KateKintail's Book Journal

This is a recap of my November reading, for a swap-bot swap I signed up for. I chose to post it here so that I can format it the way I want. See below for a very brief recap of what I thought of the books along with a link to read more about my thoughts, if you so desire.

Here's a list of books I read during the month but didn't finish (or haven't finished yet):

• The Sherlockian by Graham Moore


• The Cats of Tanglewood Forest by Charles De Lint and Charles Vess


• A Circle of Cats by Charles De Lint and Charles Vess


• Hiding in Plain Sight (Safe Harbor Book 2) Cassandra Carr


• Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz

Here are the books I finished this month:

1. Allegiant by Veronica Roth
   http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/197443.html
   Most people apparently don't like this book. I didn't have a problem with it; it probably wouldn't be how I would have written it or guessed it would end, but this is what happened and I enjoyed learning about that. Interesting way of furthering the series.


2. Titanic: Voices from the Disaster by Deborah Hopkinson
   http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/197660.html
   I shouldn't have read this book, because it made me emotional. But then I ended up reading it twice (once in audio and once in paper, so I could see all the photos/documents/etc.). This book takes quotes and firsthand accounts of the Titanic disaster and pieces them all together to show a good picture of what happened from so many different points of view. I actually learned some things I didn't know before, and I solidified my crush on Harold Bride. But, mostly, I was tense and anxious or crying uncontrollably during most of this book (neither of which is good when you're listening to it on audio while driving a car).


3. The Skin I'm In by Sharon G. Flake
   http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/198028.html
   Maleeka is teased at school because her skin color is dark and her mother sews all her clothes (badly). But this is the story of how she realizes she is smart and beautiful and loved. The book deals with a lot of social issues--from discrimination to peer pressure to assault and more. I really loved Maleeka.


4. The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl by Barry Lyga
   http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/198188.html
   More than any YA book I've read since becoming an adult, this one brought back my teenage years to me, and not in a good way. It reminded me of my obsessions and dreams and also the paranoia and anger and social pressures. There were parts I absolutely loved and parts that made me scared and sad. So I'm not sure how I feel about this book still.


5. Veronica Mars: the Thousand Dollar Tan Line by Rob Thomas & Jennifer Graham
   http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/198684.html
   A great Veronica Mars mystery that takes place after the movie and extends the adventures of the characters a little further. The writing was great and the mystery was full of complications--both professional and personal--for Veronica, the private investigator. The twists kept me guessing right up until the end. But more than anything, I loved seeing these great characters again.


6. Accepting Me by Jo Ramsey
   http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/199231.html
   More of a short story than a novel, I am still glad I bought it. Shane "comes out" to his friend and family as asexual without even realizing that that's a thing. I liked watching him discover himself. And I loved seeing myself in Shane; we all deserve to see ourselves in books. Yay for diversity in literature!

Most of my month was dedicated to writing my NaNoWriMo novel instead of reading, but I still enjoyed what I read this month :-)

Happy reading, everyone!

This is a recap of my September reading, for a swap-bot swap I signed up for. I chose to post it here so that I can format it the way I want. See below for a very brief recap of what I thought of the books along with a link to read more about my thoughts, if you so desire.

Here's a list of books I read during the month but didn't finish (or haven't finished yet):

• The Sherlockian by Graham Moore


• Lucky by Eddie de Oliveira


• Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Here are the books I finished this month:

1. Love Control by Renai Sousa
   http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/193190.html
   This was a fun yaoi manga with some handsome gentlemen finding each other on the job. I liked the bonus stories in this one as well.


2. The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith (JK Rowling)
   http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/192953.html
   The more graphic, disgusting book within this book colored my feelings for this book overall. I found I didn't much care about the author who'd gone missing in this mystery and I didn't like most of the suspects. However, I do love Strike and Robin, so it was worth reading anyway.


3. The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey by Trenton Lee Stewart
   http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/192731.html
   Not as amazing a book as the first one, but the adventure took my four favorite clue-solving kids all over the world to save the kidnapped Mr. Benedict. Each of the kids had their moments to shine and I really enjoyed going on this journey with them. There was clever wordplay and lots of fun clues to solve along the way.


4. Otto the Book Bear by Katie Cleminson
   http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/192511.html
   Adorable picture book where a bear climbs out of his book to have fun. When his family moves home and his book is accidentally left behind, he leaves his book for good and ends up finding friends at a library!


5. Exorcisms and Pogo Sticks Vol 1 by Stephen Doerr
   http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/191782.html
   Hard yaoi and a little cartoony in style, but some super creative ideas and a heroic main character who saves the day in his own way (i.e. lots of sex) was fun to read.


6. Exorcisms and Pogo Sticks Vol 2 by Stephen Doerr
   http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/192252.html
   I've said this twice so far during this list, but I didn't like this second book as much as the first. The story wasn't as much fun and the two main characters were separated. But, hey, can't go wrong with hot elfsex.


7. Your Love Sickness by Hayate Kuku
   http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/191640.html
   Hot fox-spirits, gods, a police officer and a gang member... a great yaoi I'm really glad I got the chance to read as part of a bookbook.


