The Martian Chronicles
I can see why not everyone would like this. Much of the Bradbury I’ve read has had a “just us boys” feel to it that distances me, as woman, from the story. The rather bleak view of humanity doesn’t exactly create a feel-good kind of tale, either. My favorite parts were earlier on, with the strange telepathic abilities of the Martians themselves. All in all, though, I enjoyed reading it. It’s always fun to witness someone else’s view of the future, especially when the majority of it “happened” in the past for the reader.
Also posted on BookCrossing.
by A.M. Lascurain, illustrated by Dariusz and Agnieszka Golen: This is the tale of a jester named Peppy Birthdaycakes and his quest to become funny. He is aided by several other jesters, a dairy maid who also does alchemy, and a turtle with a French accent. In the meantime, the evil (and bumbling) wizard Humidor stalks them. The whole story is laced with puns and other silliness, and on every other page is an absolutely beautiful illustration. Most of my quibbles are technical: typos and grammatical errors are everywhere, and I really wish all of the gorgeous artwork could have been printed right side up. I understand the point of printing them sideways so they fit on the page better, but it’s distracting to constantly be turning the book. On the bright side, they are all rotated to the left, so you only have to turn the book one way. Anyway, despite the technical issues, overall this is a very cute little fairy tale, excellent for reading aloud to children.
by Scott Westerfeld: In Bixby, Oklahoma, time stops for an hour at midnight every night (though how they know it’s exactly an hour isn’t clear). Only a handful of teenagers experience this “secret hour” and treat it like their personal playground – until Jessica Day shows up and turns the whole thing on its head. Suddenly it’s dangerous, and the “slithers” and “darklings” that used to leave people alone are attacking en masse. Each person has their own special power, and much of the book is spent attempting to discern Jessica’s. I enjoyed this one. It’s the first of a trilogy, but there’s still a decently satisfying end while keeping the way open for more story. I would read the other books were I to find them.
by Vivian Cook: The subtitle is actually somewhat misleading here, since it’s not actually about why nobody can spell, but rather just a series of anecdotes and quizzes about spelling in general. This is not a book you just sit down and read all at once, but rather something you pick up from time to time and read a few pages. Much of the volume consists of examples of nonstandard (or plain old incorrect) spelling, from lists of band names to photos of business logos. My favorite parts were the ones that dealt with the evolution of language; some of the humor essays on spelling were pretty amusing as well. I suppose if you’re obsessed with proper spelling you might enjoy this one, but honestly I’m not surprised I was able to get it for all of a dollar at Borders. It’s just a bit too niche for me.
by Geraldine Brooks: The plague strikes in a tiny village, and its inhabitants decide to quarantine themselves in order to prevent spreading the infection. Anna, a mere housemaid to the rector, becomes an unlikely hero through this tragedy. As time wears on and more people die, the villagers become desperate, turning to superstition and even violence. The story covers the entire event, from the delivery of the infected bolt of cloth to the reopening of the village all the way to Anna’s life afterward. When I think of the plague I usually think Middle Ages; this took place in 1666, well after the first colonies in America were founded. Even so, medicine was still quite primitive, consisting of barber-surgeons with their leeches and wise women with their herbs. Perhaps most fascinating is the afterword, where the author reveals that her story was based on the real village of 
by Margaret Peterson Haddix: A teenager named Dorry gets sucked into a religious cult, and eventually leaves. (That’s not a spoiler, given the title of the book.) It was reasonably interesting, but the cult wasn’t very believable. It starts as something akin to Campus Crusade for Christ and then suddenly it’s all fake and dangerous and even criminal. There’s too little build-up, and too little frank discussion of religion. I suppose the author was trying not to offend anyone, but the tip-toeing around certain passages of scripture was a little frustrating. I will say that I liked Angela, even if she was a tad over the top to be truly scary. All in all, it was a decent way to pass the time, but not something I’d necessarily recommend to anybody.
by Sophie Kinsella: A cute book, but I had a bit of a problem swallowing the premise: a woman on a turbulent plane ride, fearing death, blabs all her secrets to the man next to her. (The man turns out to be the founder of the company where she works, and remembers everything she said.) What kind of nitwit responds to stress by telling a stranger how she finds g-strings uncomfortable? If you can get beyond that, it’s a pretty fun little book. I liked that I didn’t know where it was going, that I didn’t see the Big Drama coming a mile away. I mean, it wasn’t exactly a twist ending or a big mystery or anything, but it was amusing enough to keep me entertained the whole way through. I just wish I’d had a little more sympathy with the main character. I just don’t see the point of lying about your interests in order to impress somebody. If they don’t like you for who you are, what are the odds of having a good relationship with them?
by Anne Fortier: Though Romeo & Juliet is perhaps my least favorite Shakespeare play, I am quite familiar with it and was curious to see how it would work here. When her aunt and guardian passes away, Julie is given the key to a safe deposit box in Siena, Italy, belonging to her deceased mother. Once there she discovers a longstanding feud between the Tolomeis and the Salimbenis, legendary families that inspired the famous Shakespeare play. Intertwined are the tragic tale of the original Romeo and Giulietta with Julie’s adventures as she attempts to uncover her family’s secrets. I really enjoyed this one. Some of the twists and turns truly took me by surprise, and the descriptions of Siena were vivid and enticing. I didn’t want to put it down, always promising myself just one more chapter. I’ll definitely be on the lookout for more Fortier novels.
by Stephenie Meyer (unabridged audiobook read by Kate Reading): A couple friends told me this was actually a pretty decent science fiction story, so as an 
by Alexa Albert: Though she originally visited the famous Mustang Ranch in Nevada to perform a study about condom use in legal brothels, Albert discovers a fascination with the life of a prostitute, and is in fact invited back to live at the Mustang several times over it last few years in operation. I admit I hadn’t given legal prostitution too much thought; after all, what consenting adults do behind closed doors is none of my business. This, however, provided an engrossing look into one of America’s last remaining taboos. Albert covers all aspects of the business – from legislation and lobbying, to pimps and boyfriends, to traveling salesmen who supply the prostitutes with clothing and makeup, to internet fans, forums, and conventions – and all with both sympathy and blunt honesty, regardless of her personal feelings. This is certainly a book to make one think.