The Year in Review: 2010

[awelkin]

Watching: 137 1900: Bertolucci's very slow mini-series. Alice in Wonderland. At some points self-indulgent, at other points striking and true, it's a typical Burton film. Burton did do a great job finding beautiful Alice actresses, casting Anne Hathaway, and having Stephen Fry voice the Cheshire Cat. The rest? Well... An American Werewolf in London. A re-screening for the film group. A horror classic. Batman: Under the Red Hood. Nightwing was well done, but there was too much about what was wrong in the 90s with comics for this to work successfully for me. Batman Superman Apocalypse. Sexist bastards. Couldn't just call this Trinity and give Wonder Woman the billing she deserved? Overall, interesting re-envisionment of Supergirl's arrival on earth. La Belle and La Bete. Jean Cocteau's 1945 Beauty and the Beast film. I liked it. It was different, if a tad hokey. Quite a bit more faithful to the story than, oh, say, Disney. Big Bang Theory. After one episode, I have to say that geeks will apparently fall for the same sitcom shit as everyone else. Bleak House. Another sick time rewatch. Gillian Anderson is superb. A Bug's Life. It's just okay. Not up to usual Pixar standards. Capitalism--A Love Story. Michael Moore takes on...the rich. Dead Peasants indeed. A Charlie Brown Christmas. Holiday viewing. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. Quirky and off beat, with a nice parent-child story vibe. I like it, although I don't know if everyone will. Coco before Chanel. Audrey Tatou is very, very good. The movie is okay. The Colbert Show. Yay! Cranford: Excellent. Many BBC drama stars. Ending is a bit maudlin, but still worth seeing overall. The Daily Show. Yay! Dead Like Me Season 1. A few episodes while ill. RECOMMENDED. Dead Like Me Season 2. A couple of episodes while ill. RECOMMENDED. Demons. In spite of Phillip Glenister being in the show, this is pretty stereotypical, and I don't think I'll be watching further. Despicable Me. Surprisingly good! And sentimental without being overly so. Plus a nice 60s vibe. District 9. Better than I'd thought it'd be, though I can see why Nnedi didn't like the portrayal of the Nigerians. Doc Savage-Man of Bronze. Oh dear. Hokey cuts loose. Dr. Who--Spearhead in Space. Bryon watches Jon Pertwee Who for nostalgia, and I'm along for the ride. Dr. Who--The End of Time. Um, hubris? Good-bye, egotistical doctor, and egotistical writer. Let Tennant get on to something more worthwhile. Dr. Who--The Planet of the Dead. One hour of sand, flies, and cat burglars. Okay... Dr. Who--The Waters of Mars. Bipolar much, David Tennant? Dr. Who: Season 1. Watched a few while ill. It was a lot of fun to revisit. Dr. Who: Season 5. New doctor. How will he be? Early days. Looking forward to the return of River Song. Ready for episode 7. Didn't see the intervening episodes. Enjoyed the finale. Dr. Who Christmas Special 2010. I enjoyed it quite a bit, even if Bryon thought it was over the top. Dumbo. Still sweet. I had forgotten that Dumbo doesn't talk. Easy A. Very fun. For English teachers who have taught The Scarlet Letter, not to be missed. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Escanaba in da Moonlight. Very strange Jeff Daniels film, way too slow in the middle. No, I didn't need the protracted fart joke. Fantastic Mr. Fox. This time with more foxness and more awakeness. It's quirky, irreverent, and I like it. Flight of Dragons. Lots of memories brought back by viewing this. It's very good. Following. Chris Nolan's student film. Okay, with some twists, but why does everyone think Nolan is a genius? Frequently Asked Questions about Time Travel. Excellent and charming. RECOMMENDED. Forever Knight. A short marathon for friends who hadn't seen the whole series. The Forsyte Saga. Another British soap. Nobody likes Soames, nor should they. The Forsyte Saga 2. Picks up with more angst. At least the kids didn't end up together. The Good Life. Bryon and I just started reviewing this old favorite from our childhood. The Goodies. Boy, this takes me back. It holds up well, although the humor has a wide range. The Great Dictator. Chaplin, with sound, pretending to be Hitler. It's harder to take the parody, because so many of the thugs sound American street. Guns of Navarone. The 1961 classic adventure. It's really good. Hard Times. A sort of strange adaption of the Dickens Story. