AWilkins' Attempt at 75 for 2009

If it's ok w/ everybody, I'm going to start my year when I started Christmas break. I'm going to be super-busy next year (student teaching, moving, grad school/work, etc.) and need all the help I can get with reaching this goal :)

Here's what I have so far:

Maze of Bones by Rick Riordan
One False Note by Gordon Korman
These are the first two in the young adult series the "39 Clues." They are way-fun...it's like National Treasure for kids that goes all over the world and you don't have to stare at Nicolas Cage's hair for two hours :)

Epicenter: Why the Current Rumblings in the Middle East Will Change Your Future by Joel C. Rosenberg
This book was recommended by a man in my Bible study. It explains how Rosenberg came up with the plots for his political thrillers by looking at the Biblical book Ezekiel.

Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella
A very good, very funny book!!! Can't wait for the movie!

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson
A classic! Need I say more?

Seven Up by Janet Evanovich
I can't help myself...I LOVE the Stephanie Plum books

The Road by Cormac McCarthy
A modern classic. McCarthy creates a post-nuclear war in which a man and his son have to fight freezing temperatures, hunger, and cannibals in order to survive. Very disturbing at parts, but worth a read. It has a hopeful ending, but it is emotionally tiring.

Hard Eight by Janet Evanovich
Stephanie Plum!!!

Remember Me? by Sophie Kinsella
Another fun one by Kinsella. It's about a woman who has amnesia and can't remember the last three years of her life and has to figure everything out. Sounds cliche but is a good and funny read.

The Ruins of Gorlan by John Flanagan
I was disappointed by this book. My husband and best friend both love this series but I was disappointed by the first book in the series. They both said the first one was a bit slow, so I'll probably give the second one a chance eventually.

To the Nines by Janet Evanovich
Like I said...I'm a sucker for Stephanie Plum! This series is hilarious!

Welcome to the group!

Thanks!!! I've just finished Gem of the Ocean by August Wilson I was introduced to Wilson my senior year in high school and have always wanted to read his century cycle. I finally got the cycle for Christmas this year and I can't wait to read it all. Gem of the Ocean is the first play. It takes place in 1904 and deals with the issue of freedom after slavery.

I've only read one Kinsella, Shopaholic and Sister -- I ran up my phone bill calling a friend in the States to read snippets! Glad I found your thread.

My best friend is obsessed with Kinsella. I think the next time I read something by her it will be Can You Keep a Secret? If you like Kinsella, I'll bet you'd like the Janet Evanovich Stephanie Plum series. Her Stephanie Plum reminds me of a more rough around the edges version of Kinsella's Becky Bloomwood.

For now, though, I'm working on Vile Bodies By Evelyn Waugh for my book club

>5 AWilkins:: I didn't like Can You Keep a Secret? and much preferred Undomestic Goddess. Something about the language in the former, along with a more graphic bit of sex than in her other books, which I found a bit oddly placed. I though Undomestic Goddess was funnier too... But, that's just me :)

I thought The Undomestic Goddess, the first book I ever read by Kinsella, was a hoot and have laughed myself silly over the Shopaholic books. I have not read Can You Keep a Secret?

Thanks for the tips...I'll try The Undomestic Goddess first

12-Vile Bodies by Evelyn Waugh
13-Joe Turner's Come and Gone by August Wilson

12-Antigone by Sophocles

Ok, I've finally given in and put The Road on my wishlist. I'm not sure why I've resisted this one so much, especially since every once seems to like it so much!
BTW, Did you like Antigone?

Yeah, I liked Antigone. It was a pleasant surprise. I read it because I'll get to teach parts of it in my student teaching. I was skeptical about it because the only other Greek tragedy I've ever read was Agamemnon and I really didn't like it (I should give it another chance, though). I was really interested by the characters in Antigone; I found it hard to totally hate Creon. He and Antigone were both standing up for what they thought was best...but Creon really was the bad guy. Creon's pride really made him commit actions that were extreme and unjust all in the name of patriotism. I need to work all of this out in my mind before I teach it.

Hello and welcome to the 2009 75 book challenge.

Your review of Antigone brought back many fond memories. A review of this book was my very first college writing experience in English 101... I smile thinking of how nervous I was when entering my first class and the anticipation I felt.

