100:100 Dr. Thirteenth by Adam Hargreaves

Yaz's birthday is tomorrow and the Doctor, Ryan, and Graham have no idea what to do for when the Doctor comes up with an idea for an amazing birthday cake from a marvelous bakery on another planet along with balloons and candles from the past.  Yaz is sure to be surprised.

It was a cute little story but very little character interaction, mostly just the Doctor running through the universe collecting things. Also, I haven't seen enough of the new Doctor to know if the voices were quite right for the characters which is usually my big test for these books.

Page count: 32p/18,889p ytd/310,905p lifetime

99:100 House of M by Brian Michael Bendis

Wanda Maximoff's powers have grown but as they have, her grasp on reality has become very loose.  Now, whatever she thinks or wants to be reality is the way things are.  Unfortunately, that ends up changing the reality for everyone and it is possible for others, like her father, to nudge her version of reality to match what they want.  Now the New Avengers and Astonishing X-Mex have come together at Wolverine's insistence that things are not right in the world.  It takes a lot of convincing but many of them have been having the feeling that things aren't right so they agree to find Wanda and try to stop her and put things back to the way it was.

Story was interesting, lots going on but yet still easy to follow, and I was even ok with the artistic style (usually my big issue with comics).

Page count: 224p/18,857p ytd/310,873p lifetime

98:100 Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer

The Fowl family has fallen on hard times since Artemis's father disappeared.  Artemis may only be 12 years old but he is a genius so he has studied hard, done his research, and found that fairies are real and there is gold to be had for one who is clever and daring enough.  So he waits and watches and finally makes his move one moonlit night and captures Captain Holly Short of the LEPrecon Unit. 

My 12yr old ran through this series as he loved it.  My oldest did the same thing at the same age.  I thought the premise was good but the plot was slow, little character depth overall, and the twists and turns were very predictable.  Fun for kids but I found the execution lacking and won't be reading the rest of the series.


Page count: 396p/18,633p ytd/310,649p lifetime

New Releases I'm Looking Forward To: 1st Quarter 2019

My usual disclaimer:

Let me state, this is really based on authors or series that I'm already reading since those are the things I follow.  I'm not paid to write this blog nor do I have any affiliations with any publishers so I don't receive free books or advance notice of things except what I glean off Facebook from people who do have those contacts or what I research on my own (which again, leads back to authors that I'm already reading).  Maybe someday I'll be one of those who has the contacts and gets ARCs but it's not today.

A lot of comics filled my reading time between all the kids' school reading and my book club reading but there were a couple of trips during this last quarter that allowed me to do some reading of the books that were just for me.  It was heavenly.  And for the first time in I don't know how long, my Read pile is now greater than my To Read pile.  Not sure how long that will last but since I made it past my birthday without that changing much, it might actually last out the year.

We kick off the year with the newest novel for the Wayward Children, In an Absent Dream, by Seanan McGuire.  Lundy would rather follow rules and read than run around with the other children so when a doorway opens up into the Goblin Market she almost doesn't go through except she is still a child and curious.  What she finds is a place where fair value is strictly enforced by the Market itself and there is logic and rules to follow but so rarely do these things end well in the long run. I'm still a book behind, although with this series it's not sequential so it's unlikely the last one affects this one in anyway as this states that it's a prequel.  

Release date: January 8

The Winter of the Witch is the conclusion to the Winternight Trilogy by Katherine Arden that starts with The Bear and the Nightingale. Vasya and Morozko must team up to try and save Russia, both the humans and the unseen ones, but the way is uncertain and the enemies are many. I only barely read the first book last month and haven't started the second yet but I was so enchanted with the first that I'm definitely going to finish this trilogy.

Release date: January 9

I keep trying to find time to get caught up with the Jane Yellowrock series by Faith Hunter and still haven't managed it.  I'm several books behind there and now there is the spinoff series which I haven't even got a chance to start yet but Circle of the Moon, book 4 in the spinoff, is coming out soon and I really want to get to know Nell better and see more of Rick. 

Release date: February 26

Ah, Mercy Thompson.  She opened her big mouth and, in Storm Cursed by Patricia Briggs, people are taking her at her word that she and her husband's pack of werewolves will keep them safe even as they treat with the big and bad Grey Lords of the Fae.  She has given her word but can she keep it and what will it cost?  I seriously love this series and can't wait to see how our favorite coyote shifter gets out of this one.

Release date: March 5

Lastly, That Ain't Witchcraft by Seanan McGuire is the next chapter in the Incryptid series.  We are still following Annie as she is still away from her family although building a new support structure with some new friends but she has also made a pact with the Crossroads and they always get paid.

Release date: March 5

97:100 Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper

Melody may not be able to walk or talk but she has an amazing photographic memory and she can see music in her head.  She loves it so and she loves to watch tv programs about science and history and even better is to be read to where she can imagine the story.  She would love to be like the other kids but she has cerebal palsy and keeps ending up in the special ed room where she is rarely afforded the opportunity to interact with the rest of the school.  However, things have changed as she has gotten an aide who can come with her to the regular classrooms and the biggest thing of all was getting her new computer that they can program and it can talk for her.  She can't wait.

I really enjoyed this book and even more so doing the novel study with the 12yr old.  Both he and his next older brother have spent years in therapy for speech issues and know other kids that are very bright but couldn't communicate so he related to that but the way Melody's brain worked, seeing colors, remembering things so easily, was new to him.  We also did research on how businesses are supposed to be accommodating to those in wheelchairs or with other disabilities and started looking around to see which ones are and which ones aren't.  How easy would it be for someone to actually patronize this business?  What about our town?  Or this playground?  Lots of areas for discussion about how we as a society treat those that are different and how we can be better and more inclusive.

Page count: 295p/18,237p ytd/310,253p lifetime

96:100 Haints and Hobwebs by Jennifer Estep

Gin is talking to Fletcher at his grave.  He's gone but she still needs him from time to time and even if he can't answer, at least she can talk.  This time though, she is not alone as she spies a Haint and one who seems to want something from her.  Since Gin has been speaking to Fletcher, she can only assume the Haint wants revenge on someone and Gin has always been good at that.

This story was just short on everything.  Characters fell a bit flat, the plot was even simpler than usual, but there was still plenty of inner monologue going on.

Page count: 30p/17,942p ytd/309,958p lifetime

95:100 Blackbirds by Chuck Wendig

Miriam Black has only to touch your skin with hers to know exactly when and how you will die.  This knowledge also comes with no ability to do anything about this fact as she learned fairly early on.  Now she travels around the country, finding someone who will die soon and picking their pockets to have enough money for the next meal and place to stay.  It's lonely and nomadic but also keeps her from forming close bonds to anyone.

Then she meets Louis, a trucker who rescues her from a beating, and sees that he will die soon, tortured, and with her name as the last thing he says.  She runs from him.

Afterward, she meets Ashley who is a conman with secrets to hide but who will live a long life but is willing to blackmail her to get her to use her powers for his gain.  He finds out about Louis and sends Miriam after him.

But Ashley's secrets involve another party that is interested in Miriam's powers as well and they will do whatever it takes to have her in their fold and what Miriam wants doesn't really matter to them.

This book ended up on a list somewhere and looked interesting.  The premise still sounds wonderful but unfortunately, the execution left much to be desired.  All of the characters lack depth and are nothing more than stereotypical molds. What backstory we do get is bland, lifeless, and completely typical.  The story itself was formulaic and predictable.  Apparently there are a lot more books in the series but after this one, I don't think I'll bother finding out what happens next because I just don't care about any of these characters.


Page count: 320p/17,912p ytd/309,928 lifetime

94:100 Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging by Sebastian Junger

Sebastian Junger takes a hard look at how the way society deals with PTSD and returning veterans makes life more difficult for them.  Mr. Junger has methodically researched the many alarming statistics surrounding the rate of suicide of these groups in certain societies by looking deeper not only into those societies but also the ones where it is less common and it should be surprising to no one to learn that much of it has to do with connection.  More and more, we are becoming a self-isolating.  It's easier to order in everything from the outside world, yes, but what are we saving all that time for?  To be productive?  What does that mean and why do we value it so highly and devalue those whom we think of as "less productive"? 

Human connection...interactions...a societal connectedness. These are things that we should be striving more towards but they are the things that seem to be getting lost more and more in this new age.  Mr. Junger found that people he interviewed who had lived through sieges and war times actually had fond memories of those times, not because of the horrors they endured but because it brought a community together.  Once the danger was passed, they all went back to living their own lives and something was lost. 

Humans are by nature social beings but the more busy we become, the less we have time to sit down and be there for each other, to listen, to connect with one another.  I think this book was narrow in it's scope but there is a very wise underlying message for all of us...Slow down and reconnect with people.  We will all be better for it.


Page count: 182p/17,410p ytd/309,608p lifetime

93:100 Blankets by Craig Thompson

The story of a boy growing up in rural Wisconsin, of having a brother, of being raised in a very religious house, of a first love.  The story starts when Craig is 8 or so and we see how he and his brother fight but are then drawn back together again.  We see Craig searching for meaning in the things that are happening to him and committing fully to the Church to the point of considering the ministry. When Craig falls in love for the first time, there is a sweetness to it and it hurts when it doesn't last and then leads to his abandonment of his faith.  Craig doesn't get his HEA in this but when you see the young man he has become, you realize that he is learning to be content with his life which is really all anyone can ask for.

