Reading List 2009
In chronological order. Textbooks not listed. 'GN' = Graphic Novel.
Brockmeier, Kevin - The Brief History of the Dead - Engrossing tales that you can't believe are intertwined: A) People who have died (but still have someone on Earth who met them) live together in 'The City' in relative happiness. B) Three Coca-Cola employees are stuck in a tiny little shack in Antarctica and the radio goes out. Thoughtful, optimistic and interesting. A cool idea of the afterworld and a great start to the reading year.
Rowling, J. K. - The Tales of Beedle the Bard - Cute, short 'fairy tales'. I like Dumbledore's comments. Fun background info for Harry Potter fans, but might enthrall only those immersed in Wizarding World fervor.
L'Amour, Louis - The Comstock Lode - I remember this being one of my favorite Westerns, way back when. This is still a solid tale (set in lawless silver-boom Nevada) with engrossing detail and richness. Somehow, these days I find the characters a bit wooden (perhaps formulaic?), but the focus is certainly on the plot, not refined dialogue or deep exploration of motivation. There isn't much grey moral area; killing someone bad is just fine. A good ol' page-turner from more uncomplicated times.
Collins, Suzanne - The Hunger Games - Hoo boy! I very much liked her 'Gregor the Overlander' series (and still think it would make an excellent series of shows or movies due to its very cinematic scenes and characters), but she has kicked it up a notch with this work, aimed at teens. A near-future America where the 'Haves' control all and force the compartmentalized Have-Nots into producing what they need... where they exact an annual tribute, and sacrifice young (Have-Not) people in 'Survivor meets Olympics' to the death... hmm, in some ways we're nearly there. For all that, it's also a tale of growing up, of teen romantic conflict, of loyalty, of sacrifice, of rage against the Machine. Really good, thought provoking, and it looks like there will be more!
Akamatsu, Ken - Negima Vol. 3 - GN. Contains the Evangeline A.K. McDowell vampire/wizard story arc; Negi finds out one of his students is a very Zen ninja and awakens his courage; Asuna kicks robot 'can'. As always, a somewhat risque' guilty pleasure.
Chadwick, Paul - Concrete, Vol. 2: Heights - GN collection of those wonderful, thoughtful stories about the man trapped in a body made of rock. Not a superhero story despite Concrete's abilities; not a 'funnybook' despite some bits of silliness... it's a very human story. Still among my favorite stuff.
Various - Tales of the New Gods - GN collection of stories about Darkseid, Mister Miracle and all those other characters of Apokolips and New Genesis, created by the late and very great Jack Kirby. These are new tales by other writers and artists, but most are very Kirbyesque. Generally quite good.
Jurgens, Dan - Metamorpho, Year One - A retelling of one of my favorite superhero's origin. Makes more sense storywise but has less of the off-the-wall fun of the old comics. Apparently, that was what I liked about the old comics; I'm done with the new version. GN.
Masamune, Shirow - Appleseed 1: The Promethean Challenge - Manga-style GN. WWIII aftermath; civilization has fallen and things are devastated. Veteran combatant Deunan and her bunny-eared cyborg partner Briareos are on their own, but they get found by what passes for civilization and soon are stuffed into its police force. Mayhem ensues. This was really promising, but then degenerated into pages and pages of incomprehensible running around and fighting. In a movie this works when the eye can track who is who and what is blowing up. Clear cause and effect in the GN would have been nice, and I don't feel that this worked here. Perhaps I'd like the anime version better, but I'm not all that interested.
Lemire, Jeff - Ghost Stories - Second in the GN series set in and around Essex County, Ontario, Canada, it precedes and crosses over a bit with the excellent 'Tales from the Farm'. Still honest and hard-hitting. Deaf and lonely Lou Lebeuf reflects on his life, his brother, his hockey career, and how his actions and decisions tore his family apart. The art appears simple, but look at the same person at many stages of his life and watch the evolution of the character. He evokes loneliness better than, well, anyone. Best for adult readers, more poignant the older or more lonely you are.
