78.
Title: [Night of the Living Deed]
Author: E.J. Copperman
Pages: 336
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Medium: Paperback
Acquisition: Library Book
Date Completed: November 17, 2013
Rating: **1/2

A (bitter) divorcee and her young daughter buy an old Victorian on the Jersey shore with the hopes of running a sustainable guesthouse, and soon find that the previous owner and a detective haven't quite made a full exit.  As a whole, the novel is one-dimensional, and there is no shred of sympathy to be had for any of the characters.  I was hoping for another crossover between my favorite genres, but this series will not be it. 

79.
Title: Student Essays
Author: 114 Students
Pages:  1,500
Genre:
Medium: Electronic
Acquisition:
Date Completed: November 21, 2013
Rating:


80.
 Title: [The Importance of Being Earnest]
Author: Oscar Wilde
Pages: 
Genre: Drama
Medium: Paperback
Acquisition: Work Text
Date Completed: November 15, 2013
Rating: ****1/2

This was my first semester teaching The Importance of Being Earnest, and my first time in a long while teaching Wilde.  Generally, my students had been complaining about the number of tragedies we read, and most appreciated a turn to comedy.  It went over fairly well, and I focused on an argument of vanity as part of our class analysis, emphasizing that the characters are essentially replicas, that all speak in the voice of Wilde, and that the work is an expression and act of vanity in itself. It was very interesting to read it in the context of his immediate trials, too. 

81. 
Title: The Norton Anthology of Short Stories, [The Oxford Book of Essays], Literature: An Introduction, Pratchett, Roach, and a Poe in a Pear Tree. 
Author: Several
Pages:   38 short stories and articles, 16 poems, misc. chapters on grammar and rhetoric
Genre: Varied
Medium: Electronic
Acquisition:
Date Completed: November 27, 2013
Rating: 

82. 
Title: [No Way to Kill a Lady]
Author: Nancy Martin
Pages: 368
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Medium: Paperback
Acquisition: Library
Date Completed: November 24, 2013
Rating: ****

When dynasties fall, colorful characters - and deeds - come out of the woodwork.  In No Way to Kill a Lady the reader is treated to a skeezy cousin, a crumbling castle, and a body in an elevator.  This is one of the more compelling mysteries in the series, with satisfying family melodrama to accentuate a rather curious murder victim. 

83. 
Title: [Little Black Book of Murder]
Author: Nancy Martin
Pages: 384
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Medium: Hardback
Acquisition: Library
Date Completed: November 25, 2013
Rating: ****

The most recent book in the Blackbird Sisters mysteries is a bit of a mixed bag.  There is conflict in Nora's job that challenges the suspension of disbelief, and creates a position greater for her than one could believe she has.  However, Martin offers wonderful personal resolution on several fronts, making the novel satisfying in the long run.  

84.   
Title: [Mistresses: A History of the Other Woman]
Author: Elizabeth Abbott
Pages: 512
Genre: Nonfiction, memoir
Medium: Hardback
Acquisition: Library
Date Completed: December 10, 2013
Rating: **

 From the title, I assumed it would be a history of the position of mistresses, looking at laws, social expectations, and the changes in affairs throughout history.  Abbott does address much of this, but through encyclopedic memoirs of historically known mistresses.  What begins as an enthralling look at the lives of women who, by choice or (more often) force, find themselves in the beds of married or emotionally unavailable men, becomes as odious as the mechanical sexual chores by the time Abbott reaches Hitler - and there's still another half to go.

Though I have no qualms with the research, which seems thoughtful and as complete as it can be, Abbott's writing is sophomoric, as she uses repetitive catchphrases to describe the same individuals (for example, repeatedly calling Jackie Kennedy "the world's most eligible widow" in the space of a few pages).  The text systematically dismisses wives - unless they becomes mistresses themselves - and shows little sympathy for the men in these relationships, unless it is to reveal them as foolish for their parts in the affairs. 

These stories - from Hagar to Eva Braun, through Marilyn Monroe and on to Simon de Beavoir - are already well known, so much so that the text as a whole is shallow for not giving the reader something more.  Additionally, Abbott butchers the mistresses of literature, writing Cliff's Notes to pad out a chapter that discusses everything from Jane Eyre to The Scarlet Letter, which contributes little and confuses the previously-established focus of the book.

Although some chapters were very interesting, the book as a whole was a chore to read for someone who is already familiar with most of the material.   

  
85. 
Title: [Claimed: Club Sin]
Author: Stacey Kennedy
Pages: 239
Genre: Erotica
Medium: Kindle
Acquisition:
Date Completed: December 2013

86. 
Title: [Scarlet]
Author: Marissa Meyer
Pages: 464
Genre: Science Fiction, YA, Revised Fairytale
Medium: Hardback
Acquisition: Library
Date Completed: December 24, 2013
Rating: ***

Initially, I was greatly disappointed with Scarlet; I did not find the novel to be nearly as compelling as the first, and I found the character of Scarlet to be forced and awkward, as the association with the fairy tale is clumsy at best.  However, once the parallel plot sequences involving the emperor and Cinder become more developed, the novel shifts, and becomes much more cohesive and thus entertaining.  I was pleased to see Cinder gain a few allies, and to see not only some of her past, but a plan for the future as well.

