Westward ha!, or, Around the world in eighty cliches, S.J. Perelman, drawings by Hirschfeld
This is the first long-form work by Perelman that I’ve read, the story of his and Hirschfeld’s journey around the world in a westerly direction (it looks like there’s another volume, going the other way) with many stops in Asia and the Middle East. Perelman is funny and good with words, and Hirschfeld adds lots of detail with his illustrations (though they split up a couple of times on the trip, the illustrations follow Perelman rather than diverging then). Lots of added poignancy that the trip was in ’47, definitely a tipping point at many of their stops. Four stars.

The hive detectives : chronicle of a honey bee catastrophe / Loree Griffin Burns ; with photographs by Ellen Harasimowicz (Y)
This is one of a long running series, Scientists in the Field, and another really good one. The mystery facing the apiarists and research bee studiers is Colony Collapse Disorder. I learned a lot about bees that I hadn’t known (I begin to suspect that my childhood bug education was sadly incomplete and/or inaccurate) and a lot about CCD and CCD research that I hadn’t known. I will now have to find a good source to update me on the research that was still ongoing as the book was completed. Four stars.

Cul de sac, Richard Thompson
You know, I haven’t been impressed with newspaper strips in the last several decades, but this one got a recommend from Bill Watterson and David Malki! The first bunch of strips were in a magazine supplement and are in gorgeous watercolors– once it moved to newspapers, it had to be simplified, but the art is still amazingly expressive (reminded me of Ronald Searle and George Herriman), and all the way through the stories and writing are funny, charming, and (most impressive for a syndicated strip) not dumbed down. Four stars!

Children at play: a Cul de sac cartoon collection, Richard Thompson
Volume 2 of the comics. Still quite good, but I can see the strictures of newspaper comics: especially the weekly vs. Sunday storylines. I do like reading them all in a go, however, so I can follow the story threads more easily. I like Ernesto the weird kid’s outfits, too. Four stars.

Craze: gin and debauchery in an age of reason :consisting of a tragicomedy in three acts in which high and low are brought together, much to their mutual discomfort. Complete with stories, some witty and some not, conducive to meditation on recent events, Jessica Warner
A book I had been meaning to read for years, dense, rich, and full of thought provoking lines of reasoning. Turns out that politics and history are complex and people’s fears and difficulties in life interact interestingly with the world around them. The gin craze in London during the 1700s and the various legal efforts to tax gin or limit its consumption and why are really satisfyingly explored. Four stars.

Who would buy this? : the Archie McPhee story, Mark Pahlow
I only just noticed while grabbing the link to the library’s copy that this is self-published. I suppose it isn’t that surprising for a corporate biography (of sorts), but I do think that the cultural impact of Archie’s would make this worthwhile for a major publisher. Their major products are presented and (as much as one can) explained. The best bits were the products marked “BUSTED!” that led to attention from government agencies or the dreaded Apple Corps. I enjoyed remembering the early days of the store (mom took me when she bought prizes for the summer reading kids) and the various things I bought there (the plastic ants I used to customize a jacket, a squeaky pickle, buying my new boyfriend gifts there, later registering there for our wedding). I had not thought about how much that store had been a part of my life. Four stars.

The spies of Mississippi: the true story of the spy agency that tried to destroy the civil rights movement, Rick Bowers (Y)
While I will admit that I have the occasional gap in my knowledge of history, I was astounded that the state of Mississippi had an official agency to maintain its sovereignty, aka maintain segregation. This is a short (120p, including end matter) well researched (pages and pages of original source citations) and well written book that will knock your socks off. National Geographic is doing some amazing historical nonfiction for young people. This deserves a whole shelf of awards. Five stars. (Online access to the files created by that agency, used extensively in the book, are available through the MS state archives.)

Who we were: a snapshot history of America, Michael Williams, Richard Cahan, Nicholas Osborn
From the guys at Square America, an assortment of historical US amateur photos. The photos are pretty neat, the additional info is fairly spotty. OK, I guess. Two stars.

Cosmic, Frank Cottrell Boyce (Y)
It’s a book about a twelve year old who looks like a grownup (he’s very tall, and started to go stubbly) so is able to do all sorts of things if people make certain assumptions. Including, it turns out, going into space (all the more impressive in a realistic present-day setting). But the book is also about challenging yourself, helping other people, and most especially about being a dad. It made me think about how much I love my dad (A LOT). I got very misty at the end. SO GOOD!!!! Five stars. (PS Cottrell Boyce also wrote the scripts for 24 Hour Party People and Tristam Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story, both totally great films. Yay for him, say I.)

Reviews elsewhere: 7/9, 7/16, 7/23, 7/30