As I prepare for my final term paper I realized that I hadn't yet posted some of my independent study readings.

39.
Title: [The Woman in White]
Author: Wilkie Collins
Genre: Victorian Gothic
Medium: Broadview Paperback
Acquisition: Victorian IS Reading
Date Completed: Spring 2016
Rating: ******

Wilkie Collins' The Woman in White is a wonderfully gothic sensation novel, rich in themes of morality, madness, deceit, and romance. Walter Hartright (heart - right) is engaged as a drawing instructor in a wealthy country household, and, predictably, falls in love with the beautiful sister, Laura.  Thematically consistent is Laura's standing engagement to the reprehensible Sir Percival Glyde, to whom Laura promises herself at her father's deathbed, and to whom she is married in the early course of the novel.  Glyde is not what he appears to be, and his repugnant characteristics reveal themselves as a mysterious young woman, Anne, makes herself known as a one-time childhood companion of Laura, devotee to Laura's late mother, and keeper of a secret that threatens Glyde in some mysterious way.  Though many of these narrative devices and themes are consistent within the genre, to the point of near-cliche, Collins masterfully builds mystery and suspense, serving his readers both what they expect of the material, while using strong characterization to heighten the reader's engagement with the narrative.  The reader will shrink from Glyde, mistrusting his actions, and feeling anxiety over Laura; though traditionally pathetic, Laura's strong character allows for a level of sympathy occasionally denied heroines her her position; Count and Countess Fosco are perhaps even less trustworthy than their friend and host, Gylde, and loom ominously around the edges of the narrative, and so forth.  That the romantic lead Walter is a shallow wash of a character does not hinder the plot, but rather allows for the substitution of one's own romantic figure in his place, allowing a personal entry into the narrative for maximum fantasizing.

For my own purposes and writing, Anne is the most engaging character, and her relationship to Laura provides a point of fascination.  The titular "woman in white," Anne is both phantom and fleshly, represented as slightly mad and therefore less trustworthy, but a keeper of some of the most extraordinary knowledge in the novel.  In reading the material construction of identity, I am struck by the other characters' reading of her blanched wardrobe, and its purported significance, not so far from a time when such choices would be fashionable and romantic.  Significant, too, is her status as a doppelganger, and the machinations surrounding this pot device.  I find it difficult to go further without spoiling the mystery of the novel, but promise to make good use of these points in my final semester writing.

Highly recommended for fans of the Victorian or the Gothic.

40.
Title: [The Odd Women]
Author: George Gissing
Genre: Victorian
Medium: Broadview Paperback
Acquisition: Victorian IS Reading
Date Completed: Spring 2016
Rating: ****

The position of women in nineteenth-century England cannot be over-exaggerated: they are victimized at every level of society, and have to fight extraordinary social and political battles to attain even the most basic rights. Gissing's The Odd Women works to illustrate society's failure in relation to unmarried women specifically, Gissing's "odd" women being the "redundant" women of Rathbone's lamentation.  The novel opens with the orphaning of the Madden sisters, daughters of a physician of various ages and levels of education, none of whom are prepared for self-support.  When Dr. Madden's untimely demise leaves the girls to fend for themselves they, as a rule, fail, and the novel follows the regrettable existence of half of these daughters, along with their bluestocking friend, Rhoda.  The text works hard to reveal social ills, and to illustrate the efforts being made to rectify these shortcomings.  Critically, Gissing's work feels extraordinary, and is a significant critique that belongs on any introductory English or gender studies syllabus.  Personally, I did not enjoy the text; the Madden sisters in their poor state are wooden ad monochromatically pathetic, and so while I lament greatly their position my emotional response comes wholly from my own historical research rather than the narration of the sisters themselves.  Similarly, I found Rhoda to be exceptionally abrasiveness, and while I enjoy her position, and can laugh at some of her extremist views, I found her to be ineffective for my own current position. Final thoughts: important and useful social text, but not necessarily an engaging personal read.

11.
Title: [One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest]
Author: Ken Kesey
Genre: Fiction
Medium: Paperback
Acquisition: Work Text
Date Completed: February 10, 2016
Rating: *****

Last spring, I concluded my Kesey lectures offering a defense of Nurse Ratched, suggesting that gender politics and perspective potentially color her unfairly; this semester my current studies in Masculinity inspired me to take another look at Dale Harding, and I spent a wonderfully heated morning discussing with students whether or not Harding may be the true antagonist.  I'm not sure if I won everyone over, but it was a fantastic exercise, both for the gender studies potential, and to encourage students to push back and become active participants in discourse, especially when they disagree with the rhetorical "authority" figure.

Now, on to [North and South], [Manliness and Civilization], and [We Have Always Lived in the Castle].

47.
Title: [Out]
Author: Natsuo Kirino
Genre: Fiction
Medium: Paperback
Acquisition: Library Book
Pages Read: 150
Reason Abandoned:  Lifeless characters, and a general sense of drudgery. 

48.
Title: [Logicomix: An Epic Search for Truth]
Author: Apostolos Doxiadis and Christos H. Papadimitriou
Genre: Graphic Nonfiction
Medium: Paperback
Acquisition: Library Book
Pages Read: 151
Reason Abandoned: Greater responsibilities.  Logicomix, a graphic account of the life of Bertrand Russell and the "search for absolute truth," has great promise.  The art is well-suited to the subject, and the authors carefully balance reader expectations to provide significant information and necessary explanations, while respecting a general sense of intelligence.  This is of the sort of graphic text to which I gravitate, and I hope to return to it once my summer classes have completed.  But for now it must go back to the library. 

49.
Title: [Call the Midwife: Farewell to the East End]
Author: Jennifer Worth
Genre: Memoir
Medium: Paperback
Acquisition: Library Book
Date Completed: June 17, 2014
Rating: ***

This text marks the end of memoir and the beginning of fiction, as far as the PBS show is concerned.  What I appreciate most about this volume is the finality it provides - here, Worth not only tells of her patients, but of the future lives of the nuns, Trixie, Chummy, and the rest.  This kind of resolution is often unavailable for memoirs, and is all the more satisfactory for it.  If for nothing else, I'd recommend this book for just those ends. 

50.
Title: [Zine]
Author: Pagan Kennedy
Genre: Memoir
Medium: Paperback
Acquisition: Early Review
Date Completed: June 20, 2014
Rating: **

You had to be there, I think.  To a reader greatly removed from the culture which first inspires Pagan Kennedy's 'zine, and suffering from the blog over-saturation which can be attributed to this kind of self-publishing, the text seems shallow.  The reprint includes the original introduction, in which Kennedy cites a few years of "growing up" and growing away from her 'zine, which of course leads her to publish a response and a collection.  As an artifact, it is interesting - I've known of the phenomenon, but only ever witnessed the tail-end, so I did appreciate the opportunity to see the reproductions of one such self-publication.  The content, however, held no interest, and it became a great chore to wade through the original publications to get to her later responses and self evaluations.  Kennedy's memoir is interesting, but I'd far prefer her current reflections than her past work.

All of that being said, I think this would be a wonderful text for someone more invested in this particular cultural movement, the history of social texts, or the recent history of self-publishing.  

51.
Title: [The Dark is Rising]
Author: Susan Cooper
Genre: YA Fantasy
Medium: Paperback
Acquisition: Library Book
Pages Read: 100


52.
Title: [The Private Letters of Countess Erzsébet Báthory]
Author: Kimberly L. Craft
Genre: Nonfiction/History
Medium: Paperback
Acquisition: Purchased
Date Completed: June 15, 2014
Rating: **

Craft herself, in her introduction, states that this collection of letters is intended to serve as a supplement to her text Infamous Lady.  For those, like myself, who have not read her book, Craft provides a brief synopsis, and then jumps into the translated letters of Countess Báthory. I purchased the book in the interest of gaining insight into a feared historical figure, but with no preconceived notions - I was not looking for a gory confession, but had an inkling that a sympathetic scholar may try to salvage her reputation in some way.  The body of material Craft has to work with is distressingly small, which is no fault to her - most of Countess Báthory's letters have been lost or destroyed, so the body of evidence is slim. 

Ultimately, though, this volume is less a text of Báthory's, and more a text of Craft's; the points of interpretations and analysis suffocate the letters, and casts shadows of doubt on the translations themselves.  The text does not well represent Báthory's voice, but rather uses the voice Craft has constructed for the historical figure.  Craft's presence in the text detracts from the interest, and ultimately the book fails to be truly a collection of private letters, and is instead another analysis of Countess Erzsébet Báthory. 

