64:100 Dragonwings by Laurence Yep

Moon Shadow has heard fabulous tales of his father, and especially the kites that he makes, but has never met him.  His father left for America before he was born and for 8 years all Moon Shadow has known of him has been his letters that he sends with money for them and the stories his mother tells him. 

Now his father has sent for him to come to America, the land of the white devils.  Of course Moon Shadow will go but he has no idea what to expect.  He and his father get to know each other and it is revealed that his father has had an important dream, to build an airplane and fly.  Windrider is willing endure much to make this dream come true even if no one else believe in it, but Moon Shadow believes and will be there to help him see it through.

We read this for my 7th grader's literature and enjoyed it.  It definitely put more emphasis on how Chinese and white people perceived each other in the early 1900s but also showed how people can move past prejudices when they are open to getting to know someone.  It showed the power of family and belief which is not limited to any one culture.


Page count: 317p/11,362p ytd/303,380p lifetime

63:100 Hounded by Kevin Hearne

First book in the Iron Druid series.  Atticus O'Sullivan is one of the last Druids and currently enjoying a quiet life in Arizona.  Unfortunately for him, there is an ancient Celtic god who has wanted the sword that Atticus wields for centuries and has found him now so this the time to make his move and get his hands on it.  Seriously, even against a god, what Druid is going to stand for that?!

My oldest enjoys this series and it's been in my to-read pile for a while but other things kept getting pushed in front of it until it got picked for my book club.  If you enjoy Dresden, you'll enjoy this one.  Same snarky main character but on the Celtic mythos side of things.  There are some rough spots in the writing but I believe this was the author's first book so it makes sense and I'm guessing it will smooth out in future ones.  I do plan to find out.



Page count: 304p/11,045p ytd/303,063p lifetime

New Releases I'm Looking Forward To: 4th 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.

So things on the job front settled for the summer and without the kids' school stuff, I was able to get some time to breathe and even read some.  I'm still behind to make 100 books read for the year (and I'm pretty sure my new author and page goals are laughing at me in a serious way) but I have gotten a little less behind.  Now though, school has resumed and while this is my last year with two students, I still have two students and all the reading that entails and there is an election coming up so yeah, reading time is again disappearing but I'm still hopeful that I will be able to find more time here and there and might at least be able to pull off my books read goal (even if there are a lot of graphic novels and short stories on the list).

So with that being said, here is how I plan on increasing my "To Read" pile this quarter (thankfully only with a few this time):

A new Pern installment by Anne McCaffrey's daughter?!  Dragon's Code looks like it could be amazing as Gigi McCaffrey is playing with her mother's characters in their usual stomping grounds so it's all characters we know and love.  Piemur's story of what happened to him while he was in Southern?  Yes, Please!

Release date - October 2

I really enjoyed N.K. Jemisin's The Fifth Gate (although I still need to read the rest of the series...sigh...time) and I'm starting to work on picking up more of her work. How Long Til Black History Month is a compilation of short fiction stories that look to be amazing.

Release date - Nov 27

The year finishes out with a new standalone by Mira Grant, Kingdom of Needle and Bone.  What happens when the diseases of the past have been beaten, or so people think, and so vaccination rates die down as no one believes how bad they were any longer?  In a Mira Grant universe, it can get so very bad.

Release date - Dec 31 

62:100 Saga Vol. 5 by Fiona Staples & Brian K. Vaughan

Dengo has the baby Prince Robot, Hazel, Alana, Klara, and Izabel captive in the treeship and has called in The Revolution to help him get his message out across the Universe.  Big surprise, The Revolution isn't on his side and they all underestimate what a mother and grandmother will do to save their child.

Prince Robot IV, Marko, Gus, and Yuma are trying to find them using Gus's ability to know where the animals in his herd are since toddler Hazel fell in love with one of them, Friendo, and he is on their ship.  However, the Robot Nation is also looking for Prince Robot IV and they aren't the type to ask nicely for him to come along.

The Brand, Gwyn, and Sophie are on a faraway planet trying to get a spell component to save The Will's life but there is only one male dragon left and it won't be a cakewalk to get what they need and not all of them will make it back to save him.

And it just keeps getting better!

Page count: 152p/10,741p ytd/302,759p lifetime

61:100 How to Marry a Werewolf by Gail Carriger

Faith has been sent away from her family in America as being damaged goods in their eyes and told to find a werewolf husband in London where that type of thing is tolerated.  She debarks the airship and is almost immediately having her possessions searched by a werewolf, a Major Channing, who is in pursuit of contraband which she does not have but he does find her rock collection that she has brought with her across the sea.  Combine unusual interests, a forthright attitude, and a pair of lovely blue eyes and Major Channing starts wanting to forget that he is damaged goods.  Throw in a meddling Alpha and London cousins who see this as a good match with two people who enjoy each more and more as they get to know each other and what else can you expect to happen?

This is the kind of romance I enjoy, where there is something that interests both parties about the other and they want to know more, not just the man sees the girl and wants to jump her bones.  Seeing Major Channing send her a rock is true romance.


Page count: 191p/10,589p ytd/302,607p lifetime

60:100 The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Review from 2015:

Gatsby is the mystery millionaire that every one wants to be seen with but no one actually seems to know anything about.  He throws lavish parties but without actually seeming to participate in more than a cursory way.  Nick Carraway moves into a small shack next door and Gatsby makes it a point to get to know him.  It doesn't take long for Nick to learn why.  Gatsby fell in love with Daisy (a cousin of Nick's) years ago and has done everything he could for the past several years to put himself in a position to try and woo her away from her husband, the brutish Tom Buchanan.  Now that he has Nick in his court, he feels like his dream is finally on the threshold of becoming reality.  Unfortunately, not all dreams end with a Happily Ever After.

It's interesting because I've been reading about this time in US History as part of our high school history course and excess is the big thing they keep talking about in that book and it is readily apparent in this as well.  Excess is everywhere with no regards to consequences.  It's sad to see and sadder to see how little we've learned since then.  It definitely seems like a cautionary tale of the time and one that seems to be misunderstood by many who just watched the movie.  Speaking of the movie, I want to find time to watch it so I can compare.  Yeah, yeah, I know it won't be as good as movies so rarely are but there can be good adaptations and I'm curious.


Page count: 180p/10,398p ytd/302,416p lifetime

59:100 Saga Vol. 4 by Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples

It's been decided that they really need to have an income if they are going to survive so Alana gets a job working for the The Circuit, a live action "television" program that runs all day.  Unfortunately, that is not the most healthy place and soon Alana starts using Fadeaway.  Marko and Alana fight and need some time apart to cool off.

On another planet, Prince Robot IV's wife has given birth to a healthy baby boy.  Unfortunately for her, the custodian has an ax to grind due to the death of his own son so he kidnaps the boy in an effort to get the royalty to listen to his demands.  Prince Robot IV knows nothing of this as he is still recovering after his visit to Mr. Heist's home by spending all his time at a brothel for days on end.  When he does find out, he does not take the news well.

The custodian, Dengo, has found that while the baby Prince is a good hostage, Hazel is even better, and now he has them both.  Meanwhile, The Will's sister has found Gwen and Sophie, and everyone's paths are looking like they will soon collide.

Again, I'm really enjoying the depth of the story and the characters and I can't wait to see what happens next.


Page count: 152p/10,219p ytd/302,236p lifetime