here are some books.

Ok, apparently May is crunch time.  It's been quite the 2 weeks.  


The Ten-Cent Plague: The Great Comic-Book Scare and How It Changed America, by David Hajdu.    Free Comic Book Day came and went, and we had a program.  I wanted to do a little reading-up, to be a little more on my toes re: comics, and this certainly sounds like an interesting title.  It isn't readable nonfiction, however; it reads like a text-book.  Page 20 and I'm completely mentally drained.  Too many dead people and no way to keep them straight in my brain.

Vampirates: Demons of the Ocean, by Justin Somper.   We have this in the YA section, but I kind of feel it's pushing the "J" line.  I'm not sure why there are sequels, since the story feels pretty done at the end of this first book.    I can see why kids like it-- it's exciting, the fights are just detailed enough, there's a little mystery-- but... I didn't.

Green Lantern: Emerald Dawn, a DC Comic; written by Keith Giffen, Gerard Jones, and Jim Owsley; pencilled by M.D. Bright; inks by Romeo Tanghal; colors by Anthony Tollin, and letters by Albert T. Deguzman.  I just don't like comic books.  They are all action, and I much prefer to read books that let me get to know the characters, how they feel and what they think, instead of books that are all plot driven: this happened, then she said this, then this happened, and she did this...  it bores me. 

FullMetal Alchemist, by Hiromu Arakawa.    A manga I like!  Finally!  I was looking for a character I could dress up as for this weekend's AJA-Con, and I can so be the FullMetal Alchemist.  We are alike in many ways, the costume will be simple to make, plus, I really enjoyed the book.  It was much easier to follow than a few of the mangas and comic books I've tried to struggle through, though I'm not sure why.  There just didn't seem to be any big gaps in the story line, everything was there for me and all I had to do was remember in which direction to read, and follow along.

Super Swing Golf, by Tecmo.    I trotted this out for Library Arcade last week.  It's a good game, and it would be much better if we played this in February-- I just can't keep the kids on task anymore; spring has made them flighty.  They come to the program, but they won't do any one thing for more than 10 minutes. 

Hell, by Rober Olen Butler.    If I ever get around to starting a younger adult book group, we are so starting with something by Butler.  He always gives the reader so much to think about, but the book never feels heavy.  Just don't give this to readers who were/are/are very likely to be offended by Dogma.

Sixteen Brides, by Stephanie Grace Whitson. I started this weeks ago; I couldn't find anything I liked, so I picked something that totally wasn't my normal preference.  I rather started to like it, and got all the way to page 241 (of 348).  I didn't finish because it was never my priority and I would only read it when I couldn't find (or didn't feel like going upstairs to retrieve) another book.  Then some (grumblegrumble) patron placed a hold and I had to turn it in.
While this is not my usual style, I found myself becoming interested in the characters.  There are a few too many people in the book, but the main characters were oddly compelling.  The thing I fail to understand about Christian fiction (or, at least, the few that I've read in the last couple of years) is why the author waits so long to bring up the religion factor.  It seems to me that good chi-fi is like romance: the relationship-- in one case with a partner, in the other, with God-- is the important part of the story.  So why wait so long to bring it up?  I'm not sure.


Small Gods, by Terry Pratchett.    I really like this one.  It was a nice juxtaposition to Hell.  The author handled the subject-- spoofing organized religion-- delicately: there weren't jabs at specific groups, and any slightly-less-than-flattering observations can always be attributed to "the other guys."
Plus, I really loved the tortise. 

Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, by Judy Blume, and read by Judy Blume.    Where was Judy Blume when I was a kid?  Well, she had been writing for ages, actually.  The better question would be: Why didn't I go to the library?  Why did no one hand me these books?  Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret was published in 1970, but I didn't read it until grad school.  This book was published in 1972-- and I would have loved it in 1990-- but this is the first time I've read it.  A complete set of Judy Blume books should be given to kids when they enter grade school.  I certainly would have been better for it.
In sum, hilarious and insightful.

I'm still preparing for 2 days chock full o'booktalks, but I think I've narrowed down my list.  Hopefully I can relax a little and get some of my other work done... like weeding the entire adult fiction section.