This was another one in the Comics as Literature college class my son took and he thought I would enjoy.  It's a quiet story, not flashy or super exciting but it draws you in with the depth of its characters.



Page count: 592p/17,410p ytd/309,426p lifetime

92:100 The Ancient Egyptian World by Eric H. Cline & Jill Rubalcaba

From 2014:
Middle-school ancient history covering from the earliest records of ancient Egypt through the 3rd Intermediate Age with a brief synopsis covering the Ptolemys through Cleopatra and Rome.  This looks at not just the lives of the Pharaohs and the gods of Egypt but also how the common man lived, the advancements they made throughout the ages, their art and literature, and the discoveries that have led to our current understanding of their culture.   

I love this series so much and it really makes the high school world history I'm having to read just look awful in comparison as we learn so much about each culture, not just what they did but what we believe are the reasons behind what they did and how we came to those conclusions.  It's not just boring and dry names and dates with little else behind it but works hard to bring it more alive.

Page count: 190p/16,818p ytd/308,834p lifetime

91:100 A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo by Marlon Bundo and Jill Twiss

A simple sweet tale of the Bunny of the United States who lives with his family at the White House because Grandpa is the Vice-President.  He spends a lot of time being lonely until one day when he meets Wesley.  After spending all day hopping together, they decide they want to get married so they can hop together forever.  Their friends are all very happy for them but there is a stink bug who thinks he is in charge and he has decided that "Boy bunnies can't marry boy bunnies. Boy bunnies have to marry girl bunnies!".  So all the animals get together and hold a vote to see if the stink bug should continue to be in charge and they decide that he isn't.

So Marlon Bundo and Wesley are able to get married and hop together happily every after.

Super sweet and fun little read.


Page count: 32p/16,628p ytd/308,644p lifetime

90:100 Dragon's Code by Gigi McCaffrey

Piemur was in Southern Hold, after running away from Harper Hall, doing surveying (and a bit of spying on the Weyr) for the MasterHarper.  He is starting to get the feeling that something is up at the Weyr but other things are preoccupying his Master's thoughts as rumor's about an attack on Jaxom are starting to take a more ominous tone so Piemur doesn't push his views too much.

And then the unspeakable happens and Ramoth's queen egg is stolen off the hatching grounds at Benden Weyr.  Dragons and their riders are ready to start a war on the Southern Weyr when the egg is mysteriously returned.  Piemur doesn't know who did it as he has returned to the North to try and find out more about what people may be trying to do to Jaxom and of course, being Piemur, he finds much more trouble than he expected.

The first book with the characters first created by Anne McCaffrey in many years as Gigi McCaffrey takes up the tales of her mother's characters.  This is really the retelling of part of the events from The White Dragon but from Piemur's perspective rather than Jaxom's and gives much more depth about what was going on in Southern Weyr during that time period.  I felt that Gigi did a good job with the voices of most of the characters and it definitely felt like a return home reading it.  I hope to read more books from her.



Page count: 251p/16,596p ytd/308,612p lifetime

89:100 The Book of Money by Daniel Conaghan & Dan Smith

I was trying to find a simply but fairly comprehensive economics book and this certainly did the trick. This book provided basic economic principles in easy to understand ways and also made sure to show how they affect society and the people which I always find as a more effective way to grasp a concept.  Are there more indepth books out there, of course, but I think unless you are planning to go further in your economics studies this is really does a good job of laying out the basics.



Page count: 256p/16,345p ytd/308,361p lifetime

88:100 The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden

Vasya's mother knew that her daughter was destined to be something special and she told her husband so at the same time she told him that she was expecting again, making him promise to take good care of their daughter when that time come sensing that she would not be there to raise her.  She died shortly after Vasya was born.

Vasya was raised primarily by her nurse who had helped raise her mother.  Surrounded by a family who loved and understood her, filled with the tales of the house and nature spirits, Vasya was never a typical girl preferring to run in the woods to sewing quietly in the house and her father feels that she would do better with a motherly influence so goes to court to find a wife. What he does not expect is to be given the daughter of the Czar, an extremely pious girl who wanted nothing more than to become a nun so she could be in a place where she could no longer see the demons that seem to be everywhere.

Now Anna is here to help Vasya's father with the house so he can take care of his lands and people but she still sees the demons. Except where she sees demons, Vasya sees the house and nature spirits that have been protecting them forever from the Winter demons.  Now that Anna is there, along with the new Father, they are turning people from the old ways and their caring of the spirits and weakening the protections of the village with their insistence on worshiping only their one god.  Vasya is trying to keep the spirits strong but she is only one girl and the village is starting to turn against her as her stepmother and the Father are.

But winter spirits are hungry and the village is becoming a ripe target.

This book kept popping in suggestions for me all over the place and I though it looked interesting so I finally broke down and picked it for my book club to read when it was my turn.  I am so happy I did. I couldn't put it down. The characters were so engaging, the tale deftly woven.  It had all the hallmarks of beautifully crafted fairy tale and it never disappointed. I'm now desperately trying to find time to read the rest of the series.

Page count: 338p/16,089p ytd/308,105p lifetime

87:100 George's Secret Key to the Universe by Lucy and Stephen Hawking

George's parents do not believe in the positives of technology, only its dangers to the planet.  There is no tv, no phone, no computers but George did manage to talk them into letting him have a pet pig.  Except one day the pig escapes into his neighbor's backyard and he meets Annie who introduces him to her father and their supercomputer, Cosmos.  With Cosmos's help, Annie's father is able to journey through the solar system to explore so much further.  Of course, George ends up accidentally telling one of his teachers about Cosmos and that teacher has been looking for Cosmos for his own purposes.

I really wanted to like this book.  I mean, a children's book written by Stephen Hawking and his daughter about space?!  It should be awesome!  My 12 year old loved the entire series and was finishing each one in about two days.  However, the plot was so unbelievably simplistic and predictable it was a slog to get through.  Yes, the science is sound but it was less woven in and more just graphs and extra information that broke up what flow there was in the story (which wasn't much).  I can't bring myself to try and read any of the others in this series but my son recommends them to the late elementary/middle school science geeks.


Page count: 295p/15,751p ytd/307,767p lifetime

86:100 All-Star Superman by Grant Morrison, Frank Quitely, and Jamie Grant

Superman has saved the planet again but this time taken a lethal dose of radiation that will kill him as soon as he finishes his 12 great tasks.  Of course his parents, Lois Lane, and Jimmy Olson are there but so is Lex Luthor, Bizarro from the backwards planet with Zibarro, Ultra-Sphinx, alternate Supermans from may other dimensions and time lines, and so much more.

This was another in my son's college Comics as Literature class. The stories were good and solid and well illustrated but none really stood out for me but I can definitely see what it was part of the class.


Page count: 304p/15,456p ytd/307,472p lifetime

85:100 The Ancient Near Eastern World by Amanda H. Podany & Marni McGee

Review from 2013:
Middle-school The World in Ancient Times series by Oxford Press.  Looking at the kingdoms of the Middle East including Mesopotamia and Babylon as well Hammarabi, Gilgamesh, the founding of the Jewish religion and Israel, the five great kingdoms and their relationships, the last Mesopotamian king, and the rise of the Persian Empire.  

I really love how the book always takes time to explain how we know the things that we do, what we have found, and why we believe what we do about those findings.  It brings it alive for me much better than just a dry recitation.  There are also stories of people who lived during that time, not just the kings but the regular people as well.  Truly one of the most fun history series for kids I've come across.



Page count: 174p/15,152p ytd/307,168p lifetime

84:100 Curran POV Collection by Gordon Andrews

A collection of short stories written from Curran's point of view that take place between Magic Bites and Magic Bleeds, much of them focusing on his relationship with Kate.  Always fun to see the events from the other perspective and Gordon definitely delivers.


Page count: 157p/14,978p ytd/306,994p lifetime

83:100 The Incident on Gamma 7 by Stefon Mears

Commander Teague knows that they are coming for him.  It's only a matter of time and his gut is saying it will happen soon.  After all the special ops missions he led to keep the other species at war to try and keep them from turning their attention towards the humans, there is the one that brought his house of cards down.

Short but engaging tale.


Page count: 20p/14,588p ytd/306,604p lifetime

82:100 Holes by Louis Sachar

Review from 2013:

Stanley Yelnats's family has always been unlucky because of a curse placed on them by Madame Zeroni generations back. Now the curse has struck him as he was arrested after some shoes fell out of the sky and landed on his head as he was walking home from school and it just so happens that they were the shoes of a famous baseball player who had donated them to a charity auction. Now Stanley is sentenced to Camp Green Lake where all the kids are forced to dig huge holes every day since "it's good for their character". Obviously the warden is looking for something but no one has any idea what. While at the camp, Stanley meets Zero and they start to become friends but Zero may just hold the key to removing the curse from Stanley's family.

A cute book and I love the weaving of all the different parts of the tale and then how it all comes together neatly at the end.



Page count: 233p/14,801p ytd/306,584p lifetime

81:100 Magic Triumphs by Ilona Andrews

The conclusion of the Kate Daniels series.  The enemy who has been testing the edges of things (seriously, read Iron and Magic before this one to be introduced to them) has declared war on Kate and her allies.  This enemy almost destroyed her family before and the witches' prophecies of blood and fire are only growing stronger. 

