December books

[dirtylibrarian]

The Quitter
Harvey Pekar
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Yes.
Autobiography. Growing up. Teen years. Football. Street fighting. Fear. Insecurity. Family. Military life. Jobs.
Just when I was thinking Pekar had played out his subject matter (himself), he comes back with a fresh approach featuring his early life with decent teen appeal. Go figure.

Payment in Blood
Elizabeth George
Adult Book on Tape
Recommend?: Yes.
Detective Lynley series - #2. England. Scotland Yard. Scotland. Partnerships. Murder. Actors. Playwrights. Passion. Friendship.
I really don't think of myself as a mystery fan, but have really been enjoying this series while carpooling.

Manufactured Landscapes: The Photographs of Edward Burtynsky
Edward Burtynsky
Adult Photography
Recommend?: Definitely!
Human impact on nature. Earthen scarification. Pollution. Beauty. Large format photography. Mining. Vermont. Refineries. Quarries. Oil.
A wonderful book of photography, that is in some ways hard to pin down. The author showcases the beauty of terrible environmental damage. Would be great to contrast with Subhankar Banerjee's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge: Seasons of Life and Land .

Rebel Angels
Libba Bray
Teen Fiction
Recommend?: Definitely!
Victorian England. Finishing schools. India. Magic. Friendship. Romance. Gothic fiction.
I very much enjoyed this book, though I found the first one irritating. I think that was because of a flaw on the audiobook that stuck in my mind, and the fact that these teen girls are so realistically flawed, that I found I had little patience for them...but now I recognize that as the sort of realism needed to support the fantasy elements. Enthralling stuff!

Show Way
Jacqueline Woodson
Children Picture Book
Recommend?: Definitely!
Family history. African-Americans. Quilting. Slavery. Underground railroad. Daughters.
A wonderful picture book with splendid illustrations. Just lovely.

Alia's Mission: Saving the Books of Iraq
Mark Alan Stamaty
Tween Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Shrug.
Iraq. Libraries. Heroism. Women. War.
Even I, a librarian, was not excited about this lackluster graphic novel.

The Secret Under My Skin
Janet McNaughton
Teen Fiction
Recommend?: Yes.
Science fiction. Dystopias. Environmental disasters. Orphans. Microchips. Weaving. Fear of science.
Pretty good, though I was irritated with how nicely everything wrapped up.

Anywhere But Here
Tori Miki
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Definitely!
Comic strips. Japan. Wordless art. Absurdity.
Every few pages I was forced to shout out "what the fuck???"

The Three Incestuous Sisters: An Illustrated Novel
Audrey Niffenegger
Adult Art
Recommend?: Shrug.
Sisters. Romance. Tragedy. Mutants.
Disappointing.

A Corner of the Universe
Ann M. Martin
Tween Book on Tape
Recommend?: Yes.
Family. Boarding houses. Uncles. Mental illness. Carnies. Summer. Loss. Grief.
Very touching.

Batman: Thrillkiller
Howard Chaykin
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Shrug.
Elseworlds. 1960s. Crime. Batgirl. Robin. Batman. Police corruption. Circuses.
Interesting alternative Gotham, but not remarkable.

When the Wind Blows: The Story of the Bloggs & the Bomb
Raymond Briggs
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Definitely!
Nuclear war. England. The elderly. Megadeath.
This is one of the first graphic novels I ever read, and one of the few I read as a teen. This is a subject that fascinated and troubled me then, as well it should now.

Safety Behind Bars: Walking Dead Volume 3
Robert Kirkman
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Yes.
Zombies. Survival. Prisons. Farming. Violence. Suicide. Family.
Thank goodness this is in black and white, as the series is getting (more?) gruesome. Still, fun, in the way zombie stuff generally is.

David Hilliard
David Hilliard
Adult Photography
Recommend?: Definitely!
Triptychs. Family. Nature. Small town life. Summer.
Excellent work, to the degree that I plan on trying to do a series of works in his style, out of pure devoted admiration.

Isaac the Pirate, Vol. 2: The Capital
Blain Christophe
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Definitely!
Pirates. Caribbean. Mutiny. Escape. France. Thievery. Lost love.
I really enjoy this series, though really for adults more than teens.

The Irregulars
Steven-Elliott Altman
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Shrug.
Supernatural mysteries. Sherlock Holmes. London. Orphans.
Not bad, but I found the art too cluttered and wanted more character development.

Dv8: Neighborhood Threat
Warren Ellis
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Yes.
Genetically altered superpowers. Bad guys. Child abuse. Incest. Cold blooded killing. Multiple personalities.
Leave it to Ellis to show how fucked up a team of super teen bad guys really would be. Clever and funny, but really gross.

Criss Cross
Lynne Rae Perkins
Tween Fiction
Recommend?: Definitely!
Summertime. Friendship. Family. Small towns. Guitar lessons. Carnivals. Bus rides. Kindness.
This is one of those quiet books that I really loved, but can't describe for the life of me.

Only You Can Save Mankind (Johnny Maxwell Trilogy)
Terry Pratchett
Tween Fiction
Recommend?: Shrug.
Video games. Aliens. Empathy. Friendship.
I normally love Terry Pratchett's writing, but I found this book to be kinda lame overall, with a few good laughs.

Love, Cajun Style
Diane Les Becquets
Teen Fiction
Recommend?: Yes.
Louisiana. Friendship. Abuse of trust. Artists. Theater. Flower arranging. Romance.
A sweet, thoughtful book, with just enough spice to keep it out of public schools.

Day of Tears: A Novel in Dialogue
Julius Lester
Tween Fiction
Recommend?: Shrug.
Slave auctions. Families. Love. Runaways. Historical fiction.
A fresh look at a familiar subject. But somehow didn't resonate with me as I had hoped.

Chasing Vermeer
Blue Balliett
Tween Fiction
Recommend?: Shrug.
Art. Experimental schools. Chicago. Secrets. Mysteries. Puzzles. Friendship. Teachers. Bookstores.
Da Vinci Code for kids.

You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah!
Fiona Rosenbloom
Tween Fiction
Recommend?: Yes.
Friendship. First romance. Jewish life. Fights.
Very cute, and well captures the tumultuous passions that are junior high.

Comments

[holyoutlaw.livejournal.com]

I've seen some of Edward Burtynsky's photography around in magazines and really like it. Everytime I drive past the freight yards south of downtown I think of his pictures.

[dirtylibrarian.livejournal.com]

I recommend you check out the David Hilliard book also...it seems simple in some ways, but there is a drama and stage setting about it that really draws me in.

aw thanks...

[dirtylibrarian.livejournal.com]

I haven't done any tagging...I don't really know how. It is enough work just keeping the database up and posting once a month. I'm not ready to do more work than that at this point. But if you are ever looking for a school project... ;)