Tim December Reads

 Battle for the Big Top: P.T. Barnum, James Bailey, John Ringling, and the Death-Defying Saga of the American Circus (272 pages)

Les Standiford

A history of the circus in America, this book does a great job telling about the characters that made the circus “The Event,” to see.  Really liked the quick pace of this book going from year to year looking at the major people and events that made the circus what it is.

 

 

 

 

 

Lead Me Home: Hardship and Hope on the Oregon Trail (435 pages)

Theresa Hupp

A story about the trials and tribulations of traveling the Oregon Trail. A Boston lawyer and a Missouri bargirl run away from murder and into the unknown travelling with a company of travelers heading for Oregon. From disease to Indian raids to unruly travelers, a lot of action is packed into this book.

 

 

 

 

 

The Smart Money: How the World's Best Sports Bettors Beat the Bookies Out of Millions (384 pages)

Michael Konik

A look into the fast paced, high stakes world of sports betting. This isn’t your March Madness pool or Super Bowl squares game this is thousands of dollars bet on a single game by a team of bettors. A must read for any Vegas addict.

The Damned by Renee Ahdieh

Corgi puppy!
Aha. Me remembering things
I can't believe I didn't put it together that Bastian is giving me some Cardan vibes....I mean totally different personality, but like..
I now understand why this series is four books instead of three...also like...the world building.... excellent.  Also my ship. I love them. 
464 Pages

Jade Legacy by Fonda Lee

Y'all...this book has me so freaking stressed. 
I don't know how to put into words how I feel about this book because like...so much happened and it was fantastic...like...the book spanned like....ages...
At one point I was gonna be like "the women are carrying the book" but nope....all the characters pull their weight, and I love all of them...
The character growth. The fricking character growth. Like. And like...the relationship growth. Like...
I want to do the thing that they did at the Lord of the Rings: Return of the King credits and just show the characters so I can be like: 

Because Hilo is just... like...I love him. And I love Anden. And Niko and Ru. And Shae and Wen. Like...the choices that they make and how and why they make their choices. 
And the world-building, and the politics, and like... bringing in pieces of the world that are really obvious when you're in a world, but that like...take work to build, like media....
Me: ...this feels like a certain scene from Hamilton....
oh and this also feels like a scene from Hamilton.
I have been on a journey....like more of a journey than when I listened to 10 min. All Too Well for the first time.... and like....I don't know how any expects me to be ok after finishing this book. Like...

Finishes book: now what?

It's a fricking masterpiece and I'm going to go stare off into space now because reasons.
736 Pages

The Soulmate Equation by Christina Lauren

I loooooooooooooooooooved the characters in this book.
I loved River. He was great. Like...gah. Precious cinnamon roll. Too good for this world. 
Jess is just trying her best. 
Grandma and Grandpa.
Jess's mom....oof....like...oooooooooof.
Give me the number you cowards.
416 Pages

An Heiress's Guide to Deception and Desire by Manda Collins

Val and Caro were cute.
Also I appreciated that we got to see some old acquaintances. 
It was ok...but like....I feel like I've read better. 
352 Pages

Jade Fire Gold by June C Tan

Hey look. It's Uncle Iroh....and Zuko after his Uncle Iroh conversion.
Altan is giving me Anastasia vibes
Soooo I might ahve been listening to this as I was driving to my parents' house for Christmas...so like...I got distracted and missed a few pieces of information and wondered how we got from point A to point B.
But I love the characters. 
464 Pages

Aurora's End by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman

I missed the opportunity last book:

...Is everyone a little bi....
Ok but the Azula and Zuko vibes...and the Todoroki vibes....
Me connecting all the dots, understanding how the things happen.

Saedii is growing on me....
Also...the new ship... Fantastic. Iconic. 

