Challenge: 50 Books discussion
Finish Line 2017
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Sari's 2017 Book Challenge
date
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Wish List:Whit Trash Zombie Unchained, Iron Gold (1/18), Battle Angel Alita (series), Brom (author)
Carry-Over:
The Rose and the Dagger, Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Last Exit to Brooklyn, Parasite (series), Armada,
New Additions:
Mess, The Girls, Fireman, Wool (series), Art of War, Things They Carried, Caraval, Between Shades of Grey, Walk in the Woods, Hate You Give,
Mod
... My goal is to finish the challenge this year!
And with fewer comic books. (So, no more than half.) Lol."
hehehe. Good luck on your reads!
1) Salt to the Sea; Ruta Sepetys; Jan 7; 4.3*I don't usually like historical fiction, but this one was fun. It was about a historical event that I wasn't familiar with, and since I didn't read the inside cover, I didn't even know it was coming. That made the reading experience especially intriguing for me. I really liked the super-short chapter POVs (a couple of pages). It still had some of that tween-ish romance aspect (the way it's written about reminds me of every bad teen romance novel), but I was able to overlook it. I liked the fresh topic for WW2 fiction.
2) A Pocket Full of Murder; R.J. Anderson; Jan 8; 3.8*Harry Potter meets Murder Mystery meets Betty Crocker.
In spite of that, I really appreciated the economic division in the book for different kinds of magic, and how magic was something to be created -- not by "born" ability, but by determination and family recipes. That approach made magic more accessible to me, and I am a very lousy cook. Lol. I wish "Sagery" had been better described and defined, but otherwise I really enjoyed it. I don't usually read mysteries, and my "who-done-it" guess was definitely wrong, but this was a nice change. I'm looking forward to more adventures with Isaveth and Quiz, and/or the surrounding world of Tarreton.
3) Wing and Claw: Forest of Wonders; Linda Sue Park; Jan 25; 4.5*I picked up this book because it involved plants as a means for "magic," and I liked that there were also forests and animals involved. It seemed like a good draw for middle-school readers. The first half of the book is pretty light, but the second half is what makes this book worth reading. It brings up a lot of questions about animal exploitation, and where should people draw the line between a human's desires and an animal's rights. This series is off to a great start, and I hope the sequel lives up to the first. It's nice to read about an issue most people aren't either familiar or comfortable with, and I think this book has approached this issue admirably (particularly for a youth-audience).
4) The Forgetting; Sharon Cameron; Jan 29; 3.6*The premise was interesting. and as someone who knows what it's like to wake up and not know who you are (concussions -- lots of 'em), I thought this book would be a bit of a kindred spirit. Not so much. This book mentions that there is fear in forgetting, but doesn't really describe it -- just the general anarchy it causes. Other than being disappointed by that (and not being a romance person, so I didn't really enjoy that either -- but at least it wasn't graphic), I thought this book was rather fun -- even if it wasn't what I thought it was going to be. I found the story clean enough to recommend to a tween audience.
5) Zero Belly Smoothies; David Zinczenko; Feb 5; 2.6*On the one hand, I've seen better "research" from 5th graders. On the other hand, the recipes have simple ingredients and cover a wide variety of taste-preferences. However, there wasn't so much as a reference page to indicate where his alleged research came from. [He repeatedly states "Research says...," yet leaves the specifics of what research he's talking about completely ambiguous to the reader. I expect when someone says "research," they leave me enough information (bibliography!) that I can read it for myself. I'm sure this is a non-issue for most readers, but I have higher standards for any book that throws around the word "research." Thus it's upsetting when an author can't support these "research" finding with the actual research they used to make their statements.]
This book would have been a 4* book if it was presented as a smoothie-recipe-only book. Instead, it makes claims and leaves the reader wondering where he got his "research" information from.
6) Spine: A Collection Of Twisted Tales; Steven Jenkins; Feb 23 ; 4*This book was short, but fun. Stories were of varied lengths. There was some repetition in the language, but all the stories are by the same author, so maybe that's to be expected. Overall, spooky-fun light reading.
