Book 54: We Are the Goldens by Dana Reinhardt

We Are the Goldens is a book about the strong bond between two sisters, Nell and Layla. Nell has always idolized her older sister and is thrilled to start her freshman year at the same high school at which Layla is a junior. All Nell wants is to follow in Layla's footsteps. So when Layla asks Nell to keep a dangerous secret for her, Nell's loyalty to her sister leaves her conflicted about what to do.

The sisterhood relationship here is super intense, so much so that I was originally a little creeped out by it. Maybe reading The Love Curse of the Rumbaughs has left me a little suspicious of excessively close family bonds; maybe it's just because my sister and I were never this close (and because I'm the oldest of three either, so maybe I can't relate to the younger-sibling hero worship). But thankfully it never turned Rumbaugh creepy, and the intimacy between the sisters really underlines Nell's conflict. It's so easy for the reader to discern the right thing to do, but her reluctance to shake the foundations of her bond with her sister, which has for Nell become shorthand for her personal identity. Loving Layla means betraying her, and before she can do that Nell has to redefine herself as an individual.

I've never read anything by Dana Reinhardt, but I'm interested to seek out more by her. Despite my initial misgivings, I really enjoyed this book. The major characters were fully developed, I loved how Nell grew and matured, and the writing was lovely. I would've liked an epilogue, though, just some hint as to what happened after Nell's reveal. A

Book 53: Climbing the Stairs by Margaret Powell

Another book to scratch my Downton Abbey itch. Margaret Powell's Climbing the Stairs isn't quite as engaging as her previous book, Below Stairs; it has far fewer tales of serving and more stories about how she spent her free time and married life. Still, if you're interested in the time period, this is a great little memoir. It's like having your British grandmother tell you the stories of her life; it's just so cozy and personable.

Books 50, 51 & 52: The Selection trilogy by Kiera Cass

When The One by Kiera Cass came out earlier this month, I started reading it only to realize that I really needed to go back and reread the first two books to fully enjoy the conclusion to the trilogy. It's all good, brainless fun. The worldbuilding is totally lacking, the dystopia is unbelievable, and the plot beyond the love triangle is flat, but damn if it isn't hard to put down. I'm a sucker for fairy tales. some spoilers ahead...

The conclusion to the trilogy was mostly satisfactory. I enjoyed see America grow to take more of an interest in ruling and improving the country. I hated how America was trapped in a room during the final battle; I get that she was never a warrior, but it was still disappointing to have her miss what  felt like the climax. Also the backlash from Maxon when he found out about Aspen was pretty anti-climactic. The ending seemed super rushed, so I felt a bit jilted. And Aspen and Lucy was just a little too pat. You can't have a love polygon without a few hurt feelings, Cass!

Book 49: Vlad by Carlos Fuentes

In this retelling of Dracula, lawyer Yves Navarro is assigned to handle his employer's old friend's move from Romania to Mexico City. Yves is perfectly content with his middle-class life; he loves his wife and daughter, but he worries that his wife may be dissatisfied and still resents him for the death of their son.

Vlad is a short little novel, only around a hundred pages, but it really packs a punch. The descriptions of Vlad himself are chilling (this vamp is more Nosferatu than Legosi), though Fuentes retains a sense of humor through the horror, and the historical crimes of Vlad Tepes are also explored (if perhaps a bit embellished). Fuentes has distilled the vampire novel down to its purest essence, and Vlad is a macabre look at how the everyday fears and willful blindnesses of middle-class life can leave one vulnerable to unspeakable horrors.

Book 48: The Naked Lady Who Stood on Her Head by Gary Small and Gigi Vorgan

The premise of The Naked Lady Who Stood on Her Head: A Psychiatrist's Stories of His Most Bizarre Cases sounded similar to several other cases of psychological oddities, particularly Oliver Sak's The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat, which I enjoyed several years ago. This book wasn't quite as good, but it was still an enjoyable read. The author's connections between his cases and his own life were a bit clunky, but I did like reading about the procedures Dr. Small had to go through to treat his patients, and his thought process when diagnosing. So if you're craving more interesting psychiatric case studies a la Oliver Saks, this book would be worth checking out, but if you're new to the genre, start with Saks.

Book 47: Dave Barry's Guide to Guys by Dave Barry

My sweet boyfriend got me tickets to go see Dave Barry in Austin a few weeks ago, and afterward I got the urge to reread one of his books. I loved Davy Barry in high school, and the Guide to Guys was one of my favorites.This has to have been my fourth or fifth time reading this book in ten years, and I still laughed out loud several times.

Book 46: The Love Curse of the Rumbaughs by Jack Gantos

Whoooa, this book was dark. I was expecting some slightly spooky middle grade story (I think it was the length and paperback cover that led me to this conclusion), but The Love Curse of the Rumbaughs was full-on, Psycho-level freaky.

The titular love curse refers to loving one's mother to an obsessive degree. No incest here, but it's still pretty disturbing. Lots of creepy imagery involving taxidermy. Definitely good, and nothing overtly horror, just a spooky little fable about mother-love, taxidermy, eugenics, and twins. Maybe not one to read on Mother's Day, unless you're of a gothic bent.