Oh, do give the Agamemnon a second chance, but read the whole Oresteia trilogy so that you get the full story! I find the last play very interesting, as it gives you a fascinating insight into the ancient Greek mentality of law & order, and how the roles of gods and humans intertwine... and who bears the blame when it comes to following a god's order. Fascinating. Make sure you have a good translation though (I think Richard Lattimore is the most revered of all the translations, though someone could correct me on that!).

Yes, Lattimore is about as good as you can get for the tragedies, IMO. The Agamemnon was the first time I got so emotional that I cried while reading it (in the original Greek), in particular the chorus' description of the sacrifice of Iphegenia - beautiful language.

Thanks for the tips! I'll check my world lit book to see if its version of Agamemnon is Lattimore's translation. If not, I'll see if I can get my hands on it. Does anybody know the name of the really good, modern translation of the illiad and the odessy? I'm trying to remember. Is it by Mandelbaum or is there a better one?

>17 scaifea:: !!!!... and I thought I was the only one who cried during that part... it actually happened in class one day as my professor at the time decided she would read some out loud. For some reason, the meaning behind the words really struck me and I had to put my head down so my classmates wouldn't think I'd gone nuts...

>18 AWilkins:: Are you thinking of the Stanley Lombardo versions? They're slightly modern in their language, but the cadence is excellent and they're easy to get through if you're looking for a step away from traditional archaic language in the translations.

>19 dk_phoenix:: I'm not sure what translation...I just know that in high school my teacher liked Mandelaum for the odessy. I'll have to look at some examples of Lombardo. Thanks for the tip.

#13-The Castle of Otranto By Horace Walpole
I read it because it is considered the first Gothic novel. I enjoy that genre, so I thought I'd give the "original" a try. It was ok. I was a bit let down, but there was some mystery and romance like in a typical Gothic story but very little violence or gore (unlike some following stories in the genre). There was some romance as well as some swooning women as would be expected in a Gothic novel. One interesting aspect about the novel is that Walpole used all Supernatural elements to tell his story instead of seemingly supernatural occurrences explained away by natural causes. It was an ok read, and was worth it in order to see the flagship of a genre.

*edited for clarity*

#21: I think I have had The Castle of Otranto on Continent TBR ever since the book was written (feels like it any way). One of these centuries I may actually get it read. Thanks for the nice review.

#19 dk_phoenix: LOL - I'm glad I'm not the only one! It *is* a beautiful passage.

#18: AWilkins: I agree with dk - Lombardo is the best translation for The Iliad, The Odyssey, and The Aeneid that's out there right now. I had the chance to see (hear) him give a couple of readings from his Iliad and Aeneid translations, and he's wonderful. His translations are more modern and thus easier to read, but they're still true to the original and quite beautifully capture the spirit of the poems.

Book #14- The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

I really enjoyed this book. It is a story about a society that is run by ultra-conservative religious fanatics after they have taken over the United States and created a new society called "Gillead". This society places women in a very low and subservient position. The handmaids are women whose sole duty is to get pregnant by their "Commander" so that his wife (who cannot have children of her own) can raise the children (they become pregnant in an incredibly twisted "ceremony" which I will not elaborate on...you'll just have to read the book). This tradition is based on stories from the Old Testament such as when Sarah made Abraham impregnate her maid or when Rachel had Jacob impregnate her maid. In both cases, the women couldn't have children of their own (although, I must say that both women were acting on their own and ignoring God. Both ended up having children of their own later...so The Handmaid's Tale becomes as much a tale of what can happen when overly zealous people misinterpret the Bible as it is a tale about what would happen to women in a society run by an ultra conservative religious totalitarian regime). The handmaids are nothing more than breeders. If they get caught doing "subversive" acts like reading, going out, questioning the regime, or dating they could be killed or sent away to "the colonies" (which was as good as a death sentence). They could also be killed or sent away if they failed to become pregnant after stints in the homes of 3 different commanders. I really enjoyed this story. The ending was (I thought) genius. I didn't see it coming (but I probably should have)...and I had to read the historical note (which is actually a part of the story) to find out exactly what even happened to the story's heroine in the end. Atwood really created a great story that also doubles as a cautionary tale.

