orangerful | Entries tagged with graphic

LOL this month's list is kind of hilarious because I was working through two series! Finished them both so #goals for sure.

Southern Reach Trilogy

Authority by Jeff VanderMeer

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What...what just happened? Not sure what I can say about this book, it was a trippy experience. I made this my bedtime book so I could focus and avoid lunch time distractions, but didn't factor in how tricky this would be to digest to my end-of-the-day tired brain. Lots of rereading sentences and paragraphs to figure out what was going on (or a close proximity).

Acceptance by Jeff VanderMeer

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Epic finale to a mesmerizing trilogy. This was my first exposure to Jeff VanderMeer and I will definitely be picking up more. Mind-bending, surreal and hard to put down.

Revival

Revival, Vol. 4: Escape to Wisconsin by Tim Seeley

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

One of the pro/cons with this series is how flawed all of the characters are. Sometimes, it makes them easier to connect with and at other times I'm annoyed. This is mostly with Em, but I think that part of it is because the artwork makes it hard to tell how old she is so I forget that she's supposed to be 19/20 rather than the same age as Dana?

Revival, Vol. 5 : Gathering Of Waters by Tim Seeley

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Pieces are starting to fall into place about what is actually happening. Kind of. And, as usual with these kinds of stories, the "monsters" are scary, but the humans are starting to cause more problems than the revivers.

Revival, Vol. 6: Thy Loyal Sons & Daughters by Tim Seeley

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

At this point, the trades have to be read in one sitting because with each chapter/issue, little bits and pieces fall into place and you just have to keep going to find out what happens next!

Revival, Vol. 7: Forward by Tim Seeley

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Things are tumbling towards the end...seems a bit late to bring in a new character, especially one that clearly has a TON of backstory. Now the real question - can this have a satisfying ending?

Revival, Vol. 8: Stay Just A Little Bit Longer by Tim Seeley

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

My biggest gripe with these last two trades was the introduction of characters that feel they should have been brought into the story much sooner. And I'm not sure I was sold on the whole reveal of what "caused" the entire thing, perhaps I missed something in the earlier issues but I didn't see the threads that they were tying together at the end for me.

Still, apart from these few missteps, it was a solid series and a unique story. Definitely will pick up more of Seeley's work later on.

ZOMG! A special guest from Adult non-fiction!

Black Klansman: Race, Hate, and the Undercover Investigation of a Lifetime by Ron Stallworth

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I'm shocked to discover that this book was originally published in 2014 because it felt like it was rushed to print due to the recent movie release.

Stallworth has an interesting story to tell, but while he is clearly a very good cop, he's not a writer. I'm not sure where the editor was for this book - stories are often told out of order, lines are repeated, and I know Stallworth really wanted to draw parallels between the 1970s and today's political climate but it was clear he didn't have an editor to help guide his writing.

I just feel like this book could have been so much more. But at least it is out there and books on similar subjects can draw from it for their research.

I'm still reading the second book in The Expanse series, Caliban's War and I just started Ghost Boys.

How was your reading this month?

Crossposts: https://orangerful.livejournal.com/1267483.html

(side note but anytime I have to spell "February" I hear Kevin Kline's voice in my head singing it. He says that first "r" which is usually forgotten...

teaandfailure knows what I'm talking about)

Saga, Volume 5 by Brian K. Vaughan

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Oh Saga, you are so messed up, I just can't even. But as you have been so wrong/right since the first issue, it is almost comforting in twisted way. As usual, I couldn't put down this volume until I finished it and then I was sad it was over again. Lots of twists and turns I did not see coming!

I can't wait for this series to be over so I can sit and read it all the way through as I am sure I miss so much when it comes to the story/foreshadowing etc but only picking these up every few months.

View all my reviews

Moving Target: A Princess Leia Adventure (Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens)

Moving Target: A Princess Leia Adventure by Cecil Castellucci

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Fun middle-grade read that fills in the story between ESB and RotJ for Princess Leia. The "tie-in" to Force Awakens is pretty slim (the prologue/epilogue, only a few pages, make the connection). I thought Castelluccci and Fry captured the voice of characters we already know and did a good job adventuring around the galaxy far far away.

