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Saturday, May 19th, 2012
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8:42 am - Mother
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Are You My Mother?: A Comic Drama, by Alison Bechdel
I was too affected by this book to talk directly about why it meant so much to me, but here's a thing I noticed: In Fun Home, the images are often very object-oriented (you frequently see what the character is looking at), while the words carry the lion's share of emotion and meaning. That still happens in this book, but more often the words are either distanced themselves, or so rawly honest that they create distance in the reader, while Bechdel's images of the characters' faces and bodies carry their feelings and even the story arc. (It's both/and in both cases, but the balance is different.) This approach dovetails with the ideas in some of the theoretical texts she chose to include, about people cutting themselves off from their bodies and living in an analytical mind, and about false selves, so I suspect it was a purposeful choice. Perhaps some of the negative reviewers relied too much on the text and didn't spend enough time with the pictures? In any case, I thought it was absolutely a brilliant book; I read it in 2 breath-holding hours, and I will be revisiting it later this summer, when I can spend more time scrutinizing each panel without being so swept up.
(99)
current mood: full of thoughts
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| Sunday, May 13th, 2012
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11:40 pm - Some Red King's Comics Under Woman
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Red on Red, by Edward Conlon
It took me a while to get used to the very discursive style of this cop novel; I kept wanting to cut sentences. But once I adjusted, I fell in love. Dickensian: wry, compassionate.
(93)
Best American Comics 2011, edited by Alison Bechdel, Jessica Abel, and Matt Madden
A mixed bag and a delightful experience, as it is every year.
(94)
The King's Name, by Jo Walton
Had trouble putting this one down, ended up finishing it in one day (and a work day at that). Also, I love the bits and pieces of history and poetry in these tales.
(95)
Some of the Best of Tor.com 2011, edited by Patrick Nielsen Hayden and Liz Gorinsky (nook, free)
I'd read some of these stories before, and was mostly curious about how well the ebook would be designed. It was lovely - proper format, no dumb weirdnesses, and some elegant touches I haven't often seen. The stories I hadn't read ranged from decent to "husband pestering me to get out of the car already and me insisting that I needed to finish this story first."
(96)
The Demon Under the Microscope, by Thomas Hager
In-depth story of the various sulfa drug discoveries and their discoverers, in the 20s and 30s. I liked it, and the material is fascinating, but some chapters were a lot more interesting than others. Not necessarily the ones you'd expect, either - I was totally caught up by the stuff about IG Farben's formation and early business model, and much less interested by the stuff about the beginning of WW2.
(97)
A Dangerous Woman, by Sharon Rudahl with Paul Buhle and Alice Wexler
A graphic biography of Emma Goldman, drawing heavily from her own writings and letters, and those of her contemporaries. Really well done, if the teensiest bit hagiographical. It whetted my appetite more for reading Goldman's autobiography than it did for reading the author's other comics - but I'm okay with that.
(98)
current mood: sleepy
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| Saturday, May 5th, 2012
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6:27 pm - Invincible School Ring; Magnificent Adonis Chronicles and Reminiscences; King's Racing Friends
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Invincible: Ultimate Collection, vol. 1, by Robert Kirkman et al
I read this because someone else thought I had recommended this series to them. I had not, but now that I have started reading them, I would. Fun superhero-kid-of-superhero stuff with interesting twists.
(83)
The Ring of Solomon, by Jonathan Stroud, read by Simon Jones (audiobook)
The only thing better than reading about Bartimeus is listening to Jones be Bartimeus.
(84)
School Libraries: What's Now, What's Next, What's Yet to Come, edited by Kristin Fontichiaro and Buffy Hamilton (nook, creative commons)
Collection of short essays. Many of them were interesting enough, and/or had neat enough links, that I ended up using the bookmarking on the nook for the first time, so I could do follow-up. AND, they're free - go check them out.
(85, O34)
Letters and Reminiscences, vol. 1, by Alfred Russel Wallace, edited (and reminisced) by James Marchant (nook, public domain)
This book made me develop a big swoony crush on Wallace. I mean, I always thought he was cool, but somehow the personal nature of these letters and excerpts from his books... eesh. I'm sure in real life he would drive me crazy. :D
(86, O35)
The Magnificent Ambersons, by Booth Tarkington (nook, public domain)
I couldn't remember why I had downloaded this for ages, but it turns out it won a Pulitzer back in the teens (er, the previous set of teens, that is). The good parts of it remind me of writers of that era that I like, and have a charm of their own as well. The bad part was the vasty amount of casual racism. *grinds teeth* I liked the book overall, but it did keep pissing me off that way.
