71. The Windup Girl, by Paolo Bacigalupi.

The Windup Girl is a sci-fi novel where biotechnology has become the major source of energy and power. It's set in near-future Thailand, where calorie companies are prying their way into a mostly self-governed, if wildly corrupt, nation. It follows a variety of characters, and uses them to show different facets of the same city.

This book was a pleasant surprise. It's one I've had on my lists for a while, but I never got round to checking it out. I'm glad I did pick it up, because it kept me entertained on a fair number of long bus rides. The characters are all interesting, and their thought processes hook into your attention. I liked the setting immensely, and the storyline was complicated, but also came together really nicely at the end. Not many loose threads to tug at, which is satisfying. I really liked it.