81. Gullstruck Island by Frances Hardinge (also published under the title "Lost Conspiracy")
Written for children I suppose, but that's never stopped me. Great World & Culture building. Also about a girl always livign in her sister's shadow stepping up to save the day.)
More on the awesome world building: The Lost are psychics who have the ability to leave their bodies and check on goings-on far away from their physical selves. (When they are young they can have trouble finding their way back into their bodies hence "Lost.") The tribe these psychics occur in is native to an island with three (or more?) volcanoes of various levels of activity. The island has been colonized by generations by a civilization bogged down in formality & protocol with very little practical knowledge of how the tribe, the Lost, or the volcanoes really operate, but they depend heavily on the Lost for settlement to settlement communication. So what happens when there are no Lost, or maybe only one?
82. Stuff Hipsters Hate by Ehrich & Barty
...I might be a hipster. This was a great lesson for me in taking myself less seriously. Also revealed many interesting insights on the hipster male, of which the dishing-on was primarily laid.
83. Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon (audiobooked)
A mystery for bibliophiles. What lengths would a person go to for their favorite author whose books are being quietly, secretly being collected an destroyed? Full of wonderfully turned quotes about life, love & the power of a good book.
84. The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen (audiobooked)
Another amazing & eventually sweet little novel. She has a running theme of not fitting-in in small town settings, but different every time. Also as always, mostly realistic but with just a smidge of magic.
85. Castle Waiting. Vol 2. by Linda Medley
The adventures of the motley crew at more about the castle itself which really is acting almost as a character it is so active. While this is appropriate for children there are some jokes hidden for older readers without getting scandalous. If you liked Princess Bride this will be up your alley!
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Monday, September 19, 2011
August Reading
71. Fables. Vol 15: Rose Red
Fables has sort of lost momentum for me, but I'm not giving up on it yet. In their favor someone did apparently hear me cussing about Rose Red turning into Sleeping Beauty...
72. The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen
Another frothy tale from Sara Addison Allen, sweet and a bit chick lit. but with so very much heart. Also addresses how living in a small town can make it hard to grow out of your former selves.
73. The Sweetness a the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley (re)
Re-read this to help out at a book group. I thought being a mystery I might not enjoy the re-read as much as the first reading, but it held up very well. & Flavia the 11-year-old, poison obsessed sleuth is still absolutely fabulous. (Although YA appropriate, don't count this book out post-YA-ers.)
74. Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
Historical fiction biography of Thomas Cromwell. Mostly my reading on Henry VIII's court has been decidedly queen-centric, this was an interesting shift in point of view.
75. The Stories of Ibis by Hiroshi Yamamoto
For me this was very sci-fi, I tend more toward fantasy. Set in the future when humans are nomadic tribes & the dominate civilization is that of robots. But this is so much more than a human vs. robots plot; this was some of the most thought-provoking futuristic fiction I've read in a few years. The short stories told within the plot line of the novel were extremely well-crafted in their own right, any one of them was outstanding on it's own, but they built on each other... I was impressed by the portrayal of how cultures are informed through their stories, possibly one of the best examples of this I've read. (So good I made my library buy it just so I could Staff Pick it.)
76. Beastly by Alex Flinn
Audio-booked. Sweet, YA rewrite of Beauty & the Beast. I did try to read it first but got bogged down in the open scene in a chat room with way too much webspeak for my poor little brain to handle, luckily this does not carry on for the majority of the book. Mostly I picked this up because of all the nice teens who are reading it...
77. The Virgin Project by Kevin Boze & Stasia Kato (now Stasia Burrington)
I picked this up because I came across the art of Stasia Burrington (& the lady herself) at Seattle Art Walk in Occidental Park a few months ago. I have since become a raving fan of her illustration. Raving. (& she has an Etsy shop.)
....And this was an interesting project. Admittedly the art was less amazing than I had expected, but it is much earlier work & there are crumbs of the charm & heart that she has so greatly developed now. The stories are amazing, strange, tragic, wonderful and so many other things. I highly recommend it.
78. The Virgin Project 2 by Kevin Boze & Stasia Kato
79. Tokyo on Foot: Travels in the City's Most Colorful Neighborhoods by Florent Chavouet
This was a bright, fun little travel journal. It is exactly a beautiful sketch book of a guy in Tokyo. If you will be disappointed by a lack of plot arc this is not for you, but if you like little details & noticing them & the kind of people that do notice them, than it is.
80. A Very Long Engagement by Sebastien Japrisot (re)
I realized I did not remember this well enough to reference in conversation & was shamed. It held up extremely well to re-reading. If there is a great long list somewhere amazing war novels then this should be on it, because of what has to say about the pettiness of humans and the astounding lengths we go for love.
Fables has sort of lost momentum for me, but I'm not giving up on it yet. In their favor someone did apparently hear me cussing about Rose Red turning into Sleeping Beauty...
72. The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen
Another frothy tale from Sara Addison Allen, sweet and a bit chick lit. but with so very much heart. Also addresses how living in a small town can make it hard to grow out of your former selves.
73. The Sweetness a the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley (re)
Re-read this to help out at a book group. I thought being a mystery I might not enjoy the re-read as much as the first reading, but it held up very well. & Flavia the 11-year-old, poison obsessed sleuth is still absolutely fabulous. (Although YA appropriate, don't count this book out post-YA-ers.)
74. Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
Historical fiction biography of Thomas Cromwell. Mostly my reading on Henry VIII's court has been decidedly queen-centric, this was an interesting shift in point of view.
75. The Stories of Ibis by Hiroshi Yamamoto
For me this was very sci-fi, I tend more toward fantasy. Set in the future when humans are nomadic tribes & the dominate civilization is that of robots. But this is so much more than a human vs. robots plot; this was some of the most thought-provoking futuristic fiction I've read in a few years. The short stories told within the plot line of the novel were extremely well-crafted in their own right, any one of them was outstanding on it's own, but they built on each other... I was impressed by the portrayal of how cultures are informed through their stories, possibly one of the best examples of this I've read. (So good I made my library buy it just so I could Staff Pick it.)
76. Beastly by Alex Flinn
Audio-booked. Sweet, YA rewrite of Beauty & the Beast. I did try to read it first but got bogged down in the open scene in a chat room with way too much webspeak for my poor little brain to handle, luckily this does not carry on for the majority of the book. Mostly I picked this up because of all the nice teens who are reading it...
77. The Virgin Project by Kevin Boze & Stasia Kato (now Stasia Burrington)
I picked this up because I came across the art of Stasia Burrington (& the lady herself) at Seattle Art Walk in Occidental Park a few months ago. I have since become a raving fan of her illustration. Raving. (& she has an Etsy shop.)
....And this was an interesting project. Admittedly the art was less amazing than I had expected, but it is much earlier work & there are crumbs of the charm & heart that she has so greatly developed now. The stories are amazing, strange, tragic, wonderful and so many other things. I highly recommend it.
78. The Virgin Project 2 by Kevin Boze & Stasia Kato
79. Tokyo on Foot: Travels in the City's Most Colorful Neighborhoods by Florent Chavouet
This was a bright, fun little travel journal. It is exactly a beautiful sketch book of a guy in Tokyo. If you will be disappointed by a lack of plot arc this is not for you, but if you like little details & noticing them & the kind of people that do notice them, than it is.