Definitely recommended for Star Wars fans. I hope there are more Princess Leia adventures some day! I would love to see some stories that take place prior to A New Hope (though I know the 'Rebels' TV series is using a lot of that time period and Leia makes at least one cameo)

View all my reviews

The Bazaar of Bad Dreams by Stephen King

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

3.5 stars

FINALLY finished this today. I had it as an audiobook and my commute is fairly short now, plus with the week of snow I didn't get to listen. I'm happy I listened to it rather than continued to read, I think the voices really brought some of the stories to life. The collection gathered stories that had been previously published elsewhere. They weren't perfect, but it was a great variety and showed King's range and that he's still got it.

View all my reviews

Descender, Vol. 1: Tin Stars by Jeff Lemire

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I picked this up because of Jeff Lemire, but it was Dustin Nguyen's artwork that really made this book perfect. In a story about a strange attack by gigantic robots, Nguyen's gorgeous style (reminiscent of watercolor paintings) keeps the story grounded. I loved this first book and cannot wait to see where the story goes! I already adore Tim-21 and I want to see him save the galaxy!

View all my reviews

Ms. Marvel, Vol. 4: Last Days by G. Willow Wilson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This may be my favorite volume since the first one, lots of forward momentum with the story and the characters, especially Kamala. I can't wait to see what happens in Volume 5! Honestly, the weakest thing was the "bonus" comic which was a team up with Spider-Man. It was cute but after the awesome that was the rest of the book, it felt a little out of place.

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Star Wars: Princess Leia by Mark Waid

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this comic, far more than I expected. Mark Waid does a wonderful job keeping the action and adventure of the films in this comic, along with creating a good side mission for Princess Leia. I liked that it didn't depend too much on inside jokes and winks to the rest of the Star Wars universe, which I find can sometimes derail this kinds of collections.

A pleasant surprise! I hope we get more stories of Leia's solo missions (NOT Solo missions...that's the realm of fanfic!)

View all my reviews

A New Hope: The Princess, the Scoundrel, and the Farm Boy (Star Wars: Episode IV)

A New Hope: The Princess, the Scoundrel, and the Farm Boy by Alexandra Bracken

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

While not as strong as Angleberger's RotJ novelization (and that may have more to do with the source material than anything else) Bracken's take on ANH was a really fun read. This would also be a great book for kids to read and then discuss the different ways to tell a story, especially when it comes to film versus writing.

Bracken's approach was to break down the story of Star Wars to each of the main trio's point of view. The first part is all told from Princess Leia's side, with her getting the quest to take the Death Star plans to General Kenobi and being captured by the Empire. Bracken pulls from not just the film, but the previous novelzations and the radio drama to imagine scenes of what happened to Leia before Luke and Han arrived.

The second part is from Han's point of view, picking up where we meet him in the movie, in the cantina on Tatooine. The third is Luke's story, starting right after the escape from the Death Star.

Well written and unique, definitely a must-read for Star Wars fans.

View all my reviews

Lafayette in the Somewhat United States by Sarah Vowell

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I'm really glad I listened to this book rather than reading it. Even though it is only 268 pages, it isn't a quick read, with so many names and dates being thrown at you. It has been a long time since I revisited American history and even longer since I thought about the Revolutionary War. This book taught me more than I ever knew about MY OWN COUNTRY'S HISTORY! It was a little depressing to realize how little I knew.

But I loved the audiobook because Sarah Vowell reads it, with her own unique voice, and has a cast of famous actors that lend their voices and help you keep some of the "characters" straight. (Nick Offerman as George Washington is now my official voice for Washington.)

