December Books:

The Pirates' Pact: The Secret Alliances Between History's Most Notorious Buccaneers and Colonial America by: Douglas R. Burgess Jr.

Non-fiction: History, 301 pages

As the title points out, this book is about the interconnectedness of famous pirates with governments, looking mostly at English and the American colonies of England. 

Charlemagne: A Life From Beginning to End by: Hourly History

Non-Fiction: History, Biography, E-book

A short look at the life and legacy of Charlemagne.

Campaigns & Companions: The Complete Role-Playing Guide for Pets by: Andi Ewington, Rhianna Pratchett, Alex de Campi

Fiction: Pop Culture, Humor, 96 pages

Imagine if house pets played Dungeons and Dragons, that is what this book is all about. 

Tasting Whiskey: An Insider's Guide to the Unique Pleasures of the World's Finest Spirits by: Lew Bryson

Non-Fiction: Food/Drink, History, 256 pages

All about whisk(e)y including the major areas and styles.

The Demonologist: The Extraordinary Career of Ed & Lorraine Warren by: Gerald Brittle

Non-Fiction: Biography, 303 pages

A book on some of the major cases of the Warrens.  It is written by someone who takes all their claims seriously and believes in the supernatural.  

Hark! the Herald Angels Scream edited by: Christopher Golden

Fiction: Horror, Paranormal, Short Story, 370 pages

This book is a collection of short stories that all have horror, supernatural, or fantasy elements and are connected with Christmas or winter holidays.  

Covered with Night: A Story of Murder and Indigenous Justice in Early America by: Nicole Eustace

Non-fiction: History, 464 pages

This is the story of two colonist fur traders of Pennsylvania who killed a Native American and how each side saw justice in the case as well as what actually ended up happening.   

November Books:

The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Holmes by: Loren D. Estleman

Fiction: Mystery, 208 pages

In this book Sherlock is hired to find out what connection a Mr. Edward Hyde has to do with Dr. Henry Jekyll.  As most readers will know the answer before reading the book, it was interesting how it was written given this fact.

Game of Fangs: A Vampire Horror-Comedy Novel by: Johnny B. Truant

Fiction: Paranormal, E-book

A group of friends LARP in a vampire game tournament only to run into real vampires.

The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes: The Ectoplasmic Man by: Daniel Stashower

Fiction: Mystery, 203 pages

Unlike the other books I have read in this series, Holmes in not interacting with another fictional character in this book.  In this book he has to clear the name of Harry Houdini 1st for spying charges and then for more crimes.  Also the title is based on the fact that Lestrade thinks he really can walk through walls and not that it was just a trick.

The Land That Time Forgot by: Edgar Rice Burroughs

Fiction: Classic, Sci-fi, E-book

Having seen various things based on this book, I was amazed that like half the book took place before they even see the titled island.  Like there is a whole war/spy story before they see a single dinosaur.  Also as it is a hundred year old book there are some racist ideas pretending to be evolutionarily science.

Month of Halloween Books:

Dead in the Dining Room by: Leighann Dobbs

Fiction: Mystery, E-book

The head of a wealthy family and business dies, at first it looked like he dead from a health condition it was known that he had, but soon it was found to be murder, so his aunt and her 2 cats decide to take on the case.  

Cryptics by Steve Niles, Benjamin Roman

Fiction: Graphic Novel, Humor, Sci-fi, YA, 104 pages

A group of  young friends, that happen to be monsters like: wolfmen, vampires, creatures from lagoons and Jekyll-Hyde have adventures in their neighborhood and sometimes beyond. 

Troll Hunter: Witch for Hire by: P.A. Mason

Fiction: Fantasy, E-book

The local town witch gets hired to remove a troll after the hero failed, and her spellbook gives her a way to deal with it, one that leads to all new problems.

The Killer Across the Table :Unlocking the Secrets of Serial Killers and Predators with the FBI’s Original Mindhunter By: John E. Douglas, Mark Olshaker

Non-fiction: True Crime, 340 pages

This book by a FBI profiler talks about how they interview known killers, the physiology used when profiling a killer as well as interviews done with famous serial killers.

Grigori Rasputin: A Life From Beginning to End by: Hourly History

Non-fiction: Biography, E-book

A short biography of Grigori Rasputin.

The Wish Doll by: Austin Grisham

Fiction: Fantasy, Paranormal, Short Story, E-book

The wish doll will give you anything you want, you only have to do what it asks for in return. 

Shallow Waters, Vol. 1 Ed. by: Joe Mynhardt 

Fiction: Short Story, Paranormal, E-book

It book is 22 short stories all in some way about loss.  Within that theme there are a wide range and styles of stories.

Axes of Evil: The True Story of the Ax-Man Murders by: Todd C. Elliott 

Non-Fiction: History, True Crime, 157 pages

This is the story of America's largest unsolved serial killings, which took place around 1912 in Louisiana and Texas. There may have been multiple killers and at least 2 people were found guilty of some of the murders, but they couldn't have done them all. (As in they were in jail or dead when some happened.)  These killings were all done to whole families of poor African American families, but there is some question on if they are connected to the more well known Villisca Axe Murders, which this book gets into.

Tales from the Crypt #6: You Tomb by: Fred Van Lente et al

Fiction: Graphic Novel, Paranormal, 96 pages

Tales from the Crypt #7: Something Wicca This Way Comes by: John L. Lansdale et al

Fiction: Graphic Novel, Paranormal, 96 pages

Tales from the Crypt #5: Yabba Dabba Voodoo by: Fred Van Lente et al

Fiction: Graphic Novel, Paranormal, 96 pages

Rick and Morty vs. Dungeons & Dragons by: Patrick Rothfuss, Jim Zub, Troy Little

Fiction: Pop Culture, Graphic Novel, 96 pages

Morty needs to learn how to play D&D to impress a girl by Saturday. Every family member tries teaching him about the game in different ways, using everything from old school paper and pencils, to finding a universe that works like the game.

