One imperfect letter, one missing page

71. Scribbler of Dreams by Mary E. Pearson
A modern retelling of Romeo & Juliet. Pearson's book was a quick read, though lack the real heartbreak found in the play that inspired her novel. It was all right, but nothing that I'd go out of my way to read again.

72. Freak Show by James St. James
Yet another quick YA read, but this one was excellent. James' writing style is quite unique and takes some getting used to, and I'm not sure I ever did get used to it. But don't let that put you off the book. Freak Show is a brilliant near stream-of-consciousness book about, simply put, what it means to be different. Obviously, it's more than just that. It's a brilliant examination of the horrors of high school, specifically one a young, cross dressing gay boy. He's truly adorable, someone I'd probably like to be friends with. While much of the book seems to be quite unrealistic, focusing on that aspect would completely miss the point. What matters is the interactions, the way Billy feels, beneath all the glamor he embraces. Freak Show is more than just a coming of age story, it's a story to all of us who were picked on in high school and what it means when we fight back (even if we never had the courage to).

73. Kiss of Life by Daniel Waters
A nice sequel to Generation Dead. One of the things Waters gives us is insight, quite literally, into what goes on inside a one of his zombie's brains. In this case it's Adam and it's always fascinating. Something else I liked about this book was the little tiny twists Waters introduced, from Tommy and Phoebe's relationship, to the changes in Adam and Phoebe's friendship, to all the new characters we meet. There's a rather harsh subplot that underlines several things going on between the zombies and the living. I think it makes a good set up for what will hopefully be a third book, while at the same time not really giving us a real cliff hanger, which I appreciate. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the book.

74. My Most Excellent Year by Steve Kluger
I've read a lot of books in 2009, and a lot of them have been pretty awesome. But Steve Kluger's book has been among the best. My Most Excellent Year is, like the subtitle says, a novel of love, Mary Poppins and Fenway Park. Don't let that stop you because the baseball (and it's definitely not so much about the Red Sox as it is baseball as a method of connecting) is incidental. It could be any sport, but because the book's sent in Boston, baseball makes sense. Really, the novel is about four high school students, four parents, one bookstore clerk, one adviser, and one six year old kid and those characters, highly developed, make the book quite a brilliant read. Not only is the style (essays, letters, instant messages and emails) compelling, the plot is, too. My Most Excellent Year is, above all else, a book about love and Kluger holds nothing back. I cannot recommend this book enough. It doesn't matter who you are or what your feelings on sports might be, My Most Excellent Year has everything you could ever want in a book. As they say, A+++ would read again. In fact, I'll probably end up buying it. For me, it really was just that good and I'll be honest, I never wanted it to end. While some people seem to have a problem with the fact that it's unbelievable, I think that's the point. Like several of the characters say, sometimes you need a little magic in your life and Kluger more than provides it.

75. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
Asher's book was a very quick read, but extremely intense. Thirteen Reasons Why is an extremely well written, fascinating book. The characters, the story and the format is very strong. It's an excellent book, but I don't know if liked it. Just like the two Gail Giles books I've read, it's more realistic than I'd like and deals with issues that no one wants to address. I do know that I'll never read this book again, but I don't think I'd have any problems recommending it. It's intense, emotionally draining and quite interesting. I'm not sure I understood what I was going to read before I picked it up, but I'm glad a read it. Suicide is a serious and heartbreaking topic and Asher treats it with respect and without glossing over the tragedy.

75 / 100 books. 75% read!