Review: Shades of Grey by Clea Simon

The cat on the middle step was washing its face, carefully licking its left paw and then running it over each ear in turn.

"Mr. Grey?" It made no sense. The cat kept washing, straining sideways now to get its tongue into the thick grey ruff.

Dulcie closed her eyes. The heat, grief, and these damned pantyhose. She was losing it. When she dared to look again, the cat was gone. [pg 3-4]



Shades of Grey by Clea Simon
Severn House, 2009
Crime Fiction; 216 pgs


Having read and enjoyed author Clea Simon's Theda Krakow series, I looked forward to trying her new series featuring Dulcie Schwartz, a doctoral student specializing in gothic literature at Harvard University. Besides, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to meet a ghost cat, could I?

In order to help pay the bills, Dulcie has sublet her roommate's room in their apartment to another college student, a rather obnoxious man who likes the ladies. Dulcie isn't too fond of him, but she would never have wished him dead, which is exactly how she finds him one evening after a long day at work. He's been stabbed to death with her own knife. A cat that looks an awful lot like her former companion, Mr. Grey, tried to warn her not to enter the apartment, but Dulcie dismisses the voice in her head, and goes in anyway.

Besides finding herself a suspect in her roommate's murder, things aren't going so well at Dulcie's workplace either. Someone has been hacking into the computer system at the insurance company and suspicion seems to have fallen on Dulcie, whose temp position began not long before the trouble started. Dulcie cannot afford to lose her job, at least not before the school year starts and her grant kicks in.

As to that grant, she may lose that if she cannot come up with a thesis topic. She's drawing a blank and with the drama unfolding around her, is it any wonder? Could someone be trying to frame her for both crimes? Dulcie is not sure who to trust, even amongst her friends.

I took an instant liking to Dulcie. She lives and breathes gothic literature. And is it any wonder with a name like Dulcinea straight out of the gothic novel, Don Quixote? She is bookish and good-hearted. Some may find Dulcie’s penchant for day dreaming to be distracting, but I found it endearing (not to mention a little all to familiar). Dulcie was not the only character who won me over in Shades of Grey, and I look forward to discovering more about them in future books.

The author was very subtle in her handling of the supernatural element of the novel. While Mr. Grey is clearly a spirit, his few appearances in the novel are understated, and, as a result, come across as quite natural and believable. It suited the novel well.

There are several bookish references for the book lover within the pages of Shades of Grey. My favorite location in the novel was the Widener library. I would have loved to venture down into the lower floors of the library along with Dulcie, losing myself in the pages of an original copy of a gothic novel.

Shades of Grey was a pleasure to read. There’s plenty of mystery, a bit of thrill and even some romance. There was something about the tone--the atmosphere--that I found especially appealing. Perhaps a hint of that gothic flare coming out in Simon’s tale? It looks like I have a new series to add to my must read list.

Rating: (Very Good)

Challenge Commitment Fulfilled: ARC Challenge & 2009 Pub Challenge

You can learn more about Clea Simon and her books on the author's website and on her blog, Cats & Crime & Rock & Roll.

If you haven't already, be sure and check out Clea Simon's guest post: In Defense of Leisurely Lit.

Many thanks to Clea for sending me a copy of her book for review.

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© 2009, Wendy Runyon of Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved.
If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Sunday Salon: The One in Which I Quit a Few Challenges

It is one of those mornings that feels and looks too nice to stay indoors. The sun is shining bright in a deep blue sky, only one or two small clouds in sight. It's not even 70F degrees out. Perhaps this means the 100 degree weather is behind us for now. I won't count it out yet. Summer has a tendency to fight to stay until the very end in Southern California. She does not give up easily.

I received the questions from my BBAW interview partner this weekend and am hoping to spend some time today answering those. I did not get the chance to work on my blog like I had planned yesterday, and so I may do that today as well. It goes without saying that I hope to visit many of your lovely blogs today.

My reading has fallen into its predictable pace, which means I have not been reading nearly as much as I would like. Those snatches of time when I read seem to be few and far between. I currently am reading Ru Freeman's A Disobedient Girl. The novel, set in Sri Lanka, follows the lives of two very different women, Biso and Latha. It has been described as both a "beautiful and hearbreaking novel." I hope to step into Biso and Latha's lives more today, perhaps making more headway than I have been able to so far.

