February 2013 books
Soulless (The Manga - Volume 2)
Gail Carriger
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Yes.
Steampunk. Fashion. Mysteries. Vampires. Scotland. Werewolves.
Fun, but doesn't necessarily add anything to the original books. Except maybe visual depictions of the clothes.
The Nao of Brown
Glyn Dillon
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Yes.
Personal demons. London. Washing machines. Collectable toys. Artists. Buddism. Violent impulses. Dating.
Very interesting, but ultimately doesn't pull together quite enough to truly enamour me.
Year Zero
Rob Reid
Adult Audiobook
Recommend?: Yes.
Science fiction. Music industry. Copyright. Aliens. Threats to humanity. Fandom. Romance. Lawyers.
I listened to most of this, and feel it is stronger as an audiobook than as straight fiction. Fun, but not life changing.
The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service (Volume 13)
Eiji Otsuka
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Yes.
Horror. Manga. Japan. Family secrets. Stalkers. Mind control. Court cases. Poetry. Nature.
Dark, creepy, and funny. I'm not sure why I’m hooked on this series, but I am.
Dodger
Terry Pratchett
Teen Audiobook
Recommend?: Definitely!
London. Victorians. Authors. Murderers. Historical Fantasy. Plots. Heroes. Scamps. Stinky dogs. Old Jewish men.
Super delightful. Nice change from Discworld books, but just as funny and meaningful. Loved it.
Lunch in Paris: A Love Story, with Recipes
Elizabeth Bard
Adult Fiction
Recommend?: Yes.
Romance. Paris. Food. Expats.
Nice story, great recipes.
What We Saw At Night
Jacquelyn Mitchard
Teen Audiobook
Recommend?: No.
Parkor. Teens. Minnesota. Diseases. Mysteries. Disappearances.
I really can't remember the last time a book annoyed me so much.
Peanut
Ayun Halliday
Teen Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Yes.
New schools. First impressions. Allergies. Lies. Deception. Forgiveness.
Pretty good, but I didn't love it.
Girl Walks into a Bar... Comedy Calamities, Dating Disasters, and a Midlife Miracle
Rachel Dratch
Adult Non-Fiction
Recommend?: Yes.
Comedians. Memoirs. Celebrity. NYC. LA. Dating. Fear. Resignation. Pregnancy.
Not bad. I mostly read it for the inspiration of a 43 year old woman getting pregnant and not having any real difficulty.
No Crystal Stair: A Documentary Novel of the Life and Work of Lewis Michaux, Harlem Bookseller
Vaunda Micheaux Nelson
Teen Fiction
Recommend?: Yes.
Booksellers. NYC. African Americans. Civil rights.
Good stuff. Works well, despite the tricky documenary novel status.
Stag's Leap: Poems
Sharon Olds
Adult Poetry
Recommend?: Definitely!
Divorce. Loss of love. Separation. Sadness. Depression. Healing.
A rather sad collection from one of my favorite poets, but well worth reading.
Guts (Wonder Woman - Volume 2)
Brian Azzarello
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Shrug.
Goddesses. Gods. Grudges. Underworld. Siblings. Murder. Pregnancies. Legacies. Zeus.
I'm just not really into this. The more I read Wonder Woman the less I care.
In Darkness
Nick Lake
Teen Fiction
Recommend?: Definitely!
Haiti. Earthquakes. Gangs. Violence. Poverty. Slums. Revolutions. Historical fantasy.
Quite excellent! Grim at first, but what a read.
Spark of Death (Professor Bradshaw - Volume 1)
Bernadette Pajer
Adult Audiobook
Recommend?: Yes.
Seattle. Historical mysteries. Electricity. Professors. UW. Murder. Anarchists. Suicide. Loss. Detecting. Healing.
Very interesting and fun, but definitately felt like a first novel to me. Looking forward to having time to see how the author and the series develop.
Saturn Apartments (Volume 6)
Hisae Iwaoka
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Yes.
Science fiction. Class wars. Endangerment. Corporate corruption. Fires. Window washers. Dreams.
Lovely series, though it is dragging just a bit. I don't know how many more characters they hope to introduce.
Werewolves of the Heartland (Fables)
Bill Willingham
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Shrug.
Werewolves. Legends. Gods. Small towns. Rebellions.
I didn't particularly like the art in this one, and the storyline left me pretty cold too.
Talking Pictures: Images and Messages Rescued from the Past
Ransom Riggs
Adult Photography
Recommend?: Definitely!
Vintage photographs. Collections. Story.
Beautiful little book. Well put together and great layout too.
Calling Dr. Laura: A Graphic Memoir
Nicole Georges
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Yes.
Portland. Lesbians. Coming of age. Mothers. Family. Secrets.
So Portland!
Taxidermied: The Art of Roman Dirge
Roman Dirge
Adult Non-Fiction
Recommend?: Yes.
Art. Darkness. Gothic sensibilites. Monsters. Pretty ladies. Weirdness.
Worth a peek.
Gloriana
Kevin Huizenga
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Shrug.
Short stories.
I've already forgotten what this was about. I don't think it was bad.
