Nimbupani Designs - book review

Book Reviews for July 2010 - Part 1

divya — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 23:35:24 +0000

I seem to be reading more and more Manga comics. I am in the middle of three manga series and they all are fantastic (Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service, Psycho, and Pluto) and I regret not reading manga comics earlier. I recommend all of these series!

Pluto Vol 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

I am a new fan of manga comics, but Pluto has sucked me in unlike any other graphic novel/comic. This is the first Manga series I have completed, and I could not stop thinking of the future imagined in Pluto. I am amazed at how Naoki Urasawa has weaved a beautiful web around murder mysteries, Roboethics, and transhumanism. That it is an adaptation of an arc of Astroboy only makes it better. Anyone who sniggers at Manga comics needs to be pointed to Pluto, just to show how engrossing they can be!

We Wish to Inform you that tomorrow we will be killed with our families: Stories from Rwanda

We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will be Killed With Our Families: Stories from Rwanda is a heart-wrenching narration of the Rwandan genocide. Unlike similar books of this genre, Philip Gourevitch also informs us about the crimes committed by the Rwandan Patriotic Front (ruling party of Rwanda). Philip Gourevitch is brutal in his assessment of the inadequacy of the United Nations and the deliberate inaction on part of United States. The existence of genocide criminals like Georges Ruggiu seems to validate that view.

Essential Iron Man

I am amazed how close the movie is to the comic book. Essential Iron Man, Vol. 1. So, instead of Vietnamese villains we have Arabic ones. Though, Iron Man comics are definitely more mushy (and sexist) than what the movie portrays, and hence, not that interesting (in one of the stories, Stan Lee pleads with the reader to stay with the comics despite reading like a romance novel).

Dreamer

The Dreamer is an autobiographical graphic novel about Will Eisner’s struggle as a comic artist. It is a good story, but I am pretty sure success did not come as simply as it is narrated. I liked The Contract with God better.

I have a bunch of dreary books to finish, so off I go.

Book Reviews for June 2010 - Part 2

divya — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 21:44:05 +0000

It took me 2 weeks to get over jet lag from my marathon India trip. So, there are less books to review as I was finally sane enough to do other stuff :)

Chameleon Days

This is the narration of the author’s childhood experiences growing up in Ethiopia as a son of evangelist parents. It was an engrossing read which also describes some of the work that evangelical missions do. No, it did not alter my perspective of religious evangelism. Chameleon Days: An American Boyhood in Ethiopia certainly did not convey anything interesting about Ethiopia either.
The Arrival

The Arrival is the first wordless Graphic Novel I read. The novel is set in a fantasy world where a man leaves his family to seek his fortune in a strange city. I am amazed at how many thoughts about belonging, culture and immigration that Shaun managed to convey without using any words. If you are an immigrant, you would love “reading” The Arrival.
The Complete Crumb Comics, Vol. 17

This is my attempt at reading all works by Robert Crumb, the fantastic comic book artist. The Complete Crumb Comics, Vol. 17: Cave Wimp is funny and irreverent like the cover promises.
Designing the moment

Designing the Moment: Web Interface Design Concepts in Action is a book by Robert Hoekman Jr. who spoke at An Event Apart Seattle 2009. Most of it seems “obvious” to me, but I know many people might not think so.

As usual, here is a plea for you to recommend interesting books you read recently!

Book Reviews for June 2010 - Part 1

divya — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 23:44:20 +0000

There were a lot of comics I borrowed as soon as I landed in Seattle. As a result, I have lots of books to review, even though it is only half-way through June. So here are the reviews:

Six-Word Memoirs on Love and Heartbreak

This book began as a twitter project, but also includes offline six-word stories. Most are not that interesting though, but some do impact deeply.
Six-Word Memoirs is a good read for those few six-words.

Slaughterhouse-Five

I have no idea why I waited this long to start reading Vonnegut. But I am glad I did finally. Slaughterhouse-Five: A Novel is absurd and insightful and definitely a must-read. I am amused it gets classified as “anti-war”. Apparently, narrating incidents of war without displaying bias makes it “anti-war”.

Pluto

Wow, what an amazing start to a series! Pluto has been adapted from Astro Boy by Naoki Urasawa. It is fantastic murder mystery. The World’s top robot-killing robots are being murdered one by one and one of the them investigates the mystery. The manga series confronts the issues of what “life” and “music” mean to robots and how humans deal with robots that have “feelings”. Cannot wait to read the rest of it!

