Phew! I finished the R.I.P. II Challenge. I saved the longest books on my list for last, which wasn't a very smart idea, so I ended up having to sprint to the finish line. My eyes are bleary and red from my frenzied final stretch!

I really enjoyed this challenge, although I found myself steering away from the horror genre and focusing more on magical stories. My least favorite pick was Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill (my review), and I really can't pick my most favorite. It's a toss-up between Lord of the Rings, Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, Stardust and A Series of Unfortunate Events. Really, the only book I read for this challenge that I didn't care much for was Heart-Shaped Box. Well, there was also Glass Books of the Dream-Eaters, which was just too erotic for me (I read Lord of the Rings in its place).

Thanks so much, Carl, for hosting this one. It was a lot of fun!

October really isn't my favorite month. I enjoyed it more when I lived in places that actually have seasons, but here in the Phoenix-area it's only a little cooler than it was in July. Plus, Halloween just isn't my thing. Even as a kid, I hated dressing up. Now, as a Mom, I have to go through the stress of decorating for Halloween ("Mom, are you EVER going to put up decorations? Everyone else has theirs up."), buying or (gulp) creating costumes for the kids, buying expensive bags of candy to give away (usually because we've eaten the bags I bought last week when they were on sale), taking the kids trick-or-treating, etc. etc. I know you're wondering what this has to do with books - trust me, this is leading somewhere. Anyway, the worst thing about October is that it signals the mad rush that begins with Halloween and doesn't end until the middle of January. This is when I have to worry about Christmas cards, holiday pictures, all of my kids' birthdays/parties, holiday get togethers, Christmas shopping, and so on. Not that I don't love the holidays, because I do, it just gets crazy.

Anyway, I just wanted to thank Amanda, Katrina and 3M for making my October a little brighter. I've won 3 books in the last two weeks from them, which has made me so happy. Thanks a bunch, ladies!

Now, I've really got to get back to my reading. I need to finish Lord of the Rings by Halloween so I can finish the R.I.P. II Challenge. I can't even LOOK at the books coming in the mail until I've got J.R.R. Tolkien's masterpiece crossed off my TBR list!

BTW: I stole the above picture off my mom's blog. It's from my parents' recent visit to Walden Pond.

Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell

by Susanna Clarke is the kind of book that begs you to pull up a comfortable chair (preferably next to a nice, cozy fire), relax, and lose yourself in its pages. You may have guessed this simply by observing its bulk - 782 pages with microscopic type. And, it's true - this book is not a quick read. It's also not the type of novel you can carry around in your purse to read in spurts while waiting for appointments, slow traffic, etc. So, what is Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, and why should you wade through its mass of pages? Read on...

Clarke spins a rich, old-fashioned tale that begins with a meeting of "gentleman" magicians pondering this question: Why [is] there no more magic done in England? After all, magic was routinely performed in the past, but this is 1806 and no one has seen a spell cast in the present day. Of course, the meeting is filled with magicians, but they are theoretical, not practical wizards. To answer their intriguing inquiry, the group decides to seek instruction from a magician in Yorkshire, the reclusive Mr. Norrell. The gentlemen manage to persuade the old magician to move to London, where they promise to help him bring magic back into fashion. To attract attention to his cause, Mr. Norrell performs two incredible feats - he causes all the statues in York Cathedral to speak and he raises a young woman from the dead. Although he knows of their tricky nature, Mr. Norrell employs a Fairie to help with the latter deed. His actions have the desired effect. Suddenly, the old magician finds himself commissioned by the government to help battle Napoleon Bonaparte in a war with France that is causing England no end of frustrations. Satisfied, Mr. Norrell applies himself to his work, spending most of his time studying magic in the safety of his library. He considers the matter of his Fairie assistant not at all.

About this time, Jonathan Strange arrives in the city. Strange is a young gentleman with plenty of money and no career. He approaches the now-famous Mr. Norrell, seeking lessons in magic. The older man soon discovers that the younger has extraordinary natural talent. However, Strange seems restless with constant studying. He would rather be out performing magic, preferably to an admiring audience.

