March 2008 books

[dirtylibrarian]

Cairo
G. Willow Wilson
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Definitely!
Egypt. Middle East. Conflicts. Supernatural. Tourists. Journalists. Change. Hope. Good vs. Evil.
Best graphic novel I've read in ages. Enjoyable, heartfelt and entertaining.

Agents of Atlas
Jeff Parker
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Shrug.
Secret societies. Super team ups. Historic characters. Government conspiracies. Aliens. Apes. Robots.
Fairly good stuff, but I just couldn't get into all the historic aspects. For a harder core comic geek than I.

The Black Dossier (League of Extraordinary Gentlemen)
Alan Moore
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Shrug.
Super teams. Literary characters. Government conspiracies. Alternate universes. Spies. Exploration. Sex.
Probably quite brilliant, but more work than I want to put into reading a comic. Did enjoy the 3D bit at the end, at first.

Scrambled Eggs at Midnight
Brad Barkley
Teen Fiction
Recommend?: Definitely!
Romance. Artistic parents. Evangelical parents. Unhappy parents. Moving. Fat camps. Renaissance fairs. BBQ. Kindness. Love.
Best teen romance I have read in eons. Ok, best romance. Very sweet and quirky.

Azumanga Daioh Omnibus
Kiyohiko Azuma
Teen Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Definitely!
Manga. High school. Humor. Japan. Cats. Trips. Dogs. Friendship. Weirdness.
Often odd, but lots of fun.

Power Down (Ex Machina - Volume 6)
Brian K. Vaughan
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Definitely!
NYC. Mayors. Superpowers. Alternative dimensions. Blackouts.
Great series…but could use a bit more in each collection.

Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service (Volume 4)
Eiji Ohtsuka
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Yes.
Manga. Supernatural. Death. Jobs. Murder. Kidnappings. Preserved corpses.
Creepy, but I like it.

Chiggers
Hope Larson
Teen Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Definitely!
Summer camp. Angst. Tweens. Friendship. Supernatural. How-to. Storytelling. Romance.
Achy, real and quite enjoyable.

Secret Identity (Powers - Volume 11)
Brian Michael Bendis
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Definitely!
Superheroes. Murder. Betrayal. Sex. Satan. Aliens. Secret Service. Friendship.
This series continues to be awesome. So many twists, your head will spin…with delight!

Spider-Man Fairy Tales
C.B. Cebulski
Teen Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Shrug.
Superheroes. Spiders. Fairy tales. Anansi. Red Riding Hood. Japan. Cinderella.
Eh.

The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America
Erik Larson
Adult Audiobook
Recommend?: Definitely!
Chicago. Worlds Fair. Architecture. Serial Killers. History.
Fantastic! Highly recommended.

The Three Paradoxes
Paul Hornschemeier
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Shrug.
Hometowns. Family. Memories. Story. Long distance relationships. Illinois.
Eh. Visually interesting, but too soaked in ennui for my tastes.

The Principles of Uncertainty
Maira Kalman
Adult Art
Recommend?: Shrug.
Journals. Painting. Family. Reflections. Observations.
Enjoyable to look at, but didn't leave me with much.

Blue Lipstick
John Grandits
Teen Poetry
Recommend?: Yes.
Concrete poems. Teenage girls. Family. Friends. Cellos.
Fun, but not as strong as his first book.

Comments

[holyoutlaw.livejournal.com]

I read The Devil in the White City a couple years ago, and really liked it. I occasionally wished it had been one or the other, either about the serial killer or the Columbia Exposition (which we heard a lot about in civics class in grade school), but it was still pretty good.

Have you read "Uglies" by Scott Westerfeld? If so, what did you think of it?

[dirtylibrarian.livejournal.com]

I rather liked the mixing of stories, but I've always been better when history is presented with tons of context and personalities.

I have read Uglies. While I don't think it is the worlds finest lit or anything, I think it does a great job of bringing science fiction to a whole generation of teens who probably would never have touched it otherwise...raising some really good issues too, that they might not otherwise think deeply about. Plus, the series is a lot of fun.