Psycho

This is the wrong book to read as I had no context to the plot. I should have begun with Volume 1 of MPD-Psycho.

Nightschool

This series is a wannabe Twilight. Avoid Nightschool if you hate Twilight!

The Contract with God Trilogy: Life on Dropsie Avenue

Will Eisner was one of the early pioneers of the art of graphic novel, this book is a great testimony to his genius illustration and story-telling skills.

This set of novels is about the life and times of fictitious Dropsie Avenue that is based on the real-life stories of the places Eisner grew up in. It is amazing, how racism plays out over the years (first Irish vs. Jews, then the whites vs. blacks) and how politics and crime went hand-in-glove. One thing that has irked me about American media is how it treats rampant corruption as something that occurs only in other nations. The Contract with God Trilogy: Life on Dropsie Avenue and this long article on Arnold Rothstein, shatter that myth.

Hopefully, I should have more books to review by end of June. As always, I welcome suggestions for books to add to my queue.

Book Reviews for May 2010

divya — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 18:11:35 +0000

Wow, was that a dramatic month or what! I quit my job, went to India for vacation, had a gala time in Goa/Gokarna and still managed to read about 6 books. I am back in Seattle now. The annoying thing about traveling is, once you start it, it is hard to stop. Now I am itching to travel in the US, but alas, it is expensive. :( You can see how the automobile/aviation industry has altered the course of travel in the US by how expensive and time-consuming it is to travel from Seattle to Portland, if you do not posses a car or are traveling by air. Anyone “backpacking” in the US will definitely feel like a 5-star tourist in Asia and elsewhere. I guess, I would have to make do with exploring Seattle!

Here are the book reviews:

Orion

When I met Udhay Shankar in Bangalore, he was cleaning out his book shelves to make way for new books and I scored this book and the First book of Mazlan. Orion is a pretty interesting story of science-fiction/mythology/fantasy. It tells the story of God-like beings who have evolved from men over several centuries and their attempt to control their “destiny” by meddling in the evolution of humanity. It sounds complicated, but it is all explained very engrossingly well (with a romantic side-story to the boot).

Midnight Tides: First book of Mazlan

Every page of this book reminds me of Dune and Call of the Cthulu mainly for the flowery, fawning prose used to describe the protagonists. If you really love fantasy, you might like this book, but it is not for the mildly curious.

Making things happen

I am an avid reader of Scott Berkun’s blog, but never read any of his books till recently. Making Things Happen is the newer edition of The Art of Project Management. It does not matter if you are freelancing, or work in a start-up or a big company, every word that Scott mentions is worth thinking about how to translate to your day to day work. What I love about his writing is he attempts to write without bias, and indicates bias when he does think there is one (and not to mention the solid work of references and footnotes). I wish all writers wrote in this manner. My only complaint is, some of the “failures” he cites from his experience did not seem like failures to me (maybe they do to someone else in a similar position). This book makes me think Scott Berkun must be quarter vulcan :)

Universal Design

I was given this book by Matt May (and I had him sign it in Arabic :) It is a very short book, that you can quite possibly read within a hour or so. The trouble with technical books, such as this one, is that by the time it gets published, it goes out of date. The authors have tried to mitigate it somewhat, but unfortunately, web standards are in a constant state of flux.

All the examples use the XHTML Strict doctype, though I would have appreciated if a rationale was given why they went with it. This slim book, also has code examples that are two pages long, which are best shared online than on paper (and probably could have been used to explain ARIA more?). I also think, a book about Universal Design, could also have covered a bit on RDFa or Microdata.

This is a good book for anyone who has this question “WTF is Accessibility?”, but I do not think it addresses anything beyond that. I wish it did though.

Ruskin Bond’s Book of Humour

It is a collection of essays and articles by Ruskin Bond about his life in Landour. Some of these are outrageous (like when he describes seducing a teenage girl) but somehow it all sounds normal when he describes them. There is, as always, an underlying thread of melancholy for times that have gone by. This book is a good read on a lazy sunday afternoon, when your thoughts turn towards the good times you had as a school-going kid.

