One imperfect letter, one missing page

As fiveforsilver did, here are some stats about the books I read in 2008.

Total Scandinavian: 11
Total YA: 80
Total Sports (fic and non-fic): 14
Total audio: 18
Total graphic novels: 24
Total non-fiction: 9
Total gay: 13
Total books (all new): 171 (80 in 2007)

Goal for 2008: 170

Next year I want to read more non-fiction, maybe reread some books, and definitely dig into my pile of non-library books. I definitely should have kept track of which books were library books and which weren't, which I'll do for next year. I think I'll set my goal back to 100, because 170 was kind of ... too high, but there you go.

164. Let It Snow: Three Holiday Stories by John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle
I've kept saying I'm not a fan of regular YA fiction, but I think it's clear that that's not true and this book completely helped reinforce that fact. Each of these stories was loosely interconnected, with it all coming together in the last one. What results are three great stories on their own, and a rather clever book when put together. The stories are about three people who are caught out by a huge snowstorm and how their lives intertwine (with each other and other people who only pass through the stories). I liked all three of them, but every time I read John Green's stories, I like him more. I didn't have a favorite, but I did like them all.

165. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
Gaiman, as always, delivers. This novel is an expansion on a short story he'd already written. I liked how Gaiman created a history for Bod, making him more than just a boy in a short story who lived in a graveyard. While the book is a quick read, the story is strong, the plot is quite intriguing and overall, it's a really good book. If you like Gaiman, you'll definitely like this book.

166. How They Met, and other stories by David Levithan
I usually don't like short stories, but I've discovered that I'll read pretty much anything by David Levithan. His writing is strong and this book of short stories was no exception. He creates worlds withing a few short pages, that take you far away from your own. The stories alone, are quite good -- ranging from happy to melancholic, but their impact comes clear when they're put together in this book. Levithan's stories are not just about love, they are about everything else as well. They are, in many ways, very real and very realistic, while at the same time, drawing us in with the ideal that is found in so many novels. What results is a very wonderful journey through 'how they met' where 'they' is everyone.

167. The Realm of Possibility by David Levithan
I've never read a book of poetry quite like this. Each poem of Levithan's tells a story, but they are sometimes loosely connected (which you don't notice until the end -- and it's very effective). The poems are usually several pages, written in different styles, but on the whole, they are mostly quite powerful. I didn't like all the poems and obviously there were those I liked more than others. But that's the way it is with all collections. Overall, if you like Levithan's writing and don't mind poetry, this is a good book to read.

167 / 170 new reads. 98% read!

158. Funny Boy by Shyam Selvadurai
I don't know if I'm glad I read Selvadurai's Swimming in the Monsoon Sea first, because I didn't have high expectations for his novels. I enjoyed that book, but I liked Funny Boy a lot more. Perhaps if I'd read this first, I would be better able to appreciate Swimming in the Monsoon Sea, but this review isn't about that book. It's about Funny Boy, which is a heartbreaking coming of age story told with the backdrop of the beginnings of civil war in Sri Lanka.

The main character is Arjie, a young boy who isn't quite sure what he is. He enjoys playing a game called bride-bride with his sister and female cousins, where he gets to dress up in wedding clothes and make up. But when his parents find out, they set out to try to change his behavior. Of course this doesn't go according to plan, but that's what makes this novel so good. While Arjie is coming to terms with the fact that he's gay (and learning how to hide it from his family), he's also growing up far too fast. He accompanies his mother when she spends time with an old boyfriend, he spends time with the son of a friend of his father, who lets him know that he's not alone in the world, and then he's sent to school to make him a real man.

Those events make this story excellent, but when it's mixed with the horrors of violence, murders and fear, Selvadurai creates something extraordinary. As a review on the back of the copy of the book I read said, it shows us that we are not alone. And that's exactly what Selvadurai does. His writing paints pictures of what it's like to grow up in a world unlike our own, and yet like our own all the same. We learn of events -- Arjie's feelings for a boy at school, his mother's affair, what it's like being a Tamil in Sri Lanka -- through the eyes of a boy trying to find his place in the world. While the reader might understand what's happening, Arjie doesn't, and watching him grow just adds more depth to the novel.

I enjoyed this book so much, that I immediately placed a hold on Selvadurai's second book, Cinnamon Gardens.