Meanwhile, strange things are happening in London. Lady Pole, the young woman helped by Mr. Norrell, has become withdrawn and morose. She complains that she is tired from dancing all night, even though she has attended no ball. Likewise, servants in her home complain of a bell that is constantly tolling. The master servant, Stephen Black, is having disconcerting experiences with a curious man who promises to make him a king. Both Mr. Norrell and Jonathan Strange are called on to explain these occurrences, but neither can deduce the real problem, although it smacks of Fairie magic. Mr. Norrell publicly rages against the wretched race and its Otherworlds, while Strange decides to pursue the matter more aggressively. When his own wife mysteriously disappears, Strange drives himself to madness trying to summon a Fairie to help him bring her back.

When Strange finally succeeds, all hell breaks loose. Suddenly, England's entire landscape changes - roads and bridges appear where there were none before, thickets appear which are strewn with corpses and bones, and unrelenting Darkness descends. It is up to Norrell and Strange, who have long since parted ways, to banish the Fairie world and break the spells that bind Mrs. Strange and others to their terrible world. It is a showdown that will require all their magical skills and cost them everything, including their sanity and, indeed, their very lives.

Despite its subject matter, Clarke tells her story in a warm, engaging tone that sucks the reader slowly into the story. As I've said before, Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell is not a page turner, but the action is steady enough to keep the reader interested. The characters are unique and interesting, especially the colorful Jonathan Strange. I also loved that Clarke created a whole magical history, which she refers to constantly in lively footnotes, which are so convincing that I actually consulted Wikipedia to see if the books she cited ever existed (they didn't - she made them up). All of these things combine to make a rich, detailed story that kept me reading for days. To put it simply, this book cast a heavy spell on me - I simply couldn't put it down.

GRADE: A+

So, I'm still working my way through Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, but I am loving every page. It's an excellent book - look for my review sometime soon (hopefully). I'm trying to finish it quickly so I can go onto my last book for the R.I.P. II Challenge - Lord of the Rings. Definitely stay tuned! In the meantime, I wanted to mention a few things:

First, I was so inspired by (I was going to insert the name of the blogger here, but I can't remember who it was!) that I went to the library the other day WITHOUT a list. I never do that, but I thought I could benefit from a little spontaneity. So, I grabbed Garden Spells by Sarah Addison and The God of Animals by Aryn Kyle, both of which are on my TBR list. Then, I just went crazy and grabbed a couple more that I had never heard of. One is Family Skeletons by Rett MacPherson, which is the story of a historian/geneaologist who is hired to look into the disappearance of a friend's father, who left for WWII and never came home. I thought it looked fun. The other is Margaret's Peace by Linda Hall. It's about a woman who returns to her childhood home after her daughter's death only to find herself caught up in long-hidden family secrets. Love those family secrets! They make for such juicy books. So, anyway, we'll see what I think of this pile of novels.

Secondly, I wanted to give a shout out to Eva, for motivating me take my book list to a whole new level of OCD-driven organization. Just this morning, I was perusing it and realizing how many book suggestions I get from book blogs. So, thank you, book bloggers! I subscribe to the feeds of many of your blogs and read them religiously. It's so nice to have this wonderful book-minded community in the blogosphere.

Thirdly, I signed up for a new challenge. Read all about it on my companion blog, Up For A Challenge.

Lastly, I wanted to mention a magazine I enjoy called Bookmarks. It's a great magazine that features book reviews, author interviews and other bookish items. I mention it because the editor asked subscribers to spread the word via blogs and reviews, so that the magazine can stay in business, unlike my former fave Pages. The subscription is a bit pricey, but it's worth it. You can find this magazine at bookstores, but they receive more of your money if you purchase a subscription.

Okay, that's it. Back to Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell. Have I mentioned how much I love this book??

