With over 100 books read on my last 50 book challenge thread, it seems only appropriate to start again. My new goal is 50+ books from now 'til December.




And away I go...

Since you read 100 books in less than 8 mos., it seems totally reasonable to read half that in 4 mos. Have fun!

thanks, Bonnie! I think that, even if I were to start working full-time by the end of the year, I would be able to make 50. Next year's goals are still up for grabs, though.

Hello! Just checking in to catch up on thread #2 - looking forward to seeing what the last months of 2009 hold in store... :-)

hey Ellie! Thanks for stopping by.

Here's #1 of part 2:

Singled Out by Virginia Nicholson (recommended by Sibylle.Night)

In the British census of 1921, census takers found that there were nearly 2 million more women that men, largely because of the number of single young men that had died in World War 1. The single women of the time were known as the "Surplus Women," and in a time when marriage and children was the expected lot of all women, the disparate numbers were a bit of a shock. Virginia Nicholson writes about several of these women who made their own ways in all walks of life from all classes. Drawing heavily on written and unwritten memoirs as well as some interviews with those women still living in the early part of the 21st century, she focuses on the personal stories of the "bachelor girls" who created social change between the World Wars.

In reading, I was most struck by the social stigma of being an unmarried woman. Many of these women truly had no choice, while others would have chosen the single life regardless, but the expectations were such that the unmarried were looked upon as failures. Some women were sorry they never married, particularly if their sweetheart had died during the war, but others gloried in their singlehood and wouldn't have had it any other way. Nicholson sometimes seemed too ready to assume that these women were unhappy (once surmising this even after quoting someone who said she was content). The individual stories of some well-known and other unsung women of a generation that hugely affected society's perception of the "spinster" were fascinating. 4 stars.

2. Born to Run by Christopher McDougall

Reporter Christopher McDougall took up running as a way of getting in shape - and found that this sport can really hurt. Intriguingly, he learned of a tribe in Mexico - the Tarahumara - who run far beyond marathon-length races in rubber sandals, yet are never plagued by running injuries. This story recounts his trip to meet them, some studies related to running and his own journey of "relearning running."

Probably most plagued by having so much information, this was a difficult audiobook for listening to in small chunks because of all the threads that he has going at once that he adds to tangentially. I felt like I learned a little here and there, but would have gotten more out of it as a book because it would have been easier to follow all the different threads of the account - what's going on in Mexico, how McDougall became more of a runner, etc. Also, there are a couple of studies and theories related to running that he makes clear are not the consensus that I wanted to look up in an index in case I could hunt down the original articles and related materials. While there was much interesting information, I think there was a little too much going on and competing for my attention. 4 stars.

3. A Supremely Bad Idea by Luke Dempsey

When Luke Dempsey first purchased his home in Pennsylvania, he had no idea that it was about to begin an obsession. But when a co-worker and his wife visited the place and started showing Luke all the amazing birds that lived in his backyard, his birding habit was borne. Eventually, Luke and his friends traveled to various places in the U.S. in search of elusive birds - those that live only in a particular habitat or those that are endangered. _A Supremely Bad Idea_ chronicles their travels, the birds they saw, and Luke's growing awareness of conservation.

I found Luke's narrative style distracting and a bit annoying. Luke's humor is often sarcastic, which I found to be off-putting, especially when he waxed political. Instead of being funny, the sarcastic political barbs seemed aimed more at making the opposition look stupid and as one who didn't always agree with him (though I appreciate and often agreed with his concern for conservation), I didn't appreciate it. The part of this book I was most drawn to was the description of the birds Luke saw. His narrative descriptions allowed me to bird vicariously through him to imagine birds that I do not have the funds to travel and see (I wish I could!). I also loved the photographs, wished there were more, and really enjoyed the fact that they were all taken by the author and his friends. On the whole, a mixed bag. 3 stars.

August in review -
This is sort of disorganized 'cause I shifted mid-month. So I've decided that my monthly wrap-ups will continue the count started from the first part of my challenge (this way I can also keep a running tally of books read this year)

97. Show Me God by Fred Heeren
98. City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare
99. City of Glass by Cassandra Clare
100. Shakespeare's Spy by Gary Blackwood
101. David Copperfield by Charles Dickens
102. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
103. Labor Day by Joyce Maynard
104. The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
105. Singled Out by Virginia Nicholson
106. Born to Run by Christopher McDougall (audio)
107. A Supremely Bad Idea by Luke Dempsey

Books read - 10
Books listened to - 1
Graphic Novels/Manga - 12 (total of 62 for the year)
Standout - Labor Day by Joyce Maynard
Proud to say I've read - David Copperfield

ETA: Books abandoned - 1

Message edited by its author, Sep 7, 2009, 7:19pm.

4/108. Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout

This year's Pulitzer Prize winner for fiction is composed of 13 short stories, most of which are set in a small town in Maine. Though each story can be read on its own, taken together, they tell the stories of several people's lives, most notably that of Olive Kitteridge herself. All of the characters are richly drawn, and several are unforgettable. Many of the stories wrenched my heart while I was reading, but they were also full of hope and spirit.

The book as a whole was well-crafted, from the placement of stories (which was not always chronological) to the fluid writing to the carefully chosen titles. I found myself torn after each story, wanting both to pause and ponder and at the same time to keep reading to learn what happens to Olive and Henry and Christopher and their neighbors and friends. Highly recommended. 5 stars.

Graphic novels/manga count:

63. Her Majesty's Dog volume 3 by Mick Takeuchi
64. Her Majesty's Dog volume 4
65. Her Majesty's Dog volume 5
66. Her Majesty's Dog volume 6
67. Her Majesty's Dog volume 7
68. Her Majesty's Dog volume 8
69. Her Majesty's Dog volume 9
70. Her Majesty's Dog volume 10
71. Her Majesty's Dog volume 11

All but the last were rereads because I wasn't sure I could remember what had been going on in the story (and I didn't) before reading the last one. Volume 11 was pretty good but didn't quite live up to all my expectations after all the buildup. A fun series, though.

5/109. Storm Front by Jim Butcher

Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden is just a wizard trying his best to pay his bills through a PI job. Sometimes he helps out the Chicago police force with those jobs that just can't be explained. When the cops call with just such a case - a gory murder that could not have happened by any means but magic - Dresden may be in over his head.

This first novel is something of a mixed bag. I liked Dresden's character and his sense of humor, though I sometimes found his first person narration awkwardly conversational. The violence was sometimes a little too graphic for me. The plot starts out pretty slowly, eventually building to a driving pace by the end. Having only read the Codex Alera series by this one, I enjoyed seeing the variety in Jim Butcher's writing. 4 stars.

6/110. By These Ten Bones by Clare B. Dunkle

When a couple of mysterious strangers appear in her small Scottish town with no lord, Maddie's life is never the same. The old man, a drunkard, lives off the work of the young man with him, a wood carver. The young man is silent and withdrawn; Maddie is intrigued by the carver, and wants to discover his secret.

I really loved The Hollow Kingdom series, so I admittedly had expectations going in. In this one, the plot kept me reading, but I was a little disappointed in how short the story was and how little the characters were developed. A good read, but not a favorite. 4 stars.

7/111. Perfect You by Elizabeth Scott

Kate's life can't possibly get any worse. For starters, her dad quit his job to start selling vitamins in the mall, she's stuck helping him and, oh yeah, her former best friend acts like she doesn't exist anymore. Over the course of several months of the school year, Kate narrates what she's dealing with: school, friends, popularity, family, and just about everything life throws her way.

The characters and their struggles were very real, especially the main character's, but Kate gives away more than she realizes about her mother, her brother, and her crush. This was sometimes frustrating because I could usually figure out what was going on faster than Kate did. The other thing that frustrated me was how quickly Kate's problems are resolved. Up until then, a lot of her issues with friends and popularity had struck me as very real and problems I could relate to remembering my own teen years, so the sudden epiphany seemed a bit contrived. I still enjoyed the story enough to seek out more books by this author. 4 stars.

