38:100 Mind of My Mind by Octavia Butler

Patternmaster - Seed to Harvest #2

Doro has been trying to create a master race for thousands of years and with this newest child, Mary, he sees a great deal of potential in her but also a lot of anger and emotions that could cause him to have to destroy her.  The most dangerous part will be her transition when her powers awaken but before she has any control.  Emma (Anyanwu from Wild Seed) could help but Mary will not accept it which means she is alone with the one who has been chosen for her to mate with and while he is powerful, he can't stop her when her transition causes her to take over his mind and forge a link with him that neither of them can understand, control, or break.  And he is not the only one.  Her power reached out and forged links with a handful of other people at the same time, no one near her, no one she knew, but they are now on their way to where she is under a compulsion they can't deny.

Doro isn't sure if he is thrilled by this or if it's a threat to his plans but his curiosity is aroused as it has not been in ages.  Mary has a power he has never seen or even imagined so he allows her to live and to see how these forged links work under his supervision.  But Doro is not part of the pattern and there are things that he cannot know about it.

This book was written second in the series, after Patternmaster, and is second in world chronological order and that is interesting to note since I'm reading in world chronological order which places this after Wild Seed which is Doro and Anyanwu's story (seriously wish Anyanwu had kep that name and played a more prominent part of this story since I really enjoyed her in Wild Seed).  Doro does not come across nearly as evil and understanding of human nature as he did in Wild Seed which makes him a less interesting antagonist this time around.  I'm not sure if he would have seemed stronger if I had not read Wild Seed first where he was so powerfully attuned to everything.  I found the concept of the pattern intriguing and the characters well developed but the writing definitely wasn't as rich as Wild Seed and was sort of jarring in that respect although still good.

Page count: 224p/9,893p ytd/320,778p lifetime

37:100 And Thrice Again by Seanan McGuire

Backstory of Simon Torquill back when he was married to Amandine and father to August.  Before things changed him.  We get to see his romancing of Amandine, his loyalty to Patrick, and a bargain made that will likely prove to be his undoing.

Simon may be one of the most interesting characters in this universe and at this point, if you've read everything so far, it's basically impossible not to pity him to some degree.  Yes, he did much of it to himself but I'm guessing he had only the slightest idea of what he was getting himself into.

Page count: 30p/9,669p ytd/320,554p lifetime

36:100 United States Government: Democracy in Action by Richard C. Remy, Ph.D.

Review from 2016:
High School government text book.  Provides a good well-rounded grasp of our system of government and it's various influences, how bills become laws, how laws can be challenged up to the Supreme Court, how the system of checks and balances are supposed to work.  Includes details on how things work at the local level and how parties work. Unfortunately, it was written before our government got as completely broken as it currently is so offers no insight on our current state of affairs or how normal people can actually affect real change, not that I was expecting it to but that's definitely something I think people should be educated on as well.

Page count: 898p/9,639p ytd/320,524p lifetime

35:100 Blood Work by Kim Harrison

A Hollows graphic novel detailing the meeting of Ivy and Rachel and how things did not go so well when they first met and how their friendship started to develop.

I miss Rachel, Ivy, Jenks, and the Hollows in general so it was nice to return for a little bit with this.


Page count: 169p/8,741p ytd/319,626p lifetime

34:100 Wild Seed by Octavia Butler

Patternmaster - Seed to Harvest #1

Doro has been wandering the Earth for over a thousand years and knows of no others like him so he has taken to setting up breeding towns from those who show a touch of power like his to try and create a master race.  He can be patient since he has mastered the technique of moving his consciousness to a new host body at any time making him effectively immortal.  But then he meets Anyanwu who is like but not like him.  She has also lived far longer than a normal human but she is able to do so because she can completely control her body at a molecular level which means so long as she has the time, she can heal from anything.  She is powerful in ways Doro isn't and can't be and he craves her subjugation and the mingling of their powers to bring more stability to his line.  And while she believes his lies at first and is intrigued to be mated to one who has powers at least similar to hers and as long a life, she soon learns that Doro is not who she first thought him to be and she is stronger than he thought.

Such an incredibly powerful book.  The theme of eugenics was not one I was comfortable with nor enjoyed but the relationship between Anyanwu and Doro, watching the shift and play of their power struggle, and the eventual conclusion was fabulous and so richly done.

I choose this book for my book club read this month because I learned that it will be adapted for TV and Octavia Butler has been on my list of authors to check out for a bit now.  It's interesting to note that this book was the fourth book written in the series although the first in world chronological order (and one of the books has since been disowned by the author).