As I mentioned earlier, I stuck this book on my list for the R.I.P. II Challenge to up my list's spooky quotient. Well, it did. Wow, did it ever. I may not sleep for a week.


Heart-Shaped Box concerns Jude Coyne, a 54-year-old rock star with no music left in him. He's got plenty of money, a competent assistant to handle his business affairs, and a pretty Goth girl to warm his bed. He's also got a macabre collection of sinister items - a confession signed by a witch, a skull of a dead peasant, and other bizarre objects. So, when his assistant laughingly shows him a ghost for sale on an auction site, Jude can't resist. He buys it. When UPS delivers a heart-shaped box with a black suit inside, Jude's amused. According to the seller, the suit belonged to her recently deceased stepfather, and is haunted by his restless spirit. Jude thinks little of his new acquisition until strange things begin happening - the suit mysteriously leaps from its place in the closet; radios play when they're unplugged; the air is unnaturally cold; and, worst of all, Jude sees the dead man everywhere.


Jude, along with his current girlfriend Georgia (her name is actually Marybeth, but Jude is too callous to remember his girls' names, so calls them by their home state; his last girlfriend was Florida), do everything they can think of to rid themselves of the sinister ghost. Nothing works. The only beings capable of stopping the ghost seem to be Jude's dogs. By now, Jude has realized that he doesn't own a random ghost; in fact, he was tricked into buying the ghost of Florida's stepfather. The haunt blames Jude for Florida (real name: Anna)'s suicide, and he won't stop plaguing Jude until he's dead. Terrified, Jude and Marybeth take the dogs for protection and head to Florida, intent on making Anna's family help them destroy the ghost. Instead, they are confronted with the terrible secrets Anna was forced to keep. Finally, the pair head for Louisiana, where Jude's own tortured past awaits. In a bloody showdown, Jude and Marybeth finally face the sinister ghost in a last, desperate attempt to rid the world of his evil presence.


Okay, I love ghost stories, but this one was bloody, crude and full of profanity. I should have put it down immediately, but I was so drawn into the story that I couldn't stop reading. It was absolutely absorbing. The action started almost immediately and didn't let up until the last page. I thought the idea of buying a ghost was inventive, although the rest of the story was somewhat standard horror fare. Still, I couldn't stop turning pages. The novel's most redeeming quality is that, at its heart, it's about a man searching for goodness within himself. Jude's life has been so crammed with filth that it takes an evil ghost to make him fight for the few precious things in it. Like I said, it's a horrifying, mesmerizing story, but you won't be able to put it down. If you're a Stephen King fan, you will probably love this tale penned by his son.

I have been thinking of writing a blog entry called "Confessions of An Obsessive Reader" detailing all my "reading rules." Sometimes I think I am just an OCD-infected freak, but I thought maybe, just maybe, some of you are, too. So, when I saw this survey over at Becky's Book Reviews, I thought I would steal it, fill it in with all my secrets and hope that other obsessive readers will find it and make nice, comforting comments to convince me that I'm not operating too far south of normal! So, here goes...

What book are you currently reading? Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill. Since all of my reading for the R.I.P. II Challenge has been more fantastical than scary, I thought I needed something more Halloween-ish. This book, written by Stephen King's son, fits the bill perfectly.

How do you decide what book to read next? Since I've also become an obsessive book buyer, I have tons of choices on my bookshelf. I also make frequent trips to the library. Okay, here's a peek into my OCD - I keep a list (alphabetized by author) on my computer of all the books I want to read. When I hear about a good book, I add it. Then, before I go to the library or the bookstore, I peruse the list for interesting titles. Despite this, my list never seems to get any shorter; at least, I'll never run out of things to read!

Do you always finish books, or do you give up on them? If you give up on them, how many pages does it usually take? I don't give up on books often, but sometimes I do. I have WAY too many books in my TBR pile to waste time on those I don't like. It usually takes me a couple of chapters to decide.

Do you ever re-read books you love? If so, how often? Give examples, if possible. I rarely re-read books, even if I adore them. I also can't stand watching reruns on tv. Like I said, I'm weird.