44. 
Title: [Shadows of the Workhouse]
Author: Jennifer Worth
Genre: Memoir
Medium: Paperback
Acquisition: Library Book
Date Completed: June 1, 2014
Rating: ****

Having read one Worth before, and as an avid fan of the television show, the stories found in Shadows of the Workhouse are neither new nor surprising, but remain deeply moving. The stories told here show greater depth and consideration than what I've read and seen before, and I appreciated the additional details, and a great sense of "Nurse Lee" as a person. I cried more than once reading this book. 

43.
Title: [Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane]
Author: Suzanne Collins
Genre: YA Science Fiction
Medium: Paperback
Acquisition: Library Book
Date Completed: May 27, 2014
Rating: ****

The second in the Underland Chronicles series, Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane follows the titular character when he returns to the Underland, believing his toddler sister Boots has been kidnapped by cockroaches.  As prophecy has dictated, Gregor finds himself again at the service of Regalia in their constant struggle with the gnawers, and sets out to hunt down and kill the Bane.  With stronger pacing than the first, The Prophecy of Bane is a more engaging read, and promises further growth.  The colleague who first recommended Collins' series suggested that one can find ghosts of her now-famous Hunger Games characters in this underground world, spotting strong similarities in character between Haymitch and Ripred and the like.  It's fun to see where some personalities first make their appearances, and I will probably always imagine Ripred drinking himself silly, and Haymitch with a tail.  

42.
Title: [Real World]
Author: Natsuo Kirino
Genre: Fiction
Medium: Hardback
Acquisition: Library Book
Pages Completed: 65
Date Completed Abandoned: May 27, 2014
Rating: *

One morning a teenage girl hears a crash next door, and finds out later that the woman living there has been beaten to death; her son - called Worm - is suspected.  What follows is four girls' involvement with Worm in the aftermath of his crime.  I can appreciate gritty and noir, but I've had enough of dead mothers and self-centered angsty teenagers.  Every page was tortuous for its unrelenting self infatuation; I didn't even care to keep reading to find out why he did it (or if, in fact, he really did).  On to better things.

31.
Title: [The Ghost Bride]
Author: Yangsze Choo
Genre: Fiction
Medium: Hardback
Acquisition: Library Book
Date Completed: May 9, 2014
Rating: ***

Yangsze Choo's The Ghost Bride offers an intriguing narrative, but fails to develop the story to its potential.  Li Lan, a young woman whose dreams are plagued by a repugnant posthumous suitor, is often obtuse, trusting where it's obvious she shouldn't, and almost exclusively seeking others to save her from her choices.  It is difficult to remain engaged in the slow plot, despite a predisposition to such otherworldly stories; if not for the final developments (and, really, the final line), the story would not rate even three stars, but the final twist redeems an otherwise lackluster folktale. 

32.

Title: [Raven Girl]
Author: Audrey Niffenegger
Genre: Fable
Medium: Hardback
Acquisition: Library Book
Date Completed: May 12, 2014
Rating: *****

Audrey Niffenegger's Raven Girl, about a young woman whose parents are a raven and a postman, recalls the tradition of fables and folktales, with an acceptance of the absurd, and no predisposition to explain or elaborate on the surreal.  That a postman would fall in love with a raven is of no question, and that the two could wed and produce a daughter goes unchallenged, even when the daughter becomes engaged in the world beyond their small home.  The plight of the Raven Girl is suggestive of transgendered children, as she feels wrong in the form in which she is born, and longs to be other.  She eventually meets a doctor willing to help her seek her better form, with complicated and beautiful consequences.  The tale is wonderfully disturbing on some levels, and highly sympathetic on every level.  This is a beautiful book and a beautiful story for readers young and old.

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. 

53.
Title: [Affliction]
Author: Laurell K. Hamilton
Pages: 576
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Medium: Hardback
Acquisition: Preordered
Date Completed: July 4, 2013
Rating: ****

The debates surrounding Laurell K. Hamilton's 20-year-old series have grown far too heated for me to offer much of a review; I just don't care enough to slug it out with other readers. As usual, Hamilton delivers what I've come to expect, while touching on the popular trends in fiction today. The one specific comment I will offer is this: I could barely stomach the moment of "religious vision" in the hospital. I fully intend to continue reading the series for the general enjoyment I find, but if that's the next turn Hamilton will take even I will have to abandon ship. 

