In 2006 I found little time to read. I spent most of my time sleeping on the train. However, I established a better work-life balance (I hate that term) and think I should be able to start effectively working through the in the queue section with regularity in 2007.
The fact that I can begin reading regularly again had got me very excited. It's one of the things I am most looking forward to in 2007. I've really missed it.
| A Fistfull of Rain |
| author: Greg Rucka |  | | | book type: novel | | | | pages: 361 | | finished: Dec '06 |
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| Technically a novel I finished in 2006, but I wanted to get something in here right away. A Fistful of Rain was Rucka's first novel not starring Atticus Kodiak. It is still a suspense novel that puts Rucka's tight plotting and merticulously detailed scene construction on wonderful display, but I found the overall premise lacked punch. It was like Rucka wanted to write a more introspective story about a woman coming to terms with her past in hopes of stopping her own self-destruction, but couldn't escape his own comfort zone of writing a suspense novel. I don't think A Fistful of Rain needed to be watered-down Smoker or Critical Space but with a rock guitarist at the center of the story - which is what it read like. |
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| The Five Fists of Science |
| author: Matt Fraction / art: Steve Sanders | | | | book type: comic | | | | pages: 112 | | finished: Jan '07 |
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| I really looked forward to reading this book, especially considering Matt Fraction would be writing it. However, a choppy script and too dark of artwork eventually left me feeling a little "blah" about the The Five Fists of Science. Read more |
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| The Death of Superman |
| author: various / art: various | | | | book type: comic | | | | pages: 168 | | finished: Jan '07 |
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| Over the past summer I was able to pick up a number of graphic novels for way, way cheap on eBay. The Death of Superman was one of them. I had read the landmark Superman #75 when it came out in the early 1990's. That's the issue where Supes actually dies while defending everyone from the rampaging monster named Doomsday and it's the final issue in this 6-issue collection. The Death of Superman storyline built up as one huge battle through a number of Superman books. I had read the novelization by Roger Stern, but I had never read the source material. I found the comics reminded me of what I didn't like about the Superman comics of the time - lots of goofy supporting characters, goofy dialogue and goofy storylines. (And I love those 90's fashions) But once Doomsday gets rolling and Supes has to go two-to-two in the second act I have to admit things do get interesting. It's a fun superhero slugfest brought with plenty of energy and power. |
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| Winter's Bone |
| author: Daniel Woodrell | | | | book type: novel | | | | pages: 208 | | finished: Jan '07 |
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| I had a difficult time getting into this book. The story didn't grab me immediately and there just didn't seem to be any characters I could relate to. And many of them were so seriously flawed that I had a hard time even sympathizing with them. I stuck with it though, and the more I read the more I appreciated and enjoyed the novel. Woodrell displays a unique voice in his writing that I found pleasing. His prose is smooth and deliberate, with an attention to just the right details to bring the essence of a scene to life. The characters might not leave a lasting impression, but we feel in our gut what it was like to be there when that scene was happening. After reading the book I am left with the memory of scene experiences. Read more |
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| The New Teen Titans: Terra Incognito |
| author: Marv Wolfman / art: George Pérez | | | | book type: comic | | | | pages: 244 | | finished: Feb '07 |
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| Last year I read the "Judas Contract", which is The New Teen Titans storyline to follow immediately after "Terra Incognito." While the "Judas Contract" was focuses on its plot, "Terra Incognito" tends to meander around a bit and have lots of little sub-plots going. It makes sense in that "T. I." is concerned with introducing Terra as a new character but while juggling all the other Titan stories that Wolfman and Perez had going on. "J. C.", on the other hand, is where Terra gets down to business of trying to bring the Titans down from within. I found the looseness a little frustrating at times (as I did the copious amounts of dialogue), but in the end it was still enjoyable. Though not as much as "Judas Contract." |
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| Nightwing: Year One |
| author: Chuck Dixon & Scott Beatty / art: Scott McDaniels | | | | book type: comic | | | | pages: 144 | | finished: Feb '07 |
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| It's Chuck Dixon and Scott McDaniel on Nightwing. What more needs to be said. These two creators launched Dick Grayson solo title back in the mid-90s and built it into one of DC's top performers. After leaving the title they came back to produce the 6-issue "Year One" story that this trade paperback collects, and in the process of publishing another classic Nightwing story demonstrate that they are probably the best pair to ever handle the character in comics. These two guys are perfectly in tune with each other and with the character on Nightwing stories. Give me more Dixon and McDaniel on Nightwing please! |
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| The Hot Kid |
| author: Elmore Leonard | | | | book type: novel | | | | pages: 320 | | finished: Feb '07 |
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| It was the first Elmore Leonard novel that I've ever been disappointed with. Sure it had the great dialogue and the fascinating characters; it just lacked direction and purpose. Most Leonard books I've read have some sort of plot propelling these quirky characters from scene to scene, and he usually throws in a zinger of plot twist too. But that wasn't the case this time. The Hot Kid just seemed to aimless meander about. |
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| Fables vol. 8: Wolves |
| author: Bill Willingham / art: Mark Buckingham | | | | book type: comic | | | | pages: 160 | | finished: Feb '07 |
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| The most recent Fables collection, "Wolves", contains the story of how Bigby Wolf comes out of his self-imposed exile and marries Snow White. What can I say that hasn't already been said numerous times in this blog and in countless spots across the Web and in traditional print? This series by Bill Willingham is lightening in a bottle. If you are not reading it you are missing out on one of the most charming, entertaining, and thoroughly engrossing epic narratives that has been published in a long, long time. If you enjoy great fiction, you owe it to yourself to at least try one or two of the Fables collections. |