Can you read books in noisy places (e.g. trains, buses, crowded rooms)? I can't read while I'm in the car because I get really carsick. Planes are a different story - usually I can read in the air without any problem. When I read - especially if the book is really good - I tune everything else out, so I can read with the t.v. on, my kids screaming, tornadoes raging outside, etc. I prefer to read in silence, but I take what I can get.

Where do you acquire most of your books? If you are a library user or borrower, how many books do you borrow at once? If a buyer, how many books do you usually buy at once? I get books any way I can. Lately, I have been buying more because I can't seem to get my library books back on time. But, when I do go to the library, I usually get at least 4 books, sometimes more. Yesterday, I checked out 12, but most of them were YA novels. Likewise, when I buy books, I can't purchase just one. I'm a huge sucker for Borders' 3 for 2 table. I try to shop wisely, taking advantage of coupons and free shipping (when I buy online). New books just make me happy. What can I say?

Do you use bookmarks, or dog-ear the pages of your books? Do you make marginal notes? If so, do you use pencil or pen? Dog-ear pages?? Gasp! No, I would never do that. I use bookmarks - pretty ones if I have them, scraps of paper otherwise. I don't make marginal notes ever. I had an English teacher in high school who wrote copious notes in books she owned. Her spidery handwriting filled every blank space on the page. I thought this was very intellectual of her, but I don't read that way. Also, I find it hugely irritating to read a book that's filled with someone else's notes.

Do you have any unusual tendencies while you read? Did I mention my OCD? I have to read books in a series in order. I absolutely will not start in the middle. Also, I have a hard time with non-fiction. My husband has several books he's been urging me to read for years, but I've put them off because they're not fiction. In addition, I've discovered that I'm not big on reading the classics. I wish I was, but I find a lot of them incredibly boring. Of course, there are exceptions - Little Women, Gone With the Wind (more of a modern classic), Anne of Green Gables, poetry by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, etc. and there are lots of classics I haven't read, but, in general, I'm not big on the classics. I know - you're stunned! Reading is also an addiction of mine (almost as bad as the Reese's Peanut Butter Cups one) - I get so swept up in exciting plots that I forget about everything else. My husband and kids often have to pull me back up to the surface.

Do you read through pages at top speed, or do you stop to savor the sentences along the way? It depends on what I'm reading. If the writer uses language masterfully, I will pause to savor sentences here and there before I continue at top speed. In general, I read very quickly.

We know most of us can read just about anywhere, but specifically where and when do you do your best reading? Let's see, I love reading outside in serene places, but that doesn't happen a lot. So, I'd have to say my favorite reading spot is in my room. I have an adjustable bed that lets me achieve the perfect reading position (head elevated, feet elevated,). Then, I turn on a lamp so I have nice, soft light. A glass of ice water completes my perfect reading environment. Ahh...

Okay, there you have it. Remember your part in this? Nice, understanding comments that let me know I'm not too obsessive and weird! I'd love to hear other book lovers' answers to these questions as well - so feel free to steal - I mean, borrow - the survey I stole - I mean, borrowed, from Becky.

In general, I'm not a big fan of short stories. Why? I don't know. I've been analyzing my psyche to figure it out. I think it goes back to the whole old friends v. new friends thing - I'd rather keep old, established relationships than try to create new, possibly superficial ones. Thus, I enjoy reading series' and big, thick novels that delve deeply into the characters. Anyway, the point I am very slowly getting to is that I don't usually read short stories. In fact, I chose Avi's Strange Happenings for the R.I.P. Challenge thinking it was a novel. Nope. Short stories. But, since the volume is short (it's intended for 8-12 year olds), I decided to give it a shot...and the short stories were not bad, not bad at all...