I KNEW IT. I knew I was right about that future
Did I just have Miraculous Ladybug vision....yes

My feelings after finishing this book:
....just the entirety of the Grinch's emotions...that's me
512 Pages

The King of Crows by Libba Bray

Evie just pick one so I can mourn who you didn't pick.
I got that "Somebody's gonna die" feeling, and I don't like it one bit.
*finishes book: finds out that the fandom is essentially non-existent. This is fine. It's not like I wanted to obsess over it or anything. 
Ok but it's the ace representation for me. 
Part of me...like...wants to see how the characters handle what happens in the 30s and 40s....

560 Pages

December list

Gareth St. Clair is in a bind. His father, who detests him, is determined to beggar the St. Clair estates and ruin his inheritance. Gareth's sole bequest is an old family diary, which may or may not contain the secrets of his past... and the key to his future. The problem is—it's written in Italian, of which Gareth speaks not a word.

All the ton agreed: there was no one quite like Hyacinth Bridgerton. She's fiendishly smart, devilishly outspoken, and according to Gareth, probably best in small doses. But there's something about her—something charming and vexing—that grabs him and won't quite let go...

Or don't. But rest assured, he's spinning in his grave when Gareth and Hyacinth cross paths at the annual—and annually discordant—Smythe-Smith musicale. To Hyacinth, Gareth's every word seems a dare, and she offers to translate his diary, even though her Italian is slightly less than perfect. But as they delve into the mysterious text, they discover that the answers they seek lie not in the diary, but in each other... and that there is nothing as simple—or as complicated—as a single, perfect kiss.

pages: 384

Unlike most men of his acquaintance, Gregory Bridgerton believes in true love. And he is convinced that when he finds the woman of his dreams, he will know in an instant that she is the one. And that is exactly what happened. Except...

She wasn't the one. In fact, the ravishing Miss Hermione Watson is in love with another. But her best friend, the ever-practical Lady Lucinda Abernathy, wants to save Hermione from a disastrous alliance, so she offers to help Gregory win her over. But in the process, Lucy falls in love. With Gregory! Except...

Lucy is engaged. And her uncle is not inclined to let her back out of the betrothal, even once Gregory comes to his senses and realizes that it is Lucy, with her sharp wit and sunny smile, who makes his heart sing. And now, on the way to the wedding, Gregory must risk everything to ensure that when it comes time to kiss the bride, he is the only man standing at the altar... 

pages: 371

For as long as she can remember, Evangeline Fox has believed in true love and happy endings...until she learns that the love of her life will marry another.

Desperate to stop the wedding and to heal her wounded heart, Evangeline strikes a deal with the charismatic but wicked Prince of Hearts. In exchange for his help, he asks for three kisses, to be given at the time and place of his choosing.

But after Evangeline’s first promised kiss, she learns that bargaining with an immortal is a dangerous game—and that the Prince of Hearts wants far more from her than she’d pledged. He has plans for Evangeline, plans that will either end in the greatest happily ever after or the most exquisite tragedy….

pages: 408

When it comes to relationships, thirty-four-year-old Kate Turner is ready to say "Bah, humbug." The sleepy town of Blexford, England, isn't exactly brimming with prospects, and anyway, Kate's found fulfillment in her career as a designer, and in her delicious side job baking for her old friend Matt's neighborhood café. But then her best friend signs her up for a dating agency that promises to help singles find love before the holidays. Twenty-three days until Christmas. Twelve dates with twelve different men. The odds must finally be in her favor . . . right?

Yet with each new date more disastrous than the one before--and the whole town keeping tabs on her misadventures--Kate must remind herself that sometimes love, like mistletoe, shows up where it's least expected. And maybe, just maybe, it's been right under her nose all along.

pages: 320

Aurora Burning by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

I just. Love all of them. The bi-cons. They're fantastic. Finally someone who also is just like.. boys are pretty. Girls are pretty.
It's the re-read before the last book...because otherwise I would like...not know anything.
It's the Star Wars and Star Trek vibes for me. 
I love Kal. So. Much. Is it because he's voiced by Steve West...maaaaaaaybe.
512 Pages