Kate knows that this is not a war she can win but she also knows that if she doesn't, everything and everyone that she knows and love will die.  There is no place they can go to escape this.  She will have to ally herself with not only Roland but many others who she formally fought against.  Curran will do anything to keep her and their son safe, even becoming a god to sacrifice himself if needed. Kate will draw on any and all power to keep Curran and their son safe as well but will it be enough?

This is a fast-paced, hit you upside the head multiple times, tale.  Suspense, laughter, war, love, it's got it all and gives it all in spades.  I've loved this series and want to find time to go back and reread it from start to finish again.  I know that the main series is done now but I hope we get spinoffs from time to time so we can watch Conlan grow and see Kate and Curran's future.


Page count: 336p/14,568 ytd/306,584p lifetime

80:100 Binti by Nnedi Okorafor

The Himba people have never left their homeland, much less traveled to the stars, but Binti has been accepted to go to the Oomza University which is offworld.  She knows she cannot tell her family, they will never approve, so she sneaks away one night to board the ship that will take her. 

She is other to everyone.  No one is familiar with the Himba people as they remain isolated and do not travel but Binti hopes that those traveling to the University will learn to treat her as an equal.  On the trip, things are going well and she is even starting to make some friends until the ship is attacked by the Meduse.

Earth and the Meduse have been at war for a long time and this is just the latest strike.  Now the Meduse have killed everyone on board except for Binti for there is something about her that is different.  Now she has the chance to try and be a bridge between the Meduse and Oomza University in order to bring peace. 

This was truly a remarkably crafted tale.  At less than 100p long, it was tightly woven with amazingly detailed characters and universe.  Ms. Okorafor is an incredibly talented wordsmith and worldbuilder and I can't wait to read more of her work.


Page count: 96p/14,232p ytd/306,248p lifetime

79:100 Sloth Wisdom compiled by Talia Levy

A cute little book of quotes on learning how to take it easy and chillax more. You know, channel your inner sloth. 


Page count: 96p/14,136p ytd/306,152p lifetime

78:100 Witches Wild by Yasmine Galenorn

Maddie, Sandy, and Fata Morgana roamed the countryside for decades indulging their whims and destroying vampires.  Then the inevitable falling out and Fata returning to the arms of the ocean.  Now Fata has returned to join up with Maddie and Sandy again with warnings from the waves but her moods shift like the tides and her moods are ever changing as the sea. Maddie and Sandy must learn how to sail them again if they hope to survive not just the latest threat that Fata brings warnings of but Fata herself.

Really enjoying this series and I liked the focus on this one, less on the big bad they need to deal with and more on the conflicted feelings of Fata. 


Page count: 342p/14,040p ytd/306,056p lifetime

77:100 Big Kahuna Plays for His Soul by Stefon Mears

Akela "Big Kahuna" Kapule is a pool wizard who protects the pool halls around Portland, Oregon.  He can see the future in the chalk dust on his cue and it has told him that he is needed in the one of the worst pool halls around tonight and that his soul is in jeopardy.

A tale of demons and wizards battling it out on the pool table.  What could be more fun!


Page count: 23p/13,698p ytd/305,714p lifetime

76:100 The Most Important Sound in Space by Stefon Mears

A long mission in space but still a normal walk outside the craft to do some basic maintenance.  They always told Blaine he was a bit off for constantly listening to the sound of his own breathing but hearing the air flowing always brought him a lot of comfort.  Now though, it may be the only thing that helps keep him alive when things go off the rails.

Short tale, fun read.


Page count: 23p/13,675p ytd/305,691p lifetime

75:100 Siren's Song by Yasmine Galenorn

The third book in the Bewitching Bedlam series.  Sandy, Maddie's best friend, is almost run down at the grocery store. And by almost run down, I mean they tried to hit her with the car several times.  Definitely no accident.  Then her new restaurant is torched just before it opens.  Now she is in a coma and her dreams are coming to life and considering the kind of life she has led and how long it is, there are things of nightmare in her mind that the town is not prepared to try and deal with.  Sandy's boyfriend, the weretiger Max, is beside himself and together with Maddie and Aegis, they are tearing the town apart trying to discover who is attacking her and stop them no matter the cost.

I'm really enjoying this series and the characters and I hope to see much more of them.


Page count: 338p/13,652p ytd/305,668p lifetime

74:100 The Ambitious Ocean by Seanan McGuire

Patrick is upset that Countess Winterrose would interfere and lie to him about Dianda so he goes to confront her on it but the Patrick that comes out after that meeting is not the same one that went in.  He is now cold and callous to those he once treated as friends, the pixies are shooed away and Daffodil actually struck, is dismissive of Carmichael, and now plans to kill Dianda for daring to try and ensnare him. 

And then Dianda and Sylvester figure out that something is very wrong and wrestle him into the sea where the ocean dissolves the spell that the Countess placed on him to make him into her idea of what a Doane Sidhe should behave like.  Thank goodness for that.  Now if he can just keep Dianda from going after the Countess herself...

Love reading about Patrick and Dianda and so glad I know how it will end up before getting stories like these.  LOL


Page count: 20p/13,314p ytd/305,330p lifetime

73:100 A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith

This is a story of Francie who grew up among the working poor in Brooklyn at the turn of the 19th century.  Frequently hungry, with little heat, and patched clothes, we watch Francie come of age with her brother Neely, and later a little sister as well.  Struggling to get an education, moving as they lose another place due to lack of funds, collecting pennies to have something to eat, Francie still wants to make something of herself, to find a way out, to read every book in the library.  Life is hard and it's not fair but she learns from her mother that you still just keep going.  And she does, even when it's not easy, even when her father dies, even when her mother sends her to work so her brother can keep getting his education.  She just keeps putting one foot in front of the other with a good heart and a good head.

A soft, quiet book that just lays it out how this family lived at that time, in that place. Beautifully descriptive, it's easy to just fall into it and then have to come back out into your own reality after having been so deep into their's.  I do understand why it's a classic and so many people read and reread it. 


Page count: 493p/13,294p ytd/305,310p lifetime

72:100 Iron and Magic by Ilona Andrews

Hugh D'Ambry has been tossed out by Roland.  Roland who commanded him and was his entire universe.  Now he doesn't know what to do with himself so he drinks to keep it from hurting as much.  Then some of his lieutenants find him and tell him that his Iron Dogs are being hunted down by the necromancers of Roland.  This is probably the only thing that could shake Hugh out of his funk and start bringing him back to a semblance of his old life.

Elara has found an abandoned sanctuary and has created a safe haven for her people.  Elara has been called The Abomination for a long time but not by those in her keeping.  She has strange powers but she uses them for their good but now there is something strange and strong coming for them and she is not strong enough to save them from it.  So when Hugh and his people come along offering protection in exchange for room and board.  To make it more believable, their people negotiate a marriage between them which is not something that Hugh and Elara would have gone for normally but needs must when the devil is coming.

Nice to get backstory on Hugh.  It doesn't really make him a sympathetic character but it makes him more understandable and this is his start at redemption.  Elara is a good new character, compassionate but takes no shit while still being able to listen and learn.  While not technically a Kate Daniels book, you do need to read it before reading Magic Triumphs.  However, it's a great installment to the series and I'm hoping we do see some more stories with Hugh and Elara.

Page count: 380p/12,801p ytd/304,817p lifetime

71:100 Prudence by Gail Carriger

Prudence Alessandra Maccon Akeldama (Rue to her friends) has lived an unusual life even among the supernatural community. The daughter of Lord Maccon (a werewolf) and Lady Alexia Maccron (soulless) and adopted daughter of Lord Akeldama (vampire) was always going to something special but even more since she is a metanatural (steals supernatural powers for a brief period turning them normal).  Lord Akeldama has been training her, of course, and has now given her a dirigible of her own which of course she promptly has painted red with black spots and named the "Spotted Custard".

Now she has a crew including her best friend Primrose, her brother Percy, and Quensel.  Primrose's entire job seems to be making sure Rue has clothes to thrown on after she has ruined her latest outfit.  Quesnel seems to be decent at keeping the engines running and flirting.  Percy makes the most sense as he taught himself to navigate, is incredibly learned, and speaks several languages.  Lord Akeldama charges Rue to go to India to see about a new tea.  However, it looks like there is much much more going on of which Rue is completely unaware.

Rue stumbles through the story, not ever really realizing what is going on around her.  While it is set in India, we see very little of that culture or the people throughout the story and what there is, is done very problematically in that it is not respectful of the culture.  I LOVED the Parasol Protectorate and Finishing School series but this one was just not as much fun and really was kind of a slog to get through. Some of the side characters were interesting and some of it was fun so I bumped it up to the three stars.  I'm going to read the next book and hope it gets better.


Page count: 357p/12,421p ytd/304,437p lifetime

70:100 Saga Vol. 8 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples

During a violent jump, Alana was thrown against a wall and her baby has died.  They have to find a way to remove the dead child before it kills her but finding someone to perform the procedure with as far along as she is and under their fugitive conditions will not be easy.  It has also had the unexpected side effect of giving Alana some Wreath magic abilities including being able to conjure up a ghost version of their son that is visible to the whole family. Unfortunately, that may just kill her if they don't do something soon.

The Will has been kidnapped by the fiance of someone he killed and they are looking to kill everyone he ever loved before finishing him off.  It didn't take long before they found out about Gwyn, Sophie, and Lying Cat.

Prince Robot needs to get back home to Squire and after his behavior with Alana, he is left of find his own way but ends up coming back and then...

Well, you just need to read it.


