Saturday, September 09, 2006

Booklist

Book of the Dead by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child - As the Museum of Natural History in NYC gears up for an opening that will save their reputation, Agent Pendergast must find a way to stop his brother Diogenes from fulfilling his evil plans, whatever they may be.
This is the third book in a trilogy, the first two being Brimstone and Dance of Death. This book is really good, hearkening back to the days of Relic. This book is really fun and action packed. The last two have dragged a bit. It's all been building up to a clash between the Pendergast brothers and while it doesn't quite deliver the way you'd expect, it's still pretty satisfying.
I've read that the authors are working on the next Pendergast novel. I wish they'd hang this character up for a while. In my humble opinion, their best books are the ones without Pendergast (with the exception of Reliquary).
Courtney Crumrin and the Night Things by Ted Naifeh - In this graphic novel, a moody middle schooler moves into a dusty old mansion with her family and her eccentric uncle. She soon discovers she's surrounded by a world filled with faeries and goblins and the like. Things are a big scary until she learns to use these things to her advantage.
I picked this up on a lark. Saw it on the shelf at the library and thought I'd give it a go. It's not bad. The art is really good and some of the stories are fun. I particularly liked the one about the changling. I've discovered that there are other books in the series so I may try to track them down.
30 Days of Night by Steve Niles and Ben Templesmith - Barrow, Alaska is the northernmost city in the USA with arctic temperatures and a season where the sun doesn't come up for 30 days. This proves to be the perfect hunting ground for a pack of vampires. Mayhem ensues.
This is a true horror comic. It is extremely violent and bloody. I picked it up because I read a review that said it was good. It's clever, and I hear it's being made into a movie, but I don't think it will be winning any major literary awards. The dialogue is scarce. I read it quickly. The art is very dark and took some time to get used to. I believe the artist incorporates photographs underneath the paint. It's quite interesting and some of the panels are very good.
There are others in the series so I may try to read them but, like I said, this isn't for the faint of heart. If you're a hardcore horror/vampire fan, you'll probably like it.

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