So if you feel like being reminded of how much history you have forgotten (or maybe you were never taught) this is a great listen for your commute (especially if you are like me and live on the east coast and regularly drive past some of the Revolutionary war battle fields)

View all my reviews

So You Want to Be a Jedi? (Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back)

So You Want to Be a Jedi? by Adam Gidwitz

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I cannot say enough about these Star Wars books written by some of my favorite children's authors. Adam Gidwitz's take on 'Empire Strikes Back' not only puts YOU in the role of Luke Skywalker, telling his story from first person, it also provides lessons on how to be a Jedi, teaching the reader ways to calm their mind, meditate, think before acting, and focus.

If you know a kid/were a kid who loves Star Wars, this series is a great way to explore the many ways a story can be told.

View all my reviews

Just finished this beautiful book about Brian Epstein. #books #beatles #comics #picstitch

Usually I wait until the end of the next month to post the books I have read but this book...this book needs it's own entry.

I had already had it on hold because BEATLES and then it won the Eisner Award for best non-fiction graphic novel. And let me tell you, it DESERVED IT.

First of all, the story. I'm a HUGE Beatles fan, I know who Brian Epstein was. But this story, which was both well researched but then also elaborated on in ways that the author admits are fiction since he has no way of knowing what the exact conversations were like between Brian and other people. This isn't The Beatles story, this is Brian's story, with the Beatles as a backdrop. It's the story of a young man, trying to find his place in the world. But it's not just as simple as being successful. Brian Epstein was gay and in the 1960s, being gay in the UK was ILLEGAL. So here is a man who is in charge of the band that becomes the symbol of "All You Need is Love" and he feels like he can never be loved. It's heartbreaking.

And then the artwork. Oh my god, it is just beautiful. There is nothing more to say, it is just so gorgeous, so well laid out. The colors are perfect. The imagery...

This book has so much to offer. Even if your knowledge of the Beatles is just a few songs, the basic history, this book is worth looking at to see the social and cultural issues that are the same and that have changed (or have they?). It's a look into that world, a peek behind the curtain of the man behind Beatlemania. Of the naive and innocent man who tried so hard to dive into a business he knew nothing about, and how it pulled him under.

Go get this book now. You can read it in an afternoon. But it will stay with you long after.

Nothing Can Possibly Go Wrong by Prudence Shen

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

3.5 Stars

Originally published online here

A cute story about the robotics club vs the cheerleaders...or maybe it's about high school politics...actually, no it's more about two friends getting older...well, it's also about a young man dealing with his parent's divorce...

Like any good young adult novel, NCPGW is FULL of lots of little stories and tangents that make it feel more real. This is actually the kind of comic I would be happy to see turn into a series of teenage misadventures. There are a lot of characters and we only get a very brief amount of time with most of them so I would be willing to learn more about them in other comics.

I didn't feel like this comic broke any new ground though it did have some nice twists in the story. If you enjoy young adult realistic fiction with a good sense of humor (and Faith Erin Hicks adorable manga-inspired artwork) then you will enjoy NCPGW.

A Big Guy Took My Ball! by Mo Willems

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

3.5 stars. Not my favorite Elephant & Piggie but Mo Willems is like Pixar to me -- even his weaker books are still better than most!

Like most of the Elephant & Piggie tales, this story doesn't end up where you think it will, and I think teaching kids to not always assume and expect things is a good idea. There's a lot to talk about with a child in these very few pages - you could discuss what to do when you find something unattended, what is a bully, and about confrontation.

Not my favorite of the bunch but still lots of great moments.

Plus, this picture just broke my heart.

The Adventures of Superhero Girl by Faith Erin Hicks

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Okay, I kinda sorta loved this book.

I had read Friends with Boys and thought it was okay. I really like Hicks' art style and when I saw this book on our new shelf last week, I grabbed it because how could I resist Superhero Girl standing there on the cover! She is both badass and adorable at the same time. I hoped the book would amuse me. Maybe that is why it totally caught me off guard.

Superhero Girl is a comic that Hicks does for Halifax's free weekly newspaper and she also posts them to a blog to share with the rest of the world. At some point, Dark Horse decided to pick it up and publish it as a collection, which is what I read this week. Once I started, I could tell it must have been a web comic of some kind since usually the entire story is done in a single page (though there are a few longer arcs that span pages).