7) Frozen Charlotte; Alex Bell; Mar 4; 4.6*Better than most adult horror novels. I didn't like that the semi-romantic interest was a step-1st cousin, and I didn't feel like all the "holes"/ plot points were clarified, but not many other issues. Surprisingly clean (no language/ sex), but some violence is described. A quick, fun ghost story. Definitely give this one a chance.
8) The Night Parade; Kathryn Tanquary; Mar 5; 2.7*Great premise. Girl accidentally triggers a "death curse." Evolution of character from whiny, disrespectful and insecure to self-confident and respectful. Different adventure every night, for 3 nights of the celebration. But the story was just so slow and badly described/ written. I did not feel I was rewarded for my time, and I felt bad for having to "book talk" this to middle school students b/c I really didn't like it. (Unfortunately, one mention of "death curse," and they were sold.) This book just could have been so much more. At the end of the day, the cover art is infinitely better than the story.
9) Of Mice And Men; John Steinbeck; Mar 11; 4.3*I read this b/c it's being challenged at my middle school. I can definitely see why it's a classic. The foreshadowing is done extremely well. It's being challenged for the "n-word," although there are definitely some other relevant reasons for the challenge. However, I can also see its value in the ELA curriculum. If for nothing else than an opportunity to talk about the "challenging" issues... to say nothing of the book's style, pattern, and plot -- which is what makes this a classic. I would say if you're like me, and didn't read this for school, then take the time to read this for yourself.
10) The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, Vol. 4: I Kissed a Squirrel and I Liked It; Ryan North & Erica Henderson; Mar 16; 4.1*The first story was so nonlinear it was hard to enjoy, and the last one involved too much computer science (for me, anyway) and just seemed like more of the same. But the three in the middle, where Squirrel Girl explores the dating scene, were great. I like that this volume gave the secondary characters (Nancy and Koi Boi) a larger role. That was also really refreshing.
11) The Joy of Less: A Minimalist Guide to Declutter, Organize, and Simplify; Francine Jay; Mar 26; 2.3*There are good decluttering books out there; this isn't one of them. I have a hard time taking any book seriously that can't decide what it's trying to say. Let's take clothing: "Don't store different clothes for different weights; reward yourself with a new wardrobe after you drop those pounds" (p148). But then it describes how we should be "reusing someone else's stuff" such as "raid[ing] the closets of friends and relatives," so we "buy only what we truly need" (p 267/9). This book just can't decide where it stands. Is the advice to waste our disposable income on a new wardrobe after we drop 15 lbs, or to abuse our friends and relatives by imposing our needs onto them? And let's not forget advocating emotional warfare: "Your kids can tell Dad they'd rather hear him play his 'good guitar' than the battered one in the garage" (p241). Why can't Dad decided which guitar is his favorite all on his own? Newest doesn't equal best. There's so many little tidbits that give this book away as a piece of elitist literature so out of touch with "real" people that it isn't even worth reading -- unless your only problem is that you have a large disposable income and not enough room for your stuff. Then maybe this book is for you. But for the rest of us that can't afford a new wardrobe after every weight shift, want to maintain our relationships with our friends-family-neighbors, and refuse to lower ourselves to emotional warfare to manipulate people (our loved ones) into doing what we want -- I recommend something else.
12) Lumerjanes, Vol. 5: Band Together; Stevenson; Apr 7; 4*This volume had a really great story about mermaids & renewing friendships (4.5*), but I really didn't like the new artwork (3.5*). This series is always fun, and this volume is no exception. Great writing!
13) The Vegetarian; Han Kang; Apr 17; 2.4*One word: disappointing.
As a woman, vegetarian, artist, and person with experience working with mental-health patients, I feel I should've connected with this book... but didn't. It's plenty weird, but I think it's lacking. A lot.
Perhaps I'm just not the audience this book was written for. Or the Man Booker International Prize standards have gone down. Way down.
14) Aliens: Salvation; Dave Gibbons & Mike Mignola; May 25; 4.4*This was good. Great story and artwork. The religious POV didn't bother me, even though that's not my thing. I thought it was an interesting way to approach the story. You can read it in a just a few minutes. Definitely recommend.
