| 12/11/18 |
Talya Perper
Steven Universe: Ultimate Dough-Down |
Third original graphic novel! I like how Talya Perper writes. This story covers a donut competition where the Gems and Steven help Sadie compete in a local contest while she's kinda preoccupied with Lars's absence. |
| 11/9/18 |
Hermann Hesse
Siddhartha |
Interesting peek into the life of a holy man who went through many phases of his life to reach true enlightenment. I wasn't incredibly jazzed by it but it was pretty readable and held my interest. |
| 10/25/18 |
Daniel Handler
The Basic Eight |
Convoluted novel about a girl who went to jail for murdering her crush, basically. It's supposed to be her journal and it's really bizarre, and I liked it but wasn't too attached to it. I read it because Daniel Handler is the real name of Lemony Snicket and I like his work. |
| 10/9/18 |
Cartoon Network
The Steven Universe Coloring Book |
This is great, original linework that isn't just screenshot redraws or promo art, and the paper's good quality too--really designed for coloring. |
| 9/25/18 |
Riichiro Inagaki & Yusuke Murata
Eyeshield 21: Volume 29 |
Great stuff as always, Kurita facing Gao to protect Hiruma and Hiruma getting injured AGGGGH. |
| 9/18/18 |
Pearl S. Buck
The Good Earth |
The book was well-written but the main character being sexist and having low morals while being portrayed as if he's one of the good men really irritated me. It felt kind of inauthentic in a way I can't pinpoint. |
| 8/31/18 |
Hazel Edwards & Ryan S. Kennedy
F2M: The Boy Within |
I am glad to have more FTM literature out there but was sad this one was kind of empty of emotion--not my idea of a well-told story, but it's a story I think is important to be out there regardless. |
| 8/13/18 |
Carl Hiaasen
Native Tongue |
More environmentally conscious Florida weirdness in which the bad guys get theirs. Pretty funny, I liked. |
| 7/16/18 |
Louise Rennison
Love is a Many Trousered Thing |
The rude British schoolgirl returns again and it's pretty funny, like usual. |
| 7/5/18 |
Douglas Coupland
Microserfs |
I loved this quirky story about tech nerds moving into their adulthood. It just felt really authentic. |
| 6/9/18 |
Maya Angelou
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings |
Amazing story of Maya's childhood--full of triumphs, battles, oppression, sweet moments, culture, hope, and curiosity. I loved it. |
| 5/25/18 |
Diane Duane
Interim Errantry |
Really intriguing holiday stories about the young wizards during Halloween, Christmas, and Valentine's Day. Includes talking pumpkins, sentient Christmas trees, and love rituals on another planet? I enjoyed it except for the things I usually don't enjoy about the series. |
| 5/3/18 |
Christopher Hastings
Gwenpool #2 |
Eh, this was kinda fun, really like the art, but I got a little bit tired of the schtick and I don't really read Marvel comics, so I think reading a couple graphic novels was enough for this series! |
| 4/26/18 |
Tom Robbins
Still Life With Woodpecker |
Some of the phrases and concepts were innovative or interesting, but I just couldn't get past how the author wouldn't stop sexualizing his protagonist and fixating on her private parts, so . . . not for me. |
| 4/3/18 |
Melanie Gillman & Katy Farina
Steven Universe: Punching Up |
This was the second trade paperback for the ongoing comic series for Steven Universe. I read the individual issues as they came out but I like to have the collection (with the variant covers) too. Love these stories. |
| 4/2/18 |
N.K. Jemisin
The Fifth Season |
I enjoyed this sorta apocalyptic SF world, and the ideas, and the diversity, and the storytelling style! I didn't connect that much to the protagonist even though I sympathized with her problems, but I thought it was really good! |
| 2/23/18 |
Jaclyn Moriarty
A Tangle of Gold |
The Colours of Madeleine series is concluded with this lovely volume. So adorable, with revelations I was expecting but wasn't disappointed by the delivery on, and I really like Madeleine and Elliot's relationship and also as usual the epistolary bits were just fantastic. |
| 2/6/18 |
Riichiro Inagaki & Yusuke Murata
Eyeshield 21: Volume 28 |
Another great volume of the football manga, with the Devilbats watching the Gunmen getting defeated by the Dinosaurs. Now their quarterback will face a bone-crushing threat in the next game. Woo! And we got a flashback about Hiruma as a kid! |
| 1/30/18 |
Becky Albertalli
Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda |
Awesome story about a teenage boy who's falling in love with a boy from his school--through e-mail. But he's being blackmailed by someone who wants to out him to the school. Unusually authentic and very well told! |
| 1/20/18 |
Wally Lamb
Wishin' and Hopin' |
It's a cute story about a boy's hijinks in Catholic school just kinda trying to understand what life is, but I didn't love it or hate it. |