KateKintail's December Reading Log

[katekintailbc]

This is a recap of my December reading, for a swap-bot swap I signed up for. I chose to post it here so that I can format it the way I want. See below for a very brief recap of what I thought of the books along with a link to read more about my thoughts, if you so desire.

Here's a list of books I read during the month but didn't finish (or haven't finished yet):

• The Cats of Tanglewood Forest by Charles De Lint and Charles Vess
• The Order of the Poison Oak by Brent Hartinger
• The Drag Queen of Elfland by Lawrence Schimel

Here are the books I finished this month:

1. A Circle of Cats by Charles De Lint & Charles Vess
   http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/203388.html
   An original folktale with gorgeous art and words, where a little girl is turned into a kitten in order for her life to be saved.
2. The Solitude of Prime Numbers by Paolo Giordano
   http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/203084.html
   Huh. This is the story of two individuals who went through childhood traumas who found each other and try to cope with life. I don't know if it's because Italian readers have different expectations from me or what, but I was disappointed by this book. I loved the characters, but it was painful to read of their pain and then the story just ends!
3. Polar: the Titanic Bear by Daisy Corning Stone Spedden
   http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/202882.html
   A Titanic survivor wrote this story about her son's stuffed polar bear who accompanied her son through some good and bad of childhood. This was a lovely adventure with great illustrations as well as actual photos of the family's adventures. A great read!
4. Coffin: The Art of Vampire Hunter D by Yoshitaka Amano
   http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/202555.html
   A nice 200-page collection of art found in Vampire Hunter D manga. Some bold, some beautiful, some detailed, some symbolic.
5. Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett
   http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/202232.html
   I can't believe I only just read this book! I haven't laughed so consistently through a book in a long, long time. What a fun, mission-driven adventure! Moral of the story: next time you've got your hands on the anti-christ, try not to lose him.
6. Serenity: Leaves on the Wind by Zack Whedon
   http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/201687.html
   A shiny continuation of the crew's adventures through the 'verse. Even when they're separated, they stay true to themselves and to each other.
7. The Grannyman by Judy Schachner
   http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/201320.html
   Awwwwwwww! The family still loves their old kitty (Simon), but when a new kitten joins the family, it's up to Simon to teach it how to be a cat.
8. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz
   http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/201056.html
   I really, really wish I'd liked this book more. I really should have, given the subject matter. I liked the characters, but I couldn't really get into their heads. They were all over the place (as teenage boys tend to be). And there wasn't as much emotion in the reading as I'd have liked; that probably would have helped. I did care about the boys, I just didn't get into them as much as I wish I could have.
9. Horrorstor by Grady Hendrix
   http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/200818.html
   This book was designed to look like an IKEA catalog. But the creativity and style only helped to strengthen the story. I don't really love pure horror stories (and I never watch horror movies), but this was a fun, sometimes scary read. As a fan of IKEA, I loved all the details that went into this book to make the off-brand store feel real. I bought it as a Christmas gift but set to work reading it before I wrapped and gave it away!
10. The Little Book of Celtic Wisdom by John Matthews & Caitlin Matthews
    http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/200080.html
    I got this as a Christmas present, then read it quickly and gave it away. It's a nice collection of quotations from Celtic tales--some I knew and some that were new-to-me. I copied down some of them so I wouldn't forget them.
11. The Sherlockian by Graham Moore
    http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/199875.html
    Took me a while to get through this (many months of short bits of reading!), but definitely worth it. It's got two related stories in alternating chapters. In one, Sherlock Holmes' creator, Arthur Conan Doyle (and his buddy, Bram Stoker) try to solve a mystery. In modern day, Harold (a member of the exclusive, literary Sherlock Holmes fanclub) tries to solve a murder that has to do with the missing journal of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The two mysteries develop independently, then come together in an unexpected way.
12. Untitled Manuscript
    I finally finished reading the novel one of the writers in my Writers' Roundtable wrote last National Novel Writing Month!

Here are my re-reads this month:

1. A Separate Peace by John Knowles
   This has been near the top of my list of favorite books ever. I was nervous about rereading it in case it wasn't as great as I'd remembered. Luckily, I really enjoyed it, not just for the story but for the wonderful way it was written.
2. Mr. Wuffles! by David Wiesner
   http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/201739.html
   Is Mr. Wuffles lazy or is he trying to protect the world against space aliens who are teaming up with insects? Adorable!

In all, I had a productive reading month!

Happy reading, everyone!