80. A Very Long Engagement by Sebastien Japrisot (re)
I realized I did not remember this well enough to reference in conversation & was shamed. It held up extremely well to re-reading. If there is a great long list somewhere amazing war novels then this should be on it, because of what has to say about the pettiness of humans and the astounding lengths we go for love.
Saturday, August 20, 2011
July Readings
55. Palimpsest by Catherynne M. Valente
Sucked my heart out with amazing writing style & imagery, I had to make sure she'd written more so I could chill on rationing pages to make it last... but is difficult to recommend generally.... I think it would be particularly enjoyed by people who are really into urban spaces on a philosophical level if they can manage not to be offended a shared dream STD. you've been warned....
56. Nathaniel Fludd Beastologist: Book One- Flight of the Phoenix by R.L. LaFevers
Cute little fantasy orphan coming-of-age novel for the elementary set particularly for fans of James & the Giant Peach, but less demanding than Dahl generally is. I'd be interested to see how this series develops.
57. Your Pinkie is More Powerful Than Your Thumb :And 333 Other Surprising Facts That Will Make You Wealthier, Healthier and Smarter Than Everyone Else by Mark DiVincenzo
Delightful collection of recent science trivia.
58. Library Wars 1: Love & War by Kiiro Yumi
General concept: the government has taken up heavy censorship that can only be stopped by an active military force within the library system, excellent. On the other hand this is definitely shojo, in content & labeled as such. There is an awful lot of the main character bemoaning a mystery crush and a teacher who seems harsh. I might read the next volume...
59. Black Bird 6 by Kanoko Sakurakoji
The romance between a special human girl & the leader of a demon clan continues. Jealousy is a major theme in this volume, again handled on a very shojo level.
60. Black Bird 7 by Kanoko Sakurakoji
61. Mouse Guard, Winter 1152 by David Peterson
A great little graphic novel, perfect for Redwall fans.
62. Castle Waiting by Linda Medley
A great graphic novel. I think this was a cataloged as juvenile, but it isn't too light for adult reading. This would be good for fans of the Princess Bride, and for fans of the Fables series though much lighter in tone. Also this is a graphic novel that is weights in as a 472 page hardcover so there is none of that volume-over-before-it's-gained-momentum issue that less lengthy comics are prone to. It did take me well into the first chapter to be sold on this and then I was hooked. Very much looking forward to the next installment.
63. Anything but Typical by Nora Raleigh Baskin
This book broke my heart. High-functioning, preteen boy in the Autism spectrum, getting through the days... read it.
64.Ship Breaker by Paulo Bacigalupi
Action adventure, good as an audiobook. Lowly peasant saves snotty princess who gets less snotty, in a future where all the resources we have are the trash we dropped at the bottom of the oceans when we didn't need it. An interesting vision of where our global choices will put individuals in years to come, lots of great hard-boiled characters.
65. Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen
Audiobooked. I picked this up because it was recommended to me by someone very dear. I probably wouldn't have picked it up otherwise as the form is a little bit "Chick-Lit," but sometimes that can be exactly the right thing. These are not extraordinary lives, but they are women with tough stuff in their souls, and that reminds me of the tough stuff in my soul & of she who recommended it. That is what makes this worth reading. Might be good for fans of Alice Hoffman, lighter magical element, less dire generally.
66. Shades of Milk and Honey by Mary Robinette Kowal
Jane Austen fans rejoice! Now with Magic! The temptation to go out and buy this for my seven favorite Austen fans after the first ten pages was high. (Saved only by being so ill I could barely convince myself to stand up...)
67. Wither (The Chemical Garden Trilogy) by Lauren DeStefano
I'm a sucker for dystopian futures. Humanity thought it could wipe out all diseases associated with old age & did but in the next generation all the girls die at twenty, all the boys at twenty-five. Social order rewrite. Polygamous social politics... Would recommend to fans of Matched by Ally Condie.
68. Ooku: The Inner Chambers, vol. 5. by Fumi Yoshinaga
The alter-history of Japan continues...
69. BoneShaker by Kate Milford
A great juv. novel set in 1914 Mid-West. Tomboy girl. Machinery, automatons. Sketchy traveling sales folk. Magic. It was wonderful!
70. The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente
Fans of Alice in Wonderland take note! This is one of the best fairy tales I've read in an awfully long time. I think it would be great for a child but it also has metaphor and life lessons that will appeal to adults of the right persuasion. I rationed myself on this book to make it last as long as it could.
Sucked my heart out with amazing writing style & imagery, I had to make sure she'd written more so I could chill on rationing pages to make it last... but is difficult to recommend generally.... I think it would be particularly enjoyed by people who are really into urban spaces on a philosophical level if they can manage not to be offended a shared dream STD. you've been warned....
56. Nathaniel Fludd Beastologist: Book One- Flight of the Phoenix by R.L. LaFevers
Cute little fantasy orphan coming-of-age novel for the elementary set particularly for fans of James & the Giant Peach, but less demanding than Dahl generally is. I'd be interested to see how this series develops.
57. Your Pinkie is More Powerful Than Your Thumb :And 333 Other Surprising Facts That Will Make You Wealthier, Healthier and Smarter Than Everyone Else by Mark DiVincenzo
Delightful collection of recent science trivia.
58. Library Wars 1: Love & War by Kiiro Yumi
General concept: the government has taken up heavy censorship that can only be stopped by an active military force within the library system, excellent. On the other hand this is definitely shojo, in content & labeled as such. There is an awful lot of the main character bemoaning a mystery crush and a teacher who seems harsh. I might read the next volume...
59. Black Bird 6 by Kanoko Sakurakoji
The romance between a special human girl & the leader of a demon clan continues. Jealousy is a major theme in this volume, again handled on a very shojo level.
60. Black Bird 7 by Kanoko Sakurakoji
61. Mouse Guard, Winter 1152 by David Peterson
A great little graphic novel, perfect for Redwall fans.
62. Castle Waiting by Linda Medley
A great graphic novel. I think this was a cataloged as juvenile, but it isn't too light for adult reading. This would be good for fans of the Princess Bride, and for fans of the Fables series though much lighter in tone. Also this is a graphic novel that is weights in as a 472 page hardcover so there is none of that volume-over-before-it's-gained-momentum issue that less lengthy comics are prone to. It did take me well into the first chapter to be sold on this and then I was hooked. Very much looking forward to the next installment.
63. Anything but Typical by Nora Raleigh Baskin
This book broke my heart. High-functioning, preteen boy in the Autism spectrum, getting through the days... read it.
64.Ship Breaker by Paulo Bacigalupi
Action adventure, good as an audiobook. Lowly peasant saves snotty princess who gets less snotty, in a future where all the resources we have are the trash we dropped at the bottom of the oceans when we didn't need it. An interesting vision of where our global choices will put individuals in years to come, lots of great hard-boiled characters.
65. Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen
Audiobooked. I picked this up because it was recommended to me by someone very dear. I probably wouldn't have picked it up otherwise as the form is a little bit "Chick-Lit," but sometimes that can be exactly the right thing. These are not extraordinary lives, but they are women with tough stuff in their souls, and that reminds me of the tough stuff in my soul & of she who recommended it. That is what makes this worth reading. Might be good for fans of Alice Hoffman, lighter magical element, less dire generally.