Page count: 146p/12,064p ytd/304,080p lifetime

69:100 Saga Vol. 7 by Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples

The ship needs fuel and the family needs a rest so they manage one last jump to a comet named Phang to try and get both while Alana continues along with her new pregnancy.  However, The March is a new freelancer trying to find them for all the different parties who want them all dead and their new home is scheduled for termination.  Now might be a good time to try and get off Phang.

The Will has reunited briefly with Gwyn and Sophie but only to try and get Lying Cat back and pick up Sophie to train her to be a freelancer like he was until he was fired but Sophie decides to stay with Gwyn and Lying Cat decides to stay with Sophie so The Will walks off into the sunset.  Pretty sure we haven't seen the last of him.

More gradual plot development in this one which was a nice change of pace after the totally action packed previous one.

Page count: 152p/11,918p ytd/303,934p lifetime

68:100 The Early Human World by Peter Robertshaw & Jill Rubalcaba

Middle-School Ancient History by Oxford Press, part of "The World In Ancient Times" series.  This is my third time reading it.  This was my previous review from 2009:

This is the first in the series of The World in Ancient Times that we are using for Matthew's Ancient History class this year and was recommended by one of his friends who is 2yrs older. I really like the format of the books. They are told in a definite story form rather than a dry "here are the facts" that so many history books do. They keep it light, interesting, and entertaining while getting the information across. They pack lots of fun little facts in which help to keep it interesting as well. I definitely learned a lot and enjoyed it and even better, so did Matthew. I think that right there is the best compliment is when the 6th grader is happy to do history when it's not normally one of his favorite subjects.

And from 2013:

Well, now I'm using it for Jonathan who is in 7th grade (we did US History for 5th & 6th since that was better for him rather than breaking it up).  He's enjoying it as much as he can any history which is about as far from his favorite subject as you can get.  I'm enjoying reading it again as there is a lot that I have forgotten since so much of it is just not something that I have to deal with in my day-to-day life.  Maybe by the time the last one reads it in a few years, I'll actually be able to retain more of it.  In the meantime, forgetting large chunks means it's a fun read when it's that time again. *big grin*

Page count: 176p/11,766p ytd/303,784p lifetime

67:100 Saga Vol. 6 by Brian Vaughan & Fiona Staples

Marko and Alana are reunited but Hazel and Klara have been taken to a detention center on Landfall.  Prince Robot has his son back but is a fugitive from his own family so is hanging out with Gus and Friendo on their planet, teaching his son the old ways.  Gwyn and Sophie have save The Will but at the cost of his sister's life for which he can't forgive them or himself. But now with her dead, the reporters who had been forced to stop working on the story of Alana, Marko, and Hazel are free to get back to it.

Alana and Marko need to get Hazel and Klara back but the only person they can think of to help them is Prince Robot.  He joins them, reluctantly, leaving his son behind with Gus.

Hazel lets her teacher know just how very special she is (being half-wing/half-horn) and her teacher understands just how much danger she is in and works out an escape plan that coincidentally, happens just as Marko, Alana, and Prince Robot show up to rescue her and Klara, but when Klara doesn't want to go, another prisoner, Petrichor, jumps through the gate.

The reporters follow the leads and end up bumping into The Will who is searching for Prince Robot to get revenge for his killing of The Stalk whom he loved.  They then lead him to the planet where Gus is watching the Princeling.

Gotta read more!

Page count: 152p/11,590p ytd/303,608p lifetime

66:100 The Wish Factor by Yasmine Galenorn

Prequel to the Bewitching Bedlam series, this is Bubba's origin story. 

Cjinn are born without knowing their name and without their magic.  As they grow, their magic does and when it is strong enough and they have control of it, they find their name.  This has yet to happen to Younger Son and he is the only one of his litter still without his name.  His mother tells him to have patience but it's so hard and now father has said they are to move to a new world.  When that happens though, what will happen to Younger Son if he does not have enough magic to know his name?

A cute little story that gives not just Bubba's origins but also more about cjinn themselves. 



Page count: 25p/11,438p ytd/303,456p lifetime

65:100 Coffee is the Life by Faye Larson

Riley is obsessed with the Van Helsing books and stayed up all night to finish the latest one and now he NEEDS to talk to someone about it but the problem is, none of his friends have finished it yet.  Ugh!!!  So when his ex-fiance, Erik, calls him up to say that he just finished the first book in the series, Riley is all too happy to meet up for coffee and at least get to talk about early Van Helsing. 

Sweet story that continues right where the other one left off. Romance definitely seems to be brewing but there are a couple of different directions is could go and I like that it isn't getting rushed.


Page count: 51p/11,413p ytd/303,431p lifetime

64:100 Dragonwings by Laurence Yep

Moon Shadow has heard fabulous tales of his father, and especially the kites that he makes, but has never met him.  His father left for America before he was born and for 8 years all Moon Shadow has known of him has been his letters that he sends with money for them and the stories his mother tells him. 

Now his father has sent for him to come to America, the land of the white devils.  Of course Moon Shadow will go but he has no idea what to expect.  He and his father get to know each other and it is revealed that his father has had an important dream, to build an airplane and fly.  Windrider is willing endure much to make this dream come true even if no one else believe in it, but Moon Shadow believes and will be there to help him see it through.

We read this for my 7th grader's literature and enjoyed it.  It definitely put more emphasis on how Chinese and white people perceived each other in the early 1900s but also showed how people can move past prejudices when they are open to getting to know someone.  It showed the power of family and belief which is not limited to any one culture.


Page count: 317p/11,362p ytd/303,380p lifetime

63:100 Hounded by Kevin Hearne

First book in the Iron Druid series.  Atticus O'Sullivan is one of the last Druids and currently enjoying a quiet life in Arizona.  Unfortunately for him, there is an ancient Celtic god who has wanted the sword that Atticus wields for centuries and has found him now so this the time to make his move and get his hands on it.  Seriously, even against a god, what Druid is going to stand for that?!

My oldest enjoys this series and it's been in my to-read pile for a while but other things kept getting pushed in front of it until it got picked for my book club.  If you enjoy Dresden, you'll enjoy this one.  Same snarky main character but on the Celtic mythos side of things.  There are some rough spots in the writing but I believe this was the author's first book so it makes sense and I'm guessing it will smooth out in future ones.  I do plan to find out.



Page count: 304p/11,045p ytd/303,063p lifetime

New Releases I'm Looking Forward To: 4th Quarter 2018

My usual disclaimer:

Let me state, this is really based on authors or series that I'm already reading since those are the things I follow.  I'm not paid to write this blog nor do I have any affiliations with any publishers so I don't receive free books or advance notice of things except what I glean off Facebook from people who do have those contacts or what I research on my own (which again, leads back to authors that I'm already reading).  Maybe someday I'll be one of those who has the contacts and gets ARCs but it's not today.

So things on the job front settled for the summer and without the kids' school stuff, I was able to get some time to breathe and even read some.  I'm still behind to make 100 books read for the year (and I'm pretty sure my new author and page goals are laughing at me in a serious way) but I have gotten a little less behind.  Now though, school has resumed and while this is my last year with two students, I still have two students and all the reading that entails and there is an election coming up so yeah, reading time is again disappearing but I'm still hopeful that I will be able to find more time here and there and might at least be able to pull off my books read goal (even if there are a lot of graphic novels and short stories on the list).

So with that being said, here is how I plan on increasing my "To Read" pile this quarter (thankfully only with a few this time):

A new Pern installment by Anne McCaffrey's daughter?!  Dragon's Code looks like it could be amazing as Gigi McCaffrey is playing with her mother's characters in their usual stomping grounds so it's all characters we know and love.  Piemur's story of what happened to him while he was in Southern?  Yes, Please!

Release date - October 2

I really enjoyed N.K. Jemisin's The Fifth Gate (although I still need to read the rest of the series...sigh...time) and I'm starting to work on picking up more of her work. How Long Til Black History Month is a compilation of short fiction stories that look to be amazing.

Release date - Nov 27

The year finishes out with a new standalone by Mira Grant, Kingdom of Needle and Bone.  What happens when the diseases of the past have been beaten, or so people think, and so vaccination rates die down as no one believes how bad they were any longer?  In a Mira Grant universe, it can get so very bad.

Release date - Dec 31 

62:100 Saga Vol. 5 by Fiona Staples & Brian K. Vaughan

Dengo has the baby Prince Robot, Hazel, Alana, Klara, and Izabel captive in the treeship and has called in The Revolution to help him get his message out across the Universe.  Big surprise, The Revolution isn't on his side and they all underestimate what a mother and grandmother will do to save their child.

Prince Robot IV, Marko, Gus, and Yuma are trying to find them using Gus's ability to know where the animals in his herd are since toddler Hazel fell in love with one of them, Friendo, and he is on their ship.  However, the Robot Nation is also looking for Prince Robot IV and they aren't the type to ask nicely for him to come along.

The Brand, Gwyn, and Sophie are on a faraway planet trying to get a spell component to save The Will's life but there is only one male dragon left and it won't be a cakewalk to get what they need and not all of them will make it back to save him.

And it just keeps getting better!

