Scott Pilgrims's Precious Little Life

Title
Scott Pilgrims's Precious Little Life

Library Link

Scott
Pilgrim. [vol. 1] : Scott Pilgrim's precious little life / Bryan Lee
O'Malley
O'Malley,
Bryan Lee.

10 Second Review
Scott's a bass-playing, high-school-girl-dating, twenty-something slacker that's literally met the girl of his dreams.

A clever, enjoyable book that is genuinely funny.
A great choice for those seeking a non-superhero graphic novel.

Notes
Should have wide appeal.

Learning Curve
Low: Good for new readers

Reading Order
Chronological order 1-5

Annotated Mona Lisa

Title
Annotated Mona Lisa

Library Link

The annotated Mona Lisa / Carol Strickland.
Strickland,
Carol.
Kansas, Mo. : Andrews McMeel ; London : Simon & Schuster
[distributor], c2007.

10 Second Review
The subtitle of this book states it is 'A Crash Course in Art History from Prehistoric to Post-Modern'.

This is a fun, easy to read book that covers a wide spectrum of art throughout history. While an obvious choice for art lovers it is also a good choice for aspiring artist in order to learn and recognize technique/style/etc.

Notes
A good alternative to dry, academic textbooks.

Learning Curve
Low: Good for new readers.

Reading Order
N/a

The New Avengers: Breakout

Title
The New Avengers: Breakout

Library Link

The
New Avengers. Volume 1, Breakout / writer, Brian Michael Bendis ; penciler,
David Finch ; inker, Danny Miki ... [et al.] ; colorist, Frank D'Armata ;
letterer, Richard Starkings & Comicraft's Albert Deschesne
Bendis,
Brian Michael.

10 Second Review
A new team forms in the aftermath of "House of M' events in response to a massive prison break and represents the start of a new Avenger team.

Great art, great story and some genuinely funny elements.
Should have wide appeal for Marvel fans.

Notes
Lots of villain special guest

Learning Curve
Low: Good for new readers

Reading Order
Occurs after 'House of M' but before 'Civil War.'

Adventures in cartooning

Title
Adventures in cartooning

Library Link

Adventures
in cartooning / James Sturm, Andrew Arnold, Alexis Frederick-Frost
Sturm,
James, 1965-

10 Second Review
A clever book that tells a fun story while explaining the cartooning process.

The story will appeal to younger readers while the cartooning process may have appeal for tweens and teens.

While the material is a bit juvenile that approach makes the material more accessible.

Notes
Presented by the Center for Cartoon Studies
http://www.cartoonstudies.org/

Learning Curve
Low: Good for all ages.

Reading Order
N/a

New Avengers: The Collective

Title
New Avengers: The Collective

Library Link

The
New Avengers. Volume 4, The collective / writer, Brian Michael Bendis ;
pencilers, Steve McNivern, Mike Deodato, Jr. ... [et al.]
Bendis,
Brian Michael.

10 Second Review
An extremely powerful, flaming naked man crashes into a northern town, wipes out Alpha Flight and is generally very rude. Sentry and Ms. Marvel are no match.

Excellent art and a good story. Fun to see the Avengers face a genuine threat.

Notes
Peter Parker gets to use that big brain.

Learning Curve
Moderate: Those new to Marvel might be confused.

Reading Order
Occurs after 'House of M' but before 'Civil War.'

Encyclopedia of Superstitions

Title
Encyclopedia of Superstitions

Library Link

The
encyclopedia of superstitions / Richard Webster
Webster,
Richard, 1946-

10 Second Review
From the back cover:
"Richard Webster presents over five hundred of the most obscure, curious, and just-plain-freaky superstitions of the Western world."

Did you know that birthmarks are a sign of the Devil?
If you find dice, what do the numbers mean?
What steps can you take to remove bad luck?
What protections do tattoo's offer?
Explore these and many other curious beliefs.

Notes
This book does not need to be read cover to cover.

Learning Curve
Low: Good for new readers

Reading Order
N/a

New Avengers: Sentry

Title
New Avengers: Sentry

Library Link

The
New Avengers volume 2 : The Sentry / Brian Michael Bendis, writer; Steve
McNiven, penciler
Bendis,
Brian Michael.