8. BookCrossing Through Middle-Earth by Skyring
   http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/191129.html
   Skyring takes us along on his family trip through New Zealand a few years ago, with flashbacks to his honeymoon trip there twenty years before. During this adventure, he leaves book throughout the country and even finds a few in the wild as well. It's the perfect book for a lover of the Lord of the Rings movies and books :-)


9. Spider-Man, Volume 1 by Stan Lee, Steve Ditko, Daniel Quantz
   http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/190969.html
   I recently rekindled my love for Spider-Man, and this was a fun collection of four issues. Peter meets the Vulture, foils an alien takeover, fights the Sandman, and meets Doc Oc. That's a lot for one book! I also especially liked the Fantastic Four showing up in one of the stories too.


10. Nonprofit by Matt Burriesci
    http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/190550.html
    John MacManus is the new director of a literary nonprofit in Washington, D.C. He soon finds out the organization is bankrupt and his board is crazypants. That's a lot to deal with, especially as he and his wife are trying to conceive. Oh boy. You can't help but feel for the guy... and maybe laugh a bit as well. This was written by my former boss (we worked for a literary nonprofit), but I'm sure I would have liked it even if I didn't know Matt.


11. Schooled by Gordon Korman
    http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/190032.html
    Similar to Stargirl in many ways. But I hated that book and really enjoyed this one. Cap is so honest and true to himself, but he's also not afraid of learning and changing. This was a joy to read.

Book I re-read this month:

1. Jazz Volume 2 by Sakae Maeda, Tamotsu Takamure
   http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/10519042/
   Awwww. Jealous, yes, but these boys truly defy the odds and love each other. Loved their trip to New Orleans. Loved the doctor/patient theme popping up at the end.

There is also an untitled book that should be added as part of my not-yet-finished list above is a novel manuscript I've been reading and copyediting for a fellow writer in my writers' roundtable group. I'm enjoying finding out what happens next in the book even as I'm copyediting.

I had a fun month with lots of yaoi, a few mysteries, a memoir, a bit of literary fiction, and some teen fiction. I'm looking forward to finishing the books I have in progress!

Happy reading, everyone!

This is a recap of my July reading, for a swap-bot swap I signed up for. I chose to post it here so that I can format it the way I want. See below for a very brief recap of what I thought of the books along with a link to read more about my thoughts, if you so desire.

Here's a list of books I read during the month but didn't finish (or haven't finished yet):

• The Sherlockian by Graham Moore


• The Maze Runnber by James Dashner


• The International Bank of Bob by Bob Harris


• 29 Gifts by Cami Walker


• The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

Here are the books I finished this month:

1. Journey by Aaron Becker
   http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/186758.html
   A beautiful picture book about a girl whose imagination comes alive thanks to her crayon (more than just an homage to Harold and the Purple Crayon)


2. Each Little Bird that Sings by Deborah Wiles
   http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/186149.html
   I'm not sure what I expected from this book, but I really liked where it went, even though that surprised me. I can see what it was a National Book Award finalist. I was totally on the side of the main character the whole time, as she showed me her life as a young girl whose family runs the local funeral home.


3. Breakaway by Deirdre Martin
   http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/183542.html
   I love this author's hockey romance series--they're pretty much the only romances I have liked over the years. However, this one left me wanting. There was too much hate and not enough believable love in their love-hate relationship. There was also pretty much no romance or hockey in this hockey romance. Disappointing.


4. Hip Check by Deirdre Martin
   http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/186023.html
   Loved this one. Playboy hockey player + niece he suddenly has custody of + sensible nanny = unexpected but satisfying romance. I liked the complications the little girl brought to this romance. Plus, there was a great amount of hockey. Loved this book.


5. Picasso and Minou by P.I. Maltbie
   http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/185484.html
   Sweet story about the artist, Picasso, and his cat. Showed lots of different scenes that beautifully echoed Picasso's works. Also, elements of the story were true!


6. A Pillow for my Mom by Charissa Sgouros
   http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/185315.html
   With soft colors and gentle words, we follow a little girl who creates a pillow for her mother who is in the hospital, and then has the pillow to remember her mother by after her mother's death. I'm so glad this book exists for little kids.


7. Little Elephants by Graeme Base
   http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/185026.html
   A struggling farm family is saved by a horn that brings them... little elephants! Strange and fantastic.


8. Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett
   http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/184592.html
   Two kids solve a mystery to recover a stolen piece of art. The characters were good, but the puzzles and the way the mystery unfolded were good examples of what I don't like from mysteries (i.e. characters jumping to the correct conclusions out of the blue). I was really hoping to like this one more; I won't be reading the rest of the series.


9. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
   http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/184509.html
   It's up to young little Ender to fight aliens and save the world. I really liked the world and Battle School. I liked following Ender's decisions and adventures. But I didn't find some of the analysis his character was able to do to be believable. I saw the big twist coming, but not the final outcome. I don't think I'll continue reading any of this author's books.


10. The Followers (Star Wars: Jedi Apprentice Special Edition 2 by Jude Watson
    http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/183926.html
    Great book to finish with. This one involved the Sith and the way they go from legend to reality throughout this dozen years or so as Obi-Wan goes from apprentice to Master. I'm sad to see it end.


