31.
Title: Return of the Rose
Author: Theresa Ragan
Pages: 310 pages
Genre: Fiction
Medium: Ebook
Acquisition: Free Download, recommended by RichardDerus
Date Completed: March 31, 2012
Rating: ****

Ragan had me at "kirtle."

Time travel is one literary device which I have always disliked; no matter the amount of research that an author may dedicate to the composition of such a novel, the characters created are nearly always so grossly ignorant that their bumbling ways prove to be a greater frustration than source of entertainment. Return of the Rose, a story that relies on the idea of traveling through time (albeit through magic as opposed to pseudo-science) is not perfect, and does indeed dip into the ludicrous at particular moments (bikinis?!).

Despite her introduction of far-too-liberal fourteenth-century characters, Ragan's own research does come through; as opposed to limiting herself to such vague and useless descriptions as "old fashioned," she does in fact make an attempt to reconstruct a fourteenth-century environment, and her "bumbling" protagonist does make attempts to adapt, even if some of her actions seem careless.

The odds were stacked against this book, and still I found it to be very good fun. And if I, one who does not seek out the genre, enjoyed this book, then I am sure others will love it.


32.
Title: Othello
Author: Shakespeare
Pages: 100 pages
Genre: Drama
Medium: Anthology - Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, & Writing
Acquisition: Work Text
Date Completed: March 31, 2012
Rating:

A film review

I went to see "The Hunger Games" tonight, and I thought it very well done. Like most books made into movies it certainly wasn't perfect; to do so just isn't possible, because there is always more story and development in a 300-page novel than there is in a 2.5 hour movie. I was particularly taken with Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss; her portrayal is consistent with my own reading of the novel, and her performance is excellent. The one casting choice I do question is Josh Hutcherson, who is not quite the heartthrob-type I had pictured for his character, but his portrayal is loyal and I can appreciate the sense of realism he brings to the character. Though I did miss some development and found myself questioning (as usual) if the unread viewer would see the same story that I do, I found that I appreciated the choices made by the director. A movie is a different beast than a novel, and I try to treat it as such; although I have seen the film just once I feel comfortable calling it a success.

30.
Title: The Night Circus
Author: Erin Morgenstern
Pages: 400 pages
Genre: Fiction
Medium: Kindle
Acquisition: Library Book
Date Completed: March 24, 2012
Rating: ***



More than a book about a circus, Morgenstern's The Night Circus is a narrative about questions, knowledge of self, and the role of external factors - including, for example, entertainment - in the shaping of the self. Character growth is what is most appealing about this story.

But book hype is a fickle beast, and can do just as much damage to a readership as it can propel an author towards stardom. The Night Circus is one of these books that, for my own reading, was not helped by the raving reviews I have been hearing from trusted reader friends, and I can't help but wonder if I would have rated the book higher had I not heard such illustrious praise for the book before reading it myself.

I, for one, did not find the first part of the story compelling, and was not captivated by the tale until 22% (thanks, Kindle) of the way into the text. At that point I was indeed hooked, and was fairly greedy in my reading. While I continued to loathe the occasional shifts to second-person narration (what seemed to me to be a cheap authorial trick rather than a successful narrative device), I was able to quickly gloss over such meaningless moments to get back to the true meat of the story. However, like the beginning, I found that the conclusion of the novel was dull and unnecessary, and could easily identify the point at which the novel could have concluded more successfully. I found the end to be too traditional for what is supposed to be such an nontraditional space, and was rather disappointed.

While I enjoyed the book much more than I initially thought, I am equally glad that I was able to borrow the novel from the library.

29.
Title: Habibi
Author: Craig Thompson
Pages: 672 pages
Genre: Graphic Novel
Medium: Hardback
Acquisition: Rec'd at Contentious Issues conference
Date Completed: March 15, 2012
Rating: *****

Habibi is both the Arabic word for "my beloved" and a masterful work of art by Craig Thompson. The graphic novel is a lush, brutal, and unconditional love story about two slaves in the middle East. The protagonists of Thompson's tale are as intricate as the script with which he illustrates his pages, as full of flaws and humanity as they are full of love and dedication to one another. Their beginning is a seemingly unusual one, and their relationship grows and shifts as the two struggle through tribulations and abuse.

Habibi is not for those easily disturbed by graphic material; as one can imagine, the lives of two slaves in the Middle East are not marked by kindness and luxury, but a very harsh - and often graphic - reality. Still, there is much beauty to be found both in the story being told, and in the stories they tell. I found the text to be mesmerizing, and found myself lost in the story and the images used to relate it.

Highly recommended.

