Chapter One Hundred Twenty: I Work at a Public Library

This is a collection of extremely short vignettes (all are less than a page long) that recount hilarious real-life interactions between librarians and the patrons they serve.  Its arrangement into themed chapters, with each chapter assigned the appropriate Dewey number, is cute and fits the mood of the book perfectly.  If you're looking for something to make you chuckle aloud, I Work at a Public Library is a strong contender.

Chapter One Hundred Nineteen: The Revelation of Louisa May

This is a newer book by Michaela MacColl (Always Emily), which I also got for free at school, and in many ways it is quite similar to Always Emily.  It is another blend of YA/historical fiction/mystery/literary fiction, with a fictionalized, teenaged Louisa May Alcott as its protagonist.  As with Always Emily, I found the end mostly satisfying, although again I found the treatment of the romantic subplot a bit simplistic; once more, if you enjoy any of its constituent genres, you will probably enjoy this novel, though I wouldn't necessarily recommend reading it back to back with Almost Emily, as I did, since they're quite similar.  I should also note that Michaela MacColl also has other YA novels that look similar to the two I've read, although I haven't read any of her other books yet.  I probably will read them at some point in the not too distant future, though.

Chapter One Hundred Eighteen: Always Emily

I got this book by Michaela MacColl for free at school (the perks of being a grad student), and I ended up enjoying it more than I expected to.  This is an interesting mix of genres, blending mystery with historic fiction and literary fiction with many typical YA elements: teenaged Charlotte and Emily Bronte are the main characters in this novel, and they must attempt to figure out some (totally fictional) mysteries that are, in fact, based on their more famous books (somewhat loosely, I think, never having read them--whoops).  The quotes from the Bronte sisters' books that begin each chapter are a nice touch.  The ending is mostly satisfying, although I think MacColl simplifies the romantic element a bit too much, and overall I enjoyed this quick read.  If you like any of the genres this book includes, you'll probably enjoy reading it.

Chapter One Hundred Seventeen: Fortunately, the Milk

This is one of Neil Gaiman's most recent books for kids, and it is a delightful romp of a story.  Skottie Young's delightful illustrations are the perfect completion to this hilarious tale of what happened when a dad went to the corner store to get some milk.  For an adult reader, it's a very fast, light read--it's pure silliness, in the best possible way.  If you need to while away three quarters of an hour, reading Fortunately, the Milk is a great way to spend it.

Chapter One Hundred Sixteen: In the Stacks: Short Stories about Libraries and Librarians

Well, I don't usually enjoy short stories as much as I enjoy novels, and that held true in this case as well.  While I did enjoy these stories--and some of them I really liked quite a lot--I just don't feel as motivated to keep reading one short story after another compared to a novel, where I feel compelled to keep reading chapter after chapter to see what's going to happen to the main character.  Short stories lack that buy-in.  Nonetheless, this library-themed and librarian-themed collection was of particular interest to me, as a student in library school, and I enjoyed reading it, even though it took me a long time to work my way through this fairly short collection.

Chapter One Hundred Fifteen: Blackout and All Clear

Okay, so it has only been a year since I read Blackout and All Clear for the first time, but they are so compelling that, when searching for books that would totally and completely absorb me in their universe, I could think of nothing better-suited to the task of complete distraction than this story--told over two books--by Connie Willis.  These books make the most sense if you've already read Willis's Doomsday Book and To Say Nothing of the Dog, which set some of the stage for time travel as Willis writes about it in those novels and in these, but I think you could enjoy Blackout and All Clear without having read the other time travel stories.  It's hard for me to put my finger on what exactly it is about these stories that makes them so irresistible to me.  The characters are likable, yes, and the plot is original; the settings are interesting and there is plenty of action... but I think this is one of those stories that is greater than the sum of its parts.  I fully admit that it may not be as magical a story for everyone as it is for me, but if you like time travel stories I'd say you should at least give it a try.

Chapter One Hundred Fourteen: Tell the Wolves I'm Home

Tell the Wolves I'm Home is Carol Rifka Brunt's first novel, and I hope it won't be her last.  I felt dubious about this book until I started reading it, because almost from the first page it drew me in and made me care about the characters--the protagonist, yes, but also her apparently obnoxious older sister and the mysterious man--her dead uncle's lover--who reaches out to protagonist June after her uncle's death.  I thought this book would be corny or predictable, I guess, but it is neither of those things.  Instead, it is well-written with original and complex main characters whose multi-faceted relationships drive the plot.  This story kept me guessing at how it would all, ultimately turn out--and while not all of the questions raised are answered, the most important ones are, making for a satisfying read.  I was very pleasantly surprised by this novel, and I'd highly recommend it to anyone looking for a good novel.