Waid, Mark - Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes: Dominator War - Well, it held my attention. There were bright colors. GN. (What if Kurt Busiek or Bill Willingham wrote 'Legion' stories... )
Lemire, Jeff - The Country Nurse - Third in the Essex County trilogy of interrelated GNs. This is actually sadder to me than the other two; Anne Quenneville isn't quite as tragic as Eleanor Rigby (she's alive, and is still a bit of an optimist), but she's as lonely. She busybodies her way through the stories of the prior two books while bringing to light a third perspective. Resolution! Some of the mysteries of the first two find illumination here. Still poignant and powerful. The series is about secrets and family and mistakes and loneliness and loss and regret, and is a very human drama.
Sievert, Tim - That Salty Air - It took me a while to figure out what the giant octopus meant; I never expect parables or allegory or symbolism, and when I have to work to understand a story, I usually back off. (I'm lazy; so sue me.) Yet, I didn't back off this short GN. Simply but expressively drawn, this is a tale of a fisherman's relationship with the sea. From the back cover: "But when Hugh feels that the sea has betrayed him, his whole existence is thrown into question." Very thoughtful and thought-provoking. I liked the giant octopus.
Ford, Jeffrey - The Physiognomy - Kudos to my pal Roger for pointing this one my way. Set in a world where one of the most respected jobs involves officially sizing people up by their appearances. Strange and fanciful, grim yet funny, with a main character (who at least starts out) so blisteringly rude that I was laughing out loud. Can't wait to read more, and apparently this is the start of the Well-Built City trilogy.
Akamatsu, Ken - Negima!, Vols. 4-8 - Ongoing fun.
Burlew, Rich - The Order of the Stick: Dungeon Crawlin' Fools - GN collection of webcomic based on the adventures of characters in a fantasy game much like (okay, based totally on) Dungeons and Dragons. Hugely funny to gamers like me, possibly incomprehensible to those who don't play such games or at least read lots of fantasy novels.
Waid, Mark, and Ross, Alex - Kingdom Come - Very interesting and mature superhero GN based on the Book of Revelations, and set in a possible future for the DC universe. The heroes have gray hair (except Wonder Woman), and their successors seem to have forgotten what it means to be a hero, or discarded the idea as 'old fashioned'. Superman is in seclusion, having been told that he's unwanted. The story's viewpoint is through the eyes of one courageous normal person, drawn into world-shaking events by the immortal Spectre, and called upon to judge what he sees. Excellent storytelling, and the entire thing is painted (not drawn like a cartoon) by the talented Alex Ross. Quite a work. Recommended for older comic fans and for those who might be pleasantly surprised by such a good story happening to involve superheroes.
Cornwell, Bernard - Agincourt - Cornwell (my favorite historical fiction author, and my Facebook friend) tackles one of the pivotal battles of European history. As with all his work, you feel like you understand what happened, why it happened, and how it happened. Look for the connection to his 'Archer's Tale' character Thomas of Hookton... somehow, I envision a Michael Moorcock-style 'Eternal Champion', and this will wind up connected to Sharpe, as well. But I digress. If you like realistic, well-researched fictional accounts of the great battles of history, Mr. Cornwell's your guy.
(Some other stuff)
Akamatsu, Ken - Negima! Vol. 9 - Manga GN. Negi magically ages himself so Asuna can interact with a non-kid; the class 3-A ghost makes herself known. Fun as usual.
Rowling, J.K. - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Rowling, J.K. - Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - It's been a bit since I read these, and it's fun to do so after having seen the movies again recently. Sometimes I forget all the bits that I liked that didn't make it into the movies: Professor Binns, the ghostly teacher of History of Magic, the dwarf-o-grams at Valentine's Day... And then, reflecting on how much of the books that the movies got spot-on. Still darned good.
