Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life by Bryan Lee O'Malley

A couple of weeks ago, Publisher's Weekly came out with their Best Books of the Year. I went and reserved as many of the GNs (or "comics" as PW calls them) as I could from the library. The first one I received was volume 1 of Bryan Lee O'Malley's Scott Pilgrim series.

Yeah! Now this is what I need! What a totally rockin', hilarious GN. I hooted and hollered and smiled from ear to ear almost the entire book. Judge this book by the cover - look at Scott's pose! Oh baby. Bring. It. On.

Scott, 23, plays bass in a band and is, for lack of a better description, a slacker. Scott has a dream about a mysterious roller blading girl... and sure enough she ends up being real. The real dream girl, Ramona, has 7 "evil ex-boyfriends" and if Scott wants to be with her he has to defeat them all. Ha! It reminded me of Cromartie High when it got to the fights and King Dork with all of the fantastic band stuff. (We even get the lyrics and chords for one song. Rad.)

There's no major cussing but there is a scene of Scott & Ramona in bed deciding, after all, not to have sex. We have it in our teen collection and I think it's a good fit. Preview some pages here.

Scott Pilgrim vs. The Universe by Bryan Lee O'Malley

This image doesn't show the iridescence of the book cover. It's such a beautifully shiny shiny cover for my darling Scott Pilgrim. Hooray for volume 5!

Scott has 3 more of Ramona's Evil Ex-Boyfriends left to defeat. This volume he gets a double whammy with the Katayanagi twins Kyle K (Handsome Jerk) and Ken K (Perfect Asshat). They're Japanese. They're hot. And they build robots! YES. Robot Fights. Scott battles robots. !!!!!!

This volume, though, is more about Ramona and whatever darkness she has in her past. We've been wondering what's up with her and these boyfriends all this time. Since there's 1 more volume left, we don't get any answers here. The usual gang is split up since the focus is Ramona and Scott. Not enough Young Neil or Wallace for me this time. I think the biggest shocker for me was Kim and her decision to move. She's pined for Scott (Kim Pine, get it?) and then there's that bit with Knives.

We'll have to see if the gang bands together to help Scott & Ramona with his last challenge - Gideon.

This series is going to be made into a movie, so if you haven't already ordered it for your collection, hop to it!

Oni Press, 2009

(also, for you librarians if you missed it)

What We're Reading at Our House

We have loads of books checked out from the library so I thought I'd post what we have acquired.

• What to Read When by Pam Allyn (Penguin Group 2009)
  I think this is a lovely basic reference book that makes you think about introducing different topics and types of books at different ages. She does really like Jamie Lee Curtis. Thanks to this article from The Horn Book.
• Me...Jane by Patrick McDonnell (Little, Brown 2011)
  Really as lovely as all the zillion glowing reviews.
• Wanted the Perfect Pet by Fiona Roberton (G.P. Putnam's Sons 2009)
  from the library's "May is Pet Month" display
• Red Wagon by Renata Liwska (Philomel Books 2011)
  I wanted to like this one more. Very cute.
• Chicken, Chicken, DUCK! by Nadia Krilanovich (Tricycle Press 2011)
  Reminds me of my storytime favorite Tanka Tanka Skunk by Steve Webb. Not quite as infectious, but still fun.
• Arm in Arm by Remy Charlip (Tricycle Press 1997)
  Picture book artist retro lesson
• Clementine and the Family Meeting by Sara Pennypacker (Disney Hyperion 2011)
  ARC from TLA. My 2nd grader loooves Clementine. Still no name for Broccoli - but it's coming!
• Calendar Mysteries : January Joker by Ron Roy (Random House 2009)
  Said 2nd grader was introduced to A-Z Mysteries by his teacher a couple months ago. He can't get enough. Checks out a few a week from school. Calendar Mysteries are a spin-off.
• The Purple Smurfs by Peyo (Papercutz 2010)
• Pinky & Stinky by James Kochalka (Top Shelf 2008)
• The Secret of Platform 13 by Eva Ibbotson
  Eva Ibbotson passed away this past October. I never read her books. I started this one, but am wondering if I should finish it or read with with my 2nd grader.
• Scott Pilgrim's Finest Hour #6 by Bryan Lee O'Malley (Oni Press 2010)
  I have blogged about Scott Pilgrim. I heart him. Lots. But I never read #6. It was published at a bad time for me. I also refused to see the movie because I didn't read it yet. Fast forward to now. We're getting HBO for free these days (we tried to cancel our cable and they offered us this) and the movie is playing almost every day. So I saw it. Before I read it! And you know what? I kind of didn't like it. Then I watched it again. And again with my husband. And again by myself in the middle of the night. And I love it. LOTS! And so I got off my duff to read #6. I then shocked Michelle by saying I liked the movie ending. SHAME! But really, that's how it is.
• Mathilda and the Orange Balloon by Randall de Seve, illustrated by Jen Corace (Blazer+Bray 2010)
  This is a signed copy gift from our friend Lloyd. Thanks, Lloyd!
• As far as the 2 year old, he can't get enough Eric Carle/Bill Martin Brown Bear/Polar Bear/Panda Bear. He's really into surprises. Any suggestions?

