Comments on: What are you reading?

By: HDO

HDO — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 15:33:34 +0000

Okay - just finished Asterios Polyp. Wow. "Graphic novel" gets tossed around too much. Trades and comics get erroneously labeled as graphic novels too often. You don't see that happen with non-illustrated literature. Well, maybe some fraud writes a book under the pretense of being a memoir, when it's actually fiction, but that's it. Asterios Polyp is the best graphic novel that I've read since Blankets. The story is fantastic and the design is heads and shoulders above everything else right now. I expected a beautiful book from one as great as David Mazzucchelli; I was surprised by how great the story was though.

By: HDO

HDO — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 12:45:43 +0000

Believe the hype - Asterios Polyp is a beautiful book. I'm a little over half way done and loving it - even dreamed about it last night. The story is good, but the design is stunning.

Just read American Born Chinese last week in preparation for teaching it this year. Highly recommended for all ages, especially teens.

Oh, and my local store finally got Scalped trades in, so I was able to read the first one. Yay!

By: Brigid

Brigid — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 10:20:57 +0000

Tim, I bought Battle Cry of Freedom 20 years ago, as background material for a set of historical travel guides that I was editing, but I never got around to actually reading it. You have inspired me to finally pick it up. Great choices all around!

By: JK Parkin

JK Parkