May books

[dirtylibrarian]

Forever (Powers Volume 7)
Brian Michael Bendis
Adult Graphic Novel
Superheroes. Origin stories. Eternal life. Loss. Evolution. Rivals.
Interesting back story...but I'm more anxious to know what is happening next in this series!

Are We There Yet?
David Levithan
Adult Fiction
Brothers. Travel. Self-knowledge. Italy. Tourism. Exploration. Romance. Food. Love.
Great book. Pretty quick read. Not sure teens will dig it, but I loved it.

Bombay: Gateway of India
Raghubir Singh
Adult Photography
India. Daily life. Celebrities. People. Celebrations.
Not bad, but I wanted more.

ttyl
Lauren Myracle
Teen Fiction
Friendship. Instant messaging. Gossip. Romance. Dealing with mean people.
Cute. I don't think it will stick with me, but will resonate with teen girls.

Fire in the Heart: A Spiritual Guide for Teens
Deepak Chopra
Teen Non-Fiction
Spirituality. Contemplation. Life direction. Guidance for teens.
Pretty good. There were a couple of things that I think I will come back to later.

The Dark Horse Book of Witchcraft
Scott Allie (ed.)
Adult Graphic Novel
Witches. Witchcraft. Ugly monsters. Evil.
Lame.

Washington 24/7
Adult Photography
Photography. DK America 24/7 State Book. Washingtonians. Diversity. Scenery.
Best part of this was seeing some of the diversity of Washington residents, and learning a little bit more about them. I would love to see a more in-depth photography book focusing on different communities w/in the Seattle area.

Shrimp
Rachel Cohn
Teen Fiction
Family. Dating. True love. Being true to yourself. Girlfriends. San Fransisco. New York. Cooking.
Solid sequel to Gingerbread. I was glad to watch the characters continue to grow (however slowly).

Forbidden Dance Volume 2
Hinako Ashihara
Teen Graphic Novel
Ballet. Competition. Practice. Talent. Hard work. Romance. Jealousy.
I had to read this one because of the cliffhanger in the first, but I think I'm over it ;)

Runaways: Pride & Joy (Volume 1)
Brian K. Vaughan
Teen Graphic Novel
Teenagers. Parents. Evil super villains. Survival. Secrets. Discovery.
Fun read! I'm looking forward to seeing where this goes.

The Tiger in the Well (Sally Lockhard Mysteries)
Philip Pullman
Teen Book on Tape
Conspiracies. Victorian London. Rights of women. Legal entanglements. Threats to family. Mysteries. Evil villains. Socialism vs. Capitalism.
Engrossing! The very premise had me at the edge of my seat from the start...and I don't think I breathed properly until I finished the tapes.

Silly Daddy
Joe Chiappetta
Adult Graphic Novel
Cartoonists. Parenthood. Father daughter relationships.
Good, but not fabulous.

Pop Surrealism
Kirsten Anderson
Adult Non-Fiction
Contemporary art. Bizarre images. Pop culture.
Fun, though disappointingly brief, look at this current trend in fine art.

Superman & Batman: Public Enemies - Volume 1
Jeph Loeb
Adult Graphic Novel
Team-ups. Lex Luthor. World under threat. Big variety of DC superheroes.
Good, but I'm getting tired of these stories.

Twilight
Stephenie Meyer
Teen Fiction
Vampires. Pacific Northwest. High school life. Romance. Forks, WA. Phoenix, AZ.
Great new vampire story, which is sure to be a hit with teens. Near squeaky clean, yet suspenseful and fun. Does not follow vampire conventions, and is a little far out at times, but highly entertaining.

I Am the Messenger
Markus Zusak
Teen Fiction
Post-teens. Australia. Working class ruts. Taxi driving. Mysterious strangers. Playing cards. Friendship. Heroism. Responsibility.
Though I wasn't satisfied with the ending of this book, the rest of it was terrific. A nice look at how a little effort can make big impacts on other people's lives.

The Trial
Jen Bryant
Tween Fiction
Novel-in-verse. Lindbergh kidnapping. Trials. Reporters. Family. Friendship.
Good historical fiction and poetry both.

Supreme Power Vol 1: Contact
J. Michael Stracyznski
Adult Graphic Novel
Superheroes. Government. Power. Heroes. Destiny. Meaning.
Asks, what if Superman had crashed to Earth during the 70s, and the government had gotten to him and raised him their way.

Witch Class
Lee Ruiz
Teen Graphic Novel
Manga. Witches. Apprenticeships. Werewolves. Competitive friends. Lost love.
Fun enough.

Garlic and Sapphires
Ruth Reichl
Adult Book on Tape
Food. Restaurant critics. New York City. New York Times. Family. Disguises. Friendship. Life changes.
I LOVE R.R.'s books...especially on tape. This one was as great as the last, and I found all the costumes especially entertaining.

Orphen Volume 1
Yoshinobu Akita
Teen Graphic Novel
Manga. Sorcerers. Debt. Friendship. Magical creatures. Quests. Romance. Adventure.
Cute enough, but I think the characters would get on my nerves pretty quickly.

Emako Blue
Brenda Woods
Teen Fiction
High school life. Inner city Los Angeles. Choir. Friendship. Dating. Gangs. Death. Loss.
A book about gritty urban life suitable for booktalking to junior high students. Good for reluctant readers.

Hack #1: Legend of the Twilight Bracelet
Rei Izumi
Teen Graphic Novel
Video games. Virtual reality. Brothers and sisters. Fantasy. The World.
Fun book, which will particularly appeal to gamers.

Sokora Refugees Volume 1
Segamu
Teen Graphic Novel
Fairies. Boarding schools. Unexpected developments. Friendship. Bodies. Fantasy. Adventure.
Not a bad story, but as much as it pokes fun at manga's obsession with boobs, it plays to it just as much.

Donorboy
Brendan Halpin
Teen Fiction
Loss. Mourning. Lesbian mothers. Found father. Friendship. Family. Love. Caring. Pain. Growth.
Great story, told in emails, journal, and other medias. Moving both for adults and teens.

50 Rules for Teenagers
Na Ye-Ri
Teen Graphic Novel
Manga. Siblings. Twins. Power struggles. High school. Parents playing favorites.
I think many teens will enjoy this series about a teen girl trying to knock down her brother's most-favored status, so she can stop doing everything for her family.

American Splendor: Our Movie Year
Harvey Pekar
Adult Graphic Novel
Filmmaking. Everyday life. Family. Harvey Pekar.
A bit repetitious at times, but good reading none the less. I especially liked bits he included about jazz history.

Kodocha: Sana's Stage 1
Miho Obana
Teen Graphic Novel
Manga. Child stars. Television. Problem behavior. Helpfulness. Family drama. Loss. Friendship.
Cute.