Nancy's 888

888 Categories Planning
1. Young Adult
2. If At First You Don't Succeed
3. Walking a Mile
4. Fantasy/Vampire
5. Better Fiction
6. Series Mystery
7. Religion/Spirituality
8. GLBTQ
9. First in Series

I'm adding the 9th Category because a lot of my reading is falling into it. I may or may not get rid of another category later.

Young Adult
1. Blue Girl by Charles de Lint
2. Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer
3. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
4. Peeps by Scott Westerfeld
5. Angus, Thongs and Full Frontal Snogging by Louise Rennison
6. Inkheart by Cornelia Funke
7. Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card
8. Keeping You a Secret by Julie Anne Peters

If at First You Don't Succeed - Another Try
1. Yiddish Policeman’s Union by Michael Chabon
2. Lisey’s Story by Stephen King
3. Back Roads by Tawni O'Dell
4. Case Histories by Kate Atkinson
5. The Great Deluge by Douglas Brinkley
6. Radclyffe Hall: A Woman Called John by Sally Cline
and in honor of the election year:
7. Homegrown Democrat by Garrison Keillor
8. A Patriot's Handbook by Caroline Kennedy

Potential Alternate:
The Johnstown Flood by David McCullough

Walking a Mile - Memoir
1. The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama
2. The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion
3. Jubilee City by Joe Andoe
4. A Girl Named Zippy by Haven Kimmel
5. Candy Girl by Diablo Cody
6. My Losing Season by Pat Conroy
7. Called to Question by Joan Chittister
8. The Year of Living Biblically by A.J. Jacobs

Potential Alternates
The Idiot Girls Action Adventure Club by Laurie Notaro
Easter Everywhere by Darcey Steinke

Fantasy/Vampire
1. Peeps by Scott Westerfeld****
2. Full Moon Rising by Keri Arthur
3. You Suck by Christopher Moore
4. Blood Lines by Tanya Huff
5. Blood Pact by Tanya Huff
6. The Colour of Magic by Terry Pratchett
7. Inkheart by Cornelia Funke****
8. Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer****

Potential Alternates
Duma Key by Stephen King
Summer of Night by Dan Simmons
Oryx & Crake by Margaret Atwood
If I change the category to include horror/sci fi these will work.

High Fiber, More Filling - Fiction that is better than the junk I usually feed my poor brain
1. The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy
2. Hotel du Lac by Anita Brookner
3. That Night by Alice McDermott
4. Atonement by Ian McEwan
5. Empire Falls by Richard Russo
6. Yiddish Policeman's Union by Michael Chabon****
7. The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton
8. The Witch of Portobello by Paulo Coelho

Potential Alternatives
The Shadow Year by Jeffrey Ford
I didn't know this was going to be so well-written when I selected it as an Early Reviewer pick, but man can this guy write.
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky

Series Mystery
1. Glory In Death by Nora Roberts (2)
2. Immortal In Death by Nora Roberts (3)
3. The Man Who Cast Two Shadows by Carol O'Connell (2)
4. The Murder Notebook by Jonathan Santlofer (2)
5. Terminal by Andrew Vachss (17)
6. Plum Lucky by Janet Evanovich (13.5)
7. Let there Be Suspects by Emilie Richards (2)
8. Break No Bones by Kathy Reichs (9)

Potential Alternates
Tooth and Nail by Ian Rankin (3)
Death of an Expert Witness by P.D. James (6)
The Last Detective by Peter Lovesey (1)

Starting at the beginning - First in series. Not necessarily mystery.
1. The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie
2. Mistress of the Art of Death by Arianna Franklin
3. Booked to Die by John Dunning
4. Home to Harmony by Philip Gulley
5. Summer of Night by Dan Simmons
6. 1st to Die by James Patterson

Hi Nancy, What's GLBTQ?

Am curious why you crossed off The Year of Living Biblically? I keep seeing it on LT and made a note to eventually give it a look ... probably for next year!

>8 XenaBallerina:

Gay
Lesbian
Bisexual
Transexual
Queer

Thanks Morphidae

>8 XenaBallerina:. Q is sometimes read as Questioning as well.

>9 detailmuse:. I finished it. Loved it and actually laughed out loud from time to time while reading. It is definitely *better* when he is working on the OT in my opinion, but worth a read, for sure.