8/112. You Just Don't Understand by Deborah Tannen

Have you ever had a conversation with someone of the opposite sex that seemed like you were operating on different wavelengths, or that the conversation you thought you were having was interpreted completely differently by the other party? Dr. Tannen argues that it's not in your head: women and men in conversation is much closer to cross-cultural communication than we might imagine. She then goes on to enumerate the many ways that miscommunication arises based on the different ways we tend to speak and interpret conversations: through the lens of status (men) or connection (women).

Dr. Tannen's research, including transcripts of conversations from studies of boys, girls, men, and women of various ages and anecdotal evidence from real conversations persuasively makes the case for the status and connection at work in every conversation. I appreciated that the author never makes a moral judgment about the way one or the other interprets the conversation. She merely explains what's going on from each point of view, giving each party the language to express what they're trying to do or say. I recognized many conversations as ones I have had with my brother, my father, and male friends. Some of the topics she touches on, such as high-involvement/high-considerate and direct/indirect ways of speaking are beneficial even in conversations with people of the same sex (for example, as a "high-involvement speaker" I can now explain to my family that I really do end a sentence with "and" waiting for someone to overlap my speech). Because she ties everything back to the original ideas of status and connection, her comments on conversations do become a bit repetitive after awhile. But her conversational style and clear presentation of a persuasive argument make this book worth reading. 4 stars.

Sounds really interesting! Thanks for the review, I hadn't heard of this until I saw it here.

One of the most important ideas that I got from You Just Don't Understand was not to take it so personally when my ex-husband didn't want to/couldn't have the kind of conversations that I desired. For example, I would frequently start a conversation by asking a question--which is a positive signal to most woman that represents an invitation to talk, while my ex would respond with irritation. ("I don't know! Why are you asking me?") Lots of good stuff in Tannen's books, not only about male/female differences but also regional and hierarchal differences.

Deborah Tannen... now that name rings a bell from somewhere... English or Psychology lessons, perhaps? Funny how these things stick with you sometimes to annoy the hell out of you when you can't QUITE place them!

>15 spacepotatoes - yeah, it was really interesting. She's written a whole bunch of books not only on that subject, but also on mothers and daughters (You're Wearing That?!) and sisters (a new one that I haven't read yet - You Were Always Mom's Favorite). I enjoy her style.

>16 Bonnie - It amazed me how many of the conversations were ones I had with my brother or male friends. One of the first was the one about making plans, something my brother and I argued over almost word-for-word when we would go some place together and he would make plans without checking with me first (not that I was looking for permission, just recognized the interconnectedness of our plans). The stuff about cultural differences (non-gender-specific) was also fascinating.

>17 Ellie - I know what you mean, I hate that feeling too. It really could've been either of those subjects, though I think for some reason Dewey classifies this particular book in Sociology (not sure why). I know at least one other LT member (detailmuse) has mentioned her books in their 999 challenge threads, maybe you saw it there?

Nope, it was definitely at school - either studying language in English, or development in Psychology would be my bet. At least it shows I remember something, even if it is pretty vague!

LOL Ellie! Sometimes vague isn't all bad - I have books on my TBR list that I can't remember why I put there for the life of me, but I figure if/when I ever get to them, they'll be that much more of a surprise...

Oh, and can I just brag, I got my first "Hot Review" with that one! Thanks one & all for the thumbs up! :-)

CONGRATULATIONS! I think I may have had one or two but I've missed them because of the time difference! Last time Richard dear dropped by my thread to tell me, but I was too late... :-(

Message edited by its author, Sep 16, 2009, 2:56pm.

Thanks Ellie. I think I saw your review of "Of Mice and Men" up there not too long ago. I had to brag here 'cause I was doing a little happy dance and no one in my family is home to tell (or would get it if I did...). :-)

I know! I told Mum about the last one and she was like 'yeah.....aaaaaaaaand.... back to what we were talking about earlier!' She's on LT but she's not entirely au fait with everything on here yet!

yeah, I did talk my cousin and sister into joining (still working on my mom), but I'm not sure they're on here as much as me (well, they don't have as much free time as me either). Case in point...my sister has not accepted my friend request...

9/113. The Third Policeman by Flann O'Brien

This book operates on its own internal logic and is really hard to summarize as a result. In the beginning, the unnamed narrator - an orphan obsessed with the works of the (fictional) philosopher de Selby - is living with a man named Jack Divney who comes up with the idea of killing Old Mathers to fund the narrator's publishing of his critical work on de Selby. They do so, and eventually Divney sends the narrator to Old Mathers' place to get the black box with money. There in a cabin (this scene in particular reminded me of Lost, which references the book in a couple of episodes) where he meets with Old Mathers, apparently alive again. From there, the oddities begin to pile up.

Definitely the only book I've ever read that was made less comprehensible by looking up words I was unfamiliar with, The Third Policeman is pretty bizarre. If it weren't for Lost and the fact that there are some concrete similarities (a black box much like the "box" Ben tells Locke about, the cabin & an interaction with a dead man, etc.), I would have given up early. That being said, I'm glad I pressed on because once I got to the end I kind of understood what was going on and I thought what the author accomplishes with the story is interesting. Still, it's the sort of book you have to really think about and almost works better for a discussion or classroom than for pleasure reading. 3 stars.

10/114. Seeing Things by Patti Hill

Birdie Wainwright lives with an advanced case of "wet" macular degeneration, but she's learned to live very independently by making allowances, thank you very much. When a hallucination of her stairs as purple flowers with a boulder causes her to stumble and break her leg, she recuperates at her son Andy's house. Relations with Andy and his second wife, Suzanne, have been strained, to say the least (though grandson Fletcher is a doll), but Birdie is prepared to love this family if it kills them, with a little help from God and a lot of prayer. Oh yeah, and ever since some shu mai with Fletcher, Huckleberry Finn has been showing up - and he talks.

This sweet story had a lot of promise, but unfortunately too many flaws for me to really enjoy fully. The characters seemed a bit flat to me, hampered by Birdie's first person narration and her strong personality - I kept interpreting them differently than she did, and wanting her to focus on different things about them as a result. Sometimes the author didn't include character names when several of the "Bats" (a group of ladies with the same condition as Birdie) are talking, which may have been intentional but made it very difficult for me to differentiate between them instead of realizing them as individual characters. I liked the idea of Birdie's conversations with Huck Finn, but never quite figured out its purpose in terms of furthering the story. Finally, the ending was extremely disjointed. The last few chapters are several weeks or months apart from each other, but the timeline of events become really hazy in the wrap up. I would recommend it to fans of gentle, inspirational reads. 3 stars.

in honor of Talk Like a Pirate Day (I know it's tomorrow, but what with LT getting into the spirit and all) - I saw this on nannybebette's thread.

My pirate name is:

Mad Mary Rackham

Every pirate is a little bit crazy. You, though, are more than just a little bit. You have the good fortune of having a good name, since Rackham (pronounced RACKem, not rack-ham) is one of the coolest sounding surnames for a pirate. Arr!

from piratequiz.com

Message edited by its author, Sep 18, 2009, 10:50pm.

11/115. Jamaica Inn by Daphne du Maurier

After her mother's death, Mary Yellan must leave her farm in Helston and move in with her aunt and uncle. Her uncle by marriage, Joss Merlyn, is abusive and a drunkard, and her Aunt Patience, whom Mary remembered as vivacious, has been cowed by her husband. Joss is also the landlord of Jamaica Inn, a place with a bad name and a mystery, as Mary discovers that her uncle's business runs towards illegal activities. For the sake of her aunt, she doesn't say anything at first, but as she learns more of what's really going on, she's not sure how long she can keep silent.

