I've just finished Helen Hollick's Pirate Code and have to say I was disappointed. I love a good pirate tale, but the grammatical errors in the edition I read were rife and just annoyed me....and the plot was hard to follow. I've liked the other books of hers I've read, but don't think I'll be seeking any more of her Jolly Roger stories....

I'm reading Bless This House by Norah Lofts.  This is only my second Book by Norah Lofts.  The other one I have read is The Lost Queen, and I really enjoyed it.  

My copy of Stone Heart finally arrived at the library so I could join the read along after all.  Nearly finished.  Interesting read.  Read Hugh and Bess by Susan Higginbotham, my first by this author.  It's a light romantic read and now I need to send it off for a game swap! Now I can move on to another book or two from my TBR shelf.   And, I completed Instruments of Darkness by Imogen Robertson, another very good mystery by a wonderful author. This is the third I've read by Robertson and I'm still with her.  Love the key characters - Mrs. Westerson and Crowley.  What a duo!  Done with Murder on Good Friday by Sara Conway which was quite a good read.  Also read Princess Elizabeth's Spy which I really liked even though I thought it dragged a bit in the middle.  Read A Woman Named Jackie by C. David Heymann which was in keeping with the 50th anniversary?  Perhaps so but I can critique today's comments!   Plus, I liked it! 

In addition, I began too many books so I am trying to finish them, few of which are historical fiction.  YA:  Thirteenth Tale by Patricia Wrede, pretty good for a YA;  History: Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand which I enjoyed until it came close to the end; Historical Fiction Mystery:  An Evil Eye by Jason Goodwin, one of my favorite authors and a very nice choice - good read; the novel; Blue Water by A. Manette Ansay, an author I have wanted to try for some time and which I am still processing; a fantasy award winner that is long, long, long - Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke through which I am slogging; and Rickshaw Boy by  Lao She, a most fascinating book by one of the most acclaimed Chinese writers of the twentieth century.  It details the story of a young farm boy who moves to the city of Beijing and becomes a rickshaw boy.  Fascinating!  His life is filled with turmoil, sadness and defeat.  Good, good one.

And, back to YA fantasy with Allegiant by Veronica Roth.  I have enjoyed this series very much and fouind this one to be true to the characters and the story Roth developed.  Well done.  My latest YA read was science fiction on a new earthlike planet:  .Shades of Earth (Across the Universe #3) by Beth Revis which i rated as 3.5 stars.  Quite good and an easy read.

Donna:  You just added two books to my TBR since I try to do a YA reading challenge each year:  Between Shades of Gray and The Jewel in the Crown.

JoAnne:  Susanna Gregory sounds like a good choice for the HF mystery challenge.  I ordered two of her novels as I really need more authors for that one.  Most of my choices have been suggested by Jeanne.  

Thanks all, ladies!

I'm planning on starting the RAL book later today.

I'm finding "Hadrian's Wall" to be kind of a slog, but now I'm more than halfway through, so I'll keep going (that, and I'm headed out for a weekend retreat, so will have some reading time)

I'm reading "A Wicked Deed" by Susanna Gregory, the fifth in her medieval mysteries featuring Matthew Bartholomew.  I'm enjoying it, even if Matt is kind of a wimp.  :)

Our power was out most of the morning, so I spent the time reading a wonderful YA historical fiction Between Shades of Gray (not to be confused with that other book with a similar title!).  Fifteen-year-old Lina and her family in Lithuania are swept up in the WWII Soviet mass "cleansing" of the Baltic region and sent to a Siberian work camp.  A 5 star read.

Donna - Between Shades of Gray sounds very interesting (like I need another book on my TBR mountain)!

I'm currently reading the most recent Mel Starr book Rest Not in Peace (Hugh de Singleton). I've really become rather addicted to this series.

So I just went to put some books away and found my bookmark in a book I thought I finished this summer, My Antonia by Willa Cather. I remember now that I had *almost* finished it for our book club meeting and was going to finish it that night and must have forgotten. So I've got a little chunk to finish of that before it gets tucked away. Otherwise, trying to get ramped back up into The Valley of Horses on audio. I might just switch to book format though. I don't care about Jondular (sp?) and all of his story parts just draaaaaag on audio for me. I mean, I'm halfway through the book and Ayla hasn't met up with him yet. I'm assuming they do at some point, but hurry the heck up already or do something cool at least. Geez!

I'm also reading The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton for my irl book club. Not really HF but I want to knock it out before starting something new. I might even grab some fluff after this to get myself fully ramped back into the reading routine. :)

Colleen, ITA re Pirates Code. It was a DNF for me.  