Modan, Rutu - Exit Wounds - Excellent storytelling in this GN set in Tel Aviv. The characters are flawed and not the cutest, but they're human and likable and they have a tangled and compelling story to navigate. The world of compulsory military service and occasional bombs going off is there but in the background.
Faust, Minister - From the Notebooks of Doctor Brain - A psychiatrist gets to analyze and take apart the psyches of the F.O.O.J. superheroes Iron Lass, X-Man, Flying Squirrel, Omnipotent Man, Brotherfly and Power Grrrl. Somehow annoying and compelling at the same time. Interesting ideas kept me reading; some of the characters behaviors and dialogue kept me thinking about giving up on it. Flung it aside with eye-rolling when I finished.
Talbot, Bryan - Alice in Sunderland - My favorite GN from a couple years ago. Bought it, and it was time for a re-read.
Scott, Sir Walter - Ivanhoe - One of my favorite adventures. It makes it cooler for me that my dad read this as a young fella.
Clavell, James - Shogun - Stunning how something like 1200 pages goes so fast.
Westerfeld, Scott - Pretties - sequel to Uglies... just as gripping and weird and fun as the first. Teen drama, dystopian future, some cool action bits & futuretech... very awesome and worth recommending to nearly any teen, even the 'Twilight'-obsessed, if they dare read a non-vampire book.
Wilson, F. Paul - The Touch - Quite the page-turner in the Dean Koontz tradition. Likable, dedicated doctor gets blessed with the Dat-tay-vao: the healing touch. Great, right? Nope. What do you think would happen if you heard that someone could reliably heal with a touch? Every incurable from everywhere would flock to the person, the government would want to nab them... and if that isn't bad enough, the Dat-tay-vao exacts its own price on its vessel. Very gripping.
various - Who Can Save Us Now? Superhero short story anthology. Started it before and had to return it before finished. Not one story is a 'normal' hero tale - consider the Quick Stop 5, with Convenience Store Powers! Or perhaps 'Bad Karma Girl Wins at Bingo', where a very nice young lady happens to be a bad luck sink. Generally very interesting.
Aragones, Sergio - Groo: Hell on Earth - GN look at global warming and environmental catastrophe, in the world of Groo. Kinda preachy, and that detracted from Groo-ish fun.
Rosenberg, Jonathan - Goats: Infinite Typewriters - Very hard to describe this GN webcomic collection. 'Bizarre', certainly. 'Funny', indeed. Neither come close to the sacrilegious insanity presented here, however, where we feature robots, a Norse goat named Toothgnip, Mayan death gods, gay aliens, and Reese Witherspoon. For adults who are not easily scandalized; most gamers would LOVE this. Next: The Corndog Imperative.
Tames, Richard - Servant of the Shogun - About the real fellow who lived John Blackthorne's fictional adventures in Clavell's 'Shogun'. Led just as fascinating a life; who knew that Shogun was so close to the mark? Short, fun to read; liked the period journal entries.
Davys, Tim - Amberville - Really amazing story. The people are stuffed animals, all of whom live in one four-part city. Crime, betrayal, death, torture: this is no children's book. It's really good film noir, oddly enough, with strong themes and probing looks inside the heads of many characters. I booktalked this one to Nancy Pearl; she wrote it down! I hope there's more by this author.
In Progress:
Weisman, Alan - Gaviotas : A Village to Reinvent the World - Nonfiction; tells the story of a town created in the uninhabitable savannas (the llanos) of Colombia, 16 hours by jeep from 'civilization', surrounded by guerillas and not much more. Now: it's a community living in harmony with the land, generating its own power from wind and water and sun, making its own food, and getting the things it needs from the outside world by selling sustainably-harvested resin from the MILLIONS of trees they planted and got to grow where they couldn't before. The idea: if they can do it there, people should be able to live sustainably anywhere. This is brilliant and inspiring.
various - Comic Book Tattoo: Narrative art inspired by the lyrics and music of Tori Amos - Big GN book of short tales. Some are close matches to the songs, some take off on a theme. So far they are both bizarre and quite good.
