May 2009 books

[dirtylibrarian]

Funny Misshapen Body
Jeffrey Brown
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Yes.
Autobiography. Comics. Art. Art school. Wooden shoes. Comics. Health. Chicago. Evolution.
Nothing totally new here, but a solid continuation of exploration of self expression in clear voice.

How to Ditch Your Fairy
Justine Larbalestier
Teen Fiction
Recommend?: Yes.
Athletes. High school. Fairies. Luck. Humor. Shopping. Romance. Fantasy. Friendship. Family.
Light, fluffy fun.

24 Girls in 7 Days
Alex Bradley
Teen Fiction
Recommend?: Yes.
High school. Seniors. Shyness. Dates. Prom. Friendship. Fear.
Really enjoyable story about a completely inexperienced sweet smart kid jumping feet first into the world of dating.

Wicked Lovely
Melissa Marr
Teen Audiobook
Recommend?: Yes.
Urban fantasy. Fairies. Romance. Piercings. Royalty. Sex.
Creative contemporary exploration, but annoyed me in many ways.

The Taqwacores
Michael Muhammad Knight
Adult Fiction
Recommend?: Yes.
Islam. Punk rock. Buffalo, NY. Communal living. Music. Parties. Prayer. Feminism. College life.
Awesome book for erasing any stereotypes you didn't know you were harboring about Muslims.

The Adventures of Blanche
Rick Geary
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Yes.
Early 20th century. Women. Travel. Adventure. Piano. NYC. Paris. Hollywood. Supernatural. Letters. Unions. Riots. Artists.
Fun and imaginative, capturing spirit of the age both in story and art.

The Fur Person
May Sarton
Everyone Fiction
Recommend?: Definitely!
Kittens. Strays. Tom cats. Adoption. Spinsters. Food. Emotional growth. Home.
Adorable, yet sharp and clever. A must read for cat owners and lovers.

Flight (Volume 5)
Everyone Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Yes.
Fantasy. Short stories. Science fiction. Baseball. Humor. Heroes. Dogs. Cats. Robots.
Lovely collection as always, nothing groundbreaking, but some nice surprises.

Waltz with Bashir: A Lebanon War Story
Ari Folman
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Yes.
Lebanon War. Memories. Repression. Massacres. Nightmares. Journeys. Depression.
GN taken from a animated documentary. Fairly well done, though not as powerful as I would have hoped.

The Eternal Smile: Three Stories
Gene Yang
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Yes.
Short stories. Fantasy. Quests. Romance. Comas. Reality. Illusion. Self-delusion. Heartbreak. Escape. Daydreams. TV. Nigeria.
Interesting mix of styles and approaches to linked themes. I was hoping for more after ABC, but perhaps my expectations were a wee bit high.

Omega: The Unknown
Jonathan Lethem
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Yes.
Superheros. Retellings. Aliens. Branding. NYC. Hospitals. Robots. College.
A good read, even if you never read the original comics.

Peak
Roland Smith
Teen Audiobook
Recommend?: Yes.
Climbers. Skyscrapers. Daredevils. Everest. Absent fathers. Family. Personal growth. Compassion. Exertion.
Good action packed read that will appeal to teen boys.

Absolutely Maybe
Lisa Yee
Teen Fiction
Recommend?: Yes.
Misunderstood teens. Beauty queens. Runaways. Hollywood. Step-fathers. Film school. Friendship. Photographers. Tacos.
Great teen read (I just didn't love it as much as I loved Millicent Min, Girl Genius).