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part One. Pretty good. You may live, Steve Kloves, for now. RECOMMENDED. Haunted Mansion. Dull, but not as bad as everyone reports. An okay base story. Heaven Can Wait. Thank you, Don Ameche. An old favorite. RECOMMENDED. Hot Fuzz (X2). Love this cop parody. I think it's Simon Pegg's best work. RECOMMENDED. House of Flying Daggers. Well. That was stupid and pointless. How to Train Your Dragon (2X). A strong movie. Very liberating for smart kids that don't fit in. Human Scramble. Bordering on the too maudlin and sentimental, there are still some things worth watching in this episodic slice of life anime. Episodes 8 and 12 are really maudlin. Episode 10 is incredibly good. I Spy. Season 1. It's pretty hip. Ready for episode 2. The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus. Ah, Terry Gilliam, indulgence is thy name. An Inconvenient Truth. Teaching my students about global warming. Inherit the Wind. Great performances by many excellent writers. Great writing. All about the Hillsboro evolution case. RECOMMENDED. Iqbal. Soap operatic cricket triumph movie. Iron Man 2. Mostly fun, although worth watching for Natasha Romanova versus the world and Mjolnir at the end. Genndy Tartakovsky does fight choreography as well. It's a Wonderful Life. Holiday viewing. Jekyll. Started watching Stephen Moffat's series. Impactual and interesting. Never do the epilogue, Brits. It always undercuts a great ending. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Jonah Hex. The western ghost rider. It was weird and true to its source material. Jonah Hex DC short. Like it should be. The Joy Luck Club. A repeat for literature class. John Cleese's Wine for the Confused. Educational and entertaining. Justice League--Crisis on Two Earths. That crazy Owl Man. Har, har. I like it. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Katanagatari. Little animation. Talk, talk, talk. Meh. One episode is all we'll need of this. Kick Ass. Not realistic, but an interesting portrayal of what superheroes might look like in the real world. The King of Masks. I liked this sentimental Chinese film. The Kingdom. Season 1. Danish horror classic starts slow and is weird. Season 1 stops in the middle. Crazy Danes. The Kingdom. Season 2. The Danes move from crazy to absurd. In the end, the series ends, but the story doesn't. The Kite Runner. Bittersweet and poignant, but maybe a tad over-rendered. Kung Fu Panda. Again. Labyrinth. A trip down nostalgia road. I liked it, even if it's a tad poorly written. Lars and the Real Girl. Interesting, but very slow. The Last Airbender. Way to suck the joy right out of the series, guys. Where was the humor? Everything that counted? Also, no one who hasn't seen the show is going to be able to follow this puppy. The Legend of the Boneknapper. More fun dragon stuff. Life on Mars Season 2. Again, finding out that this was edited a bit in America. Looks good overall. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Lilo and Stitch. Showing it to Bryon. I like it a lot. Little Dorrit. Rewatching while ill and restless. RECOMMENDED. The Little Prince. Sweet and lovely. Machete. The 70s live again. Mexploitation and Sexploitation. It covers every scene in the preview. Martin Chuzzlewit. Well done, BBC. RECOMMENDED. Mary Poppins. A repeat while ill. RECOMMENDED. MegaMind. Dreamworks scores again. RECOMMENDED. Moribito. Kind of slow Japanese fantasy. Okay, if ambiguous ending. Mostly Martha. Repressed German movie about repressed German chef. It was okay. Mushi-shi. The spiritual bug cartoon. Each episode is a haunting short story. The show progresses in creepiness. HIGHLY Recommended. Now, Voyager. Iconic, if overly sentimental Bette Davis. Our Mutual Friend. Slow-paced BBC adaption of the Dickens novel. The