11. The Journey that Saved Curious George by Louise Borden
    http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/183765.html
    Neat story about the authors of the Curious George books and what they had to go through to escape the Nazi occupation of France during World War II. They escaped to save their Curious George manuscript... but the manuscript heped save their lives as well! This book was written for kids, so it's simple and full of illustrations accompanying the story, but it's still powerful and engrossing.


12. Drawing from Memory by Allen Say
    http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/183247.html
    This autobiography of a comic/artist is filled with as many images as words. We follow him through his childhood and see his skills and opportunities evolve. A good story.


13. The Rockaways by Gilles Peress
    http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/185779.html
    Photographs and short essays about this part of New York in the aftermath of Sandy. Eye-opening and moving. A light read with heavy content.

Here are the books I re-read this month:

1. The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling- I re-read this for a Harry Potter meetup group book discussion. I read it in little bits and pieces, a few pages a day during my lunch break. I really like that this book exists, adding to the culture of the wizarding world with its fairy tales. Some are interesting, some are heart-warming, one is pretty creepy and dark. But I like them and I love that they make the world richer by being in it.

I also started re-reading a novel-length fanfic, "Two Wolves" by Xanthe. That's a lot of reading in one month, and a variety of picture books, nonfiction, juvie/young adult fiction, and more.

Happy reading, everyone!

This is a recap of my May reading, for a swap-bot swap I signed up for. I chose to post it here so that I can format it the way I want. See below for a very brief recap of what I thought of the books along with a link to read more about my thoughts, if you so desire.

The first Saturday of May is Free Comic Book Day, so I'll mention my comics read this month as well as my books this time:

• Batman: Hush #608


• Far From Wonder, Hatter M Volume One


• Shigeru Mizuki's Showa: A History of Japan


• Marvel Adventures: Spider-Man #48


• Marvel Adventures: Spider-Man #49


• Marvel Adventures: Spider-Man #50


• Marvel Adventures: Spider-Man #51


• Marvel Adventures: Spider-Man #52


• Marvel Adventures: Spider-Man #53


• Marvel Adventures: Spider-Man #54


• Marvel Adventures: Spider-Man #55


• Marvel Adventures: Spider-Man #56


• Marvel Adventures: Spider-Man #57


• Marvel Adventures: Spider-Man #58


• Marvel Adventures: Spider-Man #59


• Marvel Adventures: Spider-Man #60


• Marvel Adventures: Spider-Man #61


• Batman & Spawn (in-progress)

Here's a list of books I read during the month but didn't finish (or haven't finished yet):

• Star Wars Jedi Apprentice: The Threat Within by Jude Watson


• Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo


• The Sherlockian by Graham Moore


• The Girl Who Was on Fire edited by Leah Wilson

Here are the books I finished this month:

1. Beatrix Potter’s Gardening Life: The Plants and PlacesThat Inspired the Classic Children’s Tales by Marta McDowell
   http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/175021.html
   Not just a biography of Beatrix Potter, but a biography of her gardens as well. It was wonderful to see how her gardens inspired her and what her gardening life was like. The only drawback of this book was that it made me want to go visit the Lake District and her house at Hill Top again.


2. 11/22/63 by Stephen King
   http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/175115.html
   I was utterly consumed by this book, to the point where I would 1-talk about it to everyone I met, even people who hadn't read it and 2-started feeling like maybe the main character could actually go back and save JFK from being shot. There were times I couldn't imagine how Stephen King could make the book last longer and times when I couldn't figure out how he was going to wrap it up in time. I also shrieked a few times, including when there was a cameo by some characters from It, my favorite book of his. I think this might be my second favorite Stephen King book now. Loved it!


3. The Call to Vengeance (Star Wars: Jedi Apprentice 16) by Jude Watson
   http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/175394.html
   Qui-Gon was wildly out of character, which made me sad. Obi-Wan was on the outside of everything and everyone was angry with him, which made me sadder. But at least this storyarc is over and we can be moving on. My poor Jedi.


4. The Good Neighbors: Kind (book three) by Holly Black
   http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/175635.html
   The big conclusion to this trilogy was dark, impressive, and surprising. Good going, Rue. Way to save us all.


5. Ultimate Spider-Man Volume 11: Carnage by Brian Michael Bendis & others
   http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/176092.html
   Loved this collection of Spider-Man stories. Poor Peter thinks he can save the world, but things go terribly wrong. Peter handles it, though, as he must. I definitely fell in love with Spider-Man this month.


6. The Only Witness (Star Wars: Jedi Apprentice 17) by Jude Watson
   http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/176627.html
   Though the boys are still on unsteady ground after the events of this last storyarc, I definitely saw a lot of their old dynamic coming back out in this book on this mission. Glad to see it, especially the very end.


7. Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
   http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/176802.html
   A great dystopia about the life and use of clones. I still feel like something in this book eluded me... but I enjoyed the ride and all the thinking about human nature this book made me do.


8. Touching Darkness (Midnighters #2) by Scott Westerfeld
   http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/176911.html
   I didn't like this quite as much as the first, but it definitely expanded their situation in interesting and unexpected ways. And even though things went badly for some of these characters I came to love during the first book, the exciting climax kept me on the edge of my seat, and I'm excited to read the final book in the trilogy now.


