Mombasa Raha, My Foot:

Mombasa Raha, My Foot by: Haroun Risa
Fiction, E-book
E-book Count: 7
Book Count: 17

This book takes place in Kenya, before the book starts it points out the meaning of Mombasa Raha, which is basically the joy one has on seeing the coast.  This is one of the few Swahili words/phrases used in the book which is translated.  There is not a large amount of Swahili in the book, but there are a number of conversations that are peppered with it.  I picked this book as part of a year long reading challenge that included reading books about and by authors from all the inhabited continents.  (i.e. instead of a book from Antarctica, it is a free pick.) This book is about the problems of slavery and sexual exploitation that is found in areas like the coast of Kenya.  It tells the story by using multiple people's stories and switching back and forth between what got them into the situation and the time of the main story.  

Robert's Rules in Plain English:

Robert's Rules in Plain English by: Doris Zimmerman
Non-fiction: 115 pages
Physical Book Count: 11
Book Count: 17

A short book on the parliamentary procedure.

Unsolved Murders:

Unsolved Murders: True Crime Cases Uncovered By: Amber Hunt & Emily G. Thompson
Non-fiction: History, Mystery, 171 pages
Physical Book Count: 10
Book Count: 16

This book is a series of short entries on many different unsolved murders.  It is in chronological order from the Villisca ax murders of 1912 to the Long Island serial killer of 2003- 2010.  Each entry is a few pages and contain facts of the case and details of how it was attempted to be solved.  

Dept. H volume 4: Lifeboat:

Dept. H  volume 4: Lifeboat by: Matt Kindt
Fiction: Sci-Fi, Graphic Novel
Physical Book Count: 9
Book Count: 15

Book 3 here.  There are still deep under water and with out enough energy for everyone to make it to the surface. We learn the back story of more of the crew. Mia ends up being the one person who is given the information from her father's death and the cure to take the 1 working sub up.  However, even if she does make it, she now knows there are people she can't trust on the land too.   

The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage:

The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage: The (Mostly) True Story of the First Computer by: Sydney Padua
Non-fiction: History, Graphic Novel, Sci-Fi, 315 pages
Physical Book Count: 8
Book Count: 14

The book starts with a graphic novel about the actual life of "Ada Lovelace" (as she was the countess of Lovelace, it wasn't her last name, also Ada wasn't her first name, but a middle name that she went by.) It then goes into a collection of stories about what could have been, if Ada hadn't died young and Babbage actually made his machine.  Also, they fight crime, which to them is street musicians and poets.  And it ends with actual historic writings by and about them and illustrations on what the plans for the first computer were at various times and how it would work.  Even in the middle section there are copious foot notes with information from the actual lives of the people involved, or on the math involved in a story.  

The Whole Death Catalog:

The Whole Death Catalog by: Harold Schechter
Non-fiction, history, pop culture, science 285 pages
Physical Book Count: 7
Book Count: 13

A book all about death.  It includes sections on death in: different cultures, through history, funerals, graves, cremation, grief, and death in pop culture.  Each section has many subsections and there are recommended books, web sites and other things for additional information on each topic.  

You May Now Kill the Bride

Return to Fear Street: You May Now Kill the Bride by: R. L. Stine
Fiction: horror, mystery, paranormal, 344 pages
Physical Book Count: 6
Book Count: 12

This story takes place in 2 times, the 1920's and modern times.  In both times there are 2 sisters in the Fear family that the story is about.  Each group of sisters have the oldest planning a wedding and the younger playing with the magic books that are hidden in the family attic.  There is also a curse and generations long fight between the Fear and Goode families.  

Life at the Dakota:

Life at the Dakota: New York's Most Unusual Address By: Stephen Birmingham
Non-fiction: History, E-book
E-book Count: 6
Book Count: 11

This book is the history of the building called the Dakota from when it was first built to sometime in the 1970's.  (It doesn't exactly say when it was written or the last year it is about.  It was reprinted in 2015, but it didn't include the date of the first printing.  Also it ends with John Lennon living in the Dakota, but not his death.)    Besides being famous after the book stops, it was famous from it's earliest days.  This book goes over the founder of the Dakota, life in New York at that time, it's being made and major events in the history of the building. 

Yielding to the Power of God:

 Yielding to the Power of God: The importance of surrender, abandonment and obedience to God's will by: Sr. Ann Shields
Non-fiction: Religion, E-book
E-book Count: 5
Book Count: 10

Not so much a book, but the written form of a speech that the author gave.  

The Comic Book Story of Beer:

The Comic Book Story of Beer by: Hennessey and Smith art by McConnell
Non-fiction: History, Food, Graphic Novel 170 pages
Physical Book Count: 5
Book Count: 9

I have never before read a history book on food with such anti-Catholic bigotry and lack of self awareness.  There was a section that said that early Christians followed Roman anti-beer bias by forcing wine into their religion followed a few pages later by a section on Trappist/abbey ales.  Like it went straight from insisting that Christians were anti-beer to explaining all about how all the monks and other early Christians made beer all the time.   Then it praised Martin Luther and called the pilgrims "Godly men and women" who brought beer to the new world.  The beer info otherwise was basic and ended sounding like an ad for beer.