Food Rules: Review Haiku

Slightly twee, but made
palatable by Kalman.
(SEE WHAT I DID THERE?)

Food Rules: An Eater's Manual by Michael Pollan, illustrated by Maira Kalman. Penguin, 2011, 240 pages.

The Unseen Guest: Review Haiku

A hearty AWOOOOO
for another great addition
to this canon.

The Unseen Guest (The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place #3) by Maryrose Wood. Balzer + Bray/Harper, 2012, 352 pages.

Imagine: Review Haiku

Pop neuroscience
lets your inner daydreaming
grade-school freak flag fly.

Imagine: How Creativity Works by Jonah Lehrer. HMH, 2012, 304 pages.

The Idiot Girl and the Flaming Tantrum of Death: Review Haiku

Perfect airplane reading,
if you don't mind your seatmate
hearing you snort.

The Idiot Girl and the Flaming Tantrum of Death by Laurie Notaro. Villard, 2009, 218 pages.

The Lifespan of a Fact: Review Haiku

Fascinating, yes;
but mostly, TOTALLY
HORRIFYING. Ye gods.

The Lifespan of a Fact by John D'Agata and Jim Fingal. Norton, 2012, 128 pages.

Caddy's World: Review Haiku

I can never decide
whether I want to be
a Casson or not.

Caddy's World by Hilary McKay. McElderry/Atheneum, 2012, 272 pages.

Wonder: Review Haiku

Geez -- way to stack the
Newbery deck, first-timer.
Amazingly good.

Wonder by R. J. Palacio. Knopf, 2012, 320 pages.

Some Assembly Required: Review Haiku

I wanted to love this,
but the self-indulgence
kinda drove me nuts.

Some Assembly Required: A Journal of My Son's First Son by Anne Lamott and Sam Lamott. Riverhead, 2012, 288 pages.

Happy birthday to ME

Arthur:	Old woman!
Dennis:	Man!
Arthur:	Man. Sorry. What knight lives in that castle over there?
Dennis:	I'm thirty-seven.
Arthur:	I-- what?
Dennis:	I'm thirty-seven. I'm not old.
Arthur:	Well, I can't just call you 'Man'.
Dennis:	Well, you could say 'Dennis'.
Arthur:	Well, I didn't know you were called 'Dennis'.
Dennis:	Well, you didn't bother to find out, did you? from

http://www.ibras.dk/montypython/finalripoff.htm#Peasant

P.S. OMG IT'S MY ONE THOUSANDTH POST

Enchantment: Review Haiku

Compelling message
made less palatable by

insuff'rable author.

Enchantment: The Art of Changing Hearts, Minds, and Actions by Guy Kawasaki. Portfolio, 2011, 240 pages.

The Sorcerers and Their Apprentices: Review Haiku

Yet again, I realize
I made the wrong career choice.

Robots are cool.

The Sorcerers and Their Apprentices: How the Digital Magicians of the MIT Media Lab Are Creating the Innovative Technologies That Will Transform Our Lives by Frank Moss. Crown, 2011, 272 pages.

God, If You're Not Up There, I'm F*cked: Review Haiku

Good Lord. I had no
idea what was going on
behind the scenes. Damn.

God, If You're Not Up There, I'm F*cked: Tales of Stand-up, Saturday Night Live, and Other Mind-Altering Mayhem by Darrell Hammond. Harper, 2011, 288 pages.

If you need me, I'll be here.

http://www.ragnarrelay.com/race/capecod

Because I'm insane. Again.

Inside Out and Back Again: Review Haiku

Searing, spare account
of lives lost and found and lost
and found all over.

Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai. Harper, 2011, 272 pages.

Bringing Up Bebe: Review Haiku

Well, whaddya know.
I'm not slagass or disconnected --

I'm just French!

Bringing Up Bebe: One American Mother Discovers the Wisdom of French Parenting by Pamela Druckerman. Penguin, 2012, 304 pages.

Blood, Bones, and Butter: Review Haiku

Slow-starting and hard

for a bad eater to embrace,

but worth the read.

Blood, Bones, and Butter: The Inadvertent Education of a Reluctant Chef by Gabrielle Hamilton. Random, 2012, 320 pages.

