KateKintail's December Reading Log

[katekintailbc]

This is a recap of my December reading, for a swap-bot swap I signed up for. I chose to post it here so that I can format it the way I want. See below for a very brief recap of what I thought of the books along with a link to read more about my thoughts, if you so desire.

I ran into some audiobook problems this month. One I downloaded from the library expired before I could finish it and two I borrowed from the library were full of so many scratches (I have to get another copy of one of them, the other I've been filling in the gaps using the hardcover copy of the book I own).

Here's a list of books I read during the month but didn't finish (or haven't finished yet):

• Star Wars Jedi Apprentice: The Ties That Bind by Jude Watson


• The Green Mile by Stephen King


• The Scottish Prisoner by Diana Gabaldon


• The Penderwicks on Gardam Street by Jeanne Birdsall


• Mandela: An Illustrated Autobiography by Nelson Mandela


• Return to Labyrinth Volume 2 by Jake T. Forbes

Here are the books I finished this month:

1. 'Twas the Night Before Christmukkah (The O.C. #7) by Andes Hruby:
   http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/158412.html
   Not the best tv tie-in I've ever read, but entertaining and right for the holiday season. It was neat seeing the characters again in this fun little story that explored a few aspects we didn't get to see in the series


2. Marvel Adventures (Iron Man): Heart of Steel by Fred Van Lente & others
   http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/158010.html
   A fun, light collection of Iron Man issues #1-4. I love seeing Tony trying to hide his identity and take care of his company at the same time.


3. Marvel Adventures (Fantastic Four): All 4 One, 4 for All by Zeb Wells & Kano with Alvario Lopez
   http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/157713.html
   Each issue in this volume focuses on a different member of the Fantastic Four. The stories show their weaknesses but also their strengths. They work really well together in this collection.


4. The Dangerous Rescue (Star Wars: Jedi Apprentice 13) by Jude Watson
   http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/157197.html
   Obi-Wan finally rescues his master from the evil scientist... but that's not the only rescue he has to mount in this story. I liked seeing some other Jedi helping out as well, and it was good to finally see some resolution with this story arc.


5. A Christmas Memory by Truman Capote
   http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/157129.html
   This is a short story I read because the book threw itself at me at the library and it seemed appropriate, given the season. It's a great but bittersweet look at his life when he was a little kid and lived with elderly relatives. It was so well written that I felt like I was right in there with Truman, experiencing the world through his eyes.


6. Redshirts: a Novel with Three Codas by John Scalzi:
   http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/156697.html
   Definitely the right book for a sci-fi tv show fangirl like me. It was funny, definitely, but not as hilarious as I'd hoped. I thought it was clever and enjoyed it, but I sort of wish I'd listened to the audiobook instead. Maybe I'll re-read it one day.


7. Little Panda by Renata Liwska
   http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/156640.html
   Adorable picture book with a panda whose name is the same as the new baby panda at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. This is a cute story about a panda and a flying tiger. Yes, you read that right!


8. The Evil Experiment (Star Wars: Jedi Apprentice 12) by Jude Watson
   http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/156345.html
   Qui-Gon has been kidnapped. It's up to Obi-Wan to find the evil scientist in order to save Qui-Gon's dying friend and then to save Qui-Gon himself. Thank goodness for smart, brave padawans!


9. The Sherlock Files #1: The 100-Year-Old Secret by Tracy Barrett
   http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/156066.html
   Two kids learn they are descendants of the great Sherlock Holmes and decide to try to solve one of the unsolved mysteries in Sherlock's casefiles. It's a fun little mystery with kids doing relatively legal and realistic things to solve the case; I like that. I probably won't seek out any others in the series, but this was definitely a fun read.


10. The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee
    http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/155892.html
    A clever, enjoyable story about four very different young children who are gifted and manage to save the world. There's everything from drama and action to humor and tragedy. I loved every second of this!

That's my December! I wish I'd been able to finish more of the books I started, but maybe I'll be able to finish them in January :-)

Happy reading, everyone!