I once read that the Gothic novel was the precursor to the romantic suspense genre, and this novel is a good example of that: the love interest with a dark past, mystery and danger, are all present. The suspenseful ambiance is well done, as might be expected from this author, with vivid descriptions. Though not as well-written as Rebecca, I think partially because I liked the protagonists more and partially because I had a better idea of what to expect, I liked this story a little more. 4.5 stars.

12/116. The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson
Category: YA/Children's

Jenna Fox wakes up from the coma she's been in for over a year with severe amnesia after an "accident." Her doctor father promises her that she'll start to regain her memories slowly but surely; Jenna does, but she struggles to put the pieces together about what she knows about herself before and now. Her mother gives her a set of discs of Jenna at various ages; but despite this, Jenna senses her parents are hiding something.

Set sometime in the future with medical advancement and bioengineering so far gone that native plants are struggling for survival, this is a science fiction that doesn't get bogged down in the details of The Future even while exploring ethics of the scientific and medical advancements made. Jenna's normal teenage struggle with identity is multiplied tenfold by her memory loss and the unfolding of her parents secrets. Not a perfect book, but a fast-paced read for me because I wanted to know more about Jenna and the decisions she would make. 4.5 stars.

13./117. Untangling My Chopsticks by Victoria Abbott Riccardi

Victoria Abbott had always been in love with Japan, perhaps because her grandparents often traveled there and brought back exotic gifts. So when she had the chance to live in Kyoto and learn the art of tea kaiseki, she jumped at it. Tea kaiseki is a meal consisting of several courses that is served before the better-known tea ceremony. It is practically an art form, with each course tied in somehow to the seasons or to the climactic dish, and replete with symbolic meanings. While there, she attended the Mushanokji school to learn this type of cooking, taught English, and learned much about Japanese culture and philosophy that greatly impacted her life. At the end of several chapters, the author includes a few recipes (27 in total) of the food discussed in that chapter.

I enjoyed the idea of this travelogue/cookbook and the window it gives into a lesser-known aspect of Japanese culture. Niggling details lessened my enjoyment, however, particularly the general choppiness of the narrative from sentence fragments to short chapters that felt tacked on to lengthen the book. On one occasion, the author oversimplified, identifying manga only as the comics that businessmen would read to fulfill their fantasies of school girls, rather than the broader range of comics for varying age groups that it truly is. This made me wonder if there were any other areas where she described something in broad strokes that might in actuality be a little different from her interpretation. She also tended towards repetitiveness, such as continually pointing out the difference between tea kaiseki and restaurant kaiseki, rather than mentioning it once, and then depending on her wonderful descriptions of each to reinforce her point. Riccardi was at her best when she describes the food she encounters - from the taste to the presentation to the symbolic meaning of ingredients - which made me want to try some of the recipes included. 3 stars.

Graphic Novels/Manga count:

72. What Would Dewey Do? by Gene Ambaum and Bill Barnes
73. Library Mascot Cage Match by Gene Ambaum and Bill Barnes
74. Book Club by Gene Ambaum and Bill Barnes

A hilarious comic strip set in the Mallville Public Library. I read the first in the collection and only thought it was OK - but I loved these. It's a great mix of real-life librarianship and over-the-top humor that helps me not take things so seriously and doesn't feel like bringing work home as a result.

75. Stitches: A Memoir by David Small

This graphic novel memoir of David Small's childhood is impossible for me to sum up without telling the entire story, so I'm not going to try. His story is heart-rending, reminding me a lot of A Child Called "It", though David's parents don't seem as much overtly abusive as distant and cold. The black and white illustrations are well-done, conveying a lot by the progression of panels in almost cinematic movement, from setting up a scene to packing an emotional punch with a close-up. Words are few; pictures tell most of the story, and what a powerful story it is. 4.5 stars.

14./118. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

Guy Montag is a firefighter - one of those men who burn the libraries and homes of individuals who dare to keep forbidden books. A chance encounter with a thoughtful girl causes him to start noticing small things in life that he never paid attention to before, and Montag begins to ask questions about his life and his work. Bradbury writes convincingly of a future dystopia in which various groups banned anything that offended them, an action that eventually escalated into full-scale banning and burning of books. At that point, however, a mind-numbed, unthinking public reacted apathetically, resulting in the world Guy Montag knows. Bradbury suggests that what's really at stake is people's intellect: "Take it where you can find it, in old phonograph records, old motion pictures, and in old friends; look for it in nature and look for it in yourself. Books were only one type of receptacle where we stored a lot of things we were afraid we might forget. There is nothing magical in them at all. The magic is only in what books say, how they stitched the patches of the universe together into one garment for us" (82-83). In this world, people no longer sit and talk, exercise their intellect, disagree (politely or otherwise), or think for themselves.

I was impressed with how many of Bradbury's ideas about the future remain relevant in a science fiction novel written over fifty years ago. I was challenged by a lot of his ideas and sometimes slowed myself down while reading, but his writing style often compelled me to keep going. With long but flowing sentences and thought patterns interspersed with a lot of dialog, the book reads fast and is surprisingly short. I highly recommend this to anyone looking for a thought-provoking read. 5 stars.

15/119. Geek Magnet by Kieran Scott

KJ Miller can't figure out why all the geeks in school seem to be attracted to her. She's pretty much an average high school student, the stage manager of her school's production of "Grease," but doesn't have the popularity of someone like Cameron Richardson, the really cool jock she's had a crush on for forever. But when Tama Gold promises to help her get a backbone and maybe start planting some seeds with Cameron, thinks start looking up. Or so KJ thinks.

The stage is set by page 40, all the players in place - the good girl, the popular crowd, the best friend, and the boy who asks her for help getting Tama's attention. I knew where things were going, but the draw to this book was watching KJ's character grow as she starts to speak up more and even as she realizes how Tama's using her. The relationships described reminded me a lot of my own high school days. 4.5 stars.

September in review -

108. Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout
109. Storm Front by Jim Butcher
110. By These Ten Bones by Clare B. Dunkle
111. Perfect You by Elizabeth Scott
112. You Just Don't Understand by Deborah Tannen
113. The Third Policeman by Flann O'Brien
114. Seeing Things by Patti Hill
115. Jamaica Inn by Daphne du Maurier
116. The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson
117. Untangling My Chopsticks by Victoria Abbott Riccardi
118. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
119. Geek Magnet by Kieran Scott
120. Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes (audio)

Books read - 12
Audiobooks listened to - 1
Graphic novels/Manga/Comics - 13
Standouts - Olive Kitteridge and Fahrenheit 451
Books abandoned - 4

16/120. Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes

Johnny Tremain is an apprentice to a silversmith in Boston right before the American Revolution. One of his fellow 'prentices plays a trick on Johnny, causing him to burn his hand in such a way that he can no longer ply his trade. In despair, Johnny seeks out a new trade. He meets the Sons of Liberty and finds himself involved with the beginnings of the Revolutionary War.

I first read this book when I was in elementary school or middle school, and remembered enjoying it quite a bit. Since it took me a month to listen to the audiobook, it's hard to say if it held up to the same enjoyment I had as a student. Certainly different aspects of it stood out to me this time around - I remembered his relationship with Cilla quite differently from how it actually was, for example - and it didn't seem quite the same story I remembered. I've left it unrated because it took so long to read that I couldn't really remember what I thought of the book as a whole.

17/121. Faeries of Dreamdark: Blackbringer by Laini Taylor

Faerie Magpie Windwitch, granddaughter of the West Wind, travels with her band of crow brothers ridding the world of the devils that "mannies" have let out of their bottles in the mistaken belief that they will receive three wishes for their trouble. But when something bigger than a run-of-the-mill snag is let loose, a darkness full of hunger who hunts unlike any devil Magpie has ever seen, she returns to Dreamdark to enlist the help of the Magruwen, the very Djinn who put the seal on its bottle.