66. Shades of Milk and Honey by Mary Robinette Kowal
Jane Austen fans rejoice! Now with Magic! The temptation to go out and buy this for my seven favorite Austen fans after the first ten pages was high. (Saved only by being so ill I could barely convince myself to stand up...)
67. Wither (The Chemical Garden Trilogy) by Lauren DeStefano
I'm a sucker for dystopian futures. Humanity thought it could wipe out all diseases associated with old age & did but in the next generation all the girls die at twenty, all the boys at twenty-five. Social order rewrite. Polygamous social politics... Would recommend to fans of Matched by Ally Condie.
68. Ooku: The Inner Chambers, vol. 5. by Fumi Yoshinaga
The alter-history of Japan continues...
69. BoneShaker by Kate Milford
A great juv. novel set in 1914 Mid-West. Tomboy girl. Machinery, automatons. Sketchy traveling sales folk. Magic. It was wonderful!
70. The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente
Fans of Alice in Wonderland take note! This is one of the best fairy tales I've read in an awfully long time. I think it would be great for a child but it also has metaphor and life lessons that will appeal to adults of the right persuasion. I rationed myself on this book to make it last as long as it could.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
June readings
50. How to Kill a Rock Star by Tiffanie DeBartolo (Another great modern love story by DeBartolo, God-Shaped Hole...Dream for An Insomniac... these are not romance novels in a genre sense, these are romantic in a gut-wrenching, gambling with your soul sense. It feels way more accurate to me.)
51. The Girl in the Flammable Skirt: Stories by Aimee Bender (Bender blows my mind. These stories are nothing like real life, they are so far beyond reality, past reality, twists of reality. Amazing, bend your mind, stretch it.)
52. The Bed of Procrustes: Philosophical & Practical Aphorisms by Nassim Nicholas Taleb (Some great quotables in this, not all agreeable but much to provoke thought & some laughter.)
53. Oh No She Didn't: The Top 100 Style Mistakes Women Make And How to Avoid Them by Clinton Kelly (Not high literature by any means, but a bit funny if you're in the mood for the very lightest of reading with a sprinkle of snark.)
54. Death: a User's Guide by Tom Hickman ( A fun survey of death culture in many nations and throughout history. The writing was humorous without being discourteous to any particular view. It was a book that didn't care how long I took a break from it, worked on it off and on without any loss of enjoyment or educational value.)
51. The Girl in the Flammable Skirt: Stories by Aimee Bender (Bender blows my mind. These stories are nothing like real life, they are so far beyond reality, past reality, twists of reality. Amazing, bend your mind, stretch it.)
52. The Bed of Procrustes: Philosophical & Practical Aphorisms by Nassim Nicholas Taleb (Some great quotables in this, not all agreeable but much to provoke thought & some laughter.)
53. Oh No She Didn't: The Top 100 Style Mistakes Women Make And How to Avoid Them by Clinton Kelly (Not high literature by any means, but a bit funny if you're in the mood for the very lightest of reading with a sprinkle of snark.)
54. Death: a User's Guide by Tom Hickman ( A fun survey of death culture in many nations and throughout history. The writing was humorous without being discourteous to any particular view. It was a book that didn't care how long I took a break from it, worked on it off and on without any loss of enjoyment or educational value.)
Thursday, July 7, 2011
May Readings
46. Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (re)
47. Love Comes First: Poems by Erica Jong
48. A Rare and Curious Gift by Pauline Holstock (This was another case of maybe I should have just let it go half way through. In trying to take pictures of a whole Renaissance art community attention got spread so thin I started merging similar old-guy painter characters. On the other hand she was pretty amazing at showing how very, very differently an action can be interpreted depending on which character is viewing it, the extreme tint our own point of view puts on the story we believe we're living in. This could be described as a tragic clash of points of view. I wish she'd just stuck to the names of the artists she was basing it on, or at least put the historical note at the beginning...I spent way too much time trying to figure out if she was referring to who I thought she was. She was.)
49. The Girl Who Played with Fire (re)
April readings
43. The Confessions of Catherine de Medici by C. W. Gortner (Quite good. Historical fiction lovers take note. A nice "bad guy" side of the story; I bet you'll feel for her by the end.)
44. Best New Poets 2008: 50 Poems From Emerging Writers. edited by Mark Strand. (Came up in a search for Mark Strand, just enough good one to make me wade through the dross.)
45. Green by Jay Lake (About half way through this I felt like the author got more interested in world-culture building than in his characters. By half way I wanted to know exactly how big an emotional time bomb, & how deadly a ninja, the main character would turn out to be. Maybe he felt a sudden need to really sell it as sci-fi fantasy rather than a novel set in an alternate history of the world... really enjoyed the first half, might have let it go if I'd had a long-awaited hold in.)
44. Best New Poets 2008: 50 Poems From Emerging Writers. edited by Mark Strand. (Came up in a search for Mark Strand, just enough good one to make me wade through the dross.)
45. Green by Jay Lake (About half way through this I felt like the author got more interested in world-culture building than in his characters. By half way I wanted to know exactly how big an emotional time bomb, & how deadly a ninja, the main character would turn out to be. Maybe he felt a sudden need to really sell it as sci-fi fantasy rather than a novel set in an alternate history of the world... really enjoyed the first half, might have let it go if I'd had a long-awaited hold in.)
Sunday, June 19, 2011
March Reading (so late, I know)
23. A Red Herring Without Mustard: A Flavia de Luce Novel by Alan Bradley
24. Emma, Vol. 8 (These have sort of lost momentum for me. I had to get Volume 6 through ILL, and the waiting sort of got me out of the story. Also at this point the author is following Emma's supporting characters, and I just don't care about them nearly as much, but I like a certain amount of comic book reading in my life, so...)
25. Emma, Vol. 9
26. Fried Butter: A Food Memoir by Abe Opincar (There is a sensuality to the style of writers who relate strongly to food that I really get into, this was a great example of that. See also Reckless Appetites: a Culinary Romance by Jacqueline Deval & Crescent by Diana Abu-Jaber.)
27. So, Now You Know... : A Compendium of Completely Useless Information by Harry Bright & Harlan Briscoe (Exactly what it sounds like, a nice, humorous, light read.)
28. Paris in Mind, edited by Jennifer Lee (Been reading this off & on for over a year. Reading about Paris is good for a particular kind of melancholy, but causes another when overdosed.)
29. Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan (Another wonderful collaboration between this two favorite YA authors. Nick & Nora's Infinite Playlist also not to be missed, but avoid the film at all costs. *shudder*)
30. Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia &Margaret Stohl (Did this as an audiobook. Having a the guy's point of view in a romance with a paranormal was interesting. I'm pretty much burned out on the YA paranormal romances, probably wouldn't have finished this if it hadn't been an audiobook.)
31. This Book Is Overdue!: How Librarians and Cybrarians Can Save Us All by Marilyn Johnson (I've been working on this off and on for a couple months. Great cure for a crisis of faith cause by bureaucracy.)
32. Other People's Rejection Letters, edited by Bill Shapiro (At first I was amused by this book, but by the end it just was horribly depressing.)
