July books

[dirtylibrarian]

Maniac Killer Strikes Again!
Richard Sala
Adult Graphic Novel
Noir. Monsters. Detectives. Mysteries.
Quirky, but not terribly compelling.


Cola Madness
Gary Panter
Adult Graphic Novel
Dreamlike narrative with weird squiggly drawings.
I appreciate this guy's creative powers (and his contributions to the look of Pee Wee's Playhouse) but this was just painful to read.


Courtney Crumrin and the Coven of Mystics
Ted Naifeh
Teen Graphic Novel
Witches. Cats. Outcasts. Brains. Darkness.
Teen girls will love this one.


The Realm of Possibility
David Levithan
Teen Novel in Verse
Teen life. High school. Relationships. Courage. Life.
Absolutely amazing book, which I plan to read continuously until I come close to grasping all the wonderful nuances involved. My pick for the Printz this year (so far). I recommend this to everyone. Its magic.


Fables: Storybook Love
Bill Willingham
Adult Graphic Novel
Grown up fairy tale soap opera. Intrigue. Betrayal. Sneakiness. Love.
I really enjoy this series, but don't take it terribly seriously.


Margaux With An X
Ron Koertge
Teen Fiction
Bad girl gets sick of boys and badness. Meets good boy who likes dogs.
Great read, though I did have to look up lots of words the brainy main characters use. Similar to Stoner and Spaz in tone and set up, but somewhat different characters.


Jinx
Brian Michael Bendis
Adult Graphic Novel
Bounty hunters. Grifters. Job changes. Romance. Treasure hunts. Crime.
Good stuff, if a bit heavy on the dialog. I wanted to read before Halle Berry movie comes out.


Michael Chabon Presents The Amazing Adventures of the Escapist Volume 1
Michael Chabon
Adult Graphic Novel
Faux comic history. Spin-offs. Superheros.
Great art, decent stories. A fun read for fans of Kavalier & Clay.


It's a Bird
Steven T. Seagle
Adult Graphic Novel
Superman. Comics writing. Family secrets. Disease. Adult choices.
Don't know how Superman fans will react to this one, but it is a pretty amazing piece of work!


Nothing to Lose
Alex Flinn
Teen Fiction
Abuse. Helplessness. Murder. Carnies.
Good book, but I felt Breathing Underwater was even better.


Aquarium
Diane Cook
Adult Non-Fiction
Photography. Fish. Aquariums.
Ok collection. Not a single picture really astonished or excited me though.


Spiral Into Horror
Junji Ito
Teen Graphic Novel
Creepy Japanese horror manga.
Not really my cup of tea, but admittedly scary.


A Hat Full of Sky
Terry Pratchett
Teen Fiction
Witches. Magic. Wisdom. Reason. Compassion. Thinking. Humor.
Excellent sequel. Every bit as enjoyable as Wee Free Men. Highly recommended to everyone.


Sword of the Rightful King
Jane Yolen
Teen Fiction
Arthurian legend. Magic. Historical fiction. Retellings.
Pretty darn good. I was surprised by the trick ending (although I wonder if I should have seen it coming).


Inkheart
Cornelia Funke
Tween Fiction
Reading. Books. Fantasy. Magic. Bravery. Family. Friendship.
Good stuff, though a bit slow going. Excellent reading.


Son of the Mob: Hollywood Hustle
Gordon Korman
Teen Fiction
College. Film school. Mafia. Family. Crime.
Fun. Fans of the first book will enjoy this one also.


Hellsing 1
Kohta Hirano
Teen Graphic Novel
Vampires. England. Secret societies. Assassins.
A bit gross for my taste violence wise, but a decent enough read.


The Au Pairs
Melisa de la Cruz
Teen Fiction
Summer jobs. The Hamptons. Wealth. Fashion. Love. Heartbreak. Parties.
Similar to the Gossip Girl series, I really enjoyed this book, and felt it brought up some good issues about wealth and privilege.


Al Capone Does My Shirts
Gennifer Choldenko
Teen Book on Tape
Alcatraz. Family. Autism. Baseball. Friendship.
Great book on tape, with wonderful family relationship and the weight of special needs children on siblings. Good stuff.


Model: 1
Lee So-Young
Teen Graphic Novel
Vampires. Artists. France. Mystery. Art.
Manga for teen girls who love androgynous goth vampire stuff, this will be popular.


Model: 2
Lee So-Young
Teen Graphic Novel
Super models. Creepy mansions. Mysterious dark haired strangers. Creatures unknown. Bats.
Series continues, creepy but not gory or too naughty for teens (or rather their parents).

Comments

[libation.livejournal.com]

Ooh . . . now I have to read The Realm of Possibility. If we've ordered it it MAY get here by Christmas. *sigh* There's no love for YA books in my library system.

[dirtylibrarian.livejournal.com]

Sure there is...you love them. It will spread ;)

[libation.livejournal.com]

It doesn't work in this library system. We have to fight for every one we get because YA books make up such a small percentage of overall circ stats. We are also encouraged to get as much as possible in paperback only and not "waste money" on hardcovers. :(

[dirtylibrarian.livejournal.com]

That is really hard.

I suppose they don't have money for conference support either? Getting on a YALSA committee can be a good way to get lots of free teen books ;)