Fiction of 2022

 This is a list of fiction read in 2022. 

LATE DECEMBER

Marvels: Eye of the Camera, written by Kurt Busiek and Roger Stern, illustrated by Jay Anacleto (2009)

     A follow-up to the 1994 graphic novel Marvels, as Phil Sheldon grapples with the challenges of aging. 

The Daffodils, by Christi Killien (1992)

     A young girl in western Washington State tries to deal with her friends' shifting interests away from softball as puberty looms. 

Total read so far: 2.  

JANUARY

The War Boys, by Naomi Wallace (1993)

     On the Texas-Mexico border, three college-aged guys scan the border for illegal aliens in this minimalist play. 

In the Heart of America, by Naomi Wallace (1994)

     This play grapples with the Gulf War and the way war and militaries in general chews people up and spits them out as hollow, even if they survive. 

One Flea Spare, by Naomi Wallace (1995)

     Four strangers are quarantined together in this play set during a plague in 17th century London. Reading it during a pandemic added to the dramatic heft.

Slaughter City, by Naomi Wallace (1996)

     This is a highly unusual play about the immorality of the meatpacking industry. 

The Trestle at Pope Lick Creek, by Naomi Wallace (1998)

     This is set in a small town somewhere in very rural America during the Great Depression; a tale of outcast high schoolers and their unusual friendship.

Civil War: Young Avengers and Runaways, written by Zeb Wells, illustrated by Stefano Caselli (2006)

     One of the spinoffs of the Marvel Civil War storyline, this was fine. 

What I Learned Last Summer, by A.R. Gurney (1983)

      A simplistic-at-surface-level play of summer 1945 for teenagers on the Ontario border. 

Love Letters,  by A.R. Gurney (1989)

     A very unique, heartbreaking tale of lifelong love between childhood friends and the boundaries of class. RSU Theater put this on in spring 2021. 

The Golden Age, by A.R. Gurney (1983)

     A professor seeks a forgotten fragment of The Great Gatsby as an elderly woman who may possess it tries to help ease her troubled granddaughter's future. This play tried hard but didn't quite reach up to its own aspirations, as the author noted in the introduction. 

Total read this month: 9, bringing total to 11. 

FEBRUARY

All Summer Long, by Bob Greene (1993)

     Just because you're a terrific journalist doesn't mean that you'll do well at trying to write a novel, though the premise of three high school best friends reuniting in middle age for a road trip is fascinating. 

Will Grayson, Will Grayson, by John Green and David Levithan (2010)

     A dual-narrative tale in suburban Chicago about the messiness of high school, LGBT issues, and friendship. 

Sisters Red, by Jackson Pearce (2011)

     A contemporary retelling of Little Red Riding Hood with plenty of Buffy thrown in. Very enjoyable for a random YA read, found at the OKC library book sale. 

Total read this month: 3, bringing total to 14.

MARCH

The Guardian, by Nicholas Sparks (2003)

     This Sparks novel could be classified as a dog book thanks to Singer the Great Dane, but it wasn't his best. Found at the OKC library book sale.  

Azumanga Daioh Omnibus, written and illustrated by Kiyohiko Azuma (1999-2002)

     A slice-of-life sitcom manga series about a group of friends going through high school. Found at the OKC library book sale. 

Osborn: Evil Incarcerated, written by Kelly Sue DeConnick, illustrated by Emma Rios (2011)

     Norman Osborn is imprisoned following the Siege storyline in this miniseries. 

Satellite Sam, Volume One, written by Matt Fraction, illustrated by Howard Chaykim (2014)

     The first third of a hardboiled mystery set in 1951 NYC among the cast and crew of the star children's TV series of a failing network. While impressively deep, it was unsavory enough that I doubt I'll finish it. 

Alias: Jessica Jones, written by Brian Michael Bendis, illustrated by Michael Gaydos (2000)

     The debut of the character and the adult-centric Marvel MAX line that inspired the Krysten Ritter TV series. Found in a resell haul. 

Batman: Black and White, Volume Two, written and illustrated by various writers and artists (2002)

     A collection of Batman-centric short stories, done in black and white. Found in a resell haul. 

The Eyre Affair, by Jasper Fforde (2001)

     The first of the Tuesday Next series; imagine if Flavia De Luce grew up to be a SHIELD agent in Wonderland. It was bonkers and just about perfect. Found at the OKC library book sale. 

Powers: Who Killed Retro Girl?, written by Brian Michael Bendis, illustrated by Michael Avon Oeming (2000)

     The first volume of the Image crime procedural series about cops dealing with superheroes.