The setting of Freeman's novel is what first made me decide to read it. I am drawn to books set in foreign locales, especially ones I do not know much about. Sri Lanka stands out for me for another reason as well. I once had a pen pal from Sri Lanka. He was actually living in Saudi Arabia at the time I wrote to him, but he often wrote about his home and family in Sri Lanka. I wish now I had held onto those letters.

It is quite a coincidence that Carrie from Books and Movies would post about her decision to drop out of a few of her challenges this week. She weighed whether she would be able to complete certain challenges by the end of the year versus her current reading obligations and decided to drop three challenges. For about a month now, I have been considering the same thing for the very same reason. In fact, I was trying to decide if I wanted to make a big announcement or go out quietly.

Last year I made the decision to stay in the challenges I knew I would not complete on the off chance that I might anyway. This time I am going to go ahead and drop out early. Looking over the numbers, there are a few challenges I keep telling myself I might be able to slip a few more books in. But am I really being honest with myself or is it wishful thinking? After going back and forth with myself, I am dropping out of the majority of the challenges I am in, hanging on to only two which I have not yet completed. This was not an easy decision to make. I hate giving up on anything. At the same time, it will be one less obligation on my plate. And right now, that's the priority.

I do not feel guilt about dropping out of the challenges. They are meant to be fun. Sometimes our reading has a mind of its own and takes us in directions other than where we originally intended to go. I appreciate all the hard work the challenge hosts put into their challenges and wish all of the participants the best of luck.

(Note: I am behind on posting reviews and updating lists. While the below numbers are accurate to my knowledge, it may not be reflected in my sidebar or on the challenge posts themselves as of yet.)

Challenges I Am Saying Goodbye To:
What's in a Name Challenge - 3/6
Themed Challenge 1/4 (deadline passed)
TBR Challenge - 4/12
Classic Challenge 2009 - 0/4
Cozy Mystery Challenge - 4/6
Nonfiction Challenge - 1/5
1st in a Series Challenge - 6/12
2nds Challenge - 3/12
Buy One Book and Read It Challenge 5/12

Challenges Continuing or Completed:
War Through the Generations: WWII Challenge - 3/5
Chunkster Challenge - 2/3
Sookie Stackhouse Reading Challenge - Technically I have completed this one. I am keeping this open, however, in case the author publishes a new book in the series before the challenge deadline.
Herding Cats II - I met the minimum requirement for this one--the pre-challenge phase, which is all that was required.
2009 Pub Challenge - Completed (update and summary pending)
ARC Challenge - Completed 1st & 2nd tier (update and summary pending)
New Authors Challenge - Completed (update and summary pending)


This Week In Reading Mews:

Reviews Posted:
The Promised World by Lisa Tucker (Interview with Author)
The Glass Devil by Helene Tursten

Currently Reading:
A Disobedient Wife by Ru Freeman

New Additions to my TBR collection (over last few weeks) :
Ritual by Mo Hayder (giveaway win ~ many thanks to Melody of Melody's Reading Corner)
Cleopatra's Daughter by Michelle Moran (from the author for review)
The Last Dickens by Matthew Pearl (TLC Book Tour)
Hardball by Sara Paretsky (from the publisher for review)
Prime Time by Hank Phillippi Ryan (from publicist for review)
Face Time by Hank Phillippi Ryan (from publicist for review)
Air Time by Hank Phillippi Ryan (from publicist for review)
Lethal Legacy by Linda Fairstein (bought at discount table at B&N)
Into That Darkness by Gitta Sereny (recommended by Sandy Nawrot of You've GOTTA Read This!)
The Impostor's Daughter by Laurie Sandell (giveaway win ~ many thanks to Suzanne from Chick with Books)

Other Posts of Interest This Week:
Monday at the Movies: District 9 & A Bit of the Outdoors
Random Fun. Not So Bookish Thoughts. Well, Mostly Not.