159. The Order of the Poison Oak by Brent Hartinger
I don't have a lot to say about this book. It's a very cute read, short, sweet and not-quite to the point (which is the point, amusingly enough). Hartinger's sequel to Geography Club is the story of Russel, Gunnar and Min. It follows the three friends as they embark on one of those life-changing (or at least temporarily altering) events that teenagers have. They decide to spend the summer being camp counselors at summer camp. What ensues does include some hijinks, but like the first book, there's a serious side. Hartinger tells the story from Russel's point of view, infusing it with a mild form of introspection that is both amusing and annoying -- though not enough so that I didn't like the book. In fact, I enjoyed the story because it was exactly what I wanted -- a cute story that you knew would be happy in the end, but you weren't sure just how the characters were going to sort things out. I wish Hartinger was going to write more in this universe, but The Order of the Poison Oak seems to be a complete novel. It's both enjoyable and fun to read.

160. You Know Where to Find Me by Rachel Cohn
This is the first book I've read by Cohn that wasn't one of the two she wrote with David Levithan. I'd wanted something lighter, but had forgotten what You Know Where to Find Me was about. In the end, I didn't want to read anything other than this book. Cohn's writing is just as good as I'd hoped and her storytelling ability is as strong on her own as it was with Levithan. What makes You Know Where to Find Me so good is the main character of Miles. In many ways, this is because I identify with Miles (though not the smoking or drugs, just most everything else). She is believable, her pain is believable as is her coping. It's not that these themes can't be found in other books (see: Gail Giles), but it's the way Cohn writes that it different. We see, live and experience life the way Miles does. From the first person to the third person to the drug-induced haze of loss and love. Cohn's story is good because it's real, and it's real because her writing captures everything with a blunt honesty that can only be afforded by the fact that Miles is, to us, exactly who she is. While she might be trying to find herself, we're getting to know her. And in the end, it's worth everything because Cohn's writing is strong enough to take us on that journey and to let us know that if Miles can find her way back, we can too.

160 / 170 new reads. 94% read!

153. Coraline by Neil Gaiman
This is the graphic novel version of Neil Gaiman's book of the same title. I read it because it was the only copy of the book I could get easily and it was worth it. It's a quick read, only partly because it's a short graphic novel. The real reason is because it's quite a page turner. The pictures, in addition to the language, draw you into the story and, unlike so many graphic novels, really do seem to come alive on the page. Even thinking about it now, it's like I was watching the book happen, not reading it.

The story is strong, and is about a little girl who moves with her parents into a new home. It reminded me, in the best way, of Spirited Away. Coraline finds a door that is supposed to open into a brick wall, but instead leads her to another world. She must battle an evil woman trying to be her mother, in order to free her family and friends. Gaiman's writing, as usual, is terrific and the drawings are wonderful. I cannot wait to see the movie and read the actual novella, of course.

154. Wide Awake David Levithan
First off, I'm a big fan of David Levithan. I've read several of his books and liked them all. I liked Wide Awake too -- the premise was good, our main character, Duncan, was strong and liked his relationships with his friends and boyfriend. But I think Levithan spent too much time on the message in his book and not enough on the story.

The book is filled with scattered italicized sections of text that represent excerpts from speeches given by the president-elect of the novel -- a gay Jewish man named Abe Stein. I think, instead of enhancing the novel, there are too many and they draw the reader away from what I felt was the real story -- the idea that these teens who cannot vote were out on the front lines, as it were, trying to get people to support Stein.

Levithan's other characters are interesting, but in some ways I think this book lacks the excitement his others have. Over on Amazon, School Library Journal's review said that Duncan's boyfriend, Jimmy is 'too flat to care about,' but I partly disagree. The real problem is that Duncan and Jimmy don't have a good relationship. I think Levithan missed a chance to create a strong, independent character in Duncan. He wrapped everything up too neatly, and that, I think, is the biggest flaw of the book.

I enjoyed reading it -- I stayed up too late finishing it. But it lacked the same energy and desire that I've found in his other books. But, at the same time, I enjoyed reading it. It's a timely YA novel good for kids who aren't quite sure about politics and how to stand up for what you believe in.

155. Striking Back: The 1972 Munich Olympics Massacre and Israel's Deadly Response by Aaron J. Klein
I picked this book up because I'd come across a similar title and was reading reviews and all of them pointed to this book as the one book on the Munich Olympic massacre that people should read. I'd watched the movie Munich and a few short documentaries on the massacre, but my knowledge of the events was limited to popular culture. But after reading Aaron Klein's book, I feel as though I've discovered the truth.