Spider-Girl: Legacy, written by Tom DeFalco, illustrated by Pat Olliffe (1998)

     The launch of the short-lived MC2 Universe of Marvel Comics, this follows Mayday Parker, Peter and Mary Jane's high school daughter, as she takes up her father's mantle of heroism. Deliberately written in a throwback style in opposition to the grim tone most Marvel stuff had at the time, this was a better idea in theory than on actual pages. 

Beware the Batman, written by Ivan Cohen, illustrated by Luciano Vecchio (2015)

     An underwhelming graphic novel tie-in to a Cartoon Network series. Found in a resell haul. 

Batman vs Superman: Their Greatest Battles, written and illustrated by various writers and artists (2015)

     A tie-in to the Batman vs Superman movie, this is a short story collection of times Clark and Bruce got into fistfights. Found in a resell haul. 

No Exit, written by Jean-Paul Sartre, translated by Stuart Gilbert (1944)

     An odd play set in hell as four murderers provoke each other relentlessly. This, and the other Sartre plays following, were found at the OKC library book sale. 

The Flies, written by Jean-Paul Sartre, translated by Stuart Gilbert (1943)

     A retelling of Aeschylus's Orestria trilogy. 

Dirty Hands, written by Jean-Paul Sartre, translated by Lionel Abel (1948)

     This play is a thriller told mostly in flashback during World War II.

The Respectful Prostitute, written by Jean-Paul Sartre, translated by Lionel Abel (1946)

     This one-act play set in America (Washington, DC) points out how insidious white political power can be on women and non-white people. 

Across the Universe: The DC Universe Stories of Alan Moore, written by Alan Moore, illustrated by various artists. (2003)

     A collection of 1980's stories written by British comics writer Alan Moore. As a short story collection, it was interesting. Found in a resell haul. 

Reggie and Me, written by Tom DeFalco, illustrated by Sandy Jarrell (2017)

     A spinoff of the Archie series following its Riverdale reboot, this is a fascinating multilayered look at a terrible person through the eyes of his adoring Dachshund.  

Summer Ball, by Mike Lupica (2007)

     A height-challenged incoming high school freshman gets a reality check during summer basketball camp. I wanted to like this,, but something just doesn't connect with Lupica's fiction. 

Total read this month: 18, bringing total to 31. 

APRIL

Girl Comics, written and illustrated by various writers and artists (2011)

     A collection of flashfiction and history of IRL Marvel women from an all-female writing, artistic and editorial team. Very interesting. Found at the Helmerich library book sale. 

Pet Sematary, by Stephen King (1984)

      If I remember right, this was written at the peak of his drug addiction, to the point where he has no memory of writing it. Middle of the road King, though the ruminations on death and behavior of cats are interesting. Found at the Helmerich library book sale. 

The Fall, by Albert Camus, translated by Justin O'Brien (1957)

     A sleazy French lawyer brags endlessly in a days-long monologue to the reader in a run-down bar in Amsterdam. Found at the Helmerich library book sale. 

The Book of Fate, by Brad Meltzer (2006)

     A presidential aide uncovers a bizarre National Treasure-type plot behind a botched assassination attempt in this thriller, which was better than most. Found at the Helmerich library book sale. 

The Running Man, by Stephen King (writing as Richard Bachman) (1982)

     There's usually a point to dystopian stories, but this overly-long gruesome action story lacked any moral to make it worthwhile, leaving it an empty mess of a dated future-2025.  Found at the Helmerich library book sale. 

DC Secret Hero Society: Study Hall of Justice, written by Derek Fridolfs, illustrated by Dustin Nguyen (2016)

     What if Bruce Wayne met Clark Kent and Diana Prince in middle school? This clever MG graphic novel explores that question, with lots of fun Easter eggs. Found at the Helmerich library book sale. 

Across the River and Into the Trees, by Ernest Hemingway (1948)

     During or shortly after WWII, a middle-aged colonel recalls his time in Italy during the Great War and reflects on his current relationship with his teenage girlfriend. Found at the Helmerich library book sale. 

Maniac McGee, by Jerry Spinelli (1990)

     A very peculiar, but thoughtful, middle-grade look at racism in the 1970s. Found at the Helmerich library book sale. 

That Was Then, This Is Now, by S.E. Hinton (1971)

     A loose sequel to The Outsiders, this book follows adopted brothers as their paths diverge due to drugs in mid-1960s Tulsa. Found at the Helmerich library book sale. 

The Trading Game, by Alfred Slote (1990)

     A boy learns about his fractured family while involved in a baseball card dispute with a friend in late-1980s Michigan. Found at the Helmerich library book sale. 

Total read this month: 10, bringing total to 41.

