…in chronological order.
2015 has been a great year
when it comes to reading books for me. During it, according to Goodreads, I
have gulped down 212 volumes that were not only novels for adults but also volumes
that belonged in many other genres: YA, graphic novels, poetry, children's
stories, short stories and books in translation. This has also been a year that
I stopped writing reviews since I had much else occupying my mind and time, so
below I'll give you no more than a few words about the books I have read. I
hope some of my choices echo yours and I look forward to an exciting new year
of reading.
So here it goes:
21) Gronk Volume 1 & Volume 2 by Katie Cook. Are you afraid of
monsters? If yes, you should read these comic book adventures to get over your
fear and have some fun on the way. If not, read them anyway, because, well,
they are fun. This is the story of a monster who's not scary and her friends
who are not monsters. A story as simple, and as beautiful, as they come.
22) The Lost Aztiki Tribe and the Mysterious Cave of Gold by EdwardLoffredo. The synopsis of this tale sounds quite promising but I have to admit
that I felt a bit disappointed at the end, because somehow I expected more.
Don't get me wrong. This is a good story, but perhaps, in my eyes, it's not
good enough. What is it about? A great quest with the end product being
treasure.
23) Peace, Bugs and Understanding: An Adventure in Sibling Harmony byGail Silver and Youme Nguyen Ly. It seems that most readers liked this book
more than I did. I don't know why that is. Perhaps it had to do with the fact
that I don't have children of my own or something. Anyway, there's not much to
say here, as the title explains it all.
24) The Tell-Tail Heart by Monica Shaughnessy. This is one of the books
that I really enjoyed reading this year. It's the tale of Cattarina, Edgar
Allan Poe's cat, that finds herself involved in the investigation of a crime
that will lead her down a lot of dark
alleys and put her life in danger. I can still remember that I was smiling most
of the time while reading this tale, which means that this is as special as
they come.
25) Outcast Volume 1: A Darkness Surrounds Him by Robert Kirkman, PaulAzaceta and Elizabeth Breitweiser. I love my comics dark and the one at hand
does justice to my obsessions. The story, a tale of a man possessed by demons
and looking for answers, is superbly told and the art does not disappoint. A
lovely tome. I look forward to whatever comes next.
26) Bang! Tango by Joe Kelly and Adrian Sibar. 2015 was a big year when it came to graphic novels, and I have to
admit that some were better than others. This one could have been a little bit
better. Though I liked the background story and some of the scenes were really
good, whilst reading it I kept thinking that this was a rush job. The talent is
there, but…
27) His Day Is Done: A Nelson Mandela Tribute by Maya Angelou. The truth
is that this is the first book by the poet that I have ever read. I knew some
of her poems, but I never really got into reading her in a comprehensive way.
And now that I did I kind of feel like a fool for what I was missing. This hymn
to the great man I absolutely loved reading. Words like serene streams running
through the pages.
28) Shaker, Why Don't You Sing? by Maya Angelou. See what I'm talking
about? Yes, I've read two books by her in a row. And though I didn't like this
one as much as the last, I did find in its pages some gems, a few turns of phrase
that made me feel like I was in the presence of a genius. One thing is for
sure, this will not be the last book of hers that I read.
29) Cat vs Human: Poems About Cats by Yasmine Surovec. Oh the cats, most people just
love to love them and so do I. I adored this book for its rhymes and its
illustrations but most of all for its meawy ways. This is the second book that
I've read about cats last year and I enjoyed them both just as much.
30) The Malady of Death by Marguerite Duras. I have read this book twice
in a row. The first for pleasure and the second for an exercise in translation.
Yes, I have translated it into Greek but no one will ever get to read it, since
I did it just for me, in an effort to replicate the mellifluous words and
sentences of the author. A short gem.
To be continued.
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