87. 
Title: [Into the Woods: Tales from the Hollows and Beyond]
Author: Kim Harrison
Pages: 528
Genre: Urban fantasy, short stories
Medium: Hardback
Acquisition: Library
Date Completed: December 30, 2013
Rating: **

This is a book for the uberfans, of which I am not one; Into the Woods is a collection of short stories, many of which detail how Rachel and her friends come to be. The stories themselves are sentimental and lacking strong development, providing some detail and intrigue for those who are deeply invested in the Hollows characters, but with little to interest those who may be less enthralled.  In this case, the low rating is indicative of audience: I am not the reader for whom Harrison is writing this collection. 

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. 

25.
Title: A Perfect Blood
Author: Kim Harrison
Pages: 448 pages
Genre: I don't even know what they're calling this genre this day. I used to call it generically "Horror"
Medium: Hardback
Acquisition: Preordered
Date Completed: March 1, 2012
Rating: ****1/2

Once upon a time, I swore off this series; I was frustrated with the recycled plots and Rachel's inability to progress and cope. However, I received the last Hollows book as part of the early review program, and Harrison won me back with progress and resolution.

A Perfect Blood continues some of that progress and development, and while some of the angst and emotional turmoil is still there it is well-tempered by the actual plot.

What is most compelling about A Perfect Blood are the antagonists: their mindless hate and extremists efforts are frightening.

I'm learning to like the new Rachel, and learning to enjoy the series again.

100.
Author: Kim Harrison
Title: Pale Demon
Publication: Paperback
Pages: 439 pages
Genre: horror
Acquisition: Early Review Copy
Date Completed: December 29, 2010
Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

Action, progress, character development, and resolution; Kim Harrison's Pale Demon, due out on February 22 2011, has everything that Black Magic Sanction is lacking, and has redeemed the Hollows series for me. I found the last few books in the series to be stagnant; there was no development or resolution offered, and it seemed to me like Harrison was recycling the same plot and wringing it for all it was worth. However, Pale Demon delivers on the promises of the past couple books, and settles several things once and for all, while still leaving room for future progress.

I would not have purchased Pale Demon after previous disappointments, but I enjoyed it immensely, and feel quite satisfied with where Harrison is heading. Pale Demon is entertaining and satisfying, and proved to be a great comeback.

42.
Author: Kim Harrison
Title: Black Magic Sanction
Publication: Hard back
Pages: 487 pages
Genre: Horror
Acquisition: Purchased February 23, 2010
Date Completed: May 22, 2010
Rating: 3 stars out of 5

I found it very difficult to invest myself in the latest Hollows book, Black Magic Sanction; although I purchased (and began reading) the book when it was first published in February, it has taken me until late May to finish my reading. Why? Because I found the first three hundred (plus) pages exhausting.

The narrative runs readers in circles. Rachel is dealing with the same problems time and time again, and never gains any grounds. The story itself jerks the reader from one place to another to another, and very little is actually accomplished or developed. Characters pop in and out seemingly at random, with very little rhyme or reason.

The most irritating aspect of this book is that Rachel herself has become stagnant. She's swamped by the same emotional and social difficulties that are introduced early in the series, and her inability to progress is the most exhausting aspect of the narrative.

However, a major character shift takes place around page 330 or so, and development truly begins. The final 160 pages move quickly, and Rachel herself seems to come alive again. Progress takes place in typical Harrison fashion, and the conclusion of the story is as successful as the beginning is tedious.

24. Harrison, Kim. White Witch, Black Curse. 504 pages. 3.2.09.

Not as entertaining as her previous novels.

25. Lee, Harper. To Kill a Mockingbird. 284 pages. 3.10.09.

As part of my reading list this year I have decided to return to some of the classics I read in grade school, and To Kill a Mockingbird was at the top of my list. At this point I'm not quite sure how I feel about the novel - I neither liked it, nor disliked it. The choice of narrator was brilliant on Lee's part, and I greatly appreciated seeing such poignant events through the eyes of children. Lee's writing style itself gives much to be admired, and is a wonderful example of a marriage between creativity and craftsmanship. However, the novel has left me with a feeling of melancholy that is keeping me from joyous praise.

My husband (who has never read the novel) insists that if we ever have a daughter he wants to name her Harper Lee. While the novel itself gave me no reason to reject the idea (as I originally thought it would), I still don't think I can agree. I recognize Lee's rightful place as a literary great, but didn't appreciate the novel enough to spend my life with her namesake.