The Beautiful by Renee Ahdieh

Ok so I've been to the Ursuline convent that's mentioned in the story... It's a museum now...which makes me sad. Did I know more about the stained glass windows and the statues than the tour guide...yes.
I love Bastian. Like. I just love him. So much. 
480 Pages

The Excalibur Curse by Kiersten White

All the snaps for Mordred in the cave scene. All the snaps.
Siiiiiiiiigh. ok. I liked the twists, but also like...meh.
368 Pages

Our Violent Ends by Chloe Gong

The whole vaccine plot-line just really...That doesn't poke at my 2020/2021 flashbacks at allll...I'm fine
"Father I crave violence"

Did it take me a while to figure out what the cover was...yes.
Me throughout the book (not necessarily in order):

The fluff. Like... So necessary. I just wanna go look at fanart now. And read some fanfic. 

An out of context: 

Epilogues. Epilogues. Epilogues. I have a very specific scene I want to reference from a hero movie, but it would literally spoil the whole thing if I did it.
I'm just...going to go cry...because I have emotions...
AND THERE'S ANOTHER SERIES IN THE SAME WORLD COMING. Chloe Gong owns me. 
Read the series and then ask me about it. Because I have THOUGHTS that I could make into an essay. Chloe Gong likes Taylor Swift and the clue level and foreshadowing: it's Swift level. And yes. I am going full-Swiftie on this.

512 Pages

These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong

Marshall and Benedickt are just iconic and honestly. Perfection. Marshall is so extra and I stan that. Like. He quotable
The Romeo and Juliet tropes, and the moments when there's homages to the writing
"The human equivalent of stale bread" ...I'm going to write that in my insult journal to save for later....
I've been remembering the story (the original), so I feel like I'm connecting dots and

464 Pages

Where Dreams Descend by Janella Angeles

StEvE WeSt is one of the narrators. Why did no one tell me this sooner. 

Alexa play "Mirrorball"
Maybe it's because I've been listening to Taylor's Reputation, but like... the way all the guys are treating Kallia, just like....makes me think of how the media treats successful women, and especially Taylor
All of "The Night Circus" vibes
"These things do happen"
When you have thoughts on the original Phantom of the Opera (mostly because of Andrew Lloyd Weber) so adaptions just....concern you...because you have thoughts on the ships. 
Am I picturing the stage musical, with the songs and how things go down while these things go down. Yes
480 Pages

A Vow So Bold and Deadly by Brigid Kemmerer

I love Harper. Like. So much. She's just so fierce and I love her. She's an all-in kind of person. She just has so much heart and I can't. And Rhen loves her so much and that's just amazing because it's adorable. 
The fantastic examples of what being triggered looks like.. and how trauma and scary events can hold onto a person.
I love it when men support their women and just like...treat them like equals....
Scary Grey speaking all of the truths. 

I just love the boys. They great. The straight ones and the not straight ones. All of them are fantastic. I love how everyone brings something to the table. Like Noah. Just... The ER practicality. And Jake (from State Farm). So I love every character except for one who I wish to strangle because reasons. 
My baby boy. Soft boi. I love him. 
432 Pages

Unusual Suspects: Stories of Mystery & Fantasy

Unusual Suspects: Stories of Mystery & Fantasy edited by Dana Stabenow

Pages: 306

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

This collection of short stories combines mysteries with paranormal fantasy. From video game characters seeking civil rights and a cave dragon loan shark pondering an investment, to Santa Claus's Australian vacation and an enemy of Sam Spade's out for revenge, plus visits to the Nightside and Sookie Stackhouse's hometown, these stories will take readers around the world on a magical mystery tour.

"Lucky" by Charlaine Harris -- a Sookie Stackhouse short

"Bogieman" by Carole Nelson Douglas

"Looks are Deceiving" by Micheal A. Stackpole

"the House of Seven Spirits" by Sharon Shinn

"Glamour" by Mike Doogan

"Spellbound" by Donna Andrews

"the Duh Vice" by Michael Armstrong

"Weight of the World" by John Straley

"Illumination" by Laura Anne Gilman

"the House" by Laurie R. King

"Appetite for Murder" by Simon R. Green -- a Nightside short

"A Woman's Work" by Dana Stabenow

Down These Strange Streets edited by George R. R. Martin

Down These Strange Streets edited by George R. R. Martin

Pages: 479

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Urban fantasy where mystery waits at the end of every alley and things that go bump in the night have something to fear...

