21. The Midwife's Advice, by Gay Courter
This is sequel to the novel The Midwife, in which the titular midwife expands her practice to become a sex therapist. The novel is set in New York City between 1913 and 1923, and includes a lot of historical events, including the fight for birth control, World War I, the Russian Revolution, and the influenza epidemic.
22. A Madness so Discreet, by Mindy McGinnis
Grace Mae knows madness. She keeps it locked away, along with her voice, trapped deep inside a brilliant mind that cannot forget horrific family secrets. Those secrets, along with the bulge in her belly, land her in a Boston insane asylum. When her voice returns in a burst of violence, Grace is banished to the dark cellars, where her mind is discovered by a visiting doctor who dabbles in the new study of criminal psychology. With her keen eyes and sharp memory, Grace will make the perfect assistant at crime scenes. Escaping from Boston to the safety of an ethical Ohio asylum, Grace finds friendship and hope, hints of a life she should have had. But gruesome nights bring Grace and the doctor into the circle of a killer who stalks young women. Grace, continuing to operate under the cloak of madness, must hunt a murderer while she confronts the demons in her own past.
I've noticed an overriding theme in this author's work -- young women with abusive or otherwise dark pasts who prove capable of amazing acts of violence. These aren't the sort of revenge-themed stories one might expect, though -- there's always the question of whether an act of violence was really right, and the novels delve deeply into life's shades of gray.
23. How Do Birds Find Their Way? by Roma Gans
I won this book in a drawing at a conference I went to, and since the reading level was too low for high school, I took it home and read it to my 7-year-old niece. The information is presented simply, talking about birds finding their way using landmarks and the position of the sun and stars. It also speculates on birds using the Earth's magnetic field to guide them when migrating.
24. Not a Drop to Drink, by Mindy McGinnis
Lynn knows every threat to her pond: drought, a snowless winter, coyotes, and, most importantly, people looking for a drink. She makes sure anyone who comes near the pond leaves thirsty, or doesn't leave at all. Confident in her own abilities, Lynn has no use for the world beyond the nearby fields and forest. Having a life means dedicating it to survival, and the constant work of gathering wood and water. Having a pond requires the fortitude to protect it, something Mother taught her well during their quiet hours on the rooftop, rifles in hand. But wisps of smoke on the horizon mean one thing: strangers. The mysterious footprints by the pond, nighttime threats, and gunshots make it all too clear Lynn has exactly what they want, and they won’t stop until they get it.
In a future world where water is scarce, a source of drinkable water is something worth killing over, and Lynn and her mother, Lauren, are no strangers to destroying any threats to their pond. Anyone who approaches the pond is driven away or killed -- no questions asked. Then Lynn finds herself alone, with only a distant neighbor and a family of starving people who don't know how to survive nearby.
I liked this book, but some questions were never answered -- specifically, why is water so scarce? Maybe the sequel, A Handful of Dust, will supply the answer.