#24: If they get caught doing "subversive" acts like reading

I am doomed!

BTW - I appreciate your take on the book since it was recommended to me on my thread. I like your comment about how it is a tale about misinterpretation of the Bible as much as anything else.

I read A Handmaid's Tale for the first time last year and loved it too. I'm glad you enjoyed it, AWilkins and I'm sure you'll love it too, Stasia.

Book #15--Brighton Rock by Graham Greene

I was a bit disappointed in this book. I was hoping that it would have a bit more action and suspense in it (since the summary only talked about the murder). But in reality, it mostly just showed the aftermath of the murder for those that committed it. It shows how a total sociopath tries to cover his tracks. Don't get me wrong, I thought it was a good read, but I was expecting something different. Since I just read it for the story, I missed a lot of the deeper meaning of the story. I know that Greene created a lot of discussion on good/evil and God's mercy, but I didn't catch it all since I wasn't focused on it until I was nearly 2/3 of the way done with it. I saw Pinkie as a symbol for evil (especially in relation to the innocence of poor 'ol Rose). I'd be interested in hearing what other people who have read this book think about Greene's commentary in this book on good/evil, Heaven/Hell, and such.

Book #16--Whale Talk by Chris Crutcher

This is actually the second time I've read this book. I reread it to prepare to teach it to two classes of 10th graders :) It's a YA book, but it has a lot of depth to it. It is about a boy (TJ) who is, in a way, rebelling against the status quo in his sports-obsessed high school. He and a teacher created a swim team made up of the school's biggest "losers" so that they can earn letter jackets just to bug the jocks. But that is only one part of the story. TJ (who is a combination of black, white, and asian) has to deal with racism in his town...not so much for himself, but he sees a young girl be abused by her step-father because she is black. This story covers everything from friendship and camaraderie to racism, abusive relationships, abusive parents, and dealing with bullies. It is a great book with a tear-jerker ending. I recommend it!!!

Book #17--Watchmen by Alan Moore

This is perhaps the most well regarded of all graphic novels. I read it because my husband loved it and was really excited about the movie. It dragged a bit in the middle, but overall, it was a pretty good read. I was quite impressed by the writing skill Moore shows. Usually, when you think of graphic novels, you don't think of great writing and literary devices, but Moore is truly skilled. He utilizes many different framing devices as well as great character development. The book also brings up some deeper themes to think about. If you're a fan of the genre and haven't read it read it now! However, if you haven't gotten into the genre yet, it might not be a good starting point unless you are really in to superhero comics (even though these superheroes are more like anti-superheroes).

Book #18--Atonement by Ian McEwan

I enjoyed this book. It's a modern classic. It tells the story of a young girl who mistakes what she sees between her sister and a young man and ends up nearly destroying their relationship and does destroy the young man's life. The book is divided up into 4 parts, each of which has a different narrator which really makes the reading interesting.

#19--Winter's Bone by Daniel Woodrell

I enjoyed this YA book. It is about a 16 year old girl living in poverty in the Ozarks. She is looking for her father (a meth cook) because he put their house up for bail and then disappeared. I think the reason I most enjoyed this book is because I always hear about the importance of offering students reading opportunities that show them a different lifestyle than their own and introduces them to different types of diversity. I liked this book because it introduces students to a type of diversity that is often forgotten: poverty. The protagonist is a high school drop-out who has to care for her 2 younger brothers and mentally unstable mother. Her best friend is a 16 year old mother who lives in a trailer with her husband who she was forced to marry after she got pregnant. This book introduces readers to a very real and very difficult world.

#31 Thanks for this review. Over in the Missouri readers group, we've been talking about this book for months - we'll get around to reading it someday. Probably soon, since we've found out that filming has already begun on a movie version of this book, and we want to read the book before seeing the movie. The filming is being done in the middle of the Ozarks, near Branson, MO. I didn't realize that this a YA book.

#32--I had no idea that there is a movie in the works...it's funny because I was thinking the whole time I was reading it that it would make a decent screenplay!