Striking Back was published in 2006, so Klein is able to look at the events from a post 9/11 point of view, which I found to be extremely important. He was given unprecedented access to materials that remained hidden from public view until he asked.

What makes this book so good is not just limited to Klein's access to documents and people. It's the way he gives us an inside look at everything. We're not just talking about the athletes -- their families, the Israel Olympic Committee, the Israeli government, Mossad, the German government, as well as the terrorists themselves. But even then, Klein takes us on another journal.

It would be all too easy to write a biased book, focused on just the events of Munich, glossing over blame and Israel's response through rose colored glasses. Klein does not fall into the trap. Not only does he leave no one untouched, he explains the failings of both countries and then goes on to talk about Israel's response. While Munich takes a fictional view of realistic events, Striking Back fills in all the holes. Klein writes of the assassinations -- of the guilty, the supposed guilty and the accidental assassination of innocents.

Klein's writing is strong, he doesn't cushion the truth nor shy away from it when it's less than flattering. I found it to be a chilly story, even moreso because in some ways this feels like the beginning of something we've become used to -- non-state sponsored terrorism ending in a war that no one can win ad that is still going on.

155 / 170 new reads. 91% read!

145. Something Wicked by Alan M. Gratz
Just like Gratz's previous novel, Something Wicked is loosely based on one of Shakespeare's plays. As the title implies, that play is MacBeth. Gratz has a few cliches, but when you're adapting Shakespeare, it's impossible not to. The story is not as odd as Something Rotten, though that could be because I'm not as familiar with MacBeth as I am with Hamlet. Regardless, the book is a fun read. It's the story of Horatio Wilkes, the star of Gratz's previous novel, who is on a trip to Mount Birnam for the annual Highland Festival. As per usual, he stumbles into a murder scene and uses his highly astute observational and detective skills to find out who the real killer is. Gratz kept the readers on their toes and the second murder, though necessary for the plot, totally shocked me. I think that this book was actually better than Something Rotten and I am quite excited about what Shakespearean play Gratz will adapt next.

146. Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan
It's hard to explain exactly how much I liked this book -- and why. It's a combination of a strong story and plot (Paul meets Noah, Paul thinks he could fall in love with Noah, Paul screws everything up -- it sounds lame, but it's the exact opposite) plus interesting characters with a dose of truly fantastic writing. Boy Meets Boy is, among many things, fun. But it's also slightly heart breaking, more than a little hilarious and serious in all the right places. I really enjoyed reading it and it affirmed what I already knew, that Levithan is quickly becoming a favorite author of mine. The story is from Paul's point of view and is told in much the same tense and style as the two other Levithan novels I've read (Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist and Naomi and Ely's No Kiss List). I like this style -- if I was a YA author, this is how I wish I could write.

Paul is a strong character, he has flaws and like so many of us, he just doesn't realize they're flaws. There are some extraordinary scenes (conversations with an exboyfriend of Paul's and one of his best friends) that help bring both the reader and Paul into some sort of perspective. There's also all the teen drama that YA readers are used to, but Levithan spices it up a bit -- in all the good ways. He also doesn't completely resolve one of the plot twists, and I applaud him for this. It's not every author who can leave something undone and yet still have a fully complete book that leaves the reader satisfied.

I loved Boy Meets Boy and plan to read as many of Levithan's book as possible.

147. Generation Dead by Daniel Waters
I was surprised by how good this novel was, especially based on the cover. Waters' book is an insightful look into, as cliche as this is, the teenage psyche. But instead of focusing on the 'traditional' topics of race or homosexuality, he goes down a totally different path -- zombies. The undead, differently biotic, or living impaired. While that idea seems a little, well, far fetched, Waters' novel is nothing of the sort. While there's primarily one main character, Phoebe (a smart goth girl), we're also let into the world of two other characters -- Phoebe's all but best friend, Adam (popular kid and somewhat start football player) and Pete (definitely star footballer player, popular and happens to hate 'the dead kids'). I found this style of writing a little confusing at first, but got over easily once I realized how necessarily it was to the way the book's written.

