2.
Title: [How the Light Gets In]
Author: Louise Penny
Genre: Mystery
Medium: Hardback
Acquisition: Pre-order, late read
Date Completed: January 9, 2015
Rating: *****

How the Light Gets In by Louise Penny is narrative perfection.  Penny's writing is quietly elegant, building suspense with few gimmicks, and allowing characters to drive the story without overburdening the story with indulgent introspection, or unnecessary action sequences. Here, Gamache works through three mysteries, two of which are intimately connected, and all of which drive the detective back to the Utpoia of Three Pines.  I'm afraid to say anything more for fear of spoiling the story for any who hasn't gotten to it yet, so I will simply say that Penny again meets - and exceeds - the high standards I now have for her work.

Books Read in 2014

Books Read in 2014

1.  Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger.  Steampunk. 1.7.14. ****
2.  The Goddess Chronicle by Natsuo Kirino.  Mythology.  January Resolution Book.  1.15.14.  *****
3.  Life Below Stairs: True LIves of Edwardian Servants by Alison Maloney.  Wikipedia4.  The Ghost Map: The Story of London's Most Terrifying Epidemic - and How it Changed Science, Cities, and the Modern World. by Steven Johnson.  Nonfiction.  1.20.14. ***
5.  The Darkest Secret by Gena Showalter.  Paranormal Romance.  1.23.14.  ***1/2
6.  Incubus Wolf by Bonnie Vanak.  Paranormal Romance.  1.23.14. *
7.  Seduced by the Wolf by Bonnie Vonak.  Paranormal Romance.  1.24.14.  *
8.  The Darkest Surrender by Gena Showalter.  Paranormal Romance.  1.27.14.  ***1/2
9.  One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey.  Fiction.  Work.  1.31.14. ****

10.  Curtsies and Conspiracies by Gail Carriger.  Steampunk.  2.1.14.  ***
11.  MacRieve by Kresley Cole.  Paranormal Romance.  2.2.14. ****
12.  The House of Dead Maids by Clare B. Dunke. YA Horror.  2.6.12.  **
13.  Bonds of Denial by Lynda Aicher.  M/M Romance.  2.8.14.  ****1/2
14.  We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson.  Gothic. Work.  2.9.14.  ****1/2
15.  The Redwood Pack: Volume 3 by Carrie Ann Ryan.  Paranormal Romance.  2.11.14. ***
16.  The Redwood Pack: Volume 4 by Carrie Ann Ryan.  Paranormal Romance.  2.13.14. ***1/2
17.  Othello by William Shakespeare.  Drama. Work.  2.13.14.  ****1/2
18.  Bonds of Trust by Lynda Aicher.  Romance.  2.15.14. **1/2
19.  Bared by Stacey Kennedy.  Romance.  2.14.

20.  The Truth by Terry Pratchett.  Fantasy. Work.  3.6.14. *****
21.  Ready Player One by Ernest Cline.  Fantasy.  3.17.14. ****
22.  The Savage Garden by Peter D'Amato.  Horticulture.  3.17.14.  ****
23.  Night Broken by Patricia Briggs.  Urban Fantasy.  3.20.14.  ****1/2

24.  The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien.  Fantasy. 4.1.14.  ****1/2
25.  Raising Steam by Terry Pratchett.  Fantasy.  4.2.14.  ****
26.  One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest by Ken Kesey.  Fiction/Work.  4.4.14.
27.  Oedipus Rex by Sophocles.  Drama/Work.  4.16.14.
28.  Island of Doctor Moreau by H.G. Wells.  Scientific Romance/Work. 4.17.14
29. Maus by Art Spiegelman.  Graphic Novel.  4.28.14. ****
30.  Maus II by Art Spiegelman.  Graphic Novel. 4.28.14. ****

31.  Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo. Fiction.  5.9.14. ***
32. Raven Girl by Audrey Niffenegger. Fable.  5.12.14. *****
33. Embroideries by  Marjane Satrapi.  Graphic Novel. 5.12.14. ****
34.  The Lost Boy by Greg Ruth.  Graphic Novel.  5.13.14.  ***1/2
35.  Princesses Behaving Badly by Linda Rodriguez McRobbie.  Nonfiction.  5.16.14.  ***1/2
36.  Cress by Marissa Meyer.  Science Fiction.  5.17.14. *****
37. American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang.  Graphic Novel.  5.19.14. ***
38. Daytripper by Gabriel Ba. Graphic Novel.  5.21.14.  ****
39. Persepolis II by Marjane Satrapi.  Graphic Novel.  5.21.14. ***
40. The Three Incestuous Sisters by Audrey Niffenegger.  Graphic Novel.  5.22.14. ****
41.  Batman: A Death in the Family by Jim Starlin.  Graphic Novel.  5.24.14.  **

*Note: I stopped recording faithfully in May ... not long before beginning my coursework.*

42.  Real World by Natsuo Kirino.  FIction.  5.27.14 *
43. Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane by Suzanne Collins.  YA Science Fiction.  5.27.14.  ****

