August 2008 books

[dirtylibrarian]

The Runaway Dolls
Ann M. Martin
Kids Fiction
Recommend?: Yes.
Dolls. Family. Missing persons. Runaways. Lost mail. Vacations. Toy stores. Adventure.
I'm not quite sure what it is about these, but I really enjoy this goofy little series.

The Art of Racing in the Rain
Garth Stein
Adult Fiction
Recommend?: Yes.
Dogs. Seattle. Family. Cancer. Race cars. Reincarnation.
Kinda sensitive guy pop fiction. I confess I cried, but just a little.

Jessica Farm
Josh Simmons
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Shrug.
Fantasy. Abuse. Strange creatures. Naked men. Psychological horror. Weirdness.
Strangely goofy and disturbing.

Friendly Fire (DMZ - Volume 4)
Brian Wood
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Definitely!
NYC. Civil Wars. War trials. Journalists. Protesters. Slaughter. The search for Truth.
This series is so great. Political, heartbreaking, and exciting.

Puppy Love (Babymouse - Volume 8)
Jennifer Holm
Kids Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Yes.
Pets. Humor. Daydreams. Puppies. Responsibility
Cute and fun as always.

Percy Gloom
Cathy Malkasian
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Shrug.
Employment. Muffins. Lost parents. Cults. Safety warnings. Lost love.
Weird and dark cautionary tale. Interesting to look at, but somewhat unsatisfying.

Postcards: True Stories That Never Happened
ed. Jason Rodriguez
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Shrug.
Used postcards. Writing inspiration. Challenges. Travel. Family. Loss. Historical fiction.
Interesting concept, but mostly forgettable.

The Bad Prince (Jack of Fables - Volume 3)
Bill Willingham
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Yes.
Fairy tales. Origin stories. Splits. Swords. Grand Canyon. Devils. Snark.
Series remains a fun shoot off of Fables.

Frankenstein Takes The Cake
Adam Rex
Kids Poetry
Recommend?: Yes.
Monsters. Poe. Weddings. Headless horseman. Sphinx. Vampires.
Fun, but not quiet as good as the first one.

A Confederacy of Dunces
John Kennedy Toole
Adult Fiction
Recommend?: Yes.
New Orleans. Mothers. Sons. Criminally lazy. Work. Race relations. Beatniks. Dating. Bowling.
Not sure if I could have given in the Pulitzer, but a fun and interesting read none the less.

The Heartbreak Diet
Thorina Rose
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Yes.
Marriage. Infidelity. Family. The Other Woman. Separation. Recovery. Art. Children. Hope.
Not bad, but for some reason I wanted more.

Room With a View
E.M. Forster
Adult Audiobook
Recommend?: Definitely!
Victorians. Italy. Travel. Repression. Romance. Truth. Passion. Skinny-dipping.
Much funnier than I remembered!

A Girl and Her Panda (PX - Book 1)
Eric A. Anderson
Teen Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Shrug.
Genius scientist fathers. Little girls. Robot pandas. Roller-skating ninjas. Evil goats. Her Majesty's Secret Service. Kidnappings.
Too in love with its own quirkiness of characters to bother developing an original plot. And it has a terrible binding.

Fight for Tomorrow
Brian Wood
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Shrug.
Orphans. Trained fighters. Missing love. Buddhist temples. Siblings. Violence. Friendship. Survival. Love.
Surprisingly lame.

Super Spy
Matt Kindt
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Yes.
Spies. WW2. Star-crossed loves. Short stories. Mixed arcs. Lies. Deception. Death. Hope.
Fresh and enjoyable.

Kin (The Good Neighbors - Volume 1)
Holly Black
Teen Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Yes.
Fairies. Missing mothers. Distraught fathers. Murder. Changelings. Other worlds. College.
Naifeh's art is a great match for Black's writing!

The Good Prince (Fables - Volume 10)
Bill Willingham
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Definitely!
War. Frog prince. Revenge. Non-violence. Ghosts. Lancelot. Trees. Invisible siblings.
Another enjoyable installment of this great series.

Dwight T. Albatross’s The Goon Noir
Eric Powell
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Yes.
Thugs. Zombies. Humor. Spiders. Monsters. Parody. Kids.
Dark and hilarious.

Satchel Paige: Striking Out Jim Crow
James Sturm
Teen Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Yes.
Segregation. Baseball. Jim Crow. Heroes.
Really great stuff! I enjoyed it and learned some too.

The Discworld Graphic Novels: The Colour of Magic & the Light Fantastic
Terry Pratchett
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Yes.
Fantasy. Origin stories. Wizards. Tourists. Death. Exploration.
Fun.

The Bottomless Belly Button
Dash Shaw
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Yes.
Family drama. Divorce. Elderly parents. Neurotic siblings. Weird flings. Upset teens. Nostalgia. Beaches.
Long and dark, but somewhat compelling.

The Dead and the Gone
Susan Beth Pfeffer
Teen Fiction
Recommend?: Definitely!
Disasters. NYC. Starvation. Faith. Siblings. Lies. Hope. Cold. Illness. Loss.
Great follow up to Life as We Knew It.