Book 74

Book 74 was A Love Divine by Alexandra Ripley.

A Love Divine is a fictional version of the life of Joseph of Arimathea, the man in the Bible who gave Jesus his tomb. Joseph is also a figure in Christian myth-it is said that he was the man to first bring Christianity to England. I am not really sure I personally believe that, but it makes for a good story. 

The novel follows Joseph from the start of his life on a farm in the Plains of Sharon, to his career as a ship owner and merchant, and his eventually conversion from Judaism to Christianity, and his life as a wandering preacher of the word of god. The book is well researched, and gives a nice look at what life might have been like at that time period. 

A Love Divine

Alexandra Ripley

11/74

Book 73

Book 73 as Eleanor of Aquitaine by Alison Weir.

Eleanor of Aquitaine was a biography about... wait for it.... Eleanor of Aquitaine. For those who don't remember their Western Civ classed, Eleanor was the Duchess of Aquitaine in the late 1100s and early 1200s. She was a Queen of France and a Queen of England, and mother to two Kings of England as well-King Richard I (the Lionheart) and King John (signer of the Magna Carta).

Biographies are hard to review, so all I can really say is that I found the book quite interesting. I have read several fictionalized books about Eleanor, so it was nice to see what was fact and what was fiction. Eleanor was a fascinating women, and lived a very full life during a time few women had that ability.

Eleanor of Aquitaine 

Alison Weir

10/73

Book 72

Book 72 was The Lions of Al-Rassan, by Guy Gavriel Kay.

Lions is possibly my favorite book by Kay-it was the first book I read by him, and has become one of my favorites overall. Lions is set in Al-Rassan, a fictionalized version of Spain during the period it was ruled by the Khalifate. Lions tells of the end of rule of Al-Rassan over the land, and the beginning of the Valledan (native Spanish) rule. 

The story is told mainly from the viewpoint of Jehane, a young Kindath (a Jewish like faith/race) doctor. While doing her work, Jehane happens to meet Ammar ibn Khairan, a notorious assassin, poet and diplomat. After meeting him, her whole life changes, and she becomes involved in the war that is inevitably coming to Al-Rassan. Jehane is the core of the book, and is an admirable character-determined, stubborn and self aware. Honestly, all the characters in this book are a pleasure to spend time with, but I especially enjoy Jehane.

The Lions of Al-Rassan

Guy Gavriel Kay

9/72 

Book 71

Book 71 was The Good Fairies of New York by Martin Miller.

This was one of the most delightful books I have read this year. The Good Fairies was everything that a story with fairies in it should be-cheery, funny and full of drinking, fighting and romance. Two Scottish fairies are on the run from their clans in Scotland, and end up in New York on accident. By the time the book has ended, they have destroyed several major fairy artifacts, united several people in romance, and started a fairy war. Good stuff!

The Good Fairies of New York

Martin Miller

8/81

Book 70

Laziest book reviewer ever.

Book 70 wasn't really a book-it was a literary journal. So it's kind of a magazine, but I counted it as a book since it read like a book. It was the Spring 2008 edition of the Virginia Quarterly Review, put out by the U of Virginia (now there's a shocker).

I first heard of this journal through Bookslut-and they were totally correct about it. This was a great read. Three original short stories, a variety of poems, and several essays and stories about things like the Galapogos Islands and the evil that is Pat Robertson. I am certainly going to subscribe to this lovely journal.

The Virginia Quarterly Review 

0/7/70

Book 69

Book 69 was No Humans Involved by Kelley Armstrong, from her Otherworld series. I recently read Personal Demon from the same series.

No Humans Involved is possibly my favorite book in the series. It follows Jamie, a necromancer, as she tries to solve a case involving human sacrifice of children, all while trying to connect with a guy she has had a major crush on for four years, and trying to land a TV show. One of my favorite things about Jamie is that she "celebrity" necromancer, performing shows across the country helping people get in touch with dead family members. She's a "spiritualist", and it's fun to see her faking it when we as readers know she actually can do this. 

No Humans Involved

Kelley Armstrong

6/69

Meh

I really hate it when I can't decide what to read next. I have a small bookshelf filled with new stuff, but none of it's appealing to me. And I have wandered the bookshelves, trying to find something to reread, and nothing is working there either. Grr.