Coming Attractions:
At the Movies: Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Review of Sometimes We're Always Real Same-Same by Mattox Roesch
Guest Post by Author Clea Simon: In Defense of Leisurely Lit
Review of Shades of Grey by Clea Simon

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© 2009, Wendy Runyon of Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved.
If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Review: The Missing Ink by Karen E. Olson & A Word From the Author

In the parking garage elevator, I was sandwiched between an elderly woman in a bright pink velour sweatsuit--didn't anyone tell her it was a hundred degrees outside?--and a guy who looked like he was on his way to a Young Republicans meeting, complete with a three-piece navy pin-striped suit, red tie, and buzz cut. And they looked at me like I was the freak.

When I stepped out of the elevator, though, I started to freak. Quietly. To myself. Because the big, bald, tattooed guy in the sleeveless jean jacket was leaning against a concrete pillar about halfway to my car. [excerpt from The Missing Ink]


The Missing Ink by Karen E. Olson
Obsidian Mystery, 2009 (ARC)
Crime Fiction (M); 299 pgs

My father used to tell me that when I turned 21, he would take me Reno, Nevada. It’s a good thing I did not hold my breath because it never happened. I still haven’t made it to Reno. I did, however, make it to Las Vegas. Only not with my father. My first visit there was with my boyfriend-now-husband for a friend’s wedding. We stayed at Circus Circus and had fun playing the arcade-like games (Skee-Ball was a favorite) and watching the free circus acts performed nonstop throughout our stay there.

Even though we have never been interested in gambling or spending hours on end in the smoke-filled casinos, there is something about Las Vegas that attracts us there still today. One of the best views of the city is driving up to it, seeing it rise out of the desert like a huge funky oasis. During our last trip to Las Vegas, my husband and I did not stick to the strip, the most famous part of the city. Rather we explored the back streets and other parts of town that are lesser known. It’s just a regular city like any other, really.

As much as I enjoy reading about places I have never been and may never go, I also take pleasure in reading books set in places I have traveled to. While I would have read The Missing Ink for the very reason that it is written by one of my favorite crime fiction authors, the Las Vegas setting made it all the more appealing.

Brett Kavanaugh is a tattoo artist who owns her own tattoo parlor, The Painted Lady, a classy joint that is nestled in an upscale shopping center. I instantly took a liking to Brett. She’s smart and witty, not to mention a bit gutsy. She lives with her brother who is a homicide detective with the Las Vegas Police Department. Having both just come out of bad relationships, it is the perfect arrangement. I enjoyed the easy banter between the sister and brother. They make a good team, even if the detective doesn’t quite see them as such. It’s obvious they love and respect each other.

In the first installment of this tattoo shop mystery series, Brett becomes especially curious when a police officer asks her if she has seen a missing woman. Brett, valuing her client's confidentiality, at first does not admit to anything. The woman had, in fact, been to her shop and requested a devotional tattoo, only the name she wanted on the tattoo would turn out not to be that of her fiancé’s. Brett decides to ask a few questions to see if she can find out more about this mysterious woman. To complicate matters further, she ends up in the middle of a murder investigation when a woman’s body is discovered and the police’s prime suspect takes her into his confidence.

Author Karen E. Olson’s latest novel is just a tad less gritty than her last series, but by no means less entertaining. She has created a cast of colorful characters who make the perfect sidekicks: from the gentle but tough looking Joel who can’t resist a doughnut to the small Bitsy who shouldn’t be underestimated despite her size. Then there is the elderly Sylvia, a pioneering female tattoo artist, who I hope to see more of in future books. And I dare not leave out the charming and ever sexy Simon Chase, to whom there is more there than meets the eye.

Just as interesting as the characters is the mystery itself. It was like being in a car chase, with quick turns and heart racing moments. This is one of those books where the obvious may be just that—obvious—while at other times, nothing is quite what it seems. What makes it works all the better is that, as the reader, I was never quite sure which was which.

The Missing Ink is a great start in a new series by author Karen E. Olson. It is fun and fast paced. It makes for great summer reading. And if ever I decided to get a tattoo in Las Vegas, I would head straight for The Painted Lady.

Rating: (Very Good +)


Challenge Commitment Fulfilled: ARC Challenge, 2009 Pub Challenge, 1st in a Series Challenge, & Cozy Mystery Challenge

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It is my pleasure to welcome author Karen E. Olson back to Musings of a Bookish Kitty. The first time I read one of her books, it was love at first read, and I have yet to be disappointed. Karen was able to drop in for a visit to talk about her new character, Brett Kavanaugh. The first book in her new series, The Missing Ink, goes on sale in bookstores today.