(87, O36)
And Thus Was Adonis Murdered, by Sarah Caudwell
A fairly typical British upper-crust mystery - lawyers and Venice tourism - but so incredibly well-written and witty that I finished it and started reading it again from the first page (granted I was on a plane without other books, but I *never* do that, even in those circumstances). Crisp.
(88)
The Chronicles of Clovis, by Saki (nook, public domain, mostly a reread)
The funniest of these stories are fresh like whoa - some of the others just miss, or don't make sense because of dated context, or aren't as funny as I thought they were when I was 9. What surprised me on this read was the edge of real horror to a few of the stories; the edgy Ambrose-Bierceness of them.
(89, O37)
Racing Odysseus, by Roger H. Martin
Cancer sucks. Responding to surviving cancer by taking a sabbatical to go spend time as a quasi-freshman with a bunch of St. Johnnies? Awesome. This is a wonderful read if you like pondering about higher education and lifelong learning and individuals coming of age.
(90)
The King's Peace, by Jo Walton
Arthurian alternate-world fantasy. Because it is Jo Walton, a) it KICKS ASS, b) Urdo (Arthur-archetype) is a secondary character and the main character is a brilliantly drawn woman warrior. Couldn't put it down.
(91)
Old Friends, by Tracy Kidder
One of those slow, thoughtful books that makes for good company. Best when savored, rather than gulped.
(92, O38)
current mood: tuckered
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| Thursday, April 26th, 2012
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11:26 pm - Absolute Fun American Invention; Unexpected Zen Prize in the Burn
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The Invention of Hugo Cabret, by Brian Selznick
Slight but lovely. The images will stick with me longer than the words will.
(74)
Fun Home, by Alison Bechdel (reread)
Even better than last time I read it.
(75)
Absolute Death, by Neil Gaiman et al (almost all reread)
Also even better than last time I read it. Which was ... 13 years ago? Marvelous to read such big lovely recolored pages, and there were some bits I hadn't read before, with some of my favorite artists.
(76)
Best American Nonrequired Reading 2007, edited by Dave Eggers and the members of 826
My favorite of all the annual anthologies. This one had a lot in it about the war.
(77, O31)
Burn, by James Patrick Kelly (nook)
Every time I read James Patrick Kelly I think, "I should read more of his stuff!" This was no exception. The people are very very true, is the best part; the ideas are nifty, is the second-best.
(78, O32)
The Prize in the Game, by Jo Walton (nook)
A bit rough compared to her brilliant later works; still, there was a lot of good in it. By the last 50 pages or so, I couldn't drag myself away.
(79, O33)
Presentation Zen, by Garr Reynolds
I'd been trying to do this kind of presentation - simple and meaningful, rather than cluttered and ugly - based on second hand examples, so I thought it was a good idea to go back to the source. It helped.
(80)
The Unexpected Corpse, by B. J. Oliphant (aka Sheri Tepper)
I am sick. This is exactly the sort of mystery novel I adore when I am sick (and at other times, too). Crusty old lady sleuth with a heart of gold, lots of didactic moral ranting (with which I largely agree). Whee. So pleased I still have a few more left in this series.
(81)
Petrefax, by Mike Carey and Steve Leialoha
Novel and old-fashioned all at once. Which is, you know, exactly how a Sandman comic should be. I need to start Lucifer from the beginning one of these days.
(82)
current mood: sick
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| Thursday, April 12th, 2012
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11:10 pm - something other than a book review
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Those of you reading this whom I know strike me as the kind of people who
a) probably have strong opinions about copyright
b) probably have more nuanced opinions about copyright than the US copyright office usually pays attention to
So, even though after 24 hours of half-heartedly poking about, I still have NO IDEA if this is a legit copyright office survey or not (surveymonkey? for the fed govt? seems unlikely), you still might like to go to http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/copyright_branding - and share said URL with likeminded friends. Either it is the USCO, in which case maybe they will get a more complex "voice of the public" than that suggested by their current policies; or it isn't, and someone is cooking up some completely NUTTY scheme that you can either help thwart or help foster.
