Living Reading List - Confessions and September

I have a confession to make. There are stacks and stacks of un-read books in my house. I've started a major undertaking to read them all or move them on to someone who will appreciate them more if my interest has flagged. It means that books on my list may be older than most of the books you see on other blogs. In our society there is always a quest for something new, but often times we miss gems that miss a major hype cycle. Here's my reading list for September...

• GARMENT OF SHADOWS, Laurie R. King - I love King's Mary Russell series - a strong woman marries and it a match for Sherlock Holmes. These books are so much fun. This book comes out first week in September but I managed to get an early copy. 
• THE CLASH OF KINGS, George R. Martin - I'm going to allow myself to read the book behind the second season of HBO's Game of Thrones because I really liked the first novel. These books are really long and complicated -- and I already know what will happen...still they keep me interested.  I can't wait for season three. 
• WHERE GOOD IDEAS COME FROM: THE NATURAL HISTORY OF INNOVATION, Steven Johnson - This month's non-fiction title dissects where great ideas come from. I love coming up with great ideas (who doesn't?), so this book sounds intriguing. 
• THE ACCOMPLICE, Elizabeth Ironside - The Evening Telegraph in the UK called it, "A spellbinding story of love, murder, and deception." That was enough for me to try it.  

Here's the report on August's list:

• THE OTHER WOMAN, Hank Phillippi Ryan - I'm reviewing this book for Criminal Element. This book comes out on September 4th, and my Fresh Meat review will come out the week before. I'll post it when it goes live. 
• THE WINTER PALACE, Eva Stachniak - This is a novel about Catherine the Great. She was many things, but boring was not one of them. 
I LOVED THIS BOOK. This is a really really great book. So hard to put down.
• THE ART OF INTELLIGENCE: LESSONS FROM A LIFE IN THE CIA'S CLANDESTINE SERVICE, Henry A. Crumpton - Who doesn't love a good spy story, especially if it's true.... 
• The first part of the book is a little slow but establishes the credentials of the writer. The stories in here are fascinating. I do wish there had been more detail on fewer stories. Perhaps that isn't possible with security concerns. It's a good book though. 
• THE ACCOMPLICE, Elizabeth Ironside - The Evening Telegraph in the UK called it, "A spellbinding story of love, murder, and deception." That was enough for me to try it.  
• I didn't get to this one so it gets bumped to September.

Three Indelible Short Stories

There are handful of short stories that live inside you once you read them, they are undeniable, there forever. I may not remember the whole story, every character's name, every plot detail, but I remember that moment where it became indelible and what happened in the story to make it so.

There's a great post from Terrie Moran over at Criminal Element about the life and works of Shirley Jackson. Jackson is probably best know for her short story The Lottery where townspeople gather each year to stone one of their own to death. I read it in school many years ago, and it made such an impression it's still with me. You can read The Lottery here.

In fact, while watching the movie 'Hunger Games' The Lottery came back to me, as did my second selection for an indelible short story, The Most Dangerous Game by Richard Connell.

In that story a big game hunter becomes the big game. You can see how easily Hunger Games ties the two themes together to create a completely different but compelling story that tugs on our psyche.

The third story is called Jigsaw Man by Larry Niven. You can find it in the short story compilations, DANGEROUS VISIONS edited by Harlan Ellison ( it is not available in the public domain as the other two stories are. Jigsaw Man paints a future where humans can live forever as long as they continue to have organ transplants.  Convicts organs are harvested to help meet the need, but demand grows larger than the prison population so society starts punishing smaller and smaller infractions with death and the harvesting of your organs. I won't tell you how it ends so you can go enjoy for yourself.

What are your indelible short stories?

Living Reading List - August

• THE OTHER WOMAN, Hank Phillippi Ryan - I'm reviewing this book for Criminal Element. It comes out on September 4th, and my Fresh Meat review will come out the week before. 
• THE WINTER PALACE, Eva Stachniak - This is a novel about Catherine the Great. She was many things, but boring was not one of them. 
• THE ART OF INTELLIGENCE: LESSONS FROM A LIFE IN THE CIA'S CLANDESTINE SERVICE, Henry A. Crumpton - Who doesn't love a good spy story, especially if it's true.... 
• THE ACCOMPLICE, Elizabeth Ironside - The Evening Telegraph in the UK called it, "A spellbinding story of love, murder, and deception." That was enough for me to try it.  

So, how did last month's books go? Here's July's list with comments. 

GAME OF THRONES, George R. Martin - This is one of those series that I feel like I should have read, but I am behind the rest of the world.  I love the HBO show and don't want to spoil it, but I think I'm getting to the point where I could read the first book and not spoil anything. And I could stop myself from reading further. I have enough willpower.  Don't I? (For a little more on this, click here.)

Ok, I read the first book and it really helped me understand a lot of what I was confused about in the first season of GAME OF THRONES. It is amazing how Martin structured the book from so many points of view. The series was very true to that structure. It's also amazing that all of those  different characters can have separate story lines that are memorable. I've now put CLASH OF KINGS on the list for August. 

THIS BODY OF DEATH, Elizabeth George - This is a re-read. I just love her novels (I buy them all in hardback) and I wanted to read it one more time because I've missed Havers and Lynley. The TV show is good, but just not the same. 