* * *

When you spend more than five years with one character in your head, it’s not easy to toss her aside and start with someone completely different. But that’s what I had to do when I started writing THE MISSING INK, the first in my tattoo shop mysteries.

I first heard Annie Seymour’s voice way back in 2000. It came through loud and clear, all those f-words and the sarcasm and the vulnerability. I knew Annie, she was a little bit like me, a lot like a lot of people I’d worked with. She was easy.

But Brett Kavanaugh, the tattooist in my new series, is completely different. I wanted to create another strong female character, but she couldn’t be anything like Annie or I knew the reviewers and readers would skewer me. I couldn’t just rehash the same character. She had to be her own person, have her own world. Have her own voice.

So I decided she wouldn’t cuss.

At first it was sort of an experiment. Would readers stop sending me those emails complaining that even though they like my books they’re offended by Annie’s language if I gave them an option, a series that didn’t have those so-called offensive words? It was worth a shot.

But as I began writing, as I began developing Brett’s voice, I realized that it wasn’t a conscious effort to keep her from cussing. She just doesn’t. It’s not part of her character. She’s a tattooist, sure, but she’s a nice Catholic girl from Jersey who went to religious school. Her tone is lighter, more fun than Annie’s, although she also has a sense of humor, but in a little bit of a different way.

I’ll miss writing Annie, but I’ve had so much fun writing and getting to know Brett.

How do you feel about cussing in a book? Are you someone who’d be offended, or do you just accept it when it’s the character’s voice?

* * *

Karen E. Olson is the author of the crime fiction series featuring crime reporter Annie Seymour and a new series featuring Brett Kavanaugh, tattoo shop owner and artist.

Karen E. Olson has teamed up with several authors at the First Offenders blog, maintains her own blog at Amazon as well as her own website.

Thanks goes to the author for taking time out of her busy schedule to prepare a guest post for us here today and for sending me a copy of her book, The Missing Ink, for review.

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© Wendy Runyon of Musings of a Bookish Kitty 2009.

Reviews: Defending Angels & Angel's Advocate

The room was completely lined with bookshelves that ran from the twelve-foot ceiling to the floor. And the shelves were stuffed to overflowing. Books were everywhere. Leather-bound, paperback, hardcover, skinny, enormously thick—it was overwhelming. Bree recognized a complete edition of the Oxford English Dictionary. Underneath it were rows and rows of books bound in tan leather with a red band across the spine. That weird sense of being pulled in two directions went away, to be replaced by a feeling of total contentment. This was a library, and Bree had always loved libraries. [pg 57]

Defending Angels by Mary Stanton
Berkley Prime Crime, 2008
Mystery (Fantasy); 294 pgs

Challenge Commitment Fulfilled: 1st in a Series Challenge, New Authors Challenge, Cozy Mystery Challenge, & Buy One Book and Read It Challenge

There was quite a lightning show yesterday. The thunder was so loud that it shook the building. I worried all day about my cats, imagining them shivering in fear under the bed while I was stuck in my office wishing I had a better view of the sky. I was not so worried about Riley, my dog. He's rather fearless even if excitable.

After I got home from work and had settled in, the thunder and lightning came in quick succession. Riley started barking and chasing the cats who were trying their hardest to reach the bedroom and their safe place. This was the first time he had ever really reacted to the thunder. I sat him down and explained that it was nothing to get excited about, just the gods bowling. Even they need to take time out and play. Perhaps Riley actually understood what I was saying, but the truth is he probably hadn’t a clue. More than likely it was my tone of voice, body language, and my stroking of his back that did the trick. But I'd rather think it was the story.

I cannot remember if it was my grandfather or father who first told me the story about the gods with their bowling balls: the thunder being the sound of the ball striking the pins and the lightning being the celebration that follows. Maybe you’ve heard the story too? It's one that calmed the nerves of a frightened child.

But what if it weren't the gods who were bowling, but angels? I can see it perfectly in my mind's eye . . .