So what are you reading this week?

Year End Favorites

Read a lot of books this year, so picking favorites was difficult. But here's what I came up with in no particular order...

Picture Books

Henry in Love by Peter McCarty
Heart in a Bottle by Oliver Jeffers
Dogs by Emily Gravett
A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Philip C. Stead
Socksquatch by Frank W. Dormer

School-Age Fiction

The Boneshaker by Kate Milford
Countdown by Deborah Wiles
One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia
The Kneebone Boy by Ellen Potter
The Total Tragedy of a Girl Named Hamlet by Erin Dionne

Teen Fiction

The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson
Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
The Last Summer of the Death Warriors by Francisco X. Stork
A Conspiracy of Kings by Megan Whelan Turner
Hold Me Closer, Necromancer by Lish McBride
Zombies vs. Unicorns
Forgive My Fins by Tera Lynn Childs
Dark Life by Kat Falls
Matched by Ally Condie
Revolver by Marcus Sedgwick
The Enemy by Charlie Higson
Heist Society by Ally Carter
You by Charles Benoit
Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi
Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta

Adult Fiction

The Reapers are the Angels by Alden Bell

Graphic Novels (all levels)

Tsubasa by CLAMP
xxxHolic by CLAMP
Case Closed by Gosho Aoyama
Binky to the Rescue by Ashley Spires
Black Butler by Yana Toboso
Fullmetal Alchemist by Hiromu Arakawa
Twin Spica by Kou Yaginuma
Hellsing by Kohta Hirano
Chi's Sweet Home by Konami Konata

And I still need to do this part...

Anime

Case Closed/Detective Conan
xxxHolic
Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood

Books to Movies

True Grit
Kick Ass
Scott Pilgrim
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows 1


Well, that was my year. How was yours?

Year's End Favorites

Here's my list. I forgot to add picture books, so maybe I'll do that in January. Basically, if Jan Thomas or Polly Dunbar or Emily Gravett or Amy Krouse Rosenthal created it, I adored it.

Yotsuba&! Vols 6, 7 by Kiyohiko Azuma

The Dunderheads by Paul Fleischman

Lunch Lady comics by Jarrett K. Krosoczka

Mile Stellar Nerves of Steel by KA Holt

The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg by Rodman Philbrick

Magic Trixie: Dragonrider by Jill Thompson

Purple Heart by Patricia McCormick

The Demon King by Cinda Williams Chima

Sacred Scars by Kathleen Duey

The Bride’s Farewell by Meg Rosoff

Liar by Justine Larbalestier

Written in Bone: Buried Lives of Jamestown and Colonial Maryland by Sally M. Walker

A Season of Gifts by Richard Peck

Anything But Typical by Nora Raleigh Baskin

All the Broken Pieces by Ann E. Burg

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

When the Whistle Blows by Fran Cannon Slayton

Scott Pilgrim vs. the Universe by Bryan Lee O’Malley

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Perfect Fifths by megan McCafferty

The Treasure Map of Boys by e. lockhart

Geektastic: Stories from the Nerd Herd ed Holly Black and Cecil Castellucci

Marching for Freedom by Elizabeth Partridge