Searching for Meaning - Religion/Spirituality
1. Called to Question by Joan D. Chittister****
2. Not in Kansas Anymore by Christine Wicker
3. God is Not Great by Christopher Hitchens
4. Life Lines: Holding on and Letting Go by Forrest Church
5. If Grace Is True by Philip Gulley
6. Ordinary Time by Nancy Mairs
7. Jesus: A Revolutionary Biography by John Dominic Crossnan
8. Home to Harmony by Philip Gulley****

Potential Alternates
The Lutheran Handbook
The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff****
God's Politics by Jim Wallis
Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse
Easter Everywhere by Darcey Steinke****

Where's my toaster? - Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual/Transgendered/Questioning or perhaps Queer (GLBTQ)
1. Radclyffe Hall: A Woman Called John by Sally Cline****
2. Keeping You a Secret by Julie Anne Peters****
3. Suits Me by Diane Wood Middlebrook
4. Lucky in the Corner by Carol Anshaw
5. We Came All the Way from Cuba So You Could Dress Like This? by Achy Obejas
6. The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff
7. Take this Bread by Sara Miles
8. Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides

Potential Alternates
Blue by Abigail Padgett
Grave Silence by Rose Beecham

Nah, you're probably right with Questioning. Queer was a guess for me but it didn't make much sense with the G & L already.

Already Finished:
1. The Year of Living Biblically - memoir
2. Life Lines: Holding on and Letting Go - religion/sprituality

OK - Taking Everyman out of the "better" fiction and replacing it with The Witch of Portobello which is being read for my church's new book club.

I love your "If at First You Don't Succeed - Another Try" idea :D

GLBTQ- generally the q stands for queer, sometimes people add another q for questioning, so it would be GLBTQQ. Both acronyms get the job done.

Your lists sound great :)
Good luck!

Another one down.

3. Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging by Louise Rennison-YA
Quick and cute year in the life of a fourteen year old British girl.

Yay! One of the more intense ones done.

4. The Witch of Portobello by Paulo Coelho - more literary fiction
I didn't enjoy this very much, but I think I might have if I was 21 instead of 41. It felt more like a lecture than a novel.

5. The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie-series mystery
A lot of fun. A nice straightforwardly written mystery was the perfect anecdote to the woo-woo nonsense of the last book.

Another intense one.

6. The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy-more literary fiction
Review on the work page. Amazing gift for language. A tragic story but I had a little trouble warming up to the characters.

7. Glory in Death by J.D. Robb - series mystery
These are just empty, airy candy. But there is a place for that in life for sure. Roberts does this frothy concoction very well. I never imagined I would like anything by her after I tried one of the Nora Roberts books and didn't even bother to finish it, but after seeing several recommendations I gave the first one a try and gobbled it. This one was just as good, and I intend to move on to the next one in the series one of these days.

Edited for a typo

Air candy is important in reading! Any time reading starts to feel like a chore (and given the stuff I have to read for work, that happens more than I'd like), I sit back with "frothy reading" (love that term) and get back in the swing of things.

8. Peeps by Scott Westerfeld - YA/Vampire
I liked The Secret Hour a little better but this is certainly a better than average read.

Have you read Christopher Moore already? (I could go research this in your library, but I don't want to lose my place here...)

One of the funniest books I read in 2007 was his Lamb which I ended up reading aloud at night with my husband as we were going to bed at night. We loved it. Totally laugh out loud funny. Read another of his earlier in the year which I didn't find as enjoyable but I'm also including his Blood Sucking Fiends in my 888.

I have not read any Christopher Moore yet. I'm really looking forward to it given all of the good things I've heard. I know other people who loved Lamb as well.

9. The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama - Memoir/Biography
I found his thoughts compelling.

10. Immortal In Death by Nora Roberts - Series Mystery
I replaced Death of an Expert Witness with this. If I get a chance, I'll still read the James, but I was sort of stuck on this series and it fits the category so I switched 'em.

11. That Night by Alice McDermott - Good For You
Sat down and read this in one sitting. Review here. I loved this book. It perfectly captures its time and place.

12. Candy Girl by Diablo Cody - Memoir
Funny, honest, insightful. Sometimes I felt that emotional resonance was sacrificed for humor, but I enjoyed it nevertheless. Even with that missing, I certainly didn't perceive any sugar-coating of the experience.

