47. 
Title: A Tale of 3 Witches
Author: Christiana Miller and Barbra Annino
Pages: 53
Genre: Fiction
Medium: Kindle
Acquisition:
Date Completed: May 30, 2012
Rating: **

This cross-over story lacks ... just about everything.  It lacks character development, plot development, suspension of disbelief, and the charm of the previous Mara/Gus novel. 

Gus wielding a sword?  An actual sword?
Best friends at first sight?
A new mother leaving her firstborn in the care of the maybe-father who thinks the child might be evil incarnate?

The falling action is the only well-paced part of the narrative; the rising action is full of holes and the climax arrives too quickly. While this story wouldn't prevent me from picking up another Mara/Gus novel, I am fairly disappointed that I actually paid for this. 

The Folger's western Taming of the Shrew, starring Kate Eastwood Norris and Cody Nickell, is a true delight.  As director Aaron Posner says himself, his Deadwood-inspired rendition is not unique, but it is no less successful for it.  Placing Shakespeare's comedy in a western-esque setting provides a strong context for a contemporary American audience, and bending the gender of several characters (Baptista is a controlling mother, for example) shifts the understanding of gender expectations in the work.

The characters are well-cast and excellently played (I particularly enjoyed not only the principle characters, but also Danny Scheie's Grumio and Holly Twyford's Tranio), and the setting and costumes are perfectly detailed, but the true icing on the cake is the inclusion of live music - Cliff Eberhardt as the Blind Balladeer that serenades each scene.

 The production is an absolute joy, and an unequivocal success.

I want, too, to say a word about the staff of the Folger.  My partner's neck injury prevents him from looking left (among other things), and when we first found our seats in the balcony it was immedietly clear he would not be able to enjoy the play, as we were seated on the left side.  I spoke with the staff member at ticket sales, who in turn called a senior staff member who did not hesitate to move our seats when I explained our concern.  I was 90% certain there was nothing that could be done but felt there was no harm in asking, so I was delighted with the care that we received.  Our seats were moved right away, and the gentleman who moved our seats came back to be sure that we were comfortable before the play began.  I was impressed because they surely weren't required to do anything, and they didn't hesitate to help us in our enjoyment of the play.

So, not only is the play wonderful, but so too are those working behind the scenes. 

Photos: http://www.dcmetrotheaterarts.com/2012/05/07/the-taming-of-the-shrew-at-folger-theatre-by-julia-exline1/

46. 
Title: Baby Shark
Author: Robert Fate
Pages: 270
Genre: Fiction
Medium: Kindle
Acquisition: Free download, recommended by Penn Jillette on Twitter
Date Completed: May 19, 2012
Rating: ****1/2

Baby Shark opens with gut-wrenching violence against the unlucky patrons at a pool house.  The unapologetic violence of the scene captivates, even as the reader wants to look away.  Among the victims are 17-year-old Kristin, who is brutally raped and beaten, and her father, who is murdered.

Kristin doesn't remember getting out of the pool hall when she wakes in the hospital, but she learns that the owner - the only other survivor of the attack by a gang of bikers - dragged her from the building despite his own gunshot wounds, and manages to drive her to the relative safety of the hospital.  She also learns that the police have no intention of investigating the murders and assault.  Kristin and Henry find a new family in each other, drawn together by a need for both safety and revenge.  Together they live, train, and plan. 

Baby Shark is a tale of survival and what it takes for two damaged individuals not only to recover, but to find justice.  Kristin (aka Baby Shark) seeks not only to avenge her father's death, but also to reclaim her dignity and establish herself as a strong, independent figure, regardless of the abuse she suffered and regardless of her gender in a very gender-biased setting.  One reviewer remarks on a lack of morality in Kristin's actions, but my own reading suggests something very different: it is not necessarily a quest for Hammurabian revenge, but justice.  If the police had pursued and prosecuted the bikers responsible for these violent crimes I would suggest that Kristin and Henry would not have have sought out their own form of justice; given the circumstances of their case, they sought punishment that was otherwise denied. 