54.
Title: [Newes from the Dead]
Author: Mary Hooper
Pages: 272
Genre: Fiction
Medium: Hardback
Acquisition: Library Book
Date Completed: July 5, 2013
Rating: *****

In 1650 Anne Greene is hanged for murder, and "miraculously" revived as she lays on the dissection table.  From this true account, documented in publications from the time, Mary Hooper spins an intriguing narrative, told both from Anne's perspective as she lies trapped in a kind of coma, and the young medical student who becomes the corpse's champion as the first to notice her fluttering eyelids. Though Hooper professes that she has done her research, she first admits that this is a work of fiction, and there is no doubt she takes countless liberties.  Still, the end result is a charming (and occasionally claustrophobic) young adult novel that may well spark an interest in history. 

55.
Title: Gabriella
Author: Celia Kyle
Pages: 79
Genre: Paranormal BBW Romance
Medium: Kindle
Acquisition:
Date Completed: July 7, 2013
Rating: *

It's not at all worth the purchase price. The women have completely repulsive personalities, and I still don't understand how one includes homophobic remarks in a polyamorous "romance."

45. 
Title: [The Death of Sweet Mister]
Author: Daniel Woodrell
Pages: 240
Genre: Fiction
Medium: Hardback
Acquisition:
Date Completed: June 10
Rating: *****

Daniel Woodrell's The Death of Sweet Mister is as poetic as it is repulsive. Though the jacket informs readers that the narrative takes place in the Ozarks, apparently like Woodrell's other works, there is an every-place feel to the story that allows the reader to imagine the events in a time and place of want and need that may be more familiar. It is a story of poverty, crime, and abuse, with a startling conclusion that fully emphasizes the impact of the title.  This is an ugly and at time horrifying LT friend recommendation that moved me as much as promised.


46.
Title: [Dead Men Do Tell Tales]
Author: William R. Maples
Pages: 304
Genre: Nonfiction
Medium: Paperback
Acquisition:
Date Completed: June 11
Rating: *****

In one chapter of Dead Me Do Tell Tales, Dr. Maples recounts being asked if his job was anything like a particular television program I've never heard of.  No, he would say, and expressed desire for the protagonist's brilliant assistant that helped the scientist solve cases in mere days.  As such, the good doctor wouldn't likely appreciate a comparison between his life's work and "Bones," but it's just this which first drew me to the book, and I was not disappointed.  Maples is an actual forensic anthropologist, and his book shares his thoughts on the development of the science, its successes, and where he hopes it will go in the future, supported by often gruesome professional anecdotes. I found the former-English-major's narrative to be entertaining and informative, without surging too far above my head.  I've had this on my shelf for some time now, and I'm very glad I finally got around to reading it.  

47. 
Title: [Death on Demand]
Author: Carolyn G. Hart
Pages:
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Medium: Kindle
Acquisition: Library Book
Date Completed: June 13, 2013
Rating: ***

Just another cozy mystery, which I'll likely forget in another week.  It wasn't the worst I've read, but it's largely unremarkable. The plot seems to borrow elements from other cozies just like the characters borrow quips from mystery novels I've never read.  I suppose I'm just not enough of a mystery devotee to sympathize with mystery shop owners solving alarmingly frequent murders in very small communities. 

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. 

8. 
Title: [Tiger Lily]
Author: Jodi Lynn
Pages: 304
Genre: YA
Medium: Kindle
Acquisition: Library Book
Date Completed: January 30, 2012
Rating: ***

9-10. 
Title: [An Alpha's Path] and [A Taste for a Mate]
Author: Carrie Ann Ryan
Pages: 336
Genre: Paranormal romance
Medium: Kindle
Acquisition: Library Book
Date Completed: January 28, 2012
Rating: **1/2

I picked up Redwood Pack Vol. 1 (which contains the first two books in the series), because the title of a later novella caught my interest.  The most prominent feature of Ryan's books is her apparent failure of freshman level English; the grammatical errors are prevalent, and speak to both a poor grasp of mechanics on the part of the author, plus a terrible editor.  The narrative itself is formulaic werewolf paranormal romance, and actually fairly meta, as it is saturated with references to "romance novels."