When I first read this two years ago, I was struck by the originality of this story. Not only are Magpie and her crows an inventive idea, but also the mythology of the Djinn and the Faerie people was intriguing. I didn't remember a lot of the details of the story, however, so when the sequel, Silksinger, came out I checked this out of the library to read again. It was a much different experience this time around, because I remembered the parts of the story that had most struck me as original the first time around. There wasn't the same newness and discovery or driving intensity to know what happened, and at first I was afraid that the story wouldn't hold up to my memory of it. But the story sneaked up on me, insinuating itself so when I read the climax and end this morning I truly didn't remember how things ended and just needed to know what would happen to Magpie and Talon and the crows, and please oh please let it be good. I finished it with a smile on my face and can't wait to read the sequel. 5 stars.

18/122. Silksinger by Laini Taylor

Whisper Silksinger, the last of her clan, must protect the Azazel - one of the Djinn who created the world - and put him on his throne in Nazreen to waken him. Meanwhile, Magpie Windwitch travels the world trying to find the remaining Djinn, who must be awoken to save the Tapestry, the very fabric of the world, from falling apart forever.

The sequel to Blackbringer starts right where the first left off. Shifting back and forth primarily between Whisper and Magpie's travels, the narrative gives the reader the broad scope of what's going on, allowing you to see far beyond the characters and figure out major plot points ahead of time. But the pace is fast and I enjoyed spending time with these characters. I'm very much looking forward to the next book in the series. 4.5 stars.

19/123. A Season of Gifts by Richard Peck

Bob Barnhart is a preacher's kid; he and his family have moved to a new town where his father is going to be a Methodist minister. No one in the town seems ready to lay out the welcome mat. In fact, they seem downright eccentric, especially their next door neighbor Mrs. Dowdel.

Readers who have already discovered A Long Way from Chicago and A Year Down Yonder will enjoy revisiting beloved characters from a new point of view, and readers who have read neither will not lose out a whit. Richard Peck delivers yet another hilarious tale, memorable characters, and a young boy who learns quite a lot about the gifts humans can give to each other. 4.5 stars.

Message edited by its author, Oct 8, 2009, 8:11pm.

20/124. The Broken Teaglass by Emily Arsenault

Just out of college, Billy gets a job as a definer for the Samuelson dictionary in sleepy Claxton, Massachusetts. When looking through the citations files (commonly shortened to "cits") in answer to a letter, he and his co-worker Mona stumble upon a rather unusual citation. Taken from The Broken Teaglass, the cit is longer than normal and seems to be a story that takes place at Samuelson. What's going on?

This is a rather unusual mystery, not merely because of its setting but also because it doesn't have the building pace that mysteries generally have until you reach the denouement. I was often a step ahead of Mona or Billy, and figured out the ending early. I kept reading because I liked the premise and the setting (though I was a little disappointed to learn in the acknowledgments that the author "took liberties" with the lexicographical process and didn't explain which parts), and being rather dialogue-heavy the book read fast even when the pace wasn't flying along. 4 stars.

21/125. The Turn of the Screw by Henry James

A young governess receives a position in which she will look after a girl and, when he is home from school, a boy without contacting their guardian uncle at all. The governess is nervous and sleep-deprived, but Flora and Miles seem to be perfect little children and everything goes smoothly - until the governess begins seeing ghosts who - she is certain - want her young charges.

*SPOILERS* The ambiguity of the story (are there really ghosts, or is the governess insane?) lends itself well to multiple readings and indeed I found my reading much changed this time around. I first read this short story for a college class, and found it is just as horrifying as a reread. This time, instead of being scared of the ghosts, I was more terrified by the governess herself - her strange turns of thought, her sudden adamance and certainty about the ghosts purpose even when no one else can see them, and finally the sinister ending. 4.5 stars.

22/126. Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay

Julia Jarmond is an American living in Paris with her French husband, Bernard, and her daughter Zoe. Her boss gives her an assignment: to write an article about the Vel' d'Hiv', the round-up of Jews in Paris by the French police on July 16, 1942, for the 60th anniversary of that date. Julia's story is intertwined with that of one little girl who was captured, along with her parents, on that fateful day.

Though Julia is ostensibly the main character, this is really the little girl's story. She is the character most fully drawn, and it is her story that took up most of my emotional attachment while reading. The modern-day characters seemed flat to me, perhaps because they were all seen through Julia's point of view, and she tended to think of all of her in-laws as looking down on her as "the American." The author (or perhaps the translator) had an incessant habit of using sentence fragments, and the story was heart-wrenching though predictable. Sarah's Key is an emotional story about a little-known historical event, but not my favorite Holocaust story. 3.5 stars.

The title sounds like Juvenile fiction. Is it? Or maybe a bit YA?

I would classify it as adult, and so does my library. But it kind of depends on how you classify a book as "YA." The focus is mostly on Julia, her life and marriage and how uncovering the girl's story impacts her own, so I personally would call this adult, despite the fact that one of the main characters is 10 years old throughout much of the book. I think it would have more to say to adults, though I don't mean that to say that teens couldn't/shouldn't read it. Does that make sense?

ETA: I only ask if that made sense because I have a tendency to have explanations sounds really good in my head only to leave a key thought out once I talk/write/type. Just making sure my thought flow works. :-)

Message edited by its author, Oct 21, 2009, 10:37pm.

23/127. Reduced Shakespeare: The Attention-Impaired Reader's Guide to the World's Best Playwright (Abridged) by Reed Martin and Austin Tichenor

So, you've watched The compleat works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) and wanted to learn more. Oh. You haven't watched the Reduced Shakespeare Co.'s play at all? Well, get thee hence and do it, otherwise this book will not make any sense at all. There. You've seen it? Good.

Right, so after watching the Compleat Works, you now need to read the Compleat Guide to Shakespeare: his life, his works, his movies. And in this hysterical (yet surprisingly informative) guide, you will be treated to one of the most irreverent biographies and literary criticisms you've ever read. They include a short criticism of every play, and then go through movie versions and tell you which versions they think are the most notable (if any exist at all), rating each on a scale of 0 to 5 Bards. In the movies section, they also include those movies that are somewhat loosely based on Shakespeare's plays, such as 10 Things I Hate About You. They're not afraid to tell it like they see it, and I was somewhat gratified to see that they disliked the same two versions of A Midsummer Night's Dream that I detested in college. In fact, the movie section is worth the price of the book, and I'm holding onto my library copy a little longer so I can make a note of the ones I want to see. 4.5 stars.

24/128. When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris

David Sedaris' latest collection contains 21 essays and a final, longer essay, almost a novella of its own. In this audiobook read by the author, some of the essays included are live readings. His deadpan delivery enhanced the humor in his stories, so I enjoyed this more than the first book that I read, Dress Your Family in Corduroy in Denim. On the other hand, having the live readings made me feel a little strange when I wasn't laughing along with the audience. He was funny, sure, but every line wasn't as funny as they seemed to think.

While I enjoyed it overall, I don't really feel the need to seek out more of his books. I've been wondering to myself why I don't like his stories more. He writes about his life and family in such a way that comes across as self-deprecating and funny rather than narcissistic or whiny. What it comes down to, I think, is just too much information. I just don't need to know everything he shares, like about a worm coming out of Hugh's leg when he was a kid. So while I could see myself recommending his works to the right reader, I'm not planning on reading any more myself. 4 stars.

>44 My husband and I watched the Reduced Shakespeare Co. video a couple of months ago after I randomly came across it on Amazon, it was great! I'll have to check out the book, I didn't know there was one!