As I first read of the attack on the pool hall I did not expect to like this book, but the narrative quickly sped away, and before I knew it I was at the novel's end. 

44. 
Title: [Chime]
Author: Franny Billingsley
Pages: 320
Genre: Fantasy
Medium: Kindle
Acquisition: Library book
Date Completed: May 17, 2012
Rating: ***1/2

I believe it was Faith who recently read this book, but unfortunately my recent memory is failing me...

Chime tells the story of a young witch who is sacrificing her present happiness for her past sins, while keeping her own neck out of a hangman's noose.  Grieving for her stepmother and caring for her (autistic?) sister, Briony leaves little time for herself, and rejects anything that "ordinary" girls may be interested in.  That is, until a young man comes to live with her father, and changes her perception of her own past.

Wait, that sounds like far more of a horrible love story than this actually is.  In truth, Briony is far too self-centered to even consider a romantic interest for much of the story.  Filled with fairy tales and deceit, Chime is largely fascinating for the point of view, which is that of a young woman who believes she's guilty, and says as much before the crimes are even presented. 

Although the plot is fairly predictable, I enjoyed the book primarily for this point of view, and the exploration of memory. 

45.
Title: [Charlotte Collins]
Author: Jennifer Whiteley Becton
Pages: 256
Genre: Fiction
Medium: Kindle
Acquisition: Free download
Date Completed: May 19, 2012
Rating: *****

Charlotte Collins is a Jane Austen continuation that is actually worth reading.  I applaud Becton for selecting a perfect subject for her work - secondary characters from the primary source, as opposed to the protagonists of the original - and argue that this choice is what primarily leads to the success of the text.  Unlike continuations that attempt to rewrite Elizabeth Bennet/Darcy, which consistently fail to develop a character that even resembles Austen's original, Becton has selected a character that is only marginally developed in the original, and as such is ripe for re-imagining.  In Charlotte Collins, the reader finds Elizabeth's dear friend burying her fairly repulsive husband after a fortunate accident has lead him to his ultimate reward.  Now a young widow of very small means, Charlotte finds herself continuing to navigate the neighborhood shadowed by Lady Catherine, and welcomes her sister Maria to her household to relieve their parents of the burden of a coming-out.  Of course, no Austenian novel would be complete without reputations being challenged, true characters being revealed, and a near-perfect love match, and Becton satisfies on all accounts. The mark of a contemporary author is so marginal that it is barely noticed, and I thoroughly enjoyed this Charlotte-Collins-romance.   

43. 
Title: [Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde]
Author: Robert Louis Stevenson
Pages: 62
Genre: Gothic
Medium: Paperback, Norton Critical
Acquisition: Purchased for work
Date Completed: May 15, 2012
Rating: ****

I'd write a review, but I just finished an essay analyzing the theme of alternative reproduction in this text and two others ... so I'm a bit brain-dead at the moment. 

I will say that I detest contemporary representations of the Jekyll/Hyde dynamic, although I saw a fascinating image from "Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde" in the Norton critical edition...

42. 
Title: The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie
Author: Alan Bradley
Pages: 306
Genre: Mystery
Medium: Kindle
Acquisition:  Library Loan
Date Completed: May 13, 2012
Rating: ***

Flavia de Luce is the third and youngest daughter of an old English family.  Having lost her mother at a young age, it appears that Flavia has largely been left to raise herself, which she has done through extensive reading and an obsession with Chemistry.  Indeed, it is this interest that most defines Flavia, as she responds to emotional stress and strain by imagining what poisons she can cook up in her lab as revenge.  Confident and intelligent with a strong dislike for authority, Flavia is just the sort of girl I would have adored at eleven, and just the sort of over-confident character that I find tedious as an adult. 

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie seems to be an excuse for Bradley to write about pet subjects - chemistry, for example, and stamps - and the lectures on these subjects frequently lead the narrator away from the narrative.  For one who is interested in these subjects these asides would be an excellent diversion, and would not likely detract from the novel; however, the discussions related to philately were so dull that I frequently found my mind wandering, and had to force myself back to the narrative.