MAY

Guys Read: Funny Business, edited by Jon Scieszka (2010)

     A collection of humorous short stories designed to get more boys interested in reading. Found at the OKC library book sale. 

The Voice on the Radio, by Caroline B. Cooney (1996)

     A strange novel about the power of using media responsibilities irresponsibly, and coping with family trauma. The middle of a five-book YA series about a girl who was kidnapped and only realized it as a teen. Found at the Helmerich library book sale. 

The Honk and Holler Opening Soon, by Billie Letts (1997)

     In small-town 1985 eastern Oklahoma, a ragtag international group of outcasts find a chosen family while operating a restaurant. Found at the Helmerich library book sale. 

Magic, by William Goldman (1976)

     A ventriloquist loses his sanity in this Goldman thriller, which is better example of his work. Found at the Helmerich library book sale. 

Dogland, by Will Shetterly (1998)

     This is a peculiarly subtle novel about racism in the early 1960s in rural north Florida, where the adult narrator lived as a boy on a canine-centric zoo. 

Mudville, by Kurtis Scaletta (2009)

     A weird MG novel about baseball and the complexity of the prison and foster systems.  

Batman: Arkham Knight, Volume Three, written by Peter J. Tomasi and Tim Seeley, illustrated by various artists (2011)

     Set in between the events of the Batman: Arkham video game trilogy, this graphic novel wraps up a prequel to the final game. From a resell haul. 

Forever Evil: Arkham War, written by Peter J. Tomasi, illustrated by Scot Eaton and Jaime Mendoza (2013)

     After Batman disappears, various villains scheme to stop Bane from taking over Gotham City. From a resell haul. 

Age of Ultron, written by Brian Michael Bendis, illustrated by various artists (2011)

     The few remaining heroes and villains try to stop Ultron from annihilating humanity in this timey-wimey adventure. From a resell haul. 

All-New, All-Different Avengers: The Magnificent Seven, written by Mark Waid, illustrated by adam Kubert and Mahmud Asara (2015)

     Following a large revamp of the Marvel Universe, a ragtag group of new-ish heroes (including Sam Wilson's Captain America, Jane Foster's Thor and Kamala Khan's Ms. Marvel) seek to re-establish the Avengers as they try to foil one of Kang the Conqueror's schemes. From a resell haul. 

Uncanny X-Men: Poptopia, written by Joe Casey, illustrated by Ian Churchill (2001)

     A British pop superstar starts dating a mutant for publicity purposes while some of the main team investigate a Morlock-like clan living in the London sewers. From a resell haul. 

Elektra and Wolverine: The Redeemer, Volume One, written by Greg Rucka, illustrated by Yoshitaka Amano (2002)

     This peculiar text-based graphic novel features Elektra seeking to take out a target, while Logan aims to protect the target in question. From a resell haul. 

Elektra and Wolverine: The Redeemer, Volume Two, written by Greg Rucka, illustrated by Yoshitaka Amano (2002)

     The lines of professionalism get very tangled as both Logan and Elektra begin to care about the welfare of the teenage girl in the middle of shady doings of her parents' making. From a resell haul. 

X-Treme X-Men: Storm - The Arena, written by Chris Claremont, illustrated by Igor Kordey (2003)

     Storm infiltrates an underground mutant fighting ring in Tokyo. From a resell haul. 

X-Men Unlimited: Hated and Feared, written and illustrated by various writers and artists (2003)

     A series of flashfiction about the mundane details of mutants' lives. From a resell haul. 

Ms. Marvel: No Normal, written by G. Willow Wilson, illustrated by Adrian Alphona (2014)

     Jersey City resident Kamala Khan discovers she has shapeshifting powers, which don't exactly work well when contrasted with her strict Muslim family. 

Ms. Marvel: Generation Why, written by G. Willow Wilson, illustrated by Jacob Wyatt and Adrian Alphona (2015)

     In this second volume, Kamala gains allies in Wolverine, Loki and Lockjaw the teleporting Bulldog.

Ms. Marvel: Crushed, written by G. Willow Wilson, illustrated by Elmo Bondoc and Takeshi Miyazawa (2015)

    Kamala discovers that her hoped-for-boyfriend is actually a fellow Inhuman...but he doesn't see eye to eye with her on the heroic front. 

Ms. Marvel: Last Days, written by G. Willow Wilson, illustrated by Adrian Alphona (2016)

     Kamala finally gets to team up with Carol Danvers as a calamity strikes nearby New York City. 

S.H.I.E.L.D.: Perfect Bullets, written by Mark Waid, illustrated by various artists (2015)

     Inspired by Agents of SHIELD, this first half of the short-lived series doesn't work quite as well, but was somewhat interesting. 

