read 52 books in 2009

Rob Jovanovic’s biography of Michael Stipe is an interesting enough read if you are a fairly big fan of R.E.M.. However, most of Jovanovic’s information is culled from other interviews, so he doesn’t have access to very much inside information about Stipe. The book’s focus is primarily on Stipe and how he integrated and acted within the band, not apart from it. There are interesting tidbits here and there, but overall this is a fairly basic informational book about Michael Stipe and R.E.M..

Excellent children’s book that teaches young and old readers alike how to question authority and what they are told. This is a must-read for any liberal child being raised to think for themselves.

I thought I was going to dislike this book at first. It was written very obtusely, hard to understand and seemingly confusing for the sake of confusion. However, my perseverance paid off, as the plot slowly revealed itself to be an intriguing story about two women, their lives together, and how they drift through various circumstances.

Another Radclyffe book featuring two women who struggle to be together, but when they finally do, the bedroom sizzles. I like the plot, set in the literary world, where the editor falls for her boss. Intrigue and obstacles abound, but Radclyffe falls back on steamy bedroom scenes instead of following the main storyline.

Radclyffe continues the story of Blair and Cameron. Good plot, but her focus could use help.

Not much to say about this book – just a continuation of the storyline from the other Honor series books by Radclyffe. A bit too much stuff in the bedroom, and not enough plot elsewhere.

This book continues the story of Blair and Cameron, the presidents daughter and her secret service agent. Their romance continues, as do the threats to Blair’s life. Good story, but not quite enough plot development, and a bit too much time spent on the bedroom scenes.
(read this book in October)

The seven writers that spent a year sending haiku’s to one another, collected in this book, Haiku Year, did a wonderful job of showing the versatility of the haiku. These small poems range the gamut from funny to sad to love and hate. There is a lot of emotional depth, but then also simple matter of fact poems about modern day life. Michael Stipe and Grant Lee Phillips are arguably the most well-known of the writers in this book, but everyone made solid contributions to the collection. Overall, this is a nice little volume of haikus that ends up being inspiring by illustrating what the haiku genre is capable of.

This is a nice manga-style graphic novel featuring Death of the Endless. While a bit on the light and playful side, it’s still a nice read for any fans of Neil Gaiman’s Sandman series. The art work is excellent as well.

Interesting little graphic novel about three friends going for a quick vacation in Japan. Interesting comments and observations about the society they find are given. This almost functions as an alternative travel guide for younger people. However, it is just a very brief glance, so not much depth is given.