I, for one, do not find that my own reading lives up to the hype. 

41. 
Title: "Beauty: An Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter Outtake"
Author: Laurell K. Hamilton
Pages: 33
Genre: Erotica
Medium: Kindle
Acquisition:
Date Completed: May 9, 2012
Rating: ***

This short story, which is essentially a teaser for the upcoming Kiss the Dead, embodies what Vintage Blakers detest and Progressive Blakers want: smutty vampire smut.  This erotic short contains what early Anita Blake novels are missing - sex, comfort, and contentment.  One Amazon reviewer labelled it as a "novella" because calling it a "story" offended her sensibilities because of a purported lack of plot (although why calling it a novella of 33 pages makes that better, I'm not sure), and another bemoaned charging for what other authors would likely release for free on personal blogs.  These responses are now typical for Hamilton's work, and I believe readers will need to consider their own motivations and desires before pursuing any Anita Blake novels.  I, for one, enjoy the sexually-satisfied Anita far more than the conflicted and haunted Anita, and purchased Beauty because I was in the mood for a bit of erotica - and that is exactly what Hamilton delivers in this short, nothing more, nothing less. 

40. 
Title: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Author: Mark Haddon
Pages: 226
Genre: Fiction
Medium: Kindle
Acquisition: Library Ebook
Date Completed: May 5, 2012
Rating: ****

In Mark Haddon's fascinating and anxiety-inducing book The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, fifteen-year-old Christopher begins writing a book on the suggestion of his teacher.  Christopher doesn't like fiction because he believes it's just a series of lies, but because he enjoys the mysteries of Sherlock Holmes he decides that it will be acceptable to write a mystery of his own, which he begins after finding a neighbor's murdered dog, and briefly coming under suspicion himself.  What makes this novel intriguing, of course, is not the death of the dog Wellington, but Christopher himself, who is autistic.  My knowledge of the condition is only passing, but from my unlearned perspective Haddon's use of Siobhain, Christopher's teacher, as a catalyst for his motivation helps create a cohesive and credible story.  Less intrigued by the story itself, I was fascinated by the explanation of comfort and Christopher's particular behavior, and I cheered his ability to accomplish tasks that his condition renders near-Herculean.  The Curious Incident shares an interesting perspective from a sympathetic narrator, and is a great way to pass an afternoon. 

38. 
Title: Broadmoor Revealed
Author: Mark Stevens
Pages: 107 pages
Genre: Nonfiction
Medium: Kindle
Acquisition: Free Amazon Download
Date Completed: May 3, 2012
Rating: ***

As one could deduce from the page count, Mark Stevens' Broadmoor Revealed: Victorian Crime and the Lunatic Asylum is only a brief glimpse into one of England's Victorian-era asylums.  Idyllic in setting and home to as many sane criminals as deranged artists, Broadmoor is an interesting subject for study, but by no means unique.  Although a number of crimes are discussed in relation to the patients, what I found most interesting were the details of the escapes attempts, and how the Board responded - or failed to, as was frequently the case.  Although I would have preferred greater depth, Broadmoor Revealed is a nice snack for those interested in Victorian crime or mental institutions. 

39. 
Title: Death Comes to Pemberley
Author: P. D. James
Pages: 220 pages
Genre: Mystery
Medium: Kindle
Acquisition: Library Ebook
Date Completed: May 4, 2012
Rating: *

Death Comes to Pemberley is trite and wooden.  The plot itself is lost in the pedantic text, which lectures as opposed to narrates. James uses dialog to introduce every detail, which leads to cumbersome and often ridiculous conversations, in which Character A reminds Character B that they met the good Doctor five years ago at that dinner party, and that the Doctor now suffers from gout and enjoys a comfortable estate, but went on that dreadful trip last year and is now nursing a sore hip and oh yes is not married and has no intention of seeking matrimony; he'll be here within the hour.  Oh yes, and candlelight merely enhances the darkness and gloom, and Darcy wonders, generally speaking.

Anyone with any knowledge - even passing - of Austen and/or the long nineteenth century will be better off avoid this cumbersome narrative.