heroine of this novel should definitely divorce the hero. Paradise Kiss. A rewatch while I'm home healing up. Paris Je T'aime. A series of short vignettes about Paris of varying quality. Percy Jackson and the Olympians. It was okay. Not as much of a rip off as everyone suggests, and has some good bits, but far from a great film. Pleasantville. Last "text" for American Dreams this semester. Precious. Probably as good a portrayal of an incestuous family as Hollywood can get. The heroine is one who can. Her mother's as weak as any other codependent, and that's the issue focused on. It's well done, and recommended. Primeval Season 2. Well, I didn't see that ending coming. From what I hear, they should have stopped, but we'll take a peek at Season 3 later. Primeval Season 3. Come on, Nick, get a haircut. Did we really need 2 new females with the same hair cut to confuse with Claudia/Jenny? Ah well. At least Helen dies. Princess and the Frog (X2). It holds up in the second viewing. If you haven't seen it yet, you should. Project Runway Season 7. Well you picked the right winner for the first show, but you have so much to make up for from last season. Impress me. Project Runway Season 8. Okay, we were pretty spoiled by last season. And there are some truly unlikeable people this season. Gretchen. Really, Project Runway? Really? We're done. Red Cliff. Begun watching the big ole John Woo epic. Not the usual level of violence. Religulous. Bill Maher takes on religion with logic. Gotta say, it doesn't look good for religion. Richard III. Ian McKellan's WWII take on the Shakespearian tragedy. It's okay, if a little over the top. Roger and Hammerstein's Cinderella. A sweet reminiscence from my childhood. Scott Pilgrim Vs the World. The last of the summer films. Fun, if a little over the top. Secret Diary of a Call Girl Season One. Watched a few episodes while ill. The Secret of Kells. Interesting style reminiscent of both Samurai Jack and Kirikou. Secrets of the Furious Five. Again. Shrek 4. It was okay, but it's a good thing we're done now. The Signal Man. Denholm Elliot in the Dicken's short story. I'm reminded of films you watch in lit class. Six String Samurai. I liked it, and I understood what they were trying to do. I could recommend it, though many in my film group wouldn't. Smoke Signals. Rewatching for literature class. Solstrom. Finishing up the last of the Cirque du Soleil project. Sora no Woto. I've seen this cartoon in a dozen incarnations before. Every girl team stereotype imaginable. Well, at least it's not harem anime. Episode 1 only. The Sorcerer's Apprentice. Pleasant enough. It's a Disney film, so it may not rock the world, but neither did it suck. Space Family Calvincent. A fun family romp about aliens raising a Japanese child. Spartacus: Blood and Sand. Season 1. Come on, guys. There's nothing realistic about the gore or the sex. Ready for episode 2. The Spectre DC Short. Like it should be. Spirit of Wonder shorts. Relive Japanese animation from the 80s...in the 90s. :/ More Miss China please! Splendor in the Grass. An overwrought portrait of teenage repression, with features of interest. State of the Union Address. Obama, I want to have your kittens. He's such a good speaker. Stuart Saves His Family. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED for those familiar with dysfunction. It's a touchstone work for me. Tangled. I liked it quite a bit, although it's the classic Disney Princess formula. Teen Titans Season One. Yeah, I know, but I am. The Raven episode, "Nevermore" is topnotch. Teen Titans Season Two. The Tara season. You go, Raven! Teen Titans Season Three. I seem to have seen a lot of these. Teen Titans Season Five. He's watching them out of sequence. I'm watching them out of sequence. The Testament of Dr. Mabuse. Slow and very much a creature of its time. That said, Lang has integrated some interesting special effects for a film from the 30s. Toshokan Senso. While the basis of the plot seems silly and not well thought out, first episode seemed watchable. Toy Story 3. Bittersweet ending to the series of films. Tropic Thunder. Although