June 29-July 5, 2014

The Burning by Jane Casey - four women have been murdered and burned by a serial killer. But DC Maeve Kerrigan isn't convinced that the fifth victim fits the pattern. Told from three different viewpoints which is a little jarring at times. A few twists keep it interesting.

3 stars
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65 Short Stories by W. Somerset Maugham - it took quite awhile to read this (937 pgs), but I enjoyed most of the stories. Many are set in hot, sultry countries. The non-PCness is a little off putting, but probably very true to the times. I liked the Ashenden spy stories quite a lot. I really liked the author's style. I do wish the book had included the year in which they were published.

4 stars
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Victorian San Francisco Stories by M. Louisa Locke - four short stories involving the characters living at Annie Fuller's boarding house. The first explains how Annie became Miss Sybil, the clairvoyant. I especially enjoyed the historical tidbits at the end, going into detail about many events and places mentioned in the stories. This was a free Kindle book and I'll be reading the first book in the series.

3 stars
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The Sea of Storms:Lodestone Book One by Mark Whiteway - I was unable to immerse myself in the world of Kelanni, there were too many unanswered questions. Some bad guys are oppressing the population in the name of a mysterious Prophet. Some good guys are trying to stop them. Also a story element that really annoys me - jealousy and suspicion. Ends on a cliffhanger but meh. My opinion is in the minority on Goodreads. Another free kindle book.

2 stars
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All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr - a blind girl and her father leave Paris with a priceless artifact as the Germans are arriving. An orphaned German boy becomes an expert at finding transmissions made by resistance fighters. Somehow the two meet in this beautifully written book. Written from different viewpoints and times but I didn't find it confusing. Most of the chapters are quite short. Some horrific war passages.

5 stars
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Book Lust by Nancy Pearl - another book with lots of book suggestions. I've put a lot of them on my to read list, in fact, I just reached my hold limit at the library. I bought this book so I could mark in it. It was fun seeing what I'd already read.

3 stars