33. Fables 14: Witches (I almost didn't get this. The previous volume relied varily on a character I hate, and was just plain tedious, but Fable seems to be back on track and it's nice to seem some of the characters who have been at war for so long finally com into some small happinesses. I am however still considering this series on probation.)
34. Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier (Interesting merge of vampire mythos & the Twelve Dancing Princes, with a strong dose of Transylvanian historical novel, good cure for the common YA paranormal romance.)
35. Love is a Four-Legged Word by Kandy Shepard (Not proud of this. This novel took -10 off my street cred as a reader, but if you want to read something that takes no effort whatsoever...)
36. And the Pursuit of Happiness by Maira Kalman (I love this lady, this is a personal journal with illustrations with meditations on the historical figures in early U.S. history & whatever else crosses her mind.)
37. We Could Almost Eat Outside: An Appreciation of Life's Small Pleasures by Phillippe Delerm (A pleasant collection of musing a small, nice daily things.)
38. Our Paris; Sketches from Memory by Edmund White & Hubert Sorin (This is like hanging out with your gay best friend bragging about his wonderful life in Paris, don't be jealous, be happy for him. Sweet for his delight in their daily life & a guilty pleasure of being the one dished-to in gossip rather than the one dished-on. For a more literary-minded version of Edmund White's Paris check out The Flaneur: A Stroll Through the Paradoxes of Paris.
39. Frenzy by Francesca Lia Block (I boycotted this for a while because it is sad to see an author I admire as much as I do Francesca Lia Block give in to the YA paranormal romance genre, not once, but twice. This does however bring interesting material to the table, female werewolf protagonist, also racial prejudices, and small-town small-mindedness. While this is by no means Block's best work, or even in her top five, if you aren't familiar with her you won't miss the difference.)
40. The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart (This was fun & mischievous read. YA. Kind of made me want to go pull large-scale overly-intellectual pranks.)
41. Hint Fiction: An Anthology of Stories in 25 Words or Fewer, edited by Robert Swartwood (I love this. I wanted to hand it to everyone! It's so wonderfully compact and so interesting and satisfy, I only with their were more books like this. See also the Six Word Memoir books. Excellent!)
42. Incarceron by Catherine Fisher (Audiobooked. This got be through a lot of commuting. And I can think of teens I would recommend it to. Intriguing world theory, a country that used to have extremely advanced technology gave it up by royal decree, and now lives in a Georgian high-court world of politics & protocal, the ever hanging threat & mystery of a massive inescapable prison that's physical location is a mystery. The characters didn't hold me through the book and I knew it was going to be a cliff-hanger ending long before it arrived which made the end seem needlessly drawn out... but might give the sequel a shot, we'll see...)
24. Emma, Vol. 8 (These have sort of lost momentum for me. I had to get Volume 6 through ILL, and the waiting sort of got me out of the story. Also at this point the author is following Emma's supporting characters, and I just don't care about them nearly as much, but I like a certain amount of comic book reading in my life, so...)
25. Emma, Vol. 9
26. Fried Butter: A Food Memoir by Abe Opincar (There is a sensuality to the style of writers who relate strongly to food that I really get into, this was a great example of that. See also Reckless Appetites: a Culinary Romance by Jacqueline Deval & Crescent by Diana Abu-Jaber.)
27. So, Now You Know... : A Compendium of Completely Useless Information by Harry Bright & Harlan Briscoe (Exactly what it sounds like, a nice, humorous, light read.)
28. Paris in Mind, edited by Jennifer Lee (Been reading this off & on for over a year. Reading about Paris is good for a particular kind of melancholy, but causes another when overdosed.)
29. Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan (Another wonderful collaboration between this two favorite YA authors. Nick & Nora's Infinite Playlist also not to be missed, but avoid the film at all costs. *shudder*)
30. Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia &Margaret Stohl (Did this as an audiobook. Having a the guy's point of view in a romance with a paranormal was interesting. I'm pretty much burned out on the YA paranormal romances, probably wouldn't have finished this if it hadn't been an audiobook.)
31. This Book Is Overdue!: How Librarians and Cybrarians Can Save Us All by Marilyn Johnson (I've been working on this off and on for a couple months. Great cure for a crisis of faith cause by bureaucracy.)
32. Other People's Rejection Letters, edited by Bill Shapiro (At first I was amused by this book, but by the end it just was horribly depressing.)
33. Fables 14: Witches (I almost didn't get this. The previous volume relied varily on a character I hate, and was just plain tedious, but Fable seems to be back on track and it's nice to seem some of the characters who have been at war for so long finally com into some small happinesses. I am however still considering this series on probation.)
34. Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier (Interesting merge of vampire mythos & the Twelve Dancing Princes, with a strong dose of Transylvanian historical novel, good cure for the common YA paranormal romance.)
35. Love is a Four-Legged Word by Kandy Shepard (Not proud of this. This novel took -10 off my street cred as a reader, but if you want to read something that takes no effort whatsoever...)
36. And the Pursuit of Happiness by Maira Kalman (I love this lady, this is a personal journal with illustrations with meditations on the historical figures in early U.S. history & whatever else crosses her mind.)
37. We Could Almost Eat Outside: An Appreciation of Life's Small Pleasures by Phillippe Delerm (A pleasant collection of musing a small, nice daily things.)
38. Our Paris; Sketches from Memory by Edmund White & Hubert Sorin (This is like hanging out with your gay best friend bragging about his wonderful life in Paris, don't be jealous, be happy for him. Sweet for his delight in their daily life & a guilty pleasure of being the one dished-to in gossip rather than the one dished-on. For a more literary-minded version of Edmund White's Paris check out The Flaneur: A Stroll Through the Paradoxes of Paris.
39. Frenzy by Francesca Lia Block (I boycotted this for a while because it is sad to see an author I admire as much as I do Francesca Lia Block give in to the YA paranormal romance genre, not once, but twice. This does however bring interesting material to the table, female werewolf protagonist, also racial prejudices, and small-town small-mindedness. While this is by no means Block's best work, or even in her top five, if you aren't familiar with her you won't miss the difference.)
40. The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart (This was fun & mischievous read. YA. Kind of made me want to go pull large-scale overly-intellectual pranks.)
41. Hint Fiction: An Anthology of Stories in 25 Words or Fewer, edited by Robert Swartwood (I love this. I wanted to hand it to everyone! It's so wonderfully compact and so interesting and satisfy, I only with their were more books like this. See also the Six Word Memoir books. Excellent!)
42. Incarceron by Catherine Fisher (Audiobooked. This got be through a lot of commuting. And I can think of teens I would recommend it to. Intriguing world theory, a country that used to have extremely advanced technology gave it up by royal decree, and now lives in a Georgian high-court world of politics & protocal, the ever hanging threat & mystery of a massive inescapable prison that's physical location is a mystery. The characters didn't hold me through the book and I knew it was going to be a cliff-hanger ending long before it arrived which made the end seem needlessly drawn out... but might give the sequel a shot, we'll see...)
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
February Readings
11. Emma. Vol 6. (Kudos to ILL for getting this for me.)
12. The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox by Maggie O'Farrell (Audiobooked. Not sure if I would have read this but it was a good listen. I liked the shifting point of view between the adult granddaughter & the elderly sisters, one of who has been in a mental institute for 60 years, the other with dementia. I like how she used the later two characters to explore internal coping mechanisms. And I liked the adult grand daughter, maybe not liked exactly, but she made a lot of sense to me, her choices & shifting point of view.)
