November books

[dirtylibrarian]

Freak Show
James St. James
Teen Fiction
Recommend?: Yes.
Drag queens. Private schools. Outrageousness. Bullying. Freaks. Football players. Tyranny of popularity. Homecoming.
Over the top from first page to last, fun and sincerely heartfelt.

Red String (Volume 1)
Gina Biggs
Teen Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Definitely!
High school. Japan. Arranged marriages. Romance. Friendship. Family. Cooking.
A sweet and thoughtful manga romance.

Gordon Yamamoto and the King of the Geeks
Gene Yang
Teen Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Yes.
Bullies. Geeks. Animal cookies. Fantasy. Magic donuts. Power. Forgiveness.
Its no A.B.C. but still sweet and very well intended.

Fandomania: Characters & Cosplay
Elena Dorfman
Adult Photography
Recommend?: Yes.
Anime. Manga. Fans. Japanese culture. Costumes. Portraits. Conventions. Videogames. Creativity. Identity.
Very cool collection of portraits that both complements the imagination of the individuals, while exposing their stark humanity.

Sin Eater - Part II (Finder)
Carla Speed McNeil
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Definitely!
Fantasy. Insanity. Friendship. Romance. Children. Cities. Clans. Stalkers. Abuse. Protection. Plots.
So good. I'm delighted I've gathered the rest of the series to read this winter.

Runner
Carl Deuker
Teen Fiction
Recommend?: Yes.
Poverty. Sailboats. Alcoholics. Fathers and sons. Desperation. Smuggling. Terrorism. High school. Military recruiters.
Evergreen Award nominee. I enjoyed that it took place locally, in Ballard.

The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain
Peter Sis
Tween Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Yes.
Czechoslovakia. Communism. Iron Curtain. Cold War. Artists. Family. Childhood. Dreams.
Very good introduction to the Cold War for young readers.

King of the Cats (Finder - Volume 3)
Carla Speed McNeil
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Definitely!
Theme parks. Lions. Tribes. Diplomats. Mourning. Nomads.
Still excellent.

The Garthim Wars (Legends of the Dark Crystal - Volume 1)
Barbara Kesel
Tween Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Yes.
Fantasy. Manga style. Victims. Heroes. Rebellion.
For kids who want more of The Dark Crystal this could be very satisfying, but not a huge variation from the original plot.

The Yiddish Policemen's Union
Michael Chabon
Adult Audiobook
Recommend?: Definitely!
Alaska. Diaspora. Alternate histories. Jews. Conspiracies. Lost sisters. Chess. Murders. Detectives. Family. Friendship. Love.
Thoroughly enjoyable, and a good reader to boot.

The Calm Before (The Walking Dead - Volume 7)
Robert Kirkman
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Yes.
Zombies. Science fiction. Survival. Prison. Amputees. Babies. Gardening. War.
Still a pretty solid little soap opera, but the quality of art has gone downhill a bit, I think.

The Battle of the Sexes in Science Fiction
Justine Larbalestier
Adult Non-Fiction
Recommend?: Yes.
Science fiction. History. Fandom. Feminism. James Tiptree Jr. Writing. Awards. Bake sales.
Fascinating examination of historical perceptions and limitations of science fiction in relation to gender.

Cosmic (Powers - Volume 10)
Brian Michael Bendis
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Definitely!
Superheroes. Police. Accidents. Internal Affairs. Investigations. Aliens. Revenge. Dating.
Another series I just love. Such great dialog.

Nana (Volume 6)
Ai Yazawa
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Definitely!
Roommates. Japan. Bands. Fans. Romance. Sex. Jobs. Friendship. Love.
My favorite manga of the moment.

The Glass Castle: a Memoir
Jeannette Walls
Adult Audiobook
Recommend?: Yes.
Autobiography. Poverty. Bad parenting. Alcoholics. Hunger. Family. Writing. Adversity. The Homeless.
Mind-boggling bad parenting makes this a great read for teens looking for Child Called It follow ups.

Catch-22
Joseph Heller
Adult Fiction
Recommend?: Yes.
World War Two. Military life. War profiteering. Prostitution. Death. Loss. Violence. Sanity.
Great book, though I don't think I'll ever read it again.