Can't hurt, right?
current mood:  calm
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| Saturday, April 7th, 2012
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11:58 pm - Incorruptible Incognegro Philosophers; Lonely Scum Gouge; Cure More Dirge Thrash
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Incognegro, by Mat Johnson and Warren Pleece
Incredibly good. Tight plot, lots of emotional ambiguity.
(63, O22)
The More than Complete Action Philosophers, by Fred Van Lente and Ryan Dunlavey
Some parts of this were great (eg "You're a Good Man, John Stuart Mill") and most of it was really good. Dunno if it's a flaw of the field or a flaw of the book (I'd have to think about it more to decide which one), but I was frustrated that they only bothered with a couple of women, and baffled by how they could write an entry about Ayn Rand that was mostly about Nathaniel Branden, while writing about Sartre without even MENTIONING Simone de Beauvoir...
(64, O23)
Incorruptible, volume 2 and volume 3, by Mark Waid et al
I like where this series is going a lot. Keeps getting more complicated, and more hopeful.
(65, 66)
Transmetropolitan, vol. 4: The New Scum, vol. 5: Lonely City, vol. 6: Gouge Away, vol. 7: Spider's Thrash, vol. 8: Dirge, vol. 9: The Cure, and vol. 10: One More Time, by Warren Ellis, Darick Robertson, et al
I think it took me longer to dig up the links for these than it took me to read them :D. A blur of brilliance and viciousness, beautifully executed and aggressively obnoxious. Loved this series. Is there much better than going on a comics binge with comics worthy of it?
(67, O24; 68, O25; 69, O26; 70, O27; 71, O28; 72, O29; 73, O30)
current mood: lazy
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| Sunday, March 25th, 2012
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12:39 am - Zero Kill Throne Plan; Children's Friends; Public Transmetropolitan Hunters
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Throne of the Crescent Moon, by Saladin Ahmed
I never quite connected with this book emotionally, but I greatly enjoyed it anyway. Like Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser, only richer.
(52)
Blueprint for Your Library Marketing Plan, by Patricia H. Fisher and Marseille M. Pride
Sigh. I did not enjoy this book one bit, but I had to read it for school. Wait, there was a 6 page part I really enjoyed. Anyway, it's fine, well-crafted, but it's just not my thing... so tired of "business learning".
(53, O14)
Overstory: Zero, by Robert Leo Heilman
The perfect antidote to the previous book. Thoughtful and heartfelt and sometimes outright angry essays, by someone who lives in the timber country of Oregon and has worked a lot of hard physical jobs.
(54, O15)
Kill Shakespeare vol. 1, by Conor McCreery et al
I'm looking forward to finding out where this goes next. Falstaff and Juliet were pretty nifty, too.
(55, O16)
Friends with Boys, by Faith Erin Hicks
Read this online. Lovely and odd and open-ended comic about a homeschooled teenager entering high school, her family, her friends, and a ghost.
(56)
The Children's Blizzard, by David Laskin
I enjoyed the parts of this that were about people's lives and how they came to the prairies and lived there, and the parts about weather service drama, but the gruesome deaths, not so much.
(57)
The Public Domain, by James Boyle (nook)
Preaching to the choir, in my case, but I enjoy a good sermon. Lawyers, man:).
(58, O17)
Transmetropolitan, vol. 1: Back on the Street, vol. 2: Lust for Life , and vol. 3: Year of the Bastard, by Warren Ellis and Darick Robertson
I was exactly the right amount of offended by these, and they're brilliant. Glad there's a bunch more.
(59, 60, 61; O18, O19, O20)
The Dream Hunters, by Neil Gaiman, illustrated by Yoshitaka Amano
Melancholic and beautiful. The illustrations reward scrutiny.
(62, O21)
current mood: lazy
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| Sunday, February 26th, 2012
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11:22 pm - Stonekeeper Heir: Curse After Sword; No End Pantone
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Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword, by Barry Deutsch
The main character is a young orthodox Jewish girl who wants to slay dragons. And there's a vengeful pig. <3.
(44)
Amulet, vol. 1: The Stonekeeper, and vol. 2: The Stonekeeper's Curse, by Kazu Kibuishi
Kibuishi is one of my favorites. Glad there are 2 more of these to find and devour.
(45, 46)
The Heir: A Love Story, by Vita Sackville-West (nook, public domain)
Mannered but with spiky edges. I've been reading about Sackville-West for years, so it was satisfying to read some stories by her for a change.
