100 by 30 Book 90 - The Perks of Being a Wallflower

I have to give props to my wife for recommending this book to me. This is the second time I have read it and it remains one of my all time favorites. The book is a series of letters that Charlie writes to an anonymous stranger about his struggles through his first year of high school. Charlie's best friend committed suicide the previous year, and Charlie already suffers from some emotional / mental health issues. As someone who went through some fairly stressful and alienating times in my high school years, Charley was extremely easy to relate to, and I felt like he was describing my own life at times. Most of my high school friends were older than me, and I did make some dumb choices from time to time. Charley's issues are a lot more serious than mine (my close friends never killed themselves, I didn't have to stay in a mental health facility and I wasn't molested, all good things to miss out on) but his loneliness and awkwardness have to be an almost universal experience. This is a perfect book for anyone who had a rough time at school before finding that group of weirdos who make you feel "infinite." Reading it this time, I also noted that Charlie is an excellent party DJ because he watches the crowd and matches the music to their mood, which is something I actually do for a living. If you've ever felt like an outsider or a weirdo, then you need to read this book.
10 / 10

100 by 30 Book 89 - Number the Stars by Lois Lowry

And now for something COMPLETELY different. After the last book, I kind of felt the need to read something a little more serious. Since the library was out of copies of THE GIVER, I decided to pick up another award-winning book by Lois Lowry: Number the Stars. I remembered reading this book back in grade school and that it was about the Holocaust, but that was about it. The story is about a young girl in Nazi-occupied Denmark and her family's efforts to save their Jewish neighbors from being relocated by the Nazis. It gives a worm's eye view of some of the most horrific events in human history, but it is ultimately a story of triumph over evil. The final escape attempt takes up almost the last half of the book and it is riveting reading. Even if you are very familiar with World War II history, this book highlights the remarkable way the people of Denmark were able to save thousands of their Jewish neighbors and smuggle them safely to Sweden. It's a very quick read, but well worth your time, regardless of your age. There is even a great author's note at the end that explains the inspiring truth behind this story.

9/10

100 by 30 Book 88 - Fifty Shades of Alice in Wonderland

Part of the goal of this project was to read some things I normally wouldn't. Book 88 Certainly isn't the kind of book I ever thought I'd read. Fifty Shades of Alice in Wonderland by Melinda DuChamp is essentially a literary porn parody. Thankfully, it has nothing to do with the 50 Shades of Grey trilogy other than the title (from what I understand, those books promote an extremely unhealthy view of sexual relationships) Ms. DuChamp's little book is more of a goofy how-to guide for exploring adult fantasies.

The story follows Alice, a young woman unsatisfied with her love life with her fiance, Lewis. Lewis gives her a "rabbit" to spice things up a bit. When Lewis Falls asleep, the "rabbit" runs away and Alice chases him down the rabbit hole and into a wonderland of goofy characters who spend a good deal of their time being naughty little monkeys. As far as I can tell, the book follows the format of the original Alice in Wonderland with the exception that most of the creatures have been replaced by hunky dudes and hot babes. Lest you think the book is promoting rampant infidelity, the book ends with the reveal that it was all a crazy dream and Alice and Lewis live happily ever after.

Apart from the massive amount of puns and silly jokes, this book is also careful to promote healthy ways to explore roleplaying and other games. Everyone is nice and considerate, and boundaries are always respected. This isn't to say that the book is chaste by any stretch because Oh My, they do some weird stuff. But the writer's sense of fun for her topic is palpable, and you almost forget that you are reading a smutty, smutty book. In fact, I was shocked that this book is actually pretty well written. Erotica and Romance books aren't renowned for their quality writing (at least that's what I learned from watching Alison Janney in 10 Things I Hate About You and that episode of FRIENDS where Joey finds Rachels dirty book) The parody was well thought out, and some of the jokes were actually quite clever. I looked into a bit and discovered that Melida DuChamp is a pen name for an author who has published over 50 novels under her real name. The pen name is to protect her from the embarrassment of her family finding out that she likes to write dirty books, which makes sense. I mean, people don't like to admit to reading these kinds of books, let alone admitting that you wrote a porny book. (which also explains the romance novel boom that has happened since the advent of the Kindle. Now no one has to know that you aren't reading War and Peace) Overall, I thought this was an interesting read, and I suppose you could do a lot worse than read a dirty parody of a literary classic that treats it women like people with thoughts and feelings rather than just an object of desire.