the joke goes on for too long, there are pieces of it that are rather well done, and it's worth the viewing. True Grit. An interesting new adaption of the book, but not necessarily a superior one. Don't believe the hype. Voyage of the Dawn Treader. I thought it was pretty good. The Whale Rider. Slow, but pretty interesting. Wolverine and the Xmen. Interesting elements. Young Justice. It was okay. Young Victoria. Pretty costumes, but not too much else going on here. I liked the portrayal of Albert. Zoku Natsume Yuujinchou. Gentle horror anime with lots of redeeming characteristics. Ready for episode 3. Reading: 153 Andrews, Ilona. On the Edge. This book follows the exact story structures of the author's other series, but not in a way I find interesting. I know that some genre readers prefer the same book over and over again. That reader isn't me. Andrews, Ilona. Magic Bleeds. On the other hand, this series of Ilona's continues to be me, and did not disappoint. While it was gratifying to see the two main characters get together, it was equally gratifying that this was not all the book was about. The plot thickens, so to speak. Read these books! Avasthi, Swati. Split. Recommended by the Merry Fates. Well done! A truly interesting look at two brothers surviving abuse and making it work. Also a very realistic portrayal of the mother. Beagle, Peter. Last Unicorn: The Comic Book. BEAUTIFUL! Beckett, Galen. The Magicians and Mrs. Quent. When you've read real classic lit, you realize these people are just going through the motions, and you aren't amused. Fantasy-earth-that-isn't-really-earth never works for me either. Beutner, Katharine. Alcestis. Beutner re-examines the myth. Interesting and literary, although the ending seems a bit scattered. Black Widow--Origins. Overwrought, but interesting. Busiek, Kurt. Astro City: Dark Age. Meh. Busiek, Kurt. Astro City: Silver Avenger. Meh. Busiek, Kurt. Marvel's Eye of the Camera. Well done. Carey, Mike. Unwritten. Okay, but has been better. Carriger, Gail. Soulless. Cornish, D. M. Factotum. Woooo! Advanced review copy. Just as good. Rich world building, excellent characters, and a fascinating story. Recommended. Craven, Sean. Ghost Rock. First chapters. Very Sean. Cronn-Mills, Kirstin. The Sky Always Hears Me and the Hills Don't Mind. Just fine. An easy read for teens about small town life and homosexuality. Devoti, Lori. Amazon Ink. The writing is thin. I've got too much Wonder Women in my background to be happy with this portrayal of Amazons. Dini, Paul. Gotham City Sirens. Interesting premise as good girls go bad, with a good writer. Disch, Thomas M. The Word of God. A memoir from the man who brought you Happy Little Toaster. No, really. It was intelligent if cynical. Recommended. Doctorow, Cory. Little Brother. I really don't like the book's protagonist. Smarmy anti-establishment kids are so tired in literature. It turned out to be okay, if a little bit too techy for me. Dumas, Alexander. The Last Cavalier. It's becoming a classic Dumas story. The characters are admirable, but there's no one I'm just in love with. That first third was okay. The second third was pretty goofy. The last part was just rushed. Engelke, Marion. Masks of Dying Warriors. A Viable Paradise classmate's story. Friesner, Esther. Strip Mauled. Oh, dear, but how mediocre to bad most of these stories are. I bought this volume for Jim Hines' Creature in Your Neighborhood, and that's probably the only reason I'd keep it. After reading, it looks as though there are two other stories worth my time. However, as a reader, I've had more than enough of supernatural creature mash-ups. The books are bad enough, but so many creatures in so few pages. Today's word of the day is cliche. Galuschak, George. On the Making of a Dead Man's Hand. George's awesome story that should find a home soon. Galuschak, George. Stinker City. Interesting, but incomplete. Gaskell, Eleanor. Cranford. Hilarious. The TV show really didn't take too many liberties, which surprised me. Recommended. Gibbs, Jon. Fur-face. A fun romp with great animal characters. Gillen, Kieron. Thor. Not