Reading List: February

Welcome to the second installment of Reading List. Here's what I've read in the month that ends today:

El pintor de batallas
A very well written and thought provoking book by bestselling Spanish author Arturo Pérez Reverte. The book tells the story of a former war journalist that paints battle scenes now, and how his life changes when he meets a soldier he once photographed.

Revelations
Written by Paul Jenkins and drawn by the talented Humberto Ramos, this is actually a re-read. The book tells the story of conspiracy-theory buff Detective Northern, and what happens when he is asked to investigate a death in the Vatican. The story is very interesting, and the artwork is out of this world!

Black Powder War (Temeraire Book III)
I've already mentioned this book by Naomi Novik, so just follow the link and read what I had to say about it. But I'll sum it up for you here: phenomenal!

Wraithborn
Another re-read, this graphic novel written by Marcia Chen and illustrated by mega-talented Joe Benitez is a fun romp with demons, monsters, witches, and hotties brandishing swords. I know: highbrow entertainment!

Corsarios de Levante
The sixth book in the Capitán Alatriste series by Arturo Pérez Reverte, it might be the weakest installment . I think the book suffers from the lack of a through story, and the only unifying element is that both Iñigo and Alatriste are on a ship all the time. I know this book is supposed to illustrate the life of the soldiers living on a galley, but the story of Iñigo and Alatriste we've been following through the series barely moves forward in Corsarios. At least, the long, bloody battle in the last chapter is very well told, and it kind of compensates. But let's hope the next one is better.

The Time Traveler’s Wife
An incredible book I talked about yesterday, I loved every single page. I think the first half is better than the second, but the whole experience is still amazingly rewarding. Definitely a must read.

Girls vol. I: Conception
And another re-read. Written and drawn by the Luna Brothers, this paperback compiles the first six issues of this truly weird series. I still think the pictures aren't all that good, but the story is so strange and outrageous, it makes up for the visuals. I won't spoil anything for you, but if you want to read good dialogue and want to be surprised by one weird turn of events after another, you have to read this. I might even go ahead and get the remaining two volumes...

Perfect Dark: Second Front
The sequel to Perfect Dark: Initial Vector, Second Front picks up the action exactly where the first book ended. Both novels are written by Greg Rucka, and both of them are solid, fast-paced stories that are supremely entertaining and fun to read. Even when she's almost battered to death, Joanna Dark rules, takes names down, and kicks all sorts of butt. Go Joanna!

Joe Chiodo: Sketches, Drawings and Paintings
This is exactly what you might expect from the title: a collection of Joe Chiodo's artwork. There's barely any text at all, but there is a little intro by the author, and that's why I'm listing it. And before you say that's cheating, let me tell you that I didn't count Women and Liberty Meadows: Cover Girl (both by Frank Cho) last year, because, even though they're much thicker than JC:SDP, they don't even have a written prologue. But if you like Chiodo, this is a cool book. And if you're just curious, you can always check out his site.