16:100 The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis

From the last time I read it:
The 6th book in the Chronicles of Narnia.  Eustace and his schoolmate, Jill, have been pulled into Narnia by Aslan to find the lost Prince Rillian.  Unfortunately, due to Jill's showing off, Eustace is blown into Narnia proper before seeing Aslan and hearing the signs that they must look for if they are to be successful in their quest.  The owls learn of their quest however and pair them up with Puddleglum, the Marsh Wiggle.  A gloomy fellow but one who manages to keep them on the straight and narrow for the most part even with giants, sorceresses, and earthmen about.  Their travels take them to many places both above and below the earth but they persevere knowing that they are the Prince's only hope.

Just a nice adventure book.  It's more about the journey than rescuing the prince as that takes hardly any time at all but you can definitely see things being set-up for the Last Battle.


Page count: 243p/2,532p ytd/294,553p lifetime

15:100 Scattered Showers with a Chance of Daikaiju by S.G. Browne

In Kochi, Japan, the weather is more predictable than the daikaiju attacks but yet Etsuko's father is a weatherman and in addition to predicting the weather, he also gives predictions on possible daikaiju attacks.  So when Etsuko, who has never been very popular at school, is finally invited to the outdoor birthday party of one of the most popular kids at school, she is thrilled when her father is able to assure her that the weather for the weekend is blue skies with only a 5% chance of daikaiju attack the day before the party.

Then the skies darken and the sirens go off as they hear the familiar screech split the air.

A well crafted short story of being a child in Japan in the era of Godzilla and his ilk.


Page count: 19p/2,289p ytd/294,310p lifetime

14:100 Kitchen Table Wisdom by Rachel Naomi Remen, M.D.

This is a hard book for me to review. Not because I didn't like it, on the contrary, but because I'm still digesting it and will be for quite some time.  It spoke to me on many levels and I'm still letting a lot of it percolate to see what comes out.  This was definitely the right time in my life for this book to enter it as it spoke to many things that I've been coming to realize about our connectivity to each other and our communities, about listening and how powerful that is, about our individual power to change ourselves and our world if we stop first and reach out but yet being mindful of our inner selves.  I've recently become involved with a truly amazing group of women, one of whom started the project Street Listening.  I have been so inspired by her and the group and while I have not yet had an opportunity to join them, to then read this book and see so many of those same things being echoed was extremely motivating and moving. 

I would definitely recommend this book to basically everyone.


Page count: 337p/2,270p ytd/294,291p lifetime

13:100 Now Rest, My Dear by Seanan McGuire

The library was big and scary but her mother had no choice but to leave her there while she worked that summer.  She understood and she knew the rules to stay out of sight and be unobtrusive but then she met the nice librarian who spent time reading to her and watched after her.  The next summer was the same, and for many summers after. Always the nice librarian watching after her. After she grew up, she knew that she too wanted to a librarian and share that space that had meant so much to her, forever and always.

A sweet story about how things continue, especially in the library.

Page count: 20p/1,933p ytd/293,954p lifetime

New Releases I'm Looking Forward To: 2nd 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.

Well, the new job has definitely taken it's toll on my reading time but I'm managing to get some time and I do think that as things get more settled in with it I will find more time to read. In the meantime though, my to-read pile keeps growing but somehow there are still books that I will get and somehow find the time to read...eventually.


Dark Queen by Faith Hunter is the 12th book in the Jane Yellowrock series and I'm already two books behind in it plus a good number of short stories so I'm a bit lost but it looks like Leo has made a very powerful enemy and Jane must help Leo come out alive or the entire city of New Orleans could be in very big trouble.

Release Date: May 1


The following week Magic Triumphs by Ilona Andrews  comes out. The 10th book in the Kate Daniels series and what could be the last in her story.  Kate's power has been brought to light and now a mysterious box has arrived that signals war from an ancient enemy and now she must join forces with one who is most likely to betray her but for her friends, her family, her baby, she must try.

Release Date: May 8


The last one is Brief Cases by Jim Butcher, a collection of short stories set in the world of Harry Dresden.  Most have been published before in other collections but I think I've only read the Big Foot ones and I do enjoy the world, just hoping for maybe some more Molly.

Release date: June 5

12:100 Dr. Sinister's Home for Retired Villains by S. G. Browne

Dr. Jekyll isn't really friends with Professor Moriarty and Count Dracula but as the three residents who have been at Dr. Sinister's the longest, the have more in common with each other than with the newer residents. They didn't rely on technology or weapons but on manners and intellect.  Now there are new batches of washed up villains and when you get that many in one place, well, it's definitely not bound towards a fairy-tale ending.

A fun little what-if story supposing so many well known villains all ended up together and how interactions would play out.


Page count: 21p/1,913p ytd/293,934p lifetime

11:100 Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer

In April 1992, Chris McCandless walked into the Alaskan wilderness as the culmination of several years of soul searching.  His body was found in September of that same year.  This book focuses on Chris's life leading up to his decision to make that trek and the author's trying to piece together his final months.  By all accounts, Chris was intelligent and charismatic who was able to induce a parental protectiveness in several of the people he met as he was hitchhiking and wandering the country. His relationship with his parents is said to have been rocky but they were not abusive or ill-meaning.  There is nothing to suggest that when he embarked on this journey that his aim was death, in fact most of the evidence points in the opposite direction and that this was more about pulling a Thoreau than anything else.

This was part of the Hero's Journey literature unit we are doing for high school this year.  I think by the measure they are using, this does qualify. Chris was definitely trying to be true to himself and was ready to face daunting challenges in this quest. My biggest issue with this book was not in the story of Chris himself but the fact that the last 1/3 of the book the author inserted himself into the story in what I felt was an extreme amount.  We were regaled with stories of his climbing mountains and his father issues.  I get that he was trying to build more sympathy or understanding for Chris but for me, it failed and took away from Chris's story by making it more about the author.  The fact that the last chapter and the entire afterword were all about the author's trying to discover what exactly killed Chris and the lengths he went to again just seemed to be about inserting himself further into this story. I get that there is mystery and he was trying to solve it and maybe it's just the way he was telling it but it did not strike a good note with me.  I do think Chris's story was interesting and I enjoyed it, I just wish the author had done a better job of playing biographer.


Page count: 215p/1,892p ytd/293,913p lifetime