Straczynski, but continuing in a similar tradition. Gorey, Edward. The Doubtful Guest. The delightful little rhyme that is this year's calendar. Grossman, Lev. The Magicians. I have mixed feelings about this book. I don't like the message, but I do like the execution of the ending. Haskell, Merri. Five Rules for Commuting to the Underworld. Humorous. Henry, Mark. Battle of the Network Zombies. Third Amanda Feral book. Kind of a mess. Hines, Jim. Red Hood's Revenge. A cohesive faerie tale with an interesting twist and a desert flavor. Hobb, Robin. Ship of Magic. The father son conflict notwithstanding, there wasn't a lot here to make me do other than skim. Holland, Cecelia. Varanger. An interesting Viking history. Horsfield, Catrina. Her academy story. Rough draft of Catrina's work. It was okay, but it is a lot like Potter, just like my problem. Hughes, Kristine. The Writer's Guide to Every Day Life in Regency and Victorian England from 1811-1901. Hughes, Matt. Genie Memories. My friend Matt's VP novel, expanded. It's moving right along. Johnson, Kij. The Fox Woman. This was good. Well-researched, ambiguously ended, quite mature. RECOMMENDED. Johnson, Marion. The Borgias. Reading for research. It was a little dull, but it did the job. Man, that Alexander VI. What a bad parent! Kastensmidt, Christopher. The Fortuitous Meeting of Gerard Van Oost and Oludara. Nice. Off beat. Lake, Jay. Escapement. A strong start, but didn't hold my interest in characterizations. Lawn, Beverly. 40 Short Stories: A Portable Anthology. 3rd Ed. Some classics I've read over the course of my Englishy career, and some others that are welcome and new. Levitz, Paul. Legion of Superheroes. Meh Lynch, Scott. Red Seas under Red Skies. Well, Scott Lynch. You have captured me in 4 pages. Awesome. In the end, it was satisfying, although I did not care for the Little Joe syndrome. Books where men can't win the women they love. Hrm. Still the rest was mighty fine. Martin, George R. R. , Garner Dozois, and Daniel Abraham. Hunters Run. It's a book group thing. It wasn't too bad. Lots of interesting psychological issues in there. Not a predictable turn around, either. McCaig, Donald. Rhett Butler's People. Is it wrong that I'm excited to read this? I've never seen anyone switch POV in one paragraph before. This is in fact the most crappy technique I've seen in a long, long time, and is worthy of the most dreadful fan fiction. I'm not finishing it. McCarthy, Shawna. First Fantasies. I really am tired of certain kinds of fantasy. I could only read Harlan Ellison's story. The rest did not catch my interest, regardless of the name power. McGuire, Seanan. Rosemary and Rue. This was okay. I sort of saw the villain coming from when he was introduced, and I think the heroine gets punished way too much, but there's tone and skill, even if it's slightly over the top from time to time. McGruder, Aaron. A Right to Be Hostile: The Boondocks Treasury. Yes, I know I'm going to like this already. It is perfect. Yes, it is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Mieville, China. The City and the City. For book group. It's beautifully rendered, and I'm just not interested. Nope, not even with the Soviet overtones. Someone else's book. Mock, Sharon. The Armature of Flight. VP Alum story in Fantasy Magazine. Moharanj, Mary Anne. Bodies in Motion. I was swept off my feet. This was a sensual and beautifully crafted book. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Monaghan, Kely with Seth Kubersky Universal Orlando 2010. Reading for summer vacation, although had to hit the website for information about Potter land. Moore, Darice. Ishbel in the Tropics. Gorgeous, gorgeous! Mori, Kaoru. Emma Volume 10. Lots of great interpersonal stories about the Emma characters. Morton, Lisa Nohealani. Armistice Day. I read an early draft. There are features of interest, and some less clear issues with juxtaposition. Morton, Lisa Nohealani. How to Bake a Cake from Scratch. Well-rendered poem. Norton, W. W. The Annotated Wizard of Oz. A beautiful gem of a book with Baum's story, insights on Baum, and