Recent Reads

103. Fables, Vol. 2: Animal Farm
This is book # 2 in the Fables graphic novel series. In the first book we met the human fable characters who live in NYC. Well, they can pass as human can't they? What about all those fable characters who cannot? Remember the three little pigs, and dragons, and three blind mice, etc? Well, they live on a farm in upstate New York. And since it is Animal Farm, revolution is in the air. Guns, be-headings and anarchy oh my! My fave character was Chicken Little. I've always had a soft spot for her. Rating: 3 stars.

104. Inferno
There are Dan Brown books that I really like and ones I do not. This fourth Robert Langdon book falls somewhere in between. 

There are things that the author does really well, but the story could have been much tighter with better editing. This would be a fun book to read while traveling to the cities in the story. 

The short chapters move the story along at a breathless pace, and with such intense focus on plot, there is not much character development. No-one seems to get any sleep or food, but heck they've got a planet to save! Twists and turns galore, and you learn something about history, art, literature, and all the cool stuff that is off limits to regular tourists along the way. This is a fun romp with interesting questions about the future of humans on this planet, and I was delighted to revisit three of my fave cities with Langdon as my guide. Rating: 3 stars.

105. The Unwritten, Vol.1: Tommy Taylor and the Bogus Identity
This intriguing start to a graphic novel series is really two books in one. In one story an author disappears, and is it possible that his words have crossed over and are now flesh? The other story is a short one about Kipling. What these stories have in common is the power of the written word, the power of the author and location where stories are released. And the dark forces who work to bend things to their will. A fun read, and I will certainly be diving into the next book in the series. Rating: 3 stars.

106. Griffin and Sabine
My library had a book sale today, so I came home with a large bag of random books. This is one of the gems in the pile. This wonderful visual novel unfolds in a series of postcards and letters, and the art is wonderful. This slim volume is the first in a trilogy, and I have already ordered up the next two books. If you are person who loves tactile books and misses getting postcards and letters in the mail, I would recommend you spend some time with this delightful book. Rating: 4 stars.