Last of the 2011 Challenges

Whew! I just made it under the wire for my last three challenges of 2011. With my last two books, I managed to read 220 books this year and that allowed me to complete both the Outdo Yourself and Goodreads Challenge goals. And...since my goal for the Get Read-y for 2012 Challenge was to read enough off the TBR stacks to meet those challenges I've completed that challenge as well. Woo Hoo! Here's the run-down of what I managed for each of these:

The reading list for the Goodreads Challenge (see side bar for my progress) and the Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge for 2011 sponsored by The Book Vixen were the same. Basically, I signed up to read more books than I finished in 2010. And I chose the

I'm on fire! --Read 16+ more books

level and wound up needing to read 220 or more books in 2011. I just made it....and if you want to see the complete list of books read, then go HERE.

In December, this challenge, hosted by Loving Books, focused on reducing the to-read books that you might have lying around, waiting for you to read them. The goal is to start 2012 with a small, manageable pile of books that will also allow you to be able to pick up new titles.

Here's my response at the time to that idea:
(Ha Ha Ha Ha!!!! Small! Manageable! Ha Ha Ha!!! Did you hear that maniacal laughter? That was me. Looking at my TBR stacks. Actually, just looking at my 2011 challenge books TBR stack. I'm *cough* *cough* supposed to read about *cough* 20 *cough* more books in ONE month if I'm going to meet the Outdo Yourself Challenge. Um, yeah. That's gonna happen.)

I actually DID manage to read enough books...some of them just came from different piles than anticipated, so I didn't list those books here. But I met the Outdo challenge, so mission accomplished.

December Reads from the TBR pile:1. In the Teeth of the Evidence by Dorothy L Sayers (12/4/11)
2. The Habit of Widowhood by Robert Barnard (12/4/11)
3. The Club Dumas by Arturo Pérez-Reverte (12/5/11)
4. Electric City by K. K. Beck (12/6/11)
5. More Holmes for the Holidays by Greenberg, Lellenberg, & Waugh, eds (12/7/11)
6. The Life & Adventures of Santa Claus by L. Frank Baum (12/10/11)
7. An Incomplete Revenge by Jacqueline Winspear (12/12/11)
8. A Christmas Guest by Anny Perry (12/13/11)
9. That Hideous Strength by C. S. Lewis (12/17/11)
10. The Praise Singer by Mary Renault (12/20/11)
11. Murder on Theatre Row by Michael Jahn (12/24/11)
12. C. B. Greenfield: A Little Madness by Lucille Kallen (12/26/11)
13. The Chinese Bell Murders by Robert Van Gulik (12/30/11)
14. Beware of Trains by Edmund Crispin (12/30/11)

And...being an overachiever...I also used the Van Gulik book to finish reading the complete alphabet in mystery authors for the A-Z Mystery Author Challenge. I had already met my goal (first third of the alphabet), but as a private challenge I wanted to see if I could do the whole thing. Done!

Oh...and seeing as I finished a grand total of 33 out of 36 challenges attempted (two are perpetual, so no fail there--only one was limited to 2011), that means that I have completed the Reading Challenge Addict Challenge level of 16+ as well!

Last Two Reviews of 2011

I've been reading like mad to try and meet my Outdo Yourself and Goodreads Challenge goal of 220 books in 2011. And, as of two minutes ago, I made it. Woo hoo! Happy Dance at Bev's place! Now, I have to drag myself out of my reading frenzy stupor and do at least a mini-review for the last two books of 2011.

First up: The Chinese Bell Murders by Robert Van Gulik. Not only did this help me meet the aforementioned goal, it also served as the letter "V" for the A-Z Mystery Authors Challenge and let me complete the mysterious alphabet.

