It looks like I read way more this month than usual, but a lot of these books are for children or graphic novels, so they didn’t take as long. Click to see February and January booklists.
With Steven
Mothstorm by Philip Reeve
The sequel to Larklight and Starcross, Arthur and his steampunk space pirate friends must save Queen Victoria and the entire British space-empire from lizard aliens riding giant moths.
I Shall Wear Midnight by Terry Pratchett
Tiffany Aching is probably my favorite Terry Pratchett story arc. She’s spunky yet practical, and always surrounded by belligerent, vaguely Scottish pictsies.
Castle in the Air by Diana Wynne Jones
The sequel to Howl’s Moving Castle, whose ending basically goes “Surprise! Everyone’s been turned into something else!” Diana Wynne Jones died last weekend, which bummed me out. I love her Chrestomanci books. Maybe it’s something about a really dapper enchanter who always shows up in elegant bathrobes.
For Class
The Fairy Godmother by Mercedes Lackey
Being a fairy godmother is tough, but you’ve still got time for romance! This was my book for fantasy week, because Steven already owned it and I didn’t want to talk to anyone about David Eddings for fear I would have a terrible-female-character-archetype-induced aneurysm.
The Birthing House by Christopher Ransom
My book for horror week. A couple moves into a creepy house! But the ghost mostly just causes a bunch of surprise pregnancies.
Graphic Novels: Beyond the Basics ed. Martha Cornog and Timothy Perper
Graphic novel presentation!
Developing and Promoting Graphic Novel Collections by Steve Miller
Also graphic novel presentation, but this one was useless.
Understanding Manga and Anime by Robin E. Brenner
This was the best one I’ve read for my graphic novel presentation! Maybe I just like manga better.
Nerds Like It Hot by Vicki Lewis Thompson
When you’ve witnessed a mob killing, the best thing to do is jump on a cruise ship and pretend to be Marilyn Monroe. You already know how I feel about this one. For my Jamaican cruise book list.
The Pirate’s Daughter by Margaret Cezair-Thompson
Errol Flynn: what a player. For my Jamaican cruise book list.
Teen Angst: A Celebration of Really Bad Poetry collected by Sara Bynoe
For poetry week. Because there is no way I’m bringing serious poetry to class. I’m not an English major anymore so I don’t have to pretend to care about other people’s pretentiousness.
During Tutoring
King George: What was His Problem? by Steve Sheinkin
We read this over a period of weeks and learned so many funny stories about the Revolutionary War! I legitimately enjoyed this book.
For Fun
Callie’s Rules by Naomi Zucker
I picked this one up one night at the library when I noticed it was misshelved. I figured I hadn’t read as much as I should for this age group, but Callie really just annoyed me. I doubt I would have liked this any better were I in elementary school.
Please Ignore Vera Deitz by A.S. King
This book has gotten a lot of attention and won some awards this year, and I was pleasantly surprised to find that I agreed with them. It was really good. Just the right blend of funny and sad, and I could never tell if Vera was just a little crazy or she really was seeing ghosts. Either way, she was a total badass.
Stork by Wendy Delsol
We all know how I feel about secret pregnancy powers. I was reading this at the same time as The Birthing House. It felt like there was just too much mystical pregnancy in my life.
Hot Gimmick vol.2-12
Oh, Hot Gimmick. I read the first volume of this manga last year and read the remaining 11 this month. It is so ridiculous I think I will have to do a separate post about it.
Swamplandia! by Karen Russell
This book was good at capturing Florida. But bad at being a good story. I was probably more disappointed than the main character when the magic bird-talking guy turned out to just be your average sketchy homeless guy.
What the World Eats by Peter Menzel and Faith D’Aluisio
This book was probably the best one I’ve read this month! Peter Menzel and Faith D’Aluisio traveled all over the world taking pictures of families with a week’s worth of food for them. Then they listed the food and explained a little about the family and country. The pictures were amazing! This is the one for younger readers, which I still found really educational and not condescending. There’s another version for adults that’s a little longer.
A Smart Girl’s Guide to the Internet by American Girl
There’s a bunch of these “smart girl” guides produced by American Girl in our children’s non-fiction section; they’re probably aimed at upper elementary school, early middle school, and they’re pretty popular. This one has some pretty good advice, although it does say you should have an “Internet Contract” with your parents. Steven declined my offer of signing an “Internet Contract” with him.
A Smart Girl’s Guide to Parties by American Girl
Now I finally know slumber party etiquette! Thanks, American Girl.
A Smart Girl’s Guide to Boys by American Girl
Took the quiz, apparently I’m not ready for boys yet.
Watchmen by Alan Moore
Sort of read this for graphic novel presentation, but also because I felt like I should. It was okay. Didn’t really like his portrayal of women, but I expected that.
What I Eat: Around the World in 80 Diets by Peter Manzel and Faith D’Aluisio
The sequel to What the World Eats, this book has pictures of people all over the world in different occupations with a day’s worth of food for them. It’s organized by average calorie intake and was really, really interesting. For me it really illustrated perfectly how mercurial beauty standards are, and how different around the world.
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