#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.