Whitewavedarling's Attempt at 100...

Well, I didn't come close last year. In previous years, it hasn't been a problem, but this was my first year as a full-time editor, and it was also the same year when my husband and I were loosely on the same schedule... all together, that translated to my reading only around 60 books. I'm fairly sure that, truth be told, this is the least books I've ever read in a given year. Ever. I am determined to do better next year.

That said, this was a great year. We moved to FL., where we're SO much happier than we were in Pittsburgh, and I also got my first book contract. My first collection is being released in March! (If you're curious, you can find it at: https://finishinglinepress.com/product_info.php?cPath=2&products_id=2532) I'd love to have some readers on LT, so if you like poetry, you might take a look...

Meanwhile, I love my new career as a full-time editor, but for the summer months when I'm still doing some teaching, and I'm working hard to get off the new year with a good balance of work, writing, and reading. We'll see how it goes.

Currently, my carry-overs from 2015 include: City of Saints and Madmen, Dead Even, The Feeling of What Happens, and All the Truth Is Out.

So, for now, good luck to everyone, and Happy New Year!!!

Sounds like you've had a great year! Any reading is good reading!

>1 whitewavedarling: Happy New Year, and I wish you the best at hitting 100 this year! :)

>2 swimmergirl1: and >3 saraslibrary:, It has been a good year :) Good luck to you both, too!

It has been. Thanks! :)

And, the first book of the year... I think any fan of Baldacci or Grisham would find this one worth looking up. I'll be looking for more of the author's work...

1. Dead Even by Brad Meltzer

Meltzer's Dead Even has all of the drama and suspense you could ask for in a legal thriller, and an intricate enough plot that readers are kept guessing at every turn. From the beginning, the characters are so engaging that this is a difficult book to put down, and any reader who enjoys a legal thriller should find themselves not just tearing through this work, but immediately searching out more work from Meltzer. Certainly, that's what I'll be doing.

Recommended.

Already posting the second book (and soon the third) because even this early in the year, I'm playing catch-up on reviews...

2. The Prince of Luster and Decay by J.D. Brink

I searched this out after reading Tarnish by JD Brink, wanting more of the same world and characters. It was a fast read, but it certainly didn't disappoint. Brink is a master of mixing humor and action, engaging characters and twisting plots, and this was a fun read from start to finish. I don't think I put it down once after starting it, and jumping in was like a lovely welcome back to those characters and the world that so drew me in in Tarnish.

If you like humor, action, fantasy, and engaging, real-feeling characters, you'll do well to look up Brink. I'd start with Tarnish because that is such a full and wonderful work, whereas this is a pretty short glimpse into the same world (prequel or not), but certainly, you'll want to look him up.

Recommended. I could only wish that this had been just a bit longer, if anything!

3. The Feeling of What Happens: Body and Emotion in the Making of Consciousness by Antonio Damasio

Not a fast read, but absolutely worthwhile if you're interested in the subject. Full review written :)

Att: Poetry Fans.

Because of the Random Cat, I just started reading In Which Language Do We Keep Silent by Earl S. Braggs. It is WONDERFUL. I'd never heard of him, though I love poetry. If you're a poetry fan, you should go look him up. (And by the way, this is a collection that includes a lot of poems from his various collections--from what I've read, I think you'll enjoy any work of his you most easily come across...)

4. Chronicle of a Death Foretold by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Marquez's language is ever-beautiful, ever worth exploring, and this work proves to be no exception. Yet, much as I enjoyed the story, I can't say that it entranced me in the same way as his other work. I can't say that it moved too quickly, because I find his short stories to be magical, but something about this work just didn't live up to his other works. It may be that there was slightly too much wandering in story or character, or something else entirely, but one way or another, this probably won't be one of his works that I'll find particularly memorable.

I love Marquez, and I recommend him whole-heartedly, but I'd probably suggest starting with another work. This was a lovely diversion for what it was, but it just didn't live up to the standard set by Marquez with his other works.

5. In Which Language Do We Keep Silent by Earl S. Braggs

Braggs cycles from city to city with gorgeous language rhythms of some passages that are little short of magic. Music and struggle run so consistently through the collection that, even as a collection that collects poems from his earlier works, it pulls together wonderfully, and sweeps along readers through different geographies, times, arts, and wonders. All told, it's a funny sort of mix of urban reality and imagined hopes that seem more magical than real.

There are moments here that literally stopped me in my tracks, forcing me to pause before moving on or turning a page, forcing me to re-read and re-think what I'd come across, simple as the language often was. There were others that made me feel like I'd traveled to a different city or wandered into a travel book, or left behind poetry for sketches of travel and journaling, but with each turn, I was fascinated and pulled along.

The language is accessible for readers who veer less toward poetry, but packed with enough meaning and beauty to keep poetry-lovers enthralled.

Simply, I recommend it, and I'm sorry it took me so long to discover Braggs' work.

6. The Unblinding: Poems by Laurence Lieberman

Lieberman's poems vary between amusements and haunting explorations, some delving into familial moments while others explore the reefs off of Florida. These poems in particular sometimes come across as dated, by either material or rhyme, but many of them are still so striking that the collection as a whole is worth visiting and coming back to.

All told, this probably isn't the book I'd recommend as an introduction to Lieberman's work--and it's certainly one of the harder-to-find collections, in any case--but for readers who are already familiar fans of his themes and plays with language, this is worth hunting down.

Welcome! :)

>13 figsfromthistle:, thanks :)

And now, for one that slowed me down a bit, at 704 pages...

7. City of Saints and Madmen by Jeff Vandermeer

Vandermeer has a way of drawing weirdness and beauty into nearly every page of his work, meshing utter life in with fantasy so much so that what's created is both surreal and, absurdly, something that seems to have come from the back of your own mind's fantasy, there to flit about on the page with horror and love and humor.

It's not so much something to be described as it is to be experienced, and it's rather wonder-full.

Recommended.

8. Soldiers of God: With Islamic Warriors in Afghanistan and Pakistan by Gregory Kaplan

Kaplan's examination of the cultures, climates, and histories of Afghanistan and Pakistan is both engaging and telling. More than any other work I've come across, Soldiers of God works to not only uncover the current situation (as of 1990), but to clearly and carefully trace how it developed. Written before most of the Western World knew anything of Afghanistan, when the warriors he spoke to were dealing with Soviet missiles, the passages and conversations in this work do more to illuminate the contemporary conflicts, wars and situations than can be briefly described here.

With each chapter, a contemporary reader can glimpse how we got here, to the situation we face in Afghanistan in the second decade of the 21st century, with frightening clarity. Kaplan's care in documenting not only events, but motivations and conflicts, allows readers to understand not just the geography of the country and the incredible difficulties faced by any military involved on the terrain, but also the motivations involved, from then until now. His discussion of the Taliban as an organization that was gaining ground in the late 20th century is difficult to read, but his care with explanation and objective reporting also means that each level of motivation and hope is clear. From apathy, to radicalization, to sexism and violence and education (or, more pointedly, a lack thereof), the issues are discussed with clarity and detail.

For readers who feel like they're not quite sure how we got to where we are now, from small moment to small moment, long before 9/11, this is important and worthwhile reading. For others, who already know the history well, I believe there's probably still worthwhile insight to be gained from the work. Kaplan is a smart and engaging writer, and I'll be seeking out more of his work.

9. Joyland by Stephen King

This is a gem of a story. More mystery or crime than the horror a lot of readers would expect from King, this is built wholly on atmosphere and character and a few ghastly unsolved crimes. Call it crime fiction or ghost story or general fiction, though, and the result is the same. This is a fast and fun read with some wonderfully atmospheric illustrations, and escaping into it over the last few days was enchanting. The story here took me back to the Hardy Boys books I read as a kid (yep, I read Hardy Boys, not Nancy Drew, girl or no)--feeling-wise, this is the adult version of those escapades, but told in a manner that brings each wonderful scene to life and leaves the characters mumbling their worries in your brain.

All told, this is a King book for King fans and readers who haven't delved into his work, but enjoy mysteries and the occasional ghost. It's full, it's fun, and I can't recommend it highly enough.

10. Precipitates by Debra Kang Dean

Dean's poems are graceful, focused in moments of nature and reflection, and built upon language that glides forward, each syllable counting. Sometimes in form and sometimes in freeverse, each poem focuses in on careful observation, and each poem provides a small reverie--relaxing, lovely, and memorable.

11. Empress of the Death House by Toi Derricotte

Derricotte's work has a sort of special freshness to it, as if it's coming off the page raw and spoken, directly from the poet's mouth at a street reading instead of printed on the page of a book. The moments captured here are worth falling into, worth exploring.

12. The Book of Beasts by John and Carole E. Barrowman

This is such a wonderful book, and a perfect finish to the Hollow Earth trilogy.

The Barrowmans have a talent for story-telling and character-building that comes through on every page. The power in their writing, and the wonder in each chapter, is palpable. Whether you go into this for the story, for a meditation on the power of art as its understood, or for the simple wonder of the story, you should read this if you enjoy fantasy.

The only thing about this book which isn't wonderful is the fact that I believe it's meant to be the finish in the series.

Absolutely recommended.

13. Behind My Eyes by Li-Young Lee

Lee's poems are consistently stunning, pulling together careful observation, powerful language, and graceful moments in any given line and stanza. Falling into his work is something like journeying into another space and another mind, his poems are each, from beginning to end, so carefully constructed. And yet, they seem effortless, and they are readable and engaging. Few poems in this collection are not stand-outs, and in most collections, any of these poems would leap from the pages and demand attention and re-reading.

Simply, Lee's work is powerful and forever worth reading, forever worth sharing.

Recommended.

14. All the Truth is Out: The Week Politics Went Tabloid by Matt Bai

Sometimes gut-wrenching, this is a fascinating exploration of why, how, and when politics and the coverage of politics changed, drastically and irreversibly. Chalked up to whim or coincidence, or to a force that was building, the fact is that the relationship between presidential hopefuls (and politicians in general, perhaps) and journalists was forever changed in the 1980s, and arguably, in 1987 to be exact. As the popularization of television changed the way that politics and politicians Could be reported, so too did a scandal surrounding Gary Hart's personal life change the way that reporters could and would follow politicians. And whether these changes are chalked up to whim and coincidence or to a force that was building in society, and sure to come at some point, the fact is that the change happening as it did and when it did had consequences that are hard to fathom.

Bai's All the Truth is Out is something of a dissection, but also much more. As the world watches the primaries of 2016, where entertainment and values and opposite forces have maybe never before been more in play, it's difficult to read this book and not feel some form of regret. But for every individual out there who's sitting back and occasionally wondering, 'How did we get to this point?', I firmly believe that this is a must-read. The author's examination and presentation of history, policy, and game-changing values & questions is utterly masterful.