Generation Dead deals with more social issues than many books could ever dream of touching. Obviously, the difference is that it's about zombies instead of something more grounded in reality. But instead of turning the story into some sort of sci-fi farce, Waters grounds his characters and story in plot that's closer to our world than anything else. There's talk of forcing the zombie kids to go to war, there's hatred (protesters at a football game, fruit being throw, even murder -- or being killed a second time), love and everything in between.

The story revolves around Phoebe and her interest in Tommy Williams, a new kid in town who also happens to be dead. Eventually, this leads predictably to trouble, but that's the only thing predictable about the book. How the characters behave, the revelations about how some of the zombie kids died, and then at the end, there's a surprising twist that I definitely didn't see coming. The one disappointing thing about the book is that, as other reviewers have pointed out, there are too many loose ends. Luckily, Waters has written a sequel (Kiss of Life) that's set to come out in May of 2009. Which, really, is far too far in the future, but I can wait.

Overall, I enjoyed the book. It played on a lot of emotions and left me feeling a bit sad at the end. I am eager to find out where Waters is going with the storyline as well as what happens to the characters. Even if you don't like zombie stories, I recommend this book. It's much more than just a traditional zombie tale. More humor than horror, and that's only part of what makes it so good.

148. Beastly by Alex Flinn
The signs were obvious that this book was a reworking of the traditional Beauty and the Beast story and of course I managed to miss them all. Not that the title or the rose on the cover were subtle, but somehow I just didn't get it until halfway through the book. Which actually wasn't a bad thing. I enjoyed the book and found the premise (our hero, Kyle, has the traditional curse of being a beast put on him because, well, he's kind of a jerk) well done. The plot, of course, was strong, but it would be hard to screw this story up.

What I found fascinating was how Alex Flinn was able to make the beast a sympathetic character so early on in the story. Even though we knew -- could see it from Kyle's point of view -- that he was not a nice boy, you can't help feel sorry for him. But the transformation that Kyle undergoes is so through and well written, that you have no problems believing in this world that Flinn has created. She also does something that I really find smart, between section of the book are letting chat logs from IM conversations that Kyle is having with people similar to himself -- these are people from story tellers, a frog looking for a prince, a bear who is really a man, and a mermaid who wants to give up her voice to get feet. These tie-ins, while obvious, are quite clever and amusing.
Overall, this was a fun book and I'd like to read more of Flinn's work.

149. Revelations by Melissa De La Cruz
My rating is low, not because I didn't like the book -- I did. But instead, it's low because this isn't the best book out there about vampires. But, in the end, that's not important. Melissa De La Cruz doesn't need to write the next Twilight (though, personally, I think that this series is much better than Meyer's) nor does she need the high quality found in Westerfeld's Peeps or McKinley's Sunshine. It's much more of a teen book in the same way as Gossip Girl and similar titles. And, to be honest, there's nothing wrong with it and it's really quite fun.

The writing is decent, not great, but not bad either. The plot tends to be a bit odd, weighing heavily on what happens in the previous titles. De La Cruz does something I really enjoy, though, and that's her avoidance of repeating what happened previously in the first books of the series. She reminds you in subtle ways as the story progresses. She also switches points of view a few times and in Revelations she includes little transcripts of interviews and the like to give the reader some more insight into certain plot points.

The end of the book has a twist, of course, that I didn't see coming. There are a few things that are pretty shocking, all of them directly impacting our true main character, Schuyler. As this is the third book in the series, De La Cruz sets up the mood for the next in the series. I eagerly look forward to finding out what happens. Not just in the context of the events happening at the end of the book, but also to Schuyler and her friends (and enemies).

149 / 150 new reads. 99% read!

137. Someday This Pain Will Be Useful to You by Peter Cameron
Cameron's book is truly a fantastic book. Not only is the story well done, but the writing is brilliant. Someday This Pain Will be Useful to You is the story of James, an 18 year old boy trying to figure out, well, life. He's not sure he wants to go to college, he's not really sure about much of anything, except that he wants to be alone and he hates people his own age. Cameron handles everything perfectly -- the several time married mother, the distant and yet controlling father, the implied crush on the older coworker, and the love that James is seeking without really knowing it. I say perfectly because he manages to capture how our lives (the lives of the family, of teenagers, of college students, of everyone) are not perfect at all. James' view is one that anyone can relate too, not just teens. This isn't just because he's such a universal character in many ways, it's also because Cameron proves to be a sublime writer. James is smarter than many people (perhaps smarter than we are) and while in many books (YA or otherwise) this would be a turn off, it's the opposite. James doesn't lord it over his readers, just the people he encounters. And often, it's not even on purpose. While this book isn't about me, reading it I felt it had been written for me. It's an incredibly emotional (and emotionally driven) story about what it's like to grow up when you're already halfway there.

