Books Read - September 2010
79. Mouse Guard, Volume One: Fall 1152, by David Peterson. Juv Graphic Novel. 3 stars.
80. Meanwhile: Pick Any Path, 3856 Story Possibilities, by Jason Shiga. Juv Graphic Novel. 5 stars.
81. The Last Olympian (Percy Jackson, Book Five), by Rick Riordan. Juv Fantasy. 381 pages. 4 stars.
**82. Most Wanted, by Kate Thompson. Juv Historical Fantasy. 128 pages. 3.5 stars. Read ARC.
**83. Three Quarters Dead, by Richard Peck. YA Paranormal. 272 pages. 3.5 stars. Read ARC.
84. Transmetropolitan, Volume Seven: Spider's Thrash, by Warren Ellis. Graphic Novel. 4 stars.
85. Clockwork Angel (Infernal Devices, Book One), by Cassandra Clare. YA Historical Fantasy/Steampunk. 479 pages. 3.5 stars. Review here.
**86. Autumn (Autumn, Book One), by David Moody. Horror. 320 pages. 1 star. Read ARC. Review here.
87. Hater (Hater, Book One), by David Moody. Horror. 244 pages. 3 stars. Review here.
**88. Trance, by Linda Gerber. YA Paranormal. 308 pages. 3.5 stars. Read ARC.
**89. Tyger Tyger (Goblin Wars, Book One), by Kersten Hamilton. YA Fantasy/Folklore. 322 pages. 3.5 stars. Read ARC.
**90. The Radleys, by Matt Haig. Horror. 384 pages. 4 stars. Read ARC
** Booklist reviews
Book book I read this month: I have a host of 3.5-star related books, so nothing stands out super high above the others, but I had the most fun reading Clockwork Angel. I think it would have gotten a higher rating if the characters didn't remind me so much of the Mortal Instruments series. My review of that book is already up, for once. My second choice would be Shiga's Meanwhile, for its unique format and quirky story -- it's the most in depth and creative "choose your own adventure" style picture book/graphic novel I've ever seen. It was great fun to go through, but it only takes a few hours of dedicated reading to get all of the possible permutations of the story and all the endings.
Worst book I read this month: Autumn, which you can see from my not-often-given rating of one star. I never knew the zombie apocalypse could be so boring and repetitive. The writing was amateurish, the dialog implausible, and the characters so completely aimless that the frakkin' zombies had more purpose to their (undead) lives (and more personality). Almost nothing happens for the first two hundred pages except for the few survivors throwing up their hands at the pointlessness of their lives and engaging in endless conversations like "We should really do something!" "I know, you're right." "What should we do?" "I don't know, something." "Like what?" "I don't know." The premise was interesting, but the execution failed on every level for me. And now I'll stop, because I'll just get meaner and meaner if I don't.
80. Meanwhile: Pick Any Path, 3856 Story Possibilities, by Jason Shiga. Juv Graphic Novel. 5 stars.
81. The Last Olympian (Percy Jackson, Book Five), by Rick Riordan. Juv Fantasy. 381 pages. 4 stars.
**82. Most Wanted, by Kate Thompson. Juv Historical Fantasy. 128 pages. 3.5 stars. Read ARC.
**83. Three Quarters Dead, by Richard Peck. YA Paranormal. 272 pages. 3.5 stars. Read ARC.
84. Transmetropolitan, Volume Seven: Spider's Thrash, by Warren Ellis. Graphic Novel. 4 stars.
85. Clockwork Angel (Infernal Devices, Book One), by Cassandra Clare. YA Historical Fantasy/Steampunk. 479 pages. 3.5 stars. Review here.
**86. Autumn (Autumn, Book One), by David Moody. Horror. 320 pages. 1 star. Read ARC. Review here.
87. Hater (Hater, Book One), by David Moody. Horror. 244 pages. 3 stars. Review here.
**88. Trance, by Linda Gerber. YA Paranormal. 308 pages. 3.5 stars. Read ARC.
**89. Tyger Tyger (Goblin Wars, Book One), by Kersten Hamilton. YA Fantasy/Folklore. 322 pages. 3.5 stars. Read ARC.
**90. The Radleys, by Matt Haig. Horror. 384 pages. 4 stars. Read ARC
** Booklist reviews
Book book I read this month: I have a host of 3.5-star related books, so nothing stands out super high above the others, but I had the most fun reading Clockwork Angel. I think it would have gotten a higher rating if the characters didn't remind me so much of the Mortal Instruments series. My review of that book is already up, for once. My second choice would be Shiga's Meanwhile, for its unique format and quirky story -- it's the most in depth and creative "choose your own adventure" style picture book/graphic novel I've ever seen. It was great fun to go through, but it only takes a few hours of dedicated reading to get all of the possible permutations of the story and all the endings.
Worst book I read this month: Autumn, which you can see from my not-often-given rating of one star. I never knew the zombie apocalypse could be so boring and repetitive. The writing was amateurish, the dialog implausible, and the characters so completely aimless that the frakkin' zombies had more purpose to their (undead) lives (and more personality). Almost nothing happens for the first two hundred pages except for the few survivors throwing up their hands at the pointlessness of their lives and engaging in endless conversations like "We should really do something!" "I know, you're right." "What should we do?" "I don't know, something." "Like what?" "I don't know." The premise was interesting, but the execution failed on every level for me. And now I'll stop, because I'll just get meaner and meaner if I don't.