It's hard for me to imagine who shouldn't be interested in reading this book, simply enough, and I believe there's a lot to be said for knowing -- and understanding -- where we've come from, and all of the material presented in this fascinating, heartbreaking, worthwhile book.

Obviously, absolutely recommended.

15. Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov

Nabokov's prose is entrancing, and its a credit to him that he's built this story in such a way that it holds readers, and paints the characters in such a way that they're not only believable, but somewhat sympathetic and understandable in a sort of grotesque fashion.

Midway through the work, and even having finished it, I can't actually say that I enjoyed the work. I appreciated it, for what he was able to accomplish and for his writing, but if I had a habit of walking away from books and wandering on to others without finishing one... well, this one might have gone unfinished. Still, the second half went more quickly, and I've glad to have read it.

Much as I enjoy Nabokov's writing and Russian lit. in general, I have a hard time imagining who I'd recommend this particular work to, but I am glad that I finally got around to it and had the experience of reading it.

16. Spillover: Animal Infections and the Next Human Pandemic by David Quammen

Quammen's discussion and investigation of zoonotic viruses is a fascinating ride, and reads more like a mystery or novel of intrigue than nonfiction focused into science and history. From chapter to chapter, he takes readers through the questions and the histories that surround animal-based viruses that make the jump from their host animal to humans in 'spillover' events, and does so in a fashion that any reader can follow and engage with.

Whether dealing with interviews, history, hard science, journeys to unravel questions re. hosts or nature, or speculation about what's to come, each moment of the text is frighteningly readable, and moves so quickly that the book is difficult to walk away from. This is an impressive work, and well worth reading--for anyone.

Absolutely recommended.

17. Gathering Ground edited by Toi Derricotte and Cornelius Eady

As an incredibly varied anthology of poems, this work serves up poems from familiar names alongside poets who most poetry readers won't be familiar with, and the result is a fresh collection of voices that pops with style, meaning, and memorable lines. The variations in style and voice mean that, more than likely, any one reader won't be blown away by each poem in the book, but at the same time, it's hard to imagine the reader that won't be struck by multiple pieces here, to the point of wanting to read them over and share them, again and again.

Among the many poets represented here, some of my all-time favorite voices are represented--including Yusef Komunyakaa, A. Van Jordan, Patricia Smith, Regie O'Hare Gibson, Aracelis Girmay, Kevin Young, and Lucille Clifton. But even as someone who reads poetry constantly, in both collections and journals, there are names here that I've never heard, and that I've discovered as new favorites who I'll be seeking out more work from. Each reader is sure to find their own favorites, and line upon line that resonates with them.

Absolutely recommended.

18. On Jupiter Place by Nicholas Christopher

There's something about Christopher's writing. Even beyond the beautiful language, and snippets of magic, he has a way of bringing small poems to life in a way that allows for full scenes to build, and reading a collection is an experience not unlike what reading a collection of short stories would be in terms of content, though the poems are short and the collection is relatively short--his language is that full, that vibrant, that worth exploring and re-reading.

In this particular collection, there are sequences that are especially full, but there's not a poem here that I wouldn't re-read and share, over and over again.

Absolutely recommended.

19. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

In the beginning, this book had me enthralled. I was interested, engaged, and thought Atwood's writing was beautiful. But, about halfway through, I found myself feeling less and less interested. The character was becoming less and less sympathetic, and some of the worst of it came from the moments when I should have felt closest to her--when she was remembering her old/normal life, her husband and her child, and how things felt when changes were beginning. Those moments should have been the ones to cement her connection to the reader, and prove that engagement... instead, reading them, I began to dislike her intensely. Small things (well, big to me, small details in the book, and small things perhaps to someone else) stood out and made her someone who, simply, I disliked. So when it came back to her present day, to the situations she was facing... well, it wasn't surprising, it was no longer close to me as a reader because I didn't care for the character, and I was simply ready for the book to end--but not because I was disturbed. Because I was bored with all but the writing.

This may sound harsh, but by the end of the book, I could appreciate the writing and the story, but I couldn't force myself to be interested or to care about the character. And then there's the end, which to me felt like a strike it making it literary, making it a bit different, etc. And looking back at some of those moments that struck me as being so hard to accept and making the character unbelievable, unsympathetic--well, I can see how those would be included for literary purposes also, as opposed to for the purpose of telling a story about someone who could have been real and had a real story.

In the end, the further I went, the less I was impressed. The writing is lovely, and the story had me for a while, but it's not anything I could really see myself recommending to another reader who wanted to engage with a good story.

20. The Swan Thieves by Elizabeth Kostova

Kostova's prose is rich and elegant, and the story that comes to life here -- rather, the various stories that come to life -- wanders within it beautifully. From the beginning, it's difficult not to be drawn into the world of the painter who chose to attack a painting, and the man who attempts to untangle his story and his sanity.

Yet, there is a 'yet'. Though the novel is entrancing from the beginning, something of its magic is lost as it veers in various directions, from recent history back through generations, tracking both letters and lives. Beyond the painter and his therapist, there are other contemporary characters are slightly more superficial, slightly less full, and as various chapters wandered back further into history, I found myself wishing that the novel would have stayed with them, rather than tracing stories so far backward into what was less compelling, except in its relation to the present.

But, all told, there's a calmness and a loveliness to this novel that makes me glad to have stumbled upon it. I think probably that the title and the cover drew me in more than anything, which is fine--I think a reader who's drawn to either will find a lot to love here. I suppose, in the end, I just wish that it had stayed more tightly focused, or spent more of its length upon the women in the book so that they felt a bit more fully considered, and less stereo-typed. When their voices were filling the pages, they were very alive, but when they were in the background, they seemed barely considered, and as if they took a back seat to the looks back in history.

This may be part of the goal of the book, to watch how certain contemporary situations and people paled in comparison to the history with some perspectives, and not with others, but I admit that I could have done with fewer looks back, whether that would have meant more time in the present, or simply a shorter work. Some of those moments felt too... considered, too formed, too perfect. It may be going too far to say that they felt as if they were trying too hard, in a sort of MFA-altered fashion, but I'm not sure it's far from the truth, as they didn't feel fully natural to the book and to the story.

That said, I'm glad to have stumbled on the book, and I'll certainly read Kostova's more widely known Historian, if not more of her work even beyond that.

21. End of the Earth: Voyages to Antarctica by Peter Matthiessen

Matthiessen's writing is incredibly visual, and while this is a calm read that's far more interested in describing the arctic than entertaining a reader who might not be automatically interested without more plot or character, many of the passages are little short of intoxicating. Reading the work, it often feels like watching images scroll by in a documentary, zooming in on creatures and on phenomena to offer brief explorations.

I admit, there were moments when I wanted something more--more character, more progression--but this book had a way of calming the outside world, and letting me sink into it, more and more as I went along. All told, I doubt it will end up being my favorite of his works, but I'm glad to have read and explored it.

22. Back Roads by Tawni O'Dell

There's no doubt that Back Roads is beautifully written, and it rings as being frighteningly believable. But, that said, I wanted to be more moved by it, and just couldn't be. The narrator was the one character who seemed to have real depth, and truth... but none of it was surprising, and that's a problem.

Perhaps because the book did ring so true, a large part of me also wanted a great deal more. For the most part, I knew where it was going, I knew what to expect, and it all seemed so perfectly believable as to have been something I could have read about in the news. Granted, the voice was gritty and real, and not something you'd get in a journalistic account... but I was missing the pull that I want from fiction. It wasn't compelling simply because it was so, simply, what you would expect in the situation presented. There were a few surprises, but not enough, and there were a few moments where I felt truly connected to the characters... but not enough.

Depressing, real, and well-written? Yes. And still, I can't imagine picking up another book by the author. I read books to be transported, and for many other reasons, but not to be drawn back to earth and told that dreams are dead where you expect them to be dead.

23. The Zero Game by Brad Meltzer

I usually can't put Meltzer's work down once I pick it up, and I felt that way about this one as I went through the last half, but the pacing and the structure of this one threw me off a bit. Structurally, it felt like some odd choices were made. Chapters focusing on the protagonists were in first person present, and the few chapters focused elsewhere were in third person past, and so jumping between chapters sometimes felt fairly jarring. The plot also lagged some, about a fourth of the way in. There's a plot twist there that causes the lag, directly--or, it did for me, at least--but there's no way to speak of it more directly without giving away a piece of the plot.

That said, I understand that twist had to happen, and made sense, even if I didn't at the time and even if it did slow things down a bit. And, all told, Meltzer swept me back into the plot before much time had passed.

For readers who haven't read Meltzer before, I probably wouldn't suggest starting with this one--I don't think it's nearly the best--but I did really enjoy it, and it was certainly a good piece of entertainment.

24. The Yellow Birds by Kevin Powers

I was really looking forward to this read, and for a lot of reasons. I've been impressed with a lot of recent literature by veterans, and I love Tim O'Brien's work; it seemed like this would be a great fit for my tastes... And, yet.

At some points, there were passages that struck me, but even in those moments, this felt very much like an overly-formed, one-size-fits-all, and too carefully developed MFA book. The style and the detachment in it felt like what academia thinks a war-book should look like, and wants it to look like. It felt like someone learning to write well in order to write a 'great American book' that could win awards...even if readers didn't enjoy it all that much, and that was a real problem for me. Maybe it's because I have read so much war-related literature, including books connected to the most recent wars and Iraq, or perhaps it's because the structure felt too artificial to be really engaging, but one way or another, I was hugely disappointed. It felt very literary, and smartly done... but not all that powerful as a result. It had its moments, but in the end, I have to say that it left me feeling sort of cold. And, I'm sure, there are academics out there who'd say, 'Yes! That's how you're supposed to feel after you read a book like this! That's the point!' Perhaps it is--in fact, I imagine it is, and that's why this is the way it is and has been so widely promoted, but honestly, it left me wanting much more from its pages.

I wanted to like it, for a lot of reasons. I really did. But, in the end, I probably wouldn't recommend it. I also wouldn't read more of the writer's fiction, though I could see reading his poetry if I came across it.

25. Touch the Water, Touch the Wind by Amos Oz

There are passages in this book that not only swept me up, but forced me to read and re-read them, again and again, before I could move on. As ever, Oz's prose is powerful and lyrical, and his characters slip off the page and into your thoughts as if you're seeing them and feeling their emotions and their frustrations at every turn. Here, the taciturn natures kept them more distanced than usual, but they somehow felt all the more magical for it.

Simply, Oz is one of my favorite writers, and this book didn't disappoint.

26. No Evil Star: Selected Essays, Interviews, and Prose by Anne Sexton

Sexton's thoughts on writing are rich, and ever worthwhile, and the honesty of her voice in these interviews is nothing less than haunting. I think anyone who reads and enjoys Sexton's poems will find something here to fall into and appreciate, and without doubt, I recommend it. I think there's also a lot to be gained here for beginning writers, or for writers who want a view into another artist's life.

