54.
Author: Neil Gaiman
Title: Smoke and Mirrors
Publication: Paperback
Pages: 365 pages
Genre: Short Fiction
Acquisition: LT Recommendation
Date Completed: July 15, 2010
Rating: 2 stars out of 5

Smoke and Mirrors was not to my taste. I found a few gems in the book, for for the most part I found the collection to be a bit much to swallow. Many of the stories simply fell flat, and the, er, poetry, was simply painful. As a whole, the collection made me feel like I was back in Freshman Creative Writing (which, coincidentally, is where I first heard of Neil Gaiman, as so many of my classmates cooed over the brilliance of American Gods).

Gaiman is typically hit-or-miss for me, and this volume just happens to be a strong "miss."

And I have to say, I disagree with Miami New Times, which calls Gaiman "Literature's rock star ... Among the most daring of writers around ..." I can't help but think the author of the quote isn't very well read.

53.
Author: Frank Wedekind
Title: Mine-Haha or On the Bodily Education of Young Girls
Publication: Paperback
Pages: 88 pages
Genre: Fiction
Acquisition: Early Review Copy
Date Completed: July 6, 2010
Rating: 5 stars out of 5

Mine-Haha is a mildly disturbing and completely enthralling novella about a mysterious boarding institution. The girls who attend the school care for each other almost from infancy, and they know little of their future. They are instructed in dance and music by a handful of instructors, and spend their prepubescence completely isolated. In the end they are thrust out into society, with nary a question about their future.

The narration is superb; it's told from the point of view of a woman looking back at her youth, and the story itself focuses on all the superficial details that are sure to make an impression on a young girl (clothing, jewelry, an accidental death, friendships, fear). The style gives the reader a sense of natural perception is an alien institution, and confirms the unspoken realities of this peculiar life. Mine-Haha presents a quiet exploration of sexuality and bodily consciousness, while developing a progressive technique of education, performance, and gender roles.

52.
Author: Madelyn Alt
Title: The Trouble with Magic
Publication: Paperback
Pages: 261 pages
Genre: Mystery
Acquisition: LT Recommendation by LibraryHag
Date Completed: July 5, 2010
Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

Ok, so LibraryHag didn't recommend this particular book, but she recently read the third (I think) in the series, and after reading about how much fun she had with it I decided to scoop up the first for a little fluff to pad all the work-related reading I'm wading through. And boy, it was fun!

Alt's cozy mystery really spoke to my own beliefs and interests, and she had me giggling or pursing my lips in all the right places. The Trouble with Magic is a bit clumsy at times, but it's nothing that you wouldn't find in any first-in-a-series book. I loved the characters, found the narrative to be well-paced, and had a grand old time. I'll certainly be looking for the rest of the series!

51.
Author: Catharine Arnold
Title: Bedlam: London and Its Mad
Publication: Paperback
Pages: 277 pages
Genre: Nonfiction
Acquisition: LT Recommendation by Ellie
Date Completed: July 2, 2010
Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Catharine Arnold's Bedlam traces the treatment of the unstable from medieval diagnosis to the current condition of local establishments in London. As the title promises, the book covers many institutions, and not just the notorious Bethlem which has gifted the English language with the term "bedlam". Ever-conscious of her readers, Arnold presents the history of madness and treatment in an entertaining fashion, and skillfully supplies readers with all information they need to truly understand the institution and its history. Bedlam traces the evolving social stigmas attached to madness, the treatments used throughout the ages, and short biographies of the men who decided to make the mad their life's work. As promised, Arnold provides detailed descriptions of public hospitals such as Bethlem, and provides interesting anecdotes about the patients that once roamed (or sat manacled to) the halls.

I am rating the book as 4 out of 5 stars simply because I recently read Showalter's The Female Malady, and found it more engrossing. However, Bedlam is a highly enjoyable - and occasionally terrifying - history of London madness, and I would certainly recommend the book.

50.
Author: Charles and Mary Lamb
Title: Tales from Shakespeare
Publication: Paperback
Pages: 346 pages
Genre: Nonfiction
Acquisition: Off the shelf
Date Completed: June 22, 2010
Rating: 1 stars out of 5

Children are not inherently stupid; nor are they incapable of processing complex emotional situations. However, the Lambs' Tales from Shakespeare is just one of the publications that has convinced adults everywhere that their poor little darling really aren't very bright, and they must be sheltered from dangerous ideas at all cost!