Plague at Snake Creek by: Rob Moody

Fiction: Sci-Fi, E-book

Ezekiel is a sheriff in a small western town, that happens to have developed a zombie problem, and no one there has ever dealt with zombies before.

Blood on the Mitten: Infamous Michigan Murders, 1700s to Present: Great Lakes Mayhem by: Tom Carr

Non-fiction: History, True Crime, 162 pages

This book is a collection of short histories of murders that are connected with the state of Michigan. 

It includes where things happened and what is at that location now, motives for the murder, what happened to the accused after and more. 

Invader Zim Vol. 1 Deluxe Edition(Invader Zim #0-10)

by: Jhonen Vásquez, Eric Trueheart, K.C. Green, Kyle Starks, Jessie Hopeless, Dennis Hopeless

Fiction: Pop Culture, Graphic Novel, 328 pages

A collection of stories of Invader Zim.

 

September Books:

 Poisoned Blood: A True Story of Murder, Passion, and an Astonishing Hoax by: Philip E. Ginsburg

Non-fiction: Mystery, True Crime, E-book

This book goes over the murder(s) and attempted murders by Audrey Marie Hilley, a women who poisoned her husband to death, almost killed her daughter, and while on the run made various fake identities, including one where she faked her death and came back as her "twin."  

Happy Hour Murder (Daley Buzz Mysteries #27) by: Meredith Potts

Fiction: Mystery, Short Story, E-book

Police work is a family tradition in this story, so when a man get murdered during happy hour the married couple that are the town's detectives need to solve it. 

A Square Meal: A Culinary History of the Great Depression by: Jane Ziegelman, Andrew Coe

Non-fiction: History, Cooking, 305 pages

This book is an overview of the programs and methods used in the USA to help people eat during the Great Depression.

Wake: The Hidden History of Women-Led Slave Revolts by: Rebecca Hall, Illustrated by: Hugo Martinez 

Non-Fiction, History, Graphic Novel, Biography, Memoir, 208 pages

This book is an interesting combination of the story of the author trying to learn more about the role of women in slave revolts, as well as what she did find out, and things that we may never know for sure, but might have reasonably been what happened.  It deals a lot with the way that history is written effects people today as well as ones connection to the past.

The Other Side of the Night: The Carpathia, the Californian and the Night the Titanic Was Lost by: Daniel Allen Butler 

Non-fiction: History, E-book

This is the story of the Titanic told largely in the actions of the captains of the 2 ships closest to it on the night it sank.  One captain risked his own crew (but took all reasonable precautions possible) to help save the passengers and crew of the sinking ship. One lied, destroyed evidence and  threatened his crew to first avoid helping and then to avoid the truth of his actions coming out.  

Confessions of a Funeral Director: How the Business of Death Saved My Life by: Caleb Wilde

Non-Fiction: Memoir, Religion 213 pages

Stories from the funeral industry, the life of a small town family business,  and life and death; some are happy, some sad, some funny, some many things at once.   

August Books:

Murder in Ancient China by: Robert van Gulik

Fiction: Mystery, Short Story, History, E-book

A poet is murdered, and frogs help to solve the case.

The Little Book of Pandemics by: Peter Moore

Non-fiction: Science, 144 pages

A collection of information on major things that caused or can cause pandemics.

Bobo by: Richard Schiver

Fiction: Short Story, Horror, Paranormal?, E-book

This short story needed to be less short. With the moving back and forth in time, and starting in the middle of the action, I'm not sure if the main character went insane, already was, was dreaming, a doll came to life or something else.  Also this story should have all sorts of trigger warnings. 

The Assassin's Doctor by: Robert K. Summers

Non-Fiction: History, Science, Biography, E-book

This book has basically everything about the life of Dr. Samuel A. Mudd, the doctor who helped John Wilkes Booth after he killed Lincoln.  It even includes things he wrote for school and his personal letters to friends and family.  While he wasn't in on the murder plan, he was in on the kidnapping one, and knew who he was helping when he was helping him. (Although didn't know about the murder at the time.) And so lied at his trial. Also a total racist jerk. And this book is soooooo long, it says the e-book is 614 pages long be it seems longer and took me months to finish. 

The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes: Sherlock Holmes vs. Dracula by: Loren D. Estleman

Fiction: Mystery, Classic, 224 pages

What would happen if Sherlock Holmes was part of the story of Dracula?  Sure he couldn't be in parts of the story we read, but he could also be solving the mystery in parts that got left out.  At least that's what this story is.

A Teacher of Strange Things- Who Jesus Was, What He Taught, and Why People Still Follow Him by: Cy Kellett

Non-fiction: Religion, 239 pages

**** I was given this book for free from the author.****

Now that I got the legal notice out of the way, I will say that this book was written to be a intro to Christianity book for people that are curious about Jesus.  And I think it does do that, but having read it as not the intended audience, there were things in it that were new ideas for me. (Which was a pleasant surprise.)   

July Books:

 I have reached goal 2 and so upped my goal to 75 for the year.  

Eleanor of Aquitaine: A Life From Beginning to End by Hourly History

Nonfiction: History, Biography, E-book

A short book on the life of Eleanor of Aquitaine.

Murder On The Texas Eagle (Doreen Sizemore Adventures #1) by Serena B. Miller 

Fiction: Mystery, Short Story, E-book

A elderly lady thinks she is going on an adventure of riding a train to visit her brother who lives many states away, but she wasn't expecting on solving a murder on the trip.  