100 by 30 Book 87 - Beyond Midnight by S.R. Dixon

Full disclosure, the author of Beyond Midnight was a groomsman in my wedding and is one of the coolest people I know. It took me a while to get around to finishing this book because I felt a certain obligation as a friend to love it. This is of course accompanied by the fear that I wouldn't like it. I mean, what if I think it's total crap? I'm a TERRIBLE liar and even worse when it comes to praising a friends artistic endeavors if I don't think they're very good. (which means you can be sure that anytime I gush over a show or concert or book that my friends are in, I'm being totally honest.) So there was a lot riding on my reading of this book, seeing as I intend to continue being friends with this author (who is also the GM of our Fantasy Football league and has yet to announce when the draft is. Seriously dude, I need to know these things, I have 5 years of mediocrity to uphold!)

That said, I am thrilled to report that this is a really great collection of short horror stories. S.R. Dixon has a true gift for creating the atmosphere of nightmare in his stories. He creates that feeling you get when you wake up from a terrifying dream and you know that what just happened shouldn't make sense, but it still feels so immediate and real. It's a tricky line to follow, but Dixon does a great job of balancing just how much detail to give you without breaking that dreamlike quality.

There are several highlights I'd like to draw attention to. The runaway best story in the book is Miss Cavern Queen. Embarrassingly enough, I paused in reading this book for several years right at the beginning of this story, AND I'M SO MAD I DID THAT! I won't give anything away, but this story rivaled some of my favorite Steven King short stories. The world building is fantastic and the dread gives way to a horrific ending that was just awesome. Miss Cavern Queen is worth the purchasing the book all on it's own.

My other Favorite tale is MIDNIGHT. I loved this one because the description of the town reminded me of all of the late night walks I would take around Lanesboro, from the river to the top of Church hill, and all the way to the cemetery on the far edge of town. It was so easy to slip into the mind of the main character as he makes a desperate run to escape a horror that has been slowly killing his friends over the years. The monster is delightfully creepy as well, and I'd love to know more about Mr. Sliver.

Among the other tales there are some great moments as well. The cabin in Oh-Toh-Way is gorgeous and horrific at the same time, with some fantastic images, and the writing in Rapture is such a pleasure to read. There are lots of other little moments that I won't spoil so you can discover them for yourself. You should definitely read this book, and buy it new. :)

This is the first time I've ever read a book written by someone I know pretty well, and I will say that there are certain challenges I didn't fully expect. Mainly, it is very hard not to impose inspiration on the author. I'm pretty sure I ended up visualizing mutual acquaintances for most of the characters, which is weird when you realize that you have decided that the author is secretly writing the demise of everyone around him in ghoulish ways. Thankfully, I was able to avoid any association with people I know in the stories involving nudity or sex. (yay, small victories!) But that also meant that I had a visual image of the author sitting down to write these scenes, which is a little weird mostly because the vast majority of our conversations involve puns, Mel Brooks quotes, or conversations about different monster movies while hanging out backstage during a show. These are not the conversations one associates with sexiness, usually. Nothing kills a nice sex scene like knowing a buddy wrote it, and then having a mental image of said buddy. It's like a mental ice bucket challenge. For those of you who don't know the author, you will have no such problem, but now I know how George R.R. Martin's friends must feel...

