Ultimate Hollywood Elektra; Six Underground Princesses Watch

[maribou]

Ultimate Spiderman, vol: 9: Ultimate Six and vol 10: Hollywood, by Brian Michael Bendis et al
I felt kinda meh about volume 9 - it was mostly a Nick Fury story, not a Spider-Man story, and it felt like an interruption - but 10 got back in the groove. Love Spidey when he's fighting indignant.
(80-81/200, 48-49/100)

Ultimate Daredevil & Elektra, by Greg Rucka et al
Solid plot, good characterization. The context is so VERY late-90s-earnest-college-feminist, and so carefully depicted, that I occasionally had to put the book down until the (mostly good) memories settled down.
(82/200, 50/100)

Ultimate Elektra, by Mike Carey et al
The tone and flavor of this one were a lot different, especially how Elektra thinks and what she chooses to do. I told my husband, "Wow, it's like a Sin City character is running around in a 4-color universe or something". He snorted. Frank Miller was the first one to write her. Learn something new every day. And, I guess, Mike Carey must've done a great job channeling the original character concept. *grins*
(83/200, 51/100)

Underground, by Haruki Murakami
I really struggled to finish this book, and to pay attention to it while I was reading it. Not because it was poorly written, or uninteresting, but because the experiences recounted are so horrible - Murakami transcribed dozens of interviews with survivors of the sarin gas attacks committed by members of Aum Shinrikyo in 1995. Reading all those slightly different accounts of fear and suffering was rather dizzying, but I do feel like I understand what happened and how the survivors were affected much better than I did before. Also, Murakami has some insightful things to say about the tragedy, and about Aum (he also interviewed a handful of Aum members, and those interviews are included).
(84/200)

A Posse of Princesses, by Sherwood Smith
I needed something light and wholesome after the heartbreaking repetitions of Underground, and this was exactly that. I find Smith's YA less complex and less challenging than her adult work, but equally charming.
(85/200, 52/100)

Last Watch, by Sergei Lukyanenko
Epically satisfying conclusion to my favorite urban fantasy series. Wry and dark and biting, but with plenty of cracks where the light gets in. I love these novels. A person should, of course, start not here at the end, but at the beginning, with Night Watch.
(86/200, 53/100)

Comments

[randomdreams.livejournal.com]

The murakami sounds like something I'd like to hunt down.

[maribou]

Yes. It's very very much transcripted interviews though, and not a lot of his own stuff. Hard going in several ways.

[morinon.livejournal.com]

I have heard that Lukyanenko is working on a new Night Watch novel.

[maribou]

That would be delightful... there is definitely room for more at the end of this one, even though it wraps things up so well.

[evrythgcnhapn.livejournal.com]

i shall take that hint and investigate night watch soon;)

[maribou]

Exxxcellent. *taps fingers like Mr. Burns*

[evrythgcnhapn.livejournal.com]

so i just looked it up in the library, but no luck (found terry prachett's night watch though:P). so it'll have to wait til i read some more of the books i have and can buy more:P