The Story of Our Food

This is a very thin book, and I should warn you that the book is literally what the title says - a story. The book feels like one of those stories your annoying grandpa has the habit of narrating just when you have something important to work on (and you feel guilty for not listening). It has some interesting insights about how the staple food of India came about, but unfortunately there are no footnotes or references for any of the statements he makes. Thankfully, there is a set of 10 reference books at the end which should likely throw more light on the history of Indian cooking.

Book Reviews for April 2010

divya — Fri, 07 May 2010 01:27:06 +0000

I am surprised I managed to read five books after last month’s poor showing. I should probably have a lot more to review next month, given all the downtime I have thanks to travel. Onward with the reviews!

300

After Sin City, I had great expectations of a Frank Miller adaptation, but unfortunately, 300, the film, was a disappointment. I was so sure that it was the fault of the movie makers and not the book itself, that I borrowed it just to feel smug in my point of view. Sadly, I was proven wrong. 300 sucks.

Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim

I did not know about This American Life before I moved to Seattle, so, it is not that embarrassing to admit I did not know about David Sedaris before I found Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim in the “Staff Picks” of Seattle Library.

Every story reminds me of the narratives from Waiter Rant (if you have never read Waiter Rant, be prepared to spend the next 5 hours reading it). I loved “The End of the Affair” (audio version) the best (probably because it resonates so well).

If You Meet the Buddha on the Road, Kill Him!

I did the Landmark Forum sometime ago, and this book is like a word-for-word description of what goes on there or in any self-help seminars - except the author is actually a psychotherapist instead of a “life coach” and describes his work with sexual offenders.

If You Meet the Buddha on the Road, Kill Him! is a great insight into what happens to a psychotherapist as he treats people for their mental illnesses (yes it affects him too). Unfortunately, this book is dated (Sheldon Kopp considers homosexuality, a “mental illness”), but a good read on how psychotherapists try to resolve issues for their patients.

The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service Volume 10

Yet another random pick from the Graphic Novel bookshelf. Thankfully, it is awesome. The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service Volume 10 has everything to do with corpses turning into clones, robots, zombies, and every other absurdity imaginable. Must read, if you like absurd manga.

Infidel

This book has caused the author, Ayaan Hirsi Ali to go into hiding. Infidel is not a simple put down of Islam but an examination of questions that grip a progressive follower of Islam. I did get a few goose-bumps when she described her genital mutilation, and how resigned Somalian women were to their fate. Her descriptions of assimilating into Dutch culture mirrored my own experiences of doing so in Singapore.

I am sure this book is biased (after all it is an autobiography), but no where does she condemn Islam for anything other than the practices followed by the hard-liners.

And so it ends! Any books you read last month that you recommend?

Book Reviews for Mar 2010

divya — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 03:17:57 +0000

Apparently in US people indulge in, what is called, March Madness, and I did not escape the lunacy either. I made a trip to Austin for SXSWi, made my peace with pets, and even started indulging in some American behaviour. With those things accomplished, I felt no guilt for reading just four books.

Slant

I started reading Slant early March, and plodded through it by the end of the month. Surprisingly, I liked it (despite all the plodding). It is based in a very contemporary future where software behave like humans and there is a “global threat” to eliminate humans who have suffered a psychological breakdowns. Jill (a software designed to eliminate the threat) and her creator Nathan Rashid manage to stop that from occurring in the nick of time. The story is not all that interesting, except for the romance between Jill and Roddy (another program) – that was quite well done (as in, I did not feel sick after reading that).

Amazing Spiderman Death & Dating

I must have been drugged when I picked up this book because it is not what I usually read. The ideal audience is a pimply 12-year-old looking for a girlfriend and I am glad to say I did not identify with that.

Sandman

I had read Sandman Volumes 2 and 7, so when I chanced upon Volume 1, I picked it up. As usual Neil Gaiman is brilliant. Nothing more needs to be said. He is the best story-teller alive.

Crash

Crash is supposedly a short read, and I was curious about J G Ballard. It is very well written but I could not proceed to the next page without uttering four-letter curses every few sentences. I did not finish it, and I hope I can find another novel by him that is, ahem, less scandalous.

As usual, I await your recommendations! Any book you recommend?

Book Reviews for Feb 2010 - Part 2

divya — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 02:16:48 +0000

It was only 15 days ago I was bemoaning my meagre collection of books to review, and here I am with six more! Sleepless nights FTW!