I loved how Havers goes to nine-year Haddiyah for fashion advice. Lynley continues to struggle with Helen's death and I think that's really what the title is about. If you haven't read this book, pick it up right now. 

OPEN RANGE, THE LIFE OF AGNES MORELY CLEVELAND - How can you not want to read a book that starts out, "Agnew Morely was born in Cimarron, New Mexico, on the night that Clay Allison shot up the town."

This is a short book, easy to read and enjoyable. Agnes Morely was one of the first cowgirls and lead a life far, far away from anyone I have known.  She grew up to be a writer, and this book made me want to read her memoirs, "No Life for A Lady." The first half was better than the second half, but I think that as Agnes got older, she got wiser and didn't let life happen to her so much. A much easier life, but it makes for boring reading. I got this one out of a local library, so it might be difficult to find. 

THE SWAN THIEVES, Elizabeth Kostova - yes it was on last month's list, see confession below. I'm trying again this month. It's really only the size that's stopping me, I really want to read the book. 

This books wasn't for me, which is too bad because I loved THE HISTORIAN which was written by the same author. I read the first 80 pages and then I put it down. Every book isn't for every person. 

Living Reading List for July

• GAME OF THRONES, George R. Martin - This is one of those series that I feel like I should have read, but I am behind the rest of the world.  I love the HBO show and don't want to spoil it, but I think I'm getting to the point where I could read the first book and not spoil anything. And I could stop myself from reading further. I have enough willpower.  Don't I? (For a little more on this, click here.)
• OPEN RANGE, THE LIFE OF AGNES MORELY CLEVELAND - How can you not want to read a book that starts out, "Agnew Morely was born in Cimarron, New Mexico, on the night that Clay Allison shot up the town."
• THIS BODY OF DEATH, Elizabeth George - This is a re-read. I just love her novels (I buy them all in hardback) and I wanted to read it one more time because I've missed Havers and Lynley. The TV show is good, but it's just not the same. 
• THE SWAN THIEVES, Elizabeth Kostova - yes it was on last months list, see confession below. I'm trying again this month. It's really only the size that's stopping me, I really want to read the book. 

So how did last month's list go? See notes below.

• THE SWAN THIEVES, Elizabeth Kostova -  Written by Elizabeth Kostova who who brought us the HISTORIAN, this story is about intrigue in the art world. I freely admit this book has been in my pile since 2010. It's big and long which means traveling with it is impractical, and it's a little heavy for before bedtime reading as well. I refused to be cowed by it's size and weight any longer. 
• OK, the whole refused to be cowed by it's size any longer claim didn't actually turn out to be true. Since I do a lot of my reading on airplanes or before bedtime, the actual size and weight of the book continues to daunt me. 
• GODS OF GOTHAM, Lindsay Faye - This is a historical mystery set in New York City in 1845 and has only been out since mid-May.  
• I loved this one. I've added Linsay Faye's first book to the reading pile. Stay Tuned. 
• THE BROKEN TEAGLASS, Emily Arsenault - I chose this book because it has a dictionary page on the front cover because what could be better on the cover of a mystery novel? 
• I didn't get to this one either - gasp.  
• CALIFORNIA, INTIMATE GUIDE, Aubrey Drury - Published in 1935, I'm looking forward to reading about my home state from the point of view of another time. I picked this beautiful book up at a library sale, and am looking forward to reading individual chapters as pockets in-between other books. 
• I read the sections I was most interested in. It gives great flavor to old California.  
• MISTAKEN IDENTITY, Lisa Scottoline - Somehow I missed this one as I read through Scottoline's other books. It's like someone brings you a present you weren't expecting. 
• I actually had read this before. I kept re-reading thought because I didn't remember what happened. Lisa Scottline books make great reads on airplanes! 

Have you read any of these books? Have more books to recommend? Would love to hear your comments below.


Special thanks to the helpful librarians at Mission College who help me find all of my impossible to find books.

Great airplane read - you'll forget you're flying until you land.

The Living Reading List

I never get entirely through my to read list. Once I finish a book, three more present themselves, screaming, "Read me next! No, don't read that one, read me instead!" and the pile grows. I've finally determined that it must be a living list - organically growing as I move through the days. This is the top five list as it stands now. There are many more books than listed below, but for blog purposes this list will stay a manageable five. Maybe that will help me manage more in real life...

• THE SWAN THIEVES, Elizabeth Kostova -  Written by Elizabeth Kostova who who brought us the HISTORIAN, this story is about intrigue in the art world. I freely admit this book has been in my pile since 2010. It's big and long which means traveling with it is impractical, and it's a little heavy for before bedtime reading as well. I refused to be cowed by it's size and weight any longer. 
• THE BROKEN TEAGLASS, Emily Arsenault - I chose this book because it has a dictionary page on the front cover because what could be better on the cover of a mystery novel? 
• CALIFORNIA, INTIMATE GUIDE, Aubrey Drury - Published in 1935, I'm looking forward to reading about my home state from the point of view of another time. I picked this beautiful book up at a library sale, and am looking forward to reading individual chapters as pockets in-between other books. 
• MISTAKEN IDENTITY, Lisa Scottoline - Somehow I missed this one as I read through Scottoline's other books. It's like someone brings you a present you weren't expecting. 
• GODS OF GOTHAM, Lindsay Faye - This is a historical mystery set in New York City in 1845 and has only been out since mid-May.