one slip was all it took

Look at that. It's been two months again. I think one of my New Year's goals needs to be "pay more attention to social media." I keep meaning to blog more, and I keep just not getting around to it.
Several books to report:
31) The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood. This book is horrifying. The culture it depicts is repellent. It's an interesting, important look at the direction our culture could go in if things go horribly awry, and I'm glad I read it, but I can't say that I'll put myself through it again.
32) Late Eclipses by Seanan McGuire. This is the fourth book in the Toby Daye series, and as always with this series, I loved it. I love the characters, and the way the action plays out, and how imperfect everyone is. People make mistakes. Sometimes other people die for them. This book isn't as bleack as book 3 was, but there's a real sense of desperation and loss in this one. And of building tension, like a storm is brewing. Really, this is some of the best urban fantasy I've read in years. Do yourself a favor and check it out.
33) Timeless by Gail Carriger. This is the fifth and final book in the Parasol Protectorate series. I loved the first four books, but this one . . . I have to be honest, I feel like this book is trying too hard.I wanted to know how the series ended, so I stuck with it, but I wasn't nearly as enamored with this one as I was with the previous books. Which was disappointing.
34) Stories edited by Neil Gaiman and Al Sarrantonio. This short-story anthology was hit-or-miss for me, but there were a couple stories in it that made it a keeper for me. Kat Howard's "A Life in Fictions" and "Joanna Harris's "Wildfire in Manhattan" in particular.
35) Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion. I loved this. It's such a different take on the zombie idea. I love the characters and how they evolve in relation to each other, and it's well written, and I thought the whole thing was really refreshing. I definitely recommend this one to anybody who wants a good story to read!
36) The Venetian's Wife by Nick Bantock. I enjoyed this one, but not nearly as much as Bantock's Griffin and Sabine trilogy. I don't think it's a keeper for me, largely because I don't think I'll reread it. But it's an engaging story and an enjoyable read.
I've had a hard time with books lately. I keep picking things up only to find that they don't appeal to me. It's strange. I have so many books I know I'll adore. I'm sort of leaving those be, for now, for the most part, to try the iffy ones first. I could always stop that and pick up something that I'm sure I'll love, but it's more challenging to sift through the unknowns.
My parents came to town for a week recently, which was really lovely, and now I'm on Christmas staycation. I'll really try to blog once or twice more before I go back to work in January. I'm also trying to get through some writing projects, and some things around the house that I've let languish while I have been doing an excessive amount of freelance work for the last two months.
Happy holidays, everyone!