13. 77 Love Sonnets by Garrison Keillor (This is not mushy love poetry, it isn't even all poetry about romantic love, but it is poetry about loving life & living loves, if that makes any sense. I can't think of anyone I wouldn't hand this to if they were at all open to poetry.)
14. Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick (Another entry to the YA-supernatural-doomed-love genre. the twist is that it fallen angels rather than vampires & the heroine has a a more developed sense of self-preservation than Bella. not bad. only recommending to people who haven't seen past the Twilight glitter entirely yet.)
15. Lover's Dictionary: a novel by David Levithan (Genius Levithan strikes again. Nobody else I'm aware of is writing such good prose about what love is, the frothy as well as the gritty. And I'm a sucker for fiction with footnotes or in a encyclopedic format so this is doubly good.)
16. Emma Vol. 7 by Karu Mori
17. They Call Me Naughty Lola:Personal Ads from the London Review of Books. edited by David Rose (I didn't like this quite as much as the sequel, Sexually, I'm More of a Switzerland, but I might just have not been so in the mood for it. It didn't seem so sad before.)
18. It all changed in an instant: more Six Word Memoirs by authors Famous & Obscure, edited by Smith Magazine (I love this series!)
19. The Strange Affair of the Spring Heeled Jack by Mark Hodder (Steampuck mystery, it this becomes a series I'd check out the next one. The premise was odd, but it is steampunk is it pretty much has to be. Burton & Swinburne were hilarious once they got together, I'd have enjoyed it more if that had happened sooner.)
20. The Book of Eleven: An Itemized Collection of Brain Lint by Amy Krouse Rosenthal (She's had me hooked since Encyclopedia of An Ordinary Life. This wasn't as good as that, but I laughed some.)
21. Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly (Really, really good! Punk smart Brooklynite falls into revolutionary Paris, really great soundtrack if you recognize the songs they mention.)
22. How Did You Get This Number: essays by Sloane Crosley (Not exactly humor, but not not funny, odd, but good odd. I will read anything she puts her name to, I like the way she thinks.)
12. The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox by Maggie O'Farrell (Audiobooked. Not sure if I would have read this but it was a good listen. I liked the shifting point of view between the adult granddaughter & the elderly sisters, one of who has been in a mental institute for 60 years, the other with dementia. I like how she used the later two characters to explore internal coping mechanisms. And I liked the adult grand daughter, maybe not liked exactly, but she made a lot of sense to me, her choices & shifting point of view.)
13. 77 Love Sonnets by Garrison Keillor (This is not mushy love poetry, it isn't even all poetry about romantic love, but it is poetry about loving life & living loves, if that makes any sense. I can't think of anyone I wouldn't hand this to if they were at all open to poetry.)
14. Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick (Another entry to the YA-supernatural-doomed-love genre. the twist is that it fallen angels rather than vampires & the heroine has a a more developed sense of self-preservation than Bella. not bad. only recommending to people who haven't seen past the Twilight glitter entirely yet.)
15. Lover's Dictionary: a novel by David Levithan (Genius Levithan strikes again. Nobody else I'm aware of is writing such good prose about what love is, the frothy as well as the gritty. And I'm a sucker for fiction with footnotes or in a encyclopedic format so this is doubly good.)
16. Emma Vol. 7 by Karu Mori
17. They Call Me Naughty Lola:Personal Ads from the London Review of Books. edited by David Rose (I didn't like this quite as much as the sequel, Sexually, I'm More of a Switzerland, but I might just have not been so in the mood for it. It didn't seem so sad before.)
18. It all changed in an instant: more Six Word Memoirs by authors Famous & Obscure, edited by Smith Magazine (I love this series!)
19. The Strange Affair of the Spring Heeled Jack by Mark Hodder (Steampuck mystery, it this becomes a series I'd check out the next one. The premise was odd, but it is steampunk is it pretty much has to be. Burton & Swinburne were hilarious once they got together, I'd have enjoyed it more if that had happened sooner.)
20. The Book of Eleven: An Itemized Collection of Brain Lint by Amy Krouse Rosenthal (She's had me hooked since Encyclopedia of An Ordinary Life. This wasn't as good as that, but I laughed some.)
21. Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly (Really, really good! Punk smart Brooklynite falls into revolutionary Paris, really great soundtrack if you recognize the songs they mention.)
22. How Did You Get This Number: essays by Sloane Crosley (Not exactly humor, but not not funny, odd, but good odd. I will read anything she puts her name to, I like the way she thinks.)
January Readings
1. Sexually, I'm More of a Switzerland: More Personal Ads from the London Review of Books. Edited by David Rose. (Hilarious & sweet. Perfect for when you might feel like the oddest crayon in the box. Will put a hold on the first one. Thanks to J. for handing it to me.)
2. House of Dolls by Francesca Lia Block (My favorite rockstar author takes a crack at kids books... It's okay, but it's no Dangerous Angels.)
3. All Things Alice by Linda Sunshine (Cute little book of Lewis Carroll quotes with masses of vintage illustrations.)
4. Almost French by Sarah Turnbull (Memoir. It was interesting to see Paris from the point of view of an outsider trying to make a life there & that kept me in it even though I was not enthralled by her writing style.)
5. Dandelion Fire: Book 2 of the 100 Cupboards by N.D. Wilson (I really enjoyed 100 Cupboards but in its trilogy I found myself just barely keeping track of the multiple characters roaming separately and by the end I just didn't care anymore. Have not put the third on hold.)
6. Matched by Alley Condie (Very cool. Utopia/dystopia/futuristic. What is you lived in a society that found your perfect mate for you? What if it was wrong? Fans of Hunger Games, Brave New World, 1984... anyway, it's great fun. Question authority, read poetry.)
7. Walks with Men: fiction by Anne Beattie
8. The Frozen Thames by Helem Humphreys (A collection of short stories that take place on or around the Thames at various times when it was frozen. Interesting meditation on cold, ice, celebration, life in London over a long period of time in snapshots of lives.)
9. Baby, Remember My Name: An Anthology of New Queer Girl Writing. Edited by Michelle Tea. (My favorite was "Homo Marriage Redux" by Zoe Whittal. Some fun stuff, some sad stuff, some strange stuff, that's how anthologies go.)
10. Hold Me Closer, Necromancer by Lish McBride (I got through this because I liked the main character, but I'm a little critical of bringing this many kind of magical people into a reality (werewolves, necromancers, witches & more) theres a certain point where it just feels like someone pulled out a myth dictionary and started opening it at random & tossing out types. I think there were also parts that were supposed to be funny (idea propagated by Sherman Alexie quote on cover) that just weren't my kind of funny.... Not hating, but it wasn't quite for me.)
2. House of Dolls by Francesca Lia Block (My favorite rockstar author takes a crack at kids books... It's okay, but it's no Dangerous Angels.)
3. All Things Alice by Linda Sunshine (Cute little book of Lewis Carroll quotes with masses of vintage illustrations.)
4. Almost French by Sarah Turnbull (Memoir. It was interesting to see Paris from the point of view of an outsider trying to make a life there & that kept me in it even though I was not enthralled by her writing style.)
