January books read

[dirtylibrarian]

Tokyo on Foot: Travels in the City's Most Colorful Neighborhoods
Florent Chavouet
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Yes.
Travel. Journals. Memoirs. Tokyo. Japan. Buildings. Food. People.
Neat glimpse at someone else's visit to Japan.

Beat the Reaper
Josh Bazell
Adult Fiction
Recommend?: Yes.
Doctors. Hitmen. Witness protection programs.
Fast paced, fun, and a bit gross.

Wandering Son (Volume 1)
Shimura Takako
Teen Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Yes.
Middle school. Japan. Friendship. Gender identity. Cross-dressing.
Cool, but a bit hard to follow at times.

Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty
Andrew Bolton
Adult Non-Fiction
Recommend?: Definitely!
Fashion. Post-modernism. Design. Exhibits. Posthumous.
Amazing stuff. Wish I could try some of these dresses on (as if any would fit!)

Daughter of Smoke and Bone
Laini Taylor
Teen Fiction
Recommend?: Yes.
Fantasy. Angels. Monsters. Romance. Prague.
Fresh and exciting adventure. Bit cheesy at times, but teen girls will eat it up.

Stargazing Dog
Takashi Murakami
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Yes.
Dogs. Japan. Family. Loyalty. Old age. Road trips. Death. Love.
Super sweet and sad. Awesome read for dog lovers.

Any Empire
Nate Powell
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Yes.
Violence. War games. Boys. Turtles. Girl detectives. Small towns. Childhood. Imagination. Military. Scars.
Dark and compelling. Some of it went over my head. Probably worth a second read.

Bride's Story (Volume 1)
Kaoru Mori
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Yes.
Manga. Historical fiction. China. Nomadic tribes. Arranged marriages. Older brides. Hunting. Conflicts. Family.
Unsure of historical accuracy, but loved the story, setting, and characters.

Leviathan (The Unwritten - Volume 4)
Mike Carey
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Yes.
Fantasy. Adventure. Moby Dick. New England. Magic. Story. Vampires.
Continues to be interesting.

The Last Dragon
Jane Yolen
Teen Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Shrug.
Fantasy. Dragons. Small towns. Wise girls. Reluctant heroes.
Lovely, but ultimately unsatisfying.

Ready Player One
Ernest Cline
Adult Audiobook
Recommend?: Definitely!
Virtual reality. Online environments. Contests. Video games. 80s culture. Romance. Sci-fi.
Very fun listen. Most enjoyable.

A Monster Calls: Inspired by an Idea from Siobhan Dowd
Patrick Ness
Teen Audiobook
Recommend?: Definitely!
England. High school. Fear. Mothers. Cancer. Pain. Anger. The Green Man.
Wasn't sure I was going to like it at first, but turned out to be incredibly moving.

Blood Red Road (Dustlands - Volume 1)
Moira Young
Teen Fiction
Recommend?: Yes.
Post-apocalyptic America. Wild West. Prophecies. Archery. Cage fighting. Horseback riding. Romance. Family. Kidnappings. Twins. Quests. Siblings. Battles.
Pretty good, but does every girl adventure story need to have romance too?

Detroit Disassembled
Andrew Moore
Adult Photography
Recommend?: Definitely!
Decay. Urban wastelands. Abandonment. Buildings. Books. Rot. Ruin. Beauty.
Gorgeous and sad collection.

Bride's Story (Volume 2)
Kaoru Mori
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Definitely!
Manga. China. Historical fiction. Nomadic tribes. Newlyweds. Family conflicts. Mixed feelings. Embroidery.
Really delightful manga series.

Lucha Loco: The Free Wrestlers of Mexico
Malcolm Venville
Adult Photography
Recommend?: Yes.
Mexico. Wrestlers. Costumes.
Fun stuff and surprisingly touching. I wish it would tell a bit more about the culture around this, though the intro does ok.