December reads
79. Held von flix
Autobiographical graphic novel. It starts out recounting the life of the author and at some point moves over into the future. It's a biography of a life that hasn't happened yet. Very interesting.
80. Liebe schaut weg von Line Hoven
Another graphic novel. I didn't quite get this one. I liked the art, but why love looks away, I couldn't say.
81. Planet Kratochvil von Nicolas Mahler
graphic novel. Or comic, really. Bizarre, symbolistic, weird. Loved it.
82. Wir können ja Freunde bleiben von Mawil
Autobiographical story about unrequited love, lust and crushes. Sweet.
83. Spam von Nicolas Mahler
Comic. Hilarious, bizarre. The text is taken entirely from SPAM emails. The artist made bizarre little pictures to go with the text.
84. Fräulein Else von Manuele Fior
Another graphic novel. The story is Fräulein Else by Arthur Schnitzler. I liked the art and how the story was turned into a graphic novel. Very good.
85. Strandsafari von Mawil
Weird little story about a rabbit-like thing falling in love with a girl on the beach. Almost like an excuse to draw cute topless girls and girls in bikinis playing volleyball.
86. Die Band von Mawil
Autobiographical graphic novel again, this time about trying to start a band. Turns out he became a writer instead.
87. Halbe Wahrheiten von Adrian Tomine
Interesting graphic novel about a couple drifting apart.
88. Eigentlich ist das Leben schön von Seth
Autobiographical graphic novel (see a pattern?) about the artist's search, then obsession for a graphic artist he comes across in an old magazine.
89. Fräulein Rühr-Mich-Nicht-An 02: Blut an den Händen von Hubert
another graphic novel. The second part of the story set in Paris, a very innocent girl whose sister was killed and who lost her job as maid works in a brothel to pay the rent and to find the sister's murderer.
read during my holiday:
90. Last Night at Twisted River by John Irving
Finally a John Irving book I like again. It's a huge book again, but this time I didn't feel whole parts of it could have been left away. It's a story about a boy and his father on the run. It's also a very clever little story about how your work as a writer will always be interpreted as autobiographical in ways you never intended. I liked the book from the beginning to the end, and just like it always is with John Irving novels it took me a while to get into it.
91. Biting the Bullet by Jennifer Radin
Silly little vampire/zombie/secret service/cia/ghost story. It was a harmless beach read, but annoyingly predictable.
92. The 50/50 Killer by Steve Mosby
Serial Killer story. I always like those. Nothing too special, but quite gory and with a twist.
93. The yellow House by Martin Gayford
Very interesting book on the weeks Vincent van Gogh spent in the yellow house in Arles leading up to the incident in which he cut off his own ear. I had only a vague notion of why and under what circumstances he cut off his ear and had no idea that Gaugin was involved at all. So I was very disappointed that when I went to the famous van Gogh museum in Amsterdam, not only were a lot of his most famous pictures not shown, because of renovations, they also only had a tiny little plaque next to one picture referring to "the incident" and no further explanations. When I came across this book in a book sale, I immediately bought it to find out more about the artist and also Gaugin's connection to the incident. The story was very interesting, well researched and with some good conclusions. The only criticism I have is that the pictures discussed in the book are printed in black and white.
94. Meltdown by Ben Elton
A satire on the financial crisis. Typical ben elton stuff, with a surprisingly good ending.
95. Trick of the Dark by Val McDermid
Typical Val McDermid story with the usual elements - a cold case, a whole lot of lesbians, a twist. I like it.
96. Skinny Legs and all by Tom Robbins
I read the book during a holiday. And I liked it alright. It was funny, it was crazy, it was weird. Still, I'm not entirely sure what to make of it. There is a talking and walking spoon in it, after all.
Edited to add: I was wondering if people on librarything would call this magical realism and it turns out they do. Aha. I also just noticed I have read something by Tom Robbins before: Villa Incognito. I clearly remember the first sentence because it contains the word scrotum in a surprising context.
97. Harun und das Meer der Geschichten by Salman Rushdie
Sweet little story about a little boy who gets to help defeat the dark side of the story planet.
As you can see, the only reason I got anywhere near 100 books read this year is that I read 11 graphic novels in December and had two weeks off that I spent on the beach in cape verde.
I'm off to a slow start for January as well, but took out 8 more graphic novels from the library. If I can't concentrate on whole books then graphic novels it is.
