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I read another book.  *Shock and awe*

I like Agatha Christie, rather a lot.  I don't have many of her books, and for some reason I own two that I've never read, from the period when I was buying/borrowing Hercule Poirot books so that I could get through all of them.  So, anyway, I read one of those.  "Funerals are Fatal"  was typically Agatha Christie, in the best way.  That's basically all I'm going to say about it.  It was one of the "Poirot comes out of retirement" books, so there's that.

Next up, I'm going to try one of the Dean Koontz books I got from a book swap in the fall.

New March Book:
Funerals are Fatal - Agatha Christie

Total for January 2014 - 6
Total for February 2014 - 5
Total for March (So far) - 4
Total for Year - 15

My Amazon order came today.  I know I should not have ordered so many books.  I had this conversation with myself on Friday, when I was sitting at my desk, still hopped up on assorted medication, ordering them all.  But, order them I did, and as ever I have no buyer's remorse when it comes to books.  We'll see how the happy glow works when my 4 pairs of shoes get here.

So, I ordered a lot of books. 'Neverwhere' and 'Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell', which I have been meaning to read for a while.  'Master of Obsidian', in support of my flist.  Volume 1 of Tanya Huff's Blood Books, just to see if it works better in book form than it did on TV.  Philip Pullman's Dark Materials trilogy, because a girl in my office recommended them, and a movie of 'The Golden Compass' is due out soon.  And, in continuation of series I'm reading, 'A Fistful of Charms', book 4 in the Hollows series by Kim Harrison, and 'Danse Macabre', book 14 in Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake series.  Yes, book 14.

You've really got to love an author, or at very least their characters, to stick around for 14 books about the same people.  And, okay, so only about 4 or 5 of the characters have made it through 14 books, but still.  I really do love Anita Blake.  Not just the tough talking supernatural chick stuff, although that's nice.  But, on a basic level I identify.  

Everyone, I think, outgrows their upbringing on some level as they get older.  Even if that only manifests itself as having hubby cook dinner, when your dad never did.  But, when you grow up in a strictly religious family, or a family with very strict ideas of proper social interaction, the differences can be much more drastic.  Step families can add additional levels of expectations and confusion to the mix.  I like how that conflict is shown in the character of Anita Blake.  Her job goes against not only her family's social expectations, but at times against their religious beliefs.  She's constantly having to define herself and her beliefs to people who don't understand how she can mesh a faithful life and her conduct.  And, I really get that.  My conflicts are nowhere near as drastic, but I can appreciate the difficulties inherent in having a religion and a lifestyle that are right for you, but that your family can't cope with or understand.  So, I'll keep reading.  Book 15 is out, and book 16 I believe will be soon (or maybe 16 is already and 17 will be soon...I'm behind), and I'll sit through every one.  Because, as much fun as supernatural porn-tastic-ness can be, what keeps me reading is a belief in the character, and a desire to see how it all ends.

Rant over.  Please, continue with your regularly scheduled lives.