(no subject)
and now for the not-agatha-christie books i have read.
first, the graphic novels:
french milk by lucy knisley - not a graphic novel in a conventional sense. rather, an illustrated journal of a trip to paris that lucy took with her mom last year. i loved this. the drawings are charming and there's this great mix of illustration and photos and handwriting. it made me really want to visit paris (not that that's difficult to do) and eat lots of french food. totally, totally cute.
kat and mouse, vol 1 and vol. 2 by alex de campi and federica manfredi - also very cute, in a completely different way. american manga about a girl who starts attending a swank private school after her dad gets a teaching job there. she's rather a misfit, until she befriends an equally out of the water girl with whom she becomes best buds. things are afoot at the school and the two team up to get to the bottom of it.
goosebumps: creepy creatures by r.l. stine and various illustrators - so, i was never really into goosebumps. they're super popular with kids even today, but they were pretty much before my time. i had a brief fear street fling, but for the most part r.l. stine was not my thing. although strangely he was the speaker at one of my things at college. the stories work really well in the graphic format, and totally fly off of my library shelves, so i'm happy with it.
bone: out from boneville and bone vol. 2: the great cow race by jeff smith - i don't really know why i never got into bone. not only did the rise of it entirely coincide with my comics fangirldom, but jeff smith was from my town and used to be around a lot and my comic friends were always trying to get me to read it. which is maybe why i was never into it; sometimes i just like to be obstinate. but volume one is on our summer reading list, so i figured i should finally get around to it. and i'm sorry i waited so long. it's earned it's acclaim and is funny and cute and enjoyable.
the plain janes by cecil castellucci - even though i'm not head-over-heels for cecil's novels, i loved the plain janes and am excited that there is going to be a sequel.
now, juvenile and young adult books:
ruby lu, brave and true by lenore look - i actually read this a long while ago, but totally forgot that i finished it, until i checked it out again and remembered absolutely everything about it. it's cute. i wish i were coming up with better adjectives today, but all i seem to be able to come up with is cute. so, whatever. this, along with ivy and bean, is what i keep pushing on all the girls who ask for junie b. jones, since i can't stand junie b. but ruby is totally adorable and not annoying and really interesting. i should get the sequel, because i know i didn't read that one and forget about it.
clementine by sara pennypacker - actually, i give those junie b. fans clementine to. she's cute and precocious and has spunk and the drawings by marla frazee and perfection.
kiki strike and the empress's tomb by kirsten miller - so, i was totally psyched when i heard there was going to be a new kiki strike. actually, psyched might be a too-mild way to put it. thrilled beyond words and started working connections to get a copy of the arc, which was finally managed. it was worth it, too. in some ways it wasn't quite the revelation that the first one was, if only because i had expectations. but still damn good stuff. the further adventures of the irregulars, plus deviant art action, gigantic squirrels and ghosts! so smart and witty and with these fascinating bits of new york history and lore. a bit more parental action that throws ananka for some loops. kiki herself was occassionally annoying, but i love that that means the other girls get a lot more endearing. and so cool that the little girl - whose name i can't remember - gets so much facetime/action. oh, and i almost forgot that there is a boy in it who is totally crushworthy. happy happy joy joy.
the christopher killer: forensic mystery 1 by alane ferguson - maybe my expectations for this one were too high. i thought it sounded really promising. execution, rather lackluster. i found the heroine cammie a bit wooden and false. i'm sure there's an audience for it, but it won't be one i eagerly hand around.
the railway children - well, you should already know that i have a thing for trains. and i've been big on e. nesbit lately too, so ... yeah. loved it. very charming.
derby girl by shauna cross - when i saw the stacks of these at book expo, i couldn't get one in my hands fast enough. i mean, seriously? fantastic cover. and i'm all about the roller derby comeback too, so i was totally digging the storyline. it didn't disappoint, either. i love the voice of bliss, the main character. loved her awesome best friend. swooned over her boy. wanted in on the derby action and the cool posse of girls that come with it. and the family that you think is going to be pretty stock, ends up having a bit of depth (there was a scene with bliss and her mom that almost choked me up) and certain aspects of the plot i found really refreshing, because they didn't turn out the way i expected them to. very fun, very grrl positive. and i want some roller skates.
the au pairs by melissa de la cruz - so yeah, i finally got around to it. i enjoyed it more that i feel right about, although i don't see myself burning through the entire series. i'm really glad that the portrait it paints of the hamptons isn't all glitz and glamour and gossip (although there is a huge amount of that). the details are fairly accurate. i think my take on things is sort of tainted by reading in the acknowledgements that i was the result of a book jobber. i probably should have known that. i didn't. i'm a romantic, so it leaves a bad taste in my mouth. so, whatever.
and now, defying category:
when last i died by gladys mitchell - great fucking title. mystery. quirky, to say the least. and yet, my response is pretty ho-hum. is it just because i am way tired of typing now? could be, but i think that's probably too simplistic. still - murder by carrot? gotta give the lady props for that.
