Sharp Words

The Devil in Green, Mark Chadbourn [Book 1 of The Dark Age] - finished Friday 1st. Own copy.
Re-reading this after reading Jack of Ravens the previous week, since there’s a lot of stuff in this trilogy that I’ve forgotten.

The Margarets, Sheri S Tepper - finished Saturday 2nd. Library book, first read. Re-read, finished Saturday 9th.
I paused in the middle of the The Dark Age trilogy because Colin picked this up at the library for me, and I had to read it immediately what with it being the latest by my favourite author.
My review
** This counts as my name book for my reading challenge. **

The Queen of Sinister, Mark Chadborn [Book 2 of The Dark Age] - finished Sunday 3rd. Own copy.
The Hounds of Avalon, Mark Chadborn [Book 3 of The Dark Age] - finished Sunday 3rd. Own copy.

The Lady and the Unicorn, Tracy Chevalier - finished Sunday 10th. Library book, first read.
Much the same as Girl with a Pearl Earring although with a higher fictional content since no-one actually knows who designed or made the tapestries that inspired this novel. Short, but enjoyable.

Proven Guilty, Jim Butcher - finished Sunday 10th. Library book, first read.
This is one of the later Dresden Files novels - although I prefer to start a series at the beginning, I figured that with having seen the TV series last year, I probably wouldn’t get too lost. I was right, thankfully, although there was a lot going on that I hadn’t expected. A good read though; I got really engrossed in it. I’ll keep an eye out for others.

Friends, Lovers, Chocolate, Alexander McCall Smith - finished Monday 11th. Library book, first read.
One of the Sunday Philosophy Club novels, and the second that I’ve read. I love the full flavour of genteel Edinburgh that seeps through. Not very much ever really happens in McCall Smith’s novels, I’ve found though, and it was a quick read.

Fangland, John Marks - finished Tuesday 12th. Library book, first read.
My review

Maskerade, Terry Pratchett - finished Wednesday 13th. Own copy.
Carpe Jugulum, Terry Pratchett - finished Wednesday 13th. Own copy.
Good Omens, Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman - finished Thursday 14th. Own copy.
Reading Terry Pratchett novels when I’m ill is like drinking hot lemon & honey and wearing fluffy socks: warm, comfortable, familiar, and guaranteed to make me feel at least a little bit better. (Yes, I’ve been ill this week.)

The Fourth Bear, Jasper Fforde - finished Friday 15th. Own copy.
Still on the comfort/cheer-up reading…

Howl’s Moving Castle, Diana Wynne Jones - finished Friday 15th. Own copy.
Black Maria, Diana Wynne Jones - finished Saturday 16th. Own copy.
And again, more comfort reading… Also, it’s nice to have something familiar to act as an additional soporific when I wake up and can’t get back to sleep; not that I’m complaining about the books I’m reading, I do enjoy them! But when they’re familiar friends, I don’t have to think so hard, and I don’t get so engrossed that I Have To Keep Reading.

The Marvelous Land of Oz, L Frank Baum - finished Wednesday 20th. DailyLit (48 parts).

Dragon Prince, Melanie Rawn - finished Thursday 21st. Own copy.
The Star Scroll, Melanie Rawn - finished Sunday 24th. Own copy.
Sunrunner’s Fire, Melanie Rawn - finished Wednesday 27th. Own copy.
Still on the familiar reading. I realised it had been a couple of years since I last read this series, so thought I’d give it another go while I was still in need of something undemanding (too sick and too busy with work to try anything new or complex or that I wanted to review).  I like Melanie Rawn’s novels a lot; she writes good characters and she develops complex and well-rounded worlds, with politics and economics written in an interesting and convincing way.

Total for February 2008: 18+ 1 re-read
Ongoing total for 2008: 28 + 2 re-reads