9. This Star Won't Go Out: the Life & Words of Esther Grace Earl by Esther Earl with Lori and Wayne Earl, Instroduction by John Green
   http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/177365.html
   Felt like I was diving right into her mind. It felt intimate and almost intrusive but mostly touching and inspirational. I love that her words can continue to inspire and remind us what's important in life.

Another strange mix of things read this month: biographies, comics, young adult, sci-fi, thriller, literary fiction, and graphic novels. I don't usually read a lot of biographies or nonfiction, but that was the theme this month at Carpe Librum on swap-bot, so it was nice to have an excuse to dive into it. I enjoy it when I do, I just usually can't resist the lure of young adult fiction over anything else. LOL I bought another 23 comics this month I haven't yet read, but comics were definitely a big part of my May. And it was wonderful to finally find out how 11/22/63 ends... but I wish it could have gone on forever. Amazing book. I actually considered starting it all over again from the beginning (all 30 discs). But a hold came in at the library for me, followed by another hold, so I had to move on. I think I'd like to re-read It some time and then re-read 11/22/63 afterward :-) But I also really want to read Doctor Sleep ASAP. So that'll be next on my list after I finish Behind the Beautiful Forevers, which I'm reading for the summer Nerdfighter "book club." And I'm excited about getting to book 18 out of 20 in the Jedi Apprentice series. Almost done! :-)

Happy reading, everyone!

This is a recap of my March reading, for a swap-bot swap I signed up for. I chose to post it here so that I can format it the way I want. See below for a very brief recap of what I thought of the books along with a link to read more about my thoughts, if you so desire.

My major accomplishment this month was finally finishing a novel-length fanfiction I've been wanting to read for a decade now. I thoroughly enjoyed it:

• The Shoebox Project

After that, I danced around among children's books for a while before suddenly starting down another Stephen King kick. Luckily, there are still plenty of Stephen King books I've never read. I got through two of them this month.

Here's a list of books I read during the month but didn't finish (or haven't finished yet):

• Star Wars Jedi Apprentice: The Call to Vengeance by Jude Watson


• The Green Mile by Stephen King


• Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates


• Touching Darkness by Scott Westerfeld


• And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

Here are the books I finished this month:

1. A Perfet Day by Remy Charlip
   http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/169975.html
   A sweet picture book about a day that a father and son spent together. I read this because I attended a tribute to the author last year and have been meaning to find more of his books.


2. The Gingerbread Girl by Stephen King
   http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/169641.html
   Run run as fast as you can! Unless you've been kidnapped and are duct taped to a chair by a crazy man. Oh dear.


3. Wolf Won't Bite! by Emily Gravett
   http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/169304.html
   The three little pigs, in a circus, totally take advantage of the wolf and claim that whatever they do to him, he won't bite...


4. Spells by Emily Gravett
   http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/169137.html
   Gorgeous art makes this creative picture book quite special but the storyreally charmed me.


5. The Death of Hope (Star Wars: Jedi Apprentice 15) by Jude Watson
   http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/168893.html
   Ugh. More kidnapped Jedi and a mission of rescue... that goes terribly wrong. Am not loving this storyarc at all, but I did love the flashbacks.


6. Z is for Zamboni by Matt Napier
   http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/168515.html
   A hockey alphabet that does more than just teach ABCs--it looks at so many different aspects of the sport and presents them alphabetically with both a clever rhyme and information in the sidebars to learn from.


7. Tipping the Velvet by Sarah Waters
   http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/168276.html
   What a treat! I've seen the miniseries so many times that it was great to finally read the book. I absolutely loved my time with Nan again here, getting inside her head and seeing her life as she learns who she is and makes her way in the world (with great difficulty).


8. Whittington by Alan Armstrong
   http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/167683.html
   This jumps around among three different stories--one of an old cat and his new friends/family in a barn, one of the grandkids of the owner of the barn who come visit the animals 9the boy struggles with a reading problem), and one of Dick Whittington and his cat from hundreds of years before.


9. The Dark Half by Stephen King
   http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/167474.html
   Thad is a writer whose penname comes to life and starts killing people. Don't you hate it when that happens? I just watched the movie for it a few minutes ago; I definitely liked the book more because of all the details of how this could even be possible.


10. Marvel Comics Presents Wolverine Vol 4 by Dwight Zimmerman et. al
    http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/167270.html
    Two major stories about Wolverine, one of which was in a jungle and a little strange, the other featuring a major appearance by Ghost Rider, who I wasn't too familiar with. So not my favorite grpahic novel, but it was an okay read. Definitely had its moements.


11. The Daria Diaries by Anne D. Bernstein
    http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/167087.html
    I companion full of interesting, creative content to supplement the hit TV show from years ago. I liked the show, so it's little surprise I like this book as well.


12. The Reader by Amy Hest
    http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/166903.html
    A boy and his dog brave the cold and snow for an exciting, unqie experience: sharing a book together at the top of a hill.


13. Iron Armory by Fred Van Lente, et. al
    http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/166449.html
    Four different iron man suits in four different stories, showing the range and diversity of Iron Man/Tony. Everything from underwater to space!

That's my March. Interesting balance between kids books and horror novels, huh? LOL

Happy reading, everyone!