Half Yellow Sun

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s is a marvellous writer (I have joined her fan club officially). While Half of a Yellow Sun states Igbo people suffered greatly during the Biafran war, the book also elegantly depicts that, in a war, everyone is a victim. Also interesting is the tone of how women seem to be resigned to their husbands’ infidelity and use that to justify their own extra-marital affairs. This is a good, if fictional, introduction to the North-South divide in Nigeria which still clouds the current uncertainty with the Nigerian Presidency.
New York Trilogy

The New York Trilogy is as complex as M F Hussain’s Meenaxi (or more so). There is a character called Paul Aster (the same name as the author), and you have no idea when the so-called author becomes a narrator. There is a handy chart to understand the characters in the novels, but I am still confused. All of these stories are based on what can happen when a detective gets obsessed with stalking someone. An engrossing read that keeps you confused for years to come :)

This edition also has art by Art Spiegelman, which was fantastic!
Wizard of the Crow

This giant book is a thinly-veiled allegory on Kenyan politics. Wizard of the Crow is set in a fictional state of Abruria ruled by a despot. The protagonists Kamiti and Grace are articulate, literate young people who struggle to raise money and find work. Kamiti is a passionate humanist and extensively talks about his experiences in Madras, India and morals from the Bhagavad Gita. He is guilt-stricken as his poor parents spent their entire life savings on sending him to study in India and yet he cannot find a job back in Abruria.

Suddenly, some people mistakenly interpret Kamiti’s actions and serendipity for witchcraft and start consulting him. All actions of Kamiti can be rationally explained, but it amused me to no end to see how the rest of the characters interpret it. These actions are not peculiar to any “African nation” but you can see it in action everywhere! Foolish superstitious beliefs and Pat Robertson’s trash about Haitians pact with Satan, are more actions in the same vein.

It is a long read, but very well-written. Ngugi wa Thiong’o, the author, also suffered for speaking out - He was imprisoned in Kenya for his writing (by the dictator Daniel arap Moi).
The Lost Daughter

I have started to read books in the ascending order of marking them as “to-read”, which means I have no idea why some of the books end up in that list. This was one such book. It is not something I would pick up usually.

The Lost Daughter is about a mother who muses on her parenting while on a holiday. It is an uncomfortable book, and there are parallels that can be drawn from it to incidents in any mother-daughter relationship. I found it very annoying that the writer focussed so much on what the mother is thinking about, which is usually about herself or her relationship with her daughters, ex-husband, or potential lovers. It might have worked if it was written in first-person, but feels like the author is trying to force her view through the mother.
Hell Boy Vol 7 / Tom Strong Book 4

Hellboy, Vol. 7: The Troll Witch and Other Stories was a riot as usual (I am running out of adjectives to describe it!) Tom Strong (Book 4) is a big pile of mush. I fear Alan Moore must have lost his marbles when he wrote this character (or at least the story in this book).

I won’t be surprising you with a Part 3 for Feb at least :) Any books that you have been pondering about lately?

Book Reviews for Feb 2010

divya — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 15:14:41 +0000

This month has not been very good for reading. I hope to correct that next month! Here are my reviews:

Tropical Gangsters

If you are curious to know why many African countries that receive aid and yet show no sign of progress, this book has some answers. Robert Klitgaard talks about his experience as a World Bank consultant in Equatorial Guinea, a country still ruled by the despot who features in the book. Tropical Gangsters: One Man’s Experience With Development And Decadence In Deepest Africa is written simply (probably too simply) but is a good unbiased look into the world of Aid and Development.

Developed nations have repeatedly looted Equatorial Guinea, by providing expensive “consultants”, who have absolutely no clue on how to help Equatorial Guinea (except for their own benefit). So, most Equatorial Guineans do not trust an outsider. It does not help that a dictator rules the country. It is shocking to read about Mercedes cars of ministers plying barely serviceable roads and other atrocious gimmicks by both Foreigners and Guineans alike.
Hellboy Series (Vol 3, 4, 5)

I became a Hellboy addict after reading the first volume. These three (Vol. 3, Vol. 4, Vol. 5) further that addiction. Hellboy, the comic series, is definitely better than the movies. I am amazed how well Hellboy moves between Science-Fiction, Fantasy, and Mythology.
Goon: Rough Stuff