This book, originally published in 1958, is actually set in the China of about the 7th century. Van Gulik was a Dutch diplomat and a well-known authority on Chinese history and culture. He drew his plots, settings, and character-development from Chinese literature--particularly the popular detective novels of the period. The story tells us of the adventures and rulings of Judge Dee in the early days overseeing the tribunal of Poo-yang. When he takes over the tribunal, he finds that there is one case which his predecessor has left him. It involves the brutal rape and murder of the daughter of Butcher Hsai. Pure Jade was found in her room and her lover has been accused and all-but convicted by the previous judge. But when Judge Dee reads over the court records and examines the witnesses for himself, he feels that there is more to the story than meets the eye. While he and his assistants search for clues to the real murderer, he also finds himself faced with rumors that the monks who inhabit the Buddhist Temple of Boundless Mercy, run by an abbot by the name of "Spiritual Virtue," may not be as virtuous as they seem. Their temple appears to be far more prosperous than a Buddhist temple should be and there is doubt that the marvelous "cures" for barren women are really as other-worldy as reported. And finally, there is the case of the deranged elderly woman who has tried for years to get justice for wrongs done to her family by an influential man of business. Is there truth to her ravings or is she just truly insane?

I have to say that Van Gulik obviously know his stuff. He produces the China of the period with great detail and flair and I felt as though I were really in a tribunal of the time period. Full marks for historical detail and atmosphere. He also is very adept at writing in what purports to be the style of the period (and I can well believe it). However, I must also say that the style of the period is not to my liking. The assumptions of guilt and the phrasing of questions just don't sit will with me. I'm also not real keen on the whole "beat a confession out of the guilty party" thing. Judge Dee is an interesting character and I do like the way he reasons--and doesn't accept everything at face value, but I don't think this is a series that I could read a whole lot of. Two and a half stars (almost three).

Last book of 2011: Beware of Trains by Edmund Crispin. This is a collection of short stories--with all but two of the sixteen featuring that delightful Oxford don, Gervase Fen. It would be difficult to give you a run-down without spoiling the stories. Let me just say that they are almost all extraordinarily good. We have everything from the story of the missing train conductor to the affair of the disappearing car, black necktie and abortive theft. There's the ex-army man who takes pot-shots at Inspector Humbleby and the drowned man who lost everything but his boots and the locked room that wasn't. And more. And all of them told in the fabulously witty Crispin style. I'm so very glad that I chose it as my last read of 2011. Four stars.

And a favorite quote:

"Discretion," said Fen with great complacency, "is my middle name."
"I dare say. But very few people use their middle names." [Inspector Humbleby]
~from the short story "Within the Gates"

C. B. Greenfield: A Little Madness Review

C. B. Greenfield: A Little Madness is Lucille Kallen's fifth and last mystery novel. I've read the previous three...and have yet to find her debut novel. I'd still like to do that--even though this latest outing was a bit of a let-down. I thoroughly enjoyed The Tanglewood Murder; No Lady in the House; and The Piano Bird and fully expected to enjoy A Little Madness as well. Unfortunately, this tale of murder at a nuclear arms protest leaves a lot to be desired.

First up--the story line. Spring has come to New England, bringing warmer weather and spring romance in the form of visiting a British violinist who seems to be playing a siren song that has crusty C. B. Greenfield smiling (smiling??) and hanging on every note. Maggie, his sleuthing assistant and star reporter, runs away from the nauseating sight to join an upstate women's peace camp--all set to protest the storage of cruise missiles at a local military base. But it seems she can not escape love's sweet dream...for Penelope Heath-Morecomb (Britain's finest) turns up at the camp as one of its leaders. Also making an appearance in town is a well-known right-wing activist who is vowing to shut down the peace protest with a demonstration of her own. Tensions rise....until the right-winger (author of such fine books as Why God Gave Us Bombs) disappears mysteriously before making her final appearance as a corpse in a stream. Maggie becomes convinced that H-M is behind the evil doings and Greenfield arrives on the scene to help her find out if she's right.

So...why was this such a disappointment? A. The story line. Why the heck is Maggie so unreasonably jealous of H-M? She meets the woman once, sees Greenfield entranced by her musical talents, and suddenly becomes convinced that she (Maggie) is being shouldered aside as Greenfield's side-kick, confidante, what-have-you. Seriously? And then, supposing one buys that little tidbit, what in our previous outings makes us willing to further suspend our disbelief and think that she would immediately run off to join a peace camp? Nothing. Kallen could have sold that little trip better if she had Maggie heading up there to cover the story as a reporter. That would have been believable. B. The murder. How about--since we've embroiled Maggie in a peace demonstration--we actually make the murder relevant to that story line? Or rather (since it is sortof related) more relevant. C. The narrative. Just did not flow like the previous novels. It felt choppy and erratic--just like Maggie's behavior. D. The culprit. Kind of pathetic. Really. Can't give a lot of details here or it'd spoil it for you--supposing you still want to try this one out.

