November 2012 books

[dirtylibrarian]

Battlepug
Mike Norton
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Yes.
Storytelling. Pugs. French bulldogs. Naked ladies. Warriors. Evil elves. Giant seals. Bad Santa. Adventure.
I'm glad this idea made it to book form. Silly fun.

Because It Is My Blood (Birthright - Volume 2)
Gabrielle Zevin
Teen Audiobook
Recommend?: Yes.
Mafia families. Future fiction. NYC. Mexico. Chocolate. Farming. Exile. Death. Schemes. Small businesses. Friendship. Family.
I almost gave this a shrug. I like the concept, the setting, and the characters. But not as much as I want to.

The Hive
Charles Burns
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Shrug.
Relationships. Work. Underground horrors.
Dark and creepy. Sequel to X'ed Out. I'm not sure why I'm reading these, except Burns is very good at what he does. I'm just not sure I like that.

The Cape
Joe Hill
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Shrug.
Superpowers. Evil. Family. Misguided vengeance. Slackers.
While I admire Hill's work on the Locke and Key series, this was just unpleasant. Well done. But unpleasant.

Memorial
Chris Roberson
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Yes.
Fantasy. Legendary characters. Talking cats. Travel. Secrets. Shadows. Tower of Bable. Librarians. Battles. Evil. Quests.
Not bad, but I don't feel compelled to follow the series further.

Are You My Mother?: A Comic Drama
Alison Bechdel
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Shrug.
Therapy. Parents. Memoirs. Navel gazing.
I really liked the book about her father, but this one felt like it was beating a dead horse to me.

Hint Fiction: An Anthology of Stories in 25 Words or Fewer
Robert Swartwood (edt)
Adult Short Stories
Recommend?: Yes.
Very short stories.
Really fun, and great writing exercise too.

Broxo
Zack Giallongo
Teen Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Yes.
Fantasy. Adventure. Quests. Lost tribes. Loners. Monsters. Zombies. Witches.
Good stuff. Might be good booktalk for middle school.

The Rime of the Modern Mariner
Nick Hayes
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Definitely!
Reinventions. Environmentalism. Fables. Oceans. Life. Mankind. Pollution.
Incredible art and solid storytelling. Great stuff.

Gods (Powers - Volume 14)
Brian Michael Bendis
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Definitely!
Super heroes. Cops. Chicago. Federal agents. Gods. Aliens. Crime. Murder. Television talk shows. News rivals. Vengeance. Scientists.
I've always liked this series, but this one is extra great. I do recommend reading the others first though.

Dotter of Her Father's Eyes
Mary M. Talbot
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Yes.
Memoirs. Fathers and daughters. Cruelty. Nurturing. Talent. Writers. History. James Joyce. Scholars. Biographies.
Nice collaboration with her husband, Bryan Talbot. One of the better memoir graphic novels I've read in ages.

Marbles: Mania, Depression, Michelangelo, & Me
Ellen Forney
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Definitely!
Mental illness. Bipolar. Suffering. Struggle. Artists. Cartoons. Seattle. Yoga. Medication. Family. Therapy. Hope.
I really loved the honesty and vulnerability of this book.

The Raven Boys
Maggie Stiefvater
Teen Fiction
Recommend?: Yes.
Supernatural. Lay lines. Power. Death. Ghosts. Psychics. Boarding schools. Small towns. Class. Wealth. Privilege Friendship. Curses.
Pretty good. Decent start to a series, and definitely new feeling. Very much liked the setting.

Yotsuba&! (Volume 11)
Kiyohiko Azuma
Teen Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Definitely!
Children. Teddy bears. Nature. Bugs. Chestnuts. Pizza. Food. Bubbles. Udon. Cameras. Dogs.
Delightful, as always. I love this series.

The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business
Charles Duhigg
Adult Non-Fiction
Recommend?: Yes.
Human behavior. Habits. Change. Hope. Patterns. Psychology.
Lots of interesting stuff to chew on.

The Voyeurs
Gabrielle Belle
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Yes.
Memoirs. Comics. Comic-con. Famous boyfriends. France. Travel. Writers.
Well done and interesting, but didn't leave me with a much impact.

A Boy and a Bear in a Boat
Dave Shelton
Tween Fiction
Recommend?: Yes.
The sea. Journeys. Sea monsters. Bears. Boys. Boats. Sandwiches.
Lovely little compelling story, though a little slow at times, and hard to find right audience for I imagine.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Book 1)
Denise Mina
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Shrug.
Adaptations. Sweden. Mysteries. Abuse. Research. Reporters.
Not sure what this adds to the original books. Why bother?

Underwater Dogs
Seth Casteel Casteel
Adult Photography
Recommend?: Yes.
Dogs. Diving. Pools. Fetch. Balls. Humor.
Very amusing. No substance, but totally fun.

Where'd You Go, Bernadette
Maria Semple
Adult Audiobook
Recommend?: Definitely!
Seattle. Families. Mothers and daughters. Husbands and wives. Artists. Architects. Private schools. Microsoft. Traffic. Dogs. Disappearances.
Really pretty delightful, though I was frustrated there was a plot point unsettled at the end.