July 2008 Books

[dirtylibrarian]

Chains
Laurie Halse Anderson
Teen Fiction
Recommend?: Definitely!
Orphans. Sisters. Slaves. New York. Revolutionary War. Spies. Historical fiction.
Great new angle, well researched, and exciting to read.

Hate That Cat
Sharon Creech
Tween Fiction
Recommend?: Shrug.
Poetry. Cats. School. Teachers. Mothers. Deafness.
For fans of Love That Dog, more of the same, less impact.

Side Effects
Amy Goldman Koss
Teen Fiction
Recommend?: Definitely!
Cancer. Teen girls. School. Chemotherapy. Humor. Survival.
Finally! A great book about a teen with cancer, where the kid survives. Grueling and realistic, but upbeat.

The Savage
David Almond
Tween Fiction
Recommend?: Yes.
Writing. Fathers. Loss. England. Bullies. Grief. Violence. Fantasy.
A short but compelling read.

Slow Storm
Danica Novgorodoff
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Yes.
Firefighters. Siblings. Illegal immigrants. Horses. Fires. Connections.
Enjoyable.

Prince of Persia
A. B. Sina
Teen Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Shrug.
Fantasy. Persia. Adventure. Politics. Royalty. Video games.
Ok, but really felt like the novelization of a video game.

The Shiniest Jewel: A Family Love Story
Marian Henley
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Definitely!
Adoption. Cartoonists. Texas. Fathers. Mortality. Russia. Family.
Very moving and sweet.

Three Shadows
Cyril Pedrosa
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Yes.
Family. Threat. Predictions. Escape. Bargains. Destiny. Loss. Life.
A moving fable of the love of parents.

Hurt Go Happy
Ginny Rorby
Teen Fiction
Recommend?: Yes.
Chimpanzees. Deafness. Abuse. Independence. Animal testing.
Good, but not quite as good as the cover.

North of Beautiful
Justina Chen Headley
Teen Fiction
Recommend?: Definitely!
Beauty. Family. Birthmarks. Maps. Abuse. China. Adoption. Romance. Pacific Northwest.
Engaging read about a girl struggling to find confidence on her own terms.

Flight Explorer (Volume 1)
Kazu Kibuishi
Tween Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Yes.
Short stories. Mice. Monsters. Goldfish. Dogs. Cats. Jungles.
Fun kids version of the Flight anthologies.

Tonoharu (Part One)
Lars Martinson
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Yes.
Japan. Teachers. Small towns. Isolation. Boredom. Cynicism. Foreigners.
Good mix of angst and travel story, with absolutely gorgeous packaging.

Yonen Buzz (Plastic Chew)
Christina Plaka
Teen Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Yes.
Manga. Bands. Musicians. Housemates. Rock. Friendship. Family. Dreams.
Good mix of tension, romance and rock and roll.

The Facts in the Case of the Departure of Miss Finch
Neil Gaiman
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Shrug.
Circuses. Sushi. Disappearances. Storytelling.
Eh. Its ok.

A Man Called Kev
Garth Ennis
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Yes.
Special forces. Blackmail. Herb farmers. Survival. Old friends. Tigers.
Profane, violent and gross, but entertaining.

DC: The New Frontier (Volume 2)
Darwyn Cooke
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Shrug.
Sixties. Superheros. Military. Aliens. Survival.
Sort of mash-up, alternate history real comic geeks eat up…but I was rather bored.

Bookhunter
Shiga
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Yes.
Books. Theft. Police. Mysteries. Seventies. Oakland. Library.
Fun. What action adventure movies would be like if book theft was taken as seriously as espionage.

Assisted Loving: True Tales of Double Dating with My Dad
Bob Morris
Adult Non-Fiction
Recommend?: Definitely!
Family. Elderly. Widowers. Online dating. Loneliness. Love. Happiness.
Sweet and inspiring. I really enjoyed reading this.

Malcolm X: A Graphic Biography
Andrew J. Helfer
Teen Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Yes.
Biography. Civil rights. Racism. Knowledge. Learning. Change. African-Americans.
Accessible account.

Vassalord (Volume 1)
Nanae Chrono
Teen Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Shrug.
Hardcore boy love. Vampires. Catholic Church. Unitarians.
Not really my thing, though I'm sure there is a big market for it among teenage girls.

Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking
Malcolm Gladwell
Adult Audiobook
Recommend?: Definitely!
Psychology. First impressions. Stereotypes. Timing. Insight. Expertise. Decision making. Growth.
Very cool book. Quite interesting to think about at this point in my life.

Natural Fashion: Tribal Decoration from Africa
Hans Silvester
Adult Photography
Recommend?: Definitely!
Photography. Africa. Tribes people.
Fantastic photography of people dressed up in plants, feathers, paints and animal parts. Puts most fashion books to shame.

Burnout
Rebecca Donner
Teen Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Yes.
Oregon. Stepfamilies. Small towns. Loggers. Eco-terrorists. Bad boys. Forbidden romance.
Pretty decent, with lots to appeal to teen girls.

Korgi (Volume 1)
Christian Slade
Kids Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Shrug.
Wordless stories. Corgis. Fairies. Monsters.
Cute, but mostly just sketches of corgis, not so strong on plot.

Lonely Heart: The Art of Tara McPherson
Tara Mcpherson
Adult Non-Fiction
Recommend?: Yes.
Contemporary art. Paintings. Rock posters. Heartbreak.
Lovely stuff…great mix of soft colors and Goth sensibilities.

The Murder of Abraham Lincoln (A Treasury of Victorian Murder - Volume 7)
Rick Geary
Teen Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Yes.
Presidents. Assassinations. History. Murder. Plots. Actors. Punishment.
Like most of his works, solid depiction of the time, well researched, giving you a broader understanding of what was going on.

Skim
Mariko Tamaki
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Yes.
Canada. Lesbians. High school. Wiccans. Suicide. Depression. Crushes. Friendship. Heartache.
Strong story of teen alienation and search for connection. Just not my thing.

Dororo (Volume 1)
Osamu Tezuka
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Yes.
Manga. Japan. Swords. Demons. Orphans. Evil. Monsters. Cruelty. Kindness.
I think I'm getting a bit burnt out on manga, or this one just wasn't my cup of tea. But great production value…Vertical is doing a lovely job with these reprints.

Freddie & Me: A Coming-Of-Age (Bohemian) Rhapsody
Mike Dawson
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Yes.
Music. Fandom. Singing. Queen. Freddie Mercury. Loss. Personal history. Perspective.
Very enjoyable and personal look at growing up as a true music fan.

Little Vampire
Joann Sfar
Kids Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Yes.
Vampires. Horror. Humor. Friendship. Flying dogs. Monsters. Ghosts. Bullies. School. Animal testing.
Delightful and odd. Many poop references will make it beloved by children and shunned by prudish adults.

The Green Futures of Tycho
William Sleator
Tween Fiction
Recommend?: Yes.
Science fiction. Time travel. Family. Gifted children. Aliens.
Good twisted fun, like most Sleator.