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.

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