December Books

Books-December 2011
1. The boy in the suitcase by Lenexa Kaaberol and Agnette.Griis
2. The forgotten affairs of youth by Alexander McCall Smith
3. Grilling season by Diane Mott Davidson
4. The unbearable lightness of scones by Alexander McCall Smith
5. Charlie Joe Jackson's guide to not reading by Tommy Greenwald
6. A visit from the goon squad by Jennifer Egan
7. 13 1/2 by Nevada Barr
8. A fatal grace by Louise Penny
9. My nest isn't empty, it just has more closet space by Lisa Scottoline (audio book)
10. The elegance of the hedgehog by Muriel Barbery
11. All the pretty hearses by Mary Daheim
12. The distant hours by Kate Morton
13. The Neddiad by Daniel Pinkwater
14. The four Ms. Bradwells by Meg Waite Clayton
15. There goes the bride: Agatha Raisin by M. C. Beaton (audio book)

1. This has some elements of The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo, but I did not like it as much. I think this is also a series, but will not plan to read any more.
2. I always love anything by McCall Smith. If you have not read the series with Isabelle Dalhousie, do. They are wonderful!
3. Another Goldie murder, I think I missed this one along the way as it is not a new book, but fun to read.
4. This is from the 44 Scotland Street series. Bertie has got to be my favorite character. Glad his father is getting some backbone.
5. Another book for kids about hating to read. Not compelling reading.
6. An interesting choice for the Pulitzer Prize in 2011. A series of short stories that are somewhat connected. Characters are not particularly likeable, but my interest was engaged in trying to ascertain the connections.
7. A stand alone novel by Nevada Barr. I have enjoyed her national parks mystery series, but this one was not as compelling. A little too creepy, but well written.
8. Second in the Three Pines mystery series. I like how she builds her regular characters, but leaves us some things we don’t know yet. Penny continues to win awards for these books.
9. Short, humorous essays read by the authors. I enjoyed listening to these and will look for the next essays by Scottolone.
10. Another top pick for 2011. An elegant novel with many layers of understanding.
11. Silly, mystery set in a bed and breakfast. Good reading for riding the bus.
12. This is the second book I have read by Morton. They are loooong, with multiple layers of mystery. Worth reading, but not every month.
13. Pinkwater writes a free-flowing fantasy for children that is a little hard to follow. Not my style.
14. A multi-layered novel largely about the women’s movement. Four young women meet at law school in the 80s and their lives intertwine for the next 25 years.
15. Agatha Raisin is a popular mystery series set in England. Raisin is a good detective, but desperate for male attention and the author writes tongue in cheek about her attempts to find a man.