27. Ender's Shadow by Orson Scott Card

Card's characters and adventures are always tales worth falling into, and this was no exception. It should work easily for readers who are familiar with Card's work or who aren't, and although I felt the ending was somewhat rushed, the book had me from the beginning; each time I sat down to read, it was my over-tired eyes that eventually forced me to stop, or I might have read it in just one or two sittings, given the option.

Recommended.

28. Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi

This was a strange reading experience for me. Although I found the world of ship breakers really interesting, and was engaged with the characters from the beginning, I found myself feeling really distanced from everything. I couldn't quite connect to either the world or the characters, for whatever reason, and though I was interested in the plot, I also wasn't compelled by it. For the first half of the book or so, I read along out of habit, because I'd picked it up, but could have easily enough forgotten about it if I'd accidentally left it somewhere out of the way. Then, maybe two-thirds of the way through, things picked up and began spinning forward. I still felt some distance from the characters... but I wanted to know what happened next, enough even that I'm left thinking about picking up the companion novel to the piece.

So, why the distance, and the 3 stars instead of 5? Truly, it's hard to say. I'm tempted to say that the characters were simply too tight, and too unchanging. I got hints of complexity from the minor characters who appeared in the book less constantly--and I'm really just tempted to pick up the companion book because I believe one of them is at its center--but when it came to the two characters at the center of the book... well, I suppose I just wanted more depth, and more small details to help me feel them as real, believable characters.

In the end, I'm left wanting more, and I'm fairly sure that want is due to the characters at the heart of this, who felt too flat for me. There was so much room for them to change... and yet, I don't feel like they actually did. So, much as I engaged with the world... I'm not sure where I'm left after reading this one. I guess that in itself says it all.

29. My Own Country: A Doctor's Story of a Town and its People in the Age of AIDS by Abraham Verghese

Abraham Verghese's My Own Country reaches beyond either memoir or a look at HIV/AIDS. In part, it is an examination of health care--for better and for worse--and even more, it is a look at prejudice, and at the ways stereotypes and bias are both underestimated and overestimated. From his position as an Indian doctor who has relocated to Johnson City, Tennessee, and is further set aside as a specialist in infectious disease who becomes an entire hospital system's touchstone specialist for HIV/AIDS, Verghese is in a solitary position, but his honesty and his attention to detail make that position all the more powerful.

Whether speaking of his inability to balance home and work, of what Indian culture looks like when transplanted across an ocean and into rural America (and how it's accepted), of the courageous men and women who attempt to care for one another in the face of a new and deadly disease, of the daily battles against HIV/AIDS, or of prejudice against either culture or disease, he honors each scene and each person with impressive detail that be difficult for any reader to forget.

Difficult as it is to describe, this book is many things, none of them simple. But even long after the days it documents, it is powerful, and it is worth reading.

Absolutely recommended.

30. The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North

Any description of this book might well make it sound like science fiction or like a maze, or like historical fiction or suspense... and yet, it is none of these things and all of these things. It is also not an extended Groundhog Day or a comedy, but it is very, very difficult to put down once it is begun.

Harry August--a man who lives and dies, and then begins where he began, living his life again, but as a second life instead of as a repeated life. This book is about his first fifteen lives, and about attempting to save the world from itself, and about figuring out what life is, and it is wonderful, and it is touching.

Absolutely, recommended.

One I read back, and forgot to review... (And though the touchstones don't work, you'll find it easily enough for kindle or on amazon!)

31. Nimbus: Hell on Earth by Tony Marturano

I'll be honest--suspense novels and thrillers don't often give me a shudder, much as I enjoy them. This one did.

The newly revised edition of Nimbus: Hell on Earth is a fast and terrifying ride through what feels to be all too possible. Potential environmental collapse and engaging characters, along with writing that makes the book all but impossible to put down, made it hard to put this one down. It does verge on horror, and some of the events are terrifying partly because they do seem so possible, so this won't be for every reader. But, that said, I'm glad to have read it, and I'll read more from the author in the future.

32. The Careless Husband by Colley Cibber

This is exactly what you'd expect of restoration drama, if perhaps a bit simpler than some specimens. It's fun, quick-moving, and has wit & confusion & dirty jokes (of that time) to spare. I don't wander back to reading of this type very often, but this hit my mood perfectly. Lots packed into each line if you care to stop to sink into Cibber's every word, and yet, fast and enjoyable.

33. Create Dangerously: The Immigrant Artist at Work by Edwidge Danticat

Danticat's memoir of her journey and work as an artist, and her thoughts on artistry as they are related to conflict and exile, are well worth reading for any individual engaged in the creative process or working with student writers from diverse backgrounds. The simplicity and the power of her language runs through each section, dealing with everything from natural disaster to perceptions of artists and the ways in which they affect the world. Deceptively straight-forward and conversational, the work is full of both humor and heartbreak, as well as historical and artistic understanding.

Absolutely recommended.

34. Museum of Extraordinary Things by Alice Hoffman

On one hand, I ended up really enjoying this, but on the other, I also wanted something more. The history enmeshed in the book slowed it down a bit for me, and left me wishing that I could feel closer to the characters enmeshed in the setting. As beautifully as Hoffman depicted the times and the city of New York as it was, it pulled me a bit too far into history. For someone who reads more historical fiction, and wasn't so pulled to this because of their enjoyment of Hoffman's earlier work, this may not be an issue at all -- but, for me, I was left wanting more. In the last third, I couldn't put the book down, I was so wrapped up, but it took far longer to get to that point than I would have expected from her work and, honestly, it then ended too quickly for me.

So, all told... yes, I truly enjoyed it, and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it; in fact, I already have. But, I also think long-time fans of Hoffman's work will find that this one falls somewhat flat in comparison, or comes across as too weighed down with setting and somewhat rushed, rather than being so magical as her work normally is.

I've got quite a bit of catching up to do, review/listing-wise...

35. Memory Sickness and Other Stories by Phong Nguyen

Powerful short stories, and all well worth reading. I felt the beginning ones were the strongest in the collection, but there was enough variety and tension as the book progressed that I never got bored, and will certainly search out more of Nguyen's work. If you're a fan of short fiction, this is worth finding.

36. Two if by Sea by Jacquelyn Mitchard

From start to finish, Two if By Sea was impossible to put down. The characters, the situations, the writing... everything came together to where I couldn't stop thinking about the book, and recommended it over and over again even when I was only halfway through.

And then, it ended. And there, that was the one problem with the book... As much as I loved nearly every moment of the book, the ending came abruptly, and not entirely satisfyingly... almost as if Mitchard just didn't know where to go next, or what came next, and had found something of a partial conclusion... so it stopped.

I won't say that the ending ruined the book for me. The book was a wonderful read, and something that will stay with me... but the ending kept it from being something I'll want to re-read, or re-experience, and may make me think twice before I recommend it again or pick up more of Mitchard's work, which is disappointing, as for a while there I really thought I'd found a new favorite writer.

So, if you find yourself thinking it sounds interesting, and/or you appreciate a wonderfully told story with characters who you can't stop thinking about, this might very well be worth looking up... but be aware the ending doesn't quite live up to what comes before it, I'm afraid.

37. Landline by Rainbow Rowell

This was a fun read, if a bit predictable, but I have to admit that I wanted something more. It seemed like it veered away from some of the conversations it brought up which, if explored, might have offered a bit more weight and depth. It just sort of stopped short of going there, seemingly wanting to keep the book light. As a result, it didn't engage me as much as I might have, and while it made me laugh and entertained me... I often wanted more. I probably will read more of Rowell's work, but I'll expect a heavier dose of humor than depth.

38. After Freedom: The Rise of the Post-Apartheid Generation in Democratic South Africa by Katherine Newman

This work, admirable as the project might be, really suffers from being overly academic. The prose is weighted down by overly formal language and extended digressions into history, explanation/rationales, and analysis. What might have been powerful stories are instead shaped (tortured?) into black & white pictures of individuals who are made to be flat and fairly one-sided when depicted in the narrow confines of the academic and authorial interest presented here. Truthfully, I found this last issue somewhat infuriating because I felt that the book's project did have so much merit, but that the starkly academic approach took all of the color and life from the projects, reducing to flat case studies what should have been powerful introductions to real people.

The best moments for the book are in its analysis of history and in the first-person anecdotes where a reader is actually able to hear the voices of the people the author examined. Unfortunately, these first person moments with the people at the center of the book are few enough to be little more than glimmers of understanding in what is, otherwise, presented in such a flat manner as to be incredibly unengaging.

I really wanted to engage with and fall into this book; based on the subject matter and my own interests, that shouldn't have been a problem. Yet, more often than not, I was bored and anxious to simply be done with the read, and wishing that someone with a less heavy-handed academic style had taken on the writing.

39. Shots on the Bridge by Ronnie Greene

Greene's careful exploration of the post-Katrina shootings on the Danziger Bridge, and the police cover-up and repercussions of the same, is a powerful work that's well worth reading. By taking the time to not just go through the events, but make sure that each person involved is a figure of depth and individuality, his telling of the shootings and everything that followed is incredibly real. Deceptively, the book is a fast read with clear lines and a careful projectory, whereas the events themselves were confusing and unfolded over the course of years. Yet, the manner in which everything is brought together here gives readers a distinct understanding of the events and also serves as an analysis of how police shootings are so different from other shootings, and why they must be treated as such if justice is to be served.

All told, the book is powerful and heartbreaking because the men and women who were victims were so dis-served by their own communities, but Greene's work does a fair bit toward exploring what justice can be found, and working toward a point where the same couldn't happen again--or, at least, not so easily.

Absolutely, this book is recommended.

40. Flash Fiction Forward: 80 Very Short Stories edited James Thomas and Robert Shapard

This is a fast read with a lot of variety and entertainment packed into its pages. I picked it up to get more of a view into flash fiction, which I've not read much, and ended up enjoying it more than I expected to. There were some stories that just went on by without much impression, and even left me wondering why they'd be included in an anthology, but this was rare. More often, a surprising amount of power, character, and story got packed into each piece, short as they were, and the writing throughout the book was stellar.

Probably, I'll never search out flash fiction on a regular basis, but as an occasional curiosity, I'll be more likely to look for it now.

Absolutely, recommended.

41. The Thing Around Your Neck by Chimamanda Adichie

The first few stories in this collection, somehow, rather bled together and didn't leave much of an impression, but about a third of the way into the work--with the fifth story--Adichie's work simply came to life. I'm not sure whether it was the stories themselves, or whether those early ones served as something of a build-up to the later power that came through in her writing, but with "On Monday of Last Week" and the stories that followed, I found myself transported entirely by her language, as has happened (in my experience, at least) with her novels. From moment to moment, I was fully wrapped up in her stories, her characters, and her language, and so engaged that each story felt like a novel in itself, wholly captured.