interesting commentary. Novik, Naomi. His Majesty's Dragon. I liked this one so well, I thought Bryon and I would read the series together. Dragons in Napoleonic-era England. Overall, not brilliant, but a good time. Novik, Naomi. Throne of Jade. Temeraire 2. More of the same likable story. Better villain as well. Novik, Naomi. Black Powder War. Temeraire 3. This time Lawrence and his dragon take an overland trip back home. This one was a bit painful and depressing, and not always in a good way. Novik, Naomi. In Autumn, a White Dragon... The short story from His Majesty's Dragon. Novik, Naomi. Empire of Ivory. Temeraire 4. Another depressing Temeraire, but she has managed to rejuvenate the plot. Novik, Naomi. Victory of Eagles. Temeraire 5. More depressing, but at least the plot twist redeems the characters. Novik, Naomi. Various Temeraire shorts. Probably only things a fan would be excited about. Novik, Naomi. Tongues of Serpents. Our last Temeraire for the foreseeable future. Oh, this was sooooo dull. I certainly hope the next one is better. Nevin, Larry and Jerry Pournelle. Inferno. Starts interestingly enough. It could have been so much better, but it was too interested in the fannish. Okorafor, Nnedi. Who Fears Death. Superbly rendered. Very Nnedi. RECOMMENDED. Peters, Elizabeth. A River in the Sky. I used to love these characters, and now they seem caricatures of themselves. I'm afraid this is just dreadful. In the end, it was, um, well there were a couple of good scenes, but I think this one is destined for the purge. Pevil, Pierre. The Cardinal's Blades. There were too many character and the chapters were too short. That said, it captures that Dumas feeling pretty well. Pool, Daniel. What Jane Austen Ate and Charles Dickens Knew. Okay, although very much for reference rather than enjoyment. Pratchett, Terry. Nation. A very good young adult novel that is not Discworld. Pratchett, Terry. The Wee Free Men. The first of the Tiffany Aching books. I enjoyed it just as much the second time around. HIGHLY recommended. Pratchett, Terry. Monstrous Regiment. Enjoyed this one a great deal. Parts were superb, parts were over the top. Pratchett, Terry. A Hat Full of Sky. Beautiful. My favorite Aching book. RECOMMENDED HIGHLY. Pratchett, Terry. Going Postal. This was another great one. Moist's character is almost irresistable. Trust me. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Pratchett, Terry. Where is My Cow? It's fun, if a little self-indulgent. Pratchett, Terry. Thud! Insight into trolls, dwarfs, and fundamentalists. Also, Where's My Cow? Pratchett, Terry. Wintersmith. I've read this before reading it together with Bryon. It is the weakest of the 3 Aching books, but gives us Miss Treason, who is as good a character as any. Pratchett, Terry. Assorted short stories. For the completest in you. The very short ones seem to be throwaway's. Probably the best of the batch are "Troll Bridge" and the Granny Weatherwax story. Pratchett, Terry. Making Money. Back to Moist and Spike. It's often like going home to old friends, Pratchett's work, and this is no exception. We pigged this one down in a Saturday, mostly. Here's to Mr. Fusspot. Pratchett, Terry. Unseen Academicals. Sob! The last one for a while. Great characterizations. Pratchett, Terry and Stephen Briggs. A Tourist's Guide to Lancre. Highlights include more essays by the irrascible Githa Ogg. Pratchett, Terry and Paul Kidby. Death's Domain. The map. Not much else to say here. Pratchett, Terry, et al. The Science of Discworld 1. Turns out Round World wasn't earth after all. Pratchett, Terry, et al. The Science of Discworld 2. Liked it. Pratchett, Terry et al. The Science of Discworld 3. Really enjoyed this one. Pratchett, Terry. Only You Can Save Mankind. Written in a spare, MG style, but still very Pratchett. Pratchett, Terry. Johnny and the Dead. More antics with Johny and his friends. I really enjoyed this one. Pratchett, Terry. Johnny and the Bomb. Easily the best paced. I think this was the most solid one of all of the Maxwell books. Pratchett, Terry. I Shall Wear Midnight. Not the weakest of