5. Dandelion Fire: Book 2 of the 100 Cupboards by N.D. Wilson (I really enjoyed 100 Cupboards but in its trilogy I found myself just barely keeping track of the multiple characters roaming separately and by the end I just didn't care anymore. Have not put the third on hold.)
6. Matched by Alley Condie (Very cool. Utopia/dystopia/futuristic. What is you lived in a society that found your perfect mate for you? What if it was wrong? Fans of Hunger Games, Brave New World, 1984... anyway, it's great fun. Question authority, read poetry.)
7. Walks with Men: fiction by Anne Beattie
8. The Frozen Thames by Helem Humphreys (A collection of short stories that take place on or around the Thames at various times when it was frozen. Interesting meditation on cold, ice, celebration, life in London over a long period of time in snapshots of lives.)
9. Baby, Remember My Name: An Anthology of New Queer Girl Writing. Edited by Michelle Tea. (My favorite was "Homo Marriage Redux" by Zoe Whittal. Some fun stuff, some sad stuff, some strange stuff, that's how anthologies go.)
10. Hold Me Closer, Necromancer by Lish McBride (I got through this because I liked the main character, but I'm a little critical of bringing this many kind of magical people into a reality (werewolves, necromancers, witches & more) theres a certain point where it just feels like someone pulled out a myth dictionary and started opening it at random & tossing out types. I think there were also parts that were supposed to be funny (idea propagated by Sherman Alexie quote on cover) that just weren't my kind of funny.... Not hating, but it wasn't quite for me.)
Friday, February 4, 2011
A good breakfast better include tea
A short survey of my breakfast for Plinkyness, the usual, the ideal...
tea
Tea is warm & I'm always cold in the morning. It's enough caffeine to get me moving without the overpoweringness of coffee. It's gentle, & mornings seem so harsh.
protein & carb
Usually this is eggs & toast for me, but I greatly prefer having a noodle+tofu dish left over from the night before. Leftover phad thai or #17 from the pho shop is fantastic.
vitamins
I don't really like my little collection of moring pills, often make me gag a little, but the multi, rosemary, cranberry, flax seed oil, & allergy tablet keep my body happier than it is without them. If I don't take them after breakfast it just isn't going to happen.
I can't say 'no' to books
I can't not give book recommendations. If someone asks me I have to answer & sometimes I tell people about books when they don't really feel like listening.
I can't say no to greatly discounted dk yarn in blacks and or blues, espcially if machine washable or has any silk content.
...beach glass, sweet & sour "chicken," Heath or Skor bars, salads that include pear & walnuts...
....chai, earl grey, jasmine tea, anything in the antique shop with lace that fits me at all...
....my department manager, anyone crying on the phone, little kids reading books that remind me of anything I read as a kid (I just start jumping through hoops like its my job; it might be my job)...
...dogs-- they want petting & I'm their girl--
...boxes of book donations, even when everything on top looks trashy, & they smell a little heinous, there could be something really cool at the bottom, some Anne Sexton, or T.S. Eliot, or anything!
...wicked old dictionaries with beautiful curly typeface, even if the binding is dead the pages come home to become endpapers & other things...
...papercrafts, cut out constructables or origami, decoupage or bookmarks left by other people in library books...
...blank books of a roughly paperback size with sewn bindings & creamy paper...
...black pens with real ink (not Bics), hard tips, thin unbroken lines...
...very thin tipped paint brushes, neither weak nor too stiff, even though I already own more of these then I'll likely ever use up...
...double sided tape in handheld dispensers & glue in purse-sized quanities...
...shiny blue things...
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Best of 2010 Book List
So, the great recap of the year. No particular order...
Ooku: The Inner Chambers. by Fumi Yoshinaga.(series. manga. fantastic alter-history. Good enough that I got her entire early series, Antique Bakery, through ILL. Looking forward to anything she does in the future.)
Portable Childhoods: Stories by Ellen Klages (Wonderful fantasy short stories of a similar vein as Neil Gaiman's Fragile Things, only found because Gaiman did the introduction. She should be better known.)
The Anxiety of Everyday Objects by Aurelie Sheehan (Wonderfully written. The adventures of whimsical dreamer in an office job. You can relate? Excellent.)
The Broken Teaglass by Emily Arsenault (A fun little mystery in a dictionary office. A treat for etymology geeks. Found by using that Amazon Recommends thing at the bottom of the page for Sweetness At The Bottom Of The Pie.)
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie: a Flavia De Luce Mystery by Alan Bradley (Flavia has definately joined Witch Baby & Lisbeth Salander on my list of Fictional Rolemodels. She may be eleven but she's a chemistry genius with a knack for poisons, oh but she's the good guy/gal. I don't read a ton of mysteries but I can imagine resisting any bit of snooping Flavia might let me tag along for. Waiting for the third Flavia book in Feb 2011.)
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larrson (The original title in Swedish translates to "Men Who Hate Women," and although fitting in many ways I would probably not have read this if that had been the title in english. I love this book and the main female character even if she is only sparsely characterized early in the book. She was instantly added to my fictional rolemodels. Not for the faint of heart; well worth the time.)
The Night Bookmobile by Audrey Niffenegger (This is a picture book look graphic novel. Very different style graphicly from Three Incestous Sisters and the Adventuress, and not as thematically difficult as the former & Her Fearful Symmetry. This is a the perfect bedtime story for bibliophiles in general, bibliophiles who work in libraries in particular.)
The Magicians by Lev Grossman (If Harry Potter were written for adults then it would be The Magicians. Excellent, also the mechanism of the magic system were way more likely than in the Potter-verse. Followed this up with Grossman's Codex, same main character for all purposes so is prbably standing in for Grossman himself, but I kind of like him so I didn't mind. Feel free to hit Codex instead if you'd rather paly with old books than magic.)
A Novel Bookstore by Laurence Cosse' (I love this book! I made pages of notes on things to read, and there's some really lovely quotes on the importance of good books. It's a book about books, a mystery, a love story. Little bit of a slow start but well worth it. Sort of want to mail this to almost everyone I know.)
The Sweet Life in Paris: Delicious Adventures in the World's Most Glorious--and Perplexing -- City by David Lebovitz (This was a fun little foodie's biography as a Paris transplant. Great for getting great gritty daily city details & the otherness of being a cultural transplant.)
Ooku: The Inner Chambers. by Fumi Yoshinaga.(series. manga. fantastic alter-history. Good enough that I got her entire early series, Antique Bakery, through ILL. Looking forward to anything she does in the future.)
Portable Childhoods: Stories by Ellen Klages (Wonderful fantasy short stories of a similar vein as Neil Gaiman's Fragile Things, only found because Gaiman did the introduction. She should be better known.)
The Anxiety of Everyday Objects by Aurelie Sheehan (Wonderfully written. The adventures of whimsical dreamer in an office job. You can relate? Excellent.)
The Broken Teaglass by Emily Arsenault (A fun little mystery in a dictionary office. A treat for etymology geeks. Found by using that Amazon Recommends thing at the bottom of the page for Sweetness At The Bottom Of The Pie.)