My suggestion? Skip this one and go for one of the previous novels. 'Cuz the three I've read are actually pretty darn good. Two stars--just.

Murder on Theatre Row: Review

Murder of all sorts is going on in this mystery by Michael Jahn. From murderous ghosts with crossbows to the murderous assault on Casablanca (how could anyone even think of turning that classic into a musical?), newly-minted Captain Bill Donovan has his hands full on the Great White Way. It all starts with the death of an Asian man in the basement of the old Knickerbocker Theater. While Donovan is still trying to decide if the strange bruising on the man's body is relevant to his death, more deaths follow. One of the musicals stars is shot with a crossbow in the middle of a preview performance. One of the construction workers is also killed. Has the ghost of Milo the Magnificent, long dead and buried in the basement, come back to take revenge on those who have disturbed his rest? Donovan believes there is a much more mortal hand behind the current Broadway killing spree. He will have to give a brilliant performance of his own on New Year's Eve to catch his killer.

Murder on Theatre Row is a very decent mystery. It's the first novel that I've read by Jahn and I really like his main character, Bill Donovan. Donovan is a specialist on bizarre crimes--particularly those with odd weapons--so the killer with the crossbow is right up his alley. He is also a very straight-talking, widely read man who makes the reader believe that he really might know something about everything. Good supporting characters in his sergeant and his long-time girlfriend. I also like how he pays good deeds forward. After being helped out of alcoholism himself, he in turn helps one of the suspects conquer his own personal demons. Good solid outing. Three stars.

The Praise Singer: Review

About four years ago, I participated in our library's adult winter reading program. It's a fun and easy contest that was started to complement the children's summer reading program that had been going on for years (at least as long as I had been taking my son to the library...and I'm sure it was well-established then). During the winter months (Jan-Feb), all one has to do is submit entries for every book read--name of book, author, and a simple rating. They hold a drawing every week of the program and winners get to select book prizes.

So...when I got a notice that I'd won in January of 2008, I looked over the books and, based on the blurb and cover and whatnot, I decided to bring The Praise Singer by Mary Renault home with me. It sounded interesting. It was historical fiction and would take me a little out of my comfort zone period-wise, but I thought that might be a good thing.

Um. Not so much. The back of book says: "Renault combines her vibrant imagination and her formidable knowledge of history to establish a sweeping, resilient vision of a golden century." Actually, she takes what ought to be an interesting story and makes it sound like a history lesson. For the most part, the writing is flat; the sentences are choppy; and I had a hard time finishing the book. I thought for a time that this was intentional--that perhaps she was trying to make it sound like it had been translated from the Greek. That was an interesting idea for about a chapter or so--after that, it was just a a distraction.

There are moments (way too brief) of what (given the praise I've read of some of her other works on Goodreads) may be her usual fluid, lyrical writing. But it's not sustained. What really grabbed me about the book was the character. I loved Simonides and really wanted to hear his story--how this "ugly duckling" (the least-favored of his father's children) turned into the swan. How he overcame a life as a herdsman to become one of the most well-known bards of his time. How he not only learns his craft, but also learns how to navigate through the shifting alliances of the time. He lives to see the Persian invasion of Ionia, the reign and overthrow of the of Polykrates, and the fall of the tyrants of the Athenian court. That was worth reading. I just wish that Renault had been more of the bard herself in this outing. Two stars. Mostly for character.

That Hideous Strength: Review

That Hideous Strength is the final book in the space trilogy written by C. S. Lewis. Only this time our space traveler, Ransom, is staying firmly at home on earth...where the battle between Good and Evil will rage in the middle of English village life. While Ransom (or the Director as he is now known) plays a major role, our story focuses on Jane and Mark Studdock--a recently married couple whose married life has already begun to sour. Soon Jane and Mark will be drawn into opposite sides of the battle without realizing quite what they're choosing. Before the very grim (and sometimes quite violent) action is over, we'll be introduced to Mr. Bultritude (I won't spoil it by telling you who/what he is), Merlin brought back from the grave, and a quite literal Talking Head. Lewis also gives us a quite delightful scene straight from the Tower of Babel.

