#72 Tattoo Girl

Tattoo Girl by Brooke Stevens. Yes, I know it's out of order but for some reason I thought I'd already blogged it... Anyway, I picked this one up because of the title and almost put it back down when I saw what it was about, but I liked it. I can't say I enjoyed it because a lot of it is too dark to be enjoyable. But it was well done and thought-provoking. In the end it confirmed my belief that religion causes a lot of harm and that women are stronger than most people think.

#73 Interred With Their Bones

Interred With Their Bones by Jennifer Lee Carrell. HS gave me this because of the connection to Cardenio, the craptastic play we saw while in Boston. She warned me it wasn't great but that it was worth it. I have to say if I could have followed the logic of the "who was Shakespeare" plot then I would have enjoyed it more. It's probably just me but I got completly tangled up and ended up zoning out. So not particularly recommended by me.

#71 Empire of Ivory

Empire of Ivory by Naomi Novick. Yes, I read through all three in a row. If I had had the 5th book, I would have gone straight into it.

#70 Black Powder War

Black Powder War by Naomi Novick. Still love this series.

#69 Throne of Jade

Throne of Jade by Naomi Novick. Love this series.

#68 All That Matters

All That Matters by Jan Goldstein was shallower than I had hoped. I really didn't care so much for the 23 year old suicidal protagonist - I wanted to hear more about Nana's escape from the Nazis. Seems odd to say a book about a woman being saved from herself is shallow but that's how I feel.

#67 Sarah Canary

Sarah Canary by Karen Joy Fowler was not the book I thought it was going to be - not that it was bad. I'm not sure that I can explain it other than to say I wanted it to be different than it was and if I had known I probably wouldn't have read it.

#66 Ballad of the Whiskey Robber

Ballad of the Whiskey Robber: A True Story of Bank Heists, Ice Hockey, Transylvanian Pelt Smuggling, Moonlighting Detectives, and Broken Hearts by Julian Rubinstein - the title pretty much sums it up... Actually, I really enjoyed this one, learning about Hungary and Eastern Europe after the fall of Communism and how it affected ordinary people through the rise and downfall of a hockey goalie who robs banks and post offices. I would recommend this one, despite the slightly cheesey cover art.

#65 Coffee and Kung Fu

Coffee and Kung Fu by Karen Brichoux is a light, easy read set in Boston. Have to say I was excited by that fact, hoping it would serve a bit as a travel guide. Sadly, not so much. But it was entertaining if not exactly inspiring. Well, I shouldn't say that as some parts made me wistful but in the end, it's a modern day fairy tale and everything turns out ok.

#64 Pope Joan

Pope Joan: A Novel by Donna Cross is another historical fiction set in the 9th century. Damn, I love this type of book. The legend/historical fact at the heart of this one is the election of a woman (disguised as a man) to the throne of St Peter. Apparently, a lot of smart women spent their lives disguised as men through the centuries.

I really enjoyed this one - the details were meticulous but only added to the story. Plus, some of the names were familiar to me from the are in So. Indiana where my grandparents lived. That's always a nice touch.

#63 I, Lucifer

I, Lucifer: Finally, the Other Side of the Story by Glen Duncan. I didn't warm up to this book right away even though I usually love books that feature angels (not religious stuff, but as characters). This one had a good concept but the delivery was a bit crude for my tastes (lots of cursing and weird sex stuff). I eventually got into it more but I still think he could have been less pornographic. And then it took me a while to realize the writer in the book had a name that was derived from the author's name (Declan Gunn). Not sure how I feel about that, as if he cares...

#62 Life of Pi

Life of Pi by Yann Martel. I finally found this after more than a year and brought it to Boston with me. I loved this book. There's so much detail and spirit and it's just the coolest concept. I keep meaning to google it and see if any of it is true - doesn't really matter, though. I'd recommend this to anyone.

#61 Quite A Year For Plums

Quite a Year for Plums: A Novel by Bailey White. Have to say I didn't care much for this one. The characters are quirky and interesting, but their actions don't amount to much. I guess it's meant to be a snapshot of life, but I wanted it to go somewhere or do something more concrete.

#60 Men Of Tomorrow

Men Of Tomorrow: Geeks, Gangsters, and the Birth of the Comic Book by Gerard Jones. The husband asked me to read this one and although I would have never picked it up on my own I really liked it. I have to say the "true" history of comic books is nothing like what you'd imagine. It's almost sad to think of the people who got chewed up and spit out. But it's fascinating to realize that for almost all of these guys, it was just a job.