Fatal Charm: The Shocking True Story of Serial Wife Killer Randy Roth by Carlton Smith

Nonfiction: History, True Crime, Biography, E-book

This is a story of either the most unlucky man with wives, or a cold blooded murder.  As the title shows it is the 2nd case.  Randy Roth was married 4 times.  The 1st and 3rd both divorced him after rater short marriages, the 1st after 4 years the 3rd after 4 months.  But the 2nd and 4th both died in what he tried to convince people were freak accidents. The 2nd "fell" off a mountain, the 4th "drown" while in a blow up boat at a busy beach.  The book goes over his life and well as the court case and all the legal issues with proving the murders (as well as insurance fraud, and other lesser crimes.) It also talks about the Bath Tub Murders and how they effected the legal issues involved in the case. 

Weird Al: Seriously by Lily E. Hirsch

Nonfiction: Biography, Pop Culture

A look into the music of Weird Al with interviews and thoughts by Weird Al. 

The Book of Enoch

Nonfiction: Classic, 115 pages

A book that some felt could be a book of the bible thought to be written by the Old Testament figure, Enoch, also has some things from the Book of Noah.  Also if Noah looked like this book says, he was like a light haired Snow White.

The Loneliness of the Deep Space Cargoist (The Deep Space Cargoist #1) by J.S. Carter Gilson 

Fiction: Sci-Fi, Short Story, E-book

After some space debris left a hole in Inez's ship, she needs to get to a place it can be repaired.  She also finds other ships that have been completely destroyed.  She takes an item from one of the ships causing all sorts of problems.

The Twilight Man: Rod Serling and the Birth of Television by Koren Shadmi

Nonfiction: Biography, Graphic Novel, 176 pages

This graphic novel goes over the life of Rod Serling starting with his time in the military during WWII, and including his years of writing, and time in Hollywood.  It is framed as his talking with a fellow passenger on a plane.   

June Books:

 As I have completed my book goal for the year a couple of months ago, I upped it to 50.  I will likely finish that goal by fall and so may up it again.  This month I did a short story challenge, and so have a number of "books" that were shorter than a normal length book. 

The Scales of the Space Whale: A Short Story by: Joe Vasicek
Fiction: Sci-Fi, Short Story, E-book

This is the story of a person out in space who is forced to try and harvest the scales of a large, long living, dangerous to space ships (and the beings in them) little known about animal called the space whale.  Also the ship has a personality in the story with it interesting as it can act on its own, sometimes.

The League of Regrettable Superheroes: Half-Baked Heroes from Comic Book History by: Jon Morris

Non-fiction: pop culture, history, 256 pages

A collection of superheroes that you likely never heard of (excluding a few that are well known or making a comeback.) The book is divided up by the comic book ages.

Deadpool's Art of War by: Peter David art by: Scott Koblish

Fiction: Pop Culture, graphic novel, classics, 96 pages

The classic book on warfare, illustrated by Deadpool's attempt to create a in the Marvel world, so he can sell books on the art of war.

When Ghosts Kill: And Other Ghostly Tales by: Kenny Wayne

Fiction: Horror, short story, E-book

A loosely connected series of short stories involving death, ghosts, and related things. 

 Dark Archives: A Librarian's Investigation into the Science and History of Books Bound in Human Skin by: Megan Rosenbloom

Non-Fiction: History, Science, 275 pages

A book on the history, ethics, science, and questions about books that are bound in human skin.  It includes info on all books proven to be actually human, as well as famous ones that were thought to be, but aren't.  Incudes things like the scientific test used to prove it, when and where it was done, how it might have been done, and most any other things people might wonder about these books and fakes.

The Texan and the Egyptian: The Sky Fire Chronicles by: Paul Summerhayes

Fiction: Fantasy,  E-book

A short story in a book series involving an Egyptian, Confederates, and Zombies.

Death Visits the Hair Salon by: Amy Andersen

Fiction: Mystery, Short Story, E-book 

A short story about a dead body found in a hair salon, this is part of a series.

Murder Me Dead by: David Lapham

Fiction: Graphic Novel, Noir, 264 pages

A noir novel in a graphic novel formate.

Dead[ish] by: Naomi Kramer 

Fiction: Fantasy, Mystery, Short Story, E-book

A murder mystery where the dead person it trying to find out what happened to her body, so she hires some help.

Fangs by: Sarah Andersen

Fiction: Graphic Novel, Fantasy, Romance, Humor, 115 pages

A vampire and a werewolf meet each other and fall in love.

The League of Regrettable Sidekicks: Heroic Helpers from Comic Book History by: Jon Morris

Non-fiction: pop culture, history, 256 pages

A collection of superhero sidekicks that you likely never heard of (excluding a few that are well known.) The book is divided up by the comic book ages.

The Cat of Amontillado by: S.M. Reine 

Fiction: Mystery, Fantasy, Short Story, E-book

A kitten accidently eats a magic ring and becomes a little boy.  Also about half way into the story a dead vampire is found behind a wall. 

The Basement Vault by: Brandon Zenner

Fiction: Short story, E-book

A story of a member of a crime org. 

May Books:

All Cats Are on the Autism Spectrum by: Kathy Hoopmann

Non-Fiction: Science, 65 pages

A book explaining autism using cats.  Is an updated version of "All Cats Have Asperger" to match the current DSM-V name and have more gender neutral language to reflect that not only males have autism.

 This Flowing Toward Me: A Story of God Arriving in Strangers by: Marilyn Lacey

Non-fiction, religion, 207 pages

It book is by a religious sister who has worked with refugees both in American and around the world.

18 Tiny Deaths: The Untold Story of Frances Glessner Lee and the Invention of Modern Forensics by: Bruce Goldfarb

Non-fiction, History, Science, 493 pages

I had known about the Nutshell dioramas, doll houses that were crime scenes in small scale, for some time, but didn't know the complex history that lead to them.  This book goes over the life of the creator of them, the start of forensics in America, and many related things.

Death Wins a Goldfish: Reflections from a Grim Reaper's Yearlong Sabbatical by: Brian Rea

Fiction: Pop culture, comics, 168 pages

Death has not used a vacation day in centuries, so because he has so many days he has to take a year off. (Don't worry there are other deaths to do the work.) In his year off he does lots of new things.

