89. There Will Be Dragons by John Ringo – Strange, absorbing, cool, completely readable. Be prepared to be sucked into this world of Ringo’s… and be glad that he’s already written a sequel, which I started almost as soon as I finished this one. I’m so glad to have discovered a new (to me) author! (finished 10/5)
90. Emerald Seas by John Ringo – A good sequel to “There Will Be Dragons,” this second book takes us out of land battles in the US northeast and into marine/air battles near the Bahamas. It was a fun read, if not a quick one, and I can’t wait to what the third book in this world will be like. Judging by the “we won the battle, but the war is still ongoing” scope and ending of the book, there may be several more. And I want to read them all. (finished 10/12)
91. Snowfall by Sharon Sala – A thriller/romance, this quick read is well written and engaging. The protagonists are believable and sympathetic, the secondary characters are interesting and the villain is really twisted. And I didn’t figure out who he was until Sala wanted me to, which was nice. (finished 10/14)
92. Missing by Sharon Sala – This book was even better than Snowfall. It feels more contemporary, more immediate, as its set in 2004 or so, with the main male character suffering from PTSD after serving in Iraq. His story is heart-wrenching from the start and the book doesn’t shy away from further heartbreak. Highly recommended. (finished 10/16)
93. Spud by John van de Ruit – A coming-of-age novel set in 1990 in South Africa, mostly in an exclusive boy’s boarding school, this book covers a school year and is presented as the diary of a first-year (13-year-old) student. The narrator misses darned few days in his entries and gives us all the funny, intimate, startling moments of his life. I recommend this YA book highly. (finished 10/21)
94. Out of the Dark by Sharon Sala – This is such a good book! I started it Tuesday morning and stayed up till nearly 3 p.m., ’cause I had to finish it before going to sleep… even though I knew I was working 12 hours Tuesday night. (finished 10/21)
95. Nine Lives by Sharon Sala – A good read, but not as compelling as “Out of the Dark” and “Missing”. Recommended. (finished 10/23)
96. Cut Throat by Sharon Sala – A worthy sequel to “Nine Lives,” this book continues the story of Cat and Wilson, through some very hard times and through to a happy ending. And the final lines give us hope that there’s going to be another book about their lives together, perhaps focusing on a couple of strong secondary characters. When I read “Nine Lives,” I didn’t know there was to be a sequel and was left a little unsettled by its ending. All those loose ends are wrapped up nicely in “Cut Throat”. Strongly recommended, when coupled with its prequel. (finished 10/25)
97. Little (Grrrl) Lost by Charles de Lint – I love de Lint’s writing! He’s amazing and imaginative and linguistically gifted. And that is as true in this YA novel as in the densest of his adult books. One day, I hope to have read all his works, but the man is so prolific, I fear (in the best possible way) that I’ll always be behind. Ah, well, long may he write! (finished 10/27)
98. Before Dishonor by Peter David – This 2007 novel is in the Star Trek: The Next Generation series and is so very readable. I haven’t slept much these last three afternoons/evenings, because I’ve stayed up far too late each day, unable/unwilling to put it down. Peter David wrote many of my favorite ST novels… and other non-ST books I really like too. I found this one intriguing and, as Spock says, fascinating in its treatment of honor before self-preservation, fate vs destiny, the good of the many vs the good of the few, death and transformation, and so much more. The characters are explored and expanded, with no loss to their original forms, and the ST universe is enriched. The ending is open, typical for this type of series novel, and I hope Mr David has already written the sequel. (finished 10/31)