138. Awakening by Robin Wasserman
139. Betrayal by Robin Wasserman
140. Truth by Robin Wasserman
I'm reviewing all three of these together because they're part of the Chasing Yesterday trilogy. This is the story of a girl "named" JD. She wakes up in pain and has no idea who she is or what's going on. Eventually she ends up in a hospital, but her memories are still gone. Known as Jane Doe at first (before asking to be called JD), she is stubborn and strong, stronger than she really understands. Upon leaving the hospital, JD ends up in a home for, well, kids with nowhere else to go. She befriends Daniel, the one person she believes she can trust. The story follows JD and Daniel as they try to figure out who JD really is. As the books progress, the danger increases, for both JD and Daniel and from JD herself. There's a twist of fantasy within the novels that was slightly surprising, but well done. The books lead quite well into each other and Wasserman does an excellent job of tying the trilogy up, without really copping out on an ending. There are several surprises that caught me off guard, which was nice, considering some books similar to this would be seen as too formulaic. The storyline, in many ways, reminded me loosely of the Maximum Ride series by James Patterson. The writing, of course, was much better that Patterson's books, but there were a few elements (an institution, issues with parents and lies about the past) that brought the other series to mind. But, over all, if you a few days, I suggest checking all three books out and reading them one after the other. And, if you liked those, read Wasserman's other book with a similar theme, Skinned. Which, in my opinion, is even better.

140 / 150 new reads. 93% read!

131. Going Under by Justina Robson
I totally love this series. It's got just enough science fiction to keep the fantasy from driving me nuts. But by saying that, I'm not giving the book enough credit. It's an extremely fun read, well written and keeps me engaged. I enjoy that the main character, Lila Black, is not perfect. She has her own issues and spends lots of time trying to sort them out -- along with a bunch of other things. All the characters are well developed and we learn more about them, as well as the places Lila inhabits/visits, as the novels go on. I look forward to the next novel in this series.

132. Bloody Confused! by Chuck Culpepper
I can see, quite clearly, why a lot of football (soccer) purists would be upset with this book. First of all, he calls it soccer (as he should), second -- he never really mentions MLS (who can blame him, it's about England and football) and third, he talks about American sports. All of these things are positives, no matter what others might think. This is not for the hardcore fan (unless you're an open-minded fan who wants to know what it's like for non-expats just getting into the sport or someone who also enjoys American sports, such as myself), it's for the casual fan, the non-fan and the general sports fan. And that's what I like about the book. Culpepper's writing style draws you in and keeps you reading. It's not a great treatise on the wonders of English football. It's a love story -- a man and his team. It's something any fan can identify with. And, of course, Culpepper does address the issue of the fact that he chose a team. But, in the end, it's clear (at least to me and perhaps to Culpepper, and the friends he makes along the way) that the teams choose us.

133. How to Ditch Your Fairy by Justine Larbalestier
My sister told me I was going to love this book, and she was right. Larbalestier has created a wonderful world within the confines of her novel. In some ways, it reminded me of her husband's (Scott Westerfeld) Uglies series -- but in all the good ways. The story focuses on Charlie and her problems with her fairy. She runs into trouble: with friends, boys and, of course, trying to get rid of her fairy. But Larbalestier writes Charlie in such a way that you never really get annoyed with her problems. Instead, you want her to win -- to figure out how to ditch that fairy of hers and get the boy in the end. I almost hope she writes more in this universe, maybe not the same characters, but the same world. Even if she doesn't, this is a great and fun fantasy novel.

134. Geography Club by Brent Hartinger
Before reading this, I'd skimmed over some reviews (I think on Amazon) and they were mediocre, sort of in the middle. I can see why, there are some plot holes, but overall, it's a cute book that deals with some very real issues. The idea is that our hero, Russel, is gay and hasn't told anyone -- not his friends, family or anyone. He looks at stuff on the web and suffers through the tortures of PE, but keeps his secret safe. Until one day he meets someone in a chat room and ends up agreeing to meet them. I won't spoil anything, but it's an interesting idea, made even more interesting because the entire story is told from Russel's point of view. We don't have the omniscient narrator trying to tell us what's going to happen. We have to go through things the same way that Russel does, and I think this is one of the novel's strengths. There are a few glitches, especially relating to the boy that Russel meets online and then in person and to his friends. But overall, it's a cute book that has a very nice (if slightly convoluted) point.

