May 2012 books

[dirtylibrarian]

The Quantum Thief
Hannu Rajaniemi
Adult Audiobook
Recommend?: Definitely!
Science fiction. Spacecrafts. AI. Prisons. Mars. Rebirth. Extended lifespans. Puzzles. Detectives. Trust. Friendship. Loyalty. Mysteries.
Delightful audiobook. Can't wait for the sequel!

A Bride's Story (Volume 3)
Kaoru Mori
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Yes.
China. Nomad societies. Widows. Researchers. Horses. Yurts. Cooking. Prisoners. Culture.
Very enjoyable manga series. Curious how historically accurate it is.

Guardians of Being
Eckhart Tolle
Adult Non-Fiction
Recommend?: Definitely!
Pets. Meditation. Simplicity. Being. Soothing. Sanity. Dogs. Cats.
Lovely look at how pets enhance our lives and how we can live more in the presense through learning from them.

Scarlet (Volume 1)
Brian Michael Bendis
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Definitely!
Portland. Corruption. Dirty cops. Murder. Retaliation. Anarchist. Protest. Violence. Lost love.
Gripping, disturbing, but rings true.

My Boyfriend Bites (My Boyfriend Is a Monster - Volume 3)
Dan Jolley
Teen Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Shrug.
Vampires. Small towns. Chosen one. Vampire hunters. Werebats.
I don't know why I keep reading this cheesy series.

1000 Opas and a Dead Body (Skullkickers - Volume 1)
Jim Zub
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Shrug.
Fantasy. Monsters. Mercenaries. Dwarves. Guns. Violence. Demons.
Too violent for my taste.

Wonderstruck
Brian Selznick
Tween Fiction
Recommend?: Definitely!
Mysteries. Illustrated novels. Lost parents. Deafness. Minnesota. NYC. Museums. Generations. Family. Friends.
Really lovely. Highly recommended, especially if you love museums.

Cinder (Lunar Chronicles #01)
Marissa Meyer
Teen Audiobook
Recommend?: Yes.
Science fiction. Fairy tale retellings. Girl mechanics. Princes. Evil queens. Moon dwellers. Stepfamilies. Lost princesses. Androids.
Very fun, but flawed. Fine for booktalking.

The Sigh
Marjane Satrapi
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Shrug.
Fairy tales. Witches. Curses. Feathers.
Lovely, but nothing particularly new here.

Unterzakhn
Leela Corman
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Yes.
Sisters. NYC. Poverty. Immigrants. Women's rights. Birth control. Abortion. Prostitution. Dancers. Celebrity. Death. Loss. Love.
While this didn't feel particularly special when I read it, it has really stuck with me.

Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service (Volume 12)
Eiji Otsuka
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Shrug.
Supernatural. Ghosts. Dolls. Virtual reality. Slavery. Identity theft. Asteral projections. Comedians.
Not totally sure why I keep reading this dark and weird series.

Mamika: My Mighty Little Grandmother
Sacha Goldberger
Adult Photography
Recommend?: Definitely!
Portraits. Grandmothers. Humor. Old age. Superheros. Wit. Dogs.
Delightful and sweet.

Uglies: Shay's Story
Scott Westerfeld
Teen Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Shrug.
Teens. Rebels. Science fiction.
Revisits Uglies from another point of view. Not much added, alas.

Chopsticks
Jessica Anthony
Teen Fiction
Recommend?: Yes.
Romance. Proteges. Lost mothers. Pressure. Immigration. Letters. Text messages. Emails. Photography. Music. Mental health.
Lovely visual tracings of a teen relationship.

Under His Spell (My Boyfriend Is a Monster - Volume 4)
Marie P. Croall
Teen Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Shrug.
High school. Jocks. Tennis. Crushes. Fae.
I seriously don't understand why I keep reading these.

Troop 142
Mike Dawson
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Shrug.
Boy scouts. Summer camp. Fathers and son. Adolescent males. Drug use. Bullying. Skill building.
Painfully honest and insightful, makes me glad I was never a boy scout. Or a boy for that matter.

Lost at Sea
Bryan Lee O'Malley
Teen Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Yes.
Teen girls. Road trips. Lies. Romance. Long distance relationships. Older guys. Cats. Souls. Friendship. Identity.
Odd ,but moving.

Fletcher Street
Peggy Jean-Louis
Adult Photography
Recommend?: Definitely!
Philadelphia. Ghettos. Poverty. Horses. Pride. Skills. Racing. African-Americans.
Visually surprising and great to look at…I want to see a documentary about this topic.

Harvey Pekar's Cleveland
Harvey Pekar
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Definitely!
Cleveland. Hometowns. Recessions. Loyalty. Livability. Race relations. Sports. Neighborhoods.
Very fitting last work. Captured the love he had for his hometown nicely.

Trail of Crumbs: Hunger, Love, and the Search for Home
Kim Sunee
Adult Fiction
Recommend?: Yes.
Korea. Abandoned children. Adoption. New Orleans. Sweden. France. Expats. Romance. Cooking. Therapy. Family.
Great food and travel descriptions, but had trouble feeling full sympathy for author's problems.

Batman: Noel
Lee Bermejo
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Shrug.
Batman. Christmas Carol. Parody. Darkness. Cynicism.
Seemed like a good idea, but just didn't work for me.

The Moon Moth
Jack Vance
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Yes.
Science fiction. Short story. Retelling.
Odd and confusing, but fascinating.

Americus
MK Reed
Teen Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Yes.
Book banning. Libraries. Fantasy. Library boards. Christians. Boarding schools. Friendship. Family. Single mothers. Librarians.
Not bad, but too familiar a story for me. Felt like librarian-service.

Friends with Boys
Faith Erin Hicks
Teen Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Yes.
Homeschoolers. High school. Brothers. Friendship. Cliques. Ghosts. Individuality.
I really enjoy this creator's art. This is my favorite of her books so far.

Prom
Mary Ellen Mark
Adult Photography
Recommend?: Definitely!
Dances. Photography. Portraits. Large format Polaroid. Rituals. Teens. Diversity. Fashion. Romance.
Very cool collection of photos.

The Silence of Our Friends
Mark Long
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Yes.
Civil rights movement. Texas. Racism. Journalism. Truth. Friendship. Breaking down boundaries. Fathers. Memories.
Well done true retelling.

Imagine: How Creativity Works
Jonah Lehrer
Adult Audiobook
Recommend?: Definitely!
Creativity. Inventions. Ideas. Innovation. Imagination.
Fantastic. I'm so inspired I bought a copy to refer to when I get in slumps.