A Monstrous Regiment of Women by Laurie R. King
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a bit up and down for me, but I still loved the main characters. And, it was entertaining enough to pull be right along. A fun read.

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Wine Wars: The Curse of the Blue Nun, The Miracle of Two Buck Chuck, and the Revenge of the Terroirists by Mike Veseth
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Great read. Veseth doesn't get snobbish about wine or deep into economic theory. It is essentially the story of the global wine market, but the cultural/sociological component of the tale was the most interesting part to me. Learning about grocery giants like Costco and Trader Joe's was fascinating. He writes in a conversational style and suggests wines for you to taste along the way. I learned a lot and I feel a little more confident about approaching the wine wall at the grocery store!

Full disclosure: Veseth is a professor at the college where I work.

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Fly Away Home by Jennifer Weiner
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

You know, after all the hubbub surrounding Weiner's criticism of the media's coverage of Franzen's Freedom, it is interesting how similar these two books are. I've always been a fan of Weiner and bristled a bit about the chick lit label (which she has completely embraced). Weiner and Franzen write about similar things. A couple going through life's troubles and how it impacts their families and friends. Fly Away Home is called chick lit and Freedom is called a great American novel. Go figure.

p.s. I liked both books.

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The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie R. King
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A lot of fun. A Sherlock Holmes story told from the perspective of his new, female partner. Very engaging, great characters. I'll definitely continue to the second book in the series!

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The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America by Erik Larson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Great intertwined stories of a major public project (the World's Fair in Chicago) and an insane serial killer. Creepy and awesome. And a true story, too!

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The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club by Dorothy L. Sayers

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Loved this one.

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The Ghost Map: The Story of London's Most Terrifying Epidemic--and How It Changed Science, Cities, and the Modern World by Steven Johnson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Urban development, cartography, rogue science, medical mystery, Victorian London. All with a killer epilogue relating it to the world of today (and the future). Loved it.

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