15) Race to Incarcerate: A Graphic Retelling; Marc Mauer & Sabrina Jones; May 26; 3.2*This book wasn't what I was expecting, but it wasn't bad. I recognize that many people will connect with it, but I'm not one of them. (And that isn't b/c these issues haven't affected my life.) I think it makes important issue, and talking points, accessible to a wider audience. This topic deserves to be dissected and considered more so that it is presently by the average American, whatever "average" means. I didn't always agree with the book's presentation, slant, or conclusions, but I definitely agree that we need to see the value of investing in our communities (particularly as a way to decrease crime), and re-evaluate the prison-system as we know it. Thought-provoking.
16) The Little World of Liz Climo; Liz Climo; May 26; 2.6* Didn't love or hate it. A lot of the drawings are the same, just with different text above them. Usually this doesn't bother me, but it was done so often in this book that it did. There's only a few in here I even felt were "worth" reading. If you skip it, you certainly won't have missed much. Definitely wouldn't buy.
17) The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, Volume 5: Like I'm the Only Squirrel in the World; Ryan North & Erica Henderson; May 27; 4.0*USG goes off-the-grid in this one, but the vacation gets cut short. Mew finally gets her own issue, too. Still loving SQ. I hate that there are computer science jokes I don't get in every volume, but o-well. *shrugs* I also always like it when side-characters get some time, and everyone had a few good scenes in this one. (KB & CH were absent, though.) The prequel of USG was really appreciated, and one of the best parts. Glad that was included in this volume! USG is still a great read!
18) The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl Beats Up the Marvel Universe; Ryan North & Erica Henderson; May 30; 4.5* rounded up.First, apparently the order is USG 4, USGBUMU, then USG5. Who knew? Reading them out of order didn't affect it that much, but I wish I had known. O-well. No worries. Technically, I think it should be titled, "Evil Clone of SQ Beats of MU," but that's just me. This round is full of action, fun, and -- of course -- squirrels!
19) Everything Is Teeth; Evie Wyld & Joe Sumner; May 31; 4.2* (Watch Jaws, and then read this, because it incorporates several scenes from the movie.)
I like how the variety of perspectives -- fear, curiosity and sorrow -- are explored. The artwork is spectacular. (Specifically, the illustrations of marine life, and the use of color.) Very unique.
20) Lumberjanes, Vol 6: Sink or Swim; Noelle Stevenson et al; June 14; 3.7*The story was fun, although not my favorite. The romance was really up & down (like they we're trying to make a point, but forgot); that part could've been better. (Specifically, WTF was Mal getting at talking about Molly? Wish that hadn't happened before their scene together.) Also, the typo (then instead of than) bothered me. It was still a great adventure about hardcore lady types. And were-people.
21) The Imitation Game: Alan Turing Decoded; Jim Ottaviani; June 16; 3*This is a good story, but I don't believe it was told well in this graphic novel. The multiple narrator issue was especially hard to follow, but the illustrations we're fine. It was great learning about such a fascinating person, and this comic made that information fun and accessible.
22) My Degeneration: A Journey Through Parkinson's; Peter Dunlap-Shohl; June 18; 4*This is a comic that helped me realize there's a lot I didn't know I didn't know about Parkinson's. (Not to be confused with the things I'm aware that I don't know.) The content was useful, the story/narration was clear & easy to understand, and the illustrations were in an interesting style. This is an insider's view of a diagnosis most of us hope we never receive, and I respect the bravery and effort it took to make this. I'm interested in reading more books in the "Graphic Medicine" series.
Best line: "Lose your quality of life, and your incentive to be a coward goes way down" (59).
23) Letting It Go; Miriam Katin; June 19; 2.7*Once I figured out what this was about, it wasn't so bad. There are some very human moments in this book, which were refreshing. The prejudice against something because of previous experiences were understandable, given the circumstances. It was nice watching the character slowly work through those issues. (I also liked the sketchbook illustration style.)
24) Blue Is The Warmest Color; Julie Maroh; June 22; 5*I felt like a romance, and I still find this a satisfying read. (I consider the movie more tragic than the book, perhaps because it's more realistic and I'm just not into that. Lol. I prefer a story where love continues on.) Books about self-discovery, particularly adolescence, can be done badly -- or it can be done well. This comic still stands as an effective representation of coming to terms with the one's self, falling in love -- and all the repercussions that entails.