They weren't, however, exceptional. I felt most of the stories lacked imagination and carried over-simplified morals (i.e. always keep your word; you can't trick a trickster; physical beauty does not necessarily equal happiness, etc.). Yes, I realize that they are written for children, but I would have liked more intricate tales. I did think "Curious" was funny, especially since my husband and I were just at an Arizona Diamondbacks game musing about what kind of people dress up like tacos and burritos and act like idiots during the 7th inning stretch. Anyway, "Curious" is about Jeff, a young boy who loves the mascot - dubbed The Alien - of his hometown baseball team. He desperately wants to meet the person inside the costume, so he lurks around the field, questioning players and staff about the identity of The Alien. Oddly, no one knows, or really cares. Most people consider The Alien's actions rude and even offensive. Not Jeff, who is now even more curious about the mascot. Finally, he decides to hide under the bleachers and wait for The Alien to reveal himself. Jeff ends up getting a lot more than he bargained for, which proves that curiousity can get you into a whole lot of trouble.

My favorite story in this collection was "Babette the Beautiful," a tale in which a beautiful queen makes a deal with a sorceress to ensure she bears a princess who is equally as fetching as herself. So obsessed is the queen with beauty that she wants her child to be wholly without blemish. The sorceress, an ugly hag, assures the vain queen that her daughter will "appear flawless." Satisfied, the queen leaves, but banishes the hag to an outer forest, just so she doesn't make trouble. When Princess Babette is born, her mother stares at her in confusion. At first, the infant's features are curiously invisible. Luckily, the queen has an image in her head of what she wanted her child to look like, and that image replaces the one before her. In fact, she orders all mirrors removed from the kingdom. She then has artists paint Babette according to her description; thus, everyone in the land comes to recognize the princess based on the pictures that have been drawn. This is all well and good until Babette, travelling in the outer forests, encounters an ugly old woman who tells the princess she is invisible. Outraged, she orders her guards to stow the hag in the castle's prison. The furious Babette then questions her subjects about her appearance - no one can give her a credible answer. Finally, she demands a mirror. When she peers into it, she can see nothing. Astounded, Babette sends for the old woman, who gives her mysterious instructions as to how to fix the problem. I won't spoil the story for you, but let's just say that Babette learns her lesson about prizing physical beauty over all else.

Avi's stories were quick and amusing, if not brilliant. They're really not scary at all, but magical and fun. Kids will certainly enjoy them, probably without even realizing they are cautionary tales with time-tested morals.

If you know me, or if you read this blog with any regularity, you know I'm not a big sci-fi/fantasy fan. Still, Neil Gaiman's Stardust has gotten so much press, I knew I had to read it. And, guess what? I LOVED it. I mean, I liked Gaiman's Anansi Boys, but Stardust made me worship this writer on a whole new level.

The book stars Tristran Thorn, a young man living in the walled city of Wall. At one end of his city is a hole, through which lies the land of Fairie. This opening in the wall is guarded every night by men who are charged with allowing no one passage through the hole. Like all residents of Wall, Tristran has observed strange shadows lurking on the Fairie side, but he has never had any real desire to cross the boundary. At least, not until one fateful night, when he accompanies the beautiful Victoria Forester home and the pair see a falling star. Teasingly, Victoria promises that she will marry Tristran if he brings her the star that has fallen. Hopeful, the boy sets out on a journey that takes him beyond his home to the strange land of Fairie, a place where magic abounds and nothing is as it seems. Here, a fallen star does not resemble a "diamond or a rock"(109) like Tristran expects; instead, he finds himself dragging an ethereal young lady back to his city. Soon, Tristran discovers that he is not the only one seeking the star - there's a power-hungry lord searching for its power; an evil hag intent on removing its heart and any number of creatures willing to do harm to Tristran and his prize. Confronting the many dangers in the strange - but oddly familiar - land requires all of Tristan's strength and wit. It also forces him to face the truth of his birth, his heritage and his heart.