134 / 150 new reads. 89% read!

126. The Draining Lake by Arnaldur Indriðason
Another classic Icelandic mystery by Indriðason. The plot of this story wasn't as dark as some of his previous ones, but it was intriguing. A skeleton is found at the bottom of a draining lake. Later determined to be a man, the skeleton leads them on a chase stretching involving everything from an East German university to Cold War spies in Iceland to the uncovering of forty years worth of lives. Indriðason is a fantastic writer and does an exceptional job of blending the lives of his main characters with the main plot of the book. Another thing I enjoyed was the alternating chapters of the main characters and the killer himself. Indriðason gives use the reasons that led to the eventual death of the skeleton. It's a fascinating story of spying, lies and unsolved mysteries.

127. Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
I have so much to say about this book that I don't know where to begin. Possibly my initial reaction, which was something like 'where the hell was this book my whole life?' But there's more to it than that. Cohn and Levithan's fast paced novel is one of those few books that I just can't put down. Not only because it's so good that I want to find out what happens, but because it's just that good. It draws you in because it is so full of everything. It's a little cliche, but this book just means so much. It's at a hurried pace, but that doesn't detract from the book and nor do you feel like you're playing catch up. You're in the story and you feel part of it. You want Nick and Norah to work out, you want things to happen and you want all these things to go wrong because it's just more fun that way. The book is an exceptional piece of fiction and I just simply adore it.

128. Bliss by Lauren Myracle
I'm not entirely sure what to make of this book. It's well written and the first person is done extremely well. The quotes between chapters as well as the diary excerpts are both appropriate and chilling in many ways. Which, of course, it's supposed to be because it's a fantasy/horror YA book. The ending is not satisfactory, but I totally understand what Myracle was doing with it and I approve. There are a couple of twists and some connections I didn't make until right before Bliss made them. I thought this was a clever technique to keep us guess, just as Bliss is. Myracle also does a good job dealing with a time period that readers aren't used (late 60s) without hitting us over the head with it. Her story is a mix of coming of age, the little bit of horror that drives the story and being the 'new' girl. It seems a bit rushed at the end, but overall I enjoyed it.

128 / 150 new reads. 85% read!

121. Eagle Strike by Anthony Horowitz
While the Alex Rider series isn't for everyone, I do enjoy reading it quite a bit. Horowitz writes well enough to keep me engaged -- and the plot tends to be interesting enough that I want to know what happens next. What makes Eagle Strike different compared to the previous novels is the fact that Alex ends up alienating a lot of people (as well as hurting people he cares about). There are a couple of scenes that are profound moments for Alex that caught me by surprise, a couple of them come right near the end of the story. I liked the character development of Alex, he's likable (as usual, but even more so as the book goes on). But biggest issues with this story basically happen in the beginning. While much of the plot in the Alex Rider novels tends to be unbelievable, there's a bit too much of that in the first part of Eagle Strike. But once you get over that, the story gets back on track.

122. Prince of Tennis, Volume 6 by Takeshi Konomi
As always, these books are a joy to read, even if I haven't read one recently. I think this is mostly because they're low on plot and high on action. It translates well (literally) to the tv, and I enjoy watching the show almost as much as I enjoy reading it. Plus, the drawings are fantastic -- and as a fan of tennis, there's no way I wouldn't enjoy this.

123. Chalice by Robin McKinley
When I was younger I read a lot of Robin McKinely. But then I grew up, discovered science fiction and basically gave up fantasy because I just didn't have time for all the sword fighting and dragons and you get the idea. But after reading McKinley's book Sunshine, I thought I'd give this book a chance. And I'm extremely glad I did. It's fantastic, well written, and completely engrossing. I throughly enjoyed reading it.

123 / 150 words. 82% done!