 Hyperbole and a Half: Unfortunate Situations, Flawed Coping Mechanisms, Mayhem, and Other Things That Happened by: Allie Brosh

Non-fiction: comics, 369 pages

A collection of comics about the artist's life including everything from goose attacks to dealing with depression.

Adulting by: Liz Talley

Fiction: e-book

1st, this book has a trigger warning at the front as it does deal with many adult themes like sexual abuse, substance abuse, and suicide.  Most of these events happen "off screen" but they are central parts of the plot.  The main plot is a young Hollywood starlet who was a child star but is now mainly known for doing drugs, and random guys, who is put into rehab so she can get a part in a film. Part of the rehab incudes some one-on-one training on how to do adulting by a therapist that has a background with the director of the film.  

April Books:

 Life in the Sloth Lane: Slow Down and Smell the Hibiscus by Lucy Cooke

Non-Fiction: Pop Culture, 144 pages

This book has the well known format of a picture and a short quote, fact, or other info on the subject on the opposite page.  It does have longer writing on many pages than many books of this type.  Sometimes there were whole paragraphs of info, not just a sentence or two.

Ukulele for Dummies by Alistair Wood

Non-fiction: 338 pages

This book is set up that even a beginner can understand the start of the book, but as the book goes on it gets deeper and deeper into the subject, so if one was reading it over months to a year while practicing they could learn all the things in the book and play them.  

A Year of Living Prayerfully: How A Curious Traveler Met the Pope, Walked on Coals, Danced with Rabbis, and Revived His Prayer Life by Jared Brock

Non-fiction: Religion, E-book

The author of the book (and his wife for most parts) travel the world to meet with people of various religious traditions, as well as some religious like groups to learn what prayer is.  They start out locally with some nearby Rabbis but end up in Rome, on the Camino, at monasteries on Mount Athos (that was just him, as no women are allowed,) a fire walking seminar and more places.   

Homily on St. Ignatius by John Chrysostom

Non-Fiction, Religion, E-book

St. John Chrysostom talking about the life of St. Ignatius (the early martyr not the one born centuries after St. John Chrysostom, of course.) Also I see how he got his name, Chrysostom meaning Golden Mouth, as there was 1 sentence with 131 words in it. 

NeuroTribes: The Legacy of Autism and the Future of Neurodiversity by Steve Silberman

Non-fiction: Science, History, 447 pages

This book is a look over the major players in the history of diagnosing Autism as well as important pop culture moments in the public understanding of Autism.

Duel with the Devil: The True Story of How Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr Teamed Up to Take on America's First Sensational Murder Mystery  by Paul Collins

Non-fiction: History, 304 pages

This book is all about the trial of Levi Weeks for the death of Elma Sands as well as the political issues that were interconnected to the trail.  Also it has more information on the parties involved, including info on the likely true killer.  

Murder at 40 Below: True Crime Stories from Alaska by Tom Brennan

Non-Fiction, Mystery, History, 192 pages

Each chapter in this book is a story of a murderer who killed while in Alaska.  Most are rather unknown, one was the Birdman of Alcatraz.

How to Behave Badly in Elizabethan England: A Guide for Knaves, Fools, Harlots, Cuckolds, Drunkards, Liars, Thieves, and Braggarts by Ruth Goodman

Non-Fiction: History, 320 pages

This book is based on the idea that you can know more about what a historic time cared about, by seeing what was considered bad behavior and how bad was it seen then what was the average person's way of life.  

The Deadly Mystery of the Missing Diamonds by T.E. Kinsey 

Fiction: Mystery, E-book

This book takes place in London in the years between the world wars.  The main characters are mostly members of a Jazz band and their family and friends and the people of a club.  Do to a family friend of the drummer recommending that they help with a mystery involving missing diamonds, false identities and eventually murder to a police Superintendent, they are playing a local private members’ club trying to help a bunch of uncoordinated men learn to dance while picking up clues to find out who is the thief.

March Books

Dungeons and Dragons and Philosophy: Raiding the Temple of Wisdom (Popular Culture and Philosophy #70) Edited by: Jon Cogburn and Mark Silcox

Non-fiction: Pop Culture, 328 pages

Much like the rest of the books in this series, this book is about how the game of Dungeons and Dragons intersects with various ideas in philosophy.  It was also written a few years ago and so deals largely with the 4th edition of the game.

The Fisherman's Tomb: The True Story of the Vatican's Secret Search by John O'Neill

Non-fiction: History, Science, Religion, 256 pages

This is the story for the hunt for St. Peter's tomb and bones below the Vatican.  After reading this, I am amazed that anyone involved was allowed to do any archology (excluding the lone woman who many people refused to listen to and the American who secretly financed it all.) Also I was amazed that they didn't destroy all the priceless historic artifacts that they touched.  Besides that it was an interesting story with lots of twists and turns. 

Roman Cookery: Ancient Recipes for Modern Kitchens by Mark Grant

Non-fiction: History, Cooking, 192 pages

This book takes what we know of Roman cooking and the few recipes that we have recorded and update them with things a modern person could get and what equipment they could have. 

Dying to Read (Cate Kinkaid Files #1) by Lorena McCourtney 

Fiction: Mystery, E-book

This book's title is based on a book club meeting that never happened at the start of the book.  Cate is working as a PI helper who's been giving the job of finding if a person is at an address.  She doesn't find that person then, but she does find the body of a woman who might have died from an accident or murder.  She of course decides to investigate the death.  

February Books

Epic Fails: The Edsel, the Mullet, and Other Icons of Unpopular Culture by: Salvador Jimenez Murguia

Non-fiction: History, Pop Culture, 184 pages

This book is a collection of things that were well known failures.  It goes over what each thing was, how it connected to things that the time and why and how it happened.  

The Great Mortality: An Intimate History of the Black Death, the Most Devastating Plague of All Time by: John Kelly 

Non-fiction: History, science 364 pages

A history of the Black Death including how it traveled around the world, what types of the plague it likely was, and current thoughts and counter thoughts on it.

