*Monsters of Men by Patrick Ness
This is one of those that falls under that The. Most. Amazing. status. Trying to talk about this trilogy is like having my tongue tied in knots that even sailors couldn't manage. It's simply too effing incredible for words. Intense. From beginning to end. But meaningful in ways that most people could never even dream of expressing. Patrick Ness is a true genius. I love him so much for taking me places that I didn't really want to go, for making me think about things I didn't really want to think about, for facing the tough questions. And for not supplying me with all the answers.
*A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin
Since I already talked about this one in a post of its own, I won't say much now. But I thoroughly enjoyed this book. More than I even guessed I would. Ursula Le Guin doesn't scare me anymore. No, she won me over not only with her writing, but even more so with her outlook.
*Tender Morsels by Margo Lanagan
The. Most. Amazing. Yeah, definitely applies here. In different ways than the Chaos Walking trilogy. Yet in ways, they have much in common. These are both books full of emotion and meaning. But Tender Morsels. Damn...I'm sitting here crying just trying to put into words what this book means to me. I can't do it. I just can't. I know how utterly ridiculous it sounds...but I swear Margo Lanagan wrote this book *for me*. Of course, she didn't...she doesn't even know I exist. But maybe for the broader me she did. For all those people who have been raped, abused, hurt in any number of ways, and who then "ran away" when facing it was just too much. Bottom line, this is a book of healing. It is a precious gift of healing. But I've made it all sound so simple, and there is nothing simple about this book. How many times did Ms Lanagan venture into realms that just took my breath away? I couldn't begin to count. For it wasn't just about the healing. There were these scenes that just left me shaken...a scene where Urdda can't fathom the idea of not being about to walk down a street by herself, a scene where Liga is first made to face the harm that overprotectiveness has caused, a scene where Branza gets to see a much loved friend only to face the fact that illusion doesn't hold up to reality. I don't think any book has ever felt this personal to me before.
*Keeping You a Secret by Julie Anne Peters
My first Julie Anne Peters book. And definitely not my last. I can definitely understand why she is so loved an author. I adored this book. It was so utterly readable...I'm guessing that makes no sense, huh? I just don't know quite how to say what I mean...it's just that I was so sucked into the story and so enamored with the characters. It was sweet and tender and harsh and realistic. And it was one of those books that had me so hooked that I got pissy when I had to set it down.
*William Shakespeare's The Tempest retold by Franzeska G. Ewart
My only disappointment of the month. I ordered this without knowing anything about it. I was hoping it was a retelling with a twist sort of book. With a unique perspective. Something that would make for fun reading and good essay assignment for Annie. But it wasn't that. And I fully admit it never claimed to be. It was honestly just a retelling. Told by Ariel, but with nothing new, nothing different to add to the original. Oh well, can't win 'em all, right?
*Water: The Drop of Life by Peter Swanson
A companion book to the PBS series of the same title. I've never seen the series, though I would now very much like to. Divided into twelve chapters, each focusing on a different aspect of water, the book told a multitude of different stories from all around the world.
*The Tempest by William Shakespeare
Rich, Annie, and I read this aloud together. My first time reading it. And I very much enjoyed it, though (don't hurt me Chris) I think I still like both MacBeth and A Midsummer Night's Dream better. It was much different than I expected, though I can't honestly pinpoint what it is I did expect.
*The Stuff of Legend Book 1: The Dark by Mike Raicht and Brian Smith
This was a total impulse buy. I just could not resist the artwork in this book--I had to have it. :) And don't just take my word for it--this quote by Brian K. Vaughan says it perfectly, "This is some of the loveliest artwork I've seen in a comic book in a long, long time, and a darkly beautiful story to boot." It's the story of a little boy living during WWII who is kidnapped by the Boogeyman. His toys come to life as they enter the dark to try to save him. While the art so incredibly gorgeous, and the idea of toys coming to life seems neither original nor dark, let me assure you this truly is not a "cutesy" story. And I'm very sad that I have to wait for the next volume to come out.
Well, I'm not sure if June will bring more in the way of quantity, but I find it impossible to believe that it could ever bring more in the way of quality.