Superman: Shadows Linger, written by Kurt Busiek, illustrated by Peter Vale and Jesus Moreno (2008)

     Superman rescues Lana Lang after she's captured by alien insects. 

Total read this month: 21, bringing total to 62. 

JUNE

Firestarter, by Stephen King (1980)

     Government agents seek a man and his daughter in this thriller, one of King's better works. 

The Princess Diaries, by Meg Cabot (2000)

     Mia Thermopolis is a very talkative and oblivious 14-year-old who learns that she's the princess of a small European country. Found at the Okmulgee library book sale. 

The Princess Diaries, Volume II: Princess in the Spotlight, by Meg Cabot (2001)

     Picking up about two weeks after the first book ends, Mia faces her first interview after Grandmere badgers her into it, while dealing with her mother's elopement with Mr. Gianini the algebra teacher. Found at the Okmulgee library book sale. 

The Princess Diaries, Volume III: Princess in Love, by Meg Cabot (2002)

     This book takes place from Thanksgiving to near Christmas of her freshman year as Mia tries to break up with her boyfriend Kenny. Found at the Okmulgee library book sale. 

Victoria and the Rogue, by Meg Cabot (2003)

     A weak imitation of Jane Austen found at the Okmulgee library book sale. 

1-800-WHERE-R-YOU: When Lightning Strikes, by Meg Cabot (2001)

     A fun thriller after a high school delinquent is chased by the government after gaining psychic powers. Found at the Okmulgee library book sale. 

Darwin's Radio, by Greg Bear (1999)

     A dreary scientific thriller about a pandemic. Found at the Okmulgee library book sale. 

The Cat Who Went Bananas, by Lilian Jackson Braun (2004)

     Even for a cozy mystery, this was pretty unbearably saccharine. Found at the Okmulgee library book sale. 

Total read this month: 8, bringing total to 70. 

JULY

War Horse, by Michael Morpurgo (1982)

     This fantastic MG book about WWI is one of those shining examples of forgotten British gems. Found at the Helmerich library book sale. 

Bandbox, by Thomas Mallon (2003)

     While very modern in how content is handled, this look at the 1920s magazine industry runs at a thousand miles per hour in dazzling screwball glory, juggling at least a dozen plot threads. Found at the OKC library book sale.  

Fire from the Rock, by Sharon M. Draper (2007)

     This MG/YA bridge account of the 1958 Little Rock school integration had good intentions, but was extremely heavy-handed and 21st century in dialogue. From the Okmulgee library book sale. 

Guitar Girl, by Sarra Manning (2003)

     This British YA novel looks at a garage punk rock group's rocky rise to stardom. Found at the Okmulgee library book sale. 

Lemonade Mouth, by Mark Peter Hughes (2007)

     While not as good as its DCOM adaptation, this YA book about a bunch of misfits who form a band is fun. 

Lemonade Mouth Puckers Up, by Mark Peter Hughes (2012)

     The more somber second half of this duology is a little sweeter and tasty, with a more somber tone. 

Fast Girls: A Novel of the 1936 Olympic Team, by Elise Hooper (2020)

     A well-researched account of female track and field athletes in the late 1920s/early 1930s; would go well in tandem with The Boys in the Boat and Unbreakable.    

Total read this month: 7, bringing total to 77.

AUGUST

Confessions of a Shopaholic, by Sophie Kinsella (2001)

     A fun, lighthearted look at a British woman's attempts to balance her messy love and financial lives. 

Shoeless Joe, by W.P. Kinsella (1982) 

     This novel that inspired Field of Dreams is even more insane, and a good deal creepier. Like the Natural novel, this baseball book really struck out.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky (1999)

     In the early 1990s Pittsburgh suburbs, an emotional high school freshman is adopted by a group of senior stoners. 

Uncanny X-Men: Hope, written by Chuck Austen, illustrated by Ron Garney, Mark Morales and Sean Phillips (2002)

     The beginning of this X-Men series takes a broad look at what Xavier's school, and being a mutant, means to the wider world. 

The Wire-Cutters, by Mollie E. Moore Davis (1899)

     This Western found at the OKC library book sale was a bridge between the sentimental novels of the late 19th century and the Western as we know it today. 

Bitch Planet: Extraordinary Machine, written by Kelly Sue DeConnick, illustrated by Valentine De Landro (2016)

     A brutal sci-fi tale of feminism in a future dystopia. 

The Amazing Spider-Man Presents: Jackpot, written by Marc Guggenheim, illustrated by Adriana Melo (2010)

     Set in the wake of One More Day, this side story looks at the dilemmas and ethics of having a low-key set of powers, and the guilt that may come from using or not using them. 