Haunted Flint by: Roxanne Rhoads, Joe Schipani

Non-fiction: History, Paranormal, 144 pages

This book is more about the history of Flint than just ghost stories.  It does include why some places were thought to be haunted and possible ghostsly pictures but the history that lead to the possible haunting is in the forefront of the stories.  

Middle Finger of Fate (Trailer Park Princess #1) by: Kim Hunt Harris

Fiction: Mystery, Christian, E-book

First, this book is very much a Christian fiction book.  The title and description made me think it was more of a humorous  mystery (which it also is) but it is not a mystery novel where the characters happen to be Christian, but a Christian novel that is about a mystery.  Besides that Salam is a recovering alcoholic who finds a dead body on the way to her AA meeting at church, and then decides to solve the mystery after the police arrest her (possibly) ex-husband for it.  She works on solving the case with the help of her dog, a senior citizen with a colorful past of her own, and the "Pickle Mobile."  

Everything Is Going to Kill Everybody: The Terrifyingly Real Ways the World Wants You Dead

by: Robert Brockway

Non-fiction: Science, Pop Culture, humor, 272 pages

This book covers all the major ways that you can die at anytime from things all around you.  It includes natural disasters, as well as science gone wrong.  Also it is written by a writer from Cracked and has related humor as Cracked.

Grace, Grits and Ghosts: Southern Short Stories by: Susan Gabriel

Fiction: Short Story, E-book

This book is a collection of short stories, some of which are based on the author's larger novels and/or interconnected with each other.  

Tell Me The Odds: A 15 Page Introduction To Bayes Theorem by: Scott Hartshorn

Non-fiction: Math, Science, Short Story, E-book

This short work is on how to tell the odds of something if you know the outcome.

January Books

 After last year's 163 books I thought I would take it easy this year.  So I only made my reading goal 24 books.  Because of that I plan on doing a monthly post.

American Cookery: The Art of Dressing Viands, Fish, Poultry, and Vegetables by Amelia Simmons

Non-fiction: Food, History, E-book

Anyone who has been watching historic cooking YouTube channels has heard of Simmons.  This book has many recipes that I can mostly make out what one was to do with which items, but like most cookbooks of the time it is a fun mix of no amounts listed with exact amounts listed with a few non-exact measurments mixed in.

Colonial Spirits: A Toast to Our Drunken History by Steven Grasse

Non-fiction:Food, History, 224 pages

A combination of recipes based on historic drinks and history.

Quackery: A Brief History of the Worst Ways to Cure Everything by Lydia Kang, Nate Pedersen

Non-Fiction: History, Science, 334 pages

Many things that people thought would cure or help illnesses were in fact horrible things.  This book deals with some of these "cures."

The History of Underclothes by C. Willett Cunnington, Phillis Cunnington

Non-Fiction: History 272 pages

This book goes over about 600 years of trends in under clothes, ending in the 1950's.  It deals with both male and female garments, but spends more time on female ones, as they both changed faster and they had more of them.  There are photos, but they are only black and white, which makes it harder to see some of the details. 

The Sword of Summer (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard #1) by Rick Riordan 

Fiction: YA, fantasy, e-book

Magnus has been homeless, since his mother died in an attack of wolves with glowing eyes.  She had a couple of brothers that he could live with, but he didn't trust them.  And he knew nothing about his father.  On his 16th birthday he runs into one uncle, raises a magic sword from the river, fights a fire giant, dies, and gets taken to Valhalla by his valkyrie, and finds out who his father was.  After that his life gets complicated.

Murder by the Pint by Belle Knudson

Fiction: Mystery, E-book

This book was a very quick read.  If it wasn't I might have just stopped reading it.  Not only did it have the issues that many self published books have, but it also had issues on basic knowledge of beer. (And the MC is running a brewery, which is an important part of the plot.)  For example a character absolutely hates bitter things (like even cola or coffee is too bitter,) so of course the MC gets them to try an IPA that they just love.   

End of the Year Books:

 A is for Arsenic: The Poisons of Agatha Christie by: Kathryn Harkup

Non-fiction: History, Science, Classic Lit, 320 pages

This book goes over all of the poisons that are used in the works of Agatha Christie.  It covers what she got right what she got wrong, cases where it was used in real life as well as the chemistry, history, etc of the compound.  It does have spoilers for her books, but it is mostly about the medical and scientific aspects of things.

Star Wars Be More Vader: Assertive Thinking from the Dark Side by: Christian Blauvelt

Non-fiction: pop culture, 64 pages

This book is a short book that is a "self-help" book based on Star Wars.

Rebel Without a Claus : A Little Tombstone Novelette (Little Tombstone Cozy Mysteries Book 2) by: Celia Kinsey

fiction: Mystery, E-book

A short little mystery that takes place around Christmas. Also there is a dog.

Christmas Slay Ride: Most Mysterious and Horrific Christmas Day Murders by: Jack Smith

Non-fiction: History, E-book

This book is a collection of true crime stories that happened around Christmas. (Mostly Christmas eve or day.) 

Isaac Newton: A Life From Beginning to End by: Hourly History

Non-fiction: History, Biography, E-book

Fun fact I should have known, but didn't think of.  Newton wasn't born on Christmas day, because England refused to switch to the Gregorian calendar until well after other countries did.  Besides that this book is a quick look at the life and legacy of Newton.  

 The Poison Squad: One Chemist's Single-Minded Crusade for Food Safety at the Turn of the Twentieth Century by: Deborah Blum

Non-fiction: Food, History, 330 pages 

This book goes over the life of Dr. Harvey Washington Wiley as well as the work that was done to make food safe in America by him and others working with him.  It dealt with major laws, events, studies and other things that changed what people ate in America.  

