To Fetch a Thief, by Spencer Quinn (on CD)

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

OK, so Chet is now an elephant whisperer. Man, that dog is brilliant, in a purely doggy sort of way. I want to read more in this series, but probably not all at once. A little too much sweetness.

A Necessary Evil, by Alex Kava (on CD)

Priests are being murdered in the Midwest. Women are being dismembered in the D.C. area. How are these cases connected? Or are they? It's a bit of a stretch to say that they are, and although the end was kind of a feel-good ending, I can't help thinking about the housekeeper in Boston who was in the wrong place at the worst possible time. Still, an interesting puzzle, if a little too convoluted. I wasn't thrilled with the reader, but the story was good enough that I could see reading more by this author.

Feet of Clay, by Terry Pratchett (on CD)

Clever wordplay and funny names aside, this is a pretty deep book about how to define life, and the acceptance of those who are different from what you expect. Nice. Plus, I found out that even female dwarves have beards which is a nice little factoid to have.

The Fabric of America, by Andro Linklater (on CD)

I have to say that I wouldn't have read this with my eyeballs, but listening to it was remarkably interesting. Not what I expected at all, but a completely different point of view of the expansion of America.

The Death Cure, James Dashner (on CD)

Y'know when you spot a glaring error in a TV show or book, but can't believe it's an error because it's SO obvious that the writers must mean to come back and close that loophole?

Well, that's how the end of this book hit me, and not in a good way. The most obvious solution to the problems of the world in this series...is the final scene of this book.

On the other hand, getting there is the fun of the journey, right? And it was a pretty exciting interesting.

Drawing Conclusions, by Donna Leon (on CD)

OK, I think I may have to add Leon to my authors list. Sigh. ;-)

Odd Hours, by Dean Koontz (on CD)

OK, this was a very weird book. I haven't read any Koontz before, but I have to say that this character, Odd Thomas, has me hooked. He's funny and smart and can see ghosts. Sort of Melinda Gordon without eyelashes and lingerie and oh, the ghosts don't actually speak.

This one was about a group of lunatics buying atomic bombs and how Odd stops their plot.

The Scorch Trials, by James Dashner (on CD)

I have recommended this series to multiple people as being excellent for reluctant boy readers because the action pretty much NEVER stops. Personally, I find that exhausting (and rather unbelievable), but it does keep you glued to the story.

As in many other series, this book suffers for being #2. I'm torn between wanting to read the next one and being irritated with having very little forward progress in the overall plot.

The Maze Runner, by James Dashner (on CD)

Well. Great plot, good pacing, especially if you like nonstop action. A little repetitive at times, and somewhat unbelievable at other times. And yet...I can't wait to read the next book. I think the flaws would be much less noticeable were I not listening to it.

Oh, and speaking of which, the narrator is simply wonderful!

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, by David Wroblewski (on CD)

I wanted to like this book. It's based on Shakespeare (supposedly), it's about dogs and Wisconsin, lots of people gave it stellar reviews.

But oh.my.GOD the depression never lifts, the sense of oncoming doom is pervasive, and finally, on disc 6, when the dogs start fighting...I'd had it. No more bad news. No more heavy-handed suspense that builds and never really seems to lead anywhere. I can't deal with it. And come to think of it, I find Hamlet annoying too. I did really like Edgar and Almondine, at least; I can't say that about Hamlet-the-character.

Maybe it would be different if I read it with my eyeballs, but the days of me reading a nearly 600-page book are in the past--maybe in the future too. In any case, I'm moving to another book now

Worth Dying For, by Lee Child (on CD)

There is a certain suspension of belief that must take place in these books. I realized partway through that there are parts of this that are very "porn-y" about violence (without sex). Yuck. Still...I love these books. How is Reacher going to get rid of 20 people arrayed against him? Luck plays a major part.

Cadillac Beach, by Tim Dorsey (on CD)

Hmm, I'm not sure what to say about this except that once I got the hang of Serge's (ahem) temperament, I found it more enjoyable. A bit hard to follow, especially on CD, because it jumps around from place to place, person to person, and back and forth in time. At the end, I'm not even sure I remember what happened to the stolen gems, but that's because that's not the major part of the story. Except it is. Fun. ALMOST made me want to visit Miami and environs...almost.