This is a recap of my January reading, for a swap-bot swap I signed up for. I chose to post it here so that I can format it the way I want. See below for a very brief recap of what I thought of the books along with a link to read more about my thoughts, if you so desire.

For a while there, I wasn't sure I'd have very many books to report this time around, then I ended up plowing through some graphic novels.

Here's a list of books I read during the month but didn't finish (or haven't finished yet):

• Star Wars Jedi Apprentice: The Ties That Bind by Jude Watson


• The Green Mile by Stephen King


• Tipping the Velvet by Sarah Waters


• 13 Gifts by Wendy Mass


• The Secret Hour (Midnighters, #1) by Scott Westerfeld

Here are the books I finished this month:

1. The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith (J.K. Rowling)
   http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/160717.html
   I adored this book. The characters were rich and fantastic. The mystery was deep and layered. The tropes were both familiar and fresh. The themes were explored beautifully. There were so many twists and turns I didn't see coming, even though I suspected EVERYONE at one point or another. JK's last book left me cold, but this one rocked my world. I can't wait for book 2!


2. The Scottish Prisoner by Diana Gabaldon
   http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/160190.html
   I'd read most of the Outlander series, but not this one. And reading this really made me want to start my re-read of the series :-) I loved seeing Jamie and Lord John together on an adventure. There was a little of everything that I love about the series all in one book. I wasn't so fond of the choice of two readers for the audiobook, but I have a copy in hardcover as well and I know I will be re-reading this many times over the years.


3. Star Trek: The Next Generation/Doctor Who: Assimilation2 Vol 1 by Scott Tipton, David Tipton, others
   http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/161084.html
   Two of my favorite fandoms combine with great results. The cybermen and borg teaming up? Epic! I loved all the little details that rang true for both of the fandoms. It was even great to have some classic Doctor Who and original Star Trek series in the mix. Now I need to buy Volume 2 to find out how it all turns out.


4. Spider-Men by Brian Michael Bendis & others
   http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/161482.html
   Amazing story where Spider-Man (Peter) from one Marvel universe enters another Marvel universe and meets another Spider-Man (Miles) in a reality where Peter Parker was killed and is publicly known. It was great watching all the characters adjust to this wrinkle and stop the villain who caused this in the first place. Extremely clever writing (I'm such a Bendis fangirl)


5. Blue Bloods: the graphic novel by Melissa de la Cruz, Robert Venditti, others
   http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/161537.html
   I haven't read the YA book this graphic novel is based off of, but I absolutely loved the characters and the new twists on the vampire mythos here, so I think I will try out the series some time now. I'm glad this graphic novel opened my eyes to it.


6. Mandela: An Illustrated Autobiography by Nelson Mandela
   http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/161981.html
   I knew very little about the details of Nelson Mandela's life, and to see photographs as well as hear his story in words was quite powerful. I also realized how little I actually knew about the political and cultural situation in South Africa. This book was a bit confusing at times, but mostly informative, revealing, interesting, and emotionally powerful. I don't read a whole lot of biographies and even fewer autobiographies, but I'm glad I grabbed this off the shelves at the library.


7. Uglies: Cutters by Scott Westerfeld
   http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/162056.html
   I didn't really love this book. I read it because I liked his Uglies series and I read the first graphic novel. The idea is to redo each of the books in the series in graphic novels, but through Shay's point of view instead of Tally's. I liked some of the overlap between the two, but I really wanted more things that are unique to Shay, things we don't get to see in the actual book. The cutters storyline was only a few pages in comparison with the rest of the book, which was sad given that it's the title and it's a huge thing I was hoping would be explored in more detail as it shows Shay's cleverness and independence and is the thing that attracts Special Circumstance's attention.


8. The Penderwicks on Gardam Street by Jeanne Birdsall
   http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/159800.html
   The second Penderwick novel was just as charming as the first. I adore the characters and seeing them at their home this time was a delight. I love all the little struggles they go through and how each one of them gets an adventure of their own--even Mr. Penderwick this time.


9. The Penderwicks at Point Mouette by Jeanne Birdsall
   http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/162550.html
   The third Penderwick novel, and I wish I could think of another word apart from charming, but that's what these books are. I can't get enough of these wonderful characters and their adventures. I wanted to reach right in and hug them during this book especially. In it, three of the sisters vacation in Maine along with their friend Jeffery, and they meet someone they don't expect.

That's my January. I had a really good time with the books I read this month. I picked up two holds at the library today I can't wait to start reading :-)

Happy reading, everyone!

This is a recap of my November reading, for a swap-bot swap I signed up for. I chose to post it here so that I can format it the way I want. See below for a very brief recap of what I thought of the books along with a link to read more about my thoughts, if you so desire.

Here's a list of books I read during the month but didn't finish (or haven't finished yet):

• Star Wars Jedi Apprentice: The Evil Experiment by Jude Watson


• Redshirts by John Scalzi


• The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton lee Stewart

Here are the books I finished this month:

1. Down the Rabbit Hole by Peter Abrahams:
   http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/152677.html
   A cute juvie mystery I read because it was on a list of books recommended to local kids. As an adult who likes to follow rules, I had a huge problem with the amount of law breaking the main character does in order to solve the mystery. I guess there's a fine line between empowering kid main characters in books and encouraging them to break big laws and put themselves in danger. The mystery was complex and fun to figure out. And the play within the story was a nice subplot and metaphor. Enjoyable, but hard for me to handle, as an adult.