So, yes, I would absolutely recommend this collection. The stories are varied and beautiful, and what I'll simply say is that readers who are left somewhat less than enchanted by earlier stories should keep reading. What comes is worth every moment, every word.

42. ZaatarDiva by Suheir Hammad

Hammad's work is clearly meant to be heard more than to be read, but nevertheless, the power of her poems is undeniable. Though some pass by quietly, others demand to be read again immediately, and then can't be forgotten. The strongest ones, which won't let go of a reader for even a breath, are those which speak of survival and of terror, and of the experience of being suppressed or serving as a witness to horrors such as war and 9-11. Whether speaking as a woman, a survivor, or simply a human, though, Hammad's work hums with power, and the collection as a whole is one which is well worth exploring, remembering, and sharing.

Absolutely recommended.

43. The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey

In the beginning, I wasn't sure I wanted to read this. Beautiful as the writing was, I felt like I could see what was coming, and it also felt a bit less fairy-tale-ish than what I'd expected, I admit. And then, something changed.

Suddenly, the writing and the characters and the whole of it swept me away, and it felt less predictable than tantalizing. Further in, I couldn't stop reading, though I felt as if it was opening up my heart further and further, only to break it apart in the end. I felt like I couldn't stop reading, though I rather wanted to, and it was both the magic of the story and the magic of the prose pulling me along for every dose of reading.

In the end, I am so glad to have found it, and was so moved by each moment as it moved along that I'm still not sure what to make of it. It wasn't so heartbreaking as I expected, and it wasn't so fairy-tale-ish, and yet there was such a magic to it that I rather want to read it again for both the tears and the joy.

Simply, it was awful and wonderful, and hard and soft, and everything you could want in a read, all wrapped together and poured into a heart and broken apart and lifted up to the sun for warming.

Yes, I recommend it.

44. Hand of Isis by Jo Graham

Although Hand of Isis didn't pull me in so quickly as Black Ships, Graham's writing still brought the world of ancient Egypt to life in such a visual way that the book was difficult to put down. For me, the characters weren't quite as compelling as they had been in Black Ships, which was the major difference, but readers who were more wrapped up in the world and the story may even enjoy this one more. Graham's writing works to do justice to each moment and each scene, which is no small undertaking in a world that's so foreign to most readers, and I came away from the book feeling as if I'd journeyed backward in a history class and watched a story unfold, which was pretty wonderful.

All told, I'd recommend it.

45. Poetry and Commitment by Adrienne Rich

Adrienne Rich is one of my favorite poets, and was one of the first whose writing helped me understand how poetry could be built to make a distinct and socially engaged difference in the world. Without exception, I find such power in her collections that I read them more than once, and share them with my students and read them all over again.

And yet, I have to admit, I was disappointed by this short work. It was far more academic than I would have expected, and at times it barely seemed to have been written by a poet so much as a critic. Mark Doty's Afterword, for me, was actually more striking than many of the short chapters in the work, as much as I love Rich's poetry.

So, would I recommend it? Honestly, I'm not sure that I could, though I'd certainly recommend that any writer or reader search out her poetry.

46. Chronicle of a Last Summer by Yasmine El Rashidi

Honestly, I had a difficult time reading this book, though I'd expected to really enjoy it. The author's style was off-putting, and heavy on details that contributed to setting and atmosphere, but bogged things down to the point where the story seemed almost totally overtaken by the background and politics. The subtitle here, 'a novel of Egypt', is appropriate. I hate to say it, but this felt like an autobiographical tale told simply because the author wanted to explore what was happening in Egypt as she grew up and expose it within a fictional framework. Generally, I really enjoy narratives that bring another culture to life through a novel, or which explore socio-political or cultural issues in the background of a fictional story, but here, it felt as if the story was an excuse for nonfiction, and as if the story was poorly presented, at best.

As I said, I wanted to like this book, but in the end, I was bored for the majority of it, and simply passing the time to finish it. It's not a difficult read, but it felt unshaped and lacking depth, to the extent that I simply couldn't engage with either characters or story.

All told--no, I wouldn't recommend this one.

Do you ever get the feeling that people are praising a book because they think they're supposed to? That's kind of the feeling I got from reading the reviews, but honestly, this just feels like it's been over-rated by critics/reviewers in preparation for release. Yes, the themes are powerful and worth exploring, but does that mean it's an amazing book, in and of itself?

47. The Vegetarian by Han Kang

In all honesty, I'm not sure what to say about this one. Kang's writing is lovely, and the story is interesting, and the characters are ones I'd rather like to feel more connected to and get more from... but I found the whole of it somewhat un-affecting. I didn't have enough connections to either stories or characters to be really engaged, and although the writing was haunting and many of the passages were also haunting, it all felt somewhat too heavy-handed, and the characters too simple, to be really believable.

It may be that, for me, this was just too brief, and that not enough time was given to any one perspective or persona, but in all honesty, I wouldn't have wanted to read more because I just wasn't engaged with the characters. Truly, they were too simple and one-sided for me to really feel they were real and to be believed, and the narrative as a whole felt like it was trying very hard to MAKE A POINT, and to BE LITERARY, and to BE HAUNTING AND DISTURBING... and I really just wanted a bit more focus on the basics, such as story and character.

I've read other reviews which compare the book to writers like Murakami, but when it comes right down to it, this book is lacking the depth I get from each of his books. I doubt that I'll remember it, though some of the images will stick with me. I should also note that I don't like it when authors add in quick images or scenes to make a clear point--especially when those moments deal around violence towards animals or children--and the few scenes that dealt with graphic animal violence made me wish I'd never picked the book up or requested it from LT's early reviewer program, as it were. Yes, they were placed carefully and for a point, and no, I didn't appreciate them.

Simply, I don't see myself remembering this book for long, and I don't see myself recommending it on or reading more by Kang. In fact, truthfully, I'm afraid I'll be more likely to avoid her work.

48. Acquainted with the Night: Insomnia Poems edited by Lisa Russ Spaar

I often avoid anthologies that bring together older works with newer ones, simply because the same poems tend to get reprinted over and over again. This book found me as a gift or I probably wouldn't have picked it up, but really, I was pleasantly surprised. The focus of the theme led the editor to choose older poems that aren't so well-known, even where the authors most certainly are, so there were few poems here that I'd read in the past. I did find it to be somewhat uneven--the poems in the first half of the book felt more various and kept me more engaged than the later part of the work, but all in all, I enjoyed wandering my way through it.

49. Anil's Ghost by Michael Ondaatje

Ondaatje's haunting prose is ideally suited to such a story as this, where civil war and fear have torn at a country and created a world that can be as surreal and beautiful as it is cruel.

At the center is Anil, a forensic anthropologist who was born in Sri Lanka, and who has come back unrooted and free under the direction of a human rights organization, though identity and connection are at the center of what she does. Through her, through a doctor, and through others--all of whom are affected and affecting--Ondaatje stages a world to be sunken into and explored, through visceral and careful writing that is, simply, worth reading and re-reading.

Simply, I don't know of any other writer like Ondaatje, and I don't know that this book could be forgotten, once read. And it should be read.

50. The Carpet Makers by Andreas Eschbach

Eschbach has a way of creating worlds that makes them both magical and wonderfully mundane, to where you're exploring a world built by beautiful language while, at the same time, feeling that the people involved are utterly familiar, different as their cares and their world may be. You can say that this story is about passion or art or the meaning of life, or about exploration or revenge or religion or world views, or even about telling stories. It's all of this. It's also about the meaning found in the day-to-day survival of life and of belief, and about determination and hope.

In the beginning, it's something of an old-world fairy tale, and then it is a mastery of space and perspective, and finally, it is something beautiful, somewhere in between.

If you haven't figured it out already from this wandering review, Eschbach's stories rather defy description, but they are wonderful. They are utterly wonderful. And if you read science fiction or fantasy, you should read The Carpet Makers.

Absolutely recommended.

51. Relief Map by Rosalie Knecht

With a beautiful talent for subtlety and characterization, Knecht's Relief Map is a haunting read. From the young characters who are swept up in it--and painfully real and awkward--on to the suspense of a day-to-day life being up-ended, the book carries itself on with an undeniable inertia. And beyond presenting a believable and powerful story, the lives and the moments here ring so true that it's hard to help being touched at random moments; much of the power of the book, perhaps, comes from these random moments being almost entirely unpredictable, and surprising.

I stumbled onto this book, and really, the description didn't even pull me in so much as the cover of the work did, but from here on out, I'll read anything Rosalie Knecht writes.

Absolutely, recommended.

52. These Heroic, Happy Dead by Luke Mogelson

These stories--of heroes who'd prefer not to be heroes, of returned heroes who never learned how to be heroic or survive after war, and of men and women and children who don't know quite how their lives turned into what they are--are easy to slip into. Too easy, because they are also so real, and so hard, and so brilliantly depicted in this brief collection. If anything, they are too real.

Mogelson's writing is sometimes abrupt--in one story in particular, it really threw me off--but his style on the whole fits his territories of war and struggle. From piece to piece, the characters fight to remain human, sometimes succeeding and sometimes failing. In some cases, they watch those around them win or lose this same fight, and in some cases, this territory is the hardest to witness as a reader.

I think this is one of those rare short story collections which will be hard to forget, and where the stories both work separately and together to explore particular ideas without becoming repetitive or boring--which, simply, never happens in this book. And yet, it's a difficult one to recommend--it's full of what is so much easier to ignore than is to face, and full of difficulty. And, what's hardest of all, Mogelson's smart writing makes even the hardest of his characters easy to understand, easy to relate to... and that can be a bit terrifying.

53. Pretending to be Erica by Michelle Painchaud

I actually have incredibly mixed feelings about this book. On one hand, Painchaud's writing is fun and fast--once I started reading, I couldn't bring myself to stop, and the book went by in a flash. There were moments where the writing and mix of emotions were spot-on. On the other hand... the voice didn't ring true, and the turmoil of the narrator felt rushed, at best. At various points, I felt like things were too heavy-handed, and that the book might have brilliant if the author had started a bit earlier and given the reader a chance to get to know the character Before things started rolling, instead of after. In some ways, it felt like the easy way out -- the character was already struggling before readers got a peak inside, and thus, the transformation was halfway over before the book even began (which, as you might guess, caused a fairly predictable unwinding of the plot and the characters).

So, yes, I've got mixed feelings. I don't think I'd recommend it, but I might read something else by Painchaud--especially if it weren't in a teenager's voice, as I think part of the problem here was that the voice just wasn't believable, too much of the time.

So, yeah, I don't know. I never really thought about not finishing, which says something, but I also can't imagine recommending it to another reader, which likely says far more.

