May 2008 books

[dirtylibrarian]

The Merchant and the Alchemist's Gate
Ted Chiang
Adult Fiction
Recommend?: Definitely!
Science Fiction. Novellas. Iraq. Time Travel. Wisdom. Redemption.
Beautiful little story. Makes me proud to know Ted!

Planetary Brigade
Keith Giffen
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Shrug.
Humor. Superheroes. Team ups Villains. Aliens. Psychics. Banter.
More of Giffen's great dialog, but unlike with his Justice League stuff, this got old for me.

Keturah and Lord Death
Martine Leavitt
Teen Audiobook
Recommend?: Yes.
Storytellers. Romance. True love. Medieval Europe. Plague. Royalty. Lords. Villages. Death.
Really good at times, but unsatisfying overall.

Born to Rock
Gordon Korman
Teen Audiobook
Recommend?: Yes.
High school. Seniors. Young Republicans. Missing fathers. Punk rockers. Stadium tours. Roadies. College. Romance.
Not bad, but I much preferred Beige, which is a different take on a very similar subject.

How They Met, and Other Stories
David Levithan
Teen Short Stories
Recommend?: Definitely!
Romance. Valentines. Matchmakers. Sex. Airplanes. Dancers. Family. Homosexuality. Love.
Delightful collection of dreamily sweet short stories.

Incredible Change-Bots
Jeffrey Brown
Teen Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Yes.
Parody. Robots. Movies. Space. Automobiles. Humor.
Nice change of pace from his autobiographical stuff and very funny.

King of Thorn (Volume 1)
Yuji Iwahara
Teen Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Yes.
Science fiction. Horror. Cryogenics. Group dynamics. Disease. Monsters. Survival. Manga.
Intriguing start to series.

Birds, Bees, Blood & Beer (Wormwood,Gentleman Corpse Volume 1)
Ben Templesmith
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Yes.
Horror. Zombies. Worms. Robots. Medusa. Demons. Ghost. Detectives. Guns.
A fun read, that is a bit gruesome and violent, but strangely beautiful too.

Lust: Kinky Online Personal Ads from Seattle's the Stranger
Ellen Forney
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Yes.
Personal ads. Illustrations. Sexuality. Humor.
I just love E.F.'s style, and seeing how she interprets these ads to capture the intent and fun of it is really cool.

Blood Roses
Francesca Lia Block
Teen Short Stories
Recommend?: Yes.
Romance. Sexuality. Magical realism. Aliens. Angels. Los Angeles.
Brief and mysterious stories, FLB fans will enjoy.

Japan AI: A Tall Girl's Adventures in Japan
Aimee Major Steinberger
Teen Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Yes.
Japan. Travel. Tourists. Cos-Play. Costumes. Dolls. Geisha. Theater. Food. Culture.
Fun travelogue, but nothing I wasn't aware of already.

Bug Brothers (The Exterminators - Volume 1)
Simon Oliver
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Shrug.
Exterminators. Pests. Rats. Cockroaches. Evil corporations. Poverty. Ex-cons. Crude sex. Jerks.
Kinda icky, but I'll probably read more anyways.