Brianna (Bree) Winston-Beaufort is striking out on her own, having inherited her eccentric uncle's law practice in Savannah, Georgia. She could not be more excited: it’s an opportunity to prove herself and to move away from her well-meaning but overbearing parents. Unfortunately, her uncle's law office fell victim to fire, and so Bree is forced to find a temporary working space during the renovation process. She finds a house on Angelus Street that is too good to pass up. The price is right and the landlady, Lavinia, won't take no for an answer. The catch? Her new offices are located in the middle of a cemetery. And not just any cemetery. It is a murderers’ cemetery where the bodies of murderers have been buried.

In Defending Angels, Bree sets up office, hires staff, rescues a dog, and takes on her first client. She's been hired by the assistant of a recently deceased, extremely wealthy businessman to prove that his death was no accident despite evidence to the contrary. Bree is more than skeptical of her client's allegations, especially when she learns the client says she knows it was murder because the man's ghost told her so. Still, the former assistant is her client, and Bree must represent the client's best interests.

Bree turns on her Southern charm as she looks into the possible murder of the businessman, Benjamin Skinner. The more she digs, the more she begins to believe her client may just be right. And soon it isn't just her temporal client she is representing, but Benjamin Skinner himself, who is facing serious charges in a very different type of court, the Celestial Court.

It's impossible for Bree to ignore the strange things going on around her. Ghostly white faces that appear in her window, a horrid painting that has a life of its own, and staff that seem to have unearthly—dare I say, angelic—abilities. And what of Gabriel Striker, the private investigator who always shows up just when trouble is brewing? Bree quickly learns that there is much more to the law practice she inherited from her uncle than it at first seemed. She may not represent the most innocent of clients, but even they deserve a fair and just attorney on their side.

Bree manages to maintain her head through it all (although there are moments when she doubts her own sanity). I really liked how the author, Mary Stanton, kept the reader in the dark and just as confused at times as Bree. As Bree learns and adjusts to her new life situation, so does the reader. Bree's focus on the task at hand certainly is, in part, what keeps her moving forward.

The narrative is witty, fast-paced, and, of course, entertaining. I enjoyed the time I spent with Bree and her family and friends, and even getting to know her ex-boyfriend, Payton the Rat (who has well earned that name). Sasha, Bree's dog, will quickly win over the hearts of readers. I couldn't get enough of Bree's sidekicks, Ron and Petru. And I'm dying to spend more time in Lavinia's room upstairs.

I did not hesitate to jump right into Angel's Advocate upon finishing Defending Angels. In the second book of the series, Bree's aunt asks her to take on the defense of a rather unruly teenager, Lindsey Chandler, who assaulted and stole the money of a Girl Scout. Bree isn't sure how she can help--or if she'll be able to do much for the child, but she agrees to at least give it a try.

As it turns out, someone else needs her assistance as well. Lindsey's father died in a car accident four months before. Probert Chandler was a man who had lived a modest life despite his wealth. He had been found guilty of serious charges in the Celestial Court, however, and had filed for a retrial and Bree is his designated attorney. Bree has her hands full. Lindsey is out of control, and her mother does not know what to do with the child. Not to mention the long list of suspects who may be embroiled in some sort of trouble related to Mr. Chandler and his business. And does it relate to Lindsey and all the trouble she manages to find her way into? Bree has quite a knot to untangle in order to find the truth.

If that wasn't enough, it appears two bodies have disappeared from the cemetery surrounding Bree's office, and the murderers' spirits are out to stop Bree. Someone isn't happy she picked up where her uncle left off.

Angel's Advocate was just as exciting and fun as the first book in the series. The reader is reacquainted with old characters and meets a slew of new ones, each of them interesting. I could just picture Belli and Miles, Bree’s most recent guardians, crammed into the back of Bree's car everywhere she went. And, of course, I was happy to see Sasha by her side.

In preparation for writing this series, the author did extensive research into the subjects of angels and early Christianity. The foundation of the Beaufort and Company series is built loosely on 11th and 12th century medieval theology, which was influenced by the world's major religions of the time: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The author also drew on Chinese religions as well. I found this especially fascinating and admit it makes the series even more appealing to me. Mary Stanton has created an intricate and detailed world that I am looking forward to exploring further with each novel.

Bree has an interesting back-story that is threaded throughout each of the novels and most likely will continue in future books. So, while each book can stand well on its own, there are personal story lines that carry over and might be best read in order.

