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I've finally broken the halfway mark of the 50 book challenge. I'm obviously not gonna make it to 50 this year, but it's better than last year, and with few to no friends I think I'll have a lot more time to read in 2010.
The Five People You Meet In Heaven by Mitch Albom:
Absolutely amazing. Despite the title it's non-religious, just makes you really think about the way even the smallest thing can affect the world around you. I want everyone on my flist to read it.
Deathnote: Vol 8 and 9 by Tsugumi Ohba:
A great manga series. It's very intelligent and involved (and you have to read from the beginning or you'd be so lost). There are more in the series but I have to admit I got tired of the story after awhile. Maybe I'll finish it one day.
The Perks of Being A Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky:
This was a re-read. It's already a favorite book of mine. The main character/narrator speaks (well, writes letters) similar to the way I think so it's easy to relate to. It's another thinker and a very quotable book.
World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks:
Zombie boner and war history boner all in one! I couldn't put it down. Just fuckin' amazing.
From the Notebooks of Melanin Sun by Jacqueline Woodson:
A short, easy read, targeted at young teens, but a good story nonetheless. It's about a boy who finds out his mom is a lesbian, and how he deals with it. It made me cry.
He's Just Not That Into You by Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo:
Not entirely relevant to me, obviously, and goes against my feminazi stance sometimes (i.e. if he doesn't want to marry you, he's not worth it. you need a man to marry and take care of you). However, it's a good motivational feel-good book overall and I'd still recommend it as easy pick-me-up reading, particularly for my straight girl friends.
Marvel Zombies by Robert Kirkman:
I actually thought it was pretty cheesy. Not even fun cheesy, just awful cheesy. Maybe my expectations were too high.
Crank by Ellen Hopkins:
Another re-read. It was better the first time, but it's a good book overall and pretty emotionally heavy. It made me really want to do speed, and never ever ever want to do speed. In other words, a good addiction book. It's written in free-form poetry which makes it an easy read.
Tommy's Tale by Alan Cumming:
Amazing. Sex, drugs, more drugs, and more sex, with a very touching message about friendship, family, self-respect, and growing up when you don't want to.
Cinderalla and Princess Mermaid by Junko Mizuno:
Short, cute, cheesy horror comics based loosely on the classic children's stories. They were cute (as cute as cannibalism can be) 15-minute reads but nothing all that special.
Ghost World by Daniel Clowes:
A good coming-of-age graphic novel with raw dialogue. The characters were relatable and overall I liked it. I'd like to check out the movie.
Strangers in Paradise: Book 1 by Terry Moore:
Fucking awesomesauce!!! I'm starting Book 2 today. I have a total crush on Francine AND Katchoo. It's action, drama, and an unconventional love story all rolled into one. Another one I couldn't put down.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey:
A twisted classic. I liked it a lot, but it did drag on in many parts.
Luna by Julie Anne Peters:
A heartwrenching story about a transgender woman who's facing her family and society in her quest to come out and be herself. It's told in the point of view of Luna's sister, Reagan, and it really delves into both sides of the story and pulls the raw emotions out of each. Definitely would recommend it.
The Gender Frontier edited by Mariette Pathy Allen:
A photographic journey through the lives of many transgender, 3rd gender, and otherwise genderfucked people. Very well put together, and I loved reading the stories behind the subjects in the photos.
Nobody Passes: Rejecting the Rules of Gender and Conformity edited by Mattilda aka Matt Bernstein Sycamore:
A collection of essays about passing as the "right" "fill in the blank" - gender, religion, race, social class, etc. etc. etc. Definitely worth reading, although I skimmed through a few of the essays. Definitely a thinker.
Tomie - Museum of Terror series, Book 1 by Junji Ito:
FUCKED UP! And AWESOME! That's really all I can even say about it. Junji Ito must have some FUCKED up nightmares to fuel the types of stories he churns out. I definitely want to read more of his work.
The Heroin Diaries by Nikki Sixx:
Okay, yes I'm biased because I kind of want to be Nikki Sixx. But it really was an amazing book. It made me laugh and cry, sometimes at the same time. An amazing, inspirational story about a journey into, and slowly back out of, addiction. It also provides more insight into the life and times of Motley Crue, which is of course a bonus. I love love loved it and would read it again.
Gyo 1 and 2 by Junji Ito:
Another fucked up and awesome story by officially my favorite horror manga author. The walking fish freaked me the fuck out, but the story just spirals downward (catch that reference? ehh??) from there. And by downward, I mean into an abyss of fucking crazy awesome terrifying nightmare-inducing shit.
Cancer Vixen: A True Story by Marisa Acocella Marchetto:
An inspirational story, written in comic form, by a New York Times cartoonist who finds out she has breast cancer and really changes her outlook on life. It's got a lot of great tongue-in-cheek humor mixed in with an emotional survival story. It's also quite educational and was a lot of fun to read. I want to buy a copy (I borrowed it from a friend) and I'd definitely recommend it, especially to all the strong women in my life.
Bully: A True Story of High School Revenge by Jim Schutze:
A true crime book that reads like a novel, and the terrifying fucked up events make you wish it were. It's about the murder of a high school boy (who happens to be a complete dirtbag) by his closest friends in white, upper-middle class suburban America. It's really hard to decide who to feel sorry for, and I'm pretty sure it gave me at least one nightmare. NOT for the squeamish.. it's really graphic, but definitely worth reading.
A World Without Divide: Book 1 - The Night Sarah Came Home by William Joseph:
A coworker lent me this, and apparently a friend of hers wrote it. It's an action-horror-sci-fi novel about the extreme measures taken by multiple government agencies around the world to create a "Utopian Society". Obviously 1984-inspired. There were some new-author flaws but overall a good story, and it made me cry a few times.
