What We Read Last Week - August 24

Oh no!  It's the last What We Read Last Week post of Word Out! 2009.  Let's make it a good one.

Last week I started reading Frank Portman's King Dork after Mariko Tamaki said it was "The best YA novel I've read in a long time" in her interview last week.  I'm about twenty pages from the end at this point and am close to agreement.

King Dork's a complex, mature and extremely funny novel about "dead people, naked people, fake people, teen sex, weird sex, drugs, ESP, Satanism, books, blood, Bubblegum, guitars, faith, love, witchcraft, the Bible, girls, a war, a secret code, a head injury, the Crusades, some crimes, mispronunciation skills, a mystery woman, a devil-head, a blow job, and rock and roll" (as we're told in the second paragraph).  It's a coming of age story (though may all YA novels are coming of age stories, in various disguises) with a very punk rock sensibility.

Which isn't a surprise, because Frank Portman is also the singer of Mr. T Experience, a venerable punk band.  I've embedded one of their videos below (because I like embedding videos).  Frank's the dark-haired one on guitar.

Alan H is a web librarian at Toronto Public Library.  He reads all over the place, sometimes while listening to punk rock.

What did you read last week?  Let us know by commenting!

Comments

[Nare]

It's so sad that WordOut 2009 is coming to an end. It was an amazing eperience, and thanks Alan H. for answering our questions (even the not so book related ones)

Well, this morning i just finished reading "Out of Focus". It's about a girl who's been having a rough life tackling photography, money and her family (in perticular, her drinking mom). However things start to change for her when she finds out that her grandmother left her a cottage and a monthly cheque for $400. But will she "mend the ends" with her mother, or will it tear them apart?
Read the Book and Find out For Yourself

[Ally]

I just finished reading "Who is Frances Rain?" by Margaret Buffie. It was a really great book! I also read "Out of Focus" by Margaret Buffie (that Nare previously mentioned) and also developed a liking for it. However, I found "Who is Frances Rain?" slightly more thrilling but that's just cause I prefer supernatural themes.

[Lucy]

Everyone should read the Maximum Ride series. It's awesome!!! It's kinda sad that Word Out 2009 is ending. But at least there's next year! :)

[Violet]

King Dork sounds like my kind of book :). I am especially intrigued by mispronunciation skills.

Yesterday I read a manga called "Pluto [: Urasawa x Tezuka]" by Naoki Urasawa, based on Osamu Tezuka's Astro Boy. Sort of quite late actually, since the first blog I commented on back in June was about Pluto (which obviously had to slowly be taken over by praise for Osamu Tezuka--no complaints).

I shall need to agree, so much as to even use the same capitals, Pluto = AMAZING. My sister just got volume 2--I'm so excited! I've never read Astro Boy or seen any of the anime, nor do I know anything about the manga itself. But wow, the first volume of Pluto was pretttty awesome.

Anyhow, this whole word out thing has been cool--I was pleasantly surprised with some of the recommendations, I wasn't exactly expecting such topics like Flight or Osamu Tezuka, I give a cyber high five to anyone who wants it!

Oh my! Post Note! @ Nare, I remember reading Out of Focus in the summer after 8th grade or something and then declaring it as my "new favourite book". It isn't anymore, as I can hardly remember anything about it besides the fact that I really really liked it. The cover on the other hand, could've had some help ;) Besides that, I do recommend it to anyone interested...

Anyhow, thanks for all the posts. I'll be going on Mamma-san with my soon-to-be new intelligence to be a skater ;D Sorry this comment is longer than the actual blog :P. Thnks fr th mmrs.

[Linda]

I started reading the Touchstone trilogy. It's pretty good if you enjoy reading fantasy like me. :) But otherwise, I'd rate it for a younger audience.

[Alan H.]

@Violet: If you liked Pluto I really recommend the manga 20th Century Boys (by the same author, Naoki Urasawa). His "Monster" series is also amazing. One of the most talented comic artists working today IMO.

[Edmee]

Wow, it's the last "What We Read Last Week" post already?! But that means that WordOut's almost over, as well as the summer break! Nooo!

Well, thank you very much to the library staff for making this program (it's very cool, and very fun), creating and maintaining the WordOut website and blog, getting and sending prizes around for us, choosing awesome books for the booklist, and everything else! WordOut has been a blast!

Anyhow, last week I read "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins (aka. this week's Fiction Book), "Koyal Dark, Mango Sweet" by Kashmira Sheth (which turned up in a previous blog post a LONG time ago), and "The Tale of the Unknown Island" by José Saramago (a well-written, philosophical, short fable).

They're all pretty good reads!

[Tasfia]

oh my gosh, oh my gosh, i read this REALLY good story on the internet... and it was soooo good!!!!!!!! i'm not even kidding!
u better check it out! here's the link: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5213896/1/Medieval_Moon

THIS STORY WAS AWESOME!!! it's about a village girl, who falls in love with a prince... ya, i know wat u're thinking... i dont like village stuff, either... BUT, IT'S SO DARN GOOD!

READ IT TILL THE VERY END!! DON'T QUIT! JUST STICK TO IT, AND READ IT 'TILL THE VERHY END!!!!!!!!

[Tasfia]

p.s: it won't hurt, to just check it out... 3 >

so, just click on the link and read it...(dont forget to review!)

[Devi]

I read a book called 'A non-blonde cheerleader in love' by kerian scott. it is a sequel to I was a non-blonde cheereleader

[Devi]

Last week I finished reading a book called 'feathered' by laurie kasischuke.
And it was amazing book.

[Devi]

I want the book stargazer...by claudia gray.
A sequel to Evernight.
A good book about vampires...

[Violet]

Thanks for the recommendations, Alan :D I've googled both mangas and they look interesting--I'm esp. intrigued by 20th Century Boys, but Monster looks strangely familiar... I'll definitely check them out when I get the chance =D

[Shahla Smith a.k.a Shahla L.]

omg...i just read a new book called....flash...well i think that;s wat it's called??

it was really good but sadly i had to return it to the library......

but im hoping to borrow it at the library!!!!

[Shahla Smith a.k.a Shahla L.]

kool!!!

i just started reading the artemis fowl series and boy it was truly wicked!!!!

im still on the frist book...second last page

[Shahla Smith a.k.a Shahla L.]

and i also read the book...spiderwick....which was ok...not bad...but i think the movie was much better!!!!!

anyways i think the strongest character was jed......he was upto alot of things!!!!