Despite the somewhat frivolousness of the novels, they do have a darker side. The more I delve into the "cozy" sub-genre, the more I am discovering how wrong my early conceptions were. Charlaine Harris, Clea Simon and now Mary Stanton are among the authors who have shown me the light. I like edge to my mysteries and The Beaufort and Company mysteries certainly contain that.

“I think I made a mistake when I decided to go to law school instead of becoming a veterinarian.” [excerpt from Angel's Advocate]

Angel’s Advocate by Mary Stanton
Berkley Prime Crime, 2009 (ARE)
Mystery (Fan); 178 pgs

Challenge Commitment Fulfilled: 2nds Challenge, ARC Challenge, 2009 Pub Challenge, & Cozy Mystery Challenge

Check out Mary Stanton's website for more information about her and her books. And if you haven't already, take a look at my interview with the author.

Review: Probable Claws by Clea Simon

I am not a cat. Beyond the obvious - no fur, no whiskers - I'm not and have never been as fastidious as your average feline, and I'm certainly not the clean freak that my own Musetta is. [from the prologue]


Probable Claws by Clea Simon
Poisoned Pen Press, 2009 (ARC)
Crime Fiction (MYS); 255 pgs


My favorite computer moments, however awkward, are when I have a cat sitting on my desk, another cat lying across my chest and arms and a dog at my feet. There is just something comforting in being surrounded by my fur friends. It might come as a surprise then when I tell you that I haven’t always been a fan of animal related mysteries. No, that isn’t quite true. I had not really tried enough to form that solid of an opinion. What I had read had not impressed me much and so for quite a while, I shied away from them.

And then I was introduced to Clea Simon’s Theda Krakow series. It was impossible not to fall in love with Musetta, Theda’s beautiful and playful tuxedo cat. What I like most about this particular series is how natural the cats are in the book. The cats are natural and realistic, which fits well with this series. They behave just like my cats. There are moments when I find myself nodding, “Parker does that!” Or light is shed on a behavior I might not have understood before.

Another aspect I like about the Theda Krakow series is how character driven the books are. Theda is a freelance reporter and music critic in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Theda’s personal and professional lives are woven together in such a way that they are integral parts of the mystery; the club music scene and her involvement with the cat community, included. In Probable Claws, the line is even more blurred as Theda’s career and relationships suddenly are put into precarious positions. What begins as a suspected poisoning of cats at her friend Violet’s shelter soon escalates into murder, and Theda becomes the number one suspect. Could shelter politics be behind everything? Or is a simple case of jealousy or greed?

Animal shelters carry a heavy burden in our society, and Clea Simon touches upon some of the difficulties they face. While her novels focus on cats, the issues also apply to other pets, such as dogs as well. In Probable Claws, the author addresses the problem of over population and euthanasia. With over population, it is difficult to maintain a no kill stance and yet many shelters are trying to go that route, limiting euthanasia only to hard to place animals. But what exactly constitutes a hard to place animal? This too is under scrutiny and a serious issue to consider.

Theda is in the thick of things in Probable Claws and she comes across as strong but vulnerable. So much in her life seems to be going downhill all at once and the author captures Theda’s internal struggle of trying to stay in control despite the odds. Many of Theda’s friends make an appearance in Probable Claws, including her boyfriend Bill and one of my favorite characters, Violet. The reader gets the opportunity to know fellow reporter Ralph a little better in this novel. Although he isn’t the most likeable guy, I found myself feeling sorry for him as the novel progressed. But only a little.

Probable Claws, the fourth book in the series, is the best yet. The mystery is tightly woven and the tension builds as the story unfolds, resulting in a climax that was both exciting and satisfying. Theda grew as a character in this book, and I look forward to seeing where the author takes her next.

If you haven't already, take a look at my interview with the author! You can learn more about Clea Simon and her books on the author's website and on her blog, Cats & Crime & Rock & Roll.

Other books in the series:
Mew is For Murder
Cattery Row
Cries and Whiskers


Challenge Commitment Fulfilled: ARC Challenge, 2009 Pub Challenge, Cozy Mystery Challenge, What's in a Name Challenge

Herding Cats II: Attack of the Hairballs (And Other Challenges I Couldn't Resist)

Here are the rules Herding Cats II (April 1st, 2009 - December 31st, 2009) hosted by Renay:

1. Make a list of five books you love. Directions:

• Five. I'm as serious as a beached whale.
• All titles must be books you've read in 2007, 2008 or 2009.
• Please don't list a series; just the first book. If you really want to list a book in the middle of a series, you can, but it has to be that specific book.
• Feel free to share why you're putting the book on your list, because I am nosy.