Page count: 320p/8,572p ytd/319,457p lifetime

33:100 The Ancient Roman World by Ronald Mellor & Marni McGee

My review from a few years ago:
Covering from the legends regarding the founding of Rome to the fall of the Roman Empire.  There were some famous people like Archimedes that didn't get mentioned so won't be heard of at all in this entire series which I find to be a shame (time to pull out some other books and rectify that) but on the whole a good installment for this series and for middle-school history in general.  It is very difficult reading this one while at the same time reading the "a-g approved" high school Glencoe as it makes Glencoe look absolutely horrid for all the glaring omissions.  This series is just so much richer and goes so much deeper than what is given to our high school kids.  Just continues to go to my point that we should stop worrying about quantity and worry more about quality because what they are being taught in high school really isn't worth anything when it's so shallow the bottom of your shoe barely gets wet if you step in that puddle.  

Here's my review from a few years before that:
Part of "The World in Ancient Times" history series for middle school by Oxford.  I learned a lot with this one starting from the beginning as they had more than one version of the founding of Rome.  Weird since all I had ever heard about previously was the story of Romulus and Remus.  There was also a fair amount on the emperors that came after Augustus, how they were chosen, how they ruled, etc.  There was a chapter on the Jews and their history as well as a chapter on how Christianity started and spread.  In all, I felt it was a good well-rounded history book that presented a lot more than just what seems to be typically known and explained the findings that told us these things.


Page count: 192p/8,252p ytd/319,137p lifetime

32:100 Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan

Esperanza has an envious life.  The only child of a rich ranch owner in Mexico, doted on by her parents, lots of pretty dresses, education, servants, etc.  Yes, it is an idyllic life and one Esperanza can't imagine changing until one day it does. Her father is murdered by bandits and according to her uncle, everything but the house is left to him.  Her mother has the house but without the income from the ranch, there is no way to keep it so her uncle, her father's brother, says he will marry her mother but both she and her mother know that he is a cruel man and they would be separated.  So instead, they choose to run and hide all the way to America.  Some of the family servants are going and offer them a place with them and their family that has already been established in CA working as crop pickers.  It will be a hard life, harder than either of them has known, but at least they have the chance to stay together and free.  They had no way of knowing that they were immigrating right during the start of what would later be known as the Great Depression.

A beautifully done tale of heartache and love, despair and hope, telling a tale that too often goes untold of why people immigrate and the hardships they face.  This is something I think there needs to be greater visibility and discussion of and let us remember that first of all, these are humans who are deserving of respect and compassion.

Page count: 304p/8,060p ytd/318,945p lifetime

31:100 Storm Cursed by Patricia Briggs

Mercedes had no idea what she had signed herself and thus Adam's pack for when she stood on that bridge and declared that her territory was safe ground.  Being who she is she could not have done anything different and she thought only of basic things like hunting down the occasional misbehaving monster from time to time once it was explained to her.  She had no idea that it would mean constant calls dealing with things like zombie goats, black witch families, or hosting diplomatic envoys for negotiations between the Grey Lords and the humans and dealing with those that do not want those negotiations to take place.  But now that these are happening, Mercy, Adam, and the Pack must find a way to keep all these people safe or die trying if their word is to stand.  This time, it's a much taller order than anyone could have ever expected.

Another spectacular installment in the Mercy Thompson series!  Ms. Briggs does a wonderful job of building the tension while weaving in touching or funny moments and Mercy's snark.  My biggest complaint is how long we have to wait between books (although, with how many favorite authors I have, there is almost always another fabulous book waiting for me to pick it up sitting in my to-read pile and I wouldn't want to give them up either LOL).


Page count: 358p/7,756p ytd/318,641p lifetime

30:100 Love in the Last Days of a Doomed World by Seanan McGuire

Sharon is the smart one, the good child but not the good girl, and her parents treated her as such. Her brother gets the comic books from their dad but he doesn't think to bring them for her.  When she asks her brother about them, she learns about how Superman came to earth after being placed in a rocket from Krypton when their planet was dying.  Not very realistic she thinks. So when a stranger who seems familiar comes up to her at the library and drops a piece of paper on her book and walks away, she looks at it and finds an equation.  Now that is something she can sink her teeth into.  That equation leads her to places she could never have imagined but now that she has started down that path, she can understand Superman's parents better.  The planet is dying and there is no rocketship to save any of them....or could there be?

A patreon short story by Seanan McGuire and one of her more depressing ones as I look around at our world today.



Page count: 20p/7,398p ytd/318,283p lifetime

29:100 Uncommon Type: Some Stories by Tom Hanks

A collection of short stories written by the award-winning actor, Tom Hanks.  I was excited by this as I love him as an actor, enjoyed listening to interviews with him, and was intrigued by what he would do with his stories.

I was disappointed, big time.  There were a couple of the longer stories that were good but the majority were boring and pointless.  Nothing happened.  I read a lot of short stories and even though they are short, you can still build a new world or make interesting characters that the reader wants to know more about or a plot that grips the reader.  That was not the case here.  It was really more like sitting around listening to your grandfather tell boring old tales of people he knew in his youth that you don't know and don't care about and the stories just ramble for no reason and most of them have the same basic premise so you don't even get any type of departure from type.  My dad is 90, trust me I'm really familiar with it and that's not what I want to read.



