32 – 34

.

032) Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, finished May 9

It never gets old. Can't say that about Hamlet.

week


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033) Stargazing Dog by Takashi Murakami, finished May 9

This book caught me off-guard.

It starts with the police discovering a car in a field. Inside is the dead body of a man and a dog, but the man has been dead about three times as long as the dog. Then we move backwards in time to a puppy being adopted by a family and the developing relationship between the father and the dog and how they ended up where they ended up. It's a nice enough story, but when it ended, okay.

Then a second story began, called "Sunflowers." And it wasn't clear for some time that it was in any way connected to the first.

But it did end up connecting and this story layered on top of "Stargazing Dog" is what created the power to move me.

It also captured exactly why we (meaning my family) should have a dog --- and why I do not want to get one.

One last note: the title clearly has much more resonance in Japanese. I wish I felt those connotations.

under an hour


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034) Vader Down by Jason Aaron and Mike Deodato, finished May 18

I loved this. I loved how well they captured the faces and voices of the original trilogy's heros (the story takes place between 1977 and 1980). I loved the evil protocal droid and astromech (Triple Zero and Beetoo) who are truly the flip version of Threepio and Artoo. But most of all, I love this take on Vader.

This is the Vader I've been waiting my whole life for.

As I rewatch the films, Vader's ... not that great. He's mostly reputation---very little action. I feel like this guy:



Only without even the getting-choked. I'm not that impressed.

But THIS Vader! NOW I understand why the galaxy quakes in fear at his name! He takes on battalions single-handed. He pulls ships dows from the air. He is AWESOME. Just awesome. Terrifying and freaking badass.

By the way---everything i just said about Vader applies (with expected adjustment) to Leia as well.

Gimme more.

threeish days


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The other books of 2018

1 – 4

001) Black Panther: A Nation Under Our Feet Book 3 by Ta-Nehisi Coates &‎ Brian Stelfreeze & al., finished January
002) The Complete Peanuts 1950-2000 by Charles M. Schulz & al., finished January
003) The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien, finished January 10
004) El Deafo by Cece Bell, finished January 12

5 – 9

005) Cleopatra in Space: Target Practice by Mike Maihack, finished January 13
006) Nabokov's Favorite Word Is Mauve by Ben Blatt, finished January 15
007) Glister by Andi Watson, finished January 18
008) Zita the Spacegirl by Ben Hatke, finished January 20
009) The Lay of Aotrou and Itroun by J.R.R. Tolkien, finished January 21

10 – 11

010) The Vision by Tom King et al., finished January 23
011) Miles Morales: Spider-Man by Jason Reynolds, finished January 24

16 – 16

012) Anthem by Ayn Rand, finished February 8
013) The City in Which I Love You by Li-Young Lee, finished February 14
014) Many Waters by Madeleine L'Engle, finished February 21
015) It Needs to Look Like We Tried by Todd Robert Petersen, finished March 7
016, 017) Fences by August Wilson, finished March 8

18 – 20

018) The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton, finished March 13
019) Star Wars Super Graphic: A Visual Guide to a Galaxy Far, Far Away by Tim Leong, finished March 22
020) Superman: Secret Identity by Kurt Busiek and Stuart Immonen, finished March 25

21 – 25

021) M Is for Malice by Sue Grafton, finished March 28
022) Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by Jack Thorne, J.K. Rowling, John Tiffany; finished March 31
023) It All Started with Hippocrates: A Mercifully Brief History of Medicine by Richard Armour, finished April 6
024) Don't Bump the Glump by Shel Silverstein, finished April 14
025) Coriolanus by Wm Shakespeare, finished April 16

26 – 32

026) The Trouble with Reality by Brooke Gladstone, finished April 24
027, 28) Coriolanus by William Shakespeare, finished April 26
029) The Secret History of Twin Peaks by Mark Frost, finished April 28
030) Twisted Tales from Shakespeare by Richard Armour, finished April 28 or April 29 depending on when midnight happened
031) Bless The Child: A Romance of Redemption and Glory in the Ancient World by David J. West, finished May 1
032) The Decline and Fall of Practically Everybody by Will Cuppy, finished May 3

32 – 34

032) Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, finished May 9
033) Stargazing Dog by Takashi Murakami, finished May 9
034) Vader Down by Jason Aaron and Mike Deodato, finished May 18

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