13. Inkheart by Cornelia Funke - YA & Fantasy
I struggled to finish this. As a book lover, I wanted to love it, but I just didn't care enough about the characters and wasn't compelled enough by the adventure to zip through it.

14. The Murder Notebook by Jonathan Santlofer - Series Mystery
The prose was okay. The graphic art rocked. So it was a wash, I guess.

15. The Man Who Cast Two Shadows by Carol O'Connell - Series Mystery
Still not in love with Mallory, but the excellent writing and compelling supporting cast make this a series I'll continue to read.

You're doing a good job getting through the books. I need to get moving. *sigh*

Thanks, KinnicChick - I sometimes chafe a little bit at the "required reading" feeling the challenge brings, but I enjoy the sense of accomplishment as well.

edited for grammar

16. If Grace Is True by Philip Gulley - Religion/Spirituality
I flew through this book. It was the right message at the right time for me and I loved it.

17. Break No Bones by Kathy Reichs - Series Mystery
A competent forensic mystery. Easy and quick reading.

18. Suits Me: The Double Life of Billy Tipton by Diane Wood Middlebrook - GLBTQ (finally!)
An enjoyable biography of a relatively well-known jazz musician who was born female and lived as a male adult. This may have been better if Middlebrook had considered that the decision to pass as male was primary rather than secondary to the desire to play music. Nonetheless, a pleasurable read about a life lived according to desire rather than constraint.

19. Terminal by Andrew Vachss - Series Mystery
I love the Burke books. I love the righteous anger, the 'insider' view of a particular vigilante criminal element and the notion that a chosen family can be more valuable than the one you were born into.

20. Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides - GLBTQ
My favorite book of the challenge thus far. I adored this. It was as big and beautiful as any epic should be.

I also found Inkheart to be a struggle. I didn't even make it to the end, so good job for you. I felt the same way, I thought that I should enjoy it, but just couldn't.

21. Jesus: A Revolutionary Biography by John Dominic Crossan - Religion/Spirituality
Another struggler that I finished. For this one, I found it hard reading because even though the theological language and concepts were dumbed down for the layperson, they weren't quite dumb enough for me. I didn't mind the work because I enjoyed the perspective I was getting and the insight into the historical Jesus as well as the possible "hidden" meaning of biblical passages.

22. Home to Harmony by Philip Gulley - First in Series OR Religion/Spirituality
The tale of a Quaker minister and the members of his congregation all of whom hail from the small town of Harmony. Sweet and simple, this book was a lovely reminder that compassion, love and decency lie at the heart of beloved community. I really enjoyed this book as long as I held my inner cynic in check.

23. Summer of Night by Dan Simmons--Possible inclusion in Vampire/Fantasy if I change the category to include Horror. May also be First in Series.
This book was well-written creepiness with a fair amount of gore. There was a wonderful sense of foreboding for much of the beginning of the book. I've not been able to read much "Kids in Jeopardy" lit since I had a son, but this was unrealistic enough that I was able to get through it even though I had to set it aside several times.

24. Hotel du Lac by Anita Brookner- Literary Fiction
A melancholy novel filled with wry observations. Edith is not my favorite tyupe of woman, but she is a sharply written character as are the rest of the denizens of the small nearly down on its luck hotel.

25. Homegrown Democrat by Garrison Keillor - Finishing books I abandoned
I originally put this down because every time I'd read it, I'd start to cry. On the trolley, on the sofa wherever. Even though I'm not really a fan of Lake Wobegone, reading this book of essays, I felt so close to his observations about empathy and decency and equality and their relationship to what makes the United States a place worth saving and the values that make me both a Democrat and a patriot. So in these days of infighting and the misery of presidential election politics, I hunkered down with the last few chapters and a box of tissues, and I'm glad I did.

Edited to clarify that this is a book of essays

Wow, Nancy. I just could not imagine Keillor's work in book form. I like the occasional listen of the radio show (it was a family tradition when my daughter was young) but hadn't ever given a thought to picking up one of his books. You really do give me pause here. I might have to give this one some thought!

Hey KinnicChick - I don't think I was clear enough that these are first person essays and not Lake Wobegone stuff. I haven't read his fiction. If you want a representation, try his Salon.com essays.