Book #20--The Book Thief By Markus Zusak

I read The Book Thief after a LT recommendation. I loved it! The narrator is Death, which I thought was a fascinating concept. Despite the fact that Death is the narrator, it is still an incredibly sweet and touching story of a young German girl living during WWII. I really loved reading a story about WWII from a German citizen's point of view. It seems that most books I've read based at this time are either from the point of view of an American or a soldier. This story really showed how many "normal" Germans felt about Hitler and the war. The ending was much more depressing than I was expecting...but I suppose with a narrator like Death, a depressing ending is to be expected.

Book #21--The Sword Thief

This is the third book in the children's series the 39 Clues. It wasn't as good as the first two, but it was still enjoyable. This is a good series for kids. It is full of adventure and even sneaks in some history lessons as well :)

Books #22 & 23--Maus I: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History and Maus II: A Survivor's Tale: And Here My Troubles Began both by Art Spiegelman

These are two volumes that make up the graphic novel Maus which tells the story of Spiegelman's father and how he survived the Holocaust in Poland.

>35 AWilkins:: Waiting for Scholastic to get my order in so I can read this one too! I was wondering if it might be a bit sub-par compared to the others; I've never heard of the author before. But good to know it's still entertaining!

just dropping by to say I've loved your little reviews so far - keep up the good work! I've recently mooched Watchmen and waiting for it to arrive, but post can be slow. I haven't read many graphic novels but have heard so many good things about this one that I figured I'll give it a try.

Eliza

re 38: Thanks for the comments Eliza! Watchmen is a good read...it's a bit heavy but it has so many merits!

>38 girlunderglass:: I'm halfway through Watchmen, and while it's great... the comment above is very correct, it's rather heavy. Bleak, depressing, difficult at times... but very well done. Just make sure you don't read it when you're having a bad day! I've been trying to get through it in small chunks simply because of the weight of the material and storyline.

Book #24--The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz

This book is advertised as being about a young Dominican man who is an uber geek and doesn't have any luck with the ladies, but it is about so much more than that. This book follows Oscar's family's "fuku" (aka curse) through 3 generations and presents its manifestation in Oscar's life. The book goes back and forth between the stories of Oscar's youth and young adult life, his sister's life, their mother's life from birth to adulthood (and the fuku in it), and his grandfather's life (specifically how he introduced the fuku into the family).
I think my favorite part about this book is the information presented about the history of the Dominican Republic, especially the information of Trujillo. My husband spent 5 of his teenage years in Haiti and his parents still live there (they run a clinic). I've heard many stories about the DR and Trujillo but always from the Haiti side. I really thought the stories (and footnotes) about Trujillo and his goons were fascinating.
I also loved the narrator. The voice of the narrator was so real and readable.
Diaz really created a great read!

Book #25--And Then There Were None By Agatha Christie

I really enjoyed this book. My husband has been trying to get me to read it for quite awhile now, and I finally listened to him. I found this to be one of the most interesting mysteries I've ever read. The only complaint I have is that it is such a famous and well-known novel that the plots of many different movies and books are inspired by this novel (my husband calls it the original slasher story). Because of this, I sometimes found myself picturing the house or characters from more recent stories such as the movie "Clue" because of the plot similarities. Despite all this, Christie's novel is the original, and because of that, it stands in a class all its own and deserves recognition as one of the pioneers of the mystery/horror/"slasher" genre.

I know next to nothing about Dominican Republic so the Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao sounds really interesting, any other fiction set in DR that you would recommend? Also you made me want to reread And Then There Were None (in my head its always 10 little Indians but there you go!). Anyway thanks for the reviews.

clfisha--I don't really know any other fiction reads about the DR (Oscar Wao is set in both New Jersey and the DR), but I know that Edwidge Dandicat has written several novels set in Haiti (wrong side of Hispanola...I know, but it's all I've got :) ) The only one I've read is her collection of short stories Krik? Krak! which was fabulous! I've also read a travelogue she wrote about carnival in Jacmel called After the Dance: a Walk through Carnival in Jacmel, Haiti (review coming soon!) Farming of Bones and Dew Breaker are two of her novels that are near the top of my tbr pile. Any reads based in Haiti or the DR would be interesting...both countries on that little island have such fascinating histories!

Just popping in to say "hi" and tell you that I enjoy your reviews. I just finished Watchmen but didn't like it as much... I think it's just not my taste, but I like reading what other people got from it. I liked Rorschach the best.