Rereading On Goodreads:I'm not sure I completely understand how to do it, but I've managed to mark one book as a reread, so hopefully I'll be able to do it again. Here's the directions, if I forget.
https://www.goodreads.com/blog/show/8...
25) Honor Girl: A Graphic Memoir; Maggie Thrash; July 9; 2.7*On the upside, it's realistic (and I really liked the artwork). On the downside, it didn't have an ending; it just... ended. As if a movie stopped on the rising action. I found it disappointing. It could have been a great book, but it just wasn't. And I really, Really wanted it to be good.
But, life doesn't always have nice, clean, story-worthy endings. Sometimes things are just over. And us, like Maggie, are left to wonder "what if?".
26) Skim; Mariko & Jillian Tamaki; July 10; 2* (Gift)Definitely didn't like it. This just didn't have any substance to me. I, like, totally, got like, tired of the, like, teenage-valley talk. Being goth-wiccan was fine. The gay-or-not didn't even seem like a topic (ditto for the suicide and everything else this book attempted to cover -- but failed); it just seemed like some by-the-way topic that was never explored. Not the worst thing I've ever read, but definitely one of the worst this year. Disappointing. I didn't even like the artwork.
27) Grindhouse, Vol 3: Doors Open At Midnight Double Feature, Alex de Campi, July 27; 3* This is a double feature, and as such, I definitely liked one more than the other. The first one, Slay Ride, I have absolutely no idea what just happened. There was a plot, but I don't know what it is. 2* The second one, Blood Lagoon, was fun and coherent. Campy horror at its finest. 4* Illustrations were good in both.
28) Thoreau: A Sublime Life; A. Dan & Maximilien Le Roy; July 28; 3*This was a Thoreau comic "Cliffnotes." It was just enough information in the comic to get a general idea of Thoreau, without ever really going into any depth. The Forward and Epilogue helped add substance, and the illustrations were good. I almost want to read Walden now.
29) Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant?;Roz Chast; July 28; 4.8*Not necessarily something I enjoyed reading, but definitely something I felt worth reading. Most memoirs are about youth into adulthood, first love, or other common experiences. This is the coming-of-middle-age experience of dealing with your parents' decline and eventual death. The writer clearly had/has some residual animosity towards their mother, but otherwise I felt this book held more truth than not. Even if it was truth I wasn't keen on knowing about. Worth reading. I recommend it for the +30 crowd.
30) Queer: A Graphic History; Meg-John Barker & Julia Scheele; 3* I was expecting more of a history-oriented LGBT comic. Instead, this was an academic-oriented queer-theory lecture with graphics. I'm not saying it's bad, it just wasn't what I was expecting. Bi got a page. Ace got a paragraph. Trans got a couple of pages. Everything else was pretty much G/L. It felt like knowledge for the sake of knowledge, and made me grateful I didn't go into gender-studies. (Although it was a concise overview of queer theory, as I understand it.) My LGBT History course in college was a lot more interesting than this book, and it didn't even have pictures.
31) Ghost Stories of an Antiquary, Vol 1; M.R. James, Leah Moore & John Reppion; Aug 1; 2* In spite of the great illustrations, this comic seems to have lost something in the interpretation. I have to agree that, although I have not read the original M.R. James stories,, this didn't convert well to graphic form. The stories seemed rather hard to follow and/ or understand (with the exception of "Lost Hearts). It has, however, made me interested in reading the original stories -- so at least there's that.
32) Why We March: Signs of Protest and Hope; Artisan Press; Aug 9; 4* There wasn't a lot to read, but it was fun to look at. I've never participated in a march/ protest, but this book definitely makes me want to break out my poster paints and give it a try. Truly, a great collection of photographs from this world-wide (Women's March 2017) event.
33) Me Before You; Jojo Moyes; Aug 17; 4.2* Finally! The first adult novel I've read all year! I'd almost forgotten how nice it is to make pictures in my head -- I've definitely been reading too many comics, as of late.