The cost, in this case, is a Canon King, and confidence in children's intellectual capabilities. I said this before, but I'll say it again: The Lambs present the shell of the plots, but the characters and details are horribly mangled. The language and story construction are clumsy, and I'm amazed I ever made it through the book as a young reader. I have very strong ideas about children and reading material, so I realize I will be in the minority in my opinions. But so they stand.

Neither of us enjoyed the latest bedtime story.

49.
Author: Susan Griffin
Title: The Book of the Courtesans: A Catalogue of Their Virtues
Publication: Paperback
Pages: 250 pages
Genre: Nonfiction
Acquisition: Recommended by dk_phoenix
Date Completed: June 19, 2010
Rating: 3 stars out of 5

The Book of the Courtesans is Susan Griffin's love letter to women of loose morals. For a book designated nonfiction, I found Griffin's writing to be more romance than history; she only peppers her daydreams of rags-to-riches courtesans and women of delightful freedom and tenacity with biographical information of the women themselves.

The title suggests a structured look at the "virtues" of courtesans throughout history, so the author's bias is neither unexpected nor unappreciated (after all, I purchased her book because of my own personal interest in the subject). For the most part, the virtues she lists are what a reader would expect from the subject matter: beauty, wit, grace. However, the author takes numerous liberties with her own structure, and includes "virtues" such as timing (which I wouldn't necessarily call a virtue), and even includes "Her Pink Rabbits" under the chapter on "Brilliance". Hhmmm.

The Book of the Courtesans is an exercise in purple prose and presumption as opposed to reliable research and true biography. While the reader will be treated to some information about the women who inspire Griffin's work, what they will largely encounter is Griffin's own romanticized imaginings of the world that these women create.

48.
Author: Dan Wells
Title: I am Not a Serial Killer
Publication: Paperback
Pages: 272 pages
Genre: Young Adult Horror
Acquisition: Recommended by drneutron on LibraryThing
Date Completed: June 13, 2010
Rating: 5 stars out of 5

John Wayne is a fifteen-year-old boy who lives with his single mother above the mortuary she owns with her twin sister. He's also a sociopath determined to prevent himself from becoming a serial killer, even as he explores his fascination with the phenomena. But when a series of violent murders occur in his previously quiet town, John finds himself drawn to the crimes, and realizes that he is the only one in town with the insight to stop the serial killer in their midst.

I Am Not a Serial Killer is a grisly and captivating narrative, and Wells adopts an interesting perspective to explore the darker side of human desire. I was a little disappointed with one aspect of the novel: I would have found the story more compelling if the narrative stayed focused on realism versus the fantastic. Still, I would recommend I am Not a Serial Killer to adults and teens who enjoy mysteries, the macabre, and perhaps a fascination with the scariest monsters that exist: serial killers.

45.
Author: Keri Arthur
Title: Embraced by Darkness
Publication: Kindle Edition
Pages: 384 pages
Genre: Horror/romance
Acquisition: Purchased June 4, 2010
Date Completed: June 8, 2010
Rating: 3 stars out of 5

It's about what you'd expect. I do have to say, it's kind of refreshing to read a "romance" that doesn't try to wrap the sex scenes in a fluffy padding of euphemisms. The plot may have been overly predictable, but the honesty alone makes Arthur's books worth reading.


46.
Author: Thomas Wright
Title: Built of Books
Publication: Hardback
Pages: 318 pages
Genre: Nonfiction/biography
Acquisition: Purchased February 18, 2010
Date Completed: June 10, 2010
Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

There is no better way to get to know an author than by reading a biography of books. Thomas Wright's Built of Books presents Oscar Wilde's life in a series of reading lists that illuminate his personal and professional lives. Unlike other biographies, which focus on personal relationships (and, of course, Wilde's trial), Wright's treatment of the famous aesthete treats the author's internal life, and really brings to life the thoughts and ideas of the infamous poet/playwright. Thomas Wright's Oscar Wilde is a complete person, revealed in all his intellectual glory. I would highly recommend this biography to anyone with even a passing interest in Oscar Wilde.