Thanks for the info, my library doesn't have a copy of krik! krak! but does have the After the Dance so I will try that one as well. I remember going to a story telling evening a few years ago and one of the folklorists got us to shout out Krak! (wish I could remember the actual folk tale but that's my memory for you). Anyway look forward to your review.

Cauterize--Thanks for the comments! It's nice to know someone is reading my ramblings :)

I can definitely understand why someone would not care for Watchmen. It is really heavy (especially considering most people view it as just a comic book), but the ending is so fascinating! I liked Rorschach too...Have you seen the movie? The guy that played Rorschach was great. I think he might have been a child star in Bad News Bears before this.

#26-- After the Dance: A Walk Through Carnival in Jacmel, Haiti by Edwidge Danticat

I really enjoyed this book. I think the main reason is that I've actually been to Jacmel before, and it's always fun to read about places you've visited. My in-laws live in Haiti, and they took us to Jacmel when we went to visit them a couple years ago. Danticat even mentions the hotel that we stayed at while we were there!

I love Danticat's narrating voice. She writes about the people, Carnival, the town, and the history of Jacmel and Haiti as a whole in such a clear and inviting way. She really is a great storyteller. My husband (who lived in Haiti with his parents for about 5 years before graduating high school) has always said that Carnival is not an incredibly safe place to be. He never went and his parents have still never gone. I think they are worried about people getting too drunk and wild. Of course, there are risks of running into really bad people at a place like Carnival, but that could be true of really anywhere. Despite my family's warnings and stories, Danticat's descriptions of the costumes, music, and dances really made me want to go just to observe. She tells many stories that explain the meanings behind the costumes and I really want to see them.

Danticat does talk about more than just Carnival. She talks about the country and its people and their history too. I think that is another thing I liked about this book so much. Danticat (who was born in Haiti and moved to the US when she was a teenager) describes Haiti, its culture, and its people in such a wonderful way. She really highlights the beauty of the country and its positive aspects over the negative (although she doesn't deny them). This is so refreshing because it seems that every time I hear anything about Haiti in the news or popular media, it is almost always negative (stories about things like political instability or corruption, gang violence, AIDS, or the extreme and horrific poverty of the country's people). I really enjoyed reading something about this country that is positive.

#48: Another Danticat for me to look for :)

#47: That's the thing, I love comic books (X-Men and Excalibur), and I love certain graphic novels, but I felt this was inbetween the two and didn't work for me. And my dislike of the story was more personal. I'm just in a reading place where I'm tired of Cold War paranoia stories. The Berlin Wall fell when I was 8 and for me, the arms race was something from a textbook that I didn't live through. I've read a bunch of novels in the past year that were critiques or analogies of the Cold War and I think I'm just exhausted reading about it. I liked reading about Moore's interpretation of the fall of the superheroes, but anytime it started mentioning nukes, I went "ugh". I think I just need to read it again in a year or two when I'm not burned out. And I was upset that spoiler: Rorschach had the conscience, he was the only one who cared about defending the other supers from the "mask killer", and he wouldn't compromise his morals and then he got that ignoble end!! In the Back! It upsets me :)

I haven't seen the movie, but plan on renting it on the DVD.

(edited to fix html)

re #50--I could definitely see how you could get burned out on the subject. I focused more on the superhero story. I thought it was great that these characters really had serious issues and were not that "super" at all...like you said, Rorschach was the only one with a conscience, but even with this conscience he was still a deeply disturbed man! I really liked the whole "Who watches the watchmen" concept. These people weren't being held accountable and the result was catastrophic.

If you didn't like the book, definitely rent the movie. It is almost exactly the same! Although the special effects are a nice addition :)

#51: Oh for sure, it was interesting how there were normal people who became superheroes, and there was the ones who really amped it up, like Jon and Ozymandias. But then they were the ones who had the least conscience out of all of them. Who will watch them?

BTW, did you notice in the non-comic part, the "Rorschach case file", when he was a kid he actually approved of the bombing of Hiroshima and the 'killing of many to save millions' idea? I thought that was intriguing because obviously he changes his mind! Oh, and what galls me is that Nite Owl doesn't seem to care what happened to his friend, as long as he got the girl!