This book was written in the years just prior to and during World War II. This would be apparent to anyone who knows anything about that time period. It is quite scary to see how easily the N.I.C.E. Organization (read the Nazi Party) insinuate themselves into every area of British life and take over everything from the government to education to the police. They talk a line of patter that quite effortlessly brings in those who "just want to belong." And that is at the heart of the matter--we all want to belong. We want to feel that we're part of something important and in the "inner circle." We're going to help make things happen; we're going to be in the know; we're one of the "cool kids." And that's how the evil forces can get control. They make it sound so good.

Once again, Lewis has written a good book. I found myself liking it better than Perelandra--it "drew me in" and made me want to keep on reading. But I still feel some of the beautiful language he used in Out of the Silent Planet is missing. Perhaps it's difficult to write quite so beautifully about the battle of Good and Evil. The action is a bit slow towards the beginning, but it picks up about half-way through and is superb once Merlin is brought in. I'm definitely glad that I've finally managed to read this series (chalk up another plant for the Victory Garden!). Three stars.

This book counts for several Challenges--particularly the Off the Shelf Challenge and featuring as this month's book for the Read Your Own Library Challenge (I'm at the Running Behind Level). It's nice to clear off books that have been looking at me reproachfully for oh, um, ....twenty years or so. In January I'm going to attack My Name is Legion by Roger Zelazny. That's another book that's been sitting on my shelf since my last major science fiction binge.

A Christmas Guest: Review

So, I finished this book by Anne Perry--A Christmas Guest. It's the final book for my Christmas Spirit Challenge commitment. And it was good. So, yeah, that's about how much brain power I've got at the moment. I'm sitting here trying to put together a nice little review for this nice little book and all that wants to come out is...slush. Seriously. Okay, Bev...pull yourself together. 'Cuz you know if you don't do the review now, everything you remember about the book is going to fall right out of your brain.


This is the third in Perry's Christmas mystery series. These books tend to focus on the supporting cast members from her series books. A Christmas Guest follows Grandmama Mariah Ellison as she is shipped off to spend the Christmas holidays with her daughter-in-law Caroline and Caroline's new husband Joshua. The vinegary Grandmama Ellison is none too happy about these arrangements. There she is expecting the usual fine holiday gatherings hosted by her well-to-do granddaughter Emily with lots of London entertainment and society only to be told that Emily and her husband are headed to France and Grandmama is not going along for the trip. Instead, she finds herself journeying to the chilly, windswept coastal village of Romney Marshes--where there is nobody who is anybody and nothing to do but visit the local church and admire its architecture or take brisk walks along the coast.

As if that's not enough, another Christmas guest is soon foisted upon them. Joshua's cousin Maude, who has not been in England for 40 years, has come home to find that the welcoming fires may be burning--but not for her. Her family pleads previous obligations that will prevent them from hosting her during the holidays and asks Joshua to take in another guest with nowhere else to go. Grandmama Ellison barely has time to work up a suitable snit over the unwelcome guest when a housemaid is unable to wake Maude one morning...and the woman is declared dead. Supposedly from a heart attack. But Mariah isn't satisfied. Maude was hale and hearty--outwalking the spry elderly woman in their few rambles along the coast and never seemed to be the least bit unwell.

Soon Mariah is on a quest--spurred by her "very proper feelings" that the dreadful news should be broken to Maude's family in person, she is soon ensconced in the family bosom and trying her hand at a bit of detective work. After all, if her granddaughter Charlotte and her unsuitable policeman husband can solve mysteries, surely she has the wits to do so as well. She begins by pretending grief over a brief, but serious friendship for the woman she had just met--but soon realizes how much she really had likde Maude and could have come to be such friends had they had the time. As Mariah uncovers secrets that resulted in Maude's murder, she uncovers truths about herself as well and...like her fellow Victorian, Scrooge, learns what it means to truly keep Christmas.

