35.
Title: [Princesses Behaving Badly]
Author: Linda Rodriguez McRobbie
Genre: Nonfiction
Medium: Hardback
Acquisition: Library Book
Date Completed: May 16, 2014
Rating: ***1/2

This book is just what it appears to be: a collection of brief snippets from the lives of women who do not always behave as various societies expect.  As with most books of this type, the content is extremely limited, and offers little depth.  However, McRobbie's narrative voice and sense of humor is appealing, offering a contemporary perspective on the often ludicrous and occasionally outrageous treatment these women have faced. 

36.
Title: [Cress]
Author: Marissa Meyer
Genre: Science Fiction
Medium: Hardback
Acquisition: Library Book
Date Completed: May 17, 2014
Rating: *****

After a lukewarm reading of Scarlet, which too greatly forces elements fairy tales into a bit of a slapdash story, I was wary of Cress. My hesitancy was completely unfounded, as the third book in the Lunar Chronicles is stellar (I couldn't avoid the pun).  Cress as a figure is sympathetic and interesting, and Meyers does well to weave her story into the narrative she has established over Cinder and Scarlet. Here, the allusions to the story of Rapunzel are well-integrated, flowing naturally into the whole as opposed to being forced by expectations. The further development of the previously-introduced characters is enthralling, with strong development and the promise of an exceptional crescendo.  I am won-over again, and cannot wait for the next (and perhaps final?) installment. 

37.
Title: [American Born Chinese]
Author: Gene Luen Yang
Genre: Graphic Novel
Medium: Paperback
Acquisition: Library Book
Date Completed: May 19, 2014
Rating: ***

I picked up American Born Chinese on the recommendation of a colleague; unfortunately, I did not find it as appealing as he.  The novel offers several strong messages, and promotes interest through three separate story lines that converge in the end. The artwork is very well suited to the story, and the episodic nature of the organization will keep readers engaged. So why just three stars?  Personal taste - it just wasn't for me. 

19.
Title: Ex Libris: Confessions of a Common Reader
Author: Anne Fadiman
Pages: 162 pages
Genre: Essays
Medium: Kindle
Acquisition:
Date Completed: February 10, 2012
Rating: ****

Anne Fadiman's collection of short essays on reading and literacy has won a LibraryThing stamp of approval, and I don't believe I can say anything that hasn't already been said. I found Fadiman's text to be good fun, and, as many other LT members, could certainly sympathize with much of what she says.

My particular delight, however, came in proofreading for the copious errors in her text immediately following the chapter on her compulsive proofreading...

20.
Title: Cinder
Author: Marissa Meyer
Pages: 400 pages
Genre: Science Fiction/ Fairytale Retelling
Medium: Kindle
Acquisition:
Date Completed: February 11, 2012
Rating: ****1/2

Marissa Meyer's retelling of "Cinderella" in Cinder is without a doubt my favorite fairytale retelling to date. Casting the protagonist as a cyborg in a plague-cursed futuristic world allowed Meyer to remain faithful to all of the traditions of the story while introducing her own creative elements. There is nothing surprising in the text - her "twists" can be spotted in the first fragment in which they are introduced - but the narrative remains interesting nonetheless. Cinder is good fun for anyone with an interest in fairytale retelling.