78:100 Only Sheepdog on the Moon by Stefon Mears

Cole retired to Ganymede after his military service and now runs a bar out of an old shuttle there.  The locals know him and things are going pretty ok for the moment until one day when out for a walk, he sees an orange flash of something breaking the atmosphere.  Realizing that with very little news of what is going on with the rest of the galaxy and that not everyone out there is friendly to humans, he decides to take a closer look and boy, are the rest of the people on Ganymede glad that they have someone like Cole to watch out for them.

Fun little space military short story.

Page count: 22p/20,191p ytd/328,888p lifetime

77:100 Making Movies by Sidney Lumet

Read for my college film class.

Sydney Lumet is a director whose movies have been critically acclaimed and watched by millions such as 12 Angry Men and Murder on the Orient Express.  In this book, he breaks down how movies are made, specifically the way he does it of course, including insights into certain films he made and stars that he worked with.

I found it an interesting and very accessible read.


Page count: 220p/20,171p ytd/328,866p lifetime

76:100 The Story of Kao Yun by Peter S. Beagle

Kao Yun was considered one of the most, if not the most, honorable judge in China.  He is so honorable, that sometimes the unicorn comes to his court and when he cannot trust his own senses he will let the unicorn decide.  But now, as he goes on his round, for the first time in his life, a woman enters in his court as a criminal but he is captivated by her beauty and his honor is now at stake.

An interesting take on a Chinese fairy tale keeping to the traditional characters and their roles.



Page count: 28p/19,951p ytd/328,646p lifetime

75:100 The European World 400-1450 by Barbara A. Hanawalt

Review from 5 years ago now.  It still holds up and still manages to hold their attention as much as history ever does.

<i>Here's my review from 3 years ago:

Middle school history. This covers the basics of what was happening in Europe between 400-1450CE. While there were a few interesting tidbits of political and religious points that affected things that I learned, the rest was a decent covering of the era without any new major insight although I think that is due in part because it's an era of history I actually enjoy studying. Thankfully my 7th grader enjoyed it and learned lots and that is what really matters.

Can't really add much to it.  It does it's job decently enough.</i>


Page count: 192p/19,923p ytd/328,618p lifetime

74:100 Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien

Hmmm...this was my review from 5 years ago.  Current kiddo is having an easier time with the slower parts and it is definitely interesting to see what each of them gets out of the books as they have all read them at about the same age.

<i>A group of hobbits, a wizard, a rouge, an elf, a dwarf, and a human go walking into the woods....

Yeah, I know, you've heard this one before.  This is my third time reading this book since 2008 and at this point, with the movies having been out for so long and the new Hobbit trilogy currently going strong I really kind of figure that everyone knows the plot of these books and if they don't, it's because they really don't care in the slightest.

Once again, I'm reading these for my 8th graders literature course and once again, they are managing to draw me with the language.  He is having a bit harder time with it but I'll bet anything that his interest will pick up more as we hit Two Towers and things really get moving.  That seems to the be way of it with the 13yr old boys of my house (and hey, I wasn't all that enamored of them when I was a teen either).

Here's a previous review of them I did when I first reread this in 2008 with my oldest:

I last read these books back in 1991-1992, something like that.  I remember enjoying them but also being put-off by the intense descriptive scenes which didn't seem to move the plot along (please, no flames on this, I was like 16 at the time, teenagers are stupid).  I've moved them several times and always meant to give them another chance, especially after the movies, but there always seemed to be something new to read or worlds where I didn't remember being so bored so I kept putting it off.

Until that is, I found the LOTR curriculum and went "Wow! This is way cool! I gotta do this with Christopher!"  And I'm of the mind that if my kids are reading something for school, well, since I'm their teacher I should read it too.  So we are reading it together.  I stay about a chapter ahead of him and then stop (which surprisingly is starting to annoy me LOL).   Now that I'm enjoying it with him and reading it with better appreciation for literature, I'm thoroughly enjoying it.  I can't add much to what has already been said about it by so many thousands of other people in the world except that if you tried it years ago and found it dry, try it again.  Don't give up on it.  It's truly worth the read.  And even better, read it with someone you love and enjoy discussing it together.  It just adds to the experience.