10 Second Review
Provides a back-story for the Avengers most powerful member.

Excellent art and an interesting story.
Some will find the Sentry's story creative while others may feel it is too gimmicky.

Notes
Includes a mini-encyclopedia

Learning Curve
Low: New readers should be o.k.

Reading Order
Occurs after 'House of M' but before 'Civil War.'

Tales of the cryptids

Title
Tales of the cryptids

Library Link

Tales
of the cryptids : mysterious creatures that may or may not exist / by Kelly
Milner Halls, Rick Spears, Roxyanne Young ; [illustrated by Rick Spears]
Halls,
Kelly Milner, 1957-

10 Second Review
This book explores legendary animals.
From regulars like Bigfoot and the Lochness Monster to lesser-known beast and even some outright hoaxes.

Fun reading that includes some surprising scientific evidence.

Notes
The Mongolian Death Worm, Mothman and the Fiji Mermaid are addressed.

Learning Curve
Low: Good for new readers.

Reading Order
N/a

Superman and the Legion of Super-heroes

Title
Superman and the Legion of Super-heroes

Library Link

Superman
and the Legion of Super-heroes / Geoff Johns, writer ; Gary Frank, penciller
; Jon Sibal, inker ; Dave McCaig and Hi-Fi, colorists ; Rob Leigh, letterer ;
introduction by Keith Giffen Johns,
Geoff, 1973-

10 Second Review
Brainiac comes from the future to recruit Superman's help in averting a galactic-wide war that Earth is trying to start.

Good art and a standard story. Fans of the Legion will likely enjoy this book. The large cast of super-powered heroes might overwhelm others.

Notes
Should appeal to teens.

Learning Curve
Moderate: Lots of characters but most are explained.

Reading Order
N/a

Codes and Cheats

Title
Codes and Cheats

Library Link

Codes
& cheats : [18,000 tested codes]
Roseville, CA : Prima Games, c2009.
Summer 2009 ed

10 Second Review
Claims to include over 18,000 cheat codes for Xbox, Nintento and Playstation systems.

Good luck finding this extremely popular book.

Notes
Best option is to place this book on hold.

Learning Curve
Low: Should be easy for gamers

Reading Order
N/a

Project Superpowers

Title
Project Superpowers

Library Link

Project
superpowers
Krueger, Jim.Runnemede, N.J. : Dynamite Entertainment ;
London : Diamond [distributor], 2009-Year: 2009-

10 Second Review
An original story that follows the trials of World War II superheroes that have suddenly returned to the present after years of mystic imprisonment.

An interesting and intriguing story with unusual art.
Some with enjoy the painting style art while others may find it too dark and less defined than modern comic standards.

Notes
Fans of Golden Era comics will likely enjoy this series.

Learning Curve
Moderate to High: Those new to comics might find this confusing.

Reading Order
N/a

Body Language

Title
Body Language

Library Link
Body language / Susan Quilliam
Quilliam, Susan.
Buffalo, N.Y. : Firefly Books, 2004.

10 Second Review
Learn to read body language with this easy to follow book.
What can body language tell you? Quite a bit.

Learn how others perceive you and what subconscious signals you may be sending out.

Notes
Cool illustrations and examples.

Learning Curve
Low: Good for new readers.

Fantastic Four: The End

Title
Fantastic Four: The End

Library Link

The
end premiere
Davis, Alan, 1956-New York : Marvel ; London : Diamond
[distributor], 2007.Year: 2007

10 Second Review
Set in the future, Reed Richard's utopian society is threatened by unknown forces.

Decent story but includes art that feels dated.
An odd choice for a story set in the future.

Notes
Almost everyone for the Fantastic Four storyline appears in this book.

Learning Curve
High: Even fans might be confused. Many un-introduced characters.

Reading Order
N/a

Manga for Dummies

Title
Manga for Dummies

Library Link

Manga
for dummies / Kensuke Okabayashi
Okabayashi,
Kensuke.

10 Second Review
A nice, thick book that covers everything from figures to creating your own comic book.

This is a good book that provides many examples and exercises for the aspiring manga artist.
It seems much more complete then most 'how-to-draw' books but that results in a fairly large book that may intimidate some readers.

Notes
An excellent resource for comic/manga artist.

Learning Curve
Low: Good for new readers.

Reading Order
N/a