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