Anyways! On to what I've read.
Wow, I’ve read a lot this past week! It helped that most of them were graphic novels. February begins the library’s Teen Reading Challenge, where participating staff members read as much teen fiction, teen nonfiction, and books of interest to teens as possible in order to find good suggestions for reluctant readers or eager readers.
First up.. Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel. I read this because I heard a few songs from the musical they made of the comic, and I desperately wanted some idea of what was going on. I’m not sure reading this helped - it was a great graphic novel for sure, but I’m not sure how they made a musical out of it. Hopefully I will get the chance to see it!
Next.. God Is Disappointed In You by Mark Russell. I got this one thinking it was a graphic novel, which is not true. But it was definitely interesting. Author Mark Russell went through every book in the bible and summarized it in modern day language. It was actually pretty fascinating. I went to Catholic school and studied the bible when I was younger - and yet there was definitely a lot I forgot!
After that, I moved on to The Wit and Wisdom of Downton Abbey by Jessica Fellowes. I’m a huge fan of Downton Abbey, and when my library added this to the catalog, I had to check it out. It was a fun look back at the series - and made me excited to watch the final season!
Next up was another graphic novel, Hawkeye volume 4: Rio Bravo by Matt Fraction. While I did enjoy this graphic novel, I thought this one was trying to be too smart for its own good. That said, I’m excited to see where the series goes from this point, especially since the next volume is written by Jeff Lemire - an excellent graphic novelist!
So every year, for the teen reading challenge, I try to pick up some new manga. Basically, February through April (how long the challenge lasts), I give myself free reign to read a bunch of different manga titles to see if I like them. We don’t have many (or any?) manga readers at my work, so I do my best to at least be somewhat versed in what’s out there. So this year, one of the new titles I’m trying out is Kimi no Todoke: From Me to You by Karuho Shiina. I read volume 1 and 2, and I’m interested enough to keep going. But I have to say, it’s not my favorite thing I’ve read…
Another graphic novel - Giant Days, volume 1 by John Allison. I loved this! Friendship, Feminism, and a mustachioed mystery man - everything a good graphic novel needs. I can’t wait until volume two, which unfortunately doesn’t come out for another couple months…
And yet another graphic novel.. The Professor’s Daughter by Joann Sfar. Oh man, I loved this. But that ending! I refuse to spoil it for anyone - but trust me, this is a good one. If you like graphic novels, give it a shot!
The next one I read and reviewed for Romance Reviews Today - Midnight Wrangler by Cat Johnson. Just felt very run of the mill to me. It wasn’t bad, by any means. It just didn’t have that magic that makes a book something special, you know? I am still eager to read the next one in the series, releasing in a couple months!
And last, but definitely not least, The Sleeper and the Spindle by Neil Gaiman. I wouldn’t call this a graphic novel, more like an illustrated short story, as there are actual walls of text every few pages. I liked this story, but I can see why some would not. Quite a few people at my work have read this, and it seems you either like it, or thought it was stupid. I enjoyed it, and I liked the format - I would like to see more short stories released like this in the future.
Well, that’s it for this week - and what a week it was! Expect a few more weeks like this in the near future, since I have a bunch of graphic novels and manga requested at the library to get me through the Teen Reading Challenge.
What have you read and loved this week?
Happy Reading!
~!~ Amanda, Novel Addiction ~!~
Happy Reading!
~!~ Amanda, Novel Addiction ~!~
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