RE #52--I hadn't thought of that. He approved of the bombing of Japan based on the same logic that Ozymandias used to "save the world." That is interesting...he seems like such a twisted character that it shouldn't surprise me too much...he viciously attacked several people and was a total rouge with his own moral code. It is interesting to try to decide who to agree with...was Ozymandias right in what he did to save the world, or was it just wasted effort and pointless death?

On a similar subject...what is your theory about what happens to the journal? I can't decide if I want it to be published or kept secret!

Book #27-- Thirteen Reasons Why By Jay Asher

I have to admit, I started this book hoping I'd hate it. The basic premise of this book is a teenager commits suicide and she leaves a set of tapes that is to be circulated to the 13 people who she says are responsible for her death. I was annoyed because she was basically torturing these other teenagers with these tapes. Yes, they were awful and did awful things to her, but they are high schoolers...high schoolers do stupid and awful things to each other everyday (wow, that sounds cynical, but it's somewhat true).

However, by the time I finished the book, I was totally on the "13 Reasons Why" bandwagon. It presents readers with the signs to look for in someone considering suicide. The book is even as obvious as mentioning a list of signs that the students received and listed some of them in the book. I know that might not be great narration, but a subject like suicide prevention needs clarity and straight-talk. In the end of the book, the main character (one of the people to receive the tapes) becomes more aware and even goes and talks to another girl who could be beginning to show signs of depression and thoughts of suicide.

This book shows its readers the importance of looking beyond yourself to make sure others are ok, it presents readers with signs to look for, and it shows readers that sometimes people just need a listening and understanding ear. How can you dislike a book that teaches teenagers this???

good story - dangerous subject to tackle!

#53: I would think that Rorschach would say that when he was a kid, that was when he was "Kovacs", and his disapproval now is when he is "Rorschach". (not that I truly understand what the difference in the personalities are) I'm not sure that I agree that he attacked uh.. non-deserving people... I think the only time his moral code is in the "grey area" is his glossing over The Comedian's atrocities because Rorschach likes how he's a patriot and didn't give up the fight. I would think rape and murder would have definitely been on R's regular "black" end of things.

To answer your question... *laugh* my non-thinking reaction is that the journal should be punished because they murdered him. If they had just put him in a cell or something, I would say not to publish. If Jon can build a city on Mars, he couldn't have built a house arrest for R?

And with your review on Thirteen Reasons Why, I love books that you start out hating but are well-crafted enough to get you to change your mind before you chuck them.

re#56: yeah, as an adult, Rorschach definitely only attacked deserving people after being sure of their guilt...as a child, he seemed to act more on impulse. It was after he killed the man who killed the little girl that he transformed...I think it might have been the change from an impulsive young man to a man who is aware of injustices and acts on them with thought and force...the change from angry rouge to rougish vigilante

also, I hadn't thought of the possibility of Manhattan making a prison for him...I guess it kind of goes back to the theme that no one watches the watchmen and they just do what they want.

Book #28-- City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

I had high expectations for this book and was somewhat disappointed. It is a fantasy book about "shadow hunters" whose job it is to kill demons that escape to Earth. There are some similarities to this book and the Harry Potter series. The main character, Clary, finds out that she is actually a shadow hunter even though her mother raised her like a normal human (or a "mundane" as the shadow hunters call them..."muggles" anyone???) She finds out all sorts of twisted things about her father and brother along the way too, and by the end of it has a mortal enemy named Valentine (like Harry's Voldemort). I can't dwell on the similarities too much because there is only so much you can do when you are writing a teenage fantasy story. Actually, they didn't bother me at all as I was reading the book. The story was a bit predictable, but it was still a good escapist experience. I will probably read the rest of the series eventually, but it is low on my tbr list right now.