This book was good, but could've been better. I'm not even sure how to write this without spoilers. I definitely didn't love the writing, but the idea was good. (Moyes could be Stephen King's long-lost sister in that regard.) None of the characters ever had their own "voice," and that was incredibly frustrating to me. The writing also suffered from a... lack of vocabulary. Entitled. Entitled. Entitled. We get it. And then she'd try to throw out a $5 word, so maybe we wouldn't notice the repetitive vocabulary issue. It didn't work. Beyond the writing, Moyes used the same trite issue every author now appears to use to signal.. what? Female vulnerability? Don't know. Don't care. Would've preferred something more original, though. It felt like it was put in there as an afterthought, which made it so. much. worse.
Other than that, I did enjoy reading the book. I realize everyone gets something different from this book. There's a good film, which will remain nameless, that states, "The freedom to choose is the only real freedom we have." Now, imagine that's taken away. I think this book is about choice. Abeit, a choice many people don't want others to have. But, arguably, I think everyone should have that choice when there are quality-of-life issues. And not just when they're terminal. [Love someone who's had a ruptured brain aneurysm, that effectively turned them into a quad., who has lost the ability to move, speak and occasionally swallow, but whose body is strong enough to not die before the age of a natural death (in another 40-50 years) and tell me that no one, or only the terminally ill, should have that choice.] This book isn't about depression. It isn't about disability. It isn't even about love. It's about choice. And allowing others to make it for themselves, even if we disagree with their decision.
34) Rot & Ruin; Jonathan Maberry; Aug 21; 3* (Audiobook)I'm not sure I'm an audiobook kinda girl. I just have trouble concentrating. And then I don't know what happened. With an physical book, I can easily flip to where I lost track or a detail, and it's a nonissue. But with an audiobook, it's harder even with the rewind features. I am glad that audiobooks are an option, even though I know I can't do them and drive. But I can still clean and walk, so that's something. I liked the narrator also. (Only issue: his voice for the lost girl was creepy, but perhaps that's what he was going for.)
The story itself was ok. I'd rather read World War Z any day of the week. That and My Life As A White Trash Zombie are what I set the zombie-novel bar by, and this wasn't even close. Sadly. It's a basic teen drama, but with zombies in the background. If that's what you're into, you're sure to love this book.
I didn't like that every other page, some character spoke with "venom." That got old quick. This also read like a book for guys written by a girl trying to bring "touchy-feelies" to zombies. Maybe that's why everyone likes this book -- awarded for empathy? -- but it was just weird to me. Didn't love it. Didn't hate it. Maybe the others in the series are better.
35) Dust & Decay; Jonathan Maberry; Sept 8; 4* (Audiobook)I liked this book in the series much better than the first. More action and adventure, less teen romance. Just enough drama to keep things interesting. And thanks the gods, less of this "touchy-feely" business. The zombies were still more background than anything, but definitely played a more significant role in the one. I really loved being introduced to so many new characters -- probably the best part of the book. (And the narrator for the audiobook did a great job -- you can tell he had a lot of fun with it.)
36) 101 Successful Interviewing Strategies; Eric Kramer; Sept 14; 3.5*The information is pretty standard, but it got me in the right mind-frame, and was a great refresher before my interview. The best part? The formatting. There's no attempt to fill the pages with words just for the sake of it. If it doesn't need to be said, it isn't. You get the gist of a concept in a few sentences, and move on to the next one. I wish more books were written like this. 3.7*
37) The Ten Key Interviewing T.E.C.H.N.I.Q.U.E.S.; Darrin Grella; Sept 14; 3.0* Interesting topic divisions, each marked by a different letter in "techniques." The general concepts are ok, I just didn't feel like this book had much substance. (And when you're trying to do interview prep., time is precious.) The "how to" section in the back, about making a resume, tells you to do a lot of things that are wrong: objective line, several lines for education (including courses, gpa, accomplishments, etc.), hobbies, and "references available upon request." That resume, following this advice, is going straight into the dumpster. It made me question all the rest of his "how to" advice. I understand that this book is copyrighted in 2009, but still. Wow. I think the book was an ok read, but don't take it as the end-all, be-all, b/c it isn't.
