27. 
Title: [Otherworld Nights]
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Medium: Paperback
Acquisition: Library Book
Date Completed: June 1, 2015
Rating: ***
28. 
Title: [A Little Night Murder]
Author: Nancy Martin
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Medium: Hardback
Acquisition: Library Book
Date Completed: June 3, 2015
Rating: ***1/2
The Blackbird Sisters Mysteries is a series I'm happy to borrow from the library, but not one I would purchase for myself. Like others before, there is a delightful swirl of fancy clothes and society gatherings, with a suspicious death in close proximity. And also like others before, there is questionable character development, and questionable choices, but so goes any cozy mystery. In this episode, a very pregnant Nora is more focused on hiding Lexie, released from prison, and investigating theatre-related deaths than either her society column or the questionable movements of her intended, with a final twist worthy of an arched eyebrow. In the end, though, it's the same good fun - and great clothes - as before, and I'll happily move on to see what madcap adventures she finds herself in as a new mother.
29. 
Title: [Burnt Offerings]
Author: Laurell K. Hamilton
Genre: Vampires
Medium: Paperback
Acquisition: Forever ago
Date Completed: June, 2015
Rating:
30. 
Title: [Obsidian Butterfly]
Author: Laurell K. Hamilton
Genre: Vampires
Medium: Paperback
Acquisition: Forever ago
Date Completed: June 19, 2015
Rating:
Reading some of these books for the third time, I'm noticing paragraph-level errors with increasing frequency - not grammatical errors, but narrative errors. Actions repeat or contradict, Anita will do something and then pointedly not-do-that-thing, etc. I find it interesting both that these glaring errors make it through editing, and that I apparently glossed over them in my own first readings.
That said, I really enjoy Edward books - he's a great balance to the supernatural characters, and stories involving Edward seem to be much better developed. Onward with my series re-read.
31. 
Title: [Catwoman Volume 1: The Game]
Author: Judd Winick and Guillem March
Genre: Comic
Medium: Paperback
Acquisition: Library Book
Date Completed: June 20, 2015
Rating: ***
Although I have not yet researched it specifically, I know there is static over Judd Winick and Guillem March's New 52 revamping of Catwoman: that she is oversexualized to a ridiculous degree (as opposed to the oversexualization of before? Like I said, I haven't read the specific arguments yet). The "look" of the book is compelling, with a level of ridiculousness that keeps it from functioning well - for example, Selena Kyle jumping from her window after having time to collect her pet cats, but not pull one shoulder of her jumpsuit on, so she's in full Catwoman gear with one breast barred in a purple bra. While her actual physique seems to draw on the traditions of the genre, however they are not being challenged in criticism, I'm not yet sure what to make of these particular moments. This Catwoman both is and isn't the one I've read before, and from what I've seen in this first volume, I don't value Winick's protagonist over Brubaker's.
32. 
Title: [Catwoman Volume 2: Dollhouse]
Author: Judd Winick and Guillem March
Genre: Comic
Medium: Paperback
Acquisition: Library Book
Date Completed: June 20, 2015
Rating: ****
The second volume of the New 52 is a bit more even, but I've given it a higher rating really for the introduction of a terrifying and fascinating villain: Dollhouse. That's a story I'd love to see developed.
33. 
Title: [Gothan City Sirens: Union]
Author: Paul Dini and Guilem March
Genre: Comic
Medium: Paperback
Acquisition: Library Book
Date Completed: June 20, 2015
Rating: **
Rubbish.
34. 
Title: [Batman: Heart of Hush]
Author: Paul Dini, Dustin Nguyen, and Derek Fridolfs
Genre: Comic
Medium: Paperback
Acquisition: Library Book
Date Completed: June 24, 2015
Rating: ***1/2
An interesting twist of events, and a rather disturbing image that will likely influence how I see Selena Kyle for some time to come. Comparing these last two book by Dini, it seems that he isn't weak as a comics author, but he is potentially weak as a writer of women in comics. More samples would be needed to say so definitively, of course.
35. 
Title: [The Girl With the Iron Touch]
Author: Kady Cross
Genre: Teen romance/steampunk
Medium: Hardback
Acquisition: Library Book
Date Completed: June 25, 2015
Rating: ***
The Girl with the Iron Touch, or "Why is he being an ass?" with a side of kidnapping and a quick dash of physical conflict. The third in the Steampunk series finds the usual cast of characters back on home turf, and wrestling with the same personal tensions as the previous works. The angst of these relationships continue through Emily's kidnapping and the attempts at a rescue, which is probably the most believable and human point in the plot - life as a whole doesn't stop when something bad happens. It's an easy read, but has very little development throughout, and the conclusion was a bit too easy for my taste. Good for a library read, but not one I'll remember in a year.
No comments:
Post a Comment