>49 whitewavedarling: Great review of Anil's Ghost. I hadn't heard of it, but it is going on the TBR list (and high up it). Thanks!

>61 jfetting:, I'm glad to hear it! It'll be one of my favorites on the year, and one that'll stick with me :)

54. Southern Spirits by Angie Fox

This was such a fun and fast-paced read, I can't wait to read more of the series. It took a few pages, but once I got sucked in to the characters and the world Fox created, I couldn't put the book down. And as with so many good mysteries, it did seem a bit predictable for a while there... and then it surprised me completely, but in a perfectly believable way, so that everything added up perfectly. In the end, it blended an old-fashioned ghost story with a perfect mystery, and I loved just about every minute. The icing on the cake, for me, is that I adore skunks, and finding one featured as a pet was a wonderful surprise.

So, all in all: Fun, creepy, mysterious, fast-paced, and involving ghosts... there's not much more I could ask for, and I can't wait to read the rest of the series.

Absolutely recommended.

55. Raine by Elizabeth Amber

As a blend of love story, erotica, suspense, and fantasy, Raine moves with its own inertia that's hard to describe. The power of it comes through in the fact that no one piece of it overtakes the others -- it is as much a detailed historical fantasy as it is erotica or love story, and the characters are so well-drawn and believable that they are as believable as any found in a more reality-based romance.

56. Not Your Average Fairy Tale by Chantele Sedgwick

On one hand, this was a quick read with an interesting premise and characters, but on the other hand, there just wasn't enough depth. Everything felt a bit sparse, as if only the bare bones and most important moments were presented, to the point where I was disappointed because I could literally feel how much potential was here for a powerful story... and yet, I just wasn't fully engaged because of the lack of depth with characterization and story. This is one of those cases where, simply put, I think all stages of the editing process were rushed. More time and depth would have done wonders for the book, and a good copy editor was desperately needed to fix smaller issues (like accidental indentations, a mix of smart quotations and straight quotation marks, comma issues, etc.) -- and yes, the smaller issues were for me a distraction from the story.

All in all, if it hadn't been for the copy editing issues, I might be thinking about getting the sequel... but then again, I might not. As is, I don't see myself reading the next book in the series.

57. The Hit List by Nikki Urang

I have to admit that finishing this one was a struggle. The narrator was, from beginning to end, incredibly selfish, and fairly insufferable. She was far more interested in playing the victim and asking that the world revolve around her than she was in being a dancer. I don't know any reader who wants to listen to a spoiled brat whine for 300-some pages, and all in all, she acted more like a spoiled thirteen year old than an engaging college student. To make things worse, all of the characters were stereotypes, and although the story had a lot of potential, the lack of reasonable development in the characters made them uninteresting and predictable, at best. All of this added to the fact that there were some real plot holes at the story level, as well as inconsistencies, made it pretty obvious that the author either needed better editors who were willing and able to tell her the truth about what needed more work. For one thing, just take the idea of the hit list appearing on the conservatory's blog! That wouldn't happen. If it did, it would be noticed immediately, and the student responsible would be expelled. That's not to say that this game couldn't be played in other ways -- take flyers and email, for example -- but on the school's blog? And basic logistics were also a big problem, just in terms of the way the school and rehearsals operated; it rather felt like what was presented would have been more realistic for a reality show like So You Think You Can Dance than a conservatory teaching, at minimum, dozens of dance students. I won't keep going, but the unfortunate thing was that there were a lot of problems, many of which a good editor should have picked up on -- and they wouldn't have been incredibly difficult to fix, honestly, beyond the character issues.

Part of what made this so hard to read was that the dance sequences were written beautifully, and really highlighted the potential that this story Could have had if there'd been more time devoted to real revision and depth.

All told, though, this was incredibly disappointing. I was expecting it to be a bit predictable, sure, but I wasn't expecting such serious issues with plot and character.

58. The New Wild: Why Invasive Species Will be Nature's Salvation by Fred Pearce

As someone who has been interested in conservation and endangered species for as long as I can remember, studying ecology and keeping up with environmental affairs, I came to this book with a fairly skeptical view. After all, like so many others, I know the horror stories about non-native species overtaking ecosystems once they're introduced accidentally or by well-meaning humans. I know the fears about disappearing habitats, and I've seen firsthand the effects of alien species and human pollution; I've even cried over a species going extinct once word became official. So, the idea that Pearce was presenting a case for invasive species being a good thing, as opposed to something we need to worry about, seemed hard to stomach--especially now that I live in Southwest, Florida, where we've got all sorts of alien species wandering about.

But guess what? Pearce's argument is meticulously researched and well-balanced. And he's not ignoring the horror stories at all, though he is saying that there's a bit more to them and that we may be simplifying things far too much when we point to one species and blame it for outright destruction. Part of Pearce's point is that nature is ever-changing, and our approach (and by 'our', I mean humankind's) to conservation hasn't particularly accepted that. We see something and we want it to remain 'pristine', even if that 'pristine' status isn't at all original and actually incorporates species that Were alien at some time in the past. Pearce asks pointedly, where do we draw the line? And at what point does a species move from being alien to being native? And, perhaps even more importantly, if an invasive species seems to benefit a particular ecosystem without doing any harm, does that still mean there's any worth in keeping it out, as has so often been the practice?

Simply, Pearce addresses some hard questions, and anyone who cares about our environment and biodiversity should take a look at this book with an open mind. I don't think any reader will necessarily agree with him whole-heartedly, and I do think there's one danger here that goes unaddressed, strong as Pearce is at bringing in counterarguments. If change is embraced so much as he seems to recommend, there is a worry (to my mind) that government efforts toward conservation, little as they may be, will further decline, based off of the evidence that he presents. In fact, I think this is a real enough worry that I imagine some conservationists are inclined to ignore Pearce's best points, if only to avoid that potentially disastrous fate. But, that said, there's a lot of worth here, and readers who take in Pearce's points with an open mind may just be astounded at what they've been faultily taking for granted for so long, for better or worse. Certainly, I'm glad to have read the book, and while I don't whole-heartedly agree with every one of the author's points, I've learned a great deal, and feel like I have a much more balanced view of the environmental questions we're currently facing in terms of habitats and biodiversity.

Absolutely, I recommend this one.

59. Silt by Jordan Scott

Scott's poetry is made to be sunken into and relished word by word, line by line. This collection especially is built for lovers of poetry and nature who relish the experience of language, and the way a poem can mirror a thing or a place or a connection with a focus that is clear, and meaning that may come more slowly. It is not easy poetry, but it is worth exploring and re-figuring.

60. Conjure by Lea Nolan

As a blend of haunting magic and rich, realistic detail, Conjure is a book I'd recommend to anyone who enjoys YA fantasy, ghost stories, or mysteries. Between the beautifully engaging characters, the touches of humor and romance, and the horror spread around at various turns, this book is hard to put down and easy to visualize. I don't know when I last read a YA work that I enjoyed so much, and I can't wait to read the sequels. This one is going to remain a favorite, and I won't forget the characters any time soon.

Absolutely recommended.

61. Blood and Salt by Kim Liggett

I have to admit that this was a pretty uneven read for me. I was sucked in immediately--the atmosphere and mystery of the beginning was intoxicating, and I loved the characters. As things kept going, though, it was harder and harder to stay engaged.

While the author was clearly trying to keep a balance going between horror and romance, things were just too unbalanced. One chapter would be all about the horror and the mystery while the next was all about the romance, and so it felt like taking turns more than a natural unfolding of a story that happened to involve both. And the larger problem was, pretty simply, one of depth. I have faith that there was depth to the mythology involved, but it was so abstract that, plot-wise and progression-wise, it was hard to follow what was happening at every moment. That might have heightened the suspense, at times, but it was also a frustration, and a bit more depth in terms of explanation and time could have made a big difference. The same went for characters. None seemed unbelievable, but aside from the narrator, none of them seemed fully developed, either.

In short, as much as I was swept up by the beginning, I felt less and less involved as the book went on. Things sometimes moved so quickly that they were hard to follow, and more depth of explanation and character could have made a world of difference.

So, no, I'm afraid I won't be picking up the sequel, and I doubt I'd find reason to recommend the work, though I could see my way to picking up something else by the author and giving it a try (outside of this series).

62. A Robot in the Garden by Deborah Install

There's such a simple beauty to this story, mixing realistic drama with just a touch of science fiction, that I fell in love with immediately. Each character was given such attention to detail and mannerism, and each moment presented so naturally, that the book carried itself along with an inertia that surprised me. From the description, I really wasn't sure I'd enjoy it at all, truthfully, but I loved it.

Simply, this is one of those books that I want to push toward people. I want to go from reader to reader and ask, "Have you heard of this? No? You should read it if you like fiction." Honestly, I don't even want to describe it, because no description does justice to what Install has created here. It will remain one of my favorites.

Absolutely recommended.

63. Watch the Sky by Kirsten Hubbard

I have such mixed feelings about this book. On one hand, I loved the writing and I really enjoyed the characters. On the other hand... it didn't feel complete, and although it's clearly written for a young reader, it's nothing I'd recommend for a school library. I'm also torn about whether I'd pick up more works by Hubbard, I feel so dismayed by the ending. I'm not sure where all that leaves me.

Hubbard's story of a boy who is torn between his family and the outside world, and who is dealing with a life which is entirely unfair in every way, Is touching. It's also too believable at most moments, and rather creepy in a strange way. Perhaps I just didn't realize exactly what I was getting into, but nevertheless, I'm not sure I'm happy to have read this one, and I'm not sure it's something I'd find reason to recommend.

64. Predator: The Secret Drone Origins of the Drone Revolution by Richard Whittle

Whittle's exploration of drone technology goes back to the beginning--to a boy who was fascinated with model airplanes--and because he takes a story-teller's view to the whole of drone technology's history, this book is far more readable than one might expect. In fact, Whittle's step-by-step approach makes it a fairly fascinating journey, as he's careful to take time for exploring the characters of the people who played the greatest roles in developing the technology, and uncovering the steps that directed the timeline and the direction at each turning point. Covering more than three decades of genesis and development, the book moves quickly and carefully forward--and, truthfully, the power of this book comes partially forward because the power and the excitement of development and invention are transferred so artfully from the engineers and developers at the center of the book right on to the reader.

Readers should know that this truly is more of a history than anything. Although important questions of ethics and allowance are raised, and sometimes struggled with by the men and the women at the center of drone development, those questions aren't given center stage in Whittle's writing. They do, however, underlie much of the later portion of the book, and a thoughtful reader will find a lot to admire in the way that Whittle introduces them subtly while still focusing on development and history--probably with the realization that those questions are themselves large enough to fill a whole other work of nonfiction that is less focused on science and technology.

As someone who is, at best, skeptical of drones and what we've come to know as drone warfare, I wasn't sure how I'd feel about this book--but, at the same time, I wanted to be more informed. Now, although I'm still torn in terms of how we're using this technology, I'm both more informed and more appreciative, at least on some level, and I'm certainly glad to have stumbled across Whittle's work.

