Currently reading
Roman Blood
Progress:
171/401 pages
Dearie: The Remarkable Life of Julia Child
Progress:
208/557 pages
Avant-gardes du XXe siècle: arts & littérature, 1905-1930
Caesar's Commentaries: On the Gallic War and On the Civil War
Les bûchers de Bocanegra
The Songs of the Kings
Sherlock Holmes: The Complete Novels and Stories: Volumes I and II
The Hobbit
This one was full of surprise couples and twists. I'm sure some readers kinda went, whoa, I didn't expect that. Me, I was surprised somewhat, Greenwood had been going that direction for a while now. This is a marketed as a cozy type of mystery so she might have lost a few readers like Suzanne Brockmann did when she introduced her Jules and Robin storyline in her romance series. Still, Greenwood wrote a wonderful romp of a mystery, with a big cast of characters (list provided at the beginning of the novel) and she mixes and matches people like a pro.
I liked the not so veiled hints and homage to Agatha Christie. Enjoy the Miss Marple, And then there were none homage, Greenwood had a bit of fun with it.
Phryne Fisher is a one of kind heroine in the cozy mystery genre and with this novel Greenwood is kinda moving the character away from the stereotype and creating something unique.
 - Kerry Greenwood)
Gone (Alex Delaware, No. 20)
Man, Kellerman caught the Dan Brown syndrome. That just pissed me off. 3 pages doesn't make a chapter. Do not presume that your readers have the attention span of a gerbil. By page 50, we were at chapter 8! 8! I persisted because I know Kellerman is good storyteller or used to be anyway. This one is better than the last one, Rage, but not by much and I didn't like the last one. I long for the older ones where the story had depth and Alex was more than this caricature of himself. I won't even go into what Milo is like now or that Robin is just, grrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!! If you are a completist, like me, you'll feel the need to read anyway but don't buy it, get it from your library, much better for your wallet.
Ceux Qui Vont Mourir Te Saluent (Nouveau Policier) (French Edition)
This is the first novel published in 1994 by Fred Vargas. A very popular and notorious mystery writer in the French world right now. I hadn't read any of her novels yet. At the height of the hype frenzy (2 years ago) we couldn't keep the books on the shelves. Now, things have quiet down a bit and I was able to get my hands on her first novel. This is a plot with lots and lots of red herrings and an ending that cheats a little. What's really good in this little mystery, chase, thriller set in Rome in mid summer? The characters. Three young men in their mid to late twenties all fascinated by the step mother of one of them. All three gave themselves nicknames. But not any nicknames. Roman Emperor names. So we have Claudius, Nero and Tiberius. All three mixed up in the death of Claudius' father murdered on the Farnese's plaza on a faithful Saturday night. Was it because he stumbled on to the ring of thieves that are smuggling precious drawings from the Vatican's library or is it something a little more personal. Interesting. The title refers to the words the gladiator said to the Emperor before they started to fight. Loosely translated : Those who are about to die salute you.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Book 1)
The first of the famed series. There is a whole mythology on when, how and where she wrote it. It is a children's book. The style, the plot, the characters are only tiny images of what they will become in later books. It's the classic tale of an orphan child who finds out he is indeed special and his journey to a world he never knew existed.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
The one where we have a big snake, a magic book and the pretty but dumb defense against the black arts teacher. And Dobby of the famed sock. This was a good follow up to the first novel. It solidified the rivalry between Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter. Introduced Draco's father as one of the main vilain along with Voldemort aka Tom Riddle. This was the last really children book in the series. Rowlings was still on the fence in my opinion and went for a more young adult crowd starting with the third book.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
This is my favorite of all the Harry Potter books. I "got" into the Potter books when this one was published. This is the first more young adult book in the series. It introduces the whole Marauders mythology, creates Snape has a shades of gray figure.It's well plotted, it ups the bad guy quotient of "He who won't be named", the trio chemistry gels. Voilà. The series went from well known to global hit with this book.
The Tin Flute (New Canadian Library)
Subject to change since I read that as a teenager and it's in my to re-read pile to see that I was probably too young to enjoy it.
Gone with the Wind, 75th Anniversary Edition
One of the first books I read in English in my mid-teens. Loved it then. The romance, the action, the civil war. I have a memory of reading it in the classroom for a few weeks.
Nadja
Hated to read that for school. Probably should reread it since I know more about the period, the art scene, the artists and the literature of that time.
Madame Bovary (Penguin Classics)
Again read this one in my late teens for school. Way to young to enjoy this. Should reread.
Le comte de Monte-Cristo, Tome I (French Edition)
Le comte de Monte-Cristo assemble vengeance, mystère et amour. La soif de vengeance d’Edmond Dantès est un délice.
 - Alexandre Dumas)
Le Masque de l'Atellane
You have to read an ordinary book sometimes to enjoy the good ones. This one is as pedestrian as you can get with a touch of name dropping. Historical name dropping. The intrigue is set in Vespasian's time where a prince of Palmyra is this brilliant, charming, widowed of course he suffers so prettily, clever lawyer and investigator for the emperor. The author just keeps dropping name's into the story that just makes you go, stop already, I got it, you did your research, you read Pline, you read Cicero, you read about the theater of that period. Stop it and tell me a story. It was a very frustrating book and the series only lasted for 2 books. I will not go and hunt for the second one. I am not that much of a masochist.
Band of Brothers
This one disappointed me. First it's short. 125 pages more or less. This concludes the Bolitho Midshipman series. I feel cheated somehow. The whole what happened to Martyn is not in the book. That's ... that's ... I don't know how to express my anger at this. I wanted to know how. Richard gets his lieutenant commission after this "adventure" after a very courageous act and finding out he can lead men. But he loses Martyn in the process and being the scene because they aren't together during the last 3 chapters of the book. (Remember the book is pretty short). This lost has an huge emotional impact on him. It's almost the whole second book "Stand into danger". So disappointed but looking forward to In Gallant Company.
Fantômas, tome 1. Le Train Perdu - Les Amours D'un Prince - Le Bouquet Tragique - Le Jockey Masqué
If you like Arsène Lupin (Maurice Leblanc) type of old style mystery. This could be interesting. Fantômas is more wicked than Arsène Lupin, created in the early 1910's, it was a successful serial in the weekly newspaper in France. It was adapted in the very early days of cinema (1913). Classic bad guy as the hero trope.
 - Marcel Allain, Pierre Souvestre)
The Charterhouse of Parma (Penguin Classics)
I loved this one so much more than The Red and The Black. This is my favourite book of Stendhal. I love the action, the romance, it's in Italy. I really should reread that one.
Paris 1919: Six Months That Changed the World
Clear and engaging. The players, the behind the scenes games, the who's who of the political time. It's a good introduction to the time and the consequences of the decisions taken in that faithful years that are still influencing the way our world is, 90 years later. I learned at lot and it gave me paths to look for more reading. Recommended.