Brockmeier, Kevin - The Brief History of the Dead - Engrossing tales that you can't believe are intertwined: A) People who have died (but still have someone on Earth who met them) live together in 'The City' in relative happiness. B) Three Coca-Cola employees are stuck in a tiny little shack in Antarctica and the radio goes out. Thoughtful, optimistic and interesting. A cool idea of the afterworld and a great start to the reading year.
Rowling, J. K. - The Tales of Beedle the Bard - Cute, short 'fairy tales'. I like Dumbledore's comments. Fun background info for Harry Potter fans, but might enthrall only those immersed in Wizarding World fervor.
L'Amour, Louis - The Comstock Lode - I remember this being one of my favorite Westerns, way back when. This is still a solid tale (set in lawless silver-boom Nevada) with engrossing detail and richness. Somehow, these days I find the characters a bit wooden (perhaps formulaic?), but the focus is certainly on the plot, not refined dialogue or deep exploration of motivation. There isn't much grey moral area; killing someone bad is just fine. A good ol' page-turner from more uncomplicated times.
Collins, Suzanne - The Hunger Games - Hoo boy! I very much liked her 'Gregor the Overlander' series (and still think it would make an excellent series of shows or movies due to its very cinematic scenes and characters), but she has kicked it up a notch with this work, aimed at teens. A near-future America where the 'Haves' control all and force the compartmentalized Have-Nots into producing what they need... where they exact an annual tribute, and sacrifice young (Have-Not) people in 'Survivor meets Olympics' to the death... hmm, in some ways we're nearly there. For all that, it's also a tale of growing up, of teen romantic conflict, of loyalty, of sacrifice, of rage against the Machine. Really good, thought provoking, and it looks like there will be more!
Akamatsu, Ken - Negima Vol. 3 - GN. Contains the Evangeline A.K. McDowell vampire/wizard story arc; Negi finds out one of his students is a very Zen ninja and awakens his courage; Asuna kicks robot 'can'. As always, a somewhat risque' guilty pleasure.
Chadwick, Paul - Concrete, Vol. 2: Heights - GN collection of those wonderful, thoughtful stories about the man trapped in a body made of rock. Not a superhero story despite Concrete's abilities; not a 'funnybook' despite some bits of silliness... it's a very human story. Still among my favorite stuff.
Various - Tales of the New Gods - GN collection of stories about Darkseid, Mister Miracle and all those other characters of Apokolips and New Genesis, created by the late and very great Jack Kirby. These are new tales by other writers and artists, but most are very Kirbyesque. Generally quite good.
Jurgens, Dan - Metamorpho, Year One - A retelling of one of my favorite superhero's origin. Makes more sense storywise but has less of the off-the-wall fun of the old comics. Apparently, that was what I liked about the old comics; I'm done with the new version. GN.
Masamune, Shirow - Appleseed 1: The Promethean Challenge - Manga-style GN. WWIII aftermath; civilization has fallen and things are devastated. Veteran combatant Deunan and her bunny-eared cyborg partner Briareos are on their own, but they get found by what passes for civilization and soon are stuffed into its police force. Mayhem ensues. This was really promising, but then degenerated into pages and pages of incomprehensible running around and fighting. In a movie this works when the eye can track who is who and what is blowing up. Clear cause and effect in the GN would have been nice, and I don't feel that this worked here. Perhaps I'd like the anime version better, but I'm not all that interested.
Lemire, Jeff - Ghost Stories - Second in the GN series set in and around Essex County, Ontario, Canada, it precedes and crosses over a bit with the excellent 'Tales from the Farm'. Still honest and hard-hitting. Deaf and lonely Lou Lebeuf reflects on his life, his brother, his hockey career, and how his actions and decisions tore his family apart. The art appears simple, but look at the same person at many stages of his life and watch the evolution of the character. He evokes loneliness better than, well, anyone. Best for adult readers, more poignant the older or more lonely you are.
