Another whopper for you. I’ve been reading a bunch but posting very little. Happily, my little web business is picking up, leaving little time for my blog.
As of 05/31/2009:
- Hard Time by Steve Gerber – Graphic novel. Just noticed he’s the same guy that did Nevada (later in list). This was much, much better. Better story. Better art work. It’s about a boy involved in a Columbine-style school shooting and follows him to prison.
- Tales of Beedle the Bard by JK Rowling. Impulse check out after a rare hour on the children’s desk.
- Watchmen by Alan Moore – Graphic novel. I thought I’d enjoy it more, since all my library people raved about it. I want to like it more than I did.
- Tomo: I Was an Eight-Grade Ninja by Andrew Simmons. Manga. Easy to read at the desk, which is what I did.
- Nevada by Steve Gerber – Pretty good graphic novel. The eponymous main character is a show girl with an ostrich as a pet. She goes on a trippy trip which was interesting before I lost interest. I did finish it, though. It’ll be interesting to see if they do more with Nevada as a warrior for other dimensions. Or whatever they are calling it. I can’t remember and I already turned in the book so I can’t look.
- Foul Play by Janet Evanovich – One of the nine or so re-releases of some trashy romance novels she wrote before the Plum books. I’m so glad she got this crap out of her system. Like the early trashies of Jennifer Crusie (another favorite) there are definite signs of good things to come but overall disappointing. This book should have been called "Fowl Play". A red rooster features prominently and, in my opinion, was not given nearly enough to do.
- Road Trip of the Living Dead by Mark Henry – The second book in a series the author didn’t expect to write. I like this one better than the first. And, you’ll recall, I did like the first book.
- Happy Hour of the Damned by Mark Henry – This book is an interesting take on zombies. You just don’t often see a zombie as the protagonist. Probably because of the limited diet (braaaiiinnnsss) and necrotic skin. Some of the reviews of the book mention a limited plot, which is true. But it doesn’t matter because you just want to see how Amanda (aforementioned protagonist zombie) handles her new life.
- Hopeless Savages: Ground Zero by Jen Van Meter – Graphic novel. I liked it because it was drawn by Brian Lee O’Malley of my beloved Scott Pilgrim. I found the teen slang created just for the character a bit hard to follow at first. But then I got used to it and it was cute when her love interest Ginger says, “You called me smart. You called me hoosky.” That cracked me up. You’ll have to read it to see what "hoosky" means.
- Ghost World by Daniel Clowes – Graphic novel. I didn’t like it, probably for the same reason I’m not an existentialist. When I had delusions of minoring in philosophy I went to see a French film, the title I can’t even remember. Not that it matters, I didn’t get it any way. It was very French; the main character committed suicide at the end. A friend in class the next day asked me about it. His dad was one of the philosophy professors at school and had raved about the film. I didn’t want to admit I didn’t get it. There are other Ghost World titles but I think I’ll leave them be.
- Palomar by Gilbert Hernandez – Fantastic graphic novel. I’d like to write an ode to the Hernandez brothers. I love them so much I might abandon my innate dignity and giggle like a 15-year-old girl with her friends if I ever met Gilbert Hernandez. I might even go to Comicon just to meet them. I might actually ask for an autograph copy. I might actually buy all the titles for my very own library.
- The Nymphos of Rocky Flats by Mario Acevedo – Good, flat ending. I will keep reading but I’m starting to be afraid the titles are better than the actual book. The next one is called X-Rated Bloodsuckers.
- In Odd We Trust by Dean Koontz Illustrated by Queenie Chan – Graphic novel. I hope they do more. Really pretty good.
- You Wouldn’t Want to Live in a Medieval Castle by Jaqueline Morley, Illustrated by David Antram – Another impulse check out after a rare hour on the children’s desk. It was cute, actually. If follows a young girl, the daughter of the bailiff at a castle, through a siege by Prince Jon.
- No choice but Seduction by Johanna Lindsay – Although I grew up loving Johanna Lindsay and this book was pretty entertaining, most of her recent books are disappointing. After 30 plus years of writing trashy historical romance novels, original plots must be hard to come by.
- Ceremony by Robert B. Parker
- Early Autumn by Robert B. Parker
- Looking for Rachel Wallace by Robert B. Parker
- The Secret of Red Gate Farm by Carolyn Keene – Another score from Savers.
- The Sign of the Twisted Candle by Carolyn Keene – Found two Nancy Drews at Savers for $1.49. SCORE!
- La Perdida by Jessica Abel – Graphic novel, OK but the main character is a self-involved douche bag.
- The Perfect Match by Kimberly Cates. Can’t remember much about it but it had dogs and a single father with two kids that made me cry.
- Walking Shadow – Robert Parker
- Dead and Dog Gone – I like these types of books. They invite you into another world. The dead guy is always someone we the reader is not invested in.
- The Monkey’s Raincoat by Robert Crais – First Elvis Cole. I like how getting info from the cops was easier and how he banged two women (the only women) in the case and then they went away but didn’t die. Not like David Hasselhoff’s lady friends on Baywatch.
- LA Requiem by Robert Crais
- Coraline by Neil Gaiman, Illustrated by? – Graphic novel
- My Heart May Be Broken But My Hair Looks Great by Dixie Cash
- The Mitfords: Letterts Between Six Sisters edited by Charlotte Mosley. Didn’t read every word. The thing is almost 800 pages. Not a Harry Potter. But I read enough.
