October Reads.

Lighthousekeeping by Jeanette Winterspoon

I was doing fine until Silver left the lighthouse and then the story became too confusing/too stream of consciousness for my taste. Up to that point, I was in love with this book. The use of language and imagery was quite astonishing and I couldn't stop reading.

Friday by Robert Heinlein

I've avoided Heinlein since I tried (unsuccessfully) to read Stranger in a Strange Land way back in high school. I picked up Friday, because it was mentioned in an essay in the New York Times Review of Books ("Heinlein's Female Troubles" 10/2/05) as one of those books that make feminists call Heinlein bad names. Having read it, I can sort-of see why. I don't think Friday's reaction to the rape was that problematic considering who and what Friday was supposed to be (but my reading didn't suggest she enjoyed it). Nor did I think there was all that much sex going on (lots of innuendo, but not a enough of the jiggity-jiggity). And it was nice that Friday was not white (tho' you wouldn't know from the cover art) or particularly hetero. But, the characters were pretty thinly written and the plot just meandered from point to point without any real direction and, yes, her marrying one of her rapists (long after the rape) did strike me as ... prettyfuckinginsane unlikely, at best. But the playing house with her girlfriend bit? That charmed the pants of me. Guess I'm just an old fashioned girl. Or just plain batshit.

Divided Crown by Isabel Glass

This is the sequel to Daughter of Exile (which I have not read), but it stands pretty well on its own, anyway, so do read it even if you can't find Daughter of Exile (or can't be bothered with chronology). Anyway: A spoilt and weak-willed teenager inherits the crown of Karededin. He is manipulated by unscrupulous parties, makes some really bad decisions, and causes many people to die. Happily, the witch Angarred and her husband, Mathewar, Master of the College of Magicians, are around to thwart him.

Thud! by Terry Pratchett

With the anniversary of Koom Valley coming up the dwarfs and the trolls are getting edgy. Then one of the dwarf extremists ends up dead and it looks like a troll did it. Only Sam Vimes and his trusty Watch can uncover the truth and save the day! Also included excerpts from Where's My Cow? (coming soon to a library near you) -- "It goes HRUUUGH! It is a hippopotamus! That is not my cow!"

Knitting by Ann Bartlett

Contains some truly lovely images, but the story itself is rather blah and knitting still seems like a lot of window dressing despite the author's attempts to the contrary.

Princess Academy by Shannon Hale

Oh, lovely. Just a lovely little book. I adored The Goose Girl and have been waiting for this, Hale's third novel, with rather desperate anticipation. I was not disappointed in the least. (I did suss out who would marry the prince long before the end, but that didn't ruin a thing).

Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman

Dad's a god. He "died." You didn't like him much, but now you feel a little bad about it. You discover you have a brother you don't remember. He screws your girl and messes up your life. You make a foolish agreement with some crazy bird woman so she will torment him for you. Merriment ensues. The End.

Real Murders by Charlaine Harris

The first Aurora "Roe" Teagarden mystery. I've enjoyed Harris's Southern Vampire series quite a lot and this came highly recommended by another librarian. It was okay. I tired quickly of the whole "librarian = unattractive" schtick (even if it was all in Roe's head), but did enjoy her juggling of two men.

Truth-Teller's Tale by Sharon Shinn

A companion to The Safe-Keeper's Secret. "Mirror twins" Eleda and Adele discover that they are a Truth-Teller and a Safe-Keeper. While their talents show quite early in life, they have few problems dealing with the repercussions until they are seventeen and their lives change irrevocably. Ultimately, an amusing little book with a satisfying ending.

Testing Miss Toogood by Stella Cameron

Fleur, the daughter of a parson, needs to make a good match to improve her family's lot and guarantee her sisters marrying well (there are five of them so we can probably expect five more books). At his mother's request, Lord Dominic Elliot agrees to squire this country mouse around and, of course, they fall in love. Of course, true love's road never runs smooth in the romance novels and the couple travails and unnecessary plot meanderings to overcome before their happily ever after Oh, and there's some "excited virgin" sex and some (thanks to two evil throw-away characters) rather alarming s&m style sex. (After the dreaded aunts were mentioned, I remembered having read Cameron's A Useful Affair and not being impressed with it, either).

Beyond the Deepwoods (The Edge Chronicles, Book One) written by Paul Stewart & illus. by Chris Riddell

First book in the series. Thirteen-year-old Twig is informed he is not a wood troll at all and that the sky pirates have taken an unhealthy interest in him. Sent to safety, he instead wanders off the known path and so begins a series of (mostly unpleasant) adventures in the Deepwoods. Visually stunning book -- Riddell's illustrations are just perfect and the binding makes the book quite lovely to hold. The story is pretty good, too, despite some tendencies to annoy.

Circle of the Moon by Barbara Hambly

Sequel to Sisters of the Raven (a novel I enjoyed very much), but you don't have to have read the first to "get" the second. The Raven Sisters are busy trying to master their powers while political shenanigans and scary shit out of legends threaten to destroy everything. Gender issues, magic, ethical use of power, politics ... it's pretty thoughty stuff.

Enna Burning by Shannon Hale

Companion to The Goose Girl, this is the story of Enna and fire. While the story is a little slow to start and the ending is a little too pat, this is still a pretty good book.

Food for Thought: The Complete Book of Concepts for Growing Minds by Saxton Freymann & Joost Elffers

Because a world without eggplant penguins isn't worth living in.