Autobiographical graphic novel. It starts out recounting the life of the author and at some point moves over into the future. It's a biography of a life that hasn't happened yet. Very interesting.
80. Liebe schaut weg von Line Hoven
Another graphic novel. I didn't quite get this one. I liked the art, but why love looks away, I couldn't say.
81. Planet Kratochvil von Nicolas Mahler
graphic novel. Or comic, really. Bizarre, symbolistic, weird. Loved it.
82. Wir können ja Freunde bleiben von Mawil
Autobiographical story about unrequited love, lust and crushes. Sweet.
83. Spam von Nicolas Mahler
Comic. Hilarious, bizarre. The text is taken entirely from SPAM emails. The artist made bizarre little pictures to go with the text.
84. Fräulein Else von Manuele Fior
Another graphic novel. The story is Fräulein Else by Arthur Schnitzler. I liked the art and how the story was turned into a graphic novel. Very good.
85. Strandsafari von Mawil
Weird little story about a rabbit-like thing falling in love with a girl on the beach. Almost like an excuse to draw cute topless girls and girls in bikinis playing volleyball.
86. Die Band von Mawil
Autobiographical graphic novel again, this time about trying to start a band. Turns out he became a writer instead.
87. Halbe Wahrheiten von Adrian Tomine
Interesting graphic novel about a couple drifting apart.
88. Eigentlich ist das Leben schön von Seth
Autobiographical graphic novel (see a pattern?) about the artist's search, then obsession for a graphic artist he comes across in an old magazine.
89. Fräulein Rühr-Mich-Nicht-An 02: Blut an den Händen von Hubert
another graphic novel. The second part of the story set in Paris, a very innocent girl whose sister was killed and who lost her job as maid works in a brothel to pay the rent and to find the sister's murderer.
read during my holiday:
90. Last Night at Twisted River by John Irving
Finally a John Irving book I like again. It's a huge book again, but this time I didn't feel whole parts of it could have been left away. It's a story about a boy and his father on the run. It's also a very clever little story about how your work as a writer will always be interpreted as autobiographical in ways you never intended. I liked the book from the beginning to the end, and just like it always is with John Irving novels it took me a while to get into it.
91. Biting the Bullet by Jennifer Radin
Silly little vampire/zombie/secret service/cia/ghost story. It was a harmless beach read, but annoyingly predictable.
92. The 50/50 Killer by Steve Mosby
Serial Killer story. I always like those. Nothing too special, but quite gory and with a twist.
93. The yellow House by Martin Gayford
Very interesting book on the weeks Vincent van Gogh spent in the yellow house in Arles leading up to the incident in which he cut off his own ear. I had only a vague notion of why and under what circumstances he cut off his ear and had no idea that Gaugin was involved at all. So I was very disappointed that when I went to the famous van Gogh museum in Amsterdam, not only were a lot of his most famous pictures not shown, because of renovations, they also only had a tiny little plaque next to one picture referring to "the incident" and no further explanations. When I came across this book in a book sale, I immediately bought it to find out more about the artist and also Gaugin's connection to the incident. The story was very interesting, well researched and with some good conclusions. The only criticism I have is that the pictures discussed in the book are printed in black and white.
94. Meltdown by Ben Elton
A satire on the financial crisis. Typical ben elton stuff, with a surprisingly good ending.
95. Trick of the Dark by Val McDermid
Typical Val McDermid story with the usual elements - a cold case, a whole lot of lesbians, a twist. I like it.
96. Skinny Legs and all by Tom Robbins
I read the book during a holiday. And I liked it alright. It was funny, it was crazy, it was weird. Still, I'm not entirely sure what to make of it. There is a talking and walking spoon in it, after all.
Edited to add: I was wondering if people on librarything would call this magical realism and it turns out they do. Aha. I also just noticed I have read something by Tom Robbins before: Villa Incognito. I clearly remember the first sentence because it contains the word scrotum in a surprising context.
97. Harun und das Meer der Geschichten by Salman Rushdie
Sweet little story about a little boy who gets to help defeat the dark side of the story planet.
As you can see, the only reason I got anywhere near 100 books read this year is that I read 11 graphic novels in December and had two weeks off that I spent on the beach in cape verde.
I'm off to a slow start for January as well, but took out 8 more graphic novels from the library. If I can't concentrate on whole books then graphic novels it is.