Whenever I am at the comics section of the library, there is usually nobody else around. But this time, there was a kindred soul who was enthused by seeing me picking up Hellboy and started recommending comics (too bad I already read Watchmen!) The Goon: Rough Stuff (Goon (Unnumbered)) was one of those he recommended. Goon is awesome. It is the story of two zombie-killing thugs who become the heads of a criminal gang — what is not to love? I think I would have enjoyed it more if I was not afraid of being turned into a Zombie myself.
Waiter Rant

I remember my first visit to Waiter Rant clearly. It was the day I spent more than 5 hours reading archives of that blog. I had never done that before for any website (except Wikipedia). His book, WaiterRant: Confessions of a Cynical Waiter, is mostly a collection of his blog posts and it brought back memories of that day. It is a melancholic, but compelling, look at the life and times of a no-longer-young waiter.
Embroideries

Marjane Satrapi has written award-winning graphic-novels about her life in Iran. Embroideries is a humorous story documenting a gossip session among a group of ladies in Iran. The story starts with Marjane’s grandmother stating “To speak behind others’ backs is the ventilator of the heart”. Every woman discusses the issue of sex or their sex lives. It is really funny and touching at the same time. You should read it and discover how apt the title is!

That ends my reviews for Feb! Any books you have read recently that you recommend?

Book Reviews for Jan 2010 – Part 2

divya — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 17:04:11 +0000

I spent a lot of time this month trying to get through Good Money: Birmingham Button Makers, the Royal Mint, and the Beginnings of Modern Coinage, 1775-1821, but I just cannot read academic books. The book covers a very interesting era before the rise of paper currency when coins of small denominations were in short supply and how private corporations tried to mitigate that (rich people melted the higher denomination gold/silver to create smaller denomination coins). Unfortunately, it meanders through the years with no clear progression and is quite boring to read. It is a miracle I got through the first few chapters. Onwards with the reviews!

Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things

Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things is written by designer William McDonough and chemist Michael Braungart talks about how complex and chemical-induced the environment around us has become. It astounded me know an average shampoo contains 22 chemicals including some used to offset the side-effects of other harmful ones.

They ask, why we have no problem using things that contain some of the most harmful chemicals which are not even allowed in the vicinity of human life in their raw form. Why does the “packaging” makes it harmless?

They also mention how “recycling” is usually misguided as it only utilizes more chemicals than normal to make these things fit for reuse.

The authors advocate the philosophy of waste = food, something that would ring true for people who still follow old cultural traditions. They suggest using things that can biodegrade and be consumed by other living organisms. This strongly underscores for me the use of cow manure in Hindu traditions as fuel, fertilizer, and disinfectant, among others.

The book does not advocate eliminating all chemicals but judicious use of them in ways that can make the environment richer.

Everyone needs to read this book, just to understand how industries are disrupting nature.
Vagabonding: An Uncommon Guide to the Art of Long-Term World Travel

Vagabonding: An Uncommon Guide to the Art of Long-Term World Travel is not a travel book but a book that advocates taking things slowly, travelling to gain an experience and not to tick off “must-see” places from the list. I am guilty of “weekend” and holiday trips done hurriedly to just see a place with a bit of “experience” thrown in at some three-star hotel. I would love to do this when I take a sabbatical.
The Art of Herge, Inventor of Tintin: Volume 1: 1907-1937 (The Art of Herge)

This is a better book than The Adventures of Herge, with lots of pictures of Herge’s advertising, illustration works and sketches right from childhood. The Art of Herge, Inventor of Tintin: Volume 1: 1907-1937 seems to be written for a younger audience and contains a sanitised biography of Herge as compared to the other book.
Sagramanda: A Novel of Near-future India

This is a poor man’s version of River of Gods, and a terrible one at that. Avoid.
“The Sandman” by Jack Kirby and Joe Simon

The Sandman has great artwork as usual. Reading this, I realise what Neil Gaiman did with this franchise is quite radical.
Hellboy Volume 1: Seed of Destruction

Hellboy, Vol. 1: Seed of Destruction is just brilliant. I now see the appeal of Hellboy (did not think much of Hellboy when I saw the movies). It is so absurd on so many levels that it is good (and I develop love-at-first-read with such stories). If you like comics and Terry Pratchett, you will love Hellboy.

Any books you have read recently that you recommend? Do comment!