47.
Author: Vicki Leon
Title: Working IX to V
Publication: Paperback
Pages: 301 pages
Genre: History
Acquisition: Purchased February 18, 2010
Date Completed: June 10, 2010
Rating: stars out of 5

I am not going to rate this book because I would be rating based on expectations as opposed to the actual content. I was disappointed that Leon favored quantity over quality; I was hoping to find more detailed information. However, that's not the book that Leon wanted to write.

44.
Author: Laurell K. Hamilton
Title: Bullet
Publication: Hard back
Pages: 356 pages
Genre: Horror/erotica
Acquisition: Purchased June 1, 2010
Date Completed: June 4, 2010
Rating: 3 stars out of 5

Every time I review an Anita Blake book I feel the need to distinguish between the "Vintage Blakers", who prefer the earlier books in the series, and the Progressive Blakers, who prefer the smut and loose morals of later books. I am without a doubt a Progressive Blaker, although I've enjoyed nearly every book in the series.

Flirt was the first Anita Blake book that I honestly did not enjoy; the novella did nothing more than add another unnecessary participant in the Circus Harem, and everything about the publication kind of fell flat. I had high hopes that Bullet would redeem the series, and I'm afraid it falls short of my expectations.

For the Anita readers who are frustrated with the level of erotica of later books: avoid Bullet entirely. Very little of the novel takes place outside of the Circus of the Damned, and that's because the novel is almost entirely erotica. On the plus side, some issues are resolved (although a little too quickly and easily for true narrative honesty), and a sense of peace and comfort descends upon the "family." Yes, new characters are introduced, but thankfully the angst is checked at the door, and the spirit of cooperation and open-mindedness takes residence.

On the bad side: First of all, I was disappointed in the "significant" deaths that take place. On Twitter, Laurell K. Hamilton hinted that Bullet would mark the end for some prominent characters, and the author herself claimed to weep over the loss of the characters destined to die. However, I did not feel the casualties were nearly as significant as Hamilton suggested. One death in particular is made poignant by Anita's emotional response, but even that was not really important in the story. My second major criticism is that I found much of the writing to be sloppy and amateur. At several points in the novel a paragraph will begin with Anita's observation, move into a description that validates or explains that observation .... and then repeats the observation itself. It reads like the kind of mistake a careless (or inexperienced) writer would make, and such slips really should have been caught by the author or editor during revisions of the novel itself. I'm not sure who is really to "blame", here, but I found it to be less than professional - especially for the nineteenth book in a series.

For Vintage Blakers, Bullet is probably a step back from the progress made in Skin Trade, but for Anita fans looking for a little bump and grind, Bullet would make a great beach (or bedroom) read.

43.
Author: Sara Poole
Title: Poison
Publication: St. Martin's, August 2010
Pages: 388 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
Acquisition: Advanced Readers' Edition, May 10, 2010
Date Completed: May 29, 2010
Rating: 4 stars out of 5

I do not usually seek out historical fiction, but I believe I am an ideal candidate for Poole's novel, Poison; I know enough about the Borgias and the Italian Renaissance to follow the allusions presented in the novel, but not enough to pick up on any inconsistencies. As such, I really enjoyed Poole's depiction of a young female poisoner working in the Borgia household as the Cardinal works towards the papacy.

The history that inspires Poole is rich in glamor and intrigue, and the author takes advantage of the raw material to present an equally contentious story. The novel is not lacking in action and development.

Poison is not a perfect novel. My primary complaint is that Poole (and Francesca, through her creator) has a tendency to slip into lectures that do not flow with the narrative itself. While I am sure that incorporating realistic facts in a work of fiction can be extremely difficult, I did not find Poole's present attempts successful. I appreciated the effort to include concerns over birth control and the brewing of poisons, but the information itself disrupts the story, and it can take the reader a few paragraphs to actually warm up to the narrative. And I was more than a little disappointed when Francesca interrupted her own narratives by deciding that her knowledge of poisons was too tempting for her audience.

Recommended for fans of historical fiction, the Italian Renaissance, and/or the Borgia family.