37.1) Street Angel: After School Kung Fu Special; Jim Rugg & Brian Maruca; Sept 18; 2.8*Well, it had to happen eventually. This is Book #2, and I read it first. (Apparently my library doesn't even carry the first book in the series.) The artwork is good, and the story is ok -- there just doesn't feel like a lot of substance. Honestly, I thought the most interesting part of the book was at the end, when they talk about making comics (their version of a "how to.") Summary: quick read, kinda fun, and enjoyable to look at.
38) I Hate Fairyland, Vol. 1: Madly Ever After; Skottie Young; Nov 2; 2*This was a gift. I really thought I would enjoy this, more or otherwise, but it just wasn't my thing. It reminds me a lot of "Ren & Stimpy." I'm fine with violence, and female protagonists, and bright colors. But I found Gertrude unlikable, even as an antihero. Maybe because I regard her as a spoiled sadist with no redeeming qualities, character development, or sense of humor. This is definitely the right comic for someone out there... but it wasn't for me.
Having said that, I did enjoy the "good" girl vs. "bad" girl storyline, and Larry's family sequence. Yes, I will be reading the next in the series.
39) I Hate Fairyland, Vol. 2: Fluff My Life; Skottie Young; Nov 3; 2*This was a gift. After reading the first one, which I didn't really like, I moved onto the second. More of the same with Gertrude: the cute yet annoying sadist. If you like the idea of Candyland and Ren & Stimpy having an orgy and creating a comic child, you'll love this. (It's just... not my thing.)
Having said that, I did enjoy the temporary alternative artwork and mohawk-warrior Gertrude. This whole series is like a trainwreck: even if you know you're not going to see anything good, you just can't look away. So, I admit it, I'll probably continue the series. For better or worse. I hate the idea of this series growing on me for so many reasons...
40) How to Do Homework Without Throwing Up; Trevor Romain & Steve Mark; Nov 20; 3.7*This book was a fun way to address some of the bad habits we find ourselves making when doing homework. I like that this book is humorous, well-illustrated, and touches on a lot of great points about how to be successful regarding afterschool classwork.
I think the author made some big assumptions about how helpful parents, teachers, siblings, therapists/ counselors, etc. can be, regarding successful academic endeavors... and I didn't necessarily agree with that. But otherwise, I really enjoyed this book. It's for younger readers, but it has some timeless advice.
(And for the record, dogs really do eat homework. In 5th grade, I had a teething puppy who thought my social studies homework and a few books from the library were delicious. I'm just saying -- it happens.)
41) The Life and Legend of Chris Kyle: American Sniper, Navy SEAL; Michael J. Mooney; Dec 12; 3* (Audiobook)This was a string of anecdotes put together and called a book. Having said that, there were a few things in here that I didn't know, and I left feeling like I had a better understanding of the person. This was definitely written to mostly honor him, (positive side). (However, I disliked the part about hitting cows, but *shrugs* it is what it is. That's not a fault of the author.) Having helped a 5th/6th grader with a research project on Kyle, I think this would be a good (quick) reference for such. Or a "cliffnotes" version of his life. It doesn't have a lot a substance, but it does cover a lot of material in a short amount of time, mostly through anecdotes.
42) Adulthood Is A Myth; Sarah Andersen; Dec 13; 5* There are very few books that actually make me laugh, comics or otherwise. This was one. ("It's funny 'cause it's true.") And it happened repeatedly. I hope to find more by this author. Highly recommended.
43) Cat vs Human; Yasmine Surovec; Dec 14; 3* I felt like the premise of this book was better than the execution. There were some funny moments in this book, but nothing hilarious. It was amusing to read, but really not *that* funny. (And this is coming from a cat person.) Overall, I found it disappointing. Not necessarily bad, just not my thing.
44) You Don't Look Your Age: And Other Fairy Tales; Sheila Nevins; Dec 15; 3.4* (Audiobook) I enjoyed that this was read by multiple speakers. For the stories themselves, when they were good -- they were really good. And when they were bleh -- they were "WTF just happened? Is it really over? Was there even a point to that?" bleh. An interesting excursion, certainly.