Page count: 152p/10,741p ytd/302,759p lifetime

61:100 How to Marry a Werewolf by Gail Carriger

Faith has been sent away from her family in America as being damaged goods in their eyes and told to find a werewolf husband in London where that type of thing is tolerated.  She debarks the airship and is almost immediately having her possessions searched by a werewolf, a Major Channing, who is in pursuit of contraband which she does not have but he does find her rock collection that she has brought with her across the sea.  Combine unusual interests, a forthright attitude, and a pair of lovely blue eyes and Major Channing starts wanting to forget that he is damaged goods.  Throw in a meddling Alpha and London cousins who see this as a good match with two people who enjoy each more and more as they get to know each other and what else can you expect to happen?

This is the kind of romance I enjoy, where there is something that interests both parties about the other and they want to know more, not just the man sees the girl and wants to jump her bones.  Seeing Major Channing send her a rock is true romance.


Page count: 191p/10,589p ytd/302,607p lifetime

60:100 The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Review from 2015:

Gatsby is the mystery millionaire that every one wants to be seen with but no one actually seems to know anything about.  He throws lavish parties but without actually seeming to participate in more than a cursory way.  Nick Carraway moves into a small shack next door and Gatsby makes it a point to get to know him.  It doesn't take long for Nick to learn why.  Gatsby fell in love with Daisy (a cousin of Nick's) years ago and has done everything he could for the past several years to put himself in a position to try and woo her away from her husband, the brutish Tom Buchanan.  Now that he has Nick in his court, he feels like his dream is finally on the threshold of becoming reality.  Unfortunately, not all dreams end with a Happily Ever After.

It's interesting because I've been reading about this time in US History as part of our high school history course and excess is the big thing they keep talking about in that book and it is readily apparent in this as well.  Excess is everywhere with no regards to consequences.  It's sad to see and sadder to see how little we've learned since then.  It definitely seems like a cautionary tale of the time and one that seems to be misunderstood by many who just watched the movie.  Speaking of the movie, I want to find time to watch it so I can compare.  Yeah, yeah, I know it won't be as good as movies so rarely are but there can be good adaptations and I'm curious.


Page count: 180p/10,398p ytd/302,416p lifetime

59:100 Saga Vol. 4 by Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples

It's been decided that they really need to have an income if they are going to survive so Alana gets a job working for the The Circuit, a live action "television" program that runs all day.  Unfortunately, that is not the most healthy place and soon Alana starts using Fadeaway.  Marko and Alana fight and need some time apart to cool off.

On another planet, Prince Robot IV's wife has given birth to a healthy baby boy.  Unfortunately for her, the custodian has an ax to grind due to the death of his own son so he kidnaps the boy in an effort to get the royalty to listen to his demands.  Prince Robot IV knows nothing of this as he is still recovering after his visit to Mr. Heist's home by spending all his time at a brothel for days on end.  When he does find out, he does not take the news well.

The custodian, Dengo, has found that while the baby Prince is a good hostage, Hazel is even better, and now he has them both.  Meanwhile, The Will's sister has found Gwen and Sophie, and everyone's paths are looking like they will soon collide.

Again, I'm really enjoying the depth of the story and the characters and I can't wait to see what happens next.


Page count: 152p/10,219p ytd/302,236p lifetime

58:120 The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth

Cameron Post has immense guilt. She was so terrified of her parents finding out that she had kissed a girl and that night they were both killed in a car crash and she was relieved that they would never find out.  Cameron didn't realize just what would happen next as she thought she would continue to be raised by her grandmother who had been living with them and while she was old-fasioned, Cameron knew just how to manage her.  Instead, her ultraconservative and religious aunt is giving up her entire life to move in to Cameron's home to raise her.  Now Cameron is going to church every Sunday and she knows that her survival in her hometown will depend on her ability to go with the flow and not stand out in anyway. 

Then Coley Taylor moves into town from the more rural surrounding area, a perfect cowgirl with an equally perfect boyfriend.  Cameron didn't mean to but she fell in love with Coley and a deep friendship formed between them...and then things went further until they are caught and Coley's shame flares up.  Now Aunt Ruth has decided that in order for Cameron's soul to be saved, she must go to a special camp to learn how to deny who she is and become what their church says she should be.

Turns out that Cameron isn't the only one there who doesn't think she needs to change and she finds kindred spirits but can they manage to survive the camp intact?

I really enjoyed this book.  Cameron was relatable, the story was simple but well executed, the characters layered and with their own arcs and growth.  The ending did leave you wanting a sequel but I was ok with how and where it ended.


Page count: 485p/10,067p ytd/302,084p lifetime

57:120 Saga Vol. 3 by Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples

Marko, Alana, Izabel, Klara, and Hazel have found Mr. Heist and in doing so, have found themselves a brief period of happiness and relaxation in his home as they try to figure out what their next move should be.  However, there are a pair of reporters trying to find out more about them which is leading them back into the sights of people who would prefer them dead.

The Will, Gwen, and Sophie have ended up on a planet where the fruit is psychotropic and causes Sophie to attack and almost kill The Will.  Now they must find Marko to try and save The Will.

Prince Robot IV is still in pursuit but makes the mistake of underestimating everyone.

Still enjoying the series but damn, they don't pull punches and I think the big lesson is don't get too attached to anyone because no one is really safe.


Page count: 144p/9,582p ytd/301,599 lifetime

56:100 Quick to Quarrel by Seanan McGuire

Tybalt's friendship with September and his new favor of having her teach his niece about the other part of her heritage has brought September back into the sights of the Haydon and Lettice, the monarchs of the London Fae court, and they mean to make her life difficult for her decisions to marry outside her race and then help the Cait Sidhe as well.  Now Tybalt must fix what he has caused to be broken.

Another lovely little look into Tybalt's character, his relationship with September, and his life centuries before we meet him in San Francisco with October. 


Page count: 18p/9,438p ytd/301,455p lifetime

55:100 Coming to You Live by Mira Grant

So what did happen to Shaun and Georgia after we last saw them heading to Canada.  Many fans wanted to know so Ms. Grant decided to indulge us. 

Honestly, they are living a quiet life as Georgia still does some writing and Shaun takes care of Georgia.  They have no one hunting them and Shaun is able to keep their new property zombie free and keep them fed.  Life is good.

Until Georgia passes out and reveals that she's been having some other heath related issues for a while.  But being a clone, it's not like she can go to just any hospital and get patched up.  So they make a call to the one doctor who knows what she is and has a chance of helping her. Unfortunately, being a clone also means no easy answers and questionable ethics are likely to be involved in any plan to help her.

The story was good, light on zombies but high on psychological and ethical questions to which there really are no easy answers but on which psychological horror stories/movies can thrive on.


Page count: 126p/9,420p ytd/301,437p lifetime

54:100 Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo

Opal and her father, a preacher, have moved to Naomi.  Opal is having problems making friends until the day she goes to the grocery store and adopts the ugliest dog with the biggest sense of humor and the greatest ability to make friends. Now Opal brings Winn-Dixie with her everywhere and as she does, she learns more and more about the people in her town and how much more they have in common than she could have ever imagined. Learning their stories has opened her eyes in ways strange and beautiful as she learns that a blind woman can learn to see with her heart, a librarian has fought off a grizzly with a copy of War and Peace, and an ex-con who has an amazing way with animals.  She is invited to the birthday party of a young girl and learns to see beyond the taunts of the boys who are just lonely. She even manages to finally wrest some tidbits about her mother from her father.  It really was a fabulous summer...all Because of Winn-Dixie.

This was a sweet book that has a lovely message of kindness at it's center.


Page count: 182p/9,294p ytd/301,311p lifetime

53:100 Were- edited by Patricia Bray & Joshua Palmatier

Werewolves seem to get all the press when it comes to were-creatures so the editors thought it was time to show some love to the others.  In comes several talented authors, ready to tell the tales of lesser known were-creatures.  We have stories about werecats, weredogs, wereowls, werehorses, werepossums, werewasps, werezombies, and many more by such names as Seanan McGuire, Faith Hunter, and Katherine Kerr to name just a few.  It was a delightful anthology and while there were a couple of stories that I felt were just good, many of them were true treats to read.


Page count: 230p/9,112p ytd/301,129p lifetime

52:100 Saga Volume 2 by Brian K. Vaughn & Fiona Staples

Alana, Marko, baby Hazel, and her babysitter Itzabel are traveling to the home of the writer D. Oswald Heist who wrote the book that made Alana believe that love with someone from the other side was not only possible but desirable.  Along the way, Marko's parents find them and it's not quite the family reunion that anyone had hoped for but Baby Hazel has a way of smoothing things over for them.  In the meantime, the mercenary The Will has now hooked up with Marko's ex-fiance, Gwen, and saved a child from a brothel and all three are still trying to find the fugitive family as is Prince Robot IV whose planet is aligned with Landfall.

We get to learn more about Marko's childhood and how he and Alana got together and this whole crazy thing got started.  I'm continuing to enjoy it although this had some of the most hideous panels ever!


Page count: 160p/8,882p ytd/300,899p lifetime

51:100 In the Company of Cats by Faye Larson

Not really a continuation of the previous book but more flashback of everything that he went through during Gatsby's cancer and the resulting break-up with Thomas, the kindness of strangers, and the friends he thought he would lose but who stuck with him set in the context of his new relationship.

This book was less about romance, plot, or character development and more a cathartic release for the author who had dealt with her cat's cancer and it shows.  But what really shows was how much those kindesses and interactions with others mean when someone is going through something difficult.  Maybe the cat is just a cat to you but to them, that is like their child.  It is not our place to judge someone's relationship to a pet or a person but to be there in support for what they are going through.


