80.
Title: Nightshifted
Author: Cassie Alexander
Pages: 352
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Medium: Kindle
Acquisition:
Date Completed: December 29, 2012
Rating: **1/2

Another reviewer on LibraryThing comments that a female protagonist is rare in urban fantasy; apparently we have entirely different reading habits, because I find the genre to be saturated with strong-yet-annoyingly-vulnerable female protagonists with cozy-like occupations (shop clerk, DJ, nurse).  And Nightshifted is just such a novel.  The protagonist, Edie, is a nurse who takes a job on a secret supernatural ward in exchange for mysteries powers-that-be promising to keep her junkie brother clean.  Initially, this is an interesting plot device, but the novel proves to be more niche-focused than generally appealing; Nightshifted relies largely on genre fans with some personal attachment to nursing/hospitals, and falls flat for a reader like me. 

81.
Title: Divergent
Author: Veronica Roth
Pages: 576
Genre: YA Dystopian
Medium: Kindle
Acquisition: Borrowed from the library
Date Completed: December 30, 2012
Rating: ***

If you're read more than one young adult dystopian novel, then you've read this before. 

In a genre that essentially lacks originality, what I find important is character development and pacing.  In Divergent, the reader follows Tris as she (predictably) leaves the faction of her birth to join the (predictably) violent faction in charge of "security," where she (predictably) makes enemies, proves to be "different," and finds a teenage love interest.  Ultimately, Tris is not an unlikeable protagonist, but the pacing of the novel shifts from tedious to absurdly rushed. The shift is jolting, and disrupts any suspension of disbelief.  Ultimately, Divergent is stronger than novels like Delirium, but is not the best example of the genre that has been published in recent years. 

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. 

73.
Title: God Save the Queen
Author: Kate Locke
Pages: 
Genre: Steampunk-scifi-esque
Medium: Kindle
Acquisition:
Date Completed: December 5, 2012
Rating: ***

 God Save the Queen: a perhaps-antisocial young woman living in a supernaturally-drenched world discovers that things aren't what they seem, and neither is she (do I even need to mention the inevitable love interest of standard characteristics and loyalty?). While not wholly original, this formula is one I enjoy, and pursue knowingly.

 Kate Locke's God Save the Queen is a fun little romp that could have been so much more, if Locke wasn't so concerned with the current trend in the supernatural genres. As opposed to focusing on her own story and creative endeavors, she seeks to write against other popular stories, which only works as a disservice to her own book. It's all well and good to offer alternative mythologies, and (as I've said just recently), tastes will vary even among loyal genre-fans, but the drive to be-or-not-be can overshadow a text. After the anti-Twilight barb in her introduction (which itself unnecessarily defends her own mythology - probably because she fears the same kind of backlash Meyers faces), quotes such as this: "Now, they write romances and make foolish teen films about {vampires and werewolves}" not-so-subtlely allude to the same text. What this does, however, is not separate Locke from Meyers by adopting a popular criticism of the series, but rather illustrates her own ignorance of the tradition and evolution of the genre in which she is publishing by arguing against vampires and werewolves as romantic figures. Not only is Dracula (1897) romantic, but so are "Carmilla" (1872) and "Christabel," (1797) to name just three of many examples. I won't argue that in-depth knowledge of the genre is necessary to write successfully within that genre, but I will argue that one should conduct better research before publishing such barbs, in order not to be mocked herself.

 I will be reading the second in the series, with the hope that another book will bring greater confidence on the part of the narrative as its own creation.

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.

Ballet Review: Dracula

On November 3 I had the very real pleasure of attending The Washington Ballet's production of "Dracula."  As a fan of both ballet and the original source, I had high expectations, but higher still were the expectations of the two "ballet virgins" who accompanied me.

The ballet is atmospheric and enthralling.  while the company's production of "Alice in Wonderland" fell flat due to awkward aerial equipment changes and hoaxes effects, "Dracula," is just lavish enough to keep with the tradition of depictions of Stoker's novel.  The dancers were well-cast, and Hyun-Woong Kim as Dracula was simply spell-binding. 

Lucy and Dracula, dancing passionately to her death.


As a whole, the production was not always well-paced; there were overly-long scenes that seemed placed just to emphasize the ballet in an otherwise very theatrical production.  The lowest point in the ballet was actually the conclusion, at which point a horde of undead craws from the scenery to dance in celebration of Dracula's acquisition of Mina.  The dancers looked like they were ready for, as I thought in the moment, a Hot Topic Prom, and I expected them to break out into "Thriller" at any moment.  In an otherwise carefully costumed and directed production, this dance was simply hokey. 


However, this weak scene can be forgiven for the beauty that came before: an amazing pas de deux between Dracula and Harker at Dracula's castle.  Well-choreographed, phenomenally preformed, and perfectly breathtaking, the feats of strength and grace presented by the dancers took away our collective breath.  It was a perfect struggle between the two, capturing both the energy of the medium and the characterization presented in the primary source. 
The pas de dux of Dracula and Harker. 
Here you can see a preview of the ballet, and here you can see a great dress rehearsal video.