The book is filled with a very dry wit and lots of references to superhero pop culture, plus a few pokes at how Canada is not known for having enough crime to warrant a superhero to protect it. The best moments come when Superhero Girl tries to just lead a normal life, like going to the grocery store, applying for a job or going to a party.

Originally published online in black & white, the book is in FULL COLOR. And it is GLORIOUS! I hope to see more from Superhero Girl in the future.

Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales: Big Bad Ironclad! by Nathan Hale

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Nathan Hale (the author, not the spy) does a great job of making history fun for kids. This is a great book to give to young readers who have any interest in the Civil War, American History, or battles in general. Heck, even if you're worried they are *losing* interest in the above, give it to them so they can find out about this historical adventure.

The premise of the Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales series is that Nathan Hale (the revolutionary war spy, not the author) was hit by a magical history book and now has all of American history in his brain. He uses his new skill to stall the hangman's noose, telling them stories of the "future". In "Big Bad Ironclad", Hale tells them about the battles between the Merrimack and the Monitor during the Civil War.

Filled with lots of humor and action, this is a great pick for fans of "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" and those younger kids who ask for "books about war" but don't want to read the dry tomes in the adult non-fiction collection.

Current Mood: sleepy

Unwritten Vol. 1: Tommy Taylor and the Bogus Identity

Mike Carey

At first, it's easy to dismiss 'The Unwritten' as a massive mocking of Harry Potter and it's fandom. The story opens with Tom Taylor signing copies of the 13th book in the Tommy Taylor series, written by his father, at a fantasy convention. But then things start to get weird...people begin to address Tom as though he was the fictional character, during one of the panel sessions a women claims that Tom has no birth record. And then we see the meeting of two mysterious men, hidden in shadow, discussing some dark mission.

I don't want to say too much about the story because it was watching it unfold that made this first volume so hard to put down. It did not go where I was expecting and I'm still not sure what it's all leading up to. There are references to pop culture and literary fiction all mixed together.

Just do yourself a favor and pick this one up. Even if you're not into comic books, this one is worth a look. Can't wait to read Volume 2!

Originally posted on orangerful.vox.com

Night Trippers

Mark Ricketts

What if Vampires ruled 1960s London? That is the thought that must have inspired Mark Ricketts when he came up with the idea for Night Trippers, a graphic novel with sex, drugs, rock & roll, and vampires.

Dorothy (Dot, for short) is a nurse at a hospital and one night when she is making the rounds, a mysterious man appears and attacks on of the patients with a wooden stake. The patient disappears in a cloud of dust, and the attacker flees. Little does Dot know, she is now a part of an undead subculture that has been manipulating swinging London for the past decade.

I heard about this graphic novel when I was read "Graphic Grown Up" in the August issue of Library Journal. It included a list of comics and graphic novels to recommend to adults that want to try out the format. This one caught my eye because of the colorful cover.

The art style is very different from any other graphic novel I have read. The characters all seem to have very sharp edges, be it in their facial features or their Twiggy-style bodies. But it worked for a story about fanged villians. And for some reason, the "hero" of the story immediately made me think of Johnny Depp...might just be because one of his first lines sounded like something Jack Sparrow would say.

The story pokes a lot of fun at 60s culture and it would help the reader if they are familiar with the time period, especially the music. I had a good time reading it, and even though Ricketts wraps most of the plot up by the last page, he leaves enough open that he could return to these characters later on.

3.5 out of 5 - If you're in need of a graphic novel with vampires and a sense of humor about itself, Night Trippers is a great place to start.

Official Night Trippers website here with preview pages from the graphic novel!

Originally posted on orangerful.vox.com

Current Music: Paramore - Hallelujah

Stitches: A Memoir

David Small

If the artwork on the cover of Stitches seems familiar to you, it's probably because you've seen David Small's illustrations in such classic children's picture books - like Imogene's Antlers. But Stitches is not for kids...