Page count: 43p/8,722p ytd/300,739p lifetime

50:100 Saga Volume 1 by Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples

Landfall and it's moon, Wreath, have been at war for longer than anyone can remember. Their war has spread across the galaxy and is being fought on many planets at the point when Hazel is born to Marko, a criminal from Wreath, and Alana, a guard from Landfall.  Word has reached many of Hazel's birth and those that want the war to continue want her parents dead and Hazel brought to them.  They have called in mercenaries and all the troops but Alana and Marko will do everything in their power to protect their child.  This is how things started...

My son read this in his college class "Comics as Literature" and went nuts for the series and insisted I read it.  It's taken me some time as I tend to be really picky about my comics because I want it to be pretty (or at least not super ugly) but this one while it has some scenes that make me cringe is nicely put together with an engaging cast of characters (seriously love the babysitter!) and an interesting plot.  I'll definitely keep reading.

Page count: 160p/8,679p ytd/300,696p lifetime

49:100 The Undomesticated Strain by Stefon Mears

Jerry's father made sure he knew about the outdoors and while his preferred thing is fishing, he can always stand to make a little money on the side by taking people on hikes in the woods.  This time, it's three scientists and the money will help him make his 12yr old's birthday special.  What he doesn't realize until they are underway is that these scientists don't just want to hike, they want to try and find Bigfoot.  Jerry thinks it's a waste of time but they are paying so whatever.  At night they talk about their goofy theories and during the day they hike and hike, finding nothing and Jerry will be happy when they are finally on the way home.

An interesting theory on the evolution of the Bigfoot mythos. 



Page count: 24p/8,519p ytd/300,536p lifetime

48:100 Forty Years Among the Elves by Stefon Mears

Lex Frisk isn't paying attention to much of anything around him when he wanders towards the sounds of music and laughter at the truck stop.  He's been on the road for 30 hours after a nasty breakup and is road weary and heart sore. The group that waits for him is lively and interesting and merry and all the things that could soothe him right now...if they were human. He has heard enough tales to know that they are faerie and he must be careful if he wants to remain free.

A fairly typical but fun faerie tale.


Page count: 24p/8,495p ytd/300,512p lfietime

47:100 Clockwork Boys by T. Kingfisher

Slate is a forger and has been given the choice between death and going on a suicide mission. Since a suicide mission has at least a slim chance at survival, she choose that.  Her assassin friend was given the same choice and also went for the suicide mission.  Now she is looking for one more person to round out their party and she has her pick of the prisoners. As luck would have it, she has just a wee bit of magic, a strong rosemary perfume that tells her when fate is trying to knock on her door and this time, it runs her straight into a formerly possessed former paladin who murdered several priests and nuns of his god.

Fate has a sick sense of humor.

Once they are joined by their scholar who is looking for a book that may contain information about the Clockwork Boys that the neighboring state is using to war upon them, they can start their journey.  Their quest, to discover how the Clockwork Boys are made and if possible, disrupt the process or bring back information on how to destroy them while there is still a kingdom to save.  Several other parties have been sent out but none have been heard from, let alone returned.  Slate and her small band may be the last hope there is.

Definitely darker and less whimsical than the last book of her's that I read and also a bit slow paced but still enjoyable.  The characters were fairly strong and complex although a little less of the fatalistic monologue would have been nice.  I think this is just a duology in which case I have the next book waiting for me to find some time.


Page count: 230p/8,471p ytd/300,488p lifetime

46:100 Venom in the Veins by Jennifer Estep

Someone seems to be targeting Stuart Mosely, president of the First Trust Bank, for a world of hurt and since no one messes with Gin's friends, she is trying to figure out what it's about.  While Stuart has been around for a long time, he generally doesn't have much in the way of enemies so of course Gin suspects that it has something to do with the Circle and her own past. 

Of course she's right and it's the daughter of someone she killed previously who doesn't feel like Stuart treated her well enough after her mother's death.  Basic petty reason, no real plot movement in the whole Circle thing other than a name.  While I like the world, I'm starting to get really bored with just how predictable and boring the plots have become. 



Page count: 342p/8,241p ytd/300,258p lifetime

45:100 The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde

In a world where time travel is commonplace and cloning brings you the family dodo rather than the family dog, Thursday Next is a Special Operative in the Literary Detection. She helps make sure that literature that is sold is the real deal and not a forgery and helps to protect the original manuscripts of famous pieces since a change to the original will change all other copies all over the world. Now her uncle has discovered a way for people to travel inside of manuscripts and a particularly nasty sort of villain is threatening to steal Jane Eyre right out of the Bronte manuscript and destroy that story forever.  Detective Thursday must find a way to stop him and put things to rights before all famous literature is at risk.

Seriously, a world where reading is such a big deal sounds like my kind of place!  Seriously, it was interesting premise for world building with only a bit of time traveling paradox thrown in.  Characters were good but a little simplistic and character interactions were fairly predictable.  On the whole though, a wonderful light and fun bit of summer reading.



Page count: 385p/7,895p ytd/299,916p lifetime

44:100 Harvest by Seanan McGuire

It was the night of the Harvest Ball, when the newly chosen Seelie Harvest King will choose the Harvest Queen.  London is the favorite to win the kiss and become the Queen for the next hundred years.  Sales is her half-sister and Unseelie to London's Seelie heritage and is under no illusions as to what will happen at this Ball if things go along the path they seem to be heading. London has everything it takes to be be chosen and if she is, Salem is almost certainly to be tithed and never seen again.

She might as well try to enjoy her last night if that's the case. Her best friend, Blip, has decked her all out and Salem is lovely although she still can't compare to London but at least one of the Seelie men does notice her and on this night of all nights, she will get to dance.

A lovely little fairy tale.



Page count: 30p/7,510p ytd/299,531p lifetime

43:100 The Maiden Poodle by S.G. Browne

Felina had been at peace for many years with dogs and cats living and working together side by side but when the Queen died, her son stole the throne, proclaimed himself King Griffen, and started forcing the peasant dogs to work in even crappier conditions for dirty water and stale bread. Of course, a revolution was going to start but King Griffen has imprisoned any that dares to speak against him including Camille, a black poodle from a far away land who has powers of the mind not seen in Felina.

Now only a small band of rebels remain to try and stop the tyranny but they will need help from others, along with some magic and a dose of luck, if they are to succeed before Camille and the King's sister who was caught trying to help Camille escape before they are put to death.

A sweet children's tale of dogs and cats living together, without it being mass hysteria.  It's definitely a bit of a departure from Mr. Browne's usual work but it was nice to be able to share this author with my younger kids who also really enjoyed it.

Page count: 104p/7,480p ytd/299,501p ytd

42:100 Dr. Eleventh originated by Roger Hargreaves written and illustrated by Adam Hargreaves

I can't remember if I had the Mr. Men/Little Miss books when I was little but I definitely remember reading them to my younger brothers when they were little and really enjoying them.  I was very happy when I was able to find them to read to my children.  Imagine my absolute delight when I found this mash-up of them with Doctor Who!  (Seriously, anyone who knows me knows my love of Doctor Who)  I admit to not being as familiar with the older generation of Doctors as I am with the new series (starting with 9) but I have seen a bit of them as I was growing up and as my kids have been enjoying them as well as the newer stuff.

For Dr. Eleventh, it fell flat for me.  I was really looking forward to it as it was him with River Song, one of my favorite companions of all time, and it just didn't work the way it should have.  Her character's voice was just wrong and it threw the whole story off for me.


Page count: 32p/7,376p ytd/299,397p lifetime

41:100 Dr. Fourth originated by Roger Hargreaves, written and illustrated by Adam Hargreaves

I can't remember if I had the Mr. Men/Little Miss books when I was little but I definitely remember reading them to my younger brothers when they were little and really enjoying them.  I was very happy when I was able to find them to read to my children.  Imagine my absolute delight when I found this mash-up of them with Doctor Who!  (Seriously, anyone who knows me knows my love of Doctor Who)  I admit to not being as familiar with the older generation of Doctors as I am with the new series (starting with 9) but I have seen a bit of them as I was growing up and as my kids have been enjoying them as well as the newer stuff.

For Dr. Fourth, it was a fun romp with him and Sarah Jane and I could absolutely hear their voices in my head as I read.


Page count: 32p/7,344p ytd/299,365p lifetime

40:100 Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates

Ta-Nehisi Coates is a writer for the "The Atlantic". He is also a black man who was born, grown up, and now fathered a black son here in America.  He has studied, he has read, he has lived this reality and he is able to put into powerful words what it means to be black in America, now and throughout history.  Looking at how little the black life has been valued throughout our Nation's history, how little it is still valued. How the black body does not truly belong to the person who inhabits it as that person must always be mindful of how others would take it from them.  That is a point that he comes back to throughout this work since from the time the African people were brought here to be slaves for the whites to today when the police can murder a black man with no cause and no consequences, this has been too true.  Mr. Coates examines the deaths of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, and others and shows how this is the result of centuries of oppression and devaluing of black lives.  He is thoughtful, insightful, and passionate in his writing.  As a white woman, there are many of his experiences that I have not lived through and admit that I cannot fully comprehend but I am trying to learn, to understand at least a little in how things work in our current environment and how to try and not be part of the problem so that with more understanding I can try and be part of the solution of true equality for all.  We are so far from that and for so long I was too blind to see that.  Thank you Mr. Coates for your writing and your teaching, for helping to open my eyes.