>46 I believe they also have a couple of other plays (The Complete History of America or some such title is one), as well as the screenplay for The Compleat Works. Their website may have more info on that - I should check and see if they have more books!

25/129. Made in America by Bill Bryson

Have you ever wondered about the origins of Americanisms such as "lunch" and "cafeteria"? Or maybe you're interested in words that originated from the movies or sports. Bill Bryson gives you a whirlwind tour of all this and more in his "informal history of the English language in the United States."

Beginning with the Pilgrims and making his way through both chronologically and thematically to recent times, Bryson has a way of highlighting the humorous aspects of history and linguistic quirkiness of our language. Some of interesting tidbits (note: a word that was originally "titbits" and changed in order to be less offensive) I learned included:

--Englishmen bemoaning Americanisms entering the language is nothing new
--the Pilgrims had three or four different names and types of mush
--during the American Revolution, people were not unconcerned with spelling, but merely had more variants to choose from (and even argue about!)

I'll have about as much fun recommending this book as I did reading it. 4.5 stars.

Message edited by its author, Oct 30, 2009, 8:37pm.

Sounds interesting! I'm going to wish list it right now! By coincidence, I was listening to the author of Woe is I on NPR and she said that Americans in certain parts of the East Coast sound more like the English of a few hundred years ago than do present day people in England. She said, it's the English who have "lost their accents" not these Americans--that the English accent that Americans have come to expect and think is quite "posh" is a newer accent that has developed since our split from "the mother country." And she talked about words that have left the English language that are still in ours. (I can only think of the example "gotten" which Americans still say, but is not used in England.)

Of course, languages change all the time, both with the addition and deletion of words, but also in how people pronounce words. I just read a Science Daily excerpt that said the distinction between /o/ and /aw/ which can be heard and recognized on the East Coast (but not the West) is gradually being dropped as you move west, listening to people speak.

Hi Bonnie, language and its differences regionally and historically are fascinating, no? Bill Bryson wrote another book on the history of the English language, The Mother Tongue, which I found equally fascinating when I read it last year. Some of the English words that stayed in American English and were dropped in Britain were touched on in Made in America early on, though it's been several weeks since I read that part and I've forgotten what they are now! He also spent a good amount of the first chapter talking about the Pilgrims' pronunciation, stressing how different it was from both British and American accents as they've developed since. I'll be looking for your review when you read it, I'll be interested in seeing what you think.

26/130. The Paris Review Interviews, I, edited by Philip Gourevitch

Full disclosure: I didn't want to read this book. I'd requested it from the library on a whim after hearing Philip Gourevitch on Nancy Pearl's "Book Lust" podcast talking about his work selecting the "best of" author interviews from The Paris Review for this collection series. The book came in along with a bunch of other interlibrarary loans, and as the due date approached, I picked it up. I hadn't read many of the featured authors, and those that I had were not really to my taste. So I started reading it with the plan that after the requisite 50 pages, I would be able to return it to the library and thus whittle down my stack.

Then I read the first interview, featuring Dorothy Parker. She was a hoot! I've never read any of her stories, but after so enjoying her sense of humor, I was ready to check out the book of her complete short stories that my library owns. Still not entirely convinced, I approached the next interviews with some trepidation: Truman Capote and Ernest Hemingway. Both men had such intriguing things to say about their writing. Alright, so I probably won't read any Hemingway besides The Old Man and the Sea which I read for school, but it was awfully encouraging to see him poking a little bit of fun at the folks who saw a symbol in everything. Now in the full thrall of these interviews, I started taking my time, reading two or three interviews a day, spacing it out so I didn't get my authors confused or crowd out a particularly satisfying one with the next.

Two in particular still stand out to me: those with Kurt Vonnegut and Robert Gottlieb. Vonnegut's impressed me because it helped me to understand his writing a bit more. I read Slaughterhouse-Five last year, and didn't really like it. I could appreciate what he was doing, but had trouble following and making sense of the narrative, and I had the sneaking suspicion that the author was dangling the story in front of me with the taunt "I know more than you know." As he talked about his experience in World War 2 during this interview, especially the bombing of Dresden, I started to realize that much of this was what he knew from the war and began to wonder if maybe he didn't really know how to make sense of it either. Though it didn't change my personal opinion of the book, it gave me a bit more insight into what went into it. The second stand out was the discussion with Robert Gottlieb. Rather than a traditional interview, it was more like the transcript of a documentary in which not only he himself but several of the writers whom he had edited talked about working with him in the editing process. This method gave me a very fleshed out, holistic impression of him as an editor and a reader, and I really enjoyed the fresh approach.

So from reluctantly picking it up with the plan of abandoning it, I've transformed in the reading to not wanting to return it to the library. My wishlist has grown by three books, because I'm certain I'll want to read the other compilations as well. 5 stars.

October in review:

121. Blackbringer by Laini Taylor
122. Silksinger by Laini Taylor
123. A Season of Gifts by Richard Peck
124. The Broken Teaglass by Emily Arsenault
125. The Turn of the Screw by Henry James
126. Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay
127. Reduced Shakespeare: The Attention-Impaired Reader's Guide to the World's Best Playwright (Abridged) by Reed Martin and Austin Tichenor
128. When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris (audio)
129. Made in America by Bill Bryson
130. The Paris Review Interviews, I selected by Philip Gourevitch

Books read: 9
Audiobooks listened to: 1
Stand outs: The Paris Review Interviews
Books abandoned: 1

Kind of a light month in terms of volume, but I have been reading a classic (The Woman in White, which I still haven't finished), a few nonfiction, and only 3 non-adult books. Well, here's to good reading and a strong finish in the last two months of the year!

27/131. Fire by Kristin Cashore

For readers of Graceling, the prologue re-introduces a familiar character some 20-30 years before in another location. Instead of setting the tone for the book, it conveys some essential information to the reader before promptly switching gears in Chapter 1. For the story isn't really about Immiker but about Fire, a seventeen-year-old who as a half-monster has the disconcerting ability to dazzle normal folks, speak directly to their minds and, if their minds are open to her, even affect their behavior. One day, a poacher accidentally shoots her with an arrow. When he is taken in for questioning, however, he himself is killed. This sets off a chain of events involving political intrigue and a kingdom on the edge of civil war, in part because of the actions of the old king and Fire's own monster father.

I admire Cashore's ability to make very flawed yet sympathetic characters. Fire struggles with her fear of her power and the difficult determination of morality in using it. Some readers may be intimidated in trying to keep track of everything that's going on, but I found it a compelling read. 4.5 stars.

You always manage to make books sound interesting, Mary. Should someone who is not so fond of this genre be tempted?

Your praise makes me blush. :-) Regarding the genre...since I'm very fond of this genre, I may be the wrong person to ask. It's a little different from your typical fantasy in that magic per se doesn't play a central role (instead, some people have "Graces," which essentially means that they can do something regular people can, only better) - but at the same time, it is very otherworldly (involving such things as mesmerizing monsters of all types and colors) and one I would definitely characterize as YA. If you like books with strong, fallible but sympathetic characters and questions of the morality of using power for a greater good, then I would recommend it for those aspects.

Message edited by its author, Nov 4, 2009, 2:22pm.

28/132. When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

On April 27, 1979, twelve-year-old Miranda begins writing to a mysterious "you," a person who has apparently told her about some things that are going to happen before they do. Almost as a way of getting her thoughts in order, Miranda begins an account of some things that happened the year before, beginning with when her very-best-friend Sal got punched and stopped hanging out with her. Because in the last few months of 1978, everything changed.

This is a part-mystery, part-science fiction story that I found just a little hard to follow at first, trying to keep track of what happened in 1978 and what was happening in Miranda's "now." But once I got the hang of it, the story was a fascinating puzzle involving friendship, the possibilities of time travel, and A Wrinkle in Time (Miranda's favorite book). For much of the book, the interest stems from the puzzle, so I wouldn't recommend it to young teen readers that need a jump start and fast pace to their reads. For those that don't mind a slower pace, however, it's definitely a rewarding read. 4.5 stars.