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| Everything Bad Is Good For You |
| author: Steven Johnson | | | | book type: novel | | | | pages: 200 | | finished: Mar '07 |
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| Informative and readable study that makes the arguement that over the last forty-odd years popular American culture has been getting more complex and challenging. The author challenges the notion that TV, video games, and movies are in a race to the bottom, and that pop culture has actually made Americans more intelligent - or at least capable of digesting and processing more complex sets of data, information, and social strucutres. A very interesting foil to the ever-present cry of the anti-TV and anti-gaming lobbyists. |
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| Checkmate vol 1: A King's Game |
| author: Steve Rucka / artist: Jesus Saiz | | | | book type: comic | | | | pages: 168 | | finished: Apr '07 |
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| I expected more from Greg Rucka working in familiar territory - espionage. His work on Queen & Country was always exceptional. Checkmate failed to impress me though. I had a problem with the large number of primary characters readers were expected to pick-up and follow through intricate relationships right from the beginning of the book. Was it the fault of the writing or the art? I don't know, though I never had any difficulties with Rucka's other spy book, Queen & Country. As a result I didn't quite seem taken with the book like everyone else seems to have been. Maybe I will give Checkmate a second chance. |
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| The Shadow: "The Golden Vulture" and "Crime, Insured" |
| author: Lester Dent & Walter B. Gibson | | | | book type: novel | | | | pages: 128 | | finished: Apr '07 |
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| These Shadow reprints are two novels in one, so I decided to split the reading up instead of reading both stories back to back. I read "Crime, Insured" in December of last year and returned for the second half of the book, "The Golden Vulture" this April. I can understand why when the go-ahead was given for publishing these reprints that editor/publisher Anthony Tollin chose these two stories to kick things off. The two stories are very different in their scope; "Crime, Insured" deals with a mystery to unravel concerning organized crime and dirty businessmen, while "The Golden Vulture" features The Shadow squaring off against a super-criminal with skills to rival his own. But together these two stories illustrate the versatility of The Shadow character. He can star in a street-level crime story, but also carry a more epic adventure story. Great stuff. |
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| Superman: Emperor Joker |
| author: various / artist: various | | | | book type: comic | | | | pages: 256 | | finished: Apr '07 |
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| Big fun superhero comic. Light on literary themes and character development, big on action and cool scenes. I found the story fun to read mainly for seeing how warped a world the writers could imagine that a character like the Joker could imagine. |
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| Jack of Fables vol 1: The (Nearly) Great Escape |
| author: Bill Willingham / artist: Tony Akins | | | | book type: comic | | | | pages: 128 | | finished: May '07 |
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| Even though I am a huge fan of Willingham's Fables series, I wasn't immediately drawn to this spin-off series. One, the character of Jack was never one of my favorites from the Fables comics. Two, one of the things I find most interesting about Fables is the ensemble cast. But after reading some favorable reviews of Jack of Fables I decided to pick up the first trade collection of the series. I was pleasently surprised with the book. Jack is a bit of an ass, but he's still a likable character. Willingham also quickly stocks Jack with some supporting characters that help make the book a slightly Fable-like, but without making the book Fable-lite. Certainly an enjoyable read that I would recommend to others. However, not sure if it is a series I will continue to pick up on a regular basis. |
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| Summerland |
| author: Michael Chabon | | | | book type: novel | | | | pages: 500 | | finished: May '07 |
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| The only thing me back from giving Summerland a full five stars is the slow start to the novel. Chabon take a long time in getting his story going, and it's a little tiresome at times. In less capable hands I might have been tempted to close the book and put it down, but Chabon charms with his prose, so I was compelled to keep moving while trusting that Chabon would deliver in the end. He does, and the book is a joy to read. For more information, check out my full comments in my blog. |
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| Chronicle of a Death Foretold |
| author: Gabriel Garcia Marquez | | | | book type: novel | | | | pages: 120 | | finished: May '07 |
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| By now I've read many of this Nobel Prize in Literature winning writer's work. Ever time I am impressed with Marquez's ability to not just tell a story, but to bring it to life. As a reader you do not read a Marquez story, you experience it. The sounds, smells, and emotions of his characters and scenes are as vivid and real as the words on the page. I don't always grasp the imagery he chooses to use, but I always enjoy the time I spend inside a Marquez-created world. |
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| 12 Reasons Why I Love Her |
| author: Jamie S. Rich / artist: Joëlle Jones | | | | book type: comic | | | | pages: 152 | | finished: June '07 |
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| Oni Press, which published 12 Reasons, labels the comic a romance. I think that label does the book a disservice. 12 Reasons Why I Love Her is more a life book. Exploring how relationships are formed, tested and sustained. Highly recommended. |
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| Saturday |
| author: Ian McEwan | | | | book type: novel | | | | pages: 304 | | finished: July '07 |
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I have a hard time figuring out my thoughts on this book. The first half seems to plod along so slowly. There's no story, just the self-absorbed thoughts of a middle-aged London brain surgeon. The prose and style exemplary of what I associate with pretentious writers. However, the second half of the book finally presents some conflict and engaged me more than listening to some old guy think about his nursing home bound mother.