Gail Carriger
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Yes.
Steampunk. Fashion. Mysteries. Vampires. Scotland. Werewolves.
Fun, but doesn't necessarily add anything to the original books. Except maybe visual depictions of the clothes.
The Nao of Brown
Glyn Dillon
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Yes.
Personal demons. London. Washing machines. Collectable toys. Artists. Buddism. Violent impulses. Dating.
Very interesting, but ultimately doesn't pull together quite enough to truly enamour me.
Year Zero
Rob Reid
Adult Audiobook
Recommend?: Yes.
Science fiction. Music industry. Copyright. Aliens. Threats to humanity. Fandom. Romance. Lawyers.
I listened to most of this, and feel it is stronger as an audiobook than as straight fiction. Fun, but not life changing.
The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service (Volume 13)
Eiji Otsuka
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Yes.
Horror. Manga. Japan. Family secrets. Stalkers. Mind control. Court cases. Poetry. Nature.
Dark, creepy, and funny. I'm not sure why I’m hooked on this series, but I am.
Dodger
Terry Pratchett
Teen Audiobook
Recommend?: Definitely!
London. Victorians. Authors. Murderers. Historical Fantasy. Plots. Heroes. Scamps. Stinky dogs. Old Jewish men.
Super delightful. Nice change from Discworld books, but just as funny and meaningful. Loved it.
Lunch in Paris: A Love Story, with Recipes
Elizabeth Bard
Adult Fiction
Recommend?: Yes.
Romance. Paris. Food. Expats.
Nice story, great recipes.
What We Saw At Night
Jacquelyn Mitchard
Teen Audiobook
Recommend?: No.
Parkor. Teens. Minnesota. Diseases. Mysteries. Disappearances.
I really can't remember the last time a book annoyed me so much.
Peanut
Ayun Halliday
Teen Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Yes.
New schools. First impressions. Allergies. Lies. Deception. Forgiveness.
Pretty good, but I didn't love it.
Girl Walks into a Bar... Comedy Calamities, Dating Disasters, and a Midlife Miracle
Rachel Dratch
Adult Non-Fiction
Recommend?: Yes.
Comedians. Memoirs. Celebrity. NYC. LA. Dating. Fear. Resignation. Pregnancy.
Not bad. I mostly read it for the inspiration of a 43 year old woman getting pregnant and not having any real difficulty.
No Crystal Stair: A Documentary Novel of the Life and Work of Lewis Michaux, Harlem Bookseller
Vaunda Micheaux Nelson
Teen Fiction
Recommend?: Yes.
Booksellers. NYC. African Americans. Civil rights.
Good stuff. Works well, despite the tricky documenary novel status.
Stag's Leap: Poems
Sharon Olds
Adult Poetry
Recommend?: Definitely!
Divorce. Loss of love. Separation. Sadness. Depression. Healing.
A rather sad collection from one of my favorite poets, but well worth reading.
Guts (Wonder Woman - Volume 2)
Brian Azzarello
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Shrug.
Goddesses. Gods. Grudges. Underworld. Siblings. Murder. Pregnancies. Legacies. Zeus.
I'm just not really into this. The more I read Wonder Woman the less I care.
In Darkness
Nick Lake
Teen Fiction
Recommend?: Definitely!
Haiti. Earthquakes. Gangs. Violence. Poverty. Slums. Revolutions. Historical fantasy.
Quite excellent! Grim at first, but what a read.
Spark of Death (Professor Bradshaw - Volume 1)
Bernadette Pajer
Adult Audiobook
Recommend?: Yes.
Seattle. Historical mysteries. Electricity. Professors. UW. Murder. Anarchists. Suicide. Loss. Detecting. Healing.
Very interesting and fun, but definitately felt like a first novel to me. Looking forward to having time to see how the author and the series develop.
Saturn Apartments (Volume 6)
Hisae Iwaoka
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Yes.
Science fiction. Class wars. Endangerment. Corporate corruption. Fires. Window washers. Dreams.
Lovely series, though it is dragging just a bit. I don't know how many more characters they hope to introduce.
Werewolves of the Heartland (Fables)
Bill Willingham
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Shrug.
Werewolves. Legends. Gods. Small towns. Rebellions.
I didn't particularly like the art in this one, and the storyline left me pretty cold too.
Talking Pictures: Images and Messages Rescued from the Past
Ransom Riggs
Adult Photography
Recommend?: Definitely!
Vintage photographs. Collections. Story.
Beautiful little book. Well put together and great layout too.
Calling Dr. Laura: A Graphic Memoir
Nicole Georges
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Yes.
Portland. Lesbians. Coming of age. Mothers. Family. Secrets.
So Portland!
Taxidermied: The Art of Roman Dirge
Roman Dirge
Adult Non-Fiction
Recommend?: Yes.
Art. Darkness. Gothic sensibilites. Monsters. Pretty ladies. Weirdness.
Worth a peek.
Gloriana
Kevin Huizenga
Adult Graphic Novel
Recommend?: Shrug.
Short stories.
I've already forgotten what this was about. I don't think it was bad.