters and sons.  The dark daughters and sons is part sorority and part student council.  But there's some trouble brewing when teenagers from Zoe's past begin to disappear and turn up as drained corpses.  It's getting more like monsters now.  I like this series.  Highly recommended.

I like this series more than the Twilight series.  I know that's heresy, but this is more like real teenagers with real problems and some weird new problems thrown into the mix.  Twilight was more teenage angst with vampires and werewolves and nothing really normal.  This House of Night series is definitely geared toward younger readers, and I'd recommend it to my grandkids, but then the authors had to throw in the whole blow job scene in the first book Marked, and I don't know why. Too bad.  I guess that makes this series even more like reality, and I should get with the times, but I want a different reality for my grandkids.

Amazon purchase memory

I love Amazon.  I buy everything there from books to groceries to electronics to clothes.  Being something of a homebody it's very convenient.  I particularly like when they remember what I bought and when.  For example, I can answer the question "how long did that last case of tea bags last me?"

However, they remember books you've bought only by type.  So if I bought the paperback version of a novel a year ago and then see it for the kindle, Amazon appears to have no clue that I already read it after buying it from them.  I find that very annoying.

I know.  I should be able to remember what I've read and what I haven't, but I read a lot of books and have burned out quite a few gray cells over the years.   I started this list just so I could go back and see if I'd already read something, and even if I liked it.  It helps but I think Amazon could do better.  After all, they're using computers and I'm stuck with my aging brain.

The Dark Tide - Andrew Gross

The Dark Tide is a mystery about a man who dies in a terrorist attack on New York City.  He's got a wife and kids and is sorely missed.  This book is a mystery about a hit-and-run that keeps nagging at the police lieutenant who goes out on the call.  Both of these events, and more, are all tangled up in this story in a way that keeps you reading late into the night.  Highly recommended.