11. 
Title: [Trinity Bound]
Author: Carrie Ann Ryan
Pages: 359
Genre: Paranormal romance
Medium: Kindle
Acquisition: Library Book
Date Completed: January 30, 2012
Rating: ***

For being such a "strong" pack of werewolves, it certainly is easy for enemies to sneak in and make off with selected individuals (usually defenseless female mates, of course, but in this case one of the weaker sons of the Alpha, who meets his own mates in the course of their escape).  What makes this text more appealing than the last is the exploration of a nontraditional relationship: a male werewolf (the alpha of the relationship), a human ex-SEAL, and a female witch.  I enjoyed watching the characters explore what I felt were natural uncertainties and nervousness, and appreciated that sexuality did not necessarily determine gender identity.  Formulaic and in need of an editor, yes, but thankfully less than the previous two. 

12.
Title: [Blurred Expectations]
Author: Carrie Ann Ryan
Pages: 73
Genre: Paranormal romance
Medium: Kindle
Acquisition: Library Book
Date Completed: January 30, 2012
Rating: **

The story that sparked my interest: the "trinity" from my last entry, attempting (and failing) to conceive.  My curiosity now sated, I doubt I will return to The Redwood Pack. 

13.
Title: [One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest]
Author: Ken Kesey
Pages: 320
Genre: Fiction
Medium: Paperback
Acquisition: Work Text
Date Completed: January 31, 2012
Rating: *****

This text has generated some very interesting and thoughtful discussions this semester - Kesey's novel is a keeper. 

74.
Title: [Deep Kiss of Winter]
Author: Kresley Cole and Gena Showalter
Pages: 436
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Medium: Kindle
Acquisition:
Date Completed: December 11, 2012
Rating: **1/2

I've encountered both of these authors with varying success before, and as I approach a paper on paranormal romance I thought jumping into this pairing would be a good step back into the genre.  Both works, as this marketing scheme requires, are loosely related to a single idea used to bind the two stories together, with a bit of fan-girl-fawning over each other in the acknowledgements.  Cole's is certainly the stronger story, although neither is particularly captivating. Fans of either should stick with solo publications.  

75.
Title: [Anna Dressed in Blood]
Author: Kendare Blake
Pages: 320
Genre: YA Horror
Medium: Hardback
Acquisition: Library Book
Date Completed: December 12, 2012
Rating: ****

Anna Dressed in Blood is a true ghost story, of the kind that so often mark a horror enthusiast's early introduction to the genre.  This begins as the kind of story I would "sneak" out of the library and read under the covers, a la Scary Stories to Read in the Dark.  Cas is a ghost-hunter who, like his father, is dedicating his life to sending back murderous spirits.  He takes up the athame after his father ultimately lost who own battle with such a spirit, and with his witch mother travels the country, trying to keep the living safe from the dead.  As has to happen in YA novels, something is different about this ghost - Anna Dressed in Blood - and Cas finds himself with unlikely accomplices, despite his years of solo work. 

Blake wonderfully weaves in traditional ghost stories into this plot, giving audiences the hitchhiker and the haunted house that are so often abandoned after summer camps are a thing of the past.  Anna Dressed in Blood favorably reminds me of I Am Not a Serial Killer, and like the latter has what I'll call an "unnecessary element" that detracts from narrative.  Overall, the book is highly successful, and highly enjoyable. 

76.
Title: [Penelope]
Author: Rebecca Harrington
Pages: 120 read before giving up
Genre: Fiction
Medium: Paperback
Acquisition: Library Book
Date Completed:
Rating: **

I can understand why people would find this book entertaining, and even why people would like Penelope, the socially awkward and completely human Harvard freshman trying to find her way.  Personally, I found Penelope overly immature and dull, and found the social interactions even less interesting than when I myself was in college.  Penelope is not for me. 

77.
Title: [The Darkest Prison]
Author: Gena Showalter
Pages: ?  LT says 448, but there's no way
Genre: Supernatural Romance
Medium: Kindle
Acquisition:
Date Completed: December 13, 2012
Rating: ***

Standard fare. 