Page count: 152p/7,312p ytd/299,333p lifetime

39:100 The Fennigsan's Challenge by Stefon Mears

When you are a noble's fourth son, your life seems to be pretty superfluous. You aren't in line to inherit, you aren't promised to the gods, you aren't even the back-up any more.  Lloxup is tired of feeling this way and this latest failure has just reminded him, yet again, of how much he doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things.

That's when he sees what he is sure is the first sign of the path leading to the Fennigsan, the Dark Witch of the Woods, who will grant your wish if you can beat the challenge she sets you.  Not that he knows of anyone who has done so, and those that fail don't come back to tell tales, but he also figures at this point he has nothing to lose.

Let the Challenge begin!

A fun take on a standard trope.



Page count: 25p/7,160p ytd/299,181p lifetime

38:100 Dr. First (originated by Roger Hargreaves) by Adam Hargreaves

I can't remember if I had the Mr. Men/Little Miss books when I was little but I definitely remember reading them to my younger brothers when they were little and really enjoying them.  I was very happy when I was able to find them to read to my children.  Imagine my absolute delight when I found this mash-up of them with Doctor Who!  (Seriously, anyone who knows me knows my love of Doctor Who)  I admit to not being as familiar with the older generation of Doctors as I am with the new series (starting with 9) but I have seen a bit of them as I was growing up and as my kids have been enjoying them as well as the newer stuff.

For Dr. First, I remember this Doctor as being a gruff curmudgeon and this book delightfully captured that in true Mr. Men style. 


Page count: 32p/7,135p ytd/299,156p lifetime

37:100 Velveteen vs. the Junior Super-Patriots by Seanan McGuire

Velma spent a good part of her "childhood" as Velveteen, a member of the Junior Super Patriots West-Coast division, a super hero who could bring stuffed animals and toys to life to do her will.  Her every move, piece of clothing, and word coming from her mouth were scripted by the Marketing Division. 

Until she turned 18 and she quit.

Now she is trying to find a way to make ends meet without using her super powers while evading the attempts of the Super Patriots to bring her back into the fold.  Marketing simply does not give up one of their stars.  Her best bet is to get out of California and into Oregon who is not bound by the rules of the Super Patriots, West Coast division.  She knows that getting there won't be easy but she didn't realize just how dirty Marketing was willing to play.

This story is what you get when the superhero just wants to be left alone, to have a "normal" life, and not be part of any team.  This is the less glamorous side of the superhero story.  This is brilliant.


Page count: 200p/7,103p ytd/299,124p lifetime

36:100 Half a Pound of Magic by Stefon Mears

Xorek is a legendary warrior, demon-binding warlock, and wielder of Shadowcarver.  It has taken some time but he now knows how to free his Lady from her curse but it requires a material not easily obtained and the one who has it won't give it up to the likes of Xorek, especially after having sent a pack of murderers to kill him as he prays. 

Unfortunately for him, Xorek tends to take things like that a little personally.

A fun fantasy romp that was over much too soon.


Page count: 37p/6,903p ytd/298,924p lifetime

35:100 Wandslinger by Stefon Mears

Mitom has been wandering the land with his stick of holly on his saddle, unsure of what he will do next, when he comes across a raiding party who promises to pay him well if he will wizard on their side.  The price is right so Mitom agrees. 

He just didn't know exactly what he was agreeing to.

It's like the Old West meets Wizards on the Emerald Isle.  Fun!


Page count: 23p/6,866p ytd/298,887p lifetime

34:100 A Goblin Peace by Stefon Mears

Goblin clans have always been at war with other Goblin clans.  This is just how it is. Grik imagines a different future, a better future, where Goblins work together against the humans, the elves, everyone,  to have a better life.  In order to try and make that future happen, he has to start somewhere so he sets up a meeting with one clan to reach out and try to start the process. 

Goblins do not trust other goblins and they do not understand the concept of peace.  Grik must find a way to change that.

A fun short story about a race that is frequently overlooked when maybe they shouldn't be.


Page count: 19p/6,843p ytd/298,864p lifetime

33:100 How Many Angels by Stefon Mears

It's 1962 in San Francisco and Theodore Smith, call him Dore, is a big man, he is simple, and has simple pleasures. Like chocolate covered licorice from Mr. Lee's.  Now this man is offering him the money to buy his licorice chocolate and if he comes back in 2hrs, he'll get $20 as well. But he has to go now, in broad daylight without his raincoat.  Dore can't figure out why but maybe someone else can.

A fun little historical mystery.


Page count: 20p/6,824p ytd/298,845p lifetime

32:100 The Angle Between Worlds by Stefon Mears

There are other worlds. This is a fact that Daniel has known for years. He used to think there was something wrong with him when he could see things or people that no one else could see until the first time he interacted with what he saw and brought an object back to this world with him. He is just thankful that these moments of seeing other worlds are typically brief.

At least they were until today. Daniel is doing a stunt where he is 4 stories up when he looks down and realizes that the safety airbag is gone and in it's place is hard, sharp rocks and a couple of hungry creatures.  Now he needs to try and find his way home.

A fun read.


Page count: 26p/6,804p ytd/298,825p lifetime

31:100 The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America’s Shining Women by Kate Moore

Radium was the latest craze after Marie Curie discovered it and business was keen to get in on finding as many applications for it as possible but for the most part, it was too expensive for the everyday person but painting dials for fancy watches or aircraft?  That was just the ticket for a couple of the big radium corporations.  And for young girls, some as young as 14, trying to help their families make ends meet it was such a simple job.  Lick, dip, paint the number on the dial.  Lick, dip, paint some more.  If you were one of the lucky girls, you worked at the factory where you were allowed to play with it and see just what kind of a glow you could get when painting it on your teeth, nails, clothes, etc.

Except every time they licked their brushes to get them to the proper point, they were ingesting a little more radium paint..every.single.time..usually for years.

And then they started getting weird health problems. Abscessed teeth but the jaw wouldn't heal when the tooth was removed. Teeth just getting loose and falling out. Limbs shrinking. Tumors.

But the companies refused to admit any wrongdoing, even after reports were coming out that it was the radium.  Most lawyers refused to take their cases.  The laws at that time did not adequately cover radium exposure.  It was a fight of the people vs. big corporations and it was a fight that many did not think they could win.

Some didn't.  Some died before they knew what was happening to them. Some died before they could get a lawyer to accept their case. Some died while trials were going on. But there were many who fought and kept fighting.  Some won their cases and some lost. Some won settlements that were truly helpful and others won only a pittance.  Some were shunned by their communities but they kept fighting. 

And laws were changed.

Not as many as needed. Some of these factories were still operating with similar procedures into the 1970s but things did change although it took many years and many of these shining women did not live to see it.  May we learn from what they went through as big corporations continue to thrive on the backs of their workers whom too many see as disposable commodities, easily replaced.

Many books have chronicled the court cases and looked at the story from a more technical perspective but this one tried to give the girls a voice about who they were, what their hopes and dreams were before this happened to them, and also after when they realized what was happening. It's a little too chipper at times and the voices of the girls tend to blend into one homogenized voice rather than hearing them as individuals but it's well researched and a very accessible read.

Page count: 496p/6,778p ytd/298,799p lifetime

30:100 The Great Orc Cook-off by Stefon Mears

The Chief of the Broken Tooth Clan of orcs has come to the realization that their Clan is too small in numbers to keep fighting with the other two local clans.  One of the other clans is also too small to keep up these fights especially as the third local clan has not been participating seems to be waiting for these two to become ripe for the picking.  So now Pawk, the Broken Tooth Clan Chief has bargained with Harek, Chief of the Splintered Spear Clan, to join their forces under one Chief but which one will it be?  A contest must be held to determine who will lead.

That contest... a cooking contest!

Each tribe will prepare one dish, the best their best cook can offer, and serve it to a panel of judges made up of the chiefs of each tribe and selected members.

Pawk has an ace up his sleeve, one of his best fighters is also an amazing chef.  Now Gorek has just a few days to go out in search of the perfect ingredients to make a dish to elevate his tribe, and just maybe himself as well.

A fun, perfect short story.


Page count: 26p/6,282p ytd/298,303p lifetime

29:100 Harvest Song by Yasmine Galenorn

The 20th book in the Otherworld series by Yasmine Galenorn, told from Delilah's POV.  Delilah's wedding is fast approaching as is her time for bearing the child of the Autumn Lord but there is still the war with Shadow Wing and while they have dealt him many serious blows and the Kerrastar Knights are now together and united under Camille, he is not down and out yet.  In his desperation, he has sent Yerghan the Blade to Camille's house on the night of their wedding shower and Shade has been injured with a soul blade that has sent his soul to another realm.  Delilah must find it and bring him home if he is to survive and then she and her sisters must make sure that Yerghan can never do this to anyone else ever again.

The characters are what really make these books.  The plots are usually pretty predictable without much in the way of twists and turns and all the major characters are going to make it out alive (secondary characters, not so much but that's what they are there for and it doesn't mean it won't sting when they don't).  But really, watching the sisters grow and mature, find and accept their paths, is what these books are really about and this book really showed just how much of that there has been.  Delilah was always the innocent and while that changed a while ago, you can see her mourning that in this book as well as get hit with it occasionally as things are changing at a breakneck speed now.  It was nice for the book to end with the wedding and then the three sisters together for a quiet break.