The Five People You Meet In Heaven by Mitch Albom:
Absolutely amazing. Despite the title it's non-religious, just makes you really think about the way even the smallest thing can affect the world around you. I want everyone on my flist to read it.
Deathnote: Vol 8 and 9 by Tsugumi Ohba:
A great manga series. It's very intelligent and involved (and you have to read from the beginning or you'd be so lost). There are more in the series but I have to admit I got tired of the story after awhile. Maybe I'll finish it one day.
The Perks of Being A Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky:
This was a re-read. It's already a favorite book of mine. The main character/narrator speaks (well, writes letters) similar to the way I think so it's easy to relate to. It's another thinker and a very quotable book.
World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks:
Zombie boner and war history boner all in one! I couldn't put it down. Just fuckin' amazing.
From the Notebooks of Melanin Sun by Jacqueline Woodson:
A short, easy read, targeted at young teens, but a good story nonetheless. It's about a boy who finds out his mom is a lesbian, and how he deals with it. It made me cry.
He's Just Not That Into You by Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo:
Not entirely relevant to me, obviously, and goes against my feminazi stance sometimes (i.e. if he doesn't want to marry you, he's not worth it. you need a man to marry and take care of you). However, it's a good motivational feel-good book overall and I'd still recommend it as easy pick-me-up reading, particularly for my straight girl friends.
Marvel Zombies by Robert Kirkman:
I actually thought it was pretty cheesy. Not even fun cheesy, just awful cheesy. Maybe my expectations were too high.
Crank by Ellen Hopkins:
Another re-read. It was better the first time, but it's a good book overall and pretty emotionally heavy. It made me really want to do speed, and never ever ever want to do speed. In other words, a good addiction book. It's written in free-form poetry which makes it an easy read.
Tommy's Tale by Alan Cumming:
Amazing. Sex, drugs, more drugs, and more sex, with a very touching message about friendship, family, self-respect, and growing up when you don't want to.
Cinderalla and Princess Mermaid by Junko Mizuno:
Short, cute, cheesy horror comics based loosely on the classic children's stories. They were cute (as cute as cannibalism can be) 15-minute reads but nothing all that special.
Ghost World by Daniel Clowes:
A good coming-of-age graphic novel with raw dialogue. The characters were relatable and overall I liked it. I'd like to check out the movie.
Strangers in Paradise: Book 1 by Terry Moore:
Fucking awesomesauce!!! I'm starting Book 2 today. I have a total crush on Francine AND Katchoo. It's action, drama, and an unconventional love story all rolled into one. Another one I couldn't put down.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey:
A twisted classic. I liked it a lot, but it did drag on in many parts.
Luna by Julie Anne Peters:
A heartwrenching story about a transgender woman who's facing her family and society in her quest to come out and be herself. It's told in the point of view of Luna's sister, Reagan, and it really delves into both sides of the story and pulls the raw emotions out of each. Definitely would recommend it.
The Gender Frontier edited by Mariette Pathy Allen:
A photographic journey through the lives of many transgender, 3rd gender, and otherwise genderfucked people. Very well put together, and I loved reading the stories behind the subjects in the photos.
Nobody Passes: Rejecting the Rules of Gender and Conformity edited by Mattilda aka Matt Bernstein Sycamore:
A collection of essays about passing as the "right" "fill in the blank" - gender, religion, race, social class, etc. etc. etc. Definitely worth reading, although I skimmed through a few of the essays. Definitely a thinker.
Tomie - Museum of Terror series, Book 1 by Junji Ito:
FUCKED UP! And AWESOME! That's really all I can even say about it. Junji Ito must have some FUCKED up nightmares to fuel the types of stories he churns out. I definitely want to read more of his work.
The Heroin Diaries by Nikki Sixx:
Okay, yes I'm biased because I kind of want to be Nikki Sixx. But it really was an amazing book. It made me laugh and cry, sometimes at the same time. An amazing, inspirational story about a journey into, and slowly back out of, addiction. It also provides more insight into the life and times of Motley Crue, which is of course a bonus. I love love loved it and would read it again.
Gyo 1 and 2 by Junji Ito:
Another fucked up and awesome story by officially my favorite horror manga author. The walking fish freaked me the fuck out, but the story just spirals downward (catch that reference? ehh??) from there. And by downward, I mean into an abyss of fucking crazy awesome terrifying nightmare-inducing shit.
Cancer Vixen: A True Story by Marisa Acocella Marchetto:
An inspirational story, written in comic form, by a New York Times cartoonist who finds out she has breast cancer and really changes her outlook on life. It's got a lot of great tongue-in-cheek humor mixed in with an emotional survival story. It's also quite educational and was a lot of fun to read. I want to buy a copy (I borrowed it from a friend) and I'd definitely recommend it, especially to all the strong women in my life.
Bully: A True Story of High School Revenge by Jim Schutze:
A true crime book that reads like a novel, and the terrifying fucked up events make you wish it were. It's about the murder of a high school boy (who happens to be a complete dirtbag) by his closest friends in white, upper-middle class suburban America. It's really hard to decide who to feel sorry for, and I'm pretty sure it gave me at least one nightmare. NOT for the squeamish.. it's really graphic, but definitely worth reading.
A World Without Divide: Book 1 - The Night Sarah Came Home by William Joseph:
A coworker lent me this, and apparently a friend of hers wrote it. It's an action-horror-sci-fi novel about the extreme measures taken by multiple government agencies around the world to create a "Utopian Society". Obviously 1984-inspired. There were some new-author flaws but overall a good story, and it made me cry a few times.