(47, O12)
Angel: After the Fall, vol. 6: Last Angel in Hell, by Brian Lynch et al
A mixed bag. I like the main artists on this series a lot but the plot is kind of dubious. The Drusilla one-shot written with Juliet Landau was particularly good.
(48)
Angel: The End, by Bill Willingham et al
Oh man oh man. One of my favorite comic book writers took over the series. Much squeeing was had, and the story regained the compulsive qualities that made the show so good.
(49)
No and Me, by Delphine de Vigan
This book is a bit clumsy in places (esp. the ending) but overall I loved it. Sad and sweet, and the main character, a precocious 13-year-old, was of the believably impulsive and emotionally immature variety, rather than being "wise beyond her years." I was affected by how the author portrayed the narrator's severely depressed mother, as well.
(50)
Pantone: The Twentieth Century in Color, by Leatrice Eiseman and Keith Recker
Some glaring errors, but I didn't really care because it was so so so very pretty. Find a copy, and flip through it; you'll be glad you did.
(51)
current mood: dozy
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10:37 pm - Scary Irish Arguments; Buffy Mothers-in-Law of Burden
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Irish Born, by Nora Roberts
Comforting reading for sick me. Predictable and charming.
(38; O11)
36 Arguments for the Existence of God: A Work of Fiction, by Rebecca Newberger Goldstein
Chewy thinky academic fiction. A bit Robertson Davies, a bit Blackwell Companion, and I liked it very much.
(39)
Beasts of Burden, vol. 1: Animal Rites, by Evan Dorkin and Jill Thompson
Oooh, this was great. Dogs and cats battling the forces of supernatural evil.
(40)
Buffy Omnibus, vol. 5, by Joss Whedon, Scott Allie, et al.
Fairly nifty, as these things go.
(41)
Scary Godmother, by Jill Thompson
Delightful! I love how Thompson blends the truly macabre and the sincerely adorable. Deft and full of love.
(42)
Mothers-in-Law and Daughters-in-Law, by Deborah M. Merrill
Hm. I wanted to read this for the stories of the titular women, and I liked those. But I could've done without the repetitive and unscientific social-science quantification that made up most of the book.
(43)
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6:46 pm - Inheritance Alone Genesis; Fantastic Night Lighthead Thieves
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Living Alone, by Stella Benson (nook, public domain)
A wonderfully odd novel about witchery in London during WW1. Hangs together despite its disjointedness. I rather loved it, although I think that about half my affection stems from the setting.
(22, O7)
The Unwritten, vol. 5: On to Genesis, by Mike Carey, Peter Gross, et al
More, please.
(23)
Inheritance, by Christopher Paolini
I was happily surprised by this book. I thought I was just reading it to find out what happened, after having spent so much time reading and being disappointed by the last couple of novels... but this was the thoroughly competent, derivative, but more than the sum of its parts fantasy novel I'd been hoping to get ever since I read Eragon and thought the author had potential. So I am delighted, and curious to see what Paolini does next.
(24)
Lighthead, by Terrance Hayes
Bits and pieces of this were amazing, but overall I found myself confused by it - as is often the case with award-winning contemporary poetry.
(25)
Ultimate Fantastic Four, vol. 2: Doom, vol. 3: N-Zone, vol. 4: Inhuman, vol. 5: Crossover, vol. 6: Frightful, vol. 7: God War, vol. 8: Devils, vol. 9: Silver Surfer, vol. 10: Ghosts, and vol. 11: Salem's Seven, by Warren Ellis, Mike Carey, et al
I was so sick a couple weeks back that this was the only story that made any sense. So I read it. A lot. A lot a lot. Fun.
(26, O8; 27, O9; 30, O10; 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
The Night Circus, by Erin Morgenstern
This was a lovely lovely book. Restorative and fresh and timeless, all at once.
(28)
Among Thieves, by Douglas Hulick
Anti-heroes and warring factions and intrigues galore. (And not a smidge of romance despite the smoldering rake on the cover.) I dug.
(29)
current mood: stiff
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| Sunday, January 29th, 2012
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4:07 pm - Idiot Essays; Horse Rotters
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The Idiot, by Fyodor Dostoyevsky (translated by Eva Martin, nook)
Parts of this were baffling or boring and parts of it were absolutely compelling and brilliant. From reading Crime and Punishment, I'd expected more of the latter than I got, but I still found it an enjoyable slog. Added bonus amusement provided by the translator, who occasionally threw in bits of WW1-era Anglo idiom that were no doubt unremarkable at the time, but which I found highly amusing almost a century later.