Where She Went: Review Haiku

Heartbreaking. I mean,
what else is there to say?

Love, unfinished, always.

Where She Went by Gayle Forman. Dutton, 2011, 208 pages.

Ali in Wonderland: Review Haiku

Behind the scenes of

one (well, two) quite public lives
that still feel normal.

Ali in Wonderland: And Other Tall Tales by Alexandra Wentworth. Harper, 2012, 272 pages.

Don't Kill the Birthday Girl: Review Haiku

Straight, self-deprecating
talk from one not destined
to survive, maybe.

Don't Kill the Birthday Girl: Tales from an Allergic Life by Sandra Beasley. Broadway, 2012, 240 pages.

Cold Cereal: Review Haiku

Starts off brilliantly
absurd, then veers into just
absurd. Still, fun ride.

Cold Cereal by Adam Rex. Balzer + Bray, 2012, 432 pages.

Hark! A Vagrant: Review Haiku

The closest thing to
Shakespeare I could find: smart stuff,

drawn for the masses.

Hark! A Vagrant by Kate Beaton. Drawn & Quarterly, 2011, 160 pages.

P.S. Happy 448th, dude.

The Myth of Choice: Review Haiku

Just when you think you've
made the right decision, you're wrong.
This book shows why.

The Myth of Choice: Personal Responsibility in a World of Limits by Kent Greenfield. Yale UP, 2011, 256 pages.

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl: Review Haiku

Best voice in a first
novel in a looooong time.

Freakin' hilarious.

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews. Amulet, 2012, 304 pages.

Mr. & Mrs. Bunny, Detectives Extraordinaire: Review Haiku

Horvath and Blackall,

perfectly absurd together.
(The Marmot rocks.)

Mr. & Mrs. Bunny: Detectives Extraordinaire! by Polly Horvath, illustrated by Sophie Blackall. Schwartz & Wade, 2012, 256 pages.

Happy blogiversary to me: SIX

If I were a kid
I'd be in first grade by now.
Eating paste, no doubt.

EIGHT: Birthday Haiku

EXCUSE ME BUT HOW

ARE YOU EIGHT. I demand a
do-over, La Munch.

Where Things Come Back: Review Haiku

If your debut is
this good, you're allowed to go
Harper Lee. (Please don't.)

Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley. Atheneum, 2011, 240 pages.

Girls in White Dresses: Review Haiku

I know this was good
because I didn't want to

punch them in the face.

Girls in White Dresses by Jennifer Close. Knopf, 2011, 304 pages.

Wonkenstein: Review Haiku

I really tried to
find something redeeming here,

but I couldn't. Pffft.

Wonkenstein: The Creature from My Closet #1 by Obert Skye. Square Fish, 2012, 256 pages.

The Name of the Star: Review Haiku

I hate this cover.

But I love Maureen Johnson.

So I'll let it go.

The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson. Putnam, 2011, 384 pages.

Bigger Than a Breadbox: Review Haiku

Not quite Half Magic,

but a nice wish-fulfillment
cautionary tale.

Bigger Than a Bread Box by Laurel Snyder. Random, 2011, 240 pages.

The Family Fang: Review Haiku

Anytime I feel

like I'm a bad mother, I'll

just re-read this book.

The Family Fang by Kevin Wilson. Ecco, 2011, 320 pages.

The Flint Heart: Review Haiku

A little crazypants,

but she's the National

Ambassador, y'all.

The Flint Heart by Katherine & John Paterson. Candlewick, 2011, 304 pages.

Journal of Best Practices: Review Haiku

When they said, "for better
or worse, in sickness and in health,"
they meant it.

The Journal of Best Practices: A Memoir of Marriage, Asperger Syndrome, and One Man's Quest to Be a Better Husband by David Finch. Scribner, 2012, 240 pages.

There Is No Dog: Review Haiku

Take one Joan Osbourne
song; add the awesomesauce of
Meg Rosoff; stir. Squeeeeee.

There Is No Dog by Meg Rosoff. Putnam, 2012, 256 pages.

The Detention Club: Review Haiku

Convoluted story
full of comma splices.
Try Scieszka instead.

