The Mammoth Book of New CSI, by Nigel Cawthorne

This book reminded me so much of the sorts of books I read as a child (although more gory than those, of course) that it was a little disconcerting to have a case from one of those childhood books get mentioned in passing in the midst of discussing one of the cases in this book.

OJ is in here, as is the OK City bombing, and several other not-as-well-known cases. The discussion of the Jeffrey McDonald case was fascinating. There are several British cases I'd not heard of; not a surprise as this was published in England.

Quite enjoyable.

Some Kind Of Fairy Tale, by Graham Joyce

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

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.

The Scottish Prisoner, by Diana Gabaldon

Hmm, I need to reread the "Companion" to see how this fits in and to figure out...a bunch of stuff. Anyway, this is about Lord John and Jamie going to Ireland to stop an Irish plot to restart the rebellion that ended at Culloden. A bit silly, but the story is less important than John and Jamie equalizing their relationship. This is also prior to John's marriage, so Jamie is still living at Helwater as the (paroled) prisoner of the title.

The Grave Tattoo, by Val McDermid (on CD)

Another case of the reader making the book so much better, in this case a difficult task as the book is already pretty darn good.

The case superficially revolves around a recently discovered body in the marshes in the Lake District, but really it's about Jane Gresham, a scholar from the area currently supplementing her small teaching stipend by waiting tables in London, who is determined to find out whether this body is that of Fletcher Christian--of H.M.S. Bounty fame--and whether his return to his birthplace in the Lake District led to his friend William Wordsworth's writing of a "lost" epic poem about him. Murder ensues. Are academics really this amoral?

I knew fairly early on who the Bad Seed was. I stuck with the book primarily because of the side-story of a neighbor of Jane's in London, a 13-year-old girl named Tenille, who is all that a neglected, poor, project-raised girl would be as well as being quite smart and very into poetry, especially 19th-century poetry. What an interesting mix of personality traits! And because of her background and some ill-timed bad choices, she is on the run in connection with the death of her aunt's boyfriend.

We Are Amused, by Brian Hoey

Hmm, well, I had this on the sidebar as 'humor' but it is NOT humor; it is dead-serious trivia about the  British Royal Family. Rather oddly arranged--alphabetically, in general, except for the Important Info about Each Person and their awards, titles, etc.--and QUITE confusing for this American trying to follow when someone's title changes over time. Ugh. Who are these people who keep track of all this stuff!?!

A Lost Adolescence : Surviving the Blitz, by Joy Aavang

Self-published and not without some problems, but a well-told story of what it was like living with bombs dropping regularly. I was never transported back in time as a good writer can do, but it's good to have this documented. And because I know the author passing-well, I could hear her voice telling the stories.

One of Our Thursdays is Missing, by Jasper Fforde

My first purchased book on my Nook, and well worth it. The story is a bit weird; took awhile to figure out just what was going on, and I think I need to read the end again. I'm not actually sure how the story worked out. I think that's more to do with the format and other things going on while I was reading it (on vacation) than the book itself.

At Home : a Short History of Private Life, by Bill Bryson

While I wasn't thrilled with the author's reading of the book, the writing itself was the usual in-depth research combined with wry humor. I may have to find this book and read it (with my eyes) as so many of the names he mentions didn't stick because I didn't see them.

In any case, following the floor plan of his home in England, Bryson explains why and how our houses work the way they do today, and what has changed over the course of history, specifically in the last 150 years or so.

Shatter, by Michael Robotham (on CD)

The Essential Agatha Christie Stories, by Agatha Christie (on CD)

Wow, some of these were really really dated, and some of the people reading them were abominable (Miss Marple lisps?? I don't think so).

Interesting, low-impact listening for the car.

This Body of Death, by Elizabeth George

Sigh. I totally love these books. Lynley is (sort of) back.

The Counterfeit Crank, by Edward Marston

The troupe has a new author, as their regular writer Edmund Hoode has come down with a mysterious illness.

Lord John and the Private Matter, by Diana Gabaldon (on CD)

In spite of not particularly liking the character or the story, I can't quite stop myself from reading this series. Gabaldon is such a good storyteller that it somehow doesn't seem to matter that I don't care a whit about what happens. And Lord John is much more agreeable here than in the Jaime books.

A River In The Sky, by Elizabeth Peters

A bit slapdash, and in Israel. Sort of a prequel to the WWI books. Not her best.

Blackout, by Connie Willis

Ooooh, frustrating: it's not until the last page that I realized that this is part one of the story. Now I have to wait six months to read the rest of it! Gah.

Good Morning, Midnight, by Reginald Hill (on CD)

Wow. Good book: I caught myself thinking through some of the themes yesterday at work. The end brings readers to the realization that a lot of our lives go on below the surface, and things aren't always spelled out clearly. The narrator was outstanding.

And I think I'll take a page from Dalziel and start calling political maneuverers "funny buggers."

The Canterbury Tales, by Geoffrey Chaucer; a retelling by Peter Ackroyd; illustrated by Nick Bantock

I threw this back, not because it wasn't well done, but because I seem to be in a phase of reading brainless books. This required too much work. Too bad: the translation is excellent and readable. I blame myself here, not the book.

Bury Him Kindly, by Pat Burden

Yet another in this series. This is a little dated in that the car around which the case revolves is a Datsun...er, not anymore. But I liked this one, even though I was pretty sure of the WHO if not the WHY of things.

Wreath of Honesty, by Pat Burden

Interesting reading. Takes place immediately after the first book of the series, but the corpse is from before that book. Clever concept, fun writing.