Waid, Mark - Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes: Dominator War - Well, it held my attention. There were bright colors. GN. (What if Kurt Busiek or Bill Willingham wrote 'Legion' stories... )
Lemire, Jeff - The Country Nurse - Third in the Essex County trilogy of interrelated GNs. This is actually sadder to me than the other two; Anne Quenneville isn't quite as tragic as Eleanor Rigby (she's alive, and is still a bit of an optimist), but she's as lonely. She busybodies her way through the stories of the prior two books while bringing to light a third perspective. Resolution! Some of the mysteries of the first two find illumination here. Still poignant and powerful. The series is about secrets and family and mistakes and loneliness and loss and regret, and is a very human drama.
Sievert, Tim - That Salty Air - It took me a while to figure out what the giant octopus meant; I never expect parables or allegory or symbolism, and when I have to work to understand a story, I usually back off. (I'm lazy; so sue me.) Yet, I didn't back off this short GN. Simply but expressively drawn, this is a tale of a fisherman's relationship with the sea. From the back cover: "But when Hugh feels that the sea has betrayed him, his whole existence is thrown into question." Very thoughtful and thought-provoking. I liked the giant octopus.
Ford, Jeffrey - The Physiognomy - Kudos to my pal Roger for pointing this one my way. Set in a world where one of the most respected jobs involves officially sizing people up by their appearances. Strange and fanciful, grim yet funny, with a main character (who at least starts out) so blisteringly rude that I was laughing out loud. Can't wait to read more, and apparently this is the start of the Well-Built City trilogy.
Akamatsu, Ken - Negima!, Vols. 4-8 - Ongoing fun.
Burlew, Rich - The Order of the Stick: Dungeon Crawlin' Fools - GN collection of webcomic based on the adventures of characters in a fantasy game much like (okay, based totally on) Dungeons and Dragons. Hugely funny to gamers like me, possibly incomprehensible to those who don't play such games or at least read lots of fantasy novels.
Waid, Mark, and Ross, Alex - Kingdom Come - Very interesting and mature superhero GN based on the Book of Revelations, and set in a possible future for the DC universe. The heroes have gray hair (except Wonder Woman), and their successors seem to have forgotten what it means to be a hero, or discarded the idea as 'old fashioned'. Superman is in seclusion, having been told that he's unwanted. The story's viewpoint is through the eyes of one courageous normal person, drawn into world-shaking events by the immortal Spectre, and called upon to judge what he sees. Excellent storytelling, and the entire thing is painted (not drawn like a cartoon) by the talented Alex Ross. Quite a work. Recommended for older comic fans and for those who might be pleasantly surprised by such a good story happening to involve superheroes.
Cornwell, Bernard - Agincourt - Cornwell (my favorite historical fiction author, and my Facebook friend) tackles one of the pivotal battles of European history. As with all his work, you feel like you understand what happened, why it happened, and how it happened. Look for the connection to his 'Archer's Tale' character Thomas of Hookton... somehow, I envision a Michael Moorcock-style 'Eternal Champion', and this will wind up connected to Sharpe, as well. But I digress. If you like realistic, well-researched fictional accounts of the great battles of history, Mr. Cornwell's your guy.
(Some other stuff)
Akamatsu, Ken - Negima! Vol. 9 - Manga GN. Negi magically ages himself so Asuna can interact with a non-kid; the class 3-A ghost makes herself known. Fun as usual.
Rowling, J.K. - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Rowling, J.K. - Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - It's been a bit since I read these, and it's fun to do so after having seen the movies again recently. Sometimes I forget all the bits that I liked that didn't make it into the movies: Professor Binns, the ghostly teacher of History of Magic, the dwarf-o-grams at Valentine's Day... And then, reflecting on how much of the books that the movies got spot-on. Still darned good.
Modan, Rutu - Exit Wounds - Excellent storytelling in this GN set in Tel Aviv. The characters are flawed and not the cutest, but they're human and likable and they have a tangled and compelling story to navigate. The world of compulsory military service and occasional bombs going off is there but in the background.