Ho Ho Homicide by: Amy Phipps 

Fiction: Mystery, short story, E-book

A short murder mystery that takes place at Christmas time.

The Essential Star Trek Party Bite Cookbook: Cook Like A Replicator! by: Dan Babel

Non-fiction: Food, Pop Culture, E-book

This cook book has many easy recipes, some have some connection with Star Trek, but most have little to no actual connection with the show. 

Books of December Part 1:

 Supernatural: The Official Cookbook: Burgers, Pies, and Other Bites from the Road by: Insight Editions

Non-Fiction: Food, Pop Culture, 128 pages

This book was, as one would expect, written before the end of the show.  But as it is largely about the food that has been eaten in the series this has little effect on it.  It is divided up into types of meals, foods, etc. For example, breakfast, burgers, and pies.  For each recipe it includes info on why it is in the book.  This could be an episode, a food that is eaten a lot overall, or something that a character likes.  It also had many pictures.

Handcrafted Bitters: Simple Recipes for Artisanal Bitters and the Cocktails That Love Them by: Will Budiaman

Non-fiction: Food, 192 pages

This book gives recipes for homemade bitters based on what in in season, drinks to make with them as well as ideas for making your own bitters recipes.

A Thyme and Place: Medieval Feasts and Recipes for the Modern Table by: Lisa Graves, Tricia Cohen

Non-fiction: Food, History, 152 pages

1st, while the book is based off of recipes from the middle ages to slightly after the renaissance the recipes have been updated for modern ingredients and cooking methods, sometimes with info on what was originally used.   2nd, this book only deals with English holidays and foods. 3rd, this book follows the formula that the "church" is a singular thing that hated fun, and so will range from talking about the Catholic Church to the most Puritan Calvinist with no note about them being very different groups. (which results in confusing statements if you didn't know which they were talking about, like when outlawing Christmas or pie.)

 The Haunting of H. G. Wells by: Robert Masello

Fiction: History, Mystery, Paranormal, E-book

This story takes place during WWI and as one expects stars H.G. Wells.  It deals with him going to the front for the war effort, and seeing the real horrors of war.  It also deals with a moral quandary his wife has back at home,  And a female reporter, who likes Wells and her chasing a story.  Of course all these connect to the biggest issue in the story.

 Christmas Miscellany: Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Christmas (Books of Miscellany) by: Jonathan Green

Non-Fiction: History, Holiday, E-book

This book also mostly deals with Christmas traditions in the UK, but also deals with general Christmas traditions and info about ones for other places. (Mostly ones that were started in the USA.)  But this one is for the most part well researched and there are very few mistakes in it. There were a few things like plum used to mean any dry fruit, so plum pudding doesn't usually have actual plums in it. (And figgy pudding doesn't have to have figs, and they both are Christmas pudding.)  But besides a few things like that, it is full of information and history on things related to Christmas. 

Books of November Part 2:

The History of Bread: From Pre-historic to Modern Times by: John Ashton
Non-fiction: History, Food, E-book
This book was written by an Edwardian English man, and you can tell.  It is good about telling the history of bread in Europe (besides the fact that the first bread was likely not made in Europe unlike the author’s opinion.) But it does insist that all bread in India is horrible (except the one region that also happens to be Christian.) And for some reason felt the need to point out that all theology about communion is completely wrong besides that of the low Church of England’s theology. (And also hot cross buns may be a sacrament?!?) But no matter how crazy the myth relating to bread of European background, there is no need to question it. 

Ad Limina: A Novella by: Cyril Jones-Kellett
Fiction: Sci-fi, Religion, 220 pages
If I wasn’t reading this for review on my YouTube channel, I would have stopped reading it on page 2.  But it was not as bad as the start made me think it would be.  It was clear that it was self-published or done by a small likely vanity press, but given that, it was over all an ok read.
This is the story of the 1st bishop of Mars,that was born on Mars.  It is time for his trip back to Rome (called the Ad Limina.) In fact he was way overdue for the trip, but this is the 1st time that the Pope hasn’t let him wait due to the problems with traveling to Earth for him.  He gets a ticket on a ship heading that way, but then things happen that lead him to many places he wouldn’t normally go to. 

Pilfered Promises (A Victorian San Francisco Mystery #5) by: M. Louisa Locke
Fiction: Mystery, History, E-book
This book takes place over Thanksgiving to Christmas, so I read it at the right time.  In this book Annie and Nate have already been married, she is still solving mysteries and he is growing the law firm he is in.  A local major department store hires her to find out who is stealing from the store and how.  And he is hired to be their lawyer.

The Painted Queen (Amelia Peabody #20) by: Elizabeth Peters, & Joan Hess
Fiction: Mystery, History, 544 pages
This is the last book in the series, because the author died before it was done and the other author finished it off based on what was done.  In this book there is a bust of Queen Nefertiti that has gone missing and had been given to a master forger, who is making copies of it.  Also there is a family of people named after famous traitors who are after Amelia.  And there is a missing Egyptologist. 

Books of November Part 1:

In case you didn't read the post below, I am still working on books from Halloween, but also have new books in the mix, plus this year who's to say Halloween is done, I mean it is already Christmas and Thanksgiving hasn't happened yet.

The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper by: Hallie Rubenhold

Non-fiction: History, E-book

This is an interesting look at the victims of Jack the Ripper.  It includes all that the author could find about the women before the events, giving them a chance to speak as people and not just as the ripper's victims. Interestingly most of them were not prostitutes at the time of their death, just that at the time poor, homeless woman and prostitute were considered interchangeable given the belief that they would do anything to survive. At least 1 of them had a common law husband who they would not be let into the overnight lodgings they stayed at with any other male. 2 had at times been considers a prostitute, but one of them likely was the willing or unwilling mistress of someone in the family that they worked for years before the events. It was interesting to see that one of the few things that we thought we knew about the Rippers victims might be wrong, as much of the analyzing of the Ripper's victims and who he might have been is based on this idea.  Also it contained a list of what was one each body at the time of death, which was interesting. 