28.
Title: Somebody Tell Aunt Tillie She's Dead
Author: Christina Miller
Pages: 330 pages
Genre: Paranormal Chick Lit
Medium: Kindle
Acquisition: Mentioned by richarderus
Date Completed: March 14, 2012
Rating: ****

Christina Miller's witchy tale is running on standard fare: cue one more-powerful-than-she-realizes witch with a serious crush on fattening foods and a spell of forced celibacy, a hunky but gay best friend, and circumstances beyond her control that both guide her path and inform the reader of contemporary Wiccan beliefs and practices.

But, despite the predictability of these elements, the story itself is delightful. While the protagonist is not one I felt a connection with, the story itself was humorous and engaging, and the conclusion wasn't exactly what I predicted, which made it all the more fun. While I could certainly do without the (admittedly minor) lecture material (on spelling tools, for example), Miller's explanations are less intrusive than some others and can easily be overlooked by those "in the know."

Somebody Tell Aunt Tillie She's Dead is god fun, and it's a steal of a Kindle buy.

27.
Title: Fair Game
Author: Patricia Briggs
Pages: 293 pages
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Medium: Hardback
Acquisition: Preordered
Date Completed: March 10, 2012
Rating: *****

Like Kelley Armstrong, Patricia Briggs is one of the more reliable authors of the genre; her novels are consistent in character while still encouraging development and growth, and she well-balances the expectations of new readers and old. In Fair Game the reader finds Anna and Charles in the midst of some personal turmoil: Anna can feel that something is wrong with her mate and is afraid he is hurting himself more than Bran may realize and Charles, haunted both literally and figuratively, shuts her out in a misguided attempt to protect his wife. Thinking a change of scenery and occupation may give the couple time to heal, Bran sends them to assist the FBI in their quest for a serial killer who has been taking out supernaturals since the 70s.

While Anna is not quite the spitfire that Mercy can be, her reclaimed strength makes her an excellent protagonist.

26.
Title: Torso
Author: Brian Michael Bendis and Marc Andreyko
Pages: 280 pages
Genre: Graphic Novel
Medium: Hardback
Acquisition: Preordered
Date Completed: March 4, 2012
Rating: **1/2

The subject of Torso is the 1935 slayings in Cleveland, when a serial killer left a string of dismembered bodies and ultimately evaded capture.

Bendis and Andreyko have chosen a singularly gruesome subject for their endeavor, and the production is lackluster. The illustrations are drenched in black ink to the point of being visually stunted; instead of being stark and dramatic the pages are instead nearly impossible to distinguish. Compounded with this are a number of very unfortunate typographical errors (the incorrect "their" versus "there," for example) that became very distracting.

I've wavered between two-and-a-half and three stars, and ultimately settled on two-and-a-half for the physical headache.

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.

24.
Title: Timeless
Author: Gail Carriger
Pages: 416 pages
Genre: Fiction
Medium: Paperback
Acquisition: Preordered
Date Completed: February 24, 2012
Rating: ****

Two years after her birth, Prudence is largely what a reader would expect: precocious, energetic, opinionated, and able to steal the immortal traits of any of her supernatural caretakers during nocturnal hours. The Maccon/Akeldama have their hands full, and seem to be enjoying it every minute. But when the vampire Queen of Alexandria calls for an audience with "the abomination," the Maccons realize that they feel an absence of something more, and decide to honor her request, each for his or her own reason. What follows is typical (and, five books in, slightly-stale) Carriger antics as various collections of characters run into various foreign problems.

There are three things that make this book worth considering: a relationship finally blossoms for characters who desperately need companionship, the condition of Queen Marakata, and the conclusion itself.

Don't let the unfortunate photograph on the cover turn you away (what happened to the wonderfully elegant fashions and models from the first three? Oh, so unflattering) - fans of the series will want to read this conclusion.

23.
Title: [One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest]
Author: Ken Kesey
Pages: 320 pages
Genre: Fiction
Medium: Penguin special edition
Acquisition: Work Text
Date Completed: February 21, 2012
Rating:

I still love it, and it's still received very well in the classroom.

22.
Title: [Wither]
Author: Lauren DeStefano
Pages: 384 pages
Genre: YA Dystopian Fiction
Medium: Kindle
Acquisition:
Date Completed: February 21, 2012
Rating: ****

The dystopia of Lauren DeStefano's Wither is at once alien and strikingly familiar. In a world suffering the consequences of human development (including genetic manipulation, for one thing), it is rumored that only the former North American continent has survived natural disasters - and the population is dwindling as new generations die in their 20s. s

In this world young girls are frequently kidnapped as "brides" for the young and wealthy, and are forced to live in polygamous households working to produce future generations in the "hopes" that a cure will be found and society can recover.

Wither is appropriately bleak, and the protagonist is (usually) sympathetic, although I quickly found that the most appealing characters did not include Rhine. While not as energetic as The Hunger Games, Wither is worth a try for fans of dystopian literature.