books #98-106

Apparently I'm on a big blog-roll tonight (I think I want someone to talk to), so I thought I ought to finish at least one of the drafts I've had sitting around for ages.

98. St Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by Wolves by Karen Russell ****. There were some great stories in here, but some of them reminded me why I don't like short stories - I get to the end and want to read the rest of the novel. Actually, I guess that wasn't necessarily a fault restricted to the less-great stories. I especially liked the title story, but I foolishly returned the book without recording the names of my other favourite stories.

99. Pyongyang by Guy Delisle ***1/2. I missed Flea's initial evangelism about this graphic novel, but after she recommended it again, I added it to my request list. I didn't love it as much as she did, but it was fascinating to see inside North Korea, even if the author didn't manage to penetrate far beyond the official facade.

100. One Good Turn by Kate Atkinson ****. I don't really like mysteries, but I love Kate Atkinson enough to almost entirely make up for that. I did really like the characters in this book, and the writing, of course, but I think I would've liked it even more without the mystery.

101. The Glass Lake by Maeve Binchy **1/2. This was a comfort read. I went through a Maeve Binchy phase in high school, thanks to watching Circle of Friends, but this was the only one I remember liking enough to reread. I think I liked how all the women (at least the ones you were meant to like) knew exactly the right thing to say.

102. The Wonder Spot by Melissa Bank ***. I have a half-written post about this one.

103. The Midwife's Apprentice by Karen Cushman ***. See discussion at Phantom's book club: Younger readers edition.

104. So B. It by Sarah Weeks ***. Phantom's book club: YA edition.

105. Born Again by Kelly Kerney ***. I'm not sure if this was meant to be YA or not. I thought it was a pretty believable and engaging portrayal of an evangelical kid coming to question her beliefs, although I'm not sure the characters were entirely consistent.

106. Lost Cosmonaut by Daniel Kalder ***1/2. Parts of this travelogue of places "untouched by tourism" I liked a lot. He had an interesting perspective on travelling and what counts as an authentic experience. The best part of the book was the outlandish chapter on Mari El and the pagan chief he met there. He was amusingly snarky* for the most part, but sometimes his unimpressed tone got annoying.

Finally, a book meme (it's old, I know):

What Kind of Reader Are You? Your Result: Literate Good Citizen You read to inform or entertain yourself, but you're not nerdy about it. You've read most major classics (in school) and you have a favorite genre or two.
Book Snob
Dedicated Reader
Obsessive-Compulsive Bookworm
Fad Reader
Non-Reader
What Kind of Reader Are You? Create Your Own Quiz

I'm not really happy with this result... I think not buying all the books I read held me back from being a dedicated reader.


*The real life friend I was chatting with earlier didn't know the word snarky! She clearly doesn't spend enough time online...