This was a very short novel. The mystery is not intricate, but the story is well told and it was nice to see Grandmama Ellison learn some very good lessons--about herself and about how to treat other people. A nice little slice of Christmas happy endings to make the season bright. Three stars.

An Incomplete Revenge: Review

An Incomplete Revenge by Jacqueline Winspear is the fifth in her Maisie Dobbs series. In the aftermath of World War I and returning home after serving as a nurse during the confrontation, Maisie has established herself as an investigator with a hint of psychic abilities. Her investigations always have a link with the Great War and this one is no different.

Business has been a bit slow lately--evidence of the general state of the country's economic troubles--and Maisie is eager to accept what seems to be a simple assignment to investigate a potential land purchase on behalf of James Compton, the son of the benefactress of her early years. Compton's company is looking to buy a brick business located in a small village in Kent. It would seem to be an easy transaction, but Compton is concerned about the odd atmosphere and legacy of petty crimes and fires that have dogged the community since September 1916. Maisie's assignment is to determine whether these incidents might tarnish the transaction. As she attempts to question the villagers, she learns that the they won't admit that the fires are anything but careless accidents and it becomes obvious that they would prefer to pretend that certain incidents from 1916 never happened. Before the investigation is over, Maisie will become involved with gypsies, schoolmasters, a lying parson, and a reporter eager for a scoop to get her out of small-town reporting. There is also a strange relationship between the townsfolk and the last remaining son of the squire's family...and the fear and unease is almost palpable. In the midst of all this, Maisie will have to confront her own ghosts and pain from the war years and events will lead everyone concerned to lay those ghosts to rest.

As always, Winspear spins a fine tale that makes the years following WWI come to life. She has also given us some interesting insights into the lives of the gypsies and hop-pickers who roamed through rural Britain during the time. The mystery is a bit intricate and I began to despair of Maisie ever getting to the bottom of it. There were numerous rounds of her going to a member of the community only to have them say, "Oh that fire. It was just an accident. I was silly and left the stove burning...or accidentally dropped hot ashes...or the boys were larking about in anticipation of Guy Fawkes Day...." or whatever. It was bit much on the repetitive side. But overall, Maisie is an interesting detective and the story fairly well told. Three stars.

The Life & Adventures of Santa Claus: Review

The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus by Frank L. Baum (most widely known for his Oz books) gives us the story of Santa Claus from his earliest days with the fairies and nymphs of the forest through his transformation into the yearly Christmas Eve visitor who brings toys for the children. It tells how the human baby was discovered by Ak, the Master Woodsman, and given his protection and then he was adopted by Necile, the nymph. The boy was named Claus ("little one") and grew up enjoying the protection of the immortals (Nymphs, Ryls, Knooks, and Fairies--those who care for the forests, waters, plants and animals). Once he is old enough to be told that there are others like him, he realizes that he would like to spend his life making other children as happy as he has been with his guardians. He learns to make toys and gives them to the children who have nothing, but soon decides that all children (even those that are rich and seem to be well-cared for) should benefit from his goodness. We also learn how he came to use chimneys and reindeer and finally, why he now makes one trip a year on Christmas Eve.

What struck me about this very interesting story of Santa Claus is how much the movie Santa Claus Is Coming to Town must have built on Baum's work (without, as far as I can tell crediting him). The parallels are quite striking: Forest animals protect him; Elves rather than a nymph take in the orphaned child; the scenes showing him learning to make toys; there is the Burgermeister who doesn't want the children to receive toys (in the book it's just a few nobles who won't allow Claus to give toys to their children); the Burgermeister takes the toys and burns them=the Awgwas in the book who steal the toys and hide them in the mountains; in the book the reindeer grow strong on special food so they can run swiftly and leap to the rooftops and in the movie they eat magic corn that allows them to fly; and so on. I'm sure the movie rearranged things as they did to play down the very pagan connections in Baum's work.

This is a quite lovely history of Santa Claus. And the illustrations are wonderful. If I had read it as child, I'm sure I would have rated it higher. As it is--three stars.

