9.
Title: [One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest]
Author: Ken Kesey
Genre: Fiction
Medium: Paperback
Acquisition: Work Book
Date Completed: January 31, 2014
Rating: ****

I'm leading three separate preparations this semester, and will actually be revisiting Kesey's madhouse in a few weeks...

10.
Title: [Curtsies and Conspiracies]
Author: Gail Carriger
Genre: "Science Fiction" (I'm very interested in how different libraries label this series differently)
Medium: Hardback
Acquisition: Library Book
Date Completed: February 1, 2014
Rating: ***

Curtsies and Conspiracies, the second in Gail Carriger's steampunk-esque Finishing School series, is not quite as tittering and titillating as the first; the interest I found is grounded mostly in my interest in The Parasol Protectorate, and the history that now unfolds.  This second book has similarly silly charm, but isn't wonderful on its own merits. 

The covers of this series are much better than the former, I will say. 


11. 
Title: [MacRieve]
Author: Kresley Cole
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Medium: Hardback
Acquisition: Library Book
Date Completed: February 2, 2014
Rating: ****

I find Kresley Cole problematic; she introduces strong female characters, subjects them to extremely brutal circumstances (both emotional and physical), in which they find their "love." The problem is that the "love" is the individual responsible for their torment, and they far too quickly forgive-and-forget - she introduces the idea of "fated mates" to justify rape, shows care by kidnappers, and has one character literally vivisected after being captured by the man she would come to care for.  My "last straw" was Lothaire, which has the protagonist engaging in sexual acts to save her own life, once she is abducted by the titular character. 

I resisted MacRieve both for its own sake - which promises a "slave trade" - and my past experience for the series.  Morbid curiosity eventually lead me to find it in the library.  Ultimately, I was very pleasantly surprised.  Yes, the female protagonist faces great challenges, and even emotional abuse at the hands of her intended, but the titular character himself is reasonably conflicted, and not simply cruel or sadistic.  The story is one of overcoming prejudices (and the emotional turmoil this can generate) as opposed to abuse, and the resolution seems far more reasonable than many others in the series.  For overall improvement, I will happily give this novel four stars.

12. 
Title: [House of Dead Maids]
Author: Clare B. Dunkle
Genre: YA Horror
Medium: Hardback
Acquisition: Library Book
Date Completed: February 6, 2014
Rating: **
This book is not, as the author contends, a prelude to Wuthering Heights; the connection to Bronte's gothic novel is an accident if epilogue, awkward, forced, and without function. It does not follow with either it's supposed source or the time at which it was written, and so failed to meet even one of my limited expectations. It is, however, a juvenile ghost story, and were I twenty years younger just the kind of story I would adore. So, I would argue this novel is best for very young audiences, but anyone over nine, looking for the Heathcliff they know, will be greatly disappointed.

13. 
Title: [Bonds of Denial]
Author: Lynda Aicher
Genre: M/M Romance
Medium: Kindle
Acquisition: Purchase
Date Completed: February 8, 2014
Rating: ****1/2

The genre designation of "romance"  is somewhat comical; the genre can be raunchy, flirty, fun, outrageous, disturbing, or just plain goofy, but they very rarely come across as romantic.  To date, I don't know that I would call any of the "romance" novels I read just that, until now.  In Bonds of Desire, which apparently comes somewhere in the middle of an established series, a closeted ex-military security expert finds himself infatuated with a gay escort who frequents the S/M club of which he is a partial owner.  Deeply ashamed of himself and his sexuality, it is an act of bravery that leads him to schedule his crush's services, only to panic and flee.  What follows is a touching and sweet story of two men helping each other find peace in their identities and personal lives, lending support and understanding that neither believes it possible.  It was simply lovely. 

14.
Title: [We Have Always Lived in the Castle]
Author: Shirley Jackson
Genre: Gothic, Mystery, Satire
Medium: Paperback
Acquisition: Work Text
Date Completed: February 9, 2014
Rating: ****1/2

Wonderfully complex ideas on genre, society, madness, and the power of stories.