#51 Saga, Volume 3 (Saga #13-18) by Brian K. Vaughan, Fiona Staples

This entire arc fills in the gaps that happen in previous collection and yet doesn't have much of a filler feel. There is an introduction of a journalist couple that are tracking down the story of Marco and Alana and how their progress on reporting on the story is stymied. And you get more background on Alana and on The Will.

#52 The Truth Is a Cave in the Black Mountains by Neil Gaiman and Eddie Campbell

Full title The Truth Is a Cave in the Black Mountains: A Tale of Travel and Darkness with Pictures of All Kinds

by Neil Gaiman, Eddie Campbell

This is more of a novelette crossed with tons on illustrations. It is set in Scotland around the time they are trying to get Bonnie Prince Charles onto the throne since there are hints about giving gold to a king so he can come back. What starts out as a quest for gold turns into revenge tale. Good story and you can read it separate here or read it in the collection it first appeared in 2011 in Stories

#53 Seven Kinds of Hell by Dana Cameron

Right after Zoe's mother dies and leaves her with instructions to take off, her cousin is kidnapped by a Russian that want her to use her archaeologist skills to swap an artifact she swiped from work for the return of her cousin. Turns out she took the object because it called to her and the reason is called to her is a part of herself that she has hidden from everyone and tried to deny in herself is she is a werewolf. She knows nothing about controlling it or her father's family since her mother left him and took her while living on the run. Different groups of people are after Zoe including a former boyfriend that knows more about her than she does herself. She is always several steps behind everyone in the knowledge dept and when she says something is happening it is dismissed since "those things don't happen in their Fangborn culture". A entertaining read and I started the second one soon after this one.


Digital review copy provided by the publisher through Netgalley.

#54 Umami: Unlocking the Secrets of the Fifth Taste by Ole G. Mouritsen, Klavs Styrbæk

Straight up this had to be the most scientifically detailed cookbook I have ever read. This goes down to the molecular level of the why and how umami reacts with our tastebuds along with giving detailed recipes on how to make your own. This is not a cookbook for someone just wanting a new selection of recipes to try but more for some one who is very comfortable in the kitchen and access to some more interesting ingredients.

Digital review copy provided by the publisher through NetGalley

#55 The Gods of Guilt by Michael Connelly

I really like Connelly's books but Mickey isn't my favorite of his characters. I was glad that we were spared the promised DA campaign at the end of the previous book and Bosch does get a walk on role in the story or more like a walk by. Mickey takes a murder case where the accused is charged with murdering someone Mickey thought he had help walk away away from her life as a prostitute a long time ago. The book also mentions the movie so that is amusing as well. A good mystery with a great courtroom drama ending. The nice thing is you can jump to this one without being lost from what happened in the past and why he knows the victim. A good entertaining read even if I knew what would happen before it showed up on the page.

#56 The Martian by Andy Weir

I was very hesitant to read this just for the description about an astronaut abandoned on Mars since the crew thought he was dead. I had a friend tell me this was a great book and I still was a bit shaky about reading it. I gave it a shot and just about read it all in one sitting. For a grim subject the humor in it was great and I found myself laughing at the absurd humor in the book that Mark uses in order to survive on Mars. Now I'm thinking about picking up the audio book for this as well. And I know I will need to track down a first printing of this. and I'm pretty sure that this will be on my Hugo Ballot for next year.


Digital review copy provided by the publisher through Edelweiss