From the back cover: Welcome to a surreal version of Great Britain, circa 1985, where time travel is routine, cloning is a reality (dodos are the resurrected pet of choice), and literature is taken very, very seriously. England is a virtual police state where an aunt can get lost (literally) in a Wordsworth poem, militant Baconians heckle performances of Hamlet, and forging … [Read more...] about The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde
Triple Take
Rurouni Kenshin 1-6 by Nobuhiro Watsuki: B+
It feels like I last read Rurouni Kenshin eons ago, even though it's only been five years since the US edition came to an end. The siren call of a potential reread has been increasing in volume lately and finally, I could take it no more. Joined by my friend and fellow Kenshin fan, K, I'm yielding to temptation and diving back in! Over the course of the next few months, I'll be … [Read more...] about Rurouni Kenshin 1-6 by Nobuhiro Watsuki: B+
Zita the Spacegirl by Ben Hatke: A-
From the back cover: Flung far across the universe, from star to star, faced with monsters, magicians, and maybe new friends... an Earth girl named Zita must find a way home. Review: I'm always impressed by children's fiction that doesn't underestimate its audience, especially stories with multiple plot threads that wind up stitching together in a way that's both surprising … [Read more...] about Zita the Spacegirl by Ben Hatke: A-
The Man Who Loved Books Too Much by Allison Hoover Bartlett: B
From the back cover: Unrepentant book thief John Charles Gilkey has stolen a fortune in rare books from around the country. Yet unlike most thieves, who steal for profit, Gilkey steals for love—the love of books. Perhaps equally obsessive, though, is Ken Sanders, the self-appointed "bibliodick" driven to catch him. Sanders, a lifelong rare book collector and dealer turned … [Read more...] about The Man Who Loved Books Too Much by Allison Hoover Bartlett: B
The Railway Children by E. Nesbit: A
From the back cover: When Father goes away unexpectedly, Roberta, Peter, Phyllis and their mother have to leave their happy life in London to go and live in a small cottage in the country. The children seek solace in the nearby railway station, and make friends with Perks the Porter and the Station Master himself. But the mystery remains: where is Father, and will he ever … [Read more...] about The Railway Children by E. Nesbit: A