41.
Title: [Daughters of Darkness]
Author: L.J. Smith
Pages: 240
Genre: YA Horror
Medium: Paperback
Acquisition:
Date Completed: May 20, 2013
Rating: ***1/2

A reread from my childhood, just for good fun.  I'm working on an abstract for an academic volume on werewolves, and was looking for a particular passage that first sparked my interest in the project.

42. 
Title: [The Smoky Corridor]
Author: Chris Grabenstein
Pages: 336
Genre: YA Mystery Horror
Medium: Hardback
Acquisition: Library Book
Date Completed: May 22, 2013
Rating: ***1/2

Grabenstein's book caught my eye while the monsters and I were browsing the children's section at the library, and it proved to be good fun.  The protagonist is a middle-schooler who (along with his dog Zip) can see ghosts, who lead him to solve mysteries and save the day, with occasional help from his amazing and supportive stepmother. 

43. 
Title: [Citizen Vince]
Author: Jess Walter
Pages: 320
Genre: Fiction
Medium: Hardback
Acquisition: Library Book
Date Completed: May 24, 2013
Rating: **1/2

A donut-making conman in witness protection, a hooker with a heart of gold, a mob hitman who happens to appear in a small town (leaving a trail of bodies in his wake), and an ex-felon's moral dilemma over which 1980s presidential candidate to vote for.  What's not to like?

Plenty, including the pace, the protagonist, and a parallel plot about an honest cop that does nothing to develop the story.   I'm sure that fans of the genre would be more interested than I, but for me it was a real flop.

I loved the rather strange excerpt included in Housekeeping versus The Dirt, but apparently Hornby's recommendations are not for me.

44. 
Title: [Ever After]
Author: Kim Harrison
Pages: 448
Genre: Urban fantasy
Medium: Hardback
Acquisition: Pre-order
Date Completed: May 26, 2013
Rating: ***

It really says something about this book that I pre-ordered the book, started reading it, and managed to put it down for several months with no desire to go back. 

So why three stars?  When I finally did get around to finishing it I found the conclusion very satisfying. 

I've had a hard time with this series before, and Harrison at one point "won me back" when I happened to win an ARC that showed the first real progress and character development in the series.  Ever After, satisfying solution aside, is built on angst and vague descriptions of entirely magical fights that are just not engaging.  This book would be successful, in my opinion, if it ends up being the last of the series.  If it's not, it'll likely be the last that I read.