(18, O5)
The Horse and His Boy, by C. S. Lewis (reread, audiobook)
Despite its flaws, and how much extra time I had to think about them in audiobook format, this is still my most favorite of the Narnia books. Reader was good, too.
(19, O6)
The Best American Essays 2011, edited by Edwidge Danticat and Robert Atwan
Most years, I read the "Best American"s partly to expose myself to a broad range of ideas, but also mostly because they are fun. I was sort of puzzled about how I kept putting this one down and reading something else, until I thought about the year's topics: the cultural effects of queerness, the earthquake in Haiti, getting one's father's pacemaker turned off (a brilliant essay but since it made me cry last time I read it, I forbore this time through), auscultation (subtopics: trapped miners, heart disease, fatherhood), the murder of a young nephew, the aftermath of surviving childhood abuse, a spouse's failed tenure bid & the appeal process thereof, airplane crashes, the experience of having cancer, the author's need for chapels, chatline phone sex, the accidental cop homicide of a young girl in the roughest part of Detroit, the difficulty of someone's mother's immigration experience, visiting the murderer of a dear friend in jail, Othello's experience of being an out of place immigrant as it relates to that of the author's father, illegal abortions, the history & current ecological poverty of an area covered in big box shops which used to be an air force training base, being run over by a bus and the rehab process afterward, the dream & disappointment of moving to Chicago and having the baby of a no-good man, how Facebook might be impoverishing people's sense of self, being stopped for "driving while black" and its intrusion on a biracial family's birthday celebration, a weird little meta-essay on how personal essays seem to vie for attention based on quantity of suffering & self-centeredness, serial killers and prejudice, and a ritual corpse-washing. Superb writing, in all cases, but not exactly a light afternoon's diversion!!!! Oof.
(20)
Rotters, by Daniel Kraus
This was marvelously, unrelentingly creepy without ever being outright supernatural - plenty implausible, but in the good way. I *think* maybe when people like Faulkner, they like the sorts of things about him that I liked about this book: the language, the vision, the unrelenting grim absurdity that nevertheless both rings true and grants hope. Or I could be completely off in my comparison - I've never made it through a Faulkner novel. Anyway, this is wonderful, if you like horrific tinges to your coming-of-age tales.
(21)
current mood:  tired
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| Sunday, January 22nd, 2012
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9:52 am - The Cabinet Garden
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The Rose Garden, by Susanna Kearsley
Kearsley writes slightly paranormal, slightly old-fashioned, contemporary Gothic romance novels. I have adored every single one of them I've read, mostly for reasons of character, language, and kindness of perspective, and I adored this one too. Its central conceit is time travel, which did not hurt, as I'm quite fond of that genre too. I always feel well-rested after spending some time with her books.
(16)
The Cabinet of Wonders, by Marie Rutkoski
Fun and adorable, but never over-the-top precious, novel set in an alternative magical Bohemia. A young and stubborn girl sets out to steal her father's eyes back from a cold-hearted prince. One of the several things I liked about this story is that the steampunk trappings are delightful, surprising, and never self-conscious. They fit right, and work to support the story, instead of being pasted on.
(17)
current mood: anticipatory
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| Tuesday, January 17th, 2012
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8:27 pm - Reclaiming Wild American Science and Nature
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Field Notes on Science and Nature, edited by Michael R. Canfield
Collection of essays by a wide variety of field-note using scientists, talking about how they use their notes and how they feel about them and other stuff like that. Copiously illustrated, hurrah! Loved it.
(11)
Reclaiming Fair Use, by Pat Aufderheide and Peter Jaszi
This was good, and it was interesting to see a lot of the ideas I first heard about in an online class taught by these two "buffed out" into proper book format. I'm at the point of learning about copyright these days where if I read about a topic I already know reasonably well, I get a little impatient, and fair use is the aspect of copyright I work with most often ... but it's always good to see someone else's take on things, when it's this good a take.
(12)
Best American Science Writing 2011, edited by Rebecca Skloot, Floyd Skloot, and Jesse Cohen; Best American Science and Nature Writing 2011, edited by Mary Roach and Tim Folger
Every year I read both of these, and every year I explain to you, gentle reader, that Best American Science Writing is more exciting, but I still like Best American Science and Nature writing too. This year, I liked 'em both about the same, which was surprising. They both suffered a bit from "science writers aren't so much into Cool Cutting-Edge Discoveries as scientists are," in terms of the guest editors' choices. On the other hand, they both benefited from "science writers tend to have more exacting writing standards than scientists do." :) Tons of stuff about medicine and environmental disasters. Only one overlap choice that was in both books, and it's such a good essay I read it twice.