I'd certainly recommend this to anyone with an interest in the way science & technology develop, and in the way that that development both influences and is influenced by human factors. And, of course, anyone who feels somewhat under-informed about drone warfare and what these pieces of technology truly do will find this to be a useful exploration of the history and the technology--and a readable one, at that.

65. The House of Secrets by Brad Meltzer and Tod Goldberg

Fast-moving and twisting, this is a wonderful ride of a book. There were moments where I was sure Meltzer and Goldberg wouldn't possibly bring everything together, the various threads seemed to be so far-reaching, or that the whole of it would feel forced and contrived with what would have to happen to make things come together. And yet, as the book kept going, it was harder and harder to put down, and each twist made perfect sense while also being something of a surprise--in other words, each twist and each development was just what you'd want in a fast-moving book of mystery, murder, and suspense.

All told, I wasn't at all disappointed. I'd have liked the main character to be a little bit less over-the-top, but still, I liked her, and that's a small wish for a book that brings together so many various elements, and so tightly.

Certainly, I'd recommend it to readers of suspense/thrillers and mysteries. And, certainly, I'll read any further collaborations from these two authors.

66. Struck by Amanda Carlson

Really, there's not a whole lot to say about this book. Although the characters are engaging enough, and it's fairly well-paced, it's also not all that original or fleshed out. The even larger problem is that the whole work is told with a sort of tongue-in-cheek humor, and while that's sometimes amusing and enjoyable, the fact that it is so constant takes away from any other emotional levels or tension that might have been developed if the main character occasionally felt something other than extremes and humor. How do you care about a character who only rarely seems to take anything seriously, and then only if it's an Oh-my-God-this-is-life-or-death-what-the-hell-do-I-do sort of reaction and situation?

So, yeah, it moved quickly and it wasn't horrible... but I also only kept going along because I'd already started it, and truth be told, I don't have any desire at all to look into the rest of the series. It needed more depth, less humor in serious moments, and a bit more time spent on believable dialogue, which was the one really awful aspect of the book that desperately needed a good editor's hand and advice.

So, obviously, I wouldn't recommend it, I'm afraid.

67. From Both Sides Now: The Poetry of the Vietnam War and its Aftermath edited by Phillip Mahony

This is one of the more powerful poetry anthologies I've come across. The editor, Phillip Mahony, clearly went out of his way to not only organize the collection in a way that would make sense as a documentarian effort of sorts, but also went out of his way to represent Vietnam and the Vietnam War, as well as its aftermath, from various sides and perspectives. Although I've read a great deal of war-related poetry, and much poetry and literature dealing with the Vietnam War, especially, I've never come across a book which so carefully and so thoughtfully explored a piece of history while also including such powerful poems. Because, that's also true--the work here is polished and worth reading as literature, and not only artifact or history. Coming from both established poets and newer voices, the poems are clear and striking, and organized in such a way that the power of each one builds upon others. This truly is a collection to read from cover to cover, and then to revisit in pieces.

All told, I'd absolutely recommend this, either to poetry lovers or to readers interested in the Vietnam War, or in the issues and discussions that go hand in hand with any such discussion.

68. Between Two Fires by Christopher Buehlman

As rich and fascinating as it is horrifying, this certainly won't be for every reader--or even most--but for the right reader... well, for some readers, it's a surprising and terrifying wonder. Taking place against the backdrop of 1348 and the Black Death, the book's setting is already somewhat terrifying--and more than any other work I've come across, this book really does capture some of the horror of the plague. But even beyond this level of nightmarish reality, the sometimes subtle supernatural element to the book is so striking as to lend another layer of reality and horror.

Angels, monsters, a disgraced night, a sad priest, and a strange orphan who knows something of the angels of God... and this is their terrifying journey, full of strange beauty and horror and heartbreak.

Again, this isn't for every reader--I love horror, and I sometimes found myself cringing--but Buehlman's skill as a story-teller is expert, and this book is as beautiful and beautifully written as it is horrifying. A lot of adjectives? Well, yes, but this book has everything.

If you dare, I'd certainly recommend it.

69. The Butterfly Garden by Dot Hutchison

As horrifying and hard to take as it is beautifully written, this work won't be for everyone. And yet, it is subtle, careful, and respectful of trauma as it moves through an intricate tale of neglect, abuse, and terror, along with tangled lines of friendship, fear, and even love. Hutchison's styling is masterful in the way she weaves the present with the past, interviews with events, and trauma with humor. I'm tempted to classify this as horror more so than suspense, but this tale of a girl who overcomes a strange childhood only to be kidnapped by a strange man, and kept with other such butterflies as herself, is so surreal---and yet, frightfully believable in terrifying ways---that it defies description when it comes to genre.

This isn't an easy book to read, but it is powerful and strange and frightening... and beautifully written. From here on out, I'll read anything Dot Hutchison writes.

If you can take it, I recommend it.

catching up on books I forgot to include...

70. Empty Bodies #5: Damnation by Zach Bohannon

71. Empty Bodies #6: Revelation by Zach Bohannon

Both reviewed--this really was a great series!

72. Fugue for Other Hands: Poems by Joseph Fasano

Fasano's poems are built from lyrical language that swings along with images that are more than capable of haunting one's dreams, and the best ones have an almost eerie ringing of past greats brought back to life--especially in the end of this collection, though the poems are clearly contemporary, there's something of an echo of Gerard Manley Hopkins and his thunderous rhythms. The caveat here is that the best of the poems come in the end of the collection--though I wandered through the first half of Fugue for Other Hands, the second half left me breathless and re-reading, and most of the poems I'll return to are in the last third of the book. For readers who'll devour it whole, that's fine, but if you're reading the work and beginning to think about putting it down, I'd suggest you skip ahead, and perhaps even read backwards, poem by poem. The ones in the back aren't to be missed.

So, although I'd argue that sound is sometimes prioritized over meaning in some of the early poems, I'd still truly recommend the work as a whole, and I'll certainly be willing to check out more of Fasano's work.

73. The Prodigal Hour by Will Entrekin

This is one of those books that seduced me, despite the fact that I wasn't sure how I felt about it. Much I was interested in the characters, and interested in going forward, there were moments where it felt too heavy-handed and stylized, and where I wished there was more attention to depth of character, and less to message and impression. Yet, somewhere around the midway point, I found myself fully sucked in. The things that seemed too stylized or that had seemed overwritten early on suddenly seemed to fit the book perfectly, and it was surprising me at moments so that, simply, I wanted to keep going.

Granted, some of the twists were predictable, and I still think that there were a lot of sections where a few sentences less would have made for a more powerful work, and I'd still like to know the characters a bit better... but, on the whole, I'm actually glad to have stumbled onto it. Since I tend to either love or hate works that deal with time travel, that's saying quite a bit--generally, I come to them with skepticism, and expecting more of a headache than enjoyment, much as I may be interested in one. And some, it's true, have sucked me in so that I've loved every minute of them. This one, though, was a surprise.

The slow, stylized start moving on to the twists and the fast-moving last third pushed me toward enjoying the read more and more, the further in I got. I think it probably could have been a few thousand words shorter, and that the ending might well have been condensed, but in general, I'm glad to have found it and, what's more, I could see myself recommending it on to other readers.

74. To Kill the Potemkin by Mark Joseph

Moving with impressive detail and believable characters who ring true, this is one of those adventure/thrillers just feels real--Joseph brings his readers into a surveillance sub, and pits them against the fears, uncertainties, and triumphs felt from moment to moment, in both war games and war reality. Early on, it had me hooked to the point where I didn't want to walk away to finish it later, and yet it managed to surprise me quite a bit, right through to the end.

75. Phil!: A Hilarious Account of Everything by Rick Momsen

As a longtime fan of Christopher Moore and Douglas Adams, I was thrilled when I stumbled onto Phil and his hilarious adventures. He's got such a perfectly tuned voice that the whole book is not only entertaining, but incredibly fun. Momsen's concoction of humor, science fiction, and philosophy had me smiling throughout the whole of the work, and it's no exaggeration to say that I enjoyed every minute of it.

If you're a fan of humorous sci-fi or want to fall in love with a sometimes grumpy, sometimes drunken alien of a guy named Phil, you owe it to yourself to pick this one up.

Absolutely, I recommend it.

76. Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi

I have such mixed feelings about this work. On one hand, there were moments when I was swept up in the narrative and feeling every breath of Nafisi's prose, and there were passages that worked to bring life and reading together in a way that made me see why the books were so necessary to the narrative. On the other hand, there were moments where I felt like I'd stepped into an undergraduate literature survey and was being lectured at, and there were also moments where I felt bored and/or frustrated with what felt like a lack of organization, and a very fragmented narrative.

I suppose my largest frustration comes from the way that the discussions of literature were integrated so fully in some ways, and then ignored so completely in the ways that (I felt) mattered. There'd be whole passages from Nabokov, Fitzgerald and the other authors represented, along with explanations, explications, and discussions of the literature, as one would find in any good classroom covering the books. But, why were these discussions necessary in such complete detail here? Essentially, that's what I was left wondering. Perhaps some of the bits and pieces would be more necessary for a reader who is unfamiliar with the works--I'm really not sure, since I have read them--but my interest was in knowing how and why these books in particular mattered so much to the women at the center of the story. What was clear was why reading mattered, but why these books in particular? And how did they impact the women who were fully enmeshed in Tehran and its customs, as opposed to the academic author? This, I'm not at all sure of, though I'd expected it to be a large part of the work.

At too many points, I felt like I was reading the equivalent of a journal put into prose, and that the only moves beyond that journal were attempts to explain the author's feelings about Austen, Nabokov, etc. But, for that, I could have read books about these authors and their books, as opposed to this memoir that I believed would allow for connection to another world and society, and to show the reach of these books. Yet, in the end, I'm afraid I was sorely disappointed.

What can I say? Would I recommend this book? Probably not. Would I read another work by Nafisi? Again, probably not.

77. Death of a Red Heroine by Qiu Xiaolong

This is the first book in a long time that's drawn me immediately into a mystery series and every way, where I've enjoyed nearly every moment and had a hard time putting the book down. Xiaolong's balance of atmosphere, character, and plotting was masterful, and I can't wait to read the next book in the series. I will say that there were moments where the quoting was a bit on the heavy side (and this, coming from a reader who loves poetry), but on the whole, it didn't at all interfere with how much I enjoyed the book since the quotes were generally only snippets of two or three lines. And, for this being the author's first novel, I really can't complain.

All told, there's no question that I'll be reading the next book in the series sooner than later. Whether looked at as a mystery or simply as a good read, there's a lot to love here, and I'd absolutely recommend it.