26. A Girl Named Zippy by Haven Kimmel - Bio/Memoir
What's that great review I've seen here and there on LT? Oh yeah, I remember. Meh. I like almost any memoir. I don't care if it's 100% true, I just like to peek into other people's lives particularly their thoughts and feelings. I didn't like this though. It just wasn't interesting. I truly have no idea what all the fuss was about. Neither a sweet enough picture of small town life (try Home to Harmony for that) nor dysfunctional enough (Glass Castle, anyone?). Not my thing, at all.

27. We came all the way from Cuba so you could dress like this? by Achy Obejas - Queer
A collection of well-written short stories. The characters are all alienated in some way either by their queer outsider status or by the ends of romances or by disease or immigration. It was interesting and somewhat disconcerting to read about the queer/AIDS activism movement of the 80s/early 90s which was so vital when we were doing it and feels somehow vaguely unreal now from the vantage point of middle age. I'm not a lover of short stories no matter how well-written, and found the title story most compelling. I would certainly seek out more of her writing.

27. 1st To Die by James Patterson - First in Series
Abandoned. That's two in a week. I like thrillers/crime stories, and I'm pretty forgiving. This one is not worth my time -- this book feels like it was written with a kit rather than with imagination, caring and skill. Blech.

>this book feels like it was written with a kit rather than with imagination, caring and skill

LOL, it probably was, since it seems to be a successful kit!

Several years ago, I read 1 (possibly 2, thinking I was missing something) of James Patterson's books. What I got out of it was that he's not an author that I care to read, much less waste money buying his books.

re #47 Home to Harmony

I'm really curious about this book. Is it based on the utopian settlements of Harmony, IN, and later New Harmony, established by Robert Owen? I didn't think they were Quakers, but Robert Owen's great-granddaughter Caroline Dale Snedeker's Newbery Honor Book Downright Dencey was about a Quaker girl. Her book Town of the Fearless is a fascinating genealogical story of her ancestors and the settlement of New Harmony.

Hi IvyD,

Home to Harmony is fiction by one of the guys who wrote If Grace Is True. It is pretty sweet, although not saccharine (at least for my taste). It is set in Indiana which is, I believe, where he lives.

Interesting about New Harmony. I live near the original and later Harmonite settlements (Harmony and Economy, PA). I read in the Wikipedia entry that George Rapp who led the Harmonites sold New Harmony, IN to Robert Owen. A friend of mine who grew up there remembers two little old ladies coming to speak at his school about growing up Harmonite. Of course, they were eventually undone by their custom of celibacy which is never a good plan for growing a denomination!

28. The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff - GLBTQ for now.
This book could easily be in the religion category, but I love how Jordan's gayness is both integral and incidental to the story. A wonderful, humanizing portrait of people affected by polygamy. Ebershoff never stoops to pandering to people who might find the subject matter titillating. I enjoyed this Early Review book a great deal.

29. The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton - Better Fiction
I read this for the Group Read, and I am so glad I did. This is a book that will stay with me a long, long time. The story of requited but unfulfilled love sacrificed to convention. They don't call them classic for no reason.

Mid-year evaluation

Completed:

Young Adult
1. Peeps by Scott Westerfeld
2. Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging by Louise Rennison
3. Inkheart by Cornelia Funke
4. The Blue Girl by Charles De Lint
5. Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Adichie
6. We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson
7. Little Brother by Cory Doctorow

Retrying Abandoned Books
1. Homegrown Democrat by Garrison Keillor
2. The Yiddish Policeman's Union by Michael Chabon (currently reading)
3. Case Histories by Kate Atkinson
4. How Reading Changed My Life by Anna Quindlen
5. Back Roads by Tawni O'Dell

Memoir/Autobiography/Biography
1. The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama
2. A Girl Named Zippy by Haven Kimmel
3. Candy Girl by Diablo Cody
4. The Year of Living Biblically by AJ Jacobs
5. Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson
6. The Great Derangement by Matt Taibbi
7. Suits Me by Diane Middlebrook

Fantasy/Vampire/Supernatural/Horror/Sci Fi/Speculative Completed 10/15/08
1. Peeps by Scott Westerfeld
2. Inkheart by Cornelia Funke
3. Duma Key by Stephen King
4. Summer of Night by Dan Simmons
5. The Shadow Year by Jeffrey Ford
6. Oryx & Crake by Margaret Atwood
7. The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
8. 20th Century Ghosts by Joe Hill