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie: a Flavia De Luce Mystery by Alan Bradley (Flavia has definately joined Witch Baby & Lisbeth Salander on my list of Fictional Rolemodels. She may be eleven but she's a chemistry genius with a knack for poisons, oh but she's the good guy/gal. I don't read a ton of mysteries but I can imagine resisting any bit of snooping Flavia might let me tag along for. Waiting for the third Flavia book in Feb 2011.)
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larrson (The original title in Swedish translates to "Men Who Hate Women," and although fitting in many ways I would probably not have read this if that had been the title in english. I love this book and the main female character even if she is only sparsely characterized early in the book. She was instantly added to my fictional rolemodels. Not for the faint of heart; well worth the time.)
The Night Bookmobile by Audrey Niffenegger (This is a picture book look graphic novel. Very different style graphicly from Three Incestous Sisters and the Adventuress, and not as thematically difficult as the former & Her Fearful Symmetry. This is a the perfect bedtime story for bibliophiles in general, bibliophiles who work in libraries in particular.)
The Magicians by Lev Grossman (If Harry Potter were written for adults then it would be The Magicians. Excellent, also the mechanism of the magic system were way more likely than in the Potter-verse. Followed this up with Grossman's Codex, same main character for all purposes so is prbably standing in for Grossman himself, but I kind of like him so I didn't mind. Feel free to hit Codex instead if you'd rather paly with old books than magic.)
A Novel Bookstore by Laurence Cosse' (I love this book! I made pages of notes on things to read, and there's some really lovely quotes on the importance of good books. It's a book about books, a mystery, a love story. Little bit of a slow start but well worth it. Sort of want to mail this to almost everyone I know.)
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Dec. 2010
168. I am neurotic (and so are you) by Lianne Kong (Fans of PostSecret check this out.)
169. Emma 1 by Kaori Mori (Manga in 1800's England. Brainy maid meets gentleman, love & caste conflict.)
170. Emma 2
171. Emma 3
172. Scott Pilgrim's Fines Hour (Vol. 6) by Bryan O'Malley (I'm so done with this series.)
173. Eisenstaedt on Eisenstaedt (Photos & his notes. Amazing.)
174.Emma 4
175. A Novel Bookstore by Laurence Cosse' (I love this book! I made pages of notes on things to read, and there's some really lovely quotes on the importance of good books. It's a book about books, a mystery, a love story. Little bit of a slow start but well worth it.)
176. Emma 5
177. Flight, Vol 4.
178. The Manual of Detection by Jedediah Berry (If you liked the Thursday Next novels this will be right up your alley. Mystery novel with carnivals and in-dreaming scenes.)
179. The Blind Contessa's New Machine by Carey Wallace (Quite good. Wasn''t sure where it was going, but I liked it.)
180. Time Stops for No Mouse by Michael Hoeye (Audiobooked. A fun little adventure with mouse characters. Delightful.)
181. The Gospel According to Coco Chanel: Life Lessons from the World Most Elegant Woman by Karen Karbo (Sort of Coco Chanel biography crossed with a self-help book. Great fun.)
182. 100 Cupboards by N.D. Wilson. (Excellent world-in-the-wall fantasy without feeling like a Narnia rehash. Looking forward to the rest of the trilogy.)
183. Some Girls: My Life in a Harem by Jilliam Lauren (Writing style was so-so but I stuck with it for the content.)
169. Emma 1 by Kaori Mori (Manga in 1800's England. Brainy maid meets gentleman, love & caste conflict.)
170. Emma 2
171. Emma 3
172. Scott Pilgrim's Fines Hour (Vol. 6) by Bryan O'Malley (I'm so done with this series.)
173. Eisenstaedt on Eisenstaedt (Photos & his notes. Amazing.)
174.Emma 4
175. A Novel Bookstore by Laurence Cosse' (I love this book! I made pages of notes on things to read, and there's some really lovely quotes on the importance of good books. It's a book about books, a mystery, a love story. Little bit of a slow start but well worth it.)
176. Emma 5
177. Flight, Vol 4.
178. The Manual of Detection by Jedediah Berry (If you liked the Thursday Next novels this will be right up your alley. Mystery novel with carnivals and in-dreaming scenes.)
179. The Blind Contessa's New Machine by Carey Wallace (Quite good. Wasn''t sure where it was going, but I liked it.)
180. Time Stops for No Mouse by Michael Hoeye (Audiobooked. A fun little adventure with mouse characters. Delightful.)
181. The Gospel According to Coco Chanel: Life Lessons from the World Most Elegant Woman by Karen Karbo (Sort of Coco Chanel biography crossed with a self-help book. Great fun.)
182. 100 Cupboards by N.D. Wilson. (Excellent world-in-the-wall fantasy without feeling like a Narnia rehash. Looking forward to the rest of the trilogy.)
183. Some Girls: My Life in a Harem by Jilliam Lauren (Writing style was so-so but I stuck with it for the content.)
Nov. 2010
157. Space: Japanese Design Solutions of Compact Living by Michael Freeman
158. Possession by A. S. Byatt (re) (Audiobooked. A.S. Byatt is amazing, and the writing styles of the writer characters are excellently crafted, also really great depiction of the Joy of Research.)
159. The Magicians by Lev Grossman (If Harry Potter were written for adults then it would be The Magicians. Excellent, also the mechanism of the magic system were way more likely than in the Potter-verse.)
160. Something Missing: a novel by Mathew Dick (Excellent first novel. Told by a burgler who burgles the same people for years & never gets caught, find out how. Wonderful character building, recommending to anyone who will listen.)
161. Koko Be Good by Jen Wang (Loved the art style, but confused by Koko, but I think I was supposed to be...)
162. Once A Witch by Carolyn MacCullough (Pretty good YA novel with a cute play on inheriting magic & feeling like a sub-par member of your family or community, interesting theory of magic object mechanics. Will likely read the sequel.)
163. A Man Without A Country by Kurt Vonnegut (Read this, it's good for you, but you'll like it too.)
164. Muse & Reverie: A Newford Collection by Charles de Lint. (Three cheers for Newford Collections! No one does fantasy like De Lint.)
165. Avatars, Book One: So This Is How It Ends by Tui T. Sutherland (Started as a great post-apocalyptic teen novel, but the end got silly and by the time it was over I didn't even care that it had a cliff-hanger ending & the library doesn't have the sequel.)
166. Codex: a novel by Lev Grossman (Another exploration of the Joy of Research, also video game & rare books. Pretty much the same main character at The Magicians, but I like him okay so I'm alright with it. I will be watching out for Grossman's books in the future.)
167. How Proust Can Change Your Life by Alain de Botton (Not an easy read but I do love Proust quotes, also trying for some self-improvement, not sure it worked.)
158. Possession by A. S. Byatt (re) (Audiobooked. A.S. Byatt is amazing, and the writing styles of the writer characters are excellently crafted, also really great depiction of the Joy of Research.)
159. The Magicians by Lev Grossman (If Harry Potter were written for adults then it would be The Magicians. Excellent, also the mechanism of the magic system were way more likely than in the Potter-verse.)
160. Something Missing: a novel by Mathew Dick (Excellent first novel. Told by a burgler who burgles the same people for years & never gets caught, find out how. Wonderful character building, recommending to anyone who will listen.)