1 The Bastard Stepchild - George R.R. Martin
2 Death by Dahlia - Charlaine Harris
3 The Bleeding Shadow - Joe R. Lansdale
4 Hungry Heart - Simon R. Green
5 Styx and Stones - Steven Saylor
6 Pain and Suffering - S.M. Stirling
7 It's Still the Same Old Story - Carrie Vaughn
8 The Lady is a Screamer - Conn Iggulden
9 Hellbender - Laurie R. King
10 Shadow Thieves - Glen Cook
11 No Mystery, No Miracle - Melinda M. Snodgrass
12 The Difference Between a Puzzle and a Mystery - M.L.N. Hanover
13 The Curious Affair of the Deodand - Lisa Tuttle
14 Lord John and the Plague of Zombies - Diana Gabaldon
15 Beware the Snake - John Maddox Roberts
16 In Red, with Pearls - Patricia Briggs
17 The Adakian Eagle - Bradley Denton

Home Improvement: Undead Edition edited by Toni L.P. Kelner and Charlaine Harris

Home Improvement: Undead Edition edited by Toni L.P. Kelner and Charlaine Harris

Home Improvement: Undead Edition edited by Toni L.P. Kelner and Charlaine Harris

Pages: 340

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Using the theme of home renovation, Kelner and Harris invited other authors to share paranormal short stories, and this collection is the fun result! 

This is the fourth anthology that Kelner and Harris have teamed up on following from Wolfsbane and Mistletoe, Many Bloody Returns and Death’s Excellent Vacation.

Includes:
"If I Had a Hammer" (Sookie Stackhouse #12.5) by Charlaine Harris
"Wizard Home Security" by Victor Gischler
"Gray" (Mercy Thompson #0.5) by Patricia Briggs
"Squatters' Rights" by Rochelle Krich
"Blood on the Wall" by Heather Graham
"The Mansion of Imperatives" by James Grady
The Strength Inside by Melissa Marr
"Woolsey's Kitchen Nightmare" by E.E. Knight
"Through This House" (October Daye series 4.5) by Seanan McGuire
"The Path" by S.J. Rozan
"Rick the Brave" (Downside Ghosts series 3.5) by Stacia Kane
"Full-Scale Demolition" (Spellcrackers.com series 0.5) by Suzanne McLeod
"It's All in the Rendering" by Simon R. Green
"In Brightest Day" by Toni L.P. Kelner

Games Creatures Play (Sookie Stackhouse #13.5 - The Blue Hereafter)

Games Creatures Play (Sookie Stackhouse #13.5 - The Blue Hereafter) edited by Charlaine Harris and Toni L.P. Kelner

Pages: 356

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Charlaine Harris and Toni L. P. Kelner co-edit another fun collection of paranormal short stories, this time using the theme of sports and games. Harris gives Sookie Stackhouse fans another short story featuring Sookie and introducing her readers to Manfred, the main  character of the Midnight, Texas series. 

The Blue Hereafter by Charlaine Harris

Hide and Seek by William Kent Krueger

False Knight on the Road by Mercedes Lackey

Ice by Laura Lippman

Jammed by Seanan McGuire

Dreamer by Brandon Sanderson

Case of the Haunted Safeway by Scott Sigler

Stepping into the Dead Zone by Jan Burke

Dead on the Bones by Joe R. Lansdale

The Devil went down to Boston by Caitlin Kittredge

On the Playing Fields of Blood by Brendan Dubois

The God's Games by Dana Cameron 

Prise de Fer by Ellen Kushner

Hide and Shriek by Adam-Troy Castro

Bell, Book and Candlepin by Toni L.P. Kelner