Page count: 416p/7,378p ytd/828,263p lifetime

28:100 A Great Task of Happiness: The Life of Kathleen Scott by Louisa Young

Kathleen Scott was the widow of Captain Scott who died in Antartica and has been a largely misunderstood footnote for her husband and their son, Peter Scott.  Louisa Young, the author, is the granddaughter of Kathleen Scott and wanted to show the world a different side of her.  Her unwavering devotion to seizing life and all it had to offer and to always choose happiness.  The author does stress these points at every opportunity as well as giving long lists of the famous people in whose company she was often found but it felt more like laundry lists than anything else.  While I admire the things that she did accomplish, especially as a woman during that time, I felt that much of the more interesting accomplishments were given very short mentions.

This is a huge issue with this book.  The depth is lacking in so many areas.  Places where it would have been really interesting to know more about.  Her helping with recreating the faces of wounded soldiers.  Her relationships with so many of the artists that she knew.  But it was just mentioned and then quickly moved past.

I also found that the fact that there would be years in the chapter titles and then stuff from all over the place would get mentioned in that chapter so it was jumping time all over the place regularly very frustrating.

And then there is Kathleen Scott herself.  I understand that the author wanted to help get better information about her out there but honestly, she came across as a misogynist, self-centered, and emotionally needy and controlling to me.  I was mostly frustrated and just didn't find her likable at all.  Apparently in real life she was but this book did not bring that across to me.



Page count: 320p/6,962p ytd/317,847p lifetime

27:100 Becoming by Michelle Obama

Michelle Obama's autobiography was a fabulous read.  I greatly admired her as First Lady (and her husband as President) but getting to hear about her childhood, growing up, school, meeting Barack, and the subsequent rise to becoming First Lady was fascinating.  The writing was fresh, open, honest, and made it feel like we were just sitting having tea and chatting.  Listening to her struggles as she tried to figure out what she wanted to be doing with her life, as a politician's wife which she hadn't really wanted to get into, balancing family and work and politician's wife responsibilities, making mistakes, learning from them, and trying again.  You know, being real, and it only increased my respect and admiration for her reading this.


Page count: 426p/6,642p ytd/317,847p lifetime

26:100 Bounty Hunt by Kelley Armstrong

Reese hasn't wanted to talk about his past with anyone but that doesn't mean that his past has forgotten about him.  The Australian pack wants him back for their own reasons especially since they can use this to try and get their hands on the daughter of a non-pack member as well.  Reese will have to learn to trust his new pack if he wants to survive this.

Story was ok but nothing amazing.  I'm not a fan of this artist's style and had a really hard time telling the different North American pack members apart.  I like that authors are branching out to tell new stories via comics but this one just needed something a bit more to make it memorable.


Page count: 80p/6,216p ytd/317,421p lifetime

25:100 To Be a Slave by Julius Lester

From 2014:

In this small book are tales of slavery told by the slaves themselves.  Tales of heartache and pain and subjugation that I never read in any of my history books.  Slavery is awful and that is something that I've always felt in my bones but reading what they went through, in their own words with just the narrative of Julius Lester to weave the tales together is gutwrenching.  Families broken apart we knew but infants torn from their mother's breast to later be drowned.  The absolute lack of any type of  compassion for another living thing, much less another human being.  How the horses were cared for better than the people.  To hear of the beatings in their own words.  Even after reading this I can't imagine how so many endured it for so long and my heart breaks for what they went through and for those around the world today that are still not free.  While this is written as a children's book, I do find the subject matter to be very heavy and am glad that our curriculum did not include this until high school but I definitely feel that it is a book that everyone should read to better understand the history of our nation from the side that wasn't in charge.

Page count: 160p/6,136p ytd/317,341p lifetime

24:100 Black Panther: Avengers of the New World Part Two by Ta-Nehisi Coates

Really hard to summarize this series as there are plots and subplots and just a lot going on.  I'm reading slowly trying to catch it all.  In order to not give stuff away, I'm going to just use my review from the first volume for all subsequent volumes.  Know that I'm really enjoying them but I think the way they unfold means they are best experienced fresh.

I have so much to say about this but it's hard to nail it all down.  Having read Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates and completely loved the Black Panther movie, I was super excited when I saw that Mr. Coates would be writing for the comic.  I was not disappointed.  The story was a bit slow in this as it was the first installment but that is because there was so much being set-up.  There is a lot of depth to T'Challa (from my understanding drawing from many different comic versions of the character), the "villains" are ones that are understandable even sympathetic, the questions being asked are not simply answered and force T'Challa to question so much of what he thinks he knows and understands.  Layers upon layers.  On another note, I also really enjoyed the art which I tend to be incredibly picky about (or why I don't read tons of comics).

Page count: 144p/5,976p ytd/317,181p lifetime