2. Vader's Littler Princess by Jeffery Brown:
   http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/153034.html
   Clever AU-type take on what might have happened if Darth Vader had raised Princess Leia. Everything from them having a tea party together to Vader freezing Han Solo because he kissed his daughter. Jeffery Brown has written other books with this general concept; I can't wait to read those too! And I might have to give my dad this book for father's day next year.


3. The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy by Jeanne Birdsall:
   http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/153256.html
   Incredibly charming. One of the best books I've read all year. Great adventures, great characters, great emotions. I adored this book and can't wait to get my hands on others with the same characters.


4. The Deadly Hunter (Star Wars: Jedi Apprentice, Book 11) by Jude Watson:
   http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/153538.html
   Obi-Wan spends this book being hungry, despite the fact that he's in a lot of restaurants. Qui-Gon spends the book trying to help a friend. And the ending leaves both the friend and Qui-Gon in jeopardy.


5. Rules by Cynthia Lord:
   http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/153658.html
   A great teen book about a girl with an Austistic brother and a friend who's in a wheelchair and can't talk. She slowly discovers she doesn't really want a normal life after all. But the way she discovers this is so honest and realistic I really enjoyed every second of this book.


6. Things That Are by Andrew Clements:
   http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/154245.html
   I didn't realize this was the third book in a series, so I missed book number two. I enjoyed this story, told from the point of view of a blind character. But I definitely didn't like it as much as the first book, told from the point of view of a character who one day wakes up invisible. In this story, the ramifications of that incident are still coming back to affect his family and his girlfriend's family.


7. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier:
   http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/154564.html
   I've read this book a number of times before, but not in at least seventeen years. All the charm and darkness of the story came flooding right back. It was neat to see how much I'd remembered and what parts I had forgotten. Such a great book; I'm glad I re-read it!


8. Allergies by T.A. Chase:
   http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/154827.html
   My first T.A. Chase novel. It wasn't fantastically written. But it was light and fun and pushed a lot of my buttons. Three cheers for sexy gay werewolves :-)


9. Marvel Adventures- Iron Man: Armored Avenger by Fred Van lente, Jeff Parker, Paul Tobin:
   http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/155289.html
   A collection of four great Iron Man stories. Even though each was quite different, I actually enjoyed all of them. There was also a really useful bonus drawing in one of the comics that came just at the right time for me to understand something about one of Iron Man's adversaries.
   

That's my November! I was doing NaNoWriMo, so most of my free time was spent writing, not reading. And one of my 101 Goals in 1001 Days is to read a certain fanfic that's more than 2,000 electronic pages long. So I haven't made as much progress in books as I'd have liked. Still, 9 books finished in a month isn't too bad at all.

Happy reading, everyone!

This is a recap of my September reading, for a swap-bot swap I signed up for. I chose to post it here so that I can format it the way I want. See below for a very brief recap of what I thought of the books along with a link to read more about my thoughts, if you so desire.

Here's a list of books I read during the month but didn't finish (or haven't finished yet):

• Star Wars Jedi Apprentice: The Day of Reckoning by Jude Watson


• Incarceron by Catherine Fisher


• The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Gailbraith


• Shadowhunters and Downworlders: A Mortal Instruments Reader by Cassandra Clare, Sarah Rees Brennan, Holly Black and Rachel Caine


• Attachments by Rainbow Rowell

Here are the books I finished this month:

1. The Avengers, Volume 1 by Brian Michael Bendis, John Romita Jr.:
   http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/145360.html
   I really enjoy Bendis's storylines and takes on characters, and this was a great start of a series. My library doesn't have the next two volumes, so I might have to wait a while to find out what happens next. But this one had some restructuring and rebooting after a big Marvel crisis... and some time travel that puts a serious wrinkle in things--a nice, exciting balance.


2. The Lady of Shallot by Alfred Lord Tennyson, Genevieve Cote:
   http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/145413.html
   The concept of this "series" is to take classic poems and illustrate them beautifully in new and slightly more modern ways. I read this version of The Highwayman which, I thought, worked. This one didn't work quite as well. It was difficult to figure out when this was supposed to be taking place. In some cases, the images matched nicely or creatively. However, there were times where the images didn't match well enough for me. Still, a worthy project. I hope to track down others in this "series."


3. Wild: A Journey from Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed:
   http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/145695.html
   I don't read a lot of memoirs, because I really love fiction. But there are few memoirs I haven't enjoyed, and this is among my favorites ever, so far. I saw Cheryl earlier this year in Boston at the AWP Conference and again last week at my local book festival. In-between these two times, I earread Wild. I hadn't heard of the PCT before, as I live on the east coast of the US just an hour or two away from the AT, a more popular hiking trail. But I can honestly say I could never have done what Cheryl did. Her journey emotionally and physically was powerful. As she said last week, "when you write about your life, you get to look back and see the way life works as symbol and metaphor." And the bonus is that it also means the readers get to see those things as well and enjoy and learn a little from them as well.