Imagine you are 11 years old. Imagine you go into the doctor's office, thinking you're just going to have a growth removed from your neck. When you wake up, half of your vocal chords have been removed, along with your thyroid and the only sound you can make is a pathetic "Ack" noise.

This happened to David Small when he was growing up, and this event, along with the general dysfunctional-ness of his family, is the story he tells us in Stitches, a memoir told in graphic novel format.

This format works perfectly for his story - The book opens with all the way the family "speaks" to each other without actually saying anything - his mother slams the cupboard doors shut in the kitchen while cleaning up, his brother bangs on his drum set - the images explain it all, text is unnecessary.

David is a shy child, too shy speak up and the wordless panels reflect this solitude. He lives in his head, with the cartoons he draws, the characters he reads about. His main way of getting attention from family was to let himself get sick so his parents would take care of him. When the operation occurs and he loses the ability to speak, the wordless panels take on a sense of frustration because now there are so many things he wants to say.

The story of the operation is just a small part of Small's memoir, though this event effects the rest of his life. Growing up in the 1950s, you just didn't talk about certain things, and the poor kid stumbles through life, discovering things at all the wrong times.

Small's art is simple and expressive. It's as though he has been working all these years on children's books to hone his skill enough to create this book. Considering what he has become today, the book is both disturbing and inspiring.

5 out of 5 stars, best graphic novel I have read all year.

Originally posted on orangerful.vox.com

The Color of Earth by Kim Dong Hwa

In rural Korea, some time ago, young Ehwa lived with her widowed mother. She is an innocent child, believing everything she is told by her friends and many days she wanders home, deep in thought about their stories. But soon her mother sets her straight, the rain comes, and Ehwa feels a little older.

The easiest way to describe the story of 'The Color of the Earth' would be to say it is the Gilmore Girls in rural Korea. Ehwa and her mother have this beautiful relationship and while the book mostly focuses on Ehwa's coming-of-age story, there is a large part devoted to her mother and her life as a widow in a small town.

But there is a lot more to it than that, as I found by reading last few pages of the U.S. edition. Originally published in Korea in 2003, Color of the Earth was a groundbreaking manhwa (Korean for graphic novel) because of its focus telling the story of being a woman through female characters, a very feminist comic in a genre that tended to focus on the masculine world.

The artwork is gorgeous, and it helps that the book is about the size of a normal hardback so the images have plenty of room to breathe. One page might have a quick succession of panels, the next might be a two page spread of Ehwa wandering through a field with peach blossoms dancing around her in the wind.

This is the first book in a trilogy - The Color of Water and The Color of Heaven are the next two volumes. I cannot wait to read the other two stories to see where life takes Ehwa as she matures from child to adult.

Originally posted on orangerful.vox.com

Too Cool to be Forgotten

Andy has tried everything to quite smoking, but nothing ever seems to work. In one last desperate attempt to kick the habit, he goes to a hypnotist. He's skeptical of her abilities, but tries to go along with the process...and he feels himself getting sleepier, going under, but then wakes up in 1985! He's back in high school, his middle-aged brain stuck in his 16 year old body. But Andy realizes that he's just moments away from his first cigarette ever. If he stops himself from taking that first puff, could he keep himself from ever starting - or is there more to Andy's addiction than he really knows.

Too Cool to be Forgotten by Alex Robinson is a fun graphic novel for adults. I say "for adults" not because it has violence/sex/nudity or even a lot of swearing - it's just that most of the humor comes from adult-Andy interacting with his high school friends, his adult mind trying to manage the high school world. While teens might find it amusing, I think those of us that have survived high school and moved on will end up chuckling and nodding a lot more.

Playing in the world of classic 80s movies like Back to the Future and Big, Too Cool reminds us of how rough it is being a teenager and how all the little things we did back then are part of the person we are today - even if we have forgotten most of it. It's not about nostalgia for those teen years, but more of a look back to say "wtf? I lived like that?" The book has a great sense of humor about the whole thing, but just the right amount of heart to bring readers back again. I really enjoyed Robinson's style and I am looking forward to reading other books by him.

