32:120 Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell

The Aleuts came to the island and killed the chief, Karana's father, when he demanded the payment they promised him for hunting the otters. When the rest of the tribe attacked, almost all of the hunters were also killed so the oldest among them was chosen to lead them and so he went to seek help and brought back a ship to take their crippled tribe to a new home but Karana's brother went back and was left so she dove overboard in order to be with him thinking the ship would return shortly for them.

It didn't.

Now she must figure out how to survive on her own, especially with the wild dogs on the island after they kill her brother.  There are many dangers to prepare for including the return of the Aleuts and always watching for the return of the promised ship to take her away.

Based on a true story of a woman found on this island but who spoke a language no one else could understand, Scott O'Dell recreated one possible story of her life.  It was a lovely tale, with evocative imagery and beautiful language.


Page count: 177p/5,478p ytd/279,953p lifetime

31:120 Shore to Shore by Seanan McGuire

Duchess Dianda has come to shore in order to get Patrick to keep his promise of introducing her to ice cream.  It is the last thing in the world Patrick ever expected and with spring just beginning, ice cream may be a bit hard to find but sometimes the search is what matters most.

A lovely little tale where we get to continue seeing the relationship between Dianda and Patrick emerge and considering how vicious she can be, it's truly a sweet thing to see.


Page count: 15p/5,301p ytd/279,776p lifetime

30:120 Her Heart Never Came Down Again by Seanan McGuire

She waited so patiently for hours and hours, waiting to hear that contact had been restored with Annie's spaceship. Instead, days later she was in the lawyer's office hearing the reading of the will and being explicitly given the ugly unicorn statue she hated so much in order to smash it. Now why would Annie want her to do that? Why couldn't Annie have just stayed on Earth with her?

A short story about love and despair and hope. Adventure and wanderlust that leads hearts wanting. And how in the world does Seanan McGuire manage to have tears in my eyes with a short story? That does not happen easily or often and I can't remember another short story that managed it so well done to her.

Page count: 12p/5,286p ytd/279,761p lifetime

29:120 Tonight by Faye Larson

Keith is celebrating being dumped for the 100th time.  Well, maybe not celebrating so much as reconsidering his life choices.  Maybe he should travel and get more ideas for his writing?  Or maybe there are other new experiences to try? He's thought that the whole girl thing hasn't worked out so well, so maybe a man? But how to even go about that when he's not sure? And that's when his friend Derek gets involved.

A short, fairly predictable tale. Basic romance with little character development or depth, short and sweet. For the record, I know the author and was given a copy with no expectation of review or payment.


Page count: 100p/5,274p ytd/279,749p lifetime

28:120 Strangers Among Us edited by Susan Forest & Lucas K. Law

Nineteen stories that explore mental illness in many different aspects, both in SciFi/Fantasy and things that you could see today.  I bought the series because it had a story by Kelley Armstrong and I had a different idea of what the stories would be about.  While the stories were not what I was expecting, I found the stories intriguing and extremely well done.  They depicted that even those will mental illness of all types are worthy of love and respect, some of them in the stories even got it and those were definitely my favorites.


Page count: 368p/5,174p ytd/279,649p lifetime

27:120 Threnody for Little Girl, with Tuna, at the End of the World by Seanan McGuire

She knew when the doorbell rang and she saw the postman there that Matthew was dead. But how do you mourn a fish, even a fish that everyone knows is the last tuna in the world and that you won the contest to name him so you did after your grandfather who taught you about the sea.  Still, he's a fish, even if he was the most famous fish in the world for a while.  So you buy a dress that is reminiscent of the dress you wore when you were 7 and you were chosen to name him and you go to the aquarium and pay your respects, to a fish.

A lament indeed to a world that could happen but also a warning if we heed it to protect the world we still have.


Page count: 14p/4,806p ytd/279,281p lifetime

26:120 The Act of Hares by Seanan McGuire

Tybalt has been holding "court" at his sister's insistence but he really can see no reason for it since he chased out all his people years previously to protect them from the plague.  Now though, he has petitioners who wish to become part of his court in order to escape their previous liege and really what a is a king without subjects, even the more independent cat sidhe types.  Perhaps it is time for him to stop playing at being King and actually become one in more than name alone.

Another Tybalt story from his early days in London.  It has been wonderful learning of his history in these backstories and I'm glad we have the chance to read them.


Page count: 38p/4,792p ytd/279,267p lifetime