June 2010 books

[dirtylibrarian]

Num8ers
Rachel Ward
Teen Fiction
Recommend?: Yes.
England. London. Supernatural fiction. Suspence. Adventure. Junkies. Foster kids. Police. Terrorists. Escape.
Great booktalk, eh ending.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: A Graphic Novel
Nunzio De Fillipis
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Shrug.
Fantasy. Retellings. Aging. History. Family. Love. Loss. Childhood.
Not bad retelling of the story. Just not terribly exciting.

The Helm (Volume 1)
Jim Hardison
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Yes.
Fantasy. Losers. Garage sales. Magic powers. Evil. Chosen ones. Loathing. Heroism.
Fun quick read, but can't imagine following it as a series.

I Heart You, You Haunt Me
Lisa Schroeder
Teen Fiction
Recommend?: Yes.
Novel in verse. Death. Loss. Romance. High school. Friendship. California. Family. Ghosts. Healing.
Sweet little quick read. Will make a nice booktalk.

Copper
Kazu Kibuishi
Tween Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Yes.
Comic strips. Online comics. Fantasy. Boy and dog.
A bit weird, but very beautiful.

Cut Here (Crossing Midnight - Volume 1)
Mike Carey
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Yes.
Japan. Supernatural. Family. Gangsters. Promises. High school. Demons. Quests.
Different from much anything else I've read. Interesting mix of Japanese culture and folklore from a UK perspective.

A Map of Midnight (Crossing Midnight - Volume 2)
Mike Carey
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Yes.
Japan. Supernatural. Family. Rescues. Secret identities. Dogs. Homeless camps. Reward dating. Murder.
Odd and a bit brutal, but fascinating.

From the Ashes
Bob Fingerman
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Yes.
Post-apocalypse. NYC. Zombies. Mutants. Romance.
Weird and sweet, but rambling.

Pinocchio: Vampire Slayer (Volume 1)
Van Jensen
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Shrug.
Pinocchio. Retellings. Vampires. Black and white. Supernatural.
Eh.

Black Is for Beginnings (Blue Is for Nightmares - Volume 5)
Laurie Fari Stolarz
Teen Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Shrug.
Tie-ins. Supernatural. Romance. Visions. Spells. Boarding schools. Friendships. Dreams.
I quite enjoyed it visually, but wasn't really into the story. Haven't read the series myself.

Market Day
James Sturm
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Yes.
Old Europe. Small towns. Craftsmen. Family. Change. Responsibility. Quality. Birth of industrial age.
Well done, but a bit depressing.

Smax
Alan Moore
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Definitely!
Fantasy. Science fiction. Fairy tale worlds. Elves. Dwarfs. Dragons. Quests. Taboos. Incest. Failures. Travel. Humor.
Quite weird, a bit perverse, and not for everyone, but great dialog and fantasticly detailed illustrations.

Kick-Ass (Volume 1)
Mark Millar
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Yes.
Vigilantes. Kids. Violence. Revenge. Mobsters. Superheroes. Secrets.
A bit too gory for me, but very well done and a good read.

Manhood for Amateurs: The Pleasures and Regrets of a Husband, Father, and Son
Michael Chabon
Adult Audiobook
Recommend?: Definitely!
Men. Relationships. Baseball. Parenting. Books. Fathers. Purses. Toys.
Warms my heart to hear about a man who so enjoys being a husband and father.

Street Art San Francisco: Mission Muralismo
Annice Jacoby
Adult Non-Fiction
Recommend?: Definitely!
Murals. Street art. Graffiti. Mission District. San Francisco.
Amazing collection of photographs documenting this extra transitory art.

Tales of the Madman Underground: An Historical Romance 1973
John Barnes
Teen Fiction
Recommend?: Definitely!
Small towns. Ohio. 1970s. Alcoholism. Therapy. Friendship. Mothers. Cats. Support. Dreams. Survival. Part time jobs.
Really great read…I loved the characters. Gotta wonder how much is autobiographical.

Bad Mother: A Chronicle of Maternal Crimes, Minor Calamities, and Occasional Moments of Grace
Ayelet Waldman
Adult Audiobook
Recommend?: Yes.
Parenting. Marriage. Bi-polar disorder. Berkeley. Pregnancy. Abortion. Anxiety. Stress. Expectations. Children. Love. Joy.
Cool followup to Manhood for Amateurs, as you get to see her view on the same family and marriage. Both are lovely in inspiration in their own ways, for those of us who aspire to have a family.