Book #29-- The Dew Breaker by Edwidge Danticat

I LOVE Danticat! This is her third book I've read and I have loved every single one. Her writing style is wonderful and each of her stories is beautifully written and flows wonderfully. Danticat was born in Haiti and came to the US when she was young; her stories all center around Haiti and its people. The Dew Breaker is hard to define. It is like a novel yet it is also a collection of short stories. Each chapter is a story in and of itself, yet they all tie together in some way. The story centers around a man who before immigrating to the US was a tonton macoute (what the Haitians called the policemen who worked for the dictator Duvalier and killed and tortured those who disagreed with Duvalier). Each of the chapters is either about this man, his family (his daughter thought her father was a prisoner, not a guard), or the people whose lives he changed forever through his work for Duvalier. It is a beautifully written story that is a compelling and interesting read.

Just dropping buy to say I enjoyed After the Dance: A Walk Through Carnival in Jacmel, Haiti by Danticat so I will be hunting down another one, thanks for tip.

#59: I read Brother, I'm Dying by Danticat last year. I am definitely going to have to read more of her books!

re: 60 and 61: I'm so glad that other people are loving Danticat. She's such a talented writer and her subject matter is fascinating!

alottacre: I'm going to have to add Brother, I'm Dying to my tbr pile...after Farming of Bones, I will have read all the Danticat that I own

Book #30-- Ten Big Ones By Janet Evanovich

This is the 10th book in Evanovich's Stephanie Plumb series. I LOVE the Stephanie Plumb books! They are so funny and are such a fun, light read. I literally laugh out loud whenever I'm reading a book from this series.

In this book, Stephanie finds herself on a hit list compiled by one of Trenton's most dangerous gangs. While she is trying to stay alive and capture some FTAs (she's a bounty hunter) she also has to deal with "the two men in her life" (Morelli her on again-off again boyfriend and Ranger the uber-sexy bounty hunter/adventure man) while dealing with her older sister's second wedding (Valerie is engaged to a blah lawyer who is the father of her third child...but she is a mess and her wedding planner is a transvestite who is a bus driver by day and in a rock band by night). As you might guess, hilarity ensues. :)

Book #31- The Surrender Tree: Poems of Cuba's Struggle for Freedom By Margarita Engle

This is one of those books that you can sit down and read in an hour and still get a lot of enjoyment out of it. This book is a story told in poetry. Engle uses poems to tell the story of the Cuban struggle for independence. The main character is based on a real woman who was a nurse during the wars. Many of her enemies thought she was a witch, but she just knew how to use the plants from the forests that she had to hid in to help soldiers (from both sides) and civilians recover and survive. The little island's long struggle for independence is told through her eyes and the eyes of those around her in many different and lovely free verse poems.

#64: That one sounds interesting. I will have to look for it. Thanks for the recommendation!

#54 I felt the same about Thirteen Reasons why, and also found it a compelling read.

Book #32- The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan

**Please forgive any misspellings...I didn't have my book nearby to reference**
This is the final installment in Rick Riordan's "Percy Jackson and the Olympians" series. The series is about a teenager (Percy Jackson) who finds out that his father is Poseidon. Because of this, he goes to a special summer camp for half-bloods where he makes friends with a daughter of Athena, a satyr, and other children of gods. The camp is run by Chiron (who trained heroes including Achilles) and the god Dionysus. In each book, Percy has an adventure that involves the rising of the lord Kronos (the titan lord who ruled everything before Zeus defeated him). Kronos spends the entire series regaining power and building an army of evil creatures and minor gods and children of minor gods who felt ignored by the gods. This last book is the final battle. While the gods are busy battling a monster that Kronos released, the half-bloods try to defend Manhattan and the Empire State Building (which houses the entrance to Olympus) against Kronos and his army. This is a great book. I've really enjoyed the series and I am excited because Riordan left it open at the end of the story where he might someday start another Camp Half-Blood series with different characters. I sadly didn't know too much about mythology before reading this series, and Riordan teaches mythology to readers in a very fun way. This series is a great way to introduce teens to mythology and all the fascinating stories of the gods.

Books #33-#37-- The Scott Pilgrim Books by Bryan Lee O'Malley
Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
Scott Pilgrim and the Infinite Sadness
Scott Pilgrim Gets it Together
Scott Pilgrim vs. the Universe

I've decided to write up all of these books together. They are graphic novels that are so hilarious that I laughed out loud! This series is about a 23 year old named Scott who is totally clueless. He's in a band, has a gay roommate (who he has to share a bed with since they can only afford one bed ), dates a high schooler "briefly" (she then becomes obsessed with him and his band), and, oh yeah, wants to date a woman who has a lot of baggage...as in 7 evil ex-boyfriends that Scoot has to defeat in order to date her. This book boarders on fantasy...Scott and several other characters have ninja skills, and his life is kind of like a video game (whenever he kills an evil ex-boyfriend he leaves a ton of coins). Scott's cluelessness results in a lot of humor. I really enjoyed these books and can't wait for the last one to come out (this fall, I think?)