29/133. The Maze of Bones by Rick Riordan

Amy and Dan Cahill are orphans whose parents died in a fire; their guardian Aunt Beatrice, is pretty much hands-off, but their grandmother, Grace Cahill, made up for that. But now Grace is dead, and her will is rather strange to say the list. A select few of her relatives are given the choice: $1 million or joining in a race to discover something absolutely amazing - but they need to find the 39 clues to get there. When Amy and Dan agree to the challenge, they had no idea what they were getting in to and how much their lives were in danger.

My eleven-year-old sister has been begging me to read these books for ages. I finally agreed to listen to the audiobook, which we both did together in over two days. It's fast-paced, full of history, mystery and adventure, and has some humorous moments, too. David Pittu does a fair job of reading, though his accents are terrible (and there are a lot - a British pair of siblings, a Korean man, a Russian woman, and an au pair that is trilingual in French, Spanish, and English yet speaks with an appalling Spanish accent). I can see why this series interests kids, though I personally found it extremely over-the-top, particularly when the kids convince their au pair to take them out of the country and not tell their guardian. I can just see the kidnapping charges...but then, I'm not the target audience. The series also has a tie-in cards collection and online component where kids can compete to win prizes. 4 stars.

30/134. The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim

On a regular old February afternoon, Mrs. Wilkins chances across an advertisement for a house to let in Italy for the month of April. Such a trip would, of course, be extravagant, but she can't seem to get the ad out of her mind. Then, she sees Mrs. Arbuthnot perusing the same advertisement. These two women, who up until now have never spoken, hit upon a plan: find two others to join them on this selfish trip and split the cost accordingly. Just imagine all the good this holiday could do them...

This delightful tale introduces the reader to four women - Lotty Wilkins, Rose Arbuthnot, Mrs. Fisher, and Lady Caroline Dester. All of them have their own private unhappiness, reasons that they have decided to come away and want to be left alone. Their internalized thoughts, dreams, and loneliness make up the majority of the plot, as their stay in San Salvatore works in magic on them. The warm and languid tone of the writing matches their ideal Italian holiday of rest and relaxation, and is infused with humor. A truly enchanting read. 4.5 stars.

Message edited by its author, Nov 11, 2009, 3:43pm.

Thanks for the review of The Enchanted April - I keep seeing it mentioned in the threads but your thoughts on it have catapulted it onto Mount TBR...

Thanks, Ellie! I'll look forward to hearing what you think of it.

31/135. Shade by John Olson

Hailey, a graduate student in San Fransisco, is just trying to get away from the date that her temporary roommate tried to foist upon her, when she has an absolutely bizarre experience of feeling something coming after her which leaves her absolutely full of fear and hunger. Trying to escape, she is accosted in the park by a man with a knife. A homeless man, Melchi, saves her and brings her to the hospital, but when Hailey tries to explain to the doctors what's going on, they're convinced she has paranoid schizophrenia. She's not sure who to believe, but she's soon drawn into events smacking of the supernatural.

I picked this up to read before I receive the sequel from Early Reviewers. It's solid Christian suspense fiction, dominated by pace, and definitely worthy of the comparisons to Ted Dekker. Though the events are unbelievable after stepping back from the book, during the reading it's a scary adrenaline rush that had me reading it straight through all afternoon. 4.5 stars.

Hi bell7;
Hmmmmmm, Christian suspense fiction ...... now that is a term I have not heard before. I may have to hunt that one down. And one of my granddaughter's names in Haley; just spelled differently. San Francisco is such a great setting for almost any book as there is so much there than can be incorporated into the story line.
I, too, liked your review of The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim. I thought the book was wonderful. And did you know that she is the L.T. "Author of the Month" for November? Yes, indeedy.
I was checking out your profile and I find it so very cool that you do things with your eleven year old sister. Some young ladies your age wouldn't be bothered. I think there is something special about you.
And I will chat with you later,
hugs,
belva

Yeah, I read that as "christian science fiction" and I wondered what you meant too. ;-)

>62 Hi Belva! Thanks for dropping by. Actually, San Fransisco as a setting wasn't very present in the book. It was all pace, pace, pace which I was probably more in the mood for after working on The Woman in White for about a month. If you haven't read Frank Peretti or Ted Dekker, I would recommend either of them for an intro to Christian suspense. I did indeed read The Enchanted April for my "Monthly Author Read" choice. I have Vera coming in from interlibrary loan, and though I don't know too much about it, I think I'm in for a very different read. I do love doing things with my sister - we share a love of reading, though she'd be the last one to admit it! She insists she doesn't like to read, but then she volunteers at the library and comes home with books that she'll read in a day or two. But if I really harp on a particular title, she won't touch it with a ten-foot pole. The best way I can recommend a book is to say, "I've heard it's good, but I've never read it."

>63 LOL! The things our brain fills in when we read too fast, huh? (And here I am sitting here wondering "what would that genre look like?" I think I'd pick it up out of sheer curiosity!)

32/136. The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins

Walter Hartright is a drawing teacher whose friend suggests a position for him out in Cumberland, teaching two young ladies. On the road home one night, he suddenly encounters a young woman who is dressed all in white. She asks him the way to London, and he points it out to her. After she leaves, he discovers that she was escaping from an insane asylum. Soon afterward, he meets his pupils, Miss Halcombe and Miss Fairlie. But the mystery surrounding the "woman in white" are numerous. Who was she? Is she really insane? Why was she so afraid that Walter might know a certain man of property?

This story is complicated and impossible to summarize fully without giving away numerous spoilers. As the footnotes doing so were one of the disappointments for me reading, I've tried to avoid doing so here. The format of the book is interesting: several people's accounts tell the events in a semi-chronological order. I enjoyed it at times, but was often frustrated with how very long the narrator (particularly when it was Hartright) took to tell me something very simple. Identity is a major theme in the novel: Who is the woman in white? Who is Sir Percival or Count Fosco? And once someone's identity is stolen, how can it be restored? I liked Marian Halcombe, but Hartright struck me as very like young David Copperfield and less aware of his own melodramatic tendencies. Laura Fairlie was very childlike and never seemed very real to me. The Moonstone was more to my taste. 3.5 stars.

I just finished The Thirteenth Tale, which made so many references to The Woman in White that I really wanted to read it. I don't like it when narrators draw something simple out for much longer than necessary, though, so I'm wavering a bit. It still sounds interesting but I don't think I'll be rushing to pick it up. Thanks for the review!

I've been interested in Women in White since reading about it after it was referenced i Special Topics in Calamity Physics. Your comment that you were frustrated by how long the narrator took to tell something very simple makes me think of all the other classics I've read. Don't mind it at all when I'm loving the book (e.g., Pride and Prejudice, MiddleMarch) but when it's not grabbing me, I'm noticing that too. Do you supposed that people back then had more patience? Or wanted longer books because they needed the ongoing entertainment--what with no radio, TV, the internet, and/or video games to soak up their time?

Oops! Just discovered I double posted, so will respond to Ellie below: I predict you'll love Special Topics... and enjoy The Thirteenth Tale--or maybe it will be the other way around? How's that for a wishy-washy prediction?

Message edited by its author, Nov 14, 2009, 12:36pm.

Well, The Woman in White, The Thirteenth Tale and Special Topics in Calamity Physics are all on my shelves waiting to be read, so it sounds like I'm in for a treat! Maybe not all at once though... ;-)

>66 ooh...I LOVED The Thirteenth Tale - one of my absolute favorites last year (or the year before?). I'll have to read it again and see if I can catch those references, spacepotatoes. I hope you won't completely drop The Woman in White on my account. It struck me as the type of book I might have liked more in a different mood or if I had more time to read in one sitting instead of a page here and a page there, as a lot of Victorian/classic lit seems to need some time to get immersed in the tale and have the story start to flow for me as a reader.