(13, 14)
The Wild Ways, by Tanya Huff
Some authors just suit me as a reader, and Tanya Huff is in the top rank of those. Whatever she writes, I devour, and this fantasy was no exception. It did not hurt one bit that it was set mostly in the Maritimes. *pines for the Atlantic* If you haven't read The Enchantment Emporium yet, I strongly suggest you start there, not here. Her characters develop through the course of the series, and there are frequent (sometimes spoilerrific) references to past events.
(15)
current mood: bubbly
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9:35 am - Retrospective Silver Airbender; Remember Joe
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Avatar: The Last Airbender - The Promise Part 1, by Gene Luen Yang (e-ARC)
So fun! This continues the story (plausibly) after the ending of the series. Can't wait for the next chunk to come out. Art is delicious, as one might reasonably expect.
(6, A1)
The Silver Chair, by C. S. Lewis (reread, audiobook)
Man, the only things I remembered about this were the titular chair, the underground realm, the snake, and the marshwiggle. *Lots* more going on, so I enjoyed it more than I expected - "Oh, THAT part! I love that part." Also the reader (Jeremy Northam) was fabulous.
(7, O4)
Joe Brainard: A Retrospective, by Constance Lewallen
Beautiful and sometimes provocative art, almost always making me think in one way or another, with interesting contextual essays.
(8)
Joe: A Memoir of Joe Brainard, by Ron Padgett
The emotion slides in the cracks. I appreciated this book rather a lot.
(9)
I Remember, by Joe Brainard (reread)
Was neat to reread this in context, knowing what a lot of the references meant, so soon after reading it as an independent work by someone about whom I knew next to nothing about.
(10)
current mood: lazy
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| Thursday, January 12th, 2012
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11:29 am - Essential Incorruptible Barbarian Daughter Somewhere
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Incorruptible, vol. 1, by Mark Waid
I'd gotten really burned out on the original series for this, Irredeemable - it's just so relentlessly bleak - so I almost didn't try this one. Glad I did, though. A bad guy compelled by circumstances to become a good guy leaves a lot more room for comedy and hope than the other way around... and I'm now caught up in the world of the story enough to want to go back to the Irredeemables, as well.
(1, O1)
A God Somewhere, by John Arcudi and Peter Snejbjerg
An existentialist, power-mad, Nietzschean, single-volume superhero. There was a comic book series a few years back - maybe it's still going on? - that tried to set Greek tragedy in the present day, and (IMO) failed, because it lacked the depth and passion and vividness of its source material. This story is much less obviously drawn from that well, but does a better job of pulling out the same mix of emotions. Very tasty.
(2)
Joe the Barbarian, by Grant Morrison and Sean Murphy
Powerful, witty, gripping, and adventurous. Balances several levels of tension expertly, and is beautifully drawn to boot. I was all "how did I never hear of this brilliant graphic novel classic before??" and then found out it's relatively new... last two years. So, I guess you could add timeless to that list of adjectives as well.
(3, O2)
Essential Dykes to Watch Out For, by Alison Bechdel
Memories piled upon memories for me, reading this "best of" collection for a strip I first started following in the mid-90s in Montreal. It was neat to watch the evolution of so many favorite characters, telescoped into a mere 300 pages or so.
(4)
Death's Daughter, by Amber Benson
Hm. I have severely mixed feelings about this fluffy contemporary fantasy. At it's best, it's hilarious and winning, but there were several sections where I just got so darn *annoyed* with the protagonist or the explicitly stated world-building assumptions (hint: Kali is not actually "all washed up" as far as modern-day worshipers go: fun character, crappy Eurocentric(?) logic for including her) - that I had to put it down for a month or two before trying it again. So it took me months to get through a chicklit-style fantasy novel! Most of those sections were near the beginning of the book, so I'll probably (cautiously) try the next one.
