Whys and Wherefores by Brian K. Vaughan

First Published: Y: The Last Man magazines 55-60, 2007
Edition Read: DC Comics, 2008
ISBN: 978-1-4012-1813-3
Series: Y: The Last Man 10

The final Y is also the best. Not only that, it’s the best in the best way: in a way that wraps up the series but isn’t too neat; that brings together the thematic threads but isn’t too obvious; that doesn’t leave you wanting more because more would only ruin the grace of the ending.

The Pale Blue Eye by Louis Bayard

First Published: Harper Collins, 2006
Edition Read: Harper Collins, 2006
ISBN: 978-0-06-073397-7
*** Random Book ***

The opening of this book is fun, well written, tongue in cheek, intriguing. The middle of this book is dull, slow, uneventful, frustrating. The end of this book – the very end – is fantastic. Also, it’s the second book to get my “Awesome First Sentence” Award.

Shibumi by Trevanian

First Published: Crown Publishers, 1979
Edition Read: Three Rivers Press, 2005
ISBN: 1-4000-9803-3

Truly a strange spy novel. Almost beautiful, highly aesthetic moments in an otherwise almost obnoxiously masculine book. No good people. No desperate, driving plot. No major intrigue. But it works. Once Trevanian decided to write a spy novel modelled on the ancient Japanese board game, Go, I guess the result was always going to be unpredictable.

Motherland by Brian Vaughan

First Published: Y: The Last Man magazines 49-54, 2006-07
Edition Read: DC Comics, 2007
ISBN: 978-1-4012-1351-0
Series: Y: The Last Man 9

The only appropriate reaction to this volume of Y is “……wait, what?”

Christmas Break & The New Year

Today’s 5pm post will be the last one until 2010. Posts will resume on Friday, 1/8/10 at 5pm and will update weekly from then. Happy Holidays and New Year, everyone!

Ringworld by Larry Niven

First Published: Random House, 1970
Edition Read: Random House, 1985
ISBN: 978-0-345-33392-6
Series: Ringworld 1

This is a really, really great sci-fi novel with the usual inexplicable dose of sexism added in. But it’s the sort of book that should be studied by sci-fi writers because it avoids all the incredibly annoying pit falls of bad sci-fi, which is really what this review is going to be about.

The Case of the Dangerous Dowager by Erle Stanley Gardner

First Published: International Readers League, 1937
Edition Read: International Readers League, 1937
ISBN: ???
Series: Perry Mason 10

Not one of my favourites, but still good. What’s particularly good about this one is that Gardner tells you everything you need to know in order to solve the mystery so that even though you probably won’t work it out, you could.

Kimono Dragons by Brian Vaughan

First Published: Y: The Last Man magazines 43-48, 2006
Edition Read: DC Comics, 2006
ISBN: 978-1-4012-1010-6
Series: Y: The Last Man 8

So ummm ….. yeah. There’s nothing really to say about this one. Building to and end. Some minor/potential revelations. Fun story. But, y’know, nothing really mind blowing. Still good, but like trying to write a post on a chapter of a book when you’ve already written 7 increasingly asinine posts on previous chapters. Very much like that, in fact.

Born Standing Up by Steve Martin

First Published: Simon & Schuster, 2007
Edition Read: Scribner, 2008
ISBN: 978-1-4165-5365-6

This is a book that tries to be scrupulously honest and is intensely uncomfortable about doing so which, in and of itself, is pretty honest. It’s well written and interesting, though those looking for huge laughs, a “tell-all,” or a retrospective of his movies will be disappointed.

Paper Dolls by Brian Vaughan

First Published: Y: The Last Man Magazines 37-42, 2006
Edition Read: DC Comics, 2006
ISBN: 978-1-4012-1009-0
Series: Y: The Last Man 7

Nothing much to say about this one. It’s another “we just had some story and we’re going to have more story later and that’s enough to keep you reading, right?” book. Unfortunately for my bank account, yep, he’s right. The bastards.