books #92-101(2007)

92. The Beautiful Miscellaneous by Dominic Smith ***1/2. Nathan's father is a physics genius who is determined to find Nathan's special gift, even though Nathan himself is fairly sure he doesn't have one. After a car accident that leaves him in a coma, he finally gains a talent (synaesthesia); even though it's not one that can be obviously exploited, his father keeps trying. Nathan is more concerned with figuring out how to deal with his father's expectations and live a normal life, so in that sense it's more of a traditional coming of age story. I liked the characters and their relationships, despite the father being an absent-minded, possibly Asperger's stereotype.

93. Hello, I Must Be Going by Christie Hodgen ***1/2. Although this book follows the whole family in the aftermath of the father's suicide, this book mainly focusses on the daughter, Frankie. It's a sad story, but was well handled and has funny moments, too. I could relate to the way she coped by withdrawing and refusing to talk to her therapist and her feelings of responsibility for her little brother, even though our family dysfunctions were very different.

94. Half Life by Shelley Jackson ***1/2. This book is set in an alternate history where nuclear testing has caused an increase in conjoined twins (known as "twofers"), specifically those with two heads but one set of arms and legs. The central character, Nora, has a twin, Blanche, who's been asleep for 15 years. The story of their childhood, when Blanche was awake, and various pieces of information about twins, twofer rights activist literature etc are interspersed with Nora's current life, where she's struggling with wanting to be rid of Blanche and become her own person. It was a very interesting book.

95. Gold by Dan Rhodes ***1/2. I really like Dan Rhodes. This was a fairly light, and light-hearted, book about a woman who goes on holiday to the same small seaside town every year and the village inhabitants she gets to know by hanging out at the pub. Not a whole lot happens in the book, but it's entertaining. It does have a tragic streak, though.

96. Housekeeping vs the Dirt by Nick Hornby ****. I loved Nick Hornby's last collection of book essays from The Believer and this was just as good. I'll have to put a bunch of books on hold at the library based on his reviews (even though I didn't love David Copperfield as much as he did).
97. Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert ***1/2. I didn't realise this was by the same author as a novel I'd read a few years ago and enjoyed (Stern Men), until I picked it up at the library. I think I liked the novel better, although this was enjoyable and there were parts that were interesting. Other parts were slightly irritating, though; maybe I'm just too cynical about traditional herbal medicine and mysticism.

98. The Best of Lady Churchill's Rosebud Wristlet edited by Kelly Link and Gavin J. Grant ***. As usual, this story collection was a mixed bag. The stories were all interesting and varied in structure and style, at least.

99. Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen ***1/2. I think I enjoyed this more than the last time I read it. The rants about how worthwhile and respectable novels are were a bit out of place and the ending was way too rushed, but it was funny.

100. Robot Dreams by Sara Varon ****1/2. This was adorable and sweet and heartbreakingly sad. I read it standing up in Barnes & Noble and then I wasn't sure if I should count it, since it has no words. I think I might want to include it on my year's-best recommendation list, though, so I'm including it.

101. The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe. I haven't rated this, since I'm still working on it (slowly). So far, I'm not enjoying it that much. All the characters are a bit Mary Sue-ish (one of them just became euphoric after giving all his money to a poor farmer). Obviously, I'm reading it because Catherine loved it so much in Northanger Abbey. If the skeletons and mysterious veils and murdered/locked-in-the-attic wives don't show up in the next 50 pages, though, I might give up on it.