110: Who on Earth is Tom Baker by Tom Baker (read by Tom Baker)
First off, I downloaded this accidentally and listened to it because I was desperate for an audio book. Second, Tom Baker is a fantastic reader. It doesn't matter what he's reading, because he just pours himself into it -- not unlike his acting. Now, about the book. Part of me is glad I read it and part of me is kind of weirded out, because it's way more than I every though I'd know about the man who played my favorite Doctor on Doctor Who. He's a very odd man, very self-deprecating, but completely fascinating. His autobiography completely caught me and really captured my attention, I was sad when it was over. He touches briefly on Doctor Who, but it's really about his life and the way he sees himself. The book was both hilarious and heartbreaking and I quite enjoyed it. I doubt I would have liked it as much if I'd read it instead of listening to him tell it. I highly recommend the audio book.

111. Smoke and Shadows by Tanya Huff
Oh, man. Seriously, I love Tanya Huff's books. I liked Vicki and Celluci a lot (in the Blood books and the TV show), but I really adore Tony. My sister pretty much told me I would, and it was nice that Smoke and Shadows didn't let me down. I thorough...more Oh, man. Seriously, I love Tanya Huff's books. I liked Vicki and Celluci a lot (in the Blood books and the TV show), but I really adore Tony. My sister pretty much told me I would, and it was nice that Smoke and Shadows didn't let me down. I thoroughly enjoyed the book

112. Smoke and Mirrors by Tanya Huff
It turns out that I am totally in love with these books. I actually like them more than the Blood books. I think this is probably because I really adore Tony. I know, at least in the case of my sister, she really missed Mike and Vicki when she started reading them -- I didn't. I had forgotten that they weren't featured in these books (except in passing) and for a moment I was kind of annoyed. But only for a moment. I got over that pretty quickly and fell in love. Smoke and Mirrors was fantastic, creepy and awesome. I love all the plot developments regarding Tony as what he's turning into. I also like his interactions with all the characters, but especially Lee, Zev, CB, Amy and that male cop (I say that, but you have to realize I've already started Smoke and Ashes). I also loved the humor in the book, especially the mentions of kiwi lube (I have no idea why this is so funny) and Amy saying she owns all of Charmed. I cannot wait to finish Smoke and Ashes.

113. Smoke and Ashes by Tanya Huff
This is the final book in Huff's Smoke series and the series just kept getting better. This book was fantastic in all the best ways. All of the characters, including some new ones, were entertaining and fun. Leah is a great, snarky and yet caring addition to the story. Tony and Lee have hilarious and tense chemistry and Tony's other friends? Just great. I also love how Huff makes sure her continuity flows properly, Tony understands that the experiences in the previous books (and the Blood series) have a lasting affect on himself and his friends (including Henry). Something I wasn't sure I'd enjoy, but surprisingly did, was the fact that the focus of the books isn't Henry. His importance to the story and plot is definitely important, but it is not the central focus, unlike the first book of the series and all the Blood books. I think this is brilliant on Huff's part, because it gives Tony a sense of conflict, but it doesn't drench us in vampire lore. Also, the books are very hip and culturally appropriate and hilarious. I wish there were more! While I knew Tony was a great character in the Blood books, I had no idea how much I'd come to love him in this series. It's lots of fun and definitely not your run of the mill vampire series.

114. Devil Bones by Kathy Reichs
I just finished reading this (as in, like, 15 minutes ago) and loved it. This is the eleventh (I think) book in the Temperance Brennan series, and like all of the others, I totally enjoyed it. Kathy Reichs' does a great balance between Brennan's personal life, the cases she solves, and the educating she does in the book. Many mystery authors gloss over the details, or delve too deeply into them, but in Reichs' case, she does a really good job of educating us with the relevant bits of scientific, historical or cultural information that we need to understand what's going on. Sometimes it's done as good exposition (similarly to crime fighting TV shows, but without the clichés -- or if they're there, it's ironic and not a cop out), other times Brennan is thinking out loud (or to herself, as the case may be) and even other times it just comes up in the context of whatever she's doing. I love reading the Temperance Brennan series as much as I love watching Bones. I think the main reason is because they are so different, but in my head, Brennan is always played by Emily Deschanel. In the interview with Reichs at the end of the book, after the novel is over, Reichs talks about how she sees Deschanel's Brennan as a younger version of the Brennan in her books. I think that's a great comparison and I can totally see it. But back to Devil Bones. It's a fun, if disturbing and very sad book (not gonna make you cry sad, but that's fine -- it doesn't need to be). The plot twists totally threw me, which is something I fully enjoy about Reichs' writing. I cannot wait for the next one, whenever it comes out.

114 / 120 new reads. 95% read!