78.
Title: [Amittyville Horrible]
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Pages:
Genre:
Medium: Kindle
Acquisition:
Date Completed: December 13, 2012
Rating: ****

When Armstrong concluded her Otherwood series with Thirteen she promised fans that this wouldn't be the last they'd see of the characters they'd come to love, and with the novella/short story "Amittyville Horrible" she keeps that promise.  This one follows Jamie, necromancer, as she's roped into another reality special - "for charity."  Like always, Armstrong is consistent with her characters, paces the stories well, and offers a twist I didn't expect.  "Amittyville Horrible" is a very fun read. 

79.
Title: [Delirium]
Author: Lauren Oliver
Pages: 480
Genre: YA Dystopian
Medium: Kindle
Acquisition: Borrowed from the library
Date Completed: December 17, 2012
Rating: **

Love is identified as a fatal disease, a "cure" is found, and the US closes its borders as it pushes to eradicate human connection in pursuit of "happiness."  Yes, you've stumbled upon a YA dystopian.  And, of course, this means that a rebellion is brewing, and our perfectly plain and unassuming protagonist is in for dangerous romance, rebellion, and chaos. 

Delirium was listed by a colleague as being one of "the best" of the genre, and if this is true then I would have to identify the genre as one that is inherently weak.  The story is trite and the plot devices are shallow; that an author would actually say that love is a disease is sophomoric and uninteresting, overshadowing all that could be redeemable in the narrative. 

71. Title: [We Sinners] Author: Hanna Pylväinen Pages: 208 Genre: Fiction Medium: Hardcover Acquisition: LT rec from Padre, library book Date Completed: November 20, 2012 Rating: **** We Sinners follows a family of eleven who belong to a claustrophobicly-conservative Lutheran sect that bans everything from television to "music with a beat." Though their religion seems surreal from an outside perspective, the members of the family prove to be all too human. The father struggles with anger, stress, and anxiety, the mother struggles with making the right choices for her nine children, and the children find themselves split as they find their way through contemporary America. The characters are sympathetic and horrifying - and sometimes both. The story is compelling, and the narrative is clear and engaging. 72. Title: [The Girl in the Clockwork Collar] Author: Kady Cross Pages: 416 Genre: Steampunk Teen Medium: Hardcover Acquisition: Library book Date Completed: November 22, 2012 Rating: *** Highly predictable and self-indulgent, but distracting. I find that I can appreciate books of this sort more when they're borrowed rather than purchased.

63. 
Title: [The Family Fang]
Author: Kevin Wilson
Pages: 336
Genre: Fiction
Medium: Kindle
Acquisition:
Date Completed: October 7, 2012
Rating: ***

Not so long ago, an "artist" "preformed" the birth of her son in a gallery, and announced that his poor life would from that moment become her art.  I still find every aspect of this repugnant, so my reading of The Family Fang leads me to see the novel as far too pertinent.  Following the present and past "works" of the "artists" known as the Fang Family, the novel focuses on the self-absorption of the parents, and the deep psychological damage done to children who are used by their parents. (I would argue that Annie and Buster would be just as fragile if their parents pushed them in other occupations as strongly as they do their performance art.)  Why just three stars?  A lack of sympathy; the characters are too flawed for me to connect, leaving the narrative feeling dry and distant.  In my reading, there is only one character worth saving, and her  partial redemption is my only comfort in reading this novel. 

64.  
Title: [Feed]
Author: M.T. Anderson
Pages: 320
Genre: YA Dystopian
Medium: Kindle
Acquisition:
Date Completed: October 14, 2012
Rating: **

At a panel on Dystopian YA at the MWPCA Conference, one of speakers heralded Feed as one of the classics of dystopian fiction - specifically dystopian YA - that will stand the test of time, even when the current trend fades.  As a fan of the genre, I rushed to buy this supposedly genius work (of which I had previously heard nothing). 

The kindest thing I can say about this novel is that it is annoying.  Attempting Burgess-like dialect and slang, Anderson's text, while demonstrating the deterioration of intellect caused by the use of the Feed and the impossibility of full communication in the present society, grows stale within just a few pages, and serves as nothing more than a hindrance to the story as a whole.  The ideas are themselves unoriginal; or, if Anderson is the original creator, then his novel has not stood the test of time in keeping his original ideas fresh and interesting.  I would argue that this novel is not a "classic" to remain current throughout time; this is certainly no Fahrenheit 451.