78. To Repel Ghosts by Kevin Young

I wanted to like this, and it seemed like just the sort of thing I'd enjoy... but, really, I just didn't. From beginning to end, it felt overly complicated and self-involved, while being so minimalist as to come across as more academic and convoluted than enjoyable. I never did feel connected to any of the poems, and it's hard for me to imagine revisiting this collection for any reason. I've really enjoyed some of Young's other pieces, but this just felt more like an academic playing with words & ideas, and calling the results poems, as opposed to what I'd read and enjoy as poetry.

Obviously, I have to say that it's not something I'd recommend.

79. Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded by Simon Winchester

Winchester's exploration of Krakatoa and the history of volcanic activity in its region is fascinating and wide-ranging, undertaking a careful examination of the ways in which volcanoes and plate tectonics have come to be understood over the course of history and science while looking at Krakatoa's massive eruption of 1883--and the far-reaching consequences. Whether a reader comes to the work with an eye toward better understanding society at the time of the eruption and its direct effects, or even the technological, scientific, or spiritual (yep, spiritual) ripples that ranged out after Krakatoa's explosion, it's hard to imagine a reader will be disappointed.

Absolutely, I'd recommend this one.

80. X Stands for Unknown by Isaac Asimov

As a collection of scientific essays, this work offers quite a bit of variety, and a fair amount of depth. Ranging from chemistry to mathematics, and from astronomy to physics and beyond, Asimov's writing balances an exploration of how we've come to know and understand facets of existence and science with questions of why the journey forward toward truth has been so important and varied, as well as with what comes next. Though some of the essays are heavy enough in the terminology of science that they make for slow reading, many of them are not, and Asimov seems to write with the average reader in mind--one who knows a bit about science, and is interested, but hasn't made a career out of it. Thus, though some essays slowed me down more than others, I really enjoy wandering through the collection. Basic as the topics are, Asimov's presentation and depth, with a focus on uncovering how we've gotten this far in terms of understanding, was a nice overview and refresher.

All told, yes, I'd recommend it for those who find themselves interested.

81. The Ice Carriers by Anna Enquist

A couple has lost their daughter, and they are beginning to lose one another, and this novel by Anna Enquist is the story of their seemingly, terribly normal lives and concerns becoming... something else.

Brilliantly written, and with a lyricism that makes one feel as if they're reading a narration of lives being lived rather than written, this is one of those books that is difficult to put aside. Short as it is, there's power in every page and every moment, and the calmness flowing through the language makes the actions and the emotions behind the characters all the more terrible, and all the more real.

For readers of literary fiction, or who read that first sentence of this review and are curious, I have to say: pick this up. I'm so glad to have discovered Enquist's writing, and this book won't be something I'll easily forget.

So, yes, I recommend it.

82. The Giver by Lois Lowry

No wonder I grew up with a distaste for what the school system taught me to understand as YA literature. I can't believe we give this one to our students and children.

As an adult, I can appreciate this book. I'm also, though, incredibly thankful that I didn't have to read it as a child, and horrified by the idea of giving it to a group of kids as assigned reading. Just as I felt when I read Lord of the Flies, this book makes me understand why so many kids end up hating reading. In assigned reading, they're given sadness and lessons and told about the loss of childhood; they're given everyday horror, where ghosts could be so much more entertaining & just as powerful and lesson-worthy. And yet, we wonder why they don't like to read. Honestly, if I hadn't already fallen in love with reading before I reached first grade--reading Trixie Belden and Nancy Drew with my mom before bedtime in kindergarten, and devouring chapter books before the school ever thought I could handle them--I'd have learned to hate reading also, I'm fairly sure. Based on what we're given in school, I don't think I would have seen what there was to love about it.

So, can I appreciate Lowry's artistry here? Yes, absolutely, and I can appreciate the story. Would I ever give it to a child or a student of mine? Not a chance.

Here, a child learns that his parents are less than he thought--less good, less human, less feeling--and he loses his childhood, learning that he is essentially alone, and the adults around him can't really be trusted. And while that's simplifying things... it's really not.

So no, unless you're looking for sadness, I wouldn't recommend reading this. I rather wish I hadn't.

83. Queen Victoria's Book of Spells: An Anthology of Gaslamp Fantasy edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling

There's a lot of variety to the stories here, and while many of the stories didn't make any particular impression on me, the collection as a whole offered an impressive spread of what can amount to gaslamp literature, and the writing was consistently lovely, if not always so engaging as I might have preferred. The array of authors does offer a great opportunity for readers to discover new writers, and I imagine that any fantasy-reading reader will find at least a few authors whose other pieces they'll want to search out--I certainly did.

So although this collection as a whole didn't make a great impression on me, there were some gems here that I just fell in love with, and I'm glad to have read the collection. My favorites included: "Queen Victoria's Book of Spells" by Delia Sherman (title story), "The Governess" by Elizabeth Bear, "The Unwanted Women of Surrey" by Kaaron Warren, "Charged" by Leanna Renee Hieber, "Phosphorous" by Veronica Schanoes, and "The Jewel in the Toad Queen's Crown" by Jane Yolen.

84. Conversations on the Edge: Narratives of Ethics and Illness by Richard M. Zaner

By discussing the difficulties involved in six separate medical cases involving end-of-life care and questions of ethics in relation to medical treatment & understanding, Zaner's essays offer a careful view into some of the most difficult moments that individuals can face. The honesty and detail offered with each page of the collection are impressive, and all the more so because Zaner is honest about his own uncertainties and downfalls, and about the moments where uncharted territory has become a virtual battleground of science vs. faith, and the human spirit vs. instinct and learning. For most (if not all) adult readers, the collection will bring up difficult and personal considerations related to their own loved ones, but Zaner's discussions are so careful that the heart of the book is far less painful than might be expected.

Simply, the questions and considerations here are ones to be thought about and considered because there are no easy answers, and progressions in medical science can only ensure that they be faced more often, and with more at stake. For readers who are ready to consider medical ethics in a careful manner and think about what life means when, to all appearances, it has nearly left, Zaner's book will be welcome. Without doubt, it is necessary, difficult as the discussions may be.

Absolutely recommended.

A rare re-read for me...

85. Bad Men Do What Good Men Dream by Robert I. Simon

Simon's overview of criminal psychology and deviancy covers a lot of territory, and focuses on the continuum of good and bad, along with the slopes in between and where lines get crossed. As the title suggests, the focal point of the text lies in the fact that all of us--the average law-abiding citizen as well as the serial murderer--are built from much of the same cloth, and contending with both good and bad impulses; thus, the good individual is the one who only dreams (and may or may not remember such dreams) and who sustains mental health while the bad person is one who, for whatever reason, fails to control the same impulses until they're acted out, and potentially followed through on until they've lost any semblance of what would appear normal, let alone good.

Built for the average reader who wants a better understanding of the psychology and the directions involved, the book offers a carefully constructed and easy-to-read (in terms of language if not material) introduction that balances case studies of both extreme and non-extreme behavior against more general discussions of psychology and methods of understanding. Part of the book's power, haunting as it is, comes in the fact that Simon doesn't only examine extreme cases that have been taken from headlines and true-account horror stories; instead, he also takes a look at the average man or woman who leads a normal life, but contends with some of the same desires and struggles at a very basic level, but succeeds where a so-called criminal has failed. In other words, he looks at the good and the bad, and at how one can slip into being the other.

Obviously, with each chapter devoted to a particular type of deviancy, the discussions are overviews, but the bibliography offers an impressive resource for the reader who wants more of a view into a particular area.

All told, I'd recommend this one to readers with an interest in the subjects presented, offering only the caveat that it is, of course, not a pleasant or easy read in terms of the content that's covered.

86. The Marines of Autumn by James Brady

Brady's work has a ringing of truth to it, from start to finish. Very nearly reading as if it's a piece of nonfiction, but for its strict focus on the story and the characters at hand, the work brings to life moments of humor, love, and misery, and does so with such attention to setting and attitude that the reader becomes something of a fly on the wall of Captain Verity's journey... and is just so horrified by it as they are thankful for Brady's crafting of such a narrative.

It took me some time to discover Brady, though I'd heard his name. When I thought of war literature, I thought of Norman Mailer and Tim O'Brien, and of All Quiet on the Western Front and a handful of others. Yet, there's something about The Marines of Autumn--a sort of authenticity that comes through in Brady's style--that I'm not sure I've quite seen elsewhere. There were moments here where I was reminded I was reading fiction, but more often than not, that wasn't how I felt at all.

Absolutely recommended.

87. The Millionaires by Brad Meltzer

Spiraling along with intrigue and drama, this didn't disappoint. Readers of Meltzer's other works will recognize the twisting suspense laid over top of sincere relationships and be swept along by what's another carefully plotted thriller. I won't say that this one felt quite so powerful as some of his other works--there was something somewhat too easy and recognizable about the relationship between the main characters for it to be so striking as some of his work--but it was still a fun escape with whirlwind action.

Despite its being nearly 500 pages, this is simply a fast read, and I don't think fans of Meltzer's work will be disappointed.

88. The Zodiac by James Dickey

Dickey's Zodiac is breathless--a rhythmic long poem that has the potential to hypnotize readers with its lyricism and sounds, and which strikes hard through each series of images. From moment to moment, it's not necessarily an easy read, but it is engulfing. For poetry lovers, this is something of a treasure to be read and re-read. It won't be for everyone, but there were so many moments here that struck me, and that sucked me into the world of the poem, that I can't help but look forward to re-reading it in whole, and recommending it to other poetry-lovers.

89. The Memory Tree by John R. Little

This book... from the moment I picked it up, I very nearly couldn't put it down. Little's narrative has an eerie inertia, and although the tragedies and the darkness at the heart of the book make it something of a horror novel, there's also a lightness to it--as if, after everything, there's hope for innocence and childhood and goodness, even where evidence of the same seems to be lacking.

In truth, I'm not sure how to speak of this book without giving things away. The subject matter is dark, and as speculative fiction goes, the horror is frighteningly everyday, made of what we see on the news and wish weren't true. But Little's plotting is masterful, and the twists here are impressive, more often than not coming out of the blue and with a bit of half-tuned heartbreak.

All in all, this is a dark read, but it's also kind of wonderful. It's not for children, and not for readers who'll want to turn away from difficult subjects... but it is worthwhile, and I'll remember it.

I'll also be looking for any of Little's other writing.

90. First Fire by Archna Sahni

Layered in mythology and lyricism, Sahni's poems are rich and relevant. Readers versed in Indian gods & legends will process some of the poems more easily, but even without such a background, most of the poems are accessible enough and worthwhile for Sahni's careful images and powerful strokes. From one poem to the next, there's such power in her words as to force readers into stopping and re-reading, to relive a moment, and in some cases whole poems just beg to be re-read.