The Detention Club by David Yoo. Balzer + Bray, 2011, 299 pages.

The Optimism Bias: Review Haiku

Repetitive,
fascinating look at our
inner Pollyannas.

The Optimism Bias: A Tour of the Irrationally Positive Brain by Tali Sharot. Pantheon, 2011, 272 pages.

The Canterbury Tales: Review Haiku

I had totally
forgotten how random, weird,
and dirty these were.

The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer, adapted by Seymour Chwast. Bloomsbury, 2011, 144 pages.

The Forgotten Affairs of Youth: Review Haiku

Isabel thinks deep
thoughts again. (Who will
punch Cat in the face for me?)

The Forgotten Affairs of Youth by Alexander McCall Smith. Pantheon, 2011, 272 pages.

Look I Made a Hat: Review Haiku

Worth it for the chapters
on George and Woods alone.
I heart me some Steve.

Look I Made a Hat: Collected Lyrics (1981-2011) with Attendant Comments, Amplifications, Dogmas, Harangues, Digressions, Anecdotes, and Miscellany by Stephen Sondheim. Knopf, 2011, 480 pages.

(Ahem. http://www.southparkstudios.com/clips/400599/bro-down)

Popularity Papers #3: Review Haiku

It's cringy because it's real,
and real because it's cringy.
Well played, girls.

The Popularity Papers #3: Words of (Questionable) Wisdom from Lydia Goldblatt and Julie Graham-Chang by Amy Ignatow. Amulet, 2011, 208 pages.

Science Fair Season: Review Haiku

Totally made me
wish I'd been an engineer.
Rock on, smartypants.

Science Fair Season: Twelve Kids, a Robot Named Scorch . . . and What It Takes to Win by Judy Dutton. Hyperion, 2011, 288 pages.

The Fourth Stall: Review Haiku

Dude, it's The Godfather

in middle school. What more
do you need to know?

The Fourth Stall by Chris Rylander. Walden Pond Press, 2011, 336 pages.

The Influencing Machine: Review Haiku

Brilliant, clear-eyed look
at the state of media
and how we got here.

The Influencing Machine: Brooke Gladstone on the Media by Brooke Gladstone. Norton, 2011, 192 pages.

Level Up: Review Haiku

Heartbreaking story
of sons and fathers,
disappointing each other.

Level Up by Gene Luen Yang. First Second, 2011, 160 pages.

Bad Island: Review Haiku

Swiss Family Robinson
meets Land of the Lost,
with father/son trials too.

Bad Island by Doug TenNapel. Graphix, 2011, 224 pages.

Nursery Rhyme Comics: Review Haiku

Mother Goose goes graphic:
nifty concept, executed
expertly.

Nursery Rhyme Comics: 50 Timeless Rhymes from 50 Celebrated Cartoonists edited by Chris Duffy. First Second, 2001, 128 pages.

Page by Paige: Review Haiku

Julia Cameron

for the high school set.
Follow your muse, shy ones!

Page by Paige by Laura Lee Gulledge. Amulet, 2011, 192 pages.

Feynman: Review Haiku

Brilliant book, but I
still don't understand quantum
physics. Is it me?

Feynman by Jim Ottaviani. First Second, 2011, 272 pages.

Zita the Spacegirl: Review Haiku

Reluctant space
traveler Zita kicks butt, takes names,
saves her friend. Rad.

Zita the Spacegirl by Ben Hatke. First Second, 2011, 192 pages.

2011 Cybils Elementary/MG Graphic novel winner!

(Anybody surprised that First Second cleaned up in this category? Yeah, me neither.)

(Also, just noticed that our winners are Anya and Zita, which is pretty awesome.)

Anya's Ghost: Review Haiku

Suprisingly layered,
this ghostly coming-of-age
packs a wallop.

Anya's Ghost by Vera Brosgol. First Second, 2011, 224 pages.

Cybils 2011 YA Graphic Novel winner!

It's Cybils Day! It's Cybils Day!

Check out the full list of winners at www.cybils.com.

Everybody Sees the Ants: Review Haiku

Tricky treatise on
war, loss, and the sorrows we
all carry with us.

Everybody Sees the Ants by A. S. King. Little Brown, 2011, 288 pages.