If you get a chance, definitely give this one a try.

Originally posted on orangerful.vox.com

I managed to snag a bunch of random stuff while in Portland, ME and Boston, MA this week. I had a big list of CDs to look for from bands that

lostacanthus had put on her HUGE mix that she gave me earlier this year, plus a few other random people I wanted to hear more from. I managed to find one CD by every band I wanted for under $10 each. So,

faeriesfolly, we have a LOT of listening material for our drive to Atlanta (OMG 16 days to go!!!!!!)

So here's what I managed to pick up:
Mae - Singularity
The Hush Sound - Goodbye Blues
The Fratellis - Costello Music
Regina Spektor - Soviet Kitsch
Belle & Sebastian - Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like A Peasant
A Fine Frenzy - One Cell in the Sea
Kate Nash - Made of Bricks
Ingrid Michaelson - Be Ok

Along with that, I picked up a few comics because it is a tradition at this point. I picked up the 3rd Volume of Runaways in hardcover, and managed to get the rest of the issues of Buffy Season 8 w/ Jo Chen covers, except for #24 - so if you happen to see that one in your local comic shop, let me know (actually, I need to check my OWN local comic shop). Did two impulse purchaes of books I had been wanting to read - the first trade in Terry Moore's ECHO series "Moon Lake" was on display by the check-out desk so I snagged it, plus I grabbed 'Too Cool To Be Forgotten' by Alex Robinson, which I read on the plane last night and LOVED.

Oh, and I picked up a button at Newbury comics that says "I was Uncool before Uncool was Cool".

They had the Fangtasia shirt there, but I resisted buying it. Seemed sorta small. Plus, now I have my Merlotte's shirt and I just ordered a new pair of black shorts from Kohl's so my True Blood outfit is ready to go.

Current Mood: sleepy

Berlin: City of Stones: Book One (Part 1)

I just happened to pick up both of these books at the same time, each of them recommended by two different friends for different reasons. But I found it interesting to read them one after the other, since they are connected in a few different ways.

Barefoot Gen 1

Keiji/ Project Gen (TRN)/ Spiegelman, Art Nakazawa

'Barefoot Gen' is the story of a Japanese family living in Hiroshima during WWII (based on the actual life of author/artist Keiji Nakazawa). Their father does not agree with the war or Japan's part in it. My knowledge of the pacific front is very low - everyone tends to focus on the European front in school, books, movies etc. And even less do we hear about what life was like for the normal people living in Japan at the time. When Gen's father openly criticizes the Japanese government (and by doing that, insulting the Emperor), his family is shunned by the town. Abused even.

I found some of the violence a bit shocking, but then again, its a very militaristic culture. The father is constantly beating the boys when the misbehave, and other random people also smack them around! Not sure if this is just a convention of the manga medium or actually reflective of the time. Still, it happened a LOT.

The drawings are very simple, reminding me of Persepolis, where the point was for this man to tell his story, not make great leaps and bounds in the art and style of Manga.

I found this book fascinating and think it would be great to give to a teen who loves manga, slip a little history in there. I've only read volume 1 but I'm looking forward to the rest of the series and seeing what happens after the bomb falls.

Berlin: City of Stones is about Germany before WWII. Again, the focus is on everyday people, their lives, and their reaction to what their government is doing (the rumor of weapons being stockpiled even though Germany wasn't supposed to be doing that). Again, I felt as though I learned a bit while reading through the stories, especially about the Communist party in Germany.
The art is a bit more advanced than Barefoot Gen, but not by much. A few times I had an issue with telling the female characters apart. If it hadn't been for their male counterparts, I might have had issues following the story.

If you're looking for a way to vicariously learn about history, these two books should fill that need and get you thinking about the other side that we don't really get to see in 'Band of Brothers' or 'Saving Private Ryan'...not that they were misunderstood, but just in general what was going on with the average person during those war years.

