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The Convenient Marriage by Georgette Heyer. The Earl of Rule offers for the hand of the Beauty of the Winwood Family and after being informed by the youngest Miss Winwood that she is the only option, he takes her hand in marriage. The whole situation escalates alarmingly as Horry does her best to pretend it's a marriage of convenience while getting into steadily more bizarre scrapes. For those of you who love this kind of thing, the brooch going missing, the highway robbery scheme and the poker scene will delight.

Sunshine by Robin McKinley. Not what I was expecting; McKinley making a foray into the supernatural romance genre with varied success. I'm not quite the right audience here as I find it hard to get behind a reluctant heroine who would far rather bake cinnamon rolls than battle the Forces of Evil. I wanted to like this more than I did but would still read more set in this world should it appear.

The Blue Girl by Charles de Lint. I love Newford stories and this is another gem - I'd call it young adult fiction though.  Imogene Yeck is a tough lass who decides to make a go of things at her new school. She starts off by not getting in to a brawl with the school bullies, even better she makes friends with a lovely girl who is in just as much need of a companion as she is. Things are not going to be easy however, the school ghost has a crush on her and has drawn her to the attention of the school's fairies.

( The Complete List of best English Language books since 1923 according to Time. )

Into the Green by Charles de Lint. This is kinda tricky to talk about as I don't know how I feel. I say 'yes' to reading it and enjoyed it but am having my usual post de Lint moment where I am lost for words.

Undead and Unpopular by Maryjanice Davidson. Book five in the series and losing it's charm. Needs a new plot device. It's hard to read about stupid people.

Tea with the Black Dragon by R. A. MacAvoy. I enjoyed it, but an older heroine who sits in zazen and a computer hacking component dates this story quite firmly. The finest character is Mayland, a dragon slowly losing himself as he struggles to come to terms with human philosphy and human love.

To Ride a Rathorn by P.C. Hodgell. I am so hooked, from the first page this incredible world has me filled with love. I adore the complex richness, the way they know the last of the earth tremors must be dying down because the catfish have started coming back down out of the mountains. I love the incredibly integrated slide between boundaries of animate and inanimate, living and dead. I love how the heroine is carrying incredible power and yet still remains accessible.

Happy Are the Oppressed by Andrew M. Greeley. A Blackie Ryan novel; I can see there is some appeal but I find his writing extremely self conscious. Blackie must solve a locked room mystery from 100 years in the past and do so in time to save a woman's life.

The Salmon of Doubt by Douglas Adams. A compilation of writings, speeches and letters from the late Douglas Adams, utterly charming, delightful and completely worth the effort. Amongst the gems is a letter from him to Disney during the painful making of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy movie offering to get together and chat to resolve problems; he concludes the letter by saying that he has provided contact details, that if he is not contacted he will know they are trying not to very, very hard and then appends some 30 telephone numbers including those of his editor, wife, sister, favourite restaurants and local supermarket.

Some Place to Be Flying by Charles de Lint. A Newford novel where the profoundly ordinary crosses paths with the mythical and the magical. All about the animal people, loved the Crow Girls. I get so much out of reading his stuff but it's a rich diet and I don't do it all that often.

You know that thing that happens when you're reading and you get on a bus and you're still reading and then the book ends and you look up and you're on a street you've never seen before on a bus you didn't want and isn't it great that it's a fine day for a walk? Certainly didn't happen to me today.

In other news there has been some very fine reading going on recently.

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It was beautiful, I finished reading and felt a rare charmed peace.

There a mix here of myths and legend coming from Irish, Indian and Mexican traditions all blended together. Bettina is a healer who will find she is also in need of healing; Ellie a gifted sculptor with powers she has yet to unlock; Donal hoards bitterness and a terrible belief that he is owed a price for his suffering. When spirits of the land come into conflict a wise mortal steers clear - but who has the wisdom?

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