#59 The Dress Lodger

The Dress Lodger by Sheri Holman. An interesting take on an historical novel... it wasn't what I expected and I wasn't sure I'd finish it, but it didn't take long to get hooked. I thought it was going to be more about the woman in the dress, which is what drew me in the first place, but when it changed direction I was happy to go along.

#58 The Stupidest Angel

The Stupidest Angel: A Heatwarming Tale of Christmas Terror by Chistopher Moore. I heartily recommend this book as an alternative to the regular pablum that surrounds the holidays. My only regret is that I bought it at a church sale so Mr Moore doesn't get any royalties. Maybe I should send him a check...

#57 I Am Not Myself These Days

I Am Not Myself These Days: A Memoir by Josh Kilmer-Purcell. I wasn't sure I'd be able to read this book when I started - it seemed like it might be a bit too outside of my experiences for me to enjoy. But the writing is sharp and the emotions are all too human for me to not find something of myself in it. I hope the author has found someone who has helped him find himself.

#56 Easter Island

Easter Island by Jennifer Vanderbes. I really enjoyed this one, even though I wanted things to happen, to come together, that never did. I'm still not sure I'm happy about it but in the end it doesn't matter. It's a good story about several women finding themselves on this speck of land in the middle of the ocean. It really makes me want to go there for myself.

#55 Death Comes As Epiphany

Death Comes As Epiphany: A Catherine LeVendeur Mystery by Sharan Newman. I picked up the 3rd in the series at a library sale and the husband was kind enough to checkout the 1st for me. It started slowly but I finally got into it and really enjoyed it. I'll be getting the 2nd one as soon as I can so I can read the 3rd one.

#54 Birds Of A Feather

Birds of a Feather (Maisie Dobbs Mysteries) by Jacqueline Winspear. The second in what turns out to be a longish series. I have to say I liked the 2nd one better than the first - more character development and less revelations about the past.

#53 Maisie Dobbs

Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear. The husband picked out this one and the 2nd one as filler for our sale at the Shrine. When they didn't go he suggested I might like them. Historical fiction but only the 1920's and quite enjoyable.

Audio H - Coraline

Coraline by Neil Gaiman. The husband and I started listening to this years ago but I was so creeped out by the singing rats I couldn't finish it. Since my last audio book from the library was broken, I grabbed it and am nearly finished. Highly recommended. I've heard Neil read his work at Comic-Con and he's a fantastic reader. And the rats are still creepy, dammit.

Audio G - The Red Tent

The Red Tent by Anita Diamant - I really enjoyed it but didn't care too much for the reader. I thought her voice was too high and light for the tone. Mostly I'm glad I listened to it rather than read it because some of those names would have thrown me right out of the story. It made me miss my mom and sister most of all.

#52 Terraforming Earth

Terraforming Earth by Jack Williamson. A pretty good sci-fi tale of a bunch of clones trying to rekindle life on the planet after a meteor impact. I thought the ending was a bit weak, kind of throwing in a whole philosophy about the "next stage of evolution" at the very end w/o much expanation.

#48-51 (More Catch Up)

I found an old post that wasn't published where I'd noted some books I'd read that I missed during the first catch up:

#48 Forever: A Novel by Pete Hamill. An excellant book that was hard to read at points but totally worth it.

#49 Madrox by Peter David. A graphic novel that I quite liked about a guy who can create duplicates of himself. My favorite aspect was the idea he sends the dupes out into the world to learn and experience things. Then when he absorbs the dupes back into himself, he has all of those skills and memories. That would be cool.

#50 The Atrocity Archives by Charles Stross. A nice combination of science and the supernatural. I truly hope such a place doesn't exist.

#51 Little Gods by Tim Pratt. A collection of short stories by a great writer. I think I would want to be the little god of the smell of snow; like aluminum to me.

#47 To The Tower Born: A Novel of the Lost Princes

To The Tower Born: A Novel of the Lost Princes by Robin Maxwell. I love historical fiction and this was a good one. A female lead and lots of intriguing ideas that take into account the power some women had in that era (although most of the behind the scenes). It was a fast read and very entertaining. I think I should keep an eye out for more of her work.