Originally posted on orangerful.vox.com

The Murder of Abraham Lincoln

Jack the Ripper

So, did text books pretty much ruin history for you? All those boring pages and pages of names and dates, with the same old bits repeated year after year (found American, Revolt, Repeat) until you got out of high school? Well, what if those history lessons had a bit more intrigue to them?

Rick Geary's Graphic Novels are devoid of superheroes or dream masters. Instead, Geary uses his talents as a writer and as an artist to tell the stories from history. His main series - Treasury of Victorian Murder - covers such classics as the Assasination of Abraham Lincoln, Jack the Ripper, The Lindbergh Kidnapping and Lizzie Borden.

Researched and readable, these books are great primers for

J. Edgar Hoover: A Graphic Biography

The Lindbergh Child

someone who wants an accessible version of the facts before diving into a 500 page book on the subject. Part True-Crime novel and part history lesson, Geary's black and white ink drawings are simple enough in their style that readers unfamiliar with the graphic novel format shouldn't feel overwhelmed.

I for one had no interest in reading about Jack the Ripper, but Geary's book (which uses the primary source of a London citizen's diary from the time to frame the story) was so easy to read, that I did find myself wondering about the mystery afterwards.

So next time you're struggling to find a book, ask a librarian for one of Rick Geary's graphic novels. You'll be able to finish the thing in one sitting and afterwards you'll have some extra bits of knowledge floating around in your brain. And who knows, you might ignite a passion for history that you didn't even know you had.

Originally posted on orangerful.vox.com

Local

Brian Wood

Sometimes it takes all the running you can do to stay in one place.

Local is a collection of stories, told in graphic form, all of them revolving around the life of Megan as she tries to find herself out in the big wide world. It starts when she ditches her boyfriend and leaves town. Each chapter is about here, though sometimes indirectly, such as the issue about the rock band from her home town that breaks up.

Local is gorgeous. Ryan Kelly's black and white drawings fit perfectly with these coming of age stories. Panels with no text have just as much to say as ones full of dialogue. Kelly draws Megan with such love, you can actually see her growing up from issue to issue.

I found myself immediately drawn into the story and the characters. I highly recommend this collection if you want a break from superheroes and dark stories. Megan's life is both strange and familiar at the same time. You'll probably recognize a little bit of yourself in her. The desire to understand why you're here, what you're meant for, and where you belong.

5 outta 5

Originally posted on orangerful.vox.com

Ex Machina, Vol. 4: March to War

Brian K. Vaughan

*Finally* had a copy of this come in for me at work. I think after I complete my Transmet and Y collection, I'm going to have to purchase this series for myself. It feels like something I'm going to want to read over and over.

If you're unfamiliar with 'Ex Machina', it's a delictable mix of superhero mixed with politics. See, Mitch Hundred used to be a superhero called "The Great Machine". His power is that he can talk to (duh) machines and make them do what he says. In this universe, The Great Machine was around on 9/11 and managed to stop the second plane from crashing into the tower.

Skip forward a few years, Mitch has hung up is superhero outfit and donned a new costume - he's the Mayor of New York City. Instead of fighting super-villians, it's the threat of terrorists and the paranoia left behind after 9/11. The stories flash between Mitch's old life as a superhero, and his new life as different kind of leader - usually the two meet up in surprising ways.

I know I'm pretty much a BKV fangirl at this point, but this collection was great. I wasn't superthrilled with vol 2, but vol 1,3, and 4 are much better as far as the main story arcs. If you get a chance, I definately reccommend picking up this volume, either in the store or from your local library (and if they don't carry it, make them buy it hehe).

Originally posted on orangerful.vox.com

So, I was finally able to get my hands on a copy of Frank Miller's '300'. Devoured the whole thing in one night. OMG soooo good. Just beautiful art, fantastic bit of history, and plain fun! Seriously, they should hand this out in World Civ classes to help get teens interested in the ancient history. The gritty reality of it all yet at the same time, giving these people some character! Some dimension. I know it's not accurate history, but it's enough to make me want to read up on the Battle of Thermopylae and that's saying something!