4. The Uncertain Path (Star Wars: Jedi Apprentice, Book 6) by Jude Watson:
   http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/146624.html
   An emotional book for both my Jedi boys. They're separated and stuggling with not only the fact that Obi-Wan broke their training bond and is no longer a Jedi but dealing with their own dramas--with a world that just finished a war that seems to want to slip back into the fighting and with someone causing trouble inside the Jedi Temple itself. When the two unite, it's still emotional, but it feels right and it leads beautifully into the next book with great drama.


5. The Captive Temple (Star Wars: Jedi Apprentice, Book 7) by Jude Watson:
   http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/146768.html
   Though Obi is on probation and not trusted in the Temple, he still manages to help his former master in foiling a great plot that will take down the entire temple and the Jedi within it. And he slowly rebuilds a little of the trust. Spoiler (sort of): the temple does not explode and we move on to book 8 with most but not ALL of the characters. There have been some significant deaths in the series so far, but the one in this book is a powerful one indeed.


6. Ultimate Comics Spider-Man Volume 1 by Bendis, Samnee, and Ponsor:
   http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/147007.html
   I read the first set of books in this series by Bendis, and I wasn't sure I wanted to read this. Another Spider-Man after Peter? Isn't that in bad taste? Turns out, the answer is yes, it is. Also turns out that I kind of adore Miles. He comes into his powers similarly to Peter, but he has a much different path before him almost immediately, and it's fascinating to see how such a young boy assumes the already-established role of Spider-Man. I was totally hooked, and I hadn't expected that.


7. Ultimate Comics Spider-Man Volume 2 by Bendis, Samnee, Pichelli, Marquez:
   http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/147218.html
   The continuing adventures of the new Spider-Man, where Miles tries to figure out how to be Spider-Man and learns that watching YouTube videos of the previous Spider-Man doesn't really help as much as he had hoped. He also learns that there's a whole lot more going on than just him being Spider-Man. There's a new crime lord and his uncle practically blackmailing him. And there's a roommate who become suspicious of him. Poor Miles!


8. The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer:
   http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/147627.html
   I've been eying this in the library for a couple years now and finally picked it up and earread it. It was an interesting story; I can see why it's recommended for kids. It gives kids a lot of big concepts to think about that they might not have thought about before--the morality of cloning, how one defines "human," what it means to choose a path your life takes, how far someone will go to survive, how the way you treat people define your character, etc. And the characters are good--some are a little flat (really good or really bad, but I rather like knowing where I stand with characters, so I was okay with that). But this felt like two different, short books that weren't long enough by themselves and were stuck together and kind of held together somehow. I liked it, but it wasn't quite as good as I'd hoped it would be.


9. Hatchet by Gary Paulsen:
   http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/147934.html
   A book I thought I'd read as a kid but hadn't, as it turned out. I would have surely remembered THIS! Brian crash lands as the only survivor on an island in a remote part of Canada. He's a city boy who must learn to survive in the tough wilderness. His struggle is dramatic. Sometimes it felt realistic to me, other times too convenient, and other times annoyingly complicated. I really liked it, though, enough to read the next adventure with Brian in it.


10. The River by Gary Paulsen:
    http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/148011.html
    Poor Brian's just trying to help out when he agrees to take a government psychologist into the wilderness to show him how to survive. But something unexpected and unplanned (which is typical, really, as nature is the most uncontrollable force out there) happens which leads to Brian having to survive under even more extreme circumstances. Bring on the third book now!

That's my September! It was great to have a change to read a book and then immediately see the author read and speak in person this month. I've got a little bit of fiction, a tiny bit of poetry, and a good helping of graphic novel comics and juvie fiction in this month. Where will October take me? Who knows? Happy reading, everyone!

This is a recap of my July reading, for a swap-bot swap I signed up for. I chose to post it here so that I can format it the way I want. See below for a very brief recap of what I thought of the books along with a link to read more about my thoughts, if you so desire.

Here's a list of books I read during the month but didn't finish:

• Star Wars Jedi Apprentice: Defenders of the Dead by Jude Watson


• The Wooden Sea by Jonathan Carroll


• Nana... and Other Grandmothers by the Writers of Chantilly


• Batman: Knightfall (1) by various


• The Prisoner of Heaven by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

Here are the books I finished this month:

1. The Hidden Past (Star Wars: Jedi Apprentice, Book 3) by Jude Watson: http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/139284.html
   Got a little tired with Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon being side-tracked while on a mission. I loved the relationships and the terror Obi-Wan felt at having hsi mind erased.


2. Anno's Britain by Mitsumasa Anno: http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/139892.html
   A fantastic version of the Anno's Journey-type story I loved as a child. So many more hidden scenes and things to notice in this one. And so many wonderful British scenes!


3. Batman: the Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller: http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/140411.html
   A wonderfully dark, depressing Batman story where Bruce comes out of "retirement" for one last spin as the bat, his last chance at saving the city he cares for. Lots of surprises in thi one.


4. Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling: http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/140991.html
   I don't read many biographies or autobiographies and I'm not even familiar with Mindy as an actor. But I was still shaking with laughter sometimes. Hilarious and quirky!