Literary Works Completed 11/6/08
1. The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy
2. Hotel du Lac by Anita Brookner
3. That Night by Alice McDermott
4. The Witch of Portobello by Paulo Coelho
5. The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton
6. The Idea of Perfection by Kate Grenville
7. Excellent Women by Barbara Pym
8. The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark

Continuations in Series Mystery Completed 8/11/08
1. Glory in Death by Nora Roberts
2. Immortal in Death by Nora Roberts
3. The Man Who Cast Two Shadows by Carol O'Connell
4. The Murder Notebook by Jonathan Santlofer
5. Terminal by Andrew Vachss
6. Plum Lucky by Janet Evanovich
7. Break No Bones by Kathy Reichs
8. Fearless Fourteen by Janet Evanovich

First in Series Completed 11/26/2008
1. The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie
2. Mistress of the Art of Death by Arianna Franklin
3. Home to Harmony by Philip Gulley
4. Summer of Night by Dan Simmons
5. 1st to Die by James Patterson
6. Rules of Prey by John Sanford
7. Jar City by Arnuldar Indridasson
8. Faceless Killers by Henning Mankell

Religion/Spirituality
1. Life Lines: Holding on and Letting Go by Forrest Church
2. If Grace Is True by Philip Gulley
3. Jesus: A Revolutionary Biography by John Dominic Crossen
4. Home to Harmony by Philip Gulley
5. The Lutheran Handbook
6. The Heart of Christianity by Marcus J. Borg
7. The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver

Queer/Trans
1. Suits Me by Diane Wood Middlebrook
2. We Came All the Way from Cuba so You Could Dress Like This by Achy Obejas
3. The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff
4. Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
5. Take This Bread by Sara Miles
6. Fingersmith by Sarah Waters
7. Jokes and the Unconscious by Daphne Gottlieb and Diane DiMassa

I hate it when I accidentally post something twice...

Books I've read this year that aren't in the challenge (yet):
1. The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan
2. The Wednesday Sisters by Meg Waite Clayton
3. The Darkest Evening of the Year by Dean Koontz
4. Never Enough by Joe McGinniss
5. The Sex Club by L.J. Sellers
6. More Book Lust by Nancy Pearl

Categories I may add but haven't yet:
1. Non-Memoir Nonfiction
2. ARCs (this one is very, very likely)
3. Books set in other countries besides the US
4. Dystopia/Apocolyptic
5. Books I already own that have no LT reviews
6. LT-inspired and/or Group Reads

Books currently in two categories:
1. Peeps
2. Inkheart
3. The Yiddish Policeman's Union
4. Summer of Night
5. Home to Harmony

Books currently in one category that could be in two:
1. The 19th Wife
2. Middlesex
3. Suits Me
4. The Year of Living Biblically

30. The Yiddish Policeman's Union by Michael Chabon - Literary and Abandoned Books
This man is an amazingly gifted writer. Nevertheless, not my favorite of his works. I did truly enjoy the detailed world-building he accomplished with his Jewish city of exiles in Sitka, Alaska. Worth the effort, but somehow less than engaging. I can see how I ended up abandoning it the first time around; it took me until the second half to truly feel engaged by it.

31. Take This Bread by Sara Miles - GLBTQ
This one could also be in Memoir or Religion/Spirituality. An engaging memoir of a lesbian, atheist, single mother who found herself an unexpected Christian running a food pantry. An exploration of communion and community. A reminder of the crazy radicalness of Jesus's table which is open to all.

32. Case Histories by Kate Atkinson - Abandoned Books
Four intertwined mysteries which mostly serve as character explorations. I enjoyed this, but particularly felt drawn to Amelia. I didn't love it so much as like it. I also doubt that I'll have very clear memories of it after some time passes.

33. Oryx & Crake by Margaret Atwood - Speculative Fiction
An intensely scary look at the end of the known world and the start of the one to come. Snowman is a sympathetic and pathetic last human survivor. A good examination of where human foibles may lead.

34. Rules of Prey by John Sandford
The first in the Lucas Davenport series. Feels very familiar, but I'm not sure if I read it a long time ago or if the cop/psychopath cat and mouse game is so well-used that they all read alike in some way.

Went on vacation and finished four books all of which apply to the challenge! Hooray for me.