>67 Bonnie, you're absolutely right about not minding the length when I'm loving the book. David Copperfield was like that, and for much of The Woman in White, I was making some comparisons because they're both very long and long-winded at times, and I would have real difficulty telling you why I liked one more than the other. I'm sure the serial format that both books were written in made an impact for readers of the time - each section has its own revelation that makes you want to read the next.

>69 Ellie, I haven't read Special Topics in Calamity Physics, but I'm kind of intrigued now with the comments here. I very highly recommend The Thirteenth Tale - the writing style is very classic-like, and though the pace is slow for the first half of the book I found it extremely intriguing in the end.

33/137. The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett

What if the Queen of England started reading? That is the premise of this novella, which begins with the Queen visiting a bookmobile and borrowing a book out of politeness. While she doesn't love the book, she does come back and discovers a new love that could change her life (not to mention drive her advisers mad).

Though an interesting idea, I felt a little left behind when it came to English politics. I had a really hard time following the time progression in this story, but the Queen seems to read very fast and have a lot of free time. She very quickly moves from reading Ivy Compton-Burnett and finding it dry to reading Proust and loving it. I had trouble buying how quickly she loved the Great Works of Literature. Oh, and did I want to talk back about some of her likes and dislikes when it came to that! Not a bad read, but it doesn't hold a candle to my favorite fiction-about-reading, If on a Winter's Night a Traveler. 3.5 stars.

Currently reading - Unseen Academicals by Terry Pratchett
Currently listening to - a BBC Production of Macbeth

I read the reviews of If on a Winter's Night a Traveler based on your rec. Still not sure whether I'd like it or not, but sounds weird enough to request it from the library and see for myself. Thanks!

Oh, poor old Liz II! I read The Uncommon Reader a couple of years ago when I got it for Christmas - I think it might be time to reread it over the festive season this year!

>70 The Thirteenth Tale is one of my favourites this year, I also fell in love with it. The references to The Woman in White were mostly just references to the actual book, I think Margaret notes several times that it's one of her favourites and Vida Winter has it in her library. But there it sounds like there is a little bit of a plot reference too - remember when Mrs. Maudsley gets hit in the head by "a woman in white" and then Hester sees a reflection of someone in a white dress in the kitchen mirror? So one of the big mysteries is who is the woman/girl in white? I'll definitely still read it, but I think I will wait until I am in the right mood for it now that I know what to expect.

>72 Bonnie, I'll be interested in seeing your review, then. It's definitely different, but I really enjoyed it.

>73 Ellie, perhaps I should clarify that my comments were directed to the character in the book, not the individual. I just found it difficult to accept the quick reading progression as presented in the story. I love to read, but I'm not all classics all the time, either, you know?

>74 Thanks for the reminders of the references, spacepotatoes. I read it back in May 2007 (I'm looking at the "date read" in my catalog), so have read a couple hundred books in between making me rather hazy on the details. I will definitely have to read it again soon.

Don't worry, I was only joking! Perhaps we're just jealous of the queen's incredible ability to read worthy books ALL THE TIME, never resorting to the occasional 'fluffy read with hot chocolate' that the rest of us crave every once in a while... ;-)

P.S. I bet she has something with a pink cover and a recommendation from a glossy magazine on the back hidden under her pillow...

LOL! I don't know, though, if she was saving Harry Potter for "a rainy day," I don't think we could catch her reading Twilight. :-)

34/138. The Tragedy of Macbeth by William Shakespeare

*some spoilers* but you already know the basic plot, right? :-)

Three witches meet Macbeth, the Thane of Glamis, and greet him with tidings that he will become Thane of Cawdor and King of Scotland. Macbeth can't stop thinking about it, and when the first prophecy comes true, he starts pondering regicide with his wife alongside goading him into action.

This is the first of Shakespeare's plays that I ever read, and as such it holds a special place in my memory. In high school, it was the one play I was assigned to read, and I just remember the thrill of surprise as the prophecies that Macbeth put his trust in came back to bite him. The excitement didn't disappoint on rereading, even though I knew what was going to happen. I love the theme of fate vs. free will - could Macbeth have avoided his fate? Would he have become king if he did nothing, much like Banquo's prophecy is likewise fulfilled? The arc of the characters as guilt gnaws them fascinates me as well. One of my absolute favorites of Shakespeare's plays. 5 stars.

35/139. Unseen Academicals by Terry Pratchett

In the city of Ankh-Morpork, foot-the-ball is one of the most watched and dangerous games played. Essentially without rules, more people have been killed playing than have actually scored. When Ponder Stebbins discovers that the Unseen University will lose some trust funds if they don't field a team, and Lord Vetinari brilliantly maneuvers to help them, expected Discworld hijinks ensue.

It has a mix of fantasy, satire, and slapstick that suits my weird sense of humor. Trevor, Glenda, Juliet, and Nutt are fun characters to spend time with, and I liked seeing their relationships change (with more than a nod to Romeo and Juliet thrown in for good measure) and each of them grow over the course of the book. This one stands with Lords and Ladies as one of my favorite of the Discworld series books that I've read. 4.5 stars.

36/140. Chosen by Ted Dekker

Johnis has already been overlooked for the Forest Guard, a group of soldiers fighting for their lives against the Horde, who have lately started allowing younger fighters join their ranks. Twenty-four contestants are trying to prove to their leader, Thomas Hunter, that they have what it takes to lead in the Guard, but Johnis is able to "think with his heart" and fool them all. Thomas sends him and three others who proved themselves in the contest - Darsal, Silvie, and Billos - to the desert with a task: bring back four, whole cacti by sundown. They will have to work together to do it, but seem more interested in bickering.

Readers of the Circle Trilogy may recognize Thomas Hunter's name - this is set between the first and second books in that series and, yes, involves the Books of the Histories. It's been a few years since I read Black, Red and White, so I had a little trouble fitting it into what I remembered of the chronology. Though fast-paced, I thought the writing and character development left much to be desired. In writing for teens, he seemed to resort to telling, and rather repetitively at that, instead of letting the reader piece things together or describing a change in a character's thinking in a way that didn't beat you over the head with it. I might read the second book but have yet to be convinced that I need to read the whole series. 3.5 stars.

37/141. Powers by John Olson
Read for LibraryThing Early Reviewers

Mariutza has lived in the bayous of Louisiana all her life. As one of the Standing, she can't go in buildings. Ever. Her grandfather, Purodad, has always taken care of her. But when the Badness comes, he dies trying to fight and Mariutza has to go into New Orleans in search of Jaazaniah the Prophet.

The sequel to Shade starts off with a bang, but I wasn't as invested in the story for a little while because I already knew (or thought I did, anyway) what was chasing Mari and Jazz. Both books are Christian suspense with a supernatural element that I would easily recommend to fans of Ted Dekker or Frank Peretti. The characters are interesting, but sketched briefly and without giving me a lot of insight into them, instead favoring a driving plot that kept me up late at night reading. I was a little confused about his mythology related to the Badness and the Standing, as Mari apparently has a slightly different belief system from Melchi's. I'm not sure if the author hasn't fully developed his ideas or if he's going to bring it all together somehow, but I will be on the lookout for further novels to see if he does so. 4 stars.