(5, O3)
current mood:  contemplative
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| Monday, January 2nd, 2012
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2:19 pm - top 3 titles of 2011
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Usually I skim the top 10 percent or so of my reviews, and republish them at the end of the year. And there were certainly at least 22 or so books I super-dug this year. However, 3 of the things I read were so much brillianter than all the rest that I'm just going to post those. THESE BOOKS ARE THE BOMB AND I FELL MADLY IN LOVE WITH THEM, YO. xxoo, ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif?v=91.7) maribou
Among Others, by Jo Walton
This is a book I always hoped someone would write without imagining it was actually possible, and also a wondrous strange thing I never would've dreamed could exist.
I am all undone.
(I got home after 8:30 tonight and did almost nothing but read this book until I'd finished it around 1:30 in the morning. It is everything I hoped it would be, and my hopes were so high. And also, I was often surprised, thinking "I thought *I* was the only person who thought that thing that seems so weird". And also, I was frequently moved to audible reaction while reading it. I think I need to buy another copy for lending to people so that I can mark the hell out of my own. (And yes, there will also be copies bought for other people, for years to come.) Notice how I'm skipping it ahead of all the books I haven't written up yet? That's because it's so great I couldn't keep from telling you about it for one minute more. And also, did I mention? Perfect. I loved it. )
(25/200, 20/100)
Picture This!, by Lynda Barry
OMG THIS BOOK IS SO FUCKING BRILLIANT I CAN NOT EVEN TELL YOU. You would have to read it. Then you would run around saying NO REALLY YOU HAVE TO READ IT to everyone you know who cares about art or drawing or figuring out how to let yourself be yourself instead of freaking out all the time. WOW. I AM IN LOVE WITH THIS BOOK SO MUCH. And if anyone says "oh, I don't know, it's good and all that..," I start RABIDLY EXPLAINING how amazing it is. That reminds me, I need to go send this book and another book to my aunt for her birthday! Right now!! There, I sent it. (Along with Marian Bantjes' _I Wonder_, which is wonderful in fairly different but not unconnected ways.)
(26/200)
Astro City: Family Album, Astro City: Life in the Big City, Astro City: Confession, Astro City: The Dark Age, vol. 1: Brothers & Other Strangers, Astro City: The Tarnished Angel, and Astro City: Local Heroes, by Kurt Busiek et al
The worst of these was still pretty good, and the best ones are amazing. Seriously. The best comics I've read all year. Meta, but deeply in love.
(164/200, 96/100; 165/200, 97/100; 166/200, 98/100; 167/200, 99/100; 170/200, 100/100; 173/200, 103/100)
current mood: complex
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1:34 am - Content Nights of Supernatural Bone; Farm February Park
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Supernatural Noir, edited by Ellen Datlow (e-ARC)
The stories in this anthology are absolutely top-notch; the noir element was sometimes more hardcore than I could comfortably handle. (Horror Noir is a different and grimier beast than Fantasy Noir, I tell you what.)
(222/200)
Daughter of Smoke and Bone, by Laini Taylor
Dark fantasy of the wish fulfillment kind. Lovely, lush language and world-building, although the "real world" bits were too wish-fulfillment-y until I realized I should just treat them as if they all took place in a secondary world (that just happens to very closely resemble our own). Then I really got into the story - finished it in two days.
(223/200)
Nights of the Round Table and Other Stories of Heroic Fantasy, by Tanya Huff (nook)
Short fiction set in another world is probably my least favorite mode for Huff to work in, but since she's one of my very most favorite writers, "least favorite Huff" is still way more fun for me than most other things:). An excellent way to cleanse my palate between large chunks of The Idiot, too.
(224/200, 124/100)
Content, by Cory Doctorow (creative commons, nook)
The speed of change in the field of copyright, and for internet-related topics in general, is incredibly slow in some ways and incredibly quick in others. So some of these essays still read as forward-looking, while others made me nostalgic. Doctorow writes with such fluidity and inventiveness that I always enjoy his non-fiction, regardless of the topic. (I usually enjoy his fiction too, except when it is VERY CLUMSILY DIDACTIC, something that never bothers me - and doesn't feel clumsy - in his essays.)
(225/200, 125/100)
Hit by a Farm, by Catherine Friend
Frank, charming story of a children's book writer who took up farming in support of her long-term life partner's lifelong dream. I spent a lot of time on neighbors' farms as a kid, and we had horses in our pasture for most of my adolescence, so farming memoirs flood me with good memories. *happy sigh* This one is particularly full of sheep and chickens, if you have species preferences for such things.