Mimi, I DNF'd  Hadrians Wall. Almost as boring as a high school history text.

I'm reading The Champion by Elizabeth Chadwick. I love her books and I'm enjoying meeting William Marshall's nephew, John.

Kelly, if I recall correctly, Ayla and Jondular (sp?) don't meet up until the very end of the book.  So...be prepared! 

I'm reading Picture Perfect by Jodi Picoult.  It's a hard topic (domestic abuse) but I'm wrapped up in the story.  It's taking me forever to finish it, however.  I'm going to try and finish some of my non-HF through the end of the year, so that I'll be ready to go on the challenges Jan. 1st!

Hadrians Wall-isn't that by William Dietrich or something like that? I read that year's ago and barely made it through by skimming. 'RE:Valley of Horses, been a while, but I think Vicky is right.

I'm working on Through the Smoke by Brenda Novak. Rainy blustery day today, perfect for reading.

I've begun The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin for my IRL book group on Monday night--yawn. Waste of paper and ink.

I'm finishing up a very funny but also very interesting n/f book Packing for Mars by Mary Roach.  It covers lots of little known (and some you wish you didn't know) facts about space travel.  How do you go to the bathroom in zero gravity and even better...how to have sex in space.  Can't wait till I get to that chapter!  Next up after that is the new Crispin Guest book by our beloved Jeri Westerson, Shadow of the Alchemist.  Love that Crispin!

Cheryl, I LOVE Mary Roach!  I've read all her books, and enjoyed every one.  I need to get my hands on the new Crispin book!!

Finished Through the Smoke. Bah. Too much installed love and blurring between the class barriers ruined it for me. Starting Lord of the MacHugh be Jan Cox Speas. Very hard to find on the cheap, obtained a first edition via ILL.

"The Outsiders" is one of my top five books of all time. If ever I need a cry, I just have to read one certain page. Sniffle.

I just about DNFed "Hadrian's Wall" but ended up skimming to get to the end.  I am just about to start "House of the Wind" which I heard about on a Rick Steves radio show.  My fellow PBS members will understand this, I moved it out of my suitcase into an exterior pocket so it didnt' get ruined by being in the case with a wet towel, and it ended up being on the other side of my hair product which leaked. So, it's ruined after all. Still readable, definitely not postable.

I liked Hadrian's Wall moderatly well.  Mostly, I think, because I was just getting into Rome and Roman Britain and it was all new to me.

Valley of Horses ... it's been 30 years since I read it, and I don't remember much of it EXCEPT after they meet.  As a sheltered, homeschooled teen,  that made a HUGE impression!  I wonder what I'd think of it now.  Maybe I should re-read.

Me, work has gotten crazier and more stressful and I swing between feeling challenged/energized about 10% of the time, and hallenged/futile the other 90%. Last week was just awful.  I took Friday off because I just desperately needed the mental health day.  And my reading?  It descended into complete smut.  (Sigh.)  Maybe I need a good Chadwick.

Dietrich's Ethan Gage Series is one of my favorites.

-RD

In the final stretch of Bride of the MacHugh by Jan Cox Speas loving it, my only issue (if you would call it that) is the complexity of the clans, hard to keep track at times of who is who and who hates who. But, when it settles down with the main characters - wow. Love the writing, not dated at all for a novel written in the 1950s. This one is HTF on the cheap, but I did get a battered HB via ILL.

Finished a cozy mystery - Seneca Falls Inheritance - set in 1848 Senecal Falls, NY.  Lots of good period and historical detail and featuring a plucky early feminist and amateur sleuth in Glynis Tyron.  An enjoyable read.

Just began Fever for the Witches, etc. online course.  It's about the real life woman known as Typhoid Mary - Mary Mallon.  Reading a little flat for me right now, but I'm only 25 pages in.

Donna --- I have read the first two in the Seneca Falls series and have the rest on the shelf.  I found them very enjoyable and in my opinion certainly your typical "cozy" --- no goofy females, recipes, etc.  Yes, there is no sex, nor foul language, but otherwise quite well written and historically accurate.

Sharz, sorry to hear about work. It seems to be a common theme as the economic downturn led to downsizing, which resulted in relying on too few people to do the job. You have to wonder where this is headed.

Chadwick's a good pick-me-up.

I am finally getting around to reading The Shoemaker's Wife :: Adriana Trigiani. It flows nicely not that far into it yet. Italian Alps is a different setting. I know they more to Manhatten soon.

I have the Seneca Falls on my TBR for ever. My friend loves that series

Alice