5. Anno's USA by Mitsumasa Anno: http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/141071.html
   Following my reading of Anno's Britian, I tracked this book down and read it. I enjoyed this look at the various parts of my country, though I felt like it concentrated a lot about the middle sections of the US. Lots of little jokes and references--I especially loved the Macy's Day Parade.


6. The Mark of the Crown (Star Wars: Jedi Apprentice, Book 4) by Jude Watson: http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/141380.html
   My favorite in the series so far, I think, because they finally accomplish the mission they were sent to do. And even though my two Jedi split up, Obi-Wan does a brilliant job of thwarting or at least uncovering a lot of evil schemes.


7. The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold: http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/141745.html
   Very glad I finally gave it a read. it wasn't at all what I'd expected. It was good and interesting at parts. A unique viewpoint and the story stretched on for so long, so we truily understand what sort of an impact it made on her friends and family. Really, I just read this because it was a popular book and I wanted to get it off my TBR (To Be Read) shelves.


8. How to be a Cat by Nikki McClure: http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/142558.html
   Adorable and with a simple yet powerful style (black and white cut-outs).


9. Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke: http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/142039.html
   A story chronicling the accounts and incidents of magic in England at the turn of the century. The story follows two magicians whose abilities are similar but whose styles differe vastly. However, it doesn't go well for either of them thanks to the intervention of another individual (or two) who pop up within the story.

That's my July. A wide variety, I guess you could say! :-) Happy reading to everybody in August!

This is a recap of my May reading, for a swap-bot swap I signed up for.

I am usually in the middle of three or four books at once in various locations--the one by my bed, the one in my car (audio book), the one in my purse (lines/doctor's appointments), etc. I also occasionally stand in the middle of the children's section at the library during my volunteer shift and read picture books. It just happens. LOL

Here's a list of books I read during the month but didn't finish:

• A Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling


• Divergent by Veronica Roth (Audio)


• Star Wars Jedi Apprentice: The Dark Rival by Jude Watson


• Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling


• Shiver (Wolves of Mercy Falls) by Maggie Stiefvater (Audio)


• Starfish by Donna George


• A Writer's Book of Days: A Spirited Companion and Lively Muse for the Writing Life (Revised Edition) by Judy Reeves

Here are the books I finished in May:

1. the Sequel by John Green: http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/135403.html
   An unfinished beginning of an abandoned book, this was bittersweet. On one hand, new work by my favorite contemporary writer rocks my world! On another hand, it's just an unfinished draft. Still, the voice is strong and the characters were great. And it was a download I got as a reward for donating to the Harry Potter Alliance Equality FTW campaign, so it's a win-win.


2. The Roberts by Justin Shady: http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/134997.html
   A dark, disturbing, entertaining book about two serial killers (the Boston Strangler and the Zodiac Killer) who meet each other when they're old and have moved into the same retirement community. Also contains some handwirtten letters from real serial killers, which was creepier.


3. Shay's Story by Scott Westerfeld, Devin Grayson, and Steven Cummings: http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/134314.html
   Graphic novel version of Uglies, only told from Shay's point of view, instead of Tally's. This was a great concept and it was neat seeing some aspects of the story that happen without Tally or before Tally. However, the art was far too pretty for me and I felt like the canon wasn't matching up all the time, so it hurt my brain a little.


4. Keys to the Kingdom, Book 1: Mister Monday by Garth Nix: http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/134061.html
   The first in a series that I've been wanting to read for years. I thoroughly enjoyed it! It was creative and fun and I can't wait to track down book 2.


5. The Van Gogh Cafe by Cynthia Rylant: http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/133702.html
   A cute, short story about a magical cafe that changes people's outlooks and lives.


6. The Letter Q: Queer Writers' Notes to their Younger Selves by Sarah Moon, James Lecesne, others: http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/133514.html
   Touching, inspiring, sometimes strangely similar, and diverse in subject matter, this was a great book. I hope that teens out there find it as supportive and reassuring as I found it interesting and inspiring as a writer.


7. The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig by Eugene Trivizas, Helen Oxenbury: http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/133152.html
   A creative spin on the well-known fairy tale, beautifully executed.


8. Black Dog by Levi Pinfold: http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/132987.html
   Whether your black dog is actual depression or literally a gigantic dog outside your house, this book puts things in perspective and helps deal with the issue creatively. The artwork is absolutely astounding, from color pallet to the level of detail. Worth picking up for the art alone!


9. Wormwood by G.P. Taylor: http://katekintailbc.livejournal.com/132628.html
   Okay story about London as a comet is on its way to hitting the area. Confusing and giant cast of characters whose motivations are constantly in flux (due to spells, sometimes, but still). A nice blending of magic, science, and faith, but an execution that made me want to just get the book finished and move onto something better

And here are comics I read in May (May 4 was Free Comic Book Day, so it's only fitting):

1. The Adventures of Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty volume 2


2. The Adventures of Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty volume 4


3. Star Trek: Countdown to Darkness #1, IDW (comic)


4. Infinity, Marvel (free comic book day score)


5. The Steam Engines of Oz, Arcana (free comic book day score)


6. Grimm, Dynamite (free comic book day score)


7. Master of the Future (Batman)

That's my May! Happy reading to everybody in June!