100 by 30 Book 86 - The Witches by Roald Dahl

This book is almost exactly like the Angelica Houston movie adaptation, except the ending is much darker (but kind of sweet too when you think about it) A nice little Roald Dahl gem.
8/10

100 by 30 Book 85 - How the White Trash Zombie Got Her Groove Back

Woohoo! I love being right when it's about a series turning a corner and getting awesome. The fourth book in the White Trash Zombie series finds Angel Crawford enjoying life after passing the GED. She's taking martial arts classes and life is generally going quite well....which is a sure sign things are about to get nuts. In short order, she gets a weird disease from a medical procedure gone wrong, the medical facility is attacked by commandos, and the leader of her Zombie tribe is abducted by a sadistic military research company....and she dumps her boyfriend. From there we get a road trip rescue adventure, and stuff gets wild. It is by far the most action packed booked and the pace never slows down. It's a wild ride that finds Angel coming into her own and gaining some real power in the zombie tribe, which makes the ominous end to the book so bittersweet. Angel is on top of her world when we get a small taste that her inner demons might be making a big comeback. This is my favorite Diana Rowland book so far and I can't wait to see what happens next. This is a fascinating take on the zombie mythos that keeps evolving and developing in really cool ways.
10/10

100 by 30 Book 84 - Donner Dinner Party

So I was browsing in the library the other day and I noticed this little book on the shelf for new kids books. Turns out, IT'S A CHILDREN'S ILLUSTRATED BOOK ABOUT THE FREAKING DONNER PARTY! HEY KIDS, WANT TO HEAR ABOUT THE TIME A BUNCH OF SETTLERS CANNIBALIZED EACH OTHER?! Actually, that sounds awesome. The story is told by American patriot Nathan Hale before he is executed for spying on the British. He tells the story to the hangman and British general overseeing the hanging while they wait for a crowd to gather. This is probably one of the greatest books ever written. If you are a fan of learning history and lots of dark, inappropriate humor, you need to check this out. Right now.

10/10

p.s. Yes, you do actually learn a lot too. Seriously, there's a bibliography and everything.

100 by 30 Book 83: Dragonbreath: Attack of the Ninja Frogs

Dragonbreath: Attack of the Ninja Frogs by Ursala Vernon

Danny Dragonbreath is a little dragon with a ridiculously active imagination. He loves Martial Arts movies and all things ninja related. Then Suki, the Japanese foreign exchange student, is attacked by ninja frogs. So Danny, Suki, and Danny's best friend Wendel, take a bus to mythological Japan to take on the ninja frogs. It's a very silly book, in the vein of Captain Underpants, with lots of fun puns and jokes for kids and adults.
8/10

100 by 30 Book 82 - Calvin and Hobbes

Revenge of the Baby Sat - 10/10 - I love Calvin vs. Roslyn stories

Weirdos From Another Planet - 10/10 a trip to Mars, Calvin breaks his dad's binoculars.

Attack of the Deranged Mutant Killer Monster Snow Goons - 10/10 Yay snow monsters!

One of my favorite aspects of this comic is the way Watterson uses the daily comic strip as a format for both nice little one off jokes as well as long running storylines. I remember how frustrated I got has a kid when I realized that non of the other comic strips bothered with extended stories. Also, the artwork continues to be stunning.

100 by 30 Book 81 - Redshirts by John Scalzi

Redshirts is a delightful read. It's part Galaxy Quest, part Stranger Than Fiction, and a little dose of Douglas Adams. The story follows a group of new recruits on the Spaceship Intrepid. Unfortunately, low ranking crew members seem to have a very high mortality rate around the senior officers, especially on away missions. It's a fun, quick read, and all fans of sci-fi or meta-narratives should check it out.

9.5/10

100 by 30 Book 80 - Looking for Calvin and Hobbes

Looking For Calvin and Hobbes by Nevin Martell

Looking For Calvin and Hobbes is the story of journalist Nevin Martell's attempts to get an interview with the illusive author Bill Watterson. Martell admits early on that his quest is unlikely to succeed and moves forward with as book as if he were writing a posthumous biography. It's an interesting little read, and we do learn quite a bit of trivia about Watterson's life, but the soul of the man if missing. Ultimately, I learned what we've all know for a long time, Bill Watterson is an extraordinary talent who is also a very shy and private person. I think Watterson's work will always tell us more about him than any journalist could. It's a nice read, but not essential.

6.5/10