Books #38-48
38. Does This Pregnancy Make Me Look Fat?: The Essential Guide to Loving Your Body Before and After Baby by Claire Mysko and Magali Amadeï
I found that a lot of this book didn't really resonate with me, since I have (so far, knock on wood) not felt that pregnancy has stolen my body from me the way a lot of women do. I'm growing another person inside me, and that's pretty cool, and I don't really feel like I need to fit into my pre-pregnancy clothes, or like I have this alien being taking over me, or anything like that. I feel just like me except I also happen to be pregnant.
Even so, I can put myself in other people's shoes, and I think this book would be really helpful for women who do have body image issues, either directly or indirectly related to pregnancy and childbirth. I'll definitely be using some of the methods presented if I run into problems after I give birth.
39. A Wizard's Dilemma by Diane Duane
40. A Wizard Alone by Diane Duane
Oh, Nita. I'm glad that not all children's and young adult novels shy away from upsetting topics and sad endings, but must they make me so sad? The second novel (sixth in the series) also addresses autism, which I bet was probably a lot of kids' first encounter with the disability. I would definitely recommend these to any kid who wanted more books after they finished Harry Potter--I'm interested to see if she'll start introducing cell phones and other modern references as I catch up to the most recently published ones even though the original was published in 1983 and the first six books cover less than a year chronologically.
41. Dark Lord of Derkholm by Diana Wynne Jones
42. Year of the Griffin by Diana Wynne Jones
Look, children's novels with happy endings! And delightful humor! I adore Diana Wynne Jones and these are two of my favorites by her. I wish she'd write a couple more books in this universe.
43. Valor's Trial by Tanya Huff
44. The Stone Fey by Robin McKinley
Very short, and more about the language and the fairy tale feel than actual plot--I found the secondary characters to be more interesting than the main character Maddy. At the same time, the feel of falling into something without really realizing how it happened was very appropriate for the story.
45. In the Woods by Tana French
Not my usual type of book, but I liked it enough that I've put her second novel on my list. I saw the pieces starting to fall into place a bit earlier than many readers probably did, but not as fast as some people would have, I think. I do still want to know the resolution to the other half of the plot, grrr. If I can find good ones, I may start reading more psychological/crime thrillers.
46. PostSecret: Confessions on Life, Death and God edited by Frank Warren
For some reason I was expecting a differently sized book--one with four postcards per page. I liked the layout of this a lot better, even if it does require turning the book sideways to read some of the cards. This is the first PostSecret book I've read; I think I still prefer the weekly post format in order to avoid overdose, but that certainly won't stop me from reading the others.
47. The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick
Apparently this was the week of surprise picture books. This was about four times as thick as I was expecting and I reset my expectations for it, only to find that approximately two thirds of the pages are intricate and beautiful pencil drawings. The story definitely held my interest, too--I have a soft spot for clockmakers. I think I'll be buying this for my nephew for Christmas next year.
48. Emily Windsnap and the Castle in the Mist by Liz Kessler
I'm not generally thrilled about accidentally starting in the middle of a series, and in comparison to the other children's/YA novels I've been reading lately, this one doesn't quite measure up, but it was relatively short and enjoyable. Probably worth a try if you have a particular fondness for mermaids; otherwise you can pass.