This isn't a collection that I'd recommend to every reader -- thought I might recommend it to every writer -- but I do think that most poetry lovers will find a lot to love here. I'll certainly be revisiting a number of the poems, if not the collection as a whole.

Recommended.

91. Flight from Natchez by Frank G. Slaughter

Based on a true account that Slaughter himself notes as being stranger than fiction, this is the story of over a hundred men, women, children, and slaves who undertook a journey of nearly 500 miles in 1781. And although it's not clear what's fact and what's fiction, the journey itself is unbelievable enough, and that's the truth that began Slaughter's novel.

Whether looked at as historical fiction, adventure, or drama -- or all of the above with a shot in the arm of romance -- the novel carries itself with an inertia that makes it hard to put down once the characters are met and engaged with. Although it took me a few chapters to get into the work, once I did, I didn't want to put it down for any length of time, and found myself waiting anxiously to learn what the main character's final course of action would be... which, honestly, I wouldn't have predicted when I first began the book.

All told, this was an enjoyable and fast-moving escape -- enough so that I wouldn't hesitate to pick up another of Slaughter's books if the mood struck me.

92. Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank

There's something different about this particular post-disaster book, not only in that it doesn't allow itself to dwell on the disaster, or fear or misery, present as the emotions are. Set in Florida, the book focuses on a small community that works to survive in the wake of a nuclear attack on the U.S., when most of the nation is lost, and when most of life as they know it is lost. And yet, Frank's attention to detail and character allows for not just hard realisms, and realizations, but also hope -- and community. Yes, it is a bit dated; how could it not be, having been written in the 1950s? But at heart, it's character that drives the book, and the details of what was left in the wake of such an attack then aren't, I don't suppose, incredibly different from the details of what might be left now, or at any point in the future. Regardless, humanity is there in the heart of the book, and Frank's attentions to prejudices, to fears, and to what matters... well, they're incredible, and more clear than in any other speculative fiction of this nature that I've come across.

I happened across this book by accident--I think it was the title and the cover that drew me in. Now, I'm only stunned that I never heard about in school, or while growing up. Three degrees' worth of reading in English/Writing programs, and I was never handed this? Well, I'm glad I happened onto it now. It's one I'll remember, and recommend.

93. The Anteater of Death by Betty Webb

I'd absolutely recommend this to mystery readers who love animals. But, that said, I admit that it left something to be desired. There were times (especially in the beginning) where I almost felt as if the author was writing an adult story for a younger reader; in other words, things were just a bit too... cute? sweet? One way or another, I on more than one occasion had the impulse to roll my eyes at the main character. But, things did get better. I got more wrapped up in the story, and true to what I'd heard, the animal/wildlife details made the read stick out from other middle-of-the-road mysteries. I'll also admit that there were enough little twists to keep me guessing while also allowing the story to remain more believable than not.

So, all told, I'll certainly go on to read the next in the series. Was this the best book I've read this year? Not by a long shot. But, it was an enjoyable mystery, with many memorable moments. And for an animal lover who hung on the passages that revolved around the zoo's wildlife... well, I'll just say that this was something I enjoyed as an escape and looked forward to picking back up each time I walked away from it.

I'm hoping for a little bit more (character-wise) from the next in the series, but I have a feeling I'll end up reading the whole series regardless.

94. Wonderbook: The Illustrated Guide to Creating Imaginative Fiction by Jeff Vandermeer

This is one of those beautiful books that anyone might find it interesting to wander through, but of course, it's of most use to writers. I'd absolutely recommend it to any beginning writer, but I actually think it might be of interest for any writer to at least wander through. Vandermeer's focus on craft, and on discussing the practice of writing with a view toward speculative fiction and entertainment, allows for a lot of inspiration. Certainly, I've thought about certain aspects of writing in new ways while finding my way through the book, and I've also used some of the illustrations, interviews, and passages in my own creative writing classes. (It might be worth noting here that most of the exercises aren't at all suitable for young writers because they require more time than a class permits, or an advanced ability to focus in on revision and detailed elements of craft, but writing teachers will still find some elements worth sharing here, and find some exercises worth playing with and simplifying for younger writers or class-based experiments. A number of the interviews would be worth sharing with creative writing classes.)

All told, this may be the most beautiful book I own, from page to page--the art is incredible--and there's plenty of food for thought here if you're a writer or an artist of any sort. It's true that some of the subjects and discussions are simplistic enough or basic enough that they won't offer anything new (knowledge-wise, at least) to experienced writers, but Vandermeer's attention to depth and entertainment allows for even those passages to hold a surprising amount of interest, old material or not. So, for those who find themselves even somewhat interested or engaged in the craft of writing, I'd absolutely recommend it.

95. Diving into the Wreck: Poems 1971-1972 by Adrienne Rich

Rich is one of those poets whose works I never tire of. Whether read quickly or drifted through, the poems resonate with her skill and with worthwhile meaning. Maybe even more than in her other collections, the poems in Diving into the Wreck allow for both fast surface-level reads that are themselves enjoyable, but welcome readers who'll be willing to live with them and re-read them. There's such depth to each of them, and such care with language, that they bear up under each further moment a reader spends with them. And yet, young readers and casual readers will still find them worth their time.

All told, this is a wonderful collection, and one I'd absolutely recommend to any poetry reader.

96. The Farm on the River of Emeralds by Moritz Thomsen

This is a brave and interesting book. And more than being about one man's venture into farming, or even into Ecuador, it is about poverty, about clashing cultures, and about coming to grips with one's own delusions and prejudices. And, at the same time, it is beautiful, horrifying, and humorous--in many cases, all in the same moment.

Although Thomsen's voice might sometimes cause readers to cringe at his nonchalant admissions of prejudice and expectation, the book is both a product of its times and all the more worthwhile because of these same moments. The author's struggle to not only survive in Ecuador as a farmer, but to enmesh himself in the surrounding culture and to understand the poverty and people surrounding him, is a study in identity and helplessness--and ultimately, it's a window into the difficulty of reconciling clashing cultures, totally divergent backgrounds, and separate value systems.

The reader who is first brought to the book by adventure and the beauty of Ecuador's landscape will appreciate it for these things, but find themselves tortured along with Thomsen by the heartbreaking poverty and, even more so, the men and women trapped within it. And yet, then, there is the beauty of the appreciation for a single moment--because the present and any joy it can bring is so much more valuable than what is certain to be a painful future--and this single-minded focus, this ability to focus on what Is good in a world that seems mostly bad, allows for a book which is itself split between optimism and cynicism, and which is all the more worthwhile because of it.

Absolutely recommended.

97. Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor

Honestly, I'm afraid I wouldn't have finished this if it hadn't been an ARC I was expected to review.

And, really, I was so excited about this book. Even now, the concept of it sounds wonderful, like something I'd love. Unfortunately, there were some real problems here, and I honestly doubt I'll read anything more by this author after having read this work. First of all, the first 100 pages or so are incredibly hard to follow. With practically every other sentence, the author is throwing new characters and new details of the world at her reader, and there's just too much to keep up with. If the book had started later in the story, or if those first 100-150 pages had been expanded to be their own book (and thus have some impact), it might have been an ideal start to the series. As it was, I read the first few chapters twice, thinking perhaps I was just distracted... but no such luck. There's just too much jumbled together in those earlier chapters, and it makes for a lousy entrance into what's a wonderful concept.

Perhaps because there is so much crammed into this book, characterization is also a real problem. The two central characters, and some of the main supporting ones, are little more than stereotypes. They're interesting takes on the tried and true stereotypes, perhaps, but without any real depth. I didn't feel like I was getting any depth from either of them until the last few chapters of the book, and thus, I found it hard to really engage with or care about either of them as I moved through the work.

After the first 150 pages, the pacing did smooth itself out, but the lingering confusion from the jumble of information there made for less-than-smooth reading at various moments. And yet, still, things were predictable. A reader of fantasy is not only going to be predicting much of what will happen through the rest of this novel, from the halfway point on or so, but predicting what's to happen in the sequel--and that, of course, is the bigger problem in my mind. Why read the sequel when I'm not attached to the characters, and I have a good feeling for what's going to take place?

It's true that there are a lot of beautifully written passages here, and that things are clearly imagined and beautifully told at the sentence level, but the author would have been better served by spreading this into 2 or 3 books that could deal adequately with the beginning information and passages, offering real and developed characterization along with more stable pacing, or else by cutting the first 150 pages or so and allowing what information was important from them to be parceled out. I've often seen agents and editors remark that many beginning authors make the mistake of starting a story to early, and I've seen it in some unpublished manuscripts, but I don't think I've ever seen such a clear case of the problem in a published book by someone who looks to be an experienced author.

All told, this was simply an incredibly disappointing read. The story had a lot of potential, but the delivery was rushed and the characters offered without depth. Simply, it had a few too many major flaws for me to even consider reading the sequel, and I seriously doubt I'll ever pick up Taylor's work again, given the chaos of this read and the ultimate disappointment.

Obviously, I can't recommend this one.

98. The River Sound: Poems by W. S. Merwin

Enchanting and careful, the poems here are explorations of memory, of nature, and of identity as it might perhaps be understood while it is still being formed, and experienced. Merwin's poems are lyrical and rhythmic, and those that speak with a strain of the blues are some of the strongest here, ringing with the movement of rivers and wind. The three longer narrative poems are also stand-outs--particularly "Suite in the Key of Forgetting", which I found myself returning to again and again, and which I'll surely return to in the future.

Calm as the poems are, the collection still floats along with an inner tension, and I'd recommend it to any poetry lover without hesitation.

99. With You (Tear Asunder) by Nashoda Rose

This was my first introduction to Rose's writing, and there's no doubt I'll be reading more; I enjoyed both the characters and the story, and although I would have liked a bit more depth, I also know this was a novella and just a prequel to the main series--thus, I'm just hoping for more with the next, much as I enjoyed this one. I will say: this would have been a 4 or 4.5 star read (instead of 3.5) if not for the fairly regular errors (commas, spelling, etc.) that I found to be a distraction--the sort of thing that software wouldn't catch (like 'new' vs. 'knew' or a missing comma), but which is obvious enough to be a distraction. I'm hoping the author used a different proofreader for later books. There were also a couple of tiny discrepancies/contradictions which likewise make me hope she found a more detail-oriented and consistent editor, but I guess we'll see with the next book.

I made it to a hundred, if just barely!!!

100. Driving Through the Country Before You Are Born by Ray McManus

This is one of those poetry collections that has such a simple power as to remind you why you read poetry at all. The poems are unforced, organic, and careful--each one ripe with emotion and plays of language and image, each one clear, and holding no more language than it needs.

This is one of those books that I'll return to again and again, and which anyone can enjoy. And for me, it's one of those books that reminds me why I love reading and writing poetry.

Absolutely recommended.

congratulations on reaching 100! I always learn so much from your threads.