2. Post your list:

• in your own journal, in the comments here, whatever is fine. Share the list here.
• Lists should be public (no locked entries, no logging in to view).

3. Browse the new book list. Stay a while. Read a few (eta: if you want; not even reading is required this time around if you don't have time to commit to a new challenge but still want to share your favorites).

4. If you review your books, you can share the reviews. You know, if you want. No pressure. Definitely not.

Important note: this is only a reading challenge if you want it to be!

Notice how Renay makes a point of saying that this doesn't have to be a challenge. Twice. What a relief! That means that if I go in with the intent to read books on other people's lists, and I am unable to do so, I will not feel so guilty. And I will still meet the requirement for this exercise just by listing my own five books. Now there's a challenge an assignment after my own heart.

Renay knew it would be a next to impossible task to select just five favorite books out of a two and three month span, didn't she? I am not going to summarize the books. You are welcome to follow the the links to my reviews of each book. I will, however, offer a little explanation of why these books are counted among my favorites (note: this isn't necessarily a best of the best list). Let's get started, shall we?


Broken For You by Stephanie Kallos ~ I love everything about this book: its voice, its beauty, the eccentric characters, the lessons learned, and the story itself. I finished the book with a breathless, "Wow."

Beasts of No Nation by Uzodinma Iweala ~ This book got under my skin. I felt such sorrow and anger when I read it while at the same time in awe of the author's gift at drawing me in so completely and making it impossible for me not to feel for the young boy whose story fills the pages.

The Ghost Writer by John Harwood ~ A haunting and complex story that captivated me the very first moment. I especially loved the ghost stories woven into the main plot line.

Who By Fire by Diana Spechler ~ I loved this novel on many levels: the setting, the characters, the story, and the writing. I was not ready for this book to end when it did. I wanted it to go on just a little while longer.

Sacred Cows by Karen E. Olson ~ To lighten things up. This is the perfect start to a wonderful crime series, not to mention a protagonist after my own heart. It is funny and hard boiled all at the same time. Not to mention it makes a great stand alone novel for those not interested in starting a series.


Looking over the lists of other participants, quite a few books caught my eye. Although quite a few favorites listed are ones I would like to read, I decided to only list below the titles of books I actually own copies of but have yet to read. Those infamous TBR books. There is little chance I will get to even half of the titles on the list, however, I enjoyed listing them just the same.

Perspective Choices for Herding Cats Challenge:
Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen
Booked to Die by John Dunning
The Fragile Things by Neil Gaiman
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
The Secret of Lost Things by Sheridan Hay
The Ice Queen by Alice Hoffman
The Swallows of Kabul by Yasmina Khadra
The Stand by Stephen King
The God of Animals by Aryn Kyle
Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami
28: Stories of AIDs in Africa by Stephanie Nolen
The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society by Mary Anne Shaffer and Annie Barrows
We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

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Host: Trish
Goal: Read 5 non-fiction books. Read at least one non-fiction book that is different from your other choices
Time Frame: May 1, 2009 to October 30, 2009

Book Choices (subject to change):
Legerdemain by James J. Heaphey
Outcasts United: A Refugee Team, an American Town by Warren St. John
Picking Cotton: Our Memoir of Injustice and Redemption by Jennifer Thompson-Cannino & Ronald Cotton with Erin Torneo
Honeymoon in Tehran: Two Years of Love and Danger in Iran by Azadeh Moaveni
(Fifth Choice TBA)

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Host: Kris
Goal: Read 6 cozy mysteries.
Restrictions: Two must be specific to this challenge only, but the rest may overlap with other challenges.
Time Frame: April 1, 2009 to September 30, 2009

Book Choices (subject to change):
Curiosity Killed The Cat-Sitter by Blaize Clement
Shakespeare's Trollop by Charlaine Harris
Abby Cooper: Psychic Eye by Victoria Laurie
Probable Claws by Clea Simon
This Pen for Hire by Laura Levine
Shop Till You Drop by Elaine Viets