first, the graphic novels:
french milk by lucy knisley - not a graphic novel in a conventional sense. rather, an illustrated journal of a trip to paris that lucy took with her mom last year. i loved this. the drawings are charming and there's this great mix of illustration and photos and handwriting. it made me really want to visit paris (not that that's difficult to do) and eat lots of french food. totally, totally cute.
kat and mouse, vol 1 and vol. 2 by alex de campi and federica manfredi - also very cute, in a completely different way. american manga about a girl who starts attending a swank private school after her dad gets a teaching job there. she's rather a misfit, until she befriends an equally out of the water girl with whom she becomes best buds. things are afoot at the school and the two team up to get to the bottom of it.
goosebumps: creepy creatures by r.l. stine and various illustrators - so, i was never really into goosebumps. they're super popular with kids even today, but they were pretty much before my time. i had a brief fear street fling, but for the most part r.l. stine was not my thing. although strangely he was the speaker at one of my things at college. the stories work really well in the graphic format, and totally fly off of my library shelves, so i'm happy with it.
bone: out from boneville and bone vol. 2: the great cow race by jeff smith - i don't really know why i never got into bone. not only did the rise of it entirely coincide with my comics fangirldom, but jeff smith was from my town and used to be around a lot and my comic friends were always trying to get me to read it. which is maybe why i was never into it; sometimes i just like to be obstinate. but volume one is on our summer reading list, so i figured i should finally get around to it. and i'm sorry i waited so long. it's earned it's acclaim and is funny and cute and enjoyable.
the plain janes by cecil castellucci - even though i'm not head-over-heels for cecil's novels, i loved the plain janes and am excited that there is going to be a sequel.
now, juvenile and young adult books:
ruby lu, brave and true by lenore look - i actually read this a long while ago, but totally forgot that i finished it, until i checked it out again and remembered absolutely everything about it. it's cute. i wish i were coming up with better adjectives today, but all i seem to be able to come up with is cute. so, whatever. this, along with ivy and bean, is what i keep pushing on all the girls who ask for junie b. jones, since i can't stand junie b. but ruby is totally adorable and not annoying and really interesting. i should get the sequel, because i know i didn't read that one and forget about it.
clementine by sara pennypacker - actually, i give those junie b. fans clementine to. she's cute and precocious and has spunk and the drawings by marla frazee and perfection.
kiki strike and the empress's tomb by kirsten miller - so, i was totally psyched when i heard there was going to be a new kiki strike. actually, psyched might be a too-mild way to put it. thrilled beyond words and started working connections to get a copy of the arc, which was finally managed. it was worth it, too. in some ways it wasn't quite the revelation that the first one was, if only because i had expectations. but still damn good stuff. the further adventures of the irregulars, plus deviant art action, gigantic squirrels and ghosts! so smart and witty and with these fascinating bits of new york history and lore. a bit more parental action that throws ananka for some loops. kiki herself was occassionally annoying, but i love that that means the other girls get a lot more endearing. and so cool that the little girl - whose name i can't remember - gets so much facetime/action. oh, and i almost forgot that there is a boy in it who is totally crushworthy. happy happy joy joy.
the christopher killer: forensic mystery 1 by alane ferguson - maybe my expectations for this one were too high. i thought it sounded really promising. execution, rather lackluster. i found the heroine cammie a bit wooden and false. i'm sure there's an audience for it, but it won't be one i eagerly hand around.
the railway children - well, you should already know that i have a thing for trains. and i've been big on e. nesbit lately too, so ... yeah. loved it. very charming.
derby girl by shauna cross - when i saw the stacks of these at book expo, i couldn't get one in my hands fast enough. i mean, seriously? fantastic cover. and i'm all about the roller derby comeback too, so i was totally digging the storyline. it didn't disappoint, either. i love the voice of bliss, the main character. loved her awesome best friend. swooned over her boy. wanted in on the derby action and the cool posse of girls that come with it. and the family that you think is going to be pretty stock, ends up having a bit of depth (there was a scene with bliss and her mom that almost choked me up) and certain aspects of the plot i found really refreshing, because they didn't turn out the way i expected them to. very fun, very grrl positive. and i want some roller skates.
the au pairs by melissa de la cruz - so yeah, i finally got around to it. i enjoyed it more that i feel right about, although i don't see myself burning through the entire series. i'm really glad that the portrait it paints of the hamptons isn't all glitz and glamour and gossip (although there is a huge amount of that). the details are fairly accurate. i think my take on things is sort of tainted by reading in the acknowledgements that i was the result of a book jobber. i probably should have known that. i didn't. i'm a romantic, so it leaves a bad taste in my mouth. so, whatever.
and now, defying category:
when last i died by gladys mitchell - great fucking title. mystery. quirky, to say the least. and yet, my response is pretty ho-hum. is it just because i am way tired of typing now? could be, but i think that's probably too simplistic. still - murder by carrot? gotta give the lady props for that.