Recently read
Here’s an archive of the books I’ve read recently.
- April 2008—Le combat ordinaire 4 : Planter des clous (Ordinary victories book 4) from Manu Larcenet.
The fourth book of Marco’s adventures, more calm on the family front, width more tensions on the social one.
I like where this comic series goes, how it shows factories closing and the mood of a certain election night. - April 2008—Onmyôji 2 : Le moineau vermillon from Okano Reiko and Yumemakura Baku.
Abe-no-Seimei must take care of an avenging woman who appears in her chariot every night, each night one street closer to the imperial palace.
As beautiful as the first, the costumes are superb, there’s humour when Seimei has fun at the expense of his friend Hiromasa, and lots of details about the capital of the Heian period. - April 2008—Slaughterhouse-five from Kurt Vonnegut.
A young soldier from the United-States is plunged into the second world war, and arrives in Dresden just before the fire-bombing.
Kurt Vonnegut, who lived through this bombing, describes the war, its senselessness and horrors with a piercing humour. A memorable book, built in an interesting manner, the hero is observed by aliens in the same way he observed the war. - March 2008—Meet the laugh-out-loud cats from A. Koford.
The book version of the Laugh-out-loud cats comics.
I like the combination of old-looking hobo cats from the great depression and contemporary jokes and expressions. - March 2008—The Wippins Campaign from Kevin Cornell.
The story of a graphic designer who receives an order from a client like no other, the Dark Queen.
Maybe it’s rather specialized humour, but the combination of the daily problems of the designer and the medieval and cruel customer is very funny. - March 2008—Sixty days and counting from Kim Stanley Robinson.
The end of the trilogy about climate change, with the first actions of a president of the United-States who wants to change things.
A rather optimistic ending, very confident in humans, science and technology, which simplifies a lot of issues. But then, it’s science-fiction. - March 2008—Maliki : Broie la vie en rose from Maliki.
The book version of the comic strips from Maliki, both the author and pink–haired star of the stories.
It’s very pleasant to be able to read the stories again, discover some that I hadn’t read, I especially love the stories about cats, and the dark humor (quite a feat to mix it with pink as a main colour). - March 2008—Au temps de Botchan 5 : La mauvaise humeur de Soseki (『坊ちゃん』の時代) from Sekikawa, Natsuo and Taniguchi, Jirō.
The end of the series, with the account of Soseki’s illness, which almost took his life.
An episode about illness, death and the end of an era, with the repression of the social troubles and the beginning of a nationalist era bringing the Meiji period to an end. - March 2008—Cathédrale des trolls (Trolls’ cathedral ) from Ólafur Gunnarsson.
Set in Iceland in the 50s, the story of an architect who wants to build the first mall in Reykjavík.
It’s interesting to discover how Iceland was at that period, but I had trouble getting interested in the characters, for which everything must be immense and tragic. - February 2008—De la Françafrique à la Mafiafrique from François-Xavier Verschave.
A very short book summing up the story of Françafrique, the way France has handled its former African colonies.
A must-read for all, in order to understand the current situation, and have a hint of all the dirt hidden behind the nice “cooperation” words. This book made me want to check the more detailed books produced by this author. - February 2008—Sillage 9: Infiltrations from Morvan and Buchet.
Nävis works undercover among a rebel group targeting Sillage.
This episode is quite dark and pessimistic, showing darker sides of the “perfect” Sillage. - January 2008—Le génie des alpages 7 : Tonnerre et mille sabots from F’murr.
More ovine madness, starting with a looping river cascade.
In this one there’s also juggling with sheep, mountain-sized remote-controlled Christmas displays, classic tragedy played by sheep in a forgotten language, and 3-masts sails rigged between mountains. - January 2008—The amber spyglass from Philip Pullman.
The last book of the “His dark materials” trilogy, the big rush towards a big battle, with assassins trying to kill the characters before they accomplish their destiny, and more weird worlds to go through.
A fitting end to the series, with again lots of action and suspense, interesting worlds including one with “motorcycle creatures”, it was a very quick read.