38/142. Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse

Billie Jo tells her story of growing up in the Dust Bowl during the Great Depression in narrative poetry. A terrible accident leaves Billie Jo motherless, and she and her father have to cope with guilt and financial difficulties over the years of 1934 and 1935. This historical fiction gives some glimpses of the outside world, referencing Billy Jo's hero President Franklin, for example, but does not overwhelm the story with research details. This is Billie Jo's story, a microcosm of one family, one girl during the Depression. The "novel in verse" style is very appropriate for the more internal, personal focus, ending not with financial success or the beginning of World War 2, but with Billie's own progression as a character as she forgives her father and herself for her mother's death.

Poetry in audio is tough, and this is probably the main reason for my relatively low rating of the book. The narrator, Marika Mashburn, did a fine job of narrating a fifteen-year-old girls thoughts. Though the poetry worked for internalizing the story, however, it masked the time progression. Events that may have been months apart were only a few minutes apart in the telling. I would have been lulled by the more introspective poems and suddenly find something happening externally, which was a little disconcerting. Because not a lot happens outside of Billie Jo's own thoughts and emotions, I would have a tough time successfully recommending this to young teen readers except when the Newbery assignment comes along and I can tell them how short it is. On the other hand, I think this would be a great novel to recommend to adults who wouldn't be put off by the "YA" label. 3 stars.

39/143. A Truth Universally Acknowledged: 33 Great Writers on Why We Read Jane Austen edited by Susannah Carson

A diverse selection of essays that covers everything Jane from Northanger Abbey to Persuasion. You may wonder, as I did, how some essays fit in - such as the college professor writing about his course in the '70s, and the researcher who made his way to a great-niece to inspect the manuscript "Volume 2" of her early writings. But if nothing else, this diversity gives the reader a sense of the breadth of readers and writers who love Jane Austen and the variety of reasons why she is still beloved today.

The writers included range from familiar names such as C.S. Lewis and Virginia Woolf, to perhaps less known such as Lionel Trilling (who has two essays) or Amy Heckerling. Some essays are broad in scope, while others focus very specifically on one novel. One aspect of the selection that I appreciated was the inclusion of essays that referenced each other, one which quoted Virginia Woolf in making a point, for example, and another that directly quoted and disagreed with another. Readers of only some of Jane Austen's works should beware that reading this cover to cover will give spoilers for all of her novels and Villette to boot. But for readers who can't get enough Jane, this is an excellent collection of literary criticism that doesn't get too heavily academic for the non-English major. 4 stars.

40/144. Vera by Elizabeth von Arnim

The day Lucy Entwhistle's father died, she was only able to stand, staring, feeling nothing. Along came Wemyss, a man of about forty-five, who had just lost his wife. This shared bereavement brings he and Lucy together: Wemyss makes all the plans for Mr. Entwhistle's funeral, they spend much time together comforting each other, and they soon become engaged. Lucy's aunt, Mrs. Entwhistle, is rather perplexed by the whole turn of affairs, but she determines to like Wemyss for Lucy's sake, even though he shows all the character of a spoiled brat.

Vera is the name of Wemyss's former wife, who died under somewhat mysterious circumstances, yet whose memory permeates much. At first, I thought the story was going to be headed in a similar direction as Rebecca, but even though I didn't particularly like Max de Winter, he had nothing on Wemyss. Everard Wemyss has made my top five list of most hated characters in literature. His behavior made me want to slap him, shake him, finally to punch him. I loved Miss Entwhistle's standing up to him, and wished Lucy was more able to assert herself. But like many in an unhealthy relationship, she's quick to forgive and forget. Reading about them as they progressed from engagement into marriage was like watching a car crash - you know it's going to be terrible, but can't help continuing. 4 stars.

November in review -

131. Fire by Kristin Cashore
132. When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
133. The Maze of Bones by Rick Riordan (audio)
134. The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim
135. Shade by John Olson
136. The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins
137. The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett (audio)
138. The Tragedy of Macbeth by William Shakespeare
139. Unseen Academicals by Terry Pratchett
140. Chosen by Ted Dekker
141. Powers by John Olson
142. Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse
143. A Truth Universally Acknowledged edited by Susannah Carson
144. Vera by Elizabeth von Arnim

Books read - 12
Audiobooks listened to - 2
Graphic Novels/Manga/Comics - 3 (up to 78 for the year, I believe)
Books abandoned - 3
Standouts - The Enchanted April and Unseen Academicals
Proud to say I've read - The Woman in White

41/145. The Demon King by Cinda Williams Chima

Han, former streetlord, spends much time with the clans of the mountains, and his friends Dancer and Bird. He and Dancer encounter wizard boys on the mountain, which is forbidden, and he takes a strange amulet from the leader, Micah Bayar, son of the High Wizard.

Princess Raissa chafes under expectations. Do this, don't do this. Learn manners but not diplomacy. Marry for political reasons. She will one day be queen, but knows little of the true state of the queendom.

Moving effortlessly between both characters points of view, Cinda Williams Chima creates a complex world completely independent of The Warrior Heir series. The Seven Realms are governed by the Naeming, an ancient agreement that brought peace and a separation of power, particularly between the clans and the wizards. This place is rich with its own history and legends, and full of well-realized secondary characters. The few awkward phrases were a little jarring because the writing is generally so self-assuredly smooth. I stayed up late finishing this one, and can't wait for the next in the series. 4.5 stars.

Message edited by its author, Dec 3, 2009, 10:46am.

42/146. One False Note by Gordon Korman

Amy and Dan Cahill continue their quest for the 39 clues, now on their way to Vienna in search of Mozart's clue. Once again, their cousins are in the hunt and after Amy and Dan. Brother and sister will have to have to use all their ingenuity to outwit their family in the hunt for the next clue.

This book made very clear to me that I am not the audience for this book. It's not my genre (over-the-top adventure) nor is it written for my age group. While I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to a child in elementary school that was looking for a fast-paced or short read, as an adult I found it impossible to buy the premise of the books and get over the fact that Amy and Dan are on the run from social services with their au pair in Europe. 3 stars.

43/147. First Lord's Fury by Jim Butcher

This is the sixth in the Codex Alera series, so this review necessarily has ***spoilers*** for the preceding five titles.

Gaius Sextus is dead, killed in a final act of defiance against the vord Queen at the battle for Alera Imperia. The Citizens and refugees of Alera are banding together to make a final stand. Octavian is on his way home. The final battle for all of Alera is about to begin.

Jim Butcher is a master of pace. This book is the climax of the entire series, building tension until the last sixty pages are a perfectly placed hold-your-breath conclusion to the series. You almost don't realize in the midst of it that such themes as sacrifice and love and the fact that some things are worth killing -- and dying -- for are finely struck. A fitting conclusion to a wonderful addition to the epic fantasy genre. 4.5 stars.

44/148. The Wives of Henry Oades by Johanna Moran

In 1890, Henry Oades sets sail from England with his wife Margaret and their young family to New Zealand. His post should only last a few years, and they will return home. But tragedy strikes: Maori Indians set fire to his homestead, killing Margaret's friend Mim, and abducting his wife and children. Henry believes them to be dead. He mourns them deeply, but leaves for America and the start of a new life.

Based on a true story of a man brought up on charges of bigamy (I'm giving no spoilers beyond the title, mind), the basis of the book intrigues me. Especially in a time when divorce and illegitimacy carried much more of a stigma than perhaps today, what would a decent man do if, remarried after believing his first wife dead, she and his children turn up on his doorstep? I felt compassion for all involved, especially since the third-person narration is primarily conveyed through the point of view of the Mrs. Oades, Margaret and Nancy. I did sometimes wish that the family dynamics were explored more completely, perhaps telling me more about the first three weeks after Margaret shows up or fleshing out aspects of their relationship that seemed rather quickly and neatly summarized. That and the lack of details about New Zealand or California at the turn of the century made me wonder if even at 347 pages the book was a little too short. Still, Johanna Moran exhibits quite a bit of talent in her debut, particularly in making her characters feel like real people and drawing a reader's sympathy for each of them. 4 stars.