Anyway, now I'm counting the days until the movie comes out (March 9th, approx 19 days) and amusing myself by searching for screencaps from the trailer and making icons. So here are my first 12 icons from the film "300".

( We shall fight in the shade )

Current Mood: chipper

faeriesfolly posted some sweet, simple, and awesome icons on her icon journal

petitemerci and it made me think - why am I stressing over text when the image can say it all!!! So thank you dearie for inspiring me! I made a handful of simple icons from the TONS of pictures on my poor D drive.

Under the cut we have some Kristen Bell, Star Wars, Firefly, Buffy, Last Unicorn, and even one Strangers in Paradise & Sandman...

( check it out! )

Current Mood: artistic
Current Music: Frou Frou (Imogen Heap) - Only Got One

I don't think I've blogged about this and I keep meaning to!

I received a copy of 'Pride of Baghdad' for christmas, the new graphic novel by Brian K Vaughan. It's an amazing book. If you have the means, I definately reccomend picking it up. (if you don't, then get your booty over to the library and at least check it out!)

The story is relatively simple - when Baghdad was bombed, 4 lions got out of the zoo and wandered the city.

The thing about this story is that it can be read about a million different ways. You can just read it through once, pretending it's all real, that somehow Vaughan met these lions and learned their thoughts and wrote them down. You can read it like an animal rights tale and what living in the zoo does to them. Or the angle of how nature reacts to man, and how things that man does and thinks are normal are in fact, very unnatural. You can take it to the next step and read it as a metaphor for the war in Iraq. Or the next step and see it as a story of human history and the cycles we fall into.

It's a beautiful, beautiful book. As soon as I finished it, I was torn - it was so heart breaking that I never wanted to see it again, but at the same time, I wanted to go thru and read it closer to find the layers of meaning and nuance in the tale.

This one will stay on my top ten list for a long time.

Current Mood: blank

I must be hanging out with

blu_harvest too much, because I gave into the spoilers far too easily. But I had to know. I had to see!!!

The first 5 pages of the Season 8 Buffy comic are up for preview at Dark Horse's website. I'm already in love with it. If only for the...well, I'll let you see for yourself .

Oh that made me *squee* like a fangirl.

Is it March yet?

Current Mood: excited
Current Music: AD learning 'Johnny B. Goode' on his new guitar

*fangirls* OMG Brian K Vaughan has joined the writing team of Lost! "Executive Story Editor" to be precise. Maybe he can help stop the total suckage! Or, at least, make them stop taking themselves to damn seriously ALL THE TIME!

AND he's going to work on the new Buffy comic coming out next year!

*flails*

ZOMG - here's an update with even more comic writers that have signed up to do Buffy s8.

*flails and falls over*

Current Mood: cheerful

Joss commented on a recent post on

whedonesque about the new buffy comics. It's short and sweet, but he's such a tease! I want to know who the writers are!

I'm really excited about these comics. It's one thing to read the random comics or novels that I find at the library - its another to read something written by a person who knows the characters and their stories as well as we do. *squee*

Current Mood: amused

I'm a slayer, ask me how.

librarian. blogger. gamer. geek. girl.

Books read in September

Books read in February

The Fifth Beatle: The Brian Epstein Story

July Books -- which appears to be mostly comic books

book thoughts: The Unwritten by Mike Carey

book thoughts: Night Trippers by Mark Ricketts

book thoughts: Stitches by David Small (2009)

book thoughts: The Color of Earth by Kim Dong Hwa (2003/2009)

book thoughts: Too Cool to be Forgotten

my "souvenirs"

On Vox: book thoughts: Berlin: City of Stones & Barefoot Gen: A Cartoon History of Hiroshima

book thoughts: Rick Geary's Non-Fiction Graphic Novels

book thoughts: Local by Brian Woods & Ryan Kelly

On Vox: Book thoughts: Ex Machina: March to War

This is Sparta!

glomp my muse!!!

Pride of Baghdad

preview of new Buffy comic!!

BKV to write for 'Lost'!

joss is such a tease

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March 2023

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