65.
Title: [Lies Beneath]
Author: Anne Greenwood Brown
Pages: 320
Genre: YA
Medium: Kindle
Acquisition: Borrowed from Library
Date Completed: October 17, 2012
Rating: ***1/2

The folkloric history of mermaids is far more sinister than Disney allows, and Brown's mermaids are more of a traditional cast than the animated re-imagining.   I appreciate any text that continues to portray monsters as monsters, as the current trend is to romanticize anything that would really like to eat you. Brown's novel is engaging, if somewhat shallow and predictable, and manages well the expectations of the genre. 

62.
Title: [The Crossing Places]
Author: Elly Griffiths
Pages: 320
Genre: Cozy mystery
Medium: Kindle
Acquisition:
Date Completed: September 23, 2012
Rating: ***

There is nothing sensational about The Crossing Places, other than its slightly-odd sensationalizing of archeology (although this isn't that odd, as shows like "Bones" have already done exactly this).  The mysteries are painfully obvious from the first, and so the book offers little in the way of surprise or suspense.  Instead, this becomes a novel about characters, many of whom are shallow, two-dimensional, and downright dull. 

However, despite her many many (human) failings, I found myself sympathetic to Dr. Ruth Galloway; she is a character who is insecure and truly doesn't know her own worth (which can be irritating), but this is tempered by her confidence in her academic field.  This confidence is what saves Ruth for me as a character. 

There is one plot twist that I actually didn't expect, and for this reason I am actually likely to pick up the second book.  Eventually. 

58.
Title: Memories of my Melancholy Whores
Author: Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Pages: 128
Genre: Fiction
Medium: Hardback
Acquisition:
Date Completed: August 4, 2012
Rating: *****

"The Professor" is an old man, and to celebrate the luck of reaching longevity he decides to celebrate his old age in the ordinary sort of way: he will deflower a very young virgin (the younger the better). 

Having never had sex that he didn't pay for (he claims), the Professor calls a madam whom he has known for much of his extended life, and she proclaims that it is impossible, that he is asking far too much, and that she will call him back within an hour. 

As he waits - both for the call, and then for his selected companion to wake from her sleep of utter exhaustion - the reader is treated to an account of some of his escapades, and his reflection on what it means to be old.  The protagonist demonstrates the conceit of the elderly, comfortable that his audience must be interested in his story simply because it is a story he wishes to tell.  The Professor is not an extraordinary man, nor is he even an interesting man, and yet there is charm in his narrative style, and it is this charm that captivates the reader and tricks the audience into believing he may actually be interesting.  

The rising action of the novel is minimal, as most is spent in past reflection of perhaps unusual convictions related to the evolving sexuality of a man, and the few relationships he has had with women (from his mother to a failed fiance to the few prostitutes whom he speaks of as people).  His frustration provides satisfaction for the audience, and the hard-won resolution is perfectly balanced.

Memories of my Melancholy Whores is fascinating and lyrical, and recommended. 

59. 
Title: The Fifth Child
Author: Dorris Lessing
Pages: 144
Genre: Fiction
Medium: Kindle
Acquisition: Recommend by Linda
Date Completed: August 24, 2012
Rating: *****

Before his birth, Harriett decides that her fifth child is a monster.  As he kicks and struggles in her womb - far too unlike the butterflies of her previous four children - she imagines herself in a struggle with the developing fetus, and wages war with sedatives and physical exertion.  This child is the unwanted child - the child who is conceived far too soon, the child who cannot be welcomed even before his birth, the child who is so different from his four fair older siblings. 

Although occasionally "Poor Ben," the fifth child is more often referred to as "the brute" or "the monster," and his family - Harriett most often - ponders from where this deformed and depraved being could have come - what goblin city or alien world could spawn such a creature.  He is the home-wrecker, the psychopath who seeks to harm his older, cherished siblings even in infancy, the freak of physical development whose strength marks him as something to be feared as opposed to a child to be loved. 

The Fifth Child is a horror story, but the true monsters aren't those identified by the protagonists.  Lessing's novel is a chilling tale of selfishness and cruelty which can leave the reader fearing of the monsters she shares, and those still to come. 

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. 

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.