45) Al Franken, Giant of the Senate; Al Franken; Dec 23; 5* (Audiobook)Listening to this being read was really fun. It was a great book, and I felt it being read by the author -- an author with impeccable comedic timing -- just made it even better. His pronunciation and my pronunciation weren't always the same for certain words, but *eh* whatever. I felt like, with everything in the news, I was able to view his recent media-issues, and subsequent resignation, through what I felt were his eyes. I picked up this book because I was upset about the recent press about him. (Not that I hadn't had him on my radar earlier for doing good.) And now, after reading this book, I feel so much worse about what's going on. The proud people of Minnesota should have had a say in this. But I digress. About the book. It was good. I laughed several times, which is rare -- even though I've done it twice in two weeks now. I can't imagine he'll be replaced with someone of his talents, but it was good to get an idea of what it's like running for political office, and trying to do good and represent your state, from someone starting from proverbial scratch in the system. (OK, "big comedy" isn't scratch, but still, he was rather new to being in politics). I finished it and secretly thought to myself, "Perhaps I could run for government..." Truth.
46) The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, Vol. 6: Who Run The World? Squirrels; Ryan North & Erica Henderson; Dec 24; 4*I liked the variety of things going on in this volume: squirrel suits, the guys got their own comic, a nice series about a bear and a chicken, etc. I'm glad Brain Drain got some time in this comic too. And villains can come from the most unlikely of places (with enviable powers). Still loving USG. Nuts!
47) Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls; David Sedaris; Dec 27; 2.5* (Audiobook)I didn't really go into this with any expectations, and that was probably for the best. It was just short, semi-humorous journal entries read by the author. Not bad, but not great. Sounded more like a string of whining towards the end. Occasionally funny, but I was glad when it was over.
48) Freshman: Tales of 9th Grade Obsessions, Revelations, and Other Nonsense; Corinne Mucha; Dec 31; 2.4* It was interesting, I guess. Not much substance, but still entertaining. It might be more enjoyable for students in the throes of high school. But for me it was rather trite, and I never felt invested in the characters or their story.
49) Garbage Night; Jen Lee; Dec 31; 2.4*I made this mistake of reading this before I read "Vacancy" (which was at the end of this book, thankfully). I wasn't familiar with the characters, and that took some getting used to, but ok. The first half of the book seemed very meandering/ pointless. The second half had some substance about friendship, but I just didn't enjoy reading this. The artwork was nice, though, but the front-half of the story (or the story in general) could definitely use some work.
49.1) Vacancy; Jen Lee; Dec 31; 2.4*Since I read "Garbage Night" first (whoops!), this helped me understand the backstory of the characters. The colors for the artwork are good, but the story was underwhelming.
50) Too Cool to Be Forgotten; Alex Robinson; Dec 31; 4.3*First, I love the cover of this book. I don't often pick-up a book simply for a nice cover, but for this book I made an exception. The illustrations were good, and the story wasn't bad (although a little slow in some areas). It's a mix of teen-angst with middle-age regret... all through the power of hypnosis. I never took up smoking, but there are things in my youth I'd like to have explored alternatives for. And this book (almost) let me live vicariously through that fantasy.
Now, it's time for the 2017 Year End Awards:Most Hilarious Book: Adulthood is a Myth
Best Graphic Novel: Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant?
-- Runner-Up: My Degeneration
Best Fiction: (see Drama)
Best Drama: Me Before You
Best Nonfiction: Al Franken, Giant of the Senate
Best Middle-School: Wing and Claw: Forest of Wonders
Best Teen: Frozen Charlotte
-- Runner-Up: Salt to the Sea
Most Disappointing: The Vegetarian
Absolute Worst Book of the Year: Skim
Here's my 2018 Book Challenge list:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Challenge: 50 Books
Books mentioned in this topic
Vacancy (other topics)Too Cool to Be Forgotten (other topics)
Garbage Night (other topics)
Freshman: Tales of 9th Grade Obsessions, Revelations, and Other Nonsense (other topics)
Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls: Essays, Etc. (other topics)
More...
Here's a list of my 2016 reads:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
My goal is to finish the challenge this year!
And with fewer comic books. (So, no more than half.) Lol.