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.

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde (on Nook)

My past experience with, and my understanding of, Oscar Wilde leads me to think of his writing style as florid, satiric if not ironic, and above all archly humorous. This story is definitely the first two adjectives, but I'll be damned if I could find much humor at all. Still, I'm glad I read it--even if it took me nearly two months of reading five or ten pages a week and then putting it down for several more weeks. Aside from that purple prose he was so fond of, the story is amazingly well-told, although in the middle of it I just wished he'd get on with it already.

The Old Gray Wolf, by James D. Doss

I've really come to enjoy these books, which are really good stories (mysteries) while also being full of silliness and general amusement at the ridiculousness of people. This is supposedly the "final novel in the series," and that makes me very sad. I'm fairly happy for Sarah, though.... :-)

Looking for Yesterday, by Marcia Muller

A little clunky, one of those moving-the-Big-Story-along books. Actually several of hers have been like this lately. The mystery itself was a little weird too. Maybe I read it too fast, mostly all in one day....

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.

Fables: Legends in Exile, by Bill Willingham

I'm trying to think of reasons why I shouldn't keep reading this series. I was surprised at how fun this was, in the way that comics of my childhood were amusing, except with more swearing. There are actually a bunch of 'extras' at the end of the story that were just as much fun as the main story.

OK, maybe I will keep going with these...

All Things New, by Lynn Austin

I literally read 20 pages and was so pissed off by that point that I couldn't wait to get it back to the library. Talk about crappy writing and telegraphing everything that's going to happen in the next 200 pages. Too bad, because this is a subject ripe for good storytelling. Just don't crack me over the head with the religious drama, ok?

The Woman Who Died a Lot, by Jasper Fforde

OK, so every time I finish one of these, I say I have to reread all the old ones so I can understand what's going on this time. And it's happened again here. However, at least Thursday saves the world (again) in this one.

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.

Some Kind Of Fairy Tale, by Graham Joyce

Well. Fairies? Or psychotic episodes and coincidence? Read the book and decide.

Demons: Encounters with the Devil and His Minions, Fallen Angels, and the Possessed, by John Skipp

I hit the last third of this and gave up...some stories were creepy, some were EXCELLENT, and some were blah. I just can't get back into it after putting it down a couple of weeks ago.

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.

XO, by Jeffrey Deaver

This sounded interesting, and Deaver's a popular author. Well, I enjoyed the story, but it was pretty formulaic. I think I have read my last by this author, which is too bad; I sorta like the main character.

Calling Invisible Women, by Jeanne Ray

Drawing Conclusions, by Donna Leon (on CD)

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

An Apple for the Creature, by Charlaine Charlaine

Some nice stories in here about various kinds of "creatures"--not all the stories are scary. Most aren't.

When Zachary Beaver Came to Town, by Kimberly Willis Holt

This was recommended to me by a high school librarian I know. She says it takes place in a town like (or THE town) where she grew up in Texas. It's a sweet story about kindness and learning how to treat people right and forgive their idiosyncrasies and just loving them. Everyone in this book is perfectly imperfect: they make mistakes--some big ones--and they struggle to forgive themselves for those errors while missing their importance to one another.

It's one of those books that grows on you after you read it, and I hope it sticks with me for awhile.

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.

Judgment Call, J.A. Jance

After the high school principal disappears, Jenny finds her body up the road from their ranch, and Joanna finds that this woman had a very strange personal history. The story unfolds, involves a local artists' charity and in the midst of it all Joanna discovers some facts about her father that lead to another old case (or two) being resolved. Pretty good.

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.