35. Fingersmith by Sarah Waters - GLBTQ
Crazy, unexpected plot twists with wonderful characters and delicious settings. Witty, well-written and romantic. I must say, this was a great way to begin a vacation.

36. Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson - Memoir
An important reminder that the real key to "winning the war on terror" begins with educated women AND that one person can change the lives of the people he meets.

37. How Reading Changed My Life by Anna Quindlen - Abandoned Books
I guess this just didn't resonate the way I expected it to based on the title. Which explains why I abandoned it the first time around.

38. The Blue Girl by Charles De Lint - YA
A charmingly frothy urban fantasy for teens.

39. Fearless Fourteen - Con't Mystery Series
Wackiness ensued, hijinx happened, blah, blah, hilarity, blah, blah.

How'd you like Three Cups of Tea, Nancy?

When I started it, I literally knew nothing about it but was so thoroughly impressed by his story when I finished. And completely shocked to learn that his mum was the principle of an elementary school in a town where I was living and raising my daughter. She was participating in the very first pennies for peace he was writing about. And I hadn't a clue. :)

Hi KinnicChick -
I really enjoyed Three Cups of Tea. How cool that you get to have personal contact with the family. I love the notion that a person can just set their mind to something and find a way to pull it off.

40. The Heart of Christianity by Marcus J. Borg - Religion
A good look at how it is possible to be a faithful Christian without being a literalist. His explanation of why it is necessary to belong to a church really resonated for me.

41. Back Roads by Tawni O'Dell - Abandoned
I really enjoyed this raw look at the lives of a young man and his sisters after their mother is imprisoned for murdering their father. At times almost unreadable, this feels like an accurate portrayal of the open inner wounds of abused kids.

42. Jar City by Arnaldur Indridason
A compelling procedural set in Reykjavik, Iceland. I enjoyed the mytery, the setting and the main character's relationships especially with his drug addicted daughter.

43. The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver - Religion
An ill-suited Baptist minister drags his wife and four daughters to Congo. Circumstances get dire pretty quickly, but Rev. Price continues to believe that they are performing God's work and harbors no doubt. The narration is in alternating chapters in the voice of the wife and daughters. Compelling until it got a little preachy towards the end.

Edited for typos

44. Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Adichie - YA
A really great book to follow The Poisonwood Bible because it reveals the lives of folks who bought what the white missionaries were selling to greater or lesser degrees. A tale of domestic violence, redemption, love of country and spirituality. I enjoyed this book.

45. Excellent Women by Barbara Pym - Literary
A lovely wry and witty novel about the life of an unmarried woman in post-WWII London. An LT-inspired read that alone was worth the pirce of admission.

46. The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield - Supernatural
A spooky gothic and books. A great fall read.

#78 The Thirteenth Tale was one of my spooky October reads. I just loved it. I see lots of people reading this book this month. You are almost to 50! Yea!!
--BJ

47. 20th Century Ghosts by Joe Hill - Spooky
Very good haunting short stories.

48. We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson - YA
Loved it. I can see why teenage girls (and, I'm sure, some very cool boys) adore this book. It is the perfect mix of light and dark.

49. The Great Derangement by Matt Taibbi - Memoir
Taibbi infiltrates fringe groups on both the left and the right (Rev. Hagee's megachurch and the 9/11 Truth movement) to take a look at a couple of worst case scenarios how folks who feel abandoned by their leaders react. This book was insightful, cynical and a good read in an election year.

50. The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark - Literary
Under the guise of education, Miss Brodie manipulates a group of girls at a private school that everyone calls the Brodie Set. She infiltrates their lives and behavior until one of them finally "betrays" her. The ominous undertone of fascism permeates the book given its wryness a certain somber depth as well. I liked it.

51. Little Brother by Cory Doctorow - YA
Teen fights back against post-terrorism government "protection". A fun look at technology, San Francisco and the risk of safety measures becoming the harmful thing we are trying to protect ourselves from.

52. Jokes and the Unconscious by Daphne Gottlieb and Diane DiMassa - queer
A dark graphic novel that explores the period in a young woman's life when her father is dying. Not for the fainthearted, but good nonetheless.

53. Faceless Killers by Henning Mankell - First in Series
Okay Swedish mystery. It was close enough in style to Jar City to make me continually feel that I'd prefer to be reading that series...