Funny as hell, but also irritating as hell, much like Serge himself.

Death Dance, by Linda Fairstein (on CD)

OK. Could have used a little tighter editing--there were some "wait, she already knew that!" moments, and clear seams where chapters had been reworked and moved around.

Still, if you're into the New York theatrical world, this is an interesting look at the backstage antics of some major players. Also, drugged date rape hits this series.

Everything You Know About God is Wrong : The Disinformation Guide to Religion (part 1), edited by Russ Kick (on CD)

Well. Where to start?

Some of the essays included in this were interesting; in fact, most were thought-provoking and worthwhile. There were a couple though...whew. Oh my God (pun intended).
Paper tigers created? check
Facile arguments? check
Mispronounced words? check ("KapperNYAYum" for "Capernaum"? Really?)

I'm becoming increasingly annoying that when people argue about "Christians" or "religion" the Typical Christian/Religious Person is a completely unethical moron. Sure, there are moronic and amoral Christians, but there are a lot more of us who are neither.

The best essay is the longest, which is the summation of findings of the investigation into the Catholic diocese in Philadelphia around child sexual abuse. Absolutely the most disgusting, difficult thing I've ever listened to. It shook me to the core that the Church ignored this for decades and turned a blind eye to the destruction of children's souls.

The other very good essay is about the Magdalene Laundries in Ireland. Another case of the Church having a lot to answer for.

Short version: people suck, and power corrupts, inside as well as outside of religion.

Deader Homes & Gardens, by Joan Hess (on CD)

Sworn to Silence, by Linda Castillo (on CD)

Good Omens : The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch, by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett (on CD)

Have wanted to read this book since it came out, but it never quite made it into my lists. So now I have. It would have been better to read it with my eyes: there are a lot of perspective changes that are NOT signaled well by the narrator. Still, a pretty funny-yet-thoughtful book about Armageddon.

Yes, I know, that's unexpected, but look at the authors' names. The plot mostly revolves around a book of predictions from the 17th century that has been passed down through the writer's family after her death--she was burned at the stake as a witch. Also involved are an angel and a demon who are quite amusing, a Witch-Finder Army (of one two) and an 11-year-old in the center of things who is the son of Satan.

It's amusing. Made me want to read more Pratchett.

Communication Matters, by Deborah Tannen (on CD)

This is a Modern Scholar course, and I've read a little of Tannen's work, so there wasn't much here that was new, but it certainly gives me a better handle on some behaviors that I can control that impact my interactions with others. Most of it involves more listening, and more awareness.

Torment, by Lauren Kate (on CD)

Title pretty much describes this book. I want to smack this little Bella-like dweeb in the nose. Reading Part 3 is unlikely.

The Center of Everything, by Laura Moriarty (on CD)

Wow. There's a lot in this book to think about, which is a nice counterpoint because nothing much actually happens in the sense of plot. A 10-year-old girl grows up into an 18-year-old young adult. Think about those years in your life: full of potential, much sturm und drang, self-definition, drama, etc. For most people, most of the time, it's also a period of fallowness that is where you become You.

And so, Evelyn at age ten is relatively happy living with her young mother in a run-down apartment complex, being visited by her evangelical-Christian grandmother (but never her grandfather) regularly, and trying to make sense of the nearby and distant currents of life in Kansas in the 1980s. That year is a pivotal year: she comes to understand that family is complicated, that adults make horrifically bad judgments that turn their kids' lives upside down, that people are usually hypocritical about something in their lives, and that sometimes moms don't have all the right answers. Her mother gets pregnant, again, loses her job, becomes depressed, tries to go on welfare but her temper and pride cause problems there, and eventually gives birth to a boy with serious birth defects.

By the time Evelyn is 18, her best friends have ended up married to each other because Travis gets Deena pregnant when she is just 15. Evelyn has always assumed that she and Travis would be together, yet given the opportunity to do just that...she turns it down.

This is not a girl you always like; she does some pretty typically teenaged 'mean things' to people, but in the end she is what we all are at 18: complex and beautiful, not-yet-fully-formed, yet showing the outlines of potentiality. Gorgeous book.