Sexy, sexy manbooks

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013) On Jupiter Place by Nicholas Christopher, finished January 30

This burst of poetry is providing some nice results! Like Cynthia Cruz's book, this one dragged out for me at the end with its lengthier poem, but I found much to love here. His poem on Lois Lane is the superhero movie I've been waiting for.

three days



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012) Old Boy, Vol. 2 by Garon Tsuchiya and Nobuaki Minegishi, finished January 29
two days
011) Old Boy, Vol. 1 by Garon Tsuchiya and Nobuaki Minegishi, finished January 28
maybe three days

I first read volume one almost ten years ago, but now all seven volumes were at my local library. Of course, I wasn't starting new books last year, but months later in January they were still there. (They are what is called iFLOAT---which means they stay at whichever branch a patron last returned them to.)

They're a breezy read filled with sex and threats of future violence, and I can't yet tell if they are Good Literature or not (I'm skeptical, but keeping an open mind).

Here's the set-up: A man's spent ten years locked up in a secret private prison for reasons he does not know. Now that he's out, he intends to find out. And wuite likely take his revenge. We'll see! Still five volumes to go! And they're all by my bedside, so I'll be getting to them soon. (Indeed, I'm already well into volume three. Wanna race?)

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010) Summerlost by Ally Condie, finished January 27

Everyone seems to love Ally Condie, so I thought I would give her new book a spin.

If I taught junior-high English I would be tempted to teach this book for the same reason John Green's Fault in Our Stars tempts: the intertextuality teaches kids how to read well. It's not as blatant as Green's book but it's doing many of the same things (including some over-the-top symbolism near the end).

Okay. Enough of that.

The book plods a bit at times, but it has many more moments of lyrical beauty. And although some of the emotional beats seemed a bit undercooked, I prefer that anyday over being burnt.

In short, it's a pretty typical YA story---boy, girl, precociousness, a mystery, at least one bully---but it's a fine, fine example of its genre and we should all encourage her. Keep on, Ally! Guess i have to read Matched now!

weekish



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009) Heat Wake by Jason Zuzga, finished January 24

Some nice lines in here and a couple striking juxtapositions, but overall a total mess of half-formed images. The longer poems are ... self-indulgent.

four or five days

Previously in 2017

4 – 8

008) How the End Begins by Cynthia Cruz, finished January 19
007) Delinquent Palaces by Danielle Chapman, finished January 19
006) Pilot by pd mallamo, finished January 19
005) Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel, finished January 16
004) I Hate Fairyland Volume 1: Madly Ever After by Skottie Young et al, finished January 14

1 – 3

003) The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss, finished January 12
002) F in Exams: The Very Best Totally Wrong Test Answers by Richard Benson, finished January 10
001) States of Deseret by William Morris, finished January 10

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