Two more books to add!
Several years ago I picked up and read Something Rotten by Jasper Fforde. I hadn't realized at the time that it fell several books into a series. I still read it, filling in the essential blanks using clues within the text (how's that for teacher talk?) and enjoyed the book immensely. It seemed appropriate, naturally, to go back and start at the beginning, and that's what I did this summer, reading The Eyre Affair, book one in the Thursday Next series.
Oh, how to describe this book? Imagine a world (a 1985, specifically), in which Dodos have returned as housepets thanks to cloning, in which the English and Russians are at war over the Crimea, The Goliath Corporation holds suspicious power over politics, and disturbances in the time-space continuum sometimes occur along the highway. Even better, works of art and literature are like pop-stars, with rabid fans but also inspiring criminal masterminds to attack them. Oh, that's just the tip of the iceberg. So much absurd fun!
I also read Amulet: Book Four - The Last Council by Kazu Kibuishi. I reported briefly on the first book in the series as part of my first ever Summer Reading Spectacular entry. A kid-friendly fantasy series, I'm still enjoying the series, though the sparse dialogue makes for a very quick read, leaving me feeling, at times, that I'd like the story to make more progress in a given volume. The artwork is quite nice, with backgrounds particularly impressive in their detail and beauty contrasted with very simple, flat character designs. Characters can also look a lot alike -- the facial design is very simple and used often -- so pay attention to hair and clothing to help keep everyone straight. I'm not sure how long this series is expected to last, but word has it a movie is in the works.
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