78.
Author: Tracy Kiely
Title: Murder Most Persuasive
publication: Paperback
Pages: 293
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Acquisition: LT Friends are lovely
Date: September 26, 2011
Rating: ****

Murder Most Persuasive opens with a funeral, but this particular death is not the one that causes concern; rather, it is the body that is found under the family's old pool that sets this narrative in motion. Keeping her tongue firmly in an Austen novel, Elizabeth Parker barely manages to navigate her family while trying to save them from suspicion of murder. In the end it's not Jane Austen, but rather Ben Stiller, that inspires the resolution, and Kiely does an admirable job drawing out the conclusion until things can be satisfactorily summarized. With plenty of pop-culture references, Murder Most Persuasive is not a book that will age well, but for the time being it is an enjoyable cozy.

77.
Author: Jessica Day George
Title: [Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow]
publication: Kindle
Pages
Genre: Fantasy, Fairy Tale
Acquisition:
Date: September 22, 2011
Rating: ****

While not one of the Princess of the Midnight Ball books, George's Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow follows a similar pattern, as she weaves Greek mythology with "Beauty and the Beast and adds a Norwegian twist to satisfy her personal taste for the unique alphabet of the language. "Pika," the protagonist, is not quite as strong as the princess characters, but there is an honest to her voice that makes her story very compelling.

76.
Author: Jessica Day George
Title: Princess of Glass
publication: Kindle
Pages
Genre: Fantasy, Fairy Tale
Acquisition: Early review book
Date: September 18, 2011
Rating: ****

Princess of Glass is George's retelling of Cinderella, starring Princess Poppy, out on her own as part of a diplomatic match-making sceme cooked up by various monarchies. I appreciate a princess with a bit of spunk, and enjoyed the swearing-and-gambling Poppy to any Disney princess; likewise, I found George's twists to be original and engaging.

75.
Author: Jessica Day George
Title: Princess of the Midnight Ball
publication: Kindle
Pages
Genre: Fantasy, Fairy Tale
Acquisition: Early review book
Date: September 16, 2011
Rating: ****

Princess of the Midnight Ball is a charming retelling of a classic fairytale. George's novel is well-developed and well-paced, with interesting characters. Recommended for fans of the genre.

74.
Author: Anonymous
Title: The Mistress Contract
publication: Paperback
Pages
Genre: "Nonfiction" - Memoir?
Acquisition: Early review book
Date: September 14, 2011
Rating: *

The Mistress Contract, published anonymously, is purported to be the true, recorded conversations between a wealthy businessman and his contractual mistress. The document that begins their arrangement is published with the text, and remains, sadly, the most interesting aspect of the book. What follows is a collection of pretentious philosophical blatherings, recollections, and conversations spoken by characters who sound more like automatons than actual people. While the publicity package attempts to categorize this little book as edgy - and too scandalous for the attribution of names - the actual material falls far short. Not recommended.

73.
Author: Louise Penny
Title: A Trick of the Light
publication: Hardcover
Pages
Genre: Mystery
Acquisition:
Date: September 14, 2011
Rating: *****

A Trick of the Light is quietly elegant, yet delves deep into the baseness that makes up human nature. The mystery revolves around the death of an art critic who once took particular joy in destroying the budding careers of artists; as a result, the pool of suspects encompasses almost all of the local art world, and Gamache and his elite team find themselves working with some especially neurotic individuals. What comes to light is the true ugliness that people can keep inside, and the resulting novel is as philosophical as it is mysterious. One of the things I appreciate about Penny's mysteries is that she does not fall into the easy trap of insanity: not all murderers hear voices or are otherwise insane. Some are just simply horrible people, doing horrible things. In the end I was pleased not only with the resolution of the murder, but with the fate of a certain detestable character. This book is yet another treat for fans of Three Pines.

72.
Author: Ann K. Levine. Esq.
Title: The Law School Admission Game: Play Like an Expert
publication: Kindle
Pages
Genre: nonfiction, law
Acquisition:
Date: September 11, 2011
Rating: *****

Ann K. Levine's The Law School Admission Game is a brilliant work which aims to help individuals navigate the nuanced and complicated world of law school applications. Experienced both as a student and working on Admission boards herself, Levine offers straight-forward advice in a clear (and often blunt) fashion that is easy to navigate. The text offers advice on everything from application dates to the personal statement, and Levine does not hesitate to share why she would dismiss applications as well as what kind of applications stand out best. Personally, I learned quite a bit, and felt that the information provided would help me prepare the strongest application possible.

It also helped me come to terms with the demands of both law school and the resulting career, ultimately forcing me to acknowledge that law is not a path I can pursue and still maintain the kind of home life that is most important to me. Despite a powerful interest and desire, the Monsters come first here; I'm just glad I realized that before putting in the time and money to apply to, and possibly attend, law school.

71.
Author: Sophocles
Title: Oedipus the King
publication: paperback
Pages
Genre: classical
Acquisition: work text
Date: September 11, 2011
Rating: no rating

My bi-annual reading of Sophocles' delicious tragedy, translated by Dudley Fitts.

70.
Author(s): Jane Austen
Title: Mansfield Park
Publication: Kindle - illustrated edition
Pages:
Genre: Classics
Acquisition: Free download on Austen's birthday
Date Completed: September 7, 2011
Rating: ****

"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife," writes Austen in her canonical novel Pride and Prejudice. It is likewise a truth that, given a pen and a potential audience, Austen will lambaste and satirize the Regency marriage market, and the practices of both men and women alike.

Mansfield Park, published a year after Pride and Prejudice in 1814, presents an even more scathing picture of contemporary thought related to both matrimony and familial relations. The protagonist of the novel, Fanny Price, is the product of an ill-advised marriage, and at a young age her wealthy cousins decide to alleviate some of the stress of the poor Price family by taking Fanny to live with them at Mansfield Park. There, Fanny is exposed not just to genteel surroundings and manners, but all the snobbishness related to being the charity relation of elevated companions.

Fanny grows to be all that is good: namely, she is quiet, compliant, and pious. While the familiar clandestine relations unfold in true Austen-like fashion, Fanny remains constant, and the conclusion is just what a Regency audience would require. However, the presentation of that conclusion speaks, I believe, more to Austen's sentiments than the content. The end of the novel is decidedly rushed, and details are glossed over, the timeline is obscured, and the author's enthusiasm for her own narrative wanes. It seems that Austen's enthusiasm for convention is about as strong as her approval of marriage practices.

Mansfield Park is not as polished as I find Pride and Prejudice to be, as the narrative waxes and wanes. And for my own tastes, Fanny is no Elizabeth. Still, Austen fans will likely enjoy the novel as much as any other.

69.
Author(s): Sue Grafton
Title: [J is for Judgment]
Publication: Paperback
Pages: 329
Genre: Mystery
Acquisition:
Date Completed: September 5, 2011
Rating: ***

For reasons I'm not sure I can state explicitly, I didn't really find J is for Judgment as compelling as some of the earlier Kinsey books. The mystery itself simply isn't thrilling, and there's an almost extreme amount of legwork for very little payoff. I think I was as sick of the running around as Kinsey herself says she is.