the Tiffany Aching books, but certainly the harshest. There are some decent moments in it, and you should probably read it. Pratchett, Terry and Jaqueline Simpson. The Folklore of Discworld. Interesting overview of the folklore of Discworld and its earthly parallels. Pretty much truth in advertising, this one. Prell, Lettie. Dragon Ring. Heard the reading of this at Icon, and was very interested. The first chapter is the best part. There seems to be a lot in this novel, and most of it is underdeveloped. The tone is uneven as well. Priest, Cherie. Boneshaker. Overall a good romp. I would call it fantasy Western more than steampunk, but I think that's splitting hairs. Prineas, Sarah. The Magic Thief: Found. A very satisfying conclusion to the series I really enjoyed it. Professor Happycat and icanhascheezburger.com Teh Itteh Bitteh Book of Kittehs. The third collection of the LOL cat cartoons. Awesome. Must pick up second. Roberson, Chris. Cinderella: From Fable Town with Love. Meh. Rucka, Greg. Batwoman in Detective Comics. Meh. Rucker, Rudy. The Hollow Earth. Starts off strong and interesting, but devolves into pulpy SF. Ryan, Carrie. The Forest of Hands and Teeth. Could we stop telling YA stories in the first person? And putting zombies in them? In the end, it was okay, but I don't feel a burning need to go out and purchase the next one. Sarrantonio, Al. Flights: Extreme Visions of Fantasy. Volume 2. You know, it wasn't all it was cracked up to be. Very impressed, however, with the Harry Turtledove story. Scalzi, John. The God Engines. Not sure I'm liking this yet. I didn't like it. But, it was good. Sedaris, David. Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk. A very twisted, modern, cynical Aesop's fables. Simone, Gail. Birds of Prey. Meh. Simmons, Dan. Drood. Let's all watch Charles Dickens go crazy. In the end I was kind of annoyed by this. Steinmetz, Ferrett. Home Despot. Enjoyed the language use a lot. Stevermer, Caroline. A College of Magics. Classic Stevermer heroine, lovely stoic hero. Good twist at end. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Stiefvater, Maggie. Shiver. There were pieces of it that were a bit much for me, but pieces that were good. Stockett, Miranda. A Blood Red Sun. Another VP XIIIer production. Straczynski. Wonder Woman. You revisionist bastard. Suri, Miranda. The Ark in the Sea of Stars. Stark story about rebels in space. Suri, Miranda. The New Arrival. Well done, indeed. Swirsky, Rachel. Through the Drowsy Dark. A collection of short stories. Well written, but makes me feel like I'm back in grad school. The poetry is something Tarvin, Brandi. Unclean. There's a lot of potential in this SF story. Tolstaya, Tatyana. The Slynx. Russian post-apocalyptic SF. This is one freaky book, but very Russian. Odd and smacks vaguely of Gogol. Trent, Tiffany. The Unnaturalists. Interesting unpublished novel. Starts slow, but transitions strong. Tribole, Evelyn and Elyse Resch. Intuitive Eating. There's a lot to think about in here. A lot of eating ideas to think about and change. Oh no! B mod! Tryon, Thomas. The Other. Solid psychotic horror, if you like that sort of thing. Twenty-three. Fall 2009. Disney magazine with Haunted Mansion features. Undset, Sigrid. Kristin Lavransdatter. The great Norwegian epic. And the first two volumes were pretty epic, but the last volume was not so epic. Vandermeer, Jeff and Ann Vandermeer. Best American Fantasy 2007. Big, gigantic meh. I gave up reading stories like this when I got out of the creative writing MA. Van Eekhout, Greg. Kid vs Squid. Boy, have I been looking forward to this! Loads of smelly, nautical fun! RECOMMENDED! Various. Adventure Comics. Meh Various. Astonishing X-Men. Meh. Various. Brave and Bold. Meh. Various. Electric Velocipede. Fall,2009. I've decided this is not the kind of writing I want to do. Various. The Fabulist. Winter, 2009. A reasonable collection of stories. The first one is especially good. Various. Gotham City Sirens. Meh. Various. Readercon Progam Book. Liked the Nalo Hopkinson story. Various. Realms of Fantasy. February Issue. Various. Realms