161. Koko Be Good by Jen Wang (Loved the art style, but confused by Koko, but I think I was supposed to be...)
162. Once A Witch by Carolyn MacCullough (Pretty good YA novel with a cute play on inheriting magic & feeling like a sub-par member of your family or community, interesting theory of magic object mechanics. Will likely read the sequel.)
163. A Man Without A Country by Kurt Vonnegut (Read this, it's good for you, but you'll like it too.)
164. Muse & Reverie: A Newford Collection by Charles de Lint. (Three cheers for Newford Collections! No one does fantasy like De Lint.)
165. Avatars, Book One: So This Is How It Ends by Tui T. Sutherland (Started as a great post-apocalyptic teen novel, but the end got silly and by the time it was over I didn't even care that it had a cliff-hanger ending & the library doesn't have the sequel.)
166. Codex: a novel by Lev Grossman (Another exploration of the Joy of Research, also video game & rare books. Pretty much the same main character at The Magicians, but I like him okay so I'm alright with it. I will be watching out for Grossman's books in the future.)
167. How Proust Can Change Your Life by Alain de Botton (Not an easy read but I do love Proust quotes, also trying for some self-improvement, not sure it worked.)
Oct. 2010
140. The Night Bookmobile by Audrey Niffenegger (This is a picture book look graphic novel. Very different style graphicly from Three Incestous Sisters and the Adventuress, and not as thematically difficult as the former & Her Fearful Symmetry. This is a the perfect bedtime story for bibliophiles in general, bibliophiles who work in libraries in particular.)
141. The Octonauts & the Only Lonely Monster by Meomi
142. The Octonauts & the Sea of Shade by Meomi
143. The Octonauts & the Great Ghost Reef by Meomi
(Meomi is a delightful art company. I (heart) them, they make me smile.)
144. Four Word Self Help: Simple Wisdom for Complex Lives by Patti Digh (Given more shelf space in my life I would definately want to own this book. Beautiful art & very good for the soul.)
145. You are one-third daffodil and other facts to amaze, amuse, and astound. compiled by Tom Nuttal (This is was delightful, great for a couple days with a short attention-span.)
146. Ooku: The Inner Chambers, Vol. 4. by Fumi Yoshinaga (Still loving this series.)
147. Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan (This was actually quite sweet--but no toothache--& had some great quotable lines. Save yourself from the movie, don't see it before or after, or ever.)
148. The Exile: An Outlander Graphic Novel by Diana Gabaldon & Hoang Nguyen. (I keep thinking I'm done giving Gabaldon chances, but I did really enjoy the first few Outlander books. Really this is Outlander minus any classiness I may have internally-imposed on it.)
149. At Home in Japan: A Foreign Woman's Journey of Discovery by Rebecca Otawa (Because this was the travelogue of someone who wasn't just a traveler but actually transplanted for life. Way more detailed than any similar book about living in Japan, also rural which is a whole other world from city-dewelling or non-modern, most of my previous reading have been one or the other.)
150. The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender (Who else could sell a story concept of being able to taste the emotions of the person who prepared your food = awesome. See also Willful Creatures: stories.)
151. How They Met And Other Stories by David Levithan (Very sweet, but not a toothache.)
152. You Know Where to Find Me by Rachel Cohn (Great YA novel about the effects of a suicide on those left behind, also interesting sidenotes of the politics of Washington D.C. as a stateless state, and I feel for the main character. Well done.)
153. The Character of Rain by Amelie Nothomb (re) (Insert love letter to Amelie Nothomb here.)
154. Loving Sabotage by Amelie Nothomb (re) (Insert love letter to Amelie Nothomb here.)
155. Japanese Style by Sarah Lonsdale (Little pop culture overview.)
156. The Life of Hunger by Amelie Nothomb (re) (Insert love letter to Amelie Nothomb here.)
141. The Octonauts & the Only Lonely Monster by Meomi
142. The Octonauts & the Sea of Shade by Meomi
143. The Octonauts & the Great Ghost Reef by Meomi
(Meomi is a delightful art company. I (heart) them, they make me smile.)
144. Four Word Self Help: Simple Wisdom for Complex Lives by Patti Digh (Given more shelf space in my life I would definately want to own this book. Beautiful art & very good for the soul.)
145. You are one-third daffodil and other facts to amaze, amuse, and astound. compiled by Tom Nuttal (This is was delightful, great for a couple days with a short attention-span.)
146. Ooku: The Inner Chambers, Vol. 4. by Fumi Yoshinaga (Still loving this series.)
147. Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan (This was actually quite sweet--but no toothache--& had some great quotable lines. Save yourself from the movie, don't see it before or after, or ever.)
148. The Exile: An Outlander Graphic Novel by Diana Gabaldon & Hoang Nguyen. (I keep thinking I'm done giving Gabaldon chances, but I did really enjoy the first few Outlander books. Really this is Outlander minus any classiness I may have internally-imposed on it.)
149. At Home in Japan: A Foreign Woman's Journey of Discovery by Rebecca Otawa (Because this was the travelogue of someone who wasn't just a traveler but actually transplanted for life. Way more detailed than any similar book about living in Japan, also rural which is a whole other world from city-dewelling or non-modern, most of my previous reading have been one or the other.)
150. The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender (Who else could sell a story concept of being able to taste the emotions of the person who prepared your food = awesome. See also Willful Creatures: stories.)
151. How They Met And Other Stories by David Levithan (Very sweet, but not a toothache.)
152. You Know Where to Find Me by Rachel Cohn (Great YA novel about the effects of a suicide on those left behind, also interesting sidenotes of the politics of Washington D.C. as a stateless state, and I feel for the main character. Well done.)
153. The Character of Rain by Amelie Nothomb (re) (Insert love letter to Amelie Nothomb here.)
154. Loving Sabotage by Amelie Nothomb (re) (Insert love letter to Amelie Nothomb here.)
155. Japanese Style by Sarah Lonsdale (Little pop culture overview.)
156. The Life of Hunger by Amelie Nothomb (re) (Insert love letter to Amelie Nothomb here.)
Sept. 2010 (cont.)
136. Antique Bakery Vol. 4.
137. Ex Libris: Confessions of a Common Reader by Anne Fadiman. (I love this book! Took pages of notes on things to read. Will probably definately re-read.)
138. The Physic Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe (Audiobooked. I wasn't expecting this to be all that good, and while not something I'll recommend for years to come, it does do a great job of portraying the Joy of Reseach, at least as well as People of the Book.)
139. Kushiel's Dart (re). (I seem to be good to reread this about yearly, but I probably wouldn't have at this point if I hadn't just rebound a discarded paperback of it. Pretty successful rebinding if I do say so myself.)
137. Ex Libris: Confessions of a Common Reader by Anne Fadiman. (I love this book! Took pages of notes on things to read. Will probably definately re-read.)
138. The Physic Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe (Audiobooked. I wasn't expecting this to be all that good, and while not something I'll recommend for years to come, it does do a great job of portraying the Joy of Reseach, at least as well as People of the Book.)
139. Kushiel's Dart (re). (I seem to be good to reread this about yearly, but I probably wouldn't have at this point if I hadn't just rebound a discarded paperback of it. Pretty successful rebinding if I do say so myself.)
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