Book Reviews for Jan 2010 – Part 1

divya — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 22:17:59 +0000

Seems like the holiday season is a good time to read more books! So, here are 8 more books reviewed:

American Born Chinese

American Born Chinese is a book by a second-generation Chinese on how he overcomes the Chinese Stereotype, which is told within the tale of the Monkey King. I find the “moral” a bit contradictory and confusing (Monkey King is told there is no place for him among the “Gods”.) At least it brings racism to the front without accusing or wronging another race.
The Best of Simon and Kirby

The Best of Simon and Kirby is a gorgeous book of full-page illustrations by Jack Kirby. Enough said.
Aya

Aya is one of the rare graphic novels about Ivory Coast which does not talk about poverty or civil war but is a humourous look at the world of young people. I am definitely reading the whole series.
The Girl Who Played with Fire

The Girl Who Played with Fire is the next in the Millennium trilogy by Steig Larsson. As usual it is dark and thrilling. I have never been taken up by a thriller like the ones written by him. It rankles me that we will see no more from Steig.
Fatherland

Fatherland: A Novel is a fantasy novel set in the alternate world where Hitler won the war. But the plot of the book is rather trivial and did not need an “alternate world” at all. It was a good read, but not quite what I expected.
By Design

By Design: Why There Are No Locks on the Bathroom Doors in the Hotel Louis XIV and Other Object Lessons is a great series of essays on Design. It has such gems like “Making it nice is not making it right”, “I know when taste improves, it becomes closer to what I like”, and “Take pleasure seriously”. It also explains how the occupation of a “Designer” came into existence and what separates design from art or engineering. Must read for anyone interested in design.
The Adventures of Herge

The Adventures of Herge: Creator of Tintin is a fanboy biography of Hergé. It has some lovely pictures and explains how Herge created different adventures of Tintin. It also states Hergé liked the idea of Steven Spielberg creating a movie on Tintin and I am glad that it is finally happening. It is also funny to see the real-life photos of different characters of Tintin (Dr. Muller, Thomson & Thompson, Tintin, Sponz, Chang) and note how strikingly alike they are!
The New Kings of Nonfiction

The New Kings of Nonfiction is a compendium of articles from the 80s to early 00s. The one that struck me most was that of Akumal Ramachander (mainly because I am, in some ways, similar to him) and a story on a right-wing radio show host by David Foster Wallace.

What did you read over the holiday season? Do recommend books in the comments!

Nimbupani Designs - book review

Book Reviews for July 2010 - Part 1

Pluto Vol 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

We Wish to Inform you that tomorrow we will be killed with our families: Stories from Rwanda

Essential Iron Man

Dreamer

Book Reviews for June 2010 - Part 2

Chameleon Days

The Arrival

The Complete Crumb Comics, Vol. 17

Designing the moment

Book Reviews for June 2010 - Part 1

Six-Word Memoirs on Love and Heartbreak

Slaughterhouse-Five

Pluto

Psycho

Nightschool

The Contract with God Trilogy: Life on Dropsie Avenue

Book Reviews for May 2010

Orion

Midnight Tides: First book of Mazlan

Making things happen

Universal Design

Ruskin Bond’s Book of Humour

The Story of Our Food

Book Reviews for April 2010

300

Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim

If You Meet the Buddha on the Road, Kill Him!

The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service Volume 10

Infidel

Book Reviews for Mar 2010

Slant

Amazing Spiderman Death & Dating

Sandman

Crash

Book Reviews for Feb 2010 - Part 2

Half Yellow Sun

New York Trilogy

Wizard of the Crow

The Lost Daughter

Hell Boy Vol 7 / Tom Strong Book 4

Book Reviews for Feb 2010

Tropical Gangsters

Hellboy Series (Vol 3, 4, 5)

Goon: Rough Stuff

Waiter Rant

Embroideries

Book Reviews for Jan 2010 – Part 2

Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things

Vagabonding: An Uncommon Guide to the Art of Long-Term World Travel

The Art of Herge, Inventor of Tintin: Volume 1: 1907-1937 (The Art of Herge)

Sagramanda: A Novel of Near-future India

“The Sandman” by Jack Kirby and Joe Simon

Hellboy Volume 1: Seed of Destruction

Book Reviews for Jan 2010 – Part 1

American Born Chinese

The Best of Simon and Kirby

Aya

The Girl Who Played with Fire

Fatherland

By Design

The Adventures of Herge

The New Kings of Nonfiction