Old World Cookery, Seafood Recipes from 100 Years Ago  by: Catrina LaNoir

Non-fiction: food, history, e-book

This book is a collection of Victorian/Edwardian seafood recipes.  If you have ever read any recipes from that time, it is what you might expect.  A number of them have info like a vague notation on what the main amount and type of thing should be and then (at the time) exact amounts for other things. So combine a fish with a walnut sized amount of butter, etc.  

Goat Castle: A True Story of Murder, Race, and the Gothic South by: Karen L. Cox

Non-fiction: History, 227 pages

This is the story of a murder that happened in the 1930's in a Southern town that included families that were Southern "royalty" and the ancestors of slaves. As one could expect the African Americans were convicted even if they were not a willing participant, but the white "land owners" got off, but didn't necessary life the life they wanted either. 

The Necronomnomnom: Recipes and Rites from the Lore of H. P. Lovecraft by: Red Duke Games, LLC

Non-fiction: pop culture, classics, food and cooking, 197 pages

This is a cookbook that has recipes based on the works of H.P. Lovecraft, some are normal ones that are in some way connected with the series, and some are more about the look then the taste.  Each one is written first in a very Lovecraften way and then in a normal way. (Which is good, as some are hard to tell what the actual ingredients or directions are.) 

I Love Ranch Dressing: And Other Stuff White Midwesterners Like by: Cara Freie

Non-fiction: humor, pop culture, 192 pages

A book based on things white midwestern people like.  Some that you may agree with some that you might not.  Also in at least 1 entry it is important to state that it was published in 2008. 

Month of Halloween Part:3

 -As often happens, I have picked out too many books for the month.  Luckily many of the themes work for the November holidays too (death, history -that might have to do with murders, cooking, etc.) So there will likely be books on the next post that would fit here, but I just couldn't read fast enough.  

Also I may just decide to do NaNoWriMo, because why not it's 2020 and everything is cancelled anyway, so my reading time may be spent writing.

Young Frankenstein: The Story of the Making of the Film by: Mel Brooks

Non-fiction: Pop Culture, Humor, 200 pages

This is the story of how the film "Young Frankenstein" came about from the mouths of the people involved.  It also contains lots of pictures from on the set and behind the screens information.

The Frighteners: A Celebration of our Fascination with the Macabre by: Peter Laws

Non-Fiction: History, Pop Culture, Science, Psychology, E-book 288 pages

This book deals with the whys and hows people love the macabre.  The topics range from true crime to horror films, and furries to zombie games. It involves places and events that the author personally visited as well as info from experts and a wide range of specialties.  Also it is written by a minister that became Christian after watching "The Exorcist". 

The Butcher and Other Supernatural Tales Vol. 2 by: Brendon Faife 

Fiction: Horror, Paranormal, Short Story, E-book

A collection of 5 short stories involving the supernatural.

The Girl in the Woods (Off-Kilter Tales #1) by: Michael Robertson

Fiction: Horror, Paranormal, Short Story, E-book

When attempting to kill themselves by driving into a tree, a man sees a strange girl in the woods.  He decides to see if she needs help, even if he is sure she is a ghost or delusion, and wakes up in a basement missing part of his leg. 

Your Favorite Band Cannot Save You by: Scotto Moore

Fiction: Sci-fi, Paranormal, 127 pages

A music blogger finds a new band who's music they just can't stop listening to. They try and find out who the band is and end up on the front line of what might just be the end of this dimension. 

Ghosts, Monsters and Madmen by: D. Nathan Hilliard

Fiction: Horror, Paranormal, Short Story, E-book

This book is a collection of short stories that the author got the rights back from after a couple of small presses went under.  They were made for anthology collections with diverse criteria. 

The Poison Plot: A Tale of Adultery and Murder in Colonial Newport by: Elaine Forman Crane

Non-Fiction: History, 272 pages

Apparently, until the famous one ruined the name for everyone there were a large number of people named  Benedict Arnold in that family.  This is the story of the possible murder attempt of the possible grandfather of the famous  Benedict Arnold. (The book deals with the reasons why he may or may not have been poisoned in a murder attempt, it doesn't deal as much with how this Benedict might not be the grandfather of the famous one, besides the fact that there is a lot of adultery, pregnant brides where the new husband wasn't the father, and other questions about paternity in the family history.  The book does deal with the fact that Mary Arnold might have had children by Benedict Arnold AND his son {by a previous wife} also Benedict Arnold.) Basically everyone in this family has the same couple of names and one of them might have been poisoned by their wife.

Month of Halloween Part:2

 Strange Planet by: Nathan W. Pyle

Fiction: Pop Culture, Comics, Humor, 144 pages

If B or L is reading this, No, I didn't read all the books I got you before giving them to you, the other book was too long to read that quickly. ;)

If you know the comic strip/web comic you know what this book is, a collection of short stories (many 4 panel) about "aliens" seeing everyday life with unusual, but reasonable word choices.  The book is divided up by themes. 

mental floss presents Condensed Knowledge: A Deliciously Irreverent Guide to Feeling Smart Again

by Will Pearson, Elizabeth Hunt, Mangesh Hattikudur

Non-Fiction: Science, Art, Food, History, Religion, 352 pages

This book is set up in a bathroom reader like format.  It is divided up by subject and includes lists as well as short little blurbs.  Most of it is OK, but not anything great.  The religion section was so bad, I wanted to correct their statements about other religions, because it was soo bad, that anyone with a basic knowledge on the subject could see the issues.  Like: suggesting that the founder of Islam had only 1 wife, noting that different Christians have some differences in what books make up the Bible (while stating the opposite of what happened was what happened) and then talking about books not in the Bible (while half of the books are in 2 out of the 3 branches of Christianity's Bibles), and getting so many dates wrong (both in historic evidence, and in how the religion sees itself- like I'd be cool with either this is what X group believes or this is what the archeology shows. But they get both wrong at times.)

Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs? Big Questions from Tiny Mortals About Death by: Caitlin Doughty, Ill. by: Dianné Ruz

Non-Fiction: Science, Pop Culture, Children's, YA, 222 pages

This book answers a series of questions that children have asked about death, funerals, and ways to deal with dead bodies. Most questions deal with human death, as the author is a funeral director, but it does have questions about animal deaths as well.  Also, while I logically knew that a "Viking funeral" shouldn't work given the temps and length of  time it takes to cremate a person, having someone point out that you would end up with a slightly charred body floating around in the water and a sunk boat, is depressing.  

To Hell I Must Go: The True Story of Michigan's Lizzie Borden by: Rod Sadler

Non-fiction: History, 176 pages

This is a novelized version of the story of a murder that took place in a small Michigan town in 1897.  It was written by a retired police officer who was looking into the life of their great, great grandfather who was the sheriff when it happened.  While the murder did take place using an ax, and the murderer was a female, that is the only connections with Lizzie Borden that the event has.

 The Zen of Zombie: (Even) Better Living through the Undead by: Scott Kenemore

Non-fiction: self help, pop culture, 280 pages

This is a self help books based on being like a zombie.  Because nothing stops a zombie from getting what they want (brains.)  It has 2 parts: the 24 habits of highly effective zombies and a 90 day guide to zombification.  

   

Month of Halloween Part:1

 Some of these books were picked out before Halloween or are not topical. (The trivia books with will appear in this and the next posting are for a possible spot on a trivia podcast.) 

The Living Flame of Love by: Juan de la Cruz (St. John of the Cross)

Non-Fiction: Religion, Classic, Poetry, E-book

Part of this book is his poetry as well as an explanation of it's meaning.  And part of it is letters that he sent to various people.  

Brick Greek Myths: The Stories of Heracles, Athena, Pandora, Poseidon, and Other Ancient Heroes of Mount Olympus by: John D. McCann, Monica Sweeney, Becky Thomas

Fiction: Classic, Pop Culture, E-book

A retelling of the major Greek myths told in Lego.  

The Romanovs: A Captivating Guide to the Last Imperial Dynasty to Rule Russia and the Impact the Romanov Family Had on Russian History by: Captivating History

Non-fiction: History, E-book

A short history of the Romanov dynasty in Russia.  It highlights the major people and events including of course the end of the Tsars in Russia.

Opium and Absinthe by: Lydia Kang

Fiction: History, Mystery, E-book

This book takes place in NYC shortly after the book "Dracula" came out. Tillie is the younger daughter in one of the wealthy, society families.  She has a riding accident and is given opium for the pain.  Soon after the accident her older sister is murdered.  From the way she was killed it looks like it was a vampire.  Besides the bite marks the major possible clue to what happened was an absinthe bottle found next to her.  Tillie is determined to solve her sister's murder, and gets help from unexpected places while also dealing with her growing use of the opium.

The Best Bar Trivia Book Ever: All You Need for Pub Quiz Domination by: Michael O'Neill

Non-Fiction: History, Science, Art, Sports 265 pages

Mostly a good collection of the trivia likely to show up in things like bar trivia games.

The Professor & the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity & the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary by: Simon Winchester

Non-fiction: History, Biography, E-book

The story of the main creator of the Oxford English Dictionary and the American, who was found criminally insane, who was the biggest outside contributor to it. 

The Republic of Pirates: Being the True and Surprising Story of the Caribbean Pirates and the Man Who Brought Them Down by: Colin Woodard

Non-fiction: History, 405 pages

This book tells the story of the heyday of Pirates in the Caribbean and who and what ended much of it.

 Death & Co: Modern Classic Cocktails, with More than 500 Recipes by: David Kaplan, Nick Fauchald, Alex Day

Non-fiction: Food, 320 pages

A collection of cocktail recipes as well as information on how to bartend/make good drinks, the bar and people connected to the bar.

Post Quarantine Books Part 3:

 Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? #76 by Sholly Fisch, art by: Silvana Brys, Walter Carzon, Horacio Ottolini, Scott Jeralds 
Fiction: Pop Culuture, Mystery, Graphic Novel, E-book

This book contains a couple of adventures.  This includes an adventure with the "ghosts" being famous authors and one in a hotel. 

Assassination!: The Brick Chronicle of Attempts on the Lives of Twelve US Presidents by Brendan Powell Smith

Non-Fiction: History, Biography, Pop Culture, E-book

The story of all the assassinations and attempted assassinations of American presidents, done in little plastic bricks that legally can not be called Lego.  

Mental Floss: What's the Difference? by: Mental Floss

Non-Fiction: Science, History, 208 pages

A quick and easy way to know the difference between similar things that people got confused over, as well as who you will impress with this info.  

Sir Apropos of Nothing: Gypsies, Vamps, and Thieves by Peter David, art by:Robin Riggs

Fiction: Fantasy, Graphic Novel,  148 pages

A knight without a grand pass goes on a number of adventures.

Who Put the Devil in Deviled Eggs?: A Food Lover's Guide to America's Favorite Dishes by Ann Treistman

Non-Fiction: History, Food, E-book

This book goes over classic Americana dishes.  It includes the history of the food as well as a clasic recipe for it.

Kitchen Things: An Album of Vintage Utensils and Farm-Kitchen Recipes by Richard Snodgrass

Non-Fiction: History, Food, E-book

This book tells about various utensils as well as having artistic black and white pictures of them.  It also includes family recipes and history of the author and their wive's family cooking.

Drinking with Saint Nick: Christmas Cocktails for Sinners and Saints by Michael P. Foley

Non-fiction: Food, Religion, Holidays, History, 224 pages

A collection of drinks relating to the various holidays connected with Christmastide.  It also lists beers and wines which have names, ingredients or histories that connect with the day.