Then again, the first half may be intended to set-up the second half and help us understand what is at stake for our protagonist. But did it have to be so plodding and pretentious in getting there? |
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| Nightwing: Renegade |
| author: Devin Grayson / artist: Phil Hester | | | | book type: comic | | | | pages: 144 | | finished: July '07 |
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| Lack luster Nightwing story. Nothing particularly wrong with the comic, other than it really wasn't that interesting. Grayson never made me care about what was going on in the story or with the main character. |
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| Batman: Strange Apparitions |
| author: Steve Englehart and Len Wein/ artist: Walt Simonson and Marshall Rogers | | | | book type: comic | | | | pages: 176 | | finished: August '07 |
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Best. Batman story. Ever.
Read more of my thoughts on Batman: Strange Apparitions on my blog |
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| Fables vol 9: Sons of Empire |
| author: Bill Willingham / artists: various | | | | book type: comic | | | | pages: 200 | | finished: August '07 |
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| What can I say about Fables that hasn't been said a hundred times already. I've never experienced quality comic book storytelling so consistently. Willingham has not let down in the six (?) years that he's been writing this book. The stories are always excellent and he shows no signs of slowly down. I am so glad I discovered this book when I did. |
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| Crossing California |
| author:Adam Langer | | | | book type: novel | | | | pages: 512 | | finished: September '07 |
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Excellent book
Read my full review of Crossing California on my my blog |
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| Animal Man vol 1 |
| author: Grant Morrison / artists: Chas Troug & Tom Grummett | | | | book type: comic | | | | pages: 240 | | finished: September '07 |
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Grant Morrison's debut on an American comic book provides a glimpse into the comic book visionary he would become.
Read my full review of Animal Man vol 1 on my my blog |
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| The Best American Comics - 2006 |
| editor: Harvey Pekar | | | | book type: comic | | | | pages: 320 | | finished: October '07 |
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Uneven, but still enjoyable collection of comics first published in 2006
Read my full review of The Best American Comics - 2006 on my my blog |
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| The Shadow: "The Chinese Disks" and "Malmordo" |
| author: Walter B. Gibson | | | | book type: novel | | | | pages: 128 | | finished: October '07 |
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| I took a long break between reading the first story in this Shadow double-novel and the second story. "The Chinese Disks", the first story, was quite good and showcased the Shadow and his network of agents at their operational best. "Malmordo" however, lacked energy and a compelling story. |
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| The Goon: My Murderous Childhood |
| author/artist: Eric Powell | | | | book type: comic | | | | pages: 128 | | finished: November '07 |
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| Plenty of good old-fashioned, politically incorrect humor from Eric Powell. Whenever I read a Goon comic I can't help but think I need to be reading more Goon comics. The guy is a genius. |
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| Foundation's Edge |
| author: Isaac Asimov | | | | book type: book | | | | pages: 424 | | finished: November '07 |
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| About two years ago I set out to re-read many of the Asimov Sci-Fi books that I had enjoyed so much as a teenager. I was going to read them in chronological order as they fit within Asimov's fictional universe. I would start with the Caves of Steel and work through to Foundation and Earth. I let myself be diverted from my task a few times - I found I needed a break from sci-fi after a few books - but I started on the last two books in November. Foundation's Edge was the first follow-up to Asimov's Hugo Award winning Foundation trilogy. In the time from when he first wrote the Foundation books to when he wrote Foundation's Edge, he became a stronger writer and the story in Foundation's Edge opens up and reads much more smoothly. However, during that time I think Asimov lost sight of how regular people talk to one another. Every other conversation in Foundation's Edge is becomes weighted down with the gravity of intense philosophical argument. His characters never say just three words when they can say three paragraphs. I know this pompus dialogue is part of the Asimov charm, but after 400 pages of it I had reached my tolerence point - and I've got 500 more pages of it in Foundation and Earth. |
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| Foundation and Earth |
| author: Isaac Asimov | | | | book type: book | | | | pages: 494 | | finished: December '07 |
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| I thought Asimov was too wordy in his dialogue in Foundation's Edge, but that was nothing compared to Foundation and Earth. In this final chapter of the Foundation series Asimov takes characters’ verboseness to a whole new level. Even the most inane conversations take on the form of a Philosophy PhD’s dissertation. But I was able to forgive Asimov for his long windedness, and in doing so enjoyed how he wrapped his epic story up. |
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| Doctor 13: Architecture & Mortality |
| author: Brian Azzarello / artist: Cliff Chiang | | | | book type: comic | | | | pages: 144 | | finished: December '07 |
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| Full review to come |