More Holmes for the Holidays: Review

This is a decent collection of Sherlock Holmes pastiches written with a Christmas holiday theme. There are eleven stories in all--written by well-known mystery writers like Anne Perry, Edward D. Hoch, Peter Lovesy and Jon Breen as well as tales from science fiction and western writers like Bill Crider and Tanith Lee. And a few of the authors have dipped their toes in Holmes tributes in the past (Loren D Estleman and Daniel Stashower, for example). There are a wide range of themes from a stolen Stradivarius to a second adventure with a previous client to a puzzle involving a beautiful woman and a family curse. We also find Holmes solving mysteries for the likes of Oscar Wilde, O. Henry, Charles Darwin and Timothy Cratchit (Tiny Tim).

Just as there is a wide range of themes, there is a fairly wide range of expertise in this collection. The stories are obviously meant as homage to the Master, but few of the authors get the voice of Watson down correctly and there are occasional missteps in the relationship between Holmes and the good doctor. But regardless of the flaws, the stories are on the whole interesting and well worth the read--especially at this time of year. Three stars.

Electric City: Review

Electric City by K. K. Beck. The cover flap tells us to imagine a cross between Nora Charles and Kinsey Millhone, a female sleuth who walks and talks like a thirty-something Lauren Becall - and we'll have a pretty good portrait of K. K. Beck's Jane da Silva. Well, not quite. At least I don't picture her as a combo of those three ladies. Jane is a former European lounge singer who has inherited her Uncle's position as investigator for Seattle's Foundation for Righting Wrongs. She values her independence, yearns for a healthy bank balance, and appreciates good wine, a great clothing sale...and a terrific-looking man.

When an oddly-matched couple appears on her doorstep, she assumes the are either magazine salespeople or out and about with surveys to be answered. She's hoping they're the harbingers of another hopeless case--the only kind she can take on for the Foundation and hope to be paid for it. It looks like it's gonna be Jane's lucky day--the bookish man and nervous young woman are worried that Irene March, their co-worker at a news clipping service, has met with foul play. It seems that Irene had been acting a bit strange and stressed right before she appeared on Jeopardy!...and won to the tune of $20,000. And now she's disappeared.

Jane gets down to business and places a "Have you seen this woman?" ad in the Seattle paper. This produces some interesting results. She hears from several people who say that Irene was shaking them down for blackmail money. But who had the biggest secret? The church deacon, the former rodeo queen, or the mother soliciting funds for her sick daughter? Jane is on the hunt find out and will discover that snooping in the backwater town of Electric City may producing some shocking secrets...and possibly her own sudden death.

This was a fun, decent read. I quite like Jane and I thought her semi-professional role as an investigator worked pretty well. The mystery isn't difficult--so I would suggest that you read it for the characters and the setting and not because you want a knotty problem to unravel. I spotted the the villain as soon as s/he trotted on I did feel a bit let down at the end...poor Jane doesn't earn her fee and one wonders (given things that are said) if she ever does. I think the Foundation's overseers are a bit tough on the lady. Three stars.

The Club Dumas: Review

The Club Dumas by Arturo Pérez-Reverte is a literary thriller with a bit of historical detection thrown in. Our hero is Lucas Corso, a book detective by trade, who operates in a world where the most diligent collectors would sell their own mother for that missing first edition which would "complete" their collection. "Complete" is in quotes, of course, because collectors are never satisfied and will always find one more item for their obsession. Corso does the dirty work. He tracks down books and brings them to his clients by hook or by crook. Most of his clients don't care what method brings the desired item into their hands....and will pay top dollar to make sure it winds up there.

Corso's mission is two-fold. He has been given access to two rare works--one, a hand-written chapter from Alexander Dumas' The Three Musketeers, and the other, a copy of a book purportedly designed by Lucifer himself called The Book of the Nine Doors to the Kingdom of Darkness,). He is supposed to prove the authenticity of both works...and in the case of the Nine Doors he must determine which of three copies extant (the one he has or one of two others) is the real McCoy. ("Would the real work of Satan please stand up?") It soon becomes apparent that there are others interested in the works as well and Corso finds himself involved in intrigue that seems to follow the adventures of the musketeers. There are three people dead and Corso survives several murderous attacks before the solution is revealed.