(226/200)
February Thaw and Other Stories of Contemporary Fantasy, by Tanya Huff (nook)
This was great. I flew through it with relish. My appetite for Wild Ways, which just came out, is totally whetted, and I will be starting it this week.
(227/200, 126/100)
A Year in Fife Park, by Quinn Wilde (creative commons, nook)
Funny and brash and charmingly predictable without losing its originality of voice, this novella-length work made me smile fondly more than a few times, as I thought of the guy or two like that I knew in college, the man or two I know who seem to feel similarly about their own college years. Perfect airplane reading.
(228/200, 127/100)
current mood: waiting to be sleepy (where'd I put that copy of The Idiot?)
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| Sunday, January 1st, 2012
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2:12 pm - Super Prince Sensibility and the Good Dawn Wardrobe
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The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, by C.S. Lewis (audiobook, reread)
Michael York did a superb job reading this. Everything sounded exactly how it should. So many layers of memory and imagination.
(216/200, 119/100)
Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen (nook, public domain)
Daffy in all the right ways, and incisively thoughtful enough to balance out the daffiness. My second-favorite Jane Austen so far.
(217/200, 120/100)
Fables, vol. 16: Super Team, by Bill Willingham et al
There were some very nifty resolutions in this volume, but overall I found it a bit frustrating and scattered. Willingham picked up the superhero theme with a deft hand, but he didn't dive into it nearly as deeply as I would've liked. Not that that will keep me from pouncing upon the next volume as soon as it comes out...
(218/200, 121/100)
Prince Caspian, by C.S. Lewis (audiobook, reread)
I was startled by how much of Prince Caspian I had forgotten, and how good those bits were. Also, there are aspects of this book that I found dull as a child, but don't now.
(219/200, 122/100)
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, by C.S. Lewis (audiobook, reread)
As mysterious and strange and wonderful as ever.
(220/200, 123/100)
Where Good Ideas Come From, by Steven Johnson
There is a fine line between sweeping generalizations that drive me crazy and put books in peril of being thrown, and sweeping generalizations that set off mental sparks and incite enthusiasm while remaining sufficiently respectful of their source material, and Johnson held steady on the righteous side of that line. Fascinating stuff.
(221/200)
current mood: caffeine-ingestion-mode-activated
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1:22 pm - I Bring Arcadia Up; Unpacking the Reawakened
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Bring on the Night, by Jeri Smith-Ready
Fluffy fluff about a kick-ass ex-grifter with a vampire DJ / grunge rocker for a boyfriend. Not quite as good as previous entries in the series, but still solid.
(210/200)
I Remember, by Joe Brainard
This is an exceptional, lovely, admirable, and occasionally wicked book. I intend to reread it before I give it back to the library.
(211/200)
Arcadia, by Lauren Groff (ARC)
One of the most beautiful stories I've read all year. Eloquently told and perceptive. I think even those who didn't grow up boyish and surrounded by back-to-the-landers (as I did) might love this book. All of the pieces fit together perfectly; it's fable-like, but grounded.
(212/200)
Why We Broke Up, by Daniel Handler and Maira Kalman
Gorgeous and wry and gripping. It didn't make me miss any buses (as Watch Your Mouth did!), but I had trouble putting it down.
(213/200, 118/100)
Unpacking My Library: Writers and Their Books, by Leah Price
I had no idea whose libraries would be unpacked in this book before I started reading it. Turns out they belonged to: Alison Bechdel, Jonathan Lethem, Lev Grossman and Sophie Gee, Rebecca Goldstein and Steven Pinker, Phillip Pullman, Edmund White, Claire Messud and James Wood, Gary Shteyngart, Junot Díaz, and Stephen Carter. An eclectic and delicious mix. I imagine that if you like perusing bookshelves, you've already wandered off to order this book at this point, or put a library hold on it, and YOU ARE RIGHT. There's another book in this series that looks at the libraries of architects - I'm curious about it, particularly for the "how architects use their own spaces" angle, but not sure I will like it as much, since I don't feel the same pull toward specific architects that I do toward these (and many other) writers.
(214/200)
The Reawakened, by Jeri Smith-Ready
More fluffy fantasy fluff. This one set in a secondary world with an interesting animal-totem-based magic system - the satisfying conclusion to a trilogy I started reading a few years back.
(215/200)
(expect more postings from me later today - I intend to catch up on my 2011 reading!)
current mood: slow
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| Tuesday, December 13th, 2011
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10:59 pm - Unlikely Magic
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