Honestly, this still holds true.  I'm glad I have an excuse to read them again every couple of years with a fresh pair of eyes to discuss them with.  It just adds something to the entire experience.</i>


Page count: 398p/19,731p ytd/328,426p lifetime

73:100 The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal

It's 1952 and a meteorite has just struck the ocean outside of the Eastern Seaboard wiping out Washington DC, New York, and pretty much anything else within a few miles of the coastline.  Elma York and her husband were on a weekend getaway when it happened, far enough away that they felt the shockwaves but far enough away that they were able to get to their small plane and escape when so many others couldn't.  Now the world is trying to rebuild and the conclusions coming back are frightening.  While things will settle down in the short-term, global warming (a term never before heard of) will happen in a few decades due to all the particulate matter thrown up in the atmosphere from the meteorite.  What used to be a fun idea of getting into space is now imperative for the survival of the human race and Elma York, a mathematician and WASP pilot, is determined that women will be included in the program, especially herself.

An interesting idea, fairly well executed, although I could have done with a little better explanation as to what was actually up with Elma and her anxiety earlier in the story and a lot less of how much she and her husband are into each other. 


Page count: 432p/19,333p ytd/328,028p lifetime

72:100 Winter's Web by Jennifer Estep

A novella between Venom in the Veins and Sharpest Sting.  Owen has won tickets to go to the local winter Ren Faire and Gin, Bria, Finn, and Sophia are all coming along and have been talked into volunteering for part of the time.  Gin notices a lot of giant guards around and that raises her suspicions, especially when a trio always seems to be camping out near her.  However, after she draws them away and deals with them in her usual way, she finds that they were just trying to get her out of the way so their friends could snatch Owen.  Gin is not about to let anything happen to him and she has the skills to make sure Owen will walk away and the others won't.

I read it out of order but it didn't really matter.  A fun Ren Faire story set in that world but no actual character development or critical insights for the main plot of the books.



Page count: 86p/18,901p ytd/327,596p lifetime

71:100 Sharpest Sting by Jennifer Estep

The 18th book in the Elemental Assassin series.  Gin has a name for the leader of The Circle, Mason, and even more than that, she knows that it's her uncle although she knows nothing else, not even his last name.  Now she has to find a way to stop him and keep her friends safe but she also needs to get her bridesmaid dress for the wedding of Stuart & Malloy.  An assassin's job is never as simple as it seems but during the fitting, her sister Bria is kidnapped and Gin and Lorelei are as well when they intervene to try and save Bria.  Gin has so many enemies even she can't figure out which one it is until they end up sitting across from Uncle Mason.  He wants something that Fletcher stole from him and he wants Gin to find and return it or else.  She's got a few short days to find something she has never seen and has no idea where it might be or her friends will start dying in horribly painful ways. She's the spider and has always found ways to win before but this one may break her heart in ways she never imagined.

Less of the constant, repetitive internal monologue (although we get a bit at the beginning in case anyone is picking up book 18 and reading before any others I guess) but this has now been replaced with constant adoration of Owen and their sex scenes which are basically the same in every single book. I'm not a prude and I don't have a problem with sex scenes but these are not particularly well written and are almost identical to the ones in previous books so they are just boring, especially the line in every single one about how she takes the pill but they still use a condom.  Every. Single. Time.  Get back to the killing scenes.  Those descriptions are better.  Heck, I enjoy the pages of what she is cooking as they make my mouth water and I would love Fletcher's super secret bbq sauce recipe as well as some of the others that are mentioned but please, stop trying to shove the sex scenes in.  They can just have a look, a kiss, and close the door and that is just fine.


Page count: 351p/18,815p ytd/327,510p lifetime

70:100 Coffee & Treason by Stefon Mears

Basic spy v spy short story.  American spy gets a lead on a Russian spy who may be getting some state secrets from a White House intern and he's in position to try and get the info to send everyone to jail but things never work out quite like you plan.

Page count: 21p/18,464p ytd/327,159p lifetime