Book #38-- The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation (Vol. I) by M.T. Anderson

This book is listed as young adult, but my husband and I agree that it is not really a young adult book at all...for a teenager to enjoy and understand it, they would have to be pretty bright and a really good reader. The subject matter is really heavy and the narration uses a high level of diction as well as many different narration techniques (the bulk of the story is supposedly taken from Octavian's memoirs, but there are also letters and documents recording scientific experiments). The book is about a young slave named Octavian. It takes place during the pre-American Revolution days. Octavian and and his mother are owned by a scientist who gives Octavian a classic education in order to determine his capacity to learn. Things go well until the scientist looses funding and has to get new investors and a new head scientist. This scientist horribly mistreats Octavian. He changes his education and reduces him to almost nothing. The pinnacle of abuse comes when the scientists decide to hold a pox party (a party where they give everyone a small strain of small pox in order to inoculate them). However, their true motivations are to determine how Africans react to small pox...the results of this experiment will allow them to tell slave owners if it is economically responsible to inoculate their slaves. As you might imagine, things go horribly wrong for Octavian and his life is turned upside down. It's a good, but heavy, read.

I was recently able to attend several talks MT Anderson gave about his writing and he said that when he wrote Octavian Nothing he was determined not to write down to teenagers. He feels strongly that teens are often underestimated, and that they deserve challenging, literary novels. Personally I thought they were great books that adults would also enjoy, are you going to read Vol 2?

avatiakh: I think I will eventually. I did enjoy the book, it was just very heavy, and I'm not in the mood for anything heavy right now. He certainly didn't write down to teens. It is definitely a book for adults, older teens, or very mature young teens. The reading level is much higher than the typical young adult book.

Book #49--I am the Messenger by Markus Zusak

I really enjoyed this book. I read it after a recommendation from another LT user. It is kind of a mystery, kind of an adventure. Ed's life is boring and going nowhere until he receives a mysterious playing card with 3 addresses on it. He soon finds himself working for a mysterious puppet master-type character who makes him go around his town and help save people's lives. He saves a battered woman, helps a lonely old woman, and does many other things for many other people. Ed's final mission was great! However, I was a little disappointed by the ending; I felt like things were explained poorly and too quickly...I almost feel like I don't understand exactly what was going on with the mysterious cards. Other than that, it was very fun to read.

Book #50--Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith

I had fun reading this book, even though I feel kind of guilty about it. I think some of my English professors would die if they knew I not only read but enjoyed this book; it is definitely not for the Austen purists out there. Seth Grahame-Smith took Pride and Prejudice and added in narration and made subtle changes to the characters and some events in order to add in the zombie element. In this version of the classic, Elizabeth and her sisters are renowned zombie fighters and must protect their village from the plague. All of the romance is the same, there is just zombie mayhem thrown into it. For example: during the first ball when the girls first met Darcy and Bingley, zombies invade and the girls have to fend off the zombies to save the party. Elizabeth also finds herself battling Lady Catherine's ninjas on more than one occasion (which was always entertaining). If you're a purist, this is NOT for you, but if you can laugh at parodies or just clever rewriting, this is a good book. However, I STRONGLY recommend you read Austen's real version first so that you can appreciate the classic first and so that you can get the jokes in the re-write.

Book #51--Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? by Edward Albee

I've always wanted to read this play and have never gotten around to it until now. It is wonderfully written. The characters' interaction is great. The conversation flowed well and each character had a great individual voice and personality. I'd LOVE to see this live. I'm sure the tension is thick and uncomfortable in a good performance of this. The characters do everything they can to hurt and embarrass each other; it is a very compelling read.

#72: I am one of the few people here on LT who preferred I Am the Messenger to The Book Thief by Zusak. Glad to see you enjoyed it as well.