In 2016, I read 3 more books than I did in 2015. Since I’ve complete my Konmari cleaning process, I hope I will have read even more than in 2016. Wish me luck!
- Strange Practice (A Dr. Greta Helsing Novel 1) by Vivian Shaw
[ Dr. Greta Helsing (yes, as in Van Helsing) specializes in treating monsters, vampires, demons and such. The monsters in London are being murdered, Greta works with her friends, human and otherwise, to get to the bottom of the killings. Unique idea and great writing! ] - Miss Kopp’s Midnight Confessions (Kopp Sisters Series 3) by Amy Stewart
[ Constance Amelie Kopps is now an official, budge bearring deputy sheriff. She tries to girls that might fall into the unfair treatment under the law of the time while worrying about her own sisters. I love that I learned how the women were treated back then and gain even more application with all the privileges I have today. ] - The Question of the Absentee Father (An Asperger’s Mystery 4) by E. J. Copperman and Jeff Cohen
[ Samuel accepts his mother’s case and go on to look for a stranger, his own father. He also makes a few breakthroughs in the proces, reminds me to be more brave in my daily life. ] - Life of Lies by Sharon Sala
[ If there wasn’t as much romance parts in this (This IS a romance novel), it would be one of the better thrillers I’ve read. Fun read! ] - The Color of Fear (A Sharon McCone Mystery) by Marcia Muller
[ This McCone Mystery is a bit thin though the social issue and investigation process are still intriguing. If you read most of this series, you might be a bit bored reading about how relevant characters came into Sharon’s life (or a quick refresher) ] - Before the Devil Breaks You (The Diviners 3) by Libba Bray
[ The 3rd Diviners book takes you deeper into the characters and their histories while finguring out how they can best use their powers and fighting against an evil entity. Once you get started you couldn’t stop. For people who can’t handle waiting years to know what’s next, I recommand waiting for the whole series are done. If you can wait that long, that is… ] - Scientific Qi Gong (科學氣功) (in Chinese) by Prof. Si-Chen Lee (李嗣涔) [ I only wanted to understand more about Qi Gong but ended up totally facinated with the science. And by serendipity, many things I was learning about Nicola Tesla’s technologies are connected to Prof. Lee’s finding. ]
- The Book of Truth (The Mastery Trilogy 2) channeled by Paul Selig (non-fiction) [ I don’t feel the frequency that some readers seemed to have felt but the teaching is stil very helpful. ]
- The Fortune Teller by Gwendolyn Womack 2017 #1 Pick!
[ A seer from thousands of years ago writing to Semele, warning her with precise timing while she translate it. Time travel in a different way, that is. I’d read it in one go if I had nothing else going on. Great read! ] - Too Lucky to Live (A Somebody’s Bound to Wind Up Dead Mystery 1) by Annie Hogsett
[ Allie rescues a blind professer who ends up winning the Lotto jackpot for an underprivilaged child, then working together against money hungry bad guys. I love how the voice is a perfect reflection of Allie and the how Hogsett gives us an admirable well-rounded blind character. ] - The Jane Austen Project by Kathleen A. Flynn 2017 #2 Pick!
[ Jane Austen + Time Travel?!!! Too fantastic I had to read it. Though not a fan of Austen, I love how this book reminds me so much of Austen’s stories. And her solutions to the usual time travel issues are also unique to other time travel stories I’ve read. ] - The Book of Mastery (The Mastery Trilogy 1) channeled by Paul Selig (non-fiction)
[ The language of the channeled being took some getting use to, but I read the whole thing. Since it’s explaining how the universe works relating to human, it often read like Buddhism made simple. I might go read all of Paul’s channeled books. ] - Brooklyn on Fire (A Mary Handley Mystery 2) by Lawrence H. Levy
[ Mary now runs her own PI office from the bookstore she works at. Her lastest client’s request brings her more danger, advantures, and romance. ] - Second Street Station (A Mary Handley Mystery 1) by Lawrence H. Levy
[ Mary Handley was a real person (reminds me of the Constance Amelie Kopps books, also a cop.) I like that Levy weaves in historic figures and events while the story shows twists, it also shows the social conditions. Good read! ] - Zodiac: A Novel by Sam Wilson
[ Coming from film/TV, Wilson presents his story as movie scenes. This murder mystery is based on a society where the star signs are treated as races. People live with this “star” caste system and what happens in the book is the result of this social condition. Unique and exciting read. ] - The Secret Language of Stones (The Daughters of La Lune) by M. J. Rose
[ I’m sure it’s a good read for people who have deep love fine and literary arts. I like the progression of the story well enough though. ] - The Burning Page (The Invisible Library Novel 3) by Genevieve Cogman
[ This series just gets better! ] - The Masked City (The Invisible Library Novel 2) by Genevieve Cogman
[ Genevieve is great at keeping the pace up, it’s hard to find a break to take a breath. ] - The Invisible Library (The Invisible Library Novel 1) by Genevieve Cogman
[ This is the first fantasy book that was easy enough for me to read at normal speed. I love the writing style that fits both the story, the worlds, and the characters. There are a lot more to explore than just the plot, reading the 2nd book already. ] - Dead, Bath, and Beyond (Victoria Square Mystery) by Lorraine Bartlett and Laurie Cass
[ Katie, the owner of an arts and crafts collective shop, tried to solve the murder of her much hated ex-boss. Many suspects, interesting interpersonal interactions and dynamics. ] - The Dangerous Ladies Affair (Book 5 of Carpenter and Quincannon Mystery) by Marcia Muller and Bill Pronzini
[ Two detectives, two indivisual cases. One is a mystery of threat and murder. The other is the chase of the devious criminal. ] - The Question of the Unfamiliar Husband (An Asperger’s Mystery 2) by E. J. Copperman and Jeff Cohen
[ This is the better than book 1 and 3. I had a feeling who were involved in the murder but I didn’t expect the how and the mastermind. Fun read! ] - The Question of the Missing Head (An Asperger’s Mystery 1) by E. J. Copperman and Jeff Cohen
[ Samuel who turns his Asperger’s personality into a business of answering questions. Also highly recommand The Rosie Project for understanding more about Asperger’s. This book kept me guessing while enjoy the quarks and growth of Samuel. ]
A surprise list for me. I think it shows that there is a story (or many) inside you gestating till the time is right to come out and be read and loved. xx
Thank you for sharing your thoughts. Before I can write more, I know I need to read more as all the authors and instructors have said. :)
Wonder why you think it’s a surprise though…