51. The House on Mango Street - Sandra Cisneros (Completed 1/31/11) - I'm a strong believer that we should reread certain books every five-ten years. This is one of those books.
52. My Sister's a Barista - John Simmons (Completed 2/7/11) - I wrote about this book a few times in my I <3 Starbucks posts (which are many, I know). Simmons does not work for Starbucks in any way. However, he blends the observer/participant lines to create a narrative and business plan for one of the biggest, most successful businesses in the world.
53. The Sugar Queen - Sarah Addison Allen (Completed 2/10/11) - Ohhhh, I love Sarah Addison Allen. She is is such a fantastic writer. This time, the stories of the characters surround a chubby girl with a sweet tooth and her friend that has the strange ability to communicate with books. As a former chubby girl and a girl who wishes her books could understand her, I devoured this book in two days.
54. Baba Yaga Laid an Egg - Durbavka Ugresic (Completed 2/12/11) - If you aren't familiar with the Canongate Myth Series, take the time out of your reading schedule to get acquainted. The Canongate Myth Series features many talented writers from all over the world who reimagine popular myths. Baba Yaga is just another gem in the already gleaming Canongate crown. This book centers on aging, the maiden/mother/crone concept, and then turns into a dissertation on the history of Baba Yaga. When you finish this novel, add Margaret Atwood's Penelopiad, Jeannette Winterson's Weight, and Karen Armstrongs' A Short History of Myth to your list. Since I'm currently trying to work my way through the list (and it's difficult because so many are out of print), I'll keep you posted on other suggestions.
55. The Reapers are the Angels - Alden Bell (Completed 2/16/11) - I'm not a zombie fan. I hate them. They scare me, they disgust me...and, mostly, they scare me. I keep thinking of that Bob's Burgers episode where Tina says, "I'm not a zombiephile. They scare me, but I like their swagger." This is their swagger. In a world where we can't turn a corner in a bookstore because of teen paranormal romance, adult paranormal romance, adult paranormal mystery, teen paranormal fiction, science fiction, zombie anthologies, and fiction-based, but could be true, paranormal stories, this is a breath of fresh air. A breath of fresh air found in a world where it smells pungently of zombie flesh. I didn't find myself so frightened since Bell is a talented enough writer to know that zombies aren't the entire story. Those left behind are the real main characters.
56. The Wee Free Men - Terry Pratchett (Completed 2/22/11) - I laughed, I cried, I shook my fist to the heavens. Tiffany Aching in an adorable character and Pratchett manages to sneak a moral into the story among the hijinks that ensue. Kind of like when your mom used to sneak veggies into the pasta sauce. Pretty sneaky, sis.
57. Lyra's Oxford - Philip Pullman (Completed 2/24/11) - A great novella reuniting us with Lyra and Pan. However, if you haven't read His Dark Materials yet, then shame on you...
58. The Girl Who Chased the Moon - Sarah Addison Allen (Completed 3/5/11) - Yes, I know. I couldn't help myself. I ran out and got this after I finished The Sugar Queen. I can't get enough of this woman's writing. I did manage to drag this out for three days, but it was only because I wanted to savor the story.
59. What-the-Dickens - Gregory Maguire (Completed 3/9/11) - I'm such a huge fan of Wicked and Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister, but I wasn't into this story. This is a cute tale about tooth fairies, but the cutesy part of the story kind of got in the way.
60. Let the Great World Spin - Colum McCann (Completed 3/16/11) -This came highly recommended by a friend whose taste I trust completely. I was too young to witness the man walking a tightrope across the Twin Towers. But the Twin Towers have always been a part of my childhood and I still mourn them to this day (as do most people in this country). This is a gorgeous homage to the most beautiful manmade structures in the history of the world.
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