Recently Read

Trying to keep track of what I've read gets away from me all the time. Jeff says he keeps a notebook, Charles tells me he tries to write a bit on everything he reads, and because I don’t like to be outdone, I will attempt to do a better job. Here are some quick and dirty thoughts on the past few weeks:

George R.R. Martin: Song of Fire and Ice
This smart, unpredictable series is growing a nice soft kissy-spot in my heart. I'm on to book four, after plowing though "A Game of Thrones," "A Clash of Kings," and "A Storm of Swords." I'm excited to start "A Feast of Crows," but I have to give myself of break because the fifth book in the series isn't out yet....

He's a seaworthy lookin' fella, don't you think?

SKIM by Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki
This is such a great alternate coming of age story, the kind that would have blown my mind in high school. All the raw, rough emotion of my own teenage years seems to be caught so perfectly in the both characterization and art. Skim's innocence and crankiness just conveys so much about being caught between childhood and adulthood.

The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie

I have decided that I was too harsh on this book after my first pass. I was preparing to write that Joe Abercrombie had committed the worst of fantasy writing sins, namely to write as if it were still 1945 and omit an entire gender in his work, when I decided that I was being unfair and I would give it another try. I’m just saying, when there are no female characters by the 68^th page, one starts to wonder if asexual reproduction featured. .

But I will try again, because “they” seem to love this guy.

Crossing Midnight by Mike Carey

I’m interested in where this is going. I’m not a huge horror buff, nor a Japanese culture fanatic, but I think this comic feeds into both of these things and I am intrigued. It is interesting to see some manga themes and styles played out in a traditional American comic format.

Fables Vol. 10: The Good Prince by Bill Willingham

I can’t ever get enough Fables. They just make me happy, and this story is lovely and silly and then it is very, very sweet and serious. I love it, and as always, the art is a perfect complement. I love to see motion and emotion played out in pictures.

The Walking Dead series by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, Charlie Adlard, and Cliff Rathburn

Okay, I am a big zombie fan. At least, I thought I was until I read this series. Now I think I am a one zombie at a time kind of fan, or maybe two or three if they are small. This series is chock full of them. Which is good! –if you like zombies.
I really liked Volume 2, which I read first, and was excited for three, which I also read, but by four I was done. I am just not fond enough of guns and survival to appreciate so much of it, with decomposing zombies, some of whom. Well written, interesting, definitely thought provoking, but I haven’t and probably won’t finish the series. Please tell me how it ends.