70.
Title: The Girl in the Steel Corset
Author: Kady Cross
Pages: 480
Genre: Steampunk - just ask Cross
Medium: Kindle
Acquisition: LT rec
Date Completed: November 11, 2012
Rating: ***

Everything about The Girl in the Steel Corset is, well, typical.  This is typical YA (poor estranged girl finds that she's special), typical romance (two handsome boys fight over the seemingly-plain girl), and typical steampunk.  The later is both the draw and downfall of the book; Cross attempts to include all elements that have been established as core features of the genre (clockwork, steam-powered technology, goggles, dirigibles), but many of the allusions are extraneous to the actual storyline - most of the references literally serve no purpose other than to shout "THIS IS STEAMPUNK!"  But despite these narrative faux pas, the book has some fun moments, and is worth a quick blustery-day look. 

66.
Title: [Othello]
Author: Shakespeare
Pages: 100
Genre: drama
Medium: Paperback
Acquisition: work text
Date Completed: October 20, 2012
Rating: *****

This semester I assigned a "defense of villainy" essay for our reading of Othello: students had to either defend Iago, or Othello's murder of Desdemona.  I'm about to dive into those essays now...

67. 
Title: [The Adoration of Jenna Fox]
Author: Mary E. Pearson
Pages: 288
Genre: YA Dystopian
Medium: Hardback
Acquisition: Purchased used
Date Completed: November 1, 2012
Rating: ***1/2

The Adoration of Jenna Fox was included on a list of superior YA dystopian fiction I received at a conference, and though the first suggestion was a major flop ([Feed]), I decided to give this a try.  I'm glad I did.  While I'm not certain I agree with the labeling of this text as dystopian, the narrative is interesting and really calls one to question our current medical and political systems.  It's not perfect, and some questions are left unanswered, but overall the novel is satisfying. 

68. 
Title: [Titus Andronicus]
Author: Shakespeare
Pages: 100
Genre: drama
Medium: paperback
Acquisition: Work text
Date Completed: November 1, 2012
Rating: *****

Presented somewhere between 1592-1595, Shakespeare's earliest tragedy is a product of its time; revenge tragedies and the translated works of Seneca are widely popular, each characterized by violence and bizarre events.  Although the content of the play - including mutilation, rape, and cannibalism - may seem shocking, even these elements are not singular to Shakespeare's text, as much of the inspiration for characterization and events comes from Ovid's Metamorphosis.

Using Titus in the classroom for the first time is very interesting, as student reactions vary widely - one student has even requested to step out momentarily when we discuss the rape of Lavinia.  The students recognize the sins of Titus, and yet still we wrestle with our desire to prefer him to Tamora.  Discussions are lively, and the questions are very smart.  At the end of it all I am asking them to write a paper of definition defining "tyrant" or "tyranny," using both (or either) Othello and Titus as support. 

The school's drama department is producing Titus now, and many students have said that being asked to see the play has actually improved their readings.  I'll go see it myself tomorrow. 

69. 
Title: [The Beautiful Mystery]
Author: Louise Penny
Pages: 384
Genre: Mystery
Medium: Hardback
Acquisition: Preordered
Date Completed: November 2, 2012
Rating: ***

Never before have I been able to step away from a Louise Penny novel before full consumption, but I had no problem putting down The Beautiful Mystery for long periods of time; despite preordering the book and receiving it on its release date, I'm only just finishing the novel.  Much is poetic, as usual, but I didn't find the story nearly as compelling as others.  As for the conclusion, my one thought is good riddance to bad rubbish. 

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. 

60.
Title: Never Buried
Author: Edie Claire
Pages: 198
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Medium: Kindle
Acquisition:
Date Completed: August 28, 2012
Rating: ***

Never Buried is a formulaic cozy mystery whose most distinguishing narrative technique is the opening scene which describes a cat vomiting.  This features in the Amazon reviews of the book for readers' disapproval, and while I don't share the strength of feeling shared in these reviews, I can agree that the scene adds nothing to the narrative, and will likely only serve to repel readers.  The story itself is a bit clumsy, bogged down by details that are ultimately insignificant, but the mystery itself is decent enough.  I will not run off to buy the next Leigh Koslow novel, but Claire's series is probably a good go-to when desperate for fluff. 

61.
Title: Kitty Steals the Show
Author: Carrie Vaughn
Pages: 352
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Medium: Kindle
Acquisition:
Date Completed: August 31, 2012
Rating: ***

My partner came across a blurb about this book, and recommended it on the basis that it is set in London at an academic conference on supernaturals ("this book couldn't be more you").  The premise is certainly one that seems promising, but I did not initially realize that I was stepping into the tenth book in a running series, which complicated my reading.  Kitty is a standard protagonist in urban fantasy, which actually makes her feel two-dimensional; what I didn't know initially I could suppose, based not on the novel in hand but rather my reading of the genre at large.  As a whole, the novel feels like a transition - a shift in focus for an established series - and for that reason is less interesting for a new reader.  However, my interest has been piqued, so I may be looking to see how Kitty comes to speak at a conference in London in the first place.