44.  Shadows of the Workhouse by Jennifer Worth.  Memoir.  6.1.14. ****
45. Audition by Ryu Murakami. Pulp.  6.8.14.  ***1/2
46.  I am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced by Delphine Minoui.  Meoir.  6.10.14
47.  Out by Natsuo Kirino.  Fiction.  6.14. Abandoned.
48.  Logicomix by Aspostolos Doxiadis and Christos H. Papadimitriou.  Graphic Nonfiction.  Abandoned June 2014 for greater responsibilities, and a library due date.
49.  Call the Midwife: Farewell to the East End by Jenifer Worth.  Memoir.  6.17.14.  ***
50. 'Zine by Pagan Kennedy.  Early Review, Memoir.  6.20.14.  **
51. The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper.  YA Fantasy.  6.25.14. *
52. The Private Letters of Countess Erzsebet Bathory by Kimberly L. Craft. History. 6.15.14.  **
53. My Friend Dahmer by Derf Backderf. Nonfiction Graphic Novel. 6.26.14.  ****1/4
54. Catwoman: Nine Lives of a Feline Fatale by Ed Brubaker.  Graphic Novel.  6.28.14. ****1/2
55.  Superman vs. Lex Luther by various.  Graphic novels. 6.30.14

56. The Death of Superman by Dan Jurgens. Graphic novel. 7.2.14.
57. Catwoman: Volume 1 by Ed Brubaker. Graphic Novel. 7.2014
58. Catwoman: Volume 2 by Ed Brubaker. Graphic Novel. 7.2014
59. Sweet Life: Erotic Fantasies for Couples by Violet Blue. Erotica. 7.2014.
60. Batman: Nightfall Volume 1 by Various. Graphic Novel. 7.2014.
61. Hero by Perry Moore. YA Superhero. 7.2014. ***1/2
62. Ultra: Seven Days by Jonathan Luna. Graphic Novel. 7.2014. *
63. Watchmen by Alan Moore. GraphicNovel. 7.2014.
64. Wanted by Mark Millar. Graphic Novel. 7.2014.
65. Ex Machina: The First Hundred Days by Ed Brubaker. Graphic Novel. 7.2014
66. Daredevil: Born Again by Frank Miller. Graphic Novel. 7.2014.
67.  Cage by Brian Azzarello. Graphic Novel. 7.2014.
68. Superman: Red Son by Mark Millar.  Graphic Novel. 7.2014.  **
69. Catwoman: Elegy by Greg Rucka. Graphic Novel. 7.2014.
70. Rhetoric articles, 1,500+ pages.  7.2014.
71. Superhero and US Media Articles - approximate 500 pages.  7.2014
72. Icon: A Hero's Welcome by Dwayne McDuffie.  Graphic Novel. 7.30.14.

73. The Girl in 6E by Alessandra Torre. Thriller, Early Review. 8.1.14
74. No Biking int he House Without a Helmet. by Melissa Fay Green. Adoption Memoir. 8.2014. ****
75. Batman Knightfall: Volume 1 by Doug Moench. Graphic Novel.

76. Girls Who Bite by Delilah Devon. Erotica. 9.2014. *

77. The Keepsake for 1829 by Paula R. Feldman. British Periodical. 10.2014.
78. Sol by Madison Stevens. Romance. 10.2014. ***

79. Titus by Madison Stevens. Romance. 11.2014. ***
80. Lucius by Madison Stevens. Romance. 11.7.14. ***
81. Victorian Print Media: A Reader by John Plunkett. Periodicals. Fall 2014.
82. The Pleasure's All Mine by Joan Kelly. Memoir. August 2014. *
83. Multicultural Comics: from Zap to Blue Beetle by Frederick Luis Aldama. Academic. August 2014. ****

84. If Not, Winter: Fragments of Sappho trans. Anne Carson. Poetry. 9.24.14. *****
85. Othello by Shakespeare.  Drama. 10.15.14. *****
86. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien.  YA Fantasy. 11.3.14. *****
87 The Island of Doctor Moreau by H.G. Wells. Scientific Romance. 11.11.14. *****
88. Mark Twain's Helpful Hints for Good Living. Essays. 8.29.14. *****
89. Gothic Stories by Mark Blair. Gothic Literature. 9.16.14. *****
90. Oxford Book of Essays. 10.2014. ****
91. Lysistrata trans. Sarah Ruden. 10.8.14. *
92. Othello by Shakespeare.  Drama. 10.24.14. *****
93.  Titus Andronicus by Shakespeare. Drama. 11.5.14

94. A Life in Books: The Rise and Fall of Bleu Mobley by Warren Lehrer. Illuminated Fiction. 123.14. ****
95. Bound by Blood by Cynthia Eden. Paranormal Romance. 12.17.14. **
96. A Shiver of Light by Laurell K. Hamilton. Urban Fantasy. 12.21.14. ***1/2

1.
Title: [Jason]
Author: Laurell K. Hamilton
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Medium: Paperback
Acquisition: Impulse buy
Date Completed: January 6, 2015
Rating: **1/2

Oh, the angst! Oh, the melodrama! Oh, the whining! It should be surprising how un-sexy a book about joyful (intended) sex can be, but this books is so conflicted and political and introspective (while remaining shallow) that no amount of fantasy can save it. I'm so disappointed that this wasn't the fun romp I thought it would be.