of Fantasy. April Issue. This one had Chris' story, which is a big plus. Various. Realms of Fantasy. June Issue. Nothing in here excited me too much. Various. Realms of Fantasy August Issue. Nothing in here excited me too much. Various. Realms of Fantasy October Issue. Nothing in here excited me too much. Various. What If? Astonishing X-Men. Meh. Various. Legends of the Mouse Guard. Some good, some meh. Various. Swill. They're back at it, and it's pretty good. Various. Thor. Features of interest. Various. Zatanna. Meh. Vaughn, Robert. A Fortunate Life. Really enjoyed this. Not only about show business, but also about war protesting and politics. Wagner, Matt. Madame Xanadu. Its usual good self. Waid, Mark. Strange. Meh. Wein, Len. Legacies. Meh. Westerfield, Scott. Uglies. Fantastic. A great adventure through and through. Recommended! Westerfield, Scott. Pretties. Still very good. Tally grows up. Recommended. Westerfield, Scott. Specials. The opener didn't thrill as much, but I expect better things, as the last few books have been topnotch. In the end analysis, this was the book with the most twists and turns. Skillful. Recommended. Westerfield, Scott. Extras. I like this book until Tally and her friends show up, and then it becomes more like including your own gaming characters. Still worth your time. Whalen-Turner, Megan. The Thief. Sassier than the second book. I liked it better overall. Recommended. Whalen-Turner, Megan. The Queen of Attolia. Quite an emotional roller coaster with extraordinarily well developed characters. Recommended. Whalen-Turner, Megan. The King of Attolia. Sly, subtle. Excellent book. Read this whole series. Recommended. Whalen-Turner, Megan. A Conspiracy of Kings. I liked this better than most people seem to have. Well, it's nice to have a book about the quiet character sometime. Willey, Margaret. A Summer of Silk Moths. Fantastically well done. Lyrical, with great characters. Highly recommended. Willingham, Bill. Fables. Meh, although a nice interpersonal bit or two. Willingham, Bill. Fables--Peter and Max. Liked it so much, I devoured it right down. Although it was more of a guilty pleasure than a substantial piece. Willingham, Bill. Jack of Fables. Meh. Writing: 12 Crystal Vision. Accepted at Swill. Line edits back. Empress Dark. Out at Orson Scott Card's Medicine Show. Hulk Hercules: Professional Wrestler. Is finally printed and available for public consumption. Jackal's First Hunt. Retired. The Make-Over. Retired. Really, no one seems to want funny stories, in spite of what they say. Mark Twain's Daughter. Out at Tor.com Eine Natürliche Studie des Narragansett Leviathan. Point River. Retired. The Substance of Shadows. Revising. O-Taga-San. Sold! To Flyleaf imprint of Drollerie Press. The Were-Humans. Working on the novella. Plan to workshop in February and send to Writers of the Future. The Winter the Troll Danced with Old Nick. Circulating among agents and at Flux. Sewing:2 Natsukashii Shrine Maiden complete. Wicked Queen production begun. Every Day Wii Fit since April 4, 2010. Starting over at 214.5 pounds. Lost 0.7 pounds Academic Projects: 32 2010-2011 Work Goals: Done. AnimeIowa Prep: Done. Board Meeting Prep: Ready. CCSIP Summer Classes: Done. CCSIP Summer Orientation. Ready. Employee Evaluations: Done through 2010. Fall Coordinator Prep: Done. Fall ELA Seminars: Done. Fall Staffing: Done Fall Teacher Prep: Done. Field Trip Prep: Ready Grammar Retreat: Done. Health Communications Course: Done. Hiring New ELA employee. Done. Horror Panel for AnimeIowa. Done. MIIIE Conference Prep. Complete. MIIIE Presentation: Complete. New ELA Full-Time Hire: Done Language Lab Interactive Program (new): Done. Personal Work Goals: Done Spring Adjunct Hire: Underway. Spring Administrator Prep. Complete. Spring Conversation Partners: Done. Spring Hires. Complete. Spring Instructor Prep. Complete. Spring Registration. Complete. Spring Rosetta. Complete. Some troubleshooting, of course. Spring Student Registration: Ongoing. Summer Instructor Prep: Complete. Summer Staffing: Done. Tell Me More DeBugging: Argh. Tell Me More Training: Done.