Page count: 292p/6,256p ytd/298,277p lifetime

28:100 These Antique Fables by Seanan McGuire

A patreon short story set in the October Daye universe.  We met January O'Leary and Li Qin Zhou when Toby had to go into their kingdom for one of her quests. We knew that they loved each other but we never really knew a whole lot about them. In this story, we get to see a bit of January's "childhood" and how they meet for the first time.  A short, sweet tale of love and luck.

Page count: 20p/5,964p ytd/297,985p lifetime

27:100 Goodnight, Sleep Tight! by Seanan McGuire

Jonathan Dawson had been the head librarian for quite a while and yet again was having the typical budget discussion with some flunky from the city.  Blah blah blah, we can't afford a library and definitely not updates to one of any kind.  Yet again, he had to keep his promise to protect the library and all those that need it.  But he is getting tired and his time is drawing closer...

A short little horror story of why you shouldn't mess with the library or the head librarian, masterfully done.


Page count: 10p/5,944p ytd/297,965p lifetime

26:100 Jealous in Honor by Seanan McGuire

October Daye patreon short story. Cyne, the sister and murderer of Cailin's father who tried to pin it all on her mother Colleen is back in the Kingdom of Londinium.  Tybalt knows what he must do to keep his family and kingdom safe but it will mean playing a part he does not enjoy with unintended consequences and broken hearts to come.

I love Tybalt but this is looking like things are being set up to show us how he ended up in the Bay Area and it doesn't look like it will be a happy journey for him.

Page count: 14p/5,934p ytd/597,955p lifetime

25:100 Smoke by Dan Vyleta

It's England 100 years or so ago but not the England that we know.  Now when people sin, their body lets go of the smoke. The deeper and darker the sin, the deeper and darker the smoke that the body exhales from every pore.  You can smoke in your sleep and if you are part of the wealthy and elite, you will wake in the morning and check your bedclothes for evidence of sin in your dreams. This is the world that Thomas and Charlie live in at their boarding school.  Thomas who seems to constantly be smoking almost as much as he breathes and Charlie who barely ever seems to do anything that could be considered even the slightest of sins.  They are an unlikely pair but a friendship has formed so when it is suggested that Charlie accompany Thomas on holiday where he has been invited by an extremely influential family, of course he goes. 

That's where they meet Lady Naylor and her daughter. That's where Thomas starts learning more about smoke and where it comes from and how the elite use a special sweet to trap their own smoke to look more pure and a special cigarette that allows them to feel the effects of stronger smoke for a brief time. That's where everything changes and Tom, Charlie, and Livia end up becoming fugitives trying to figure out what Lady Naylor's end game really is.  They could never have imagined what she has planned if they hadn't seen it for themselves.

It's been a few days and I still don't know quite how I feel about this book.  Some of the concepts were interesting but I didn't feel like there was enough explanation to satisfy all the questions I had about the Smoke and how it worked. It seemed to be plot driven more than any specific set of laws.  Motives for everyone felt fairly weak and the story moved but didn't seem to go anywhere really.  The deeper explanations into personal behavior and motivation that it kept dancing around were what it seemed like it wanted to be about never materialized, instead staying to the outside like vague wisps of smoke when a fire is smoldering but never going to actually catch.  That is the story that I thought it was going to tell and the one that would have really interested me but I kept reading and waiting and it just never happened.  I guess I can say that this is a book that I read.  I didn't hate it but I also didn't see a whole lot of point to it.



Page count: 448p/5,920p ytd/297,941p lifetime

24:100 Born a Crime by Trevor Noah

Autobiography. Trevor Noah offers a unique perspective of growing up colored (half black, half white) in South Africa during the end of apartheid.  His birth itself was against the law which meant that much of his young like before the end of apartheid was spent being hidden.  Out in public, neither parent could actually afford to acknowledge kinship with him without risking potential jail time and the government taking him away.  This meant a life of being inside almost continually where, apparently, he was very adept at getting into trouble but because he was half-white, most of his family let him get away with whatever horrid thing he had done.  But not his mom.  Throughout the entire book you can feel the love and admiration Trevor has for his mom.  The risks she took having him, keeping him safe, and trying to make sure he grew up to have a good life were a testament to her love and strength of will.

From a historical point of view, it was also an interesting read because I remember apartheid in South Africa being talked about a bit when I was in elementary school and being happy when it ended but as I've started to become more aware of how we treat non-whites here in our country, reading this has opened my eyes more to our own oppression of people of color, especially African Americans, and how closely it manages to mirror in many ways those of that apartheid in South Africa.  It's not written into law, as such, but when you start researching redlining, looking at how media and news portrays those of color in their word choices, lack of representation in so many areas, arrest and jail statistics, the parallels are pretty easy to draw.  I only hope that we can wake up and listen to the voices soon and start truly making this country a land of equality for all.


Page count: 288p/5,472p ytd/297,493p lifetime

New Releases I'm Looking Forward To: 3rd Quarter 2018

My usual disclaimer:

Let me state, this is really based on authors or series that I'm already reading since those are the things I follow.  I'm not paid to write this blog nor do I have any affiliations with any publishers so I don't receive free books or advance notice of things except what I glean off Facebook from people who do have those contacts or what I research on my own (which again, leads back to authors that I'm already reading).  Maybe someday I'll be one of those who has the contacts and gets ARCs but it's not today.

So last quarter I was thinking that as I got more used to the job, I would find a better balance and have more time for reading.

Yeah, not so much.  What I have found is that this job cycles from crazy to insane when an election is drawing near.  I probably should have figured that out but apparently I'm either an optimist or deluded (probably the later LOL).  I'm really enjoying it but it has definitely proven to be a lot more than I originally bargained on and my reading has greatly suffered.  Add in two deaths in my immediate family in a two week span of time, end of school year craziness, and volunteer work craziness and well, I'm lucky to read a few pages a day.  I haven't finished a book club book since February and have had almost no personal reading time.  With the primary election cycle just about done, I'm hoping to get some things caught up and balanced a little bit better before school and the general election craziness starts up but I'm thinking that my goal of reading 100 books this year is looking like a pipe dream unless I find a whole lot more short stories and comics.  LOL

None of this means that I haven't been keeping an eye on books that I want to read (and in some cases adding them to my growing To Read pile) so here's what is currently on my radar:


Yasmine Galenorn has been very prolific since going independent with several new series going all at the same time and I have not been able to keep up with them but the second book in the Wild Hunt series, Oak and Thorns, is coming out.  I haven't had a chance to read the first book in the series yet but the series looks interesting with this one hitting political intrigue, shadow magic, a serial killer, and the King of Thorns.

Release date - July 2

Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik is not part of an actual series except that it's another her reimagined fairy tales, this time Rumpelstiltskin.  I really enjoyed Uprooted which is her version of Beauty and the Beast and I can't wait to see what she does with this one.

Release date - July 10

Next up is the third book in the Custard Protocols by Gail Carriger.  Competence sees Miss Primrose going from Singapore to Peru to pursue some of life's most challenging questions such as "Can the perfect book club give a man back his soul?"  I have not yet read the other books in this series but I've loved the other series set in this universe and am looking forward to getting to these.

Release date - July 17

Also coming out this day is Seanan McGuire's second book in her Ghost Roads series, The Girl in the Green Silk Gown.  Rose Marshall has been dead for 60 years now and still looking for her killer.  She's been an avenging killer in her own right but still she wants the one that got away, the one that made a deal with the Crossroads that won't let him die...Bobby Cross.  But now Bobby is back in the picture and will it be one that Rose can continue to haunt?

Release date - July 17

Another double release for the end of July starts with Portents by Kelley Armstrong.  While the Cainsville series is technically over (although I still need to read the last two books), Ms. Armstrong is doing like she did with her Otherworld series and giving us other tales set in the world.  Some have been previously released and I've read before, others seem to have been previously released and I haven't heard of, and at least one is new for this collection.

Release date - July 31

We also get a new Dorina Basarab book in Shadow's Bane by Karen Chance.  I have enjoyed Dory's stories much more than the Cassie Palmer ones lately and it's been a long time since we got a new one and I'm really looking forward to it.  Dory is now the newest member of the Vampire Senate and as their war with the Fae is heating up, she is finding out that the slavers who may have her friend's relative may be up to something far worse than arranging death matches.

Release date - July 31

Only one book is on my radar for August but it's a huge one as Magic Triumphs by Ilona Andrews is said to be the conclusion to the Kate Daniels series.  The Witch Oracle's visions are becoming more intense and then Kate receives a delivery from an ancient enemy who has almost destroyed her family before.  To save Curran, her child, her friends, her city, Kate must team up with the most unlikely of allies even knowing she may not survive because otherwise everything she loves will die.

Release date - August 28

I get to go from one favorite series to another as we get the next installment for October Daye the next week.  Night and Silence by Seanan McGuire does not promise to be sweetness and light for October though since Jazz and Tybalt are still trying to recover from their ordeal at the hands of October's mother.  Toby is also hurt as she can't just snap her fingers and make things better for her family so the universe has given her a distraction in the form of kidnapping her human daughter, Gillian, but we know that nothing in Toby's life is simple or easy and this case will prove no exception.

Release date - September 4

Closing out this quarter's books is Time Convert by Deborah Harkness.  Set in the world of her All Soul's trilogy, this bounces us between Matthew's conversion of Marcus to a vampire during the American Revolution and then Marcus's conversion of Phoebe in modern times and how will some things change, some things will remain the same. 

Release date - September 25