Cyrano De Bergerac, by Edmond Rostand (1899)

     This famous French play was fine, but I could have just watched the Wishbone episode on it instead. Set in the early 1600s in the same universe as The Three Musketeers. 

Total read this month: 8, bringing total to 85.

SEPTEMBER

The Hucksters, by Frederic Wakeman (1946)

     A rip-roaring tale of advertising during World War II, mentioned in the radio history read last winter. 

James and the Giant Peach, written by Roald Dahl, illustrated by Lane Smith (1961)

     Even for Dahl, this was strange. It also felt pretty hollow, though Smith's illustrations highly influenced the animation style for the movie. 

Coyote vs. Acme, by Ian Frazier (1995)

     A series of thoroughly odd short stories, that were overall unsatisfying besides the title one. 

Such Foolish Affected Ladies, by Moliere (1659)

     The first of a series of plays by a French playwright mentioned in The Breakfast Club. 

Tartuffe, by Moliere (1669)

     This tale of religious hypocrosy was well worth reading. 

The Misanthrope, by Moliere (1666)

     Possibly the most famous of his plays, this was fine. 

The Doctor Despite Himself, by Moliere (1666)

     This goofy play about mistaken identity was written to ease the sting of audiences not enjoying the philosophy of The Misanthrope several months earlier. 

The Would-Be Gentleman, by Moliere (1670)

     This satirizes exalted self-importance. 

Those Learned Ladies, by Moliere (1672)

     This play satirizes pretentious people.

Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe (1959)

     This British novel about colonialism in Nigeria is odd and difficult to wade through, but worthwhile. 

  

Total read this month: 10, bringing total to 95.

OCTOBER

The Future Homemakers of America, by Laurie Graham (2002)

     A group of military wives navigates the complexities of life over three decades, from 1952 England to 1980s Dallas. 

Bitch Planet: President Bitch, written by Kelly Sue DeConnick, illustrated by Valentine De Landro (2016)

     The second half of a brutal, though effective, sci-fi tale. 

V for Vendetta, written by Alan Moore, illustrated by David Lloyd (1989)

     This is one of the centerpieces of graphic novels as a genre, but the movie is better. Moore can be a little rambly sometimes. 

The Comeback Season, by Jessica E. Smith (2008)

     This YA romance combined the emotional punch of John Green with the awkward sincerity of a DCOM. It somehow works, though not well. In terms of story, a baseball-obsessed wallflower falls for the cute new guy who has cancer. 

Total read this month: 4, bringing total to 99.

NOVEMBER

Confessions of a Rookie Cheerleader, by Erika J. Kendrick (2007)

     This was the shallowest, most materialistic MC I've ever come across. Thankfully, I didn't pay for this, as I had a free Thriftbooks credit and needed one more book to get free shipping. 

The Little Old Lady who Broke All the Rules, by Catharina Ingelman-Sundberg, translated by Rod Bradbury (2012)

     This Swedish novel that became a Canadain bestseller was a hilarious tale of retirement-home residents who become career criminals out of boredom. Found at the Helmerich library book sale. 

A Long Fatal Love Chase, written by Louisa May Alcott, edited by Kent Bicknell (written 1866, published 1995)

     This is a melodramatic tale of a doomed romance with a narcissist. She couldn't find a publisher who would accept the tale, and so it lingered in obscurity for over a century before a historian came across it. From the Oklmulgee library. 

 

Total read this month: 3, bringing total to 102.

DECEMBER

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, by Douglas Adams (1980)

     This British sci-fi classic really lived up to the hype. 

Batman: Last Knight on Earth, written by Scott Snyder, illustrated by Greg Capullo (2019)

     A future-set DC dystopian tale. Not a huge Batman fan, but this was pretty good. From the Okmulgee library. 

The Flash: Year One, written by Joshua Williamson, illustrated by Howard Porter (2019)

     The beginning of Barry Allen's time as The Flash, somewhat influenced by the TV show. From the Okmulgee library. 

1872, written by Gerry Duggan, illustrated by Nik Virella (2015)

     Part of the Second Secret Wars storyline, this Marvel tale is set in the Old West town of Timely. Very imaginative and fun. From the Okmulgee library. 

The Autobiography of Foundini M. Cat, by Susan Fromberg Schaeffer (1997)

     A professor wrote this novel of one of her cats; while a little too academic in tone for a novel, there are truly beautiful moments throughout. 

Total read this month: 5, bringing total for year to 107. When added to the 80 nonfiction books read this year, that brings a total of 187 books read in 2022.