2011-04-21

The cessation of reading (not yet)

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031) Batman: Year 100 by Paul Pope, finished April 18


I've been wanting read this since about the time I started wanting to read Joker; this book, I'm happy to report, was not disappointing. Linda Barry wanted to excerpt this book in Best American Comics, but DC wouldn't let her (?!?). A shame. It was good.

Batman in a future dystopia.

And let me tell you, when Chris Nolan finishes his run, I hope they consider adapting this to film. It runs a bit like an origin story, but still works with the character's past. Perfect for the next film.

Think about it, Warner. Just think about it.

The rest of you can read it now.




an afternoon



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030) The Polysyllabic Spree by Nick Hornby, finished April 9


I've never read Nick Hornby before. I own two of his books (1 and 2) but haven't read either. I thought the movie of High Fidelity was pretty good, while About a Boy is one of my all-time favorite flicks. And yet somehow I had never read him.

But then McSweeney's had a promotion where I could get this book for free and so I did and I read it with great joy. The book is a collection of columns for The Believer and absolute fun to read. Hornby documents the books he buys vs the books he reads --- plus clips from some of his favorites such as David Copperfield.

There's an excellent chance this free book will lead to me subscribing to The Belieiver. So well played, McSweeney's. Well played.

In the meantime, I'm considering the temptation of picking up the remaining volumes of collected columns.

not enough weeks



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029) iZombie: Dead to the World by Chris Roberson and Mike Allred, finished April 2


I love this new take on zombies and vampires and ghosts and so forth. An interesting set of rules, likable characters (sort of like the Scooby-Doo gang, only the heroes are also the monsters in this case). I like Allred's art in any case, but this is a particularly good use of his mad skillz. Like many Volume Ones, I can't really say for sure how this will pan out, but at present it's good and you should give it a shot. Volume Two's expected in September and since I'll be there, you may as well be too.

one day



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028) A Sense of Order and Other Stories by Jack Harrell, finished April 1


Jack's book won an AML Award and I can't say I'm surprised. He's a dandy writer and this is a great book. But not as great as I wanted it to be. I'll say more in my pending AMV review.

maybe three weeks



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027) Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead by Tom Stoppard, finished March 30


I've not read this since discovering Stoppard while in high school. Since then all I've done is watched the movie several times. How does it hold up? Well enough, though I'm kind of over the whole genre. These days I would rather see the flick (or performed live? I've never had the pleasure) than read it, I'm afraid.

three days



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Previously in 2011 . . . . :



26
026) The Black Dogs by Ian McEwan, finished March 21

23-25
025) Stitches by David Small, finished March 20
024) Arkham Asylum: Madness by Sam Kieth, finished January 19 or 20
023) Hamlet by William Shakespeare, finished March 18

21-22
022) Red Rocket 7 by Mike Allred, finished March 10
021) Missile Mouse: Rescue on Tankium3 by Jake Parker, finished March 10

20
020) The Hotel Cat by Esther Averill, finished February 28

18-19
019) Wonderland by Tommy Kovac and Sonny Liew, finished February 21
018) Redcoat by Kohl Glass (MS POLICY), finished February 18

14-17
017) Best American Comics 2010 edited by Neil Gaiman, finished February 12
016) Little Bee by Chris Cleave, finished February 10
015) Travels with Charley by John Steinbeck, finished February 2
014) Cursed Pirate Girl: The Collected Edition Vol. I by Jeremy Bastian, finished January 31

13-9
013) Sweet Tooth: In Captivity by Jeff Lemire, finished January 30
012) Sweet Tooth: Out of the Woods by Jeff Lemire, finished January 30
011) Essex County: The Country Nurse by Jeff Lemire, finished January 30
010) Essex County: Ghost Stories by Jeff Lemire, finished January 29
009) Essex County: Tales from the Farm by Jeff Lemire, finished January 29

8
008) Magdalene by Morah Jovan, finished January 27

7-6
007) Knightfall Part Two: Who Rules the Night by a slew of DC folk, finished January 23
006) Bayou by Jeremy Love, finished January 17

5-1
005) Mr. Monster by Dan Wells, finished January 10
004) The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane, finished January 6
003) The Mystery of the Dinosaur Graveyard by Mary Adrian, finished January 5
002) Batman - Judge Dredd: Judgment on Gotham by John Wagner and Alan Grant and Simon Bisley, with lettering by the famous Todd Klein; finished January 4
001) Batman: Venom by Dennis O'Neil et al, finished January 2

5 comments:

  1. I've only seen (and like enough to own) several of these as movies.

    High Fidelity for instance-I related to that as much as a rather moral Mormon can.

    And I have loved Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are dead since the movie was released-I have the book but have yet to read it-always on the backburner.

    ReplyDelete
  2. .

    The R&G movie is, ultimately, more fun than reading the play.

    ReplyDelete
  3. R&G is also excellent onstage. I've seen it done as a play: hysterical and delightful. Also, as far as getting the other volumes of Hornby: DO IT.

    (I have all three, partially because I think he's hilarious, partially because I get great validation from the fact that the "Books I Bought This Month" and "Books I Read This Month" rarely ever overlap much.)

    ReplyDelete
  4. .

    Yeah, I put them all in a shopping cart once, then forgot to check out. Thanks for reminding me!

    ReplyDelete