Faust, Minister - From the Notebooks of Doctor Brain - A psychiatrist gets to analyze and take apart the psyches of the F.O.O.J. superheroes Iron Lass, X-Man, Flying Squirrel, Omnipotent Man, Brotherfly and Power Grrrl. Somehow annoying and compelling at the same time. Interesting ideas kept me reading; some of the characters behaviors and dialogue kept me thinking about giving up on it. Flung it aside with eye-rolling when I finished.
Talbot, Bryan - Alice in Sunderland - My favorite GN from a couple years ago. Bought it, and it was time for a re-read.
Scott, Sir Walter - Ivanhoe - One of my favorite adventures. It makes it cooler for me that my dad read this as a young fella.
Clavell, James - Shogun - Stunning how something like 1200 pages goes so fast.
Westerfeld, Scott - Pretties - sequel to Uglies... just as gripping and weird and fun as the first. Teen drama, dystopian future, some cool action bits & futuretech... very awesome and worth recommending to nearly any teen, even the 'Twilight'-obsessed, if they dare read a non-vampire book.
Wilson, F. Paul - The Touch - Quite the page-turner in the Dean Koontz tradition. Likable, dedicated doctor gets blessed with the Dat-tay-vao: the healing touch. Great, right? Nope. What do you think would happen if you heard that someone could reliably heal with a touch? Every incurable from everywhere would flock to the person, the government would want to nab them... and if that isn't bad enough, the Dat-tay-vao exacts its own price on its vessel. Very gripping.
various - Who Can Save Us Now? Superhero short story anthology. Started it before and had to return it before finished. Not one story is a 'normal' hero tale - consider the Quick Stop 5, with Convenience Store Powers! Or perhaps 'Bad Karma Girl Wins at Bingo', where a very nice young lady happens to be a bad luck sink. Generally very interesting.
Aragones, Sergio - Groo: Hell on Earth - GN look at global warming and environmental catastrophe, in the world of Groo. Kinda preachy, and that detracted from Groo-ish fun.
Rosenberg, Jonathan - Goats: Infinite Typewriters - Very hard to describe this GN webcomic collection. 'Bizarre', certainly. 'Funny', indeed. Neither come close to the sacrilegious insanity presented here, however, where we feature robots, a Norse goat named Toothgnip, Mayan death gods, gay aliens, and Reese Witherspoon. For adults who are not easily scandalized; most gamers would LOVE this. Next: The Corndog Imperative.
Tames, Richard - Servant of the Shogun - About the real fellow who lived John Blackthorne's fictional adventures in Clavell's 'Shogun'. Led just as fascinating a life; who knew that Shogun was so close to the mark? Short, fun to read; liked the period journal entries.
Davys, Tim - Amberville - Really amazing story. The people are stuffed animals, all of whom live in one four-part city. Crime, betrayal, death, torture: this is no children's book. It's really good film noir, oddly enough, with strong themes and probing looks inside the heads of many characters. I booktalked this one to Nancy Pearl; she wrote it down! I hope there's more by this author.
In Progress:
Weisman, Alan - Gaviotas : A Village to Reinvent the World - Nonfiction; tells the story of a town created in the uninhabitable savannas (the llanos) of Colombia, 16 hours by jeep from 'civilization', surrounded by guerillas and not much more. Now: it's a community living in harmony with the land, generating its own power from wind and water and sun, making its own food, and getting the things it needs from the outside world by selling sustainably-harvested resin from the MILLIONS of trees they planted and got to grow where they couldn't before. The idea: if they can do it there, people should be able to live sustainably anywhere. This is brilliant and inspiring.
various - Comic Book Tattoo: Narrative art inspired by the lyrics and music of Tori Amos - Big GN book of short tales. Some are close matches to the songs, some take off on a theme. So far they are both bizarre and quite good.
posted by starvark at 2:20 AM
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