This "fairy tale for adults" is simple and enchanting. It lacks the depth of some classic stories, but it captures the imagination as aptly as anything written by C.S. Lewis or J.R.R. Tolkien. Gaiman writes exceptionally well - his word choice is always apt, always laced with his trademark wit. He sculpts his characters with care, creating a memorable cast of various creatures. Tristran makes a likable, if unlikely, hero, who captured my heart with his humility and goodness. I loved Yvain - the fallen star - as well, and thought her character unique and interesting. Mostly, I loved this story because it is saturated with heart. Despite dark spots, Stardust is essentially a warm tale about one boy's quest to find adventure, love and, ultimately, himself.

Note: I stuck this book on my list for the R.I.P. Challenge, knowing only that it had something to do with magic. It probably wasn't the best read (theme-wise) for this challenge, but I'm not apologizing since I loved the book so much and I wouldn't have gotten to it this year if I hadn't put it on my R.I.P. list. So there!

When I first read about the R.I.P. II Challenge, one book popped into my head: Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin. Its menacing cover just screams Halloween. Halfway through the book, however, I realized it wasn't that type of story. Not that it wasn't scary, it was, just not in a haunted house kind of way. It's scary in more of a deranged-killer-on-the-loose way. Come to think of it, perhaps those are the scariest stories out there, so maybe this was the perfect pick after all...

Picture this. The year is 1171. The place: Cambridge, England. The problem: Children are disappearing from the town. When one of the children's corpse is found on the lawn of a wealthy Jewish usurer, all Hell breaks loose. A mob murders the homeowners, forcing the town Prior to herd all Jews into the castle for their own protection. This causes problems for Henry II, King of England, whose purse suffers every day the Jews are confined. The solution: Clearly, a master of death (the 12th Century equivalent of a medical examiner) is needed to study the body for clues and find the responsible party. The problem with the solution: An expert is sent from Salerno, Italy - a town renowned for its medical school - only the doctor is not a master of death, but a mistress of death, in the form of Adelia Aguilar. While Adelia has been schooled in medicine, her real expertise lies not in treating the living, but in examining the dead. Thus, the King of Sicily orders her to investigate the deaths in England, a country where women healers are routinely burned at the stake for practicing witchcraft. Thus, Adelia and her two companions - her Saracen servant Mansur and the king's investigator, Simon of Naples - are forced into a charade where Mansur is the physician and Adelia is but an assistant. Although they are determined not to call attention to themselves, the three gain notoriety on the journey to Cambridge when Adelia deftly cures the Prior of a bladder infection. When word spreads, Adelia and Mansur find themselves inundated with patients. Adelia tries desperately to keep up the charade while helping the sick and investigating the children's murders. Another problem with the solution: Although Adelia is sadly lacking in bedside manner and femininity, she is not invisible to men. In fact, she has attracted the attention of tax collector Sir Rowley Picot, a jolly man who shows an unusual interest in the murdered children. His presence disconcerts Adelia, who increasingly suspects him to be the killer. The rest of the story: As Adelia and her companions come closer to finding the murderer, they find themselves in increasing danger. Adelia fears, in particular, for her young friend, Ulf. When he disappears from town one day, desperation overcomes her. Can Adelia save him as she couldn't save the other kids? Can she trust Sir Rowley with her secrets? Her life? Her heart? And, most importantly, can she find the killer, absolve the Jews, and return to her beloved Salerno? Or will she find herself the victim of a lunatic bent on terrorizing women and children?


One reviewer described Mistress of the Art of Death as "CSI meets The Canterbury Tales," and it is exactly that. The atmosphere is all Canterbury Tales, with vivid period detail and a cast of quirky knights, nuns and clergymen; but the plot is as taut and suspenseful as an episode with Gil Grissom and friends. It took me a chapter or two to get used to Franklin's style (I considered reading with a dictionary next to me, since she employed words I had never even seen before), but once I did, I was hooked. I literally could not put this book down until I finished it. Although I had the guilty party (or is it parties?) figured out long before Adelia did, there were plenty of other plot twists to keep me on the edge of my seat.


A warning: This book is not for the squeamish. It's also not for those who want to get something done, because trust me, you won't be able to complete anything until you finish this book.