This is a very fast-paced novel. And one that should appeal to literary folk--it's been called a beach read for book lovers, and I'd say that's pretty accurate. A very interesting intellectual puzzle that will keep you turning the pages for more. My only quibble was that Corso, for all of being described as so clever and astute when it comes to books, was remarkably slow on the uptake. It took him what seemed like forever to realize that there was someone on his trail and then makes very stupid mistakes even after he knows. I expected him to be a little bit more savvy from the narrative. Over all, a fun and interesting read. Three and 3/4 stars--nearly four.

The Habit of Widowhood: Review

I had forgotten (if I ever realized it) that The Habit of Widowhood was a collection of short stories. I put it on the challenge TBR list thinking it was a novel about a woman who has the habit of losing her husbands. She's in there...but as one short story among many.

As Robert Barnard mentions in his introduction, short stories are somewhat of a lost art. There are very few magazines that publish the abbreviated form any more and the trend seems to be toward writing novel trilogies and series rather than cyclical short stories. That's a shame because Barnard is a master of the technique.

In this collection, he gives us everything from the humorous to the macabre. We have characters who kill by nature (or out of habit, if you will) and those who seem to just fall into it. We have nervous brides and scheming brides (who are only waiting for the perfect moment to dispatch the happy hubby). There's the village Romeo who has returned from WW I determined to sow all the wild oats his fallen comrades will miss out on--enraging the village husbands in the process. Barnard also gives us a take on Albert Edward, the Prince of Wales. Showing us what the royals got up to at Queen Victoria's Balmoral Castel, as well providing an interesting sequel to Jane Eyre.

A diverting little collection. Very evenly told--there aren't really any duds amongst the bunch--although there are a couple that shine. Three and a half stars.

Get Read-y for 2012 Challenge

In December, this challenge, hosted by Loving Books, will focus on reducing the to-read books that you might have lying around, waiting for you to read them. The goal is to start 2012 with a small, manageable pile of books that will also allow you to be able to pick up new titles.

(Ha Ha Ha Ha!!!! Small! Manageable! Ha Ha Ha!!! Did you hear that maniacal laughter? That was me. Looking at my TBR stacks. Actually, just looking at my 2011 challenge books TBR stack. I'm *cough* *cough* supposed to read about *cough* 20 *cough* more books in ONE month if I'm going to meet the Outdo Yourself Challenge. Um, yeah. That's gonna happen.)

To make a long story short: We're getting read-y for the new year.

There will be weekly check-ins, and yes, there will be a giveaway even though that is completely counterproductive. The only thing she asks is that if you want to join, is that you fill in the Mr Linky that she will post on December 1st along with the introduction post.

Well...I figure it can't hurt to sign up for this...even if I have already bitten off more than I can chew in the 2011 Challenge department. And maybe it will empower and encourage me to actually plow through those twenty books. Here's hoping that come December 31 I will be able to announce that I've conquered the 2011 TBR beast. Stay tuned. Oh, and if you happen to be as far behind as I am--then hop on over and sign up when she gets the linky up!

December Reads from the TBR pile:1. In the Teeth of the Evidence by Dorothy L Sayers (12/4/11)
2. The Habit of Widowhood by Robert Barnard (12/4/11)
3. The Club Dumas by Arturo Pérez-Reverte (12/5/11)
4. Electric City by K. K. Beck (12/6/11)
5. More Holmes for the Holidays by Greenberg, Lellenberg, & Waugh, eds (12/7/11)
6. The Life & Adventures of Santa Claus by L. Frank Baum (12/10/11)
7. An Incomplete Revenge by Jacqueline Winspear (12/12/11)
8. A Christmas Guest by Anny Perry (12/13/11)
9. That Hideous Strength by C. S. Lewis (12/17/11)
10. The Praise Singer by Mary Renault (12/20/11)
11. Murder on Theatre Row by Michael Jahn (12/24/11)
12. C. B. Greenfield: A Little Madness by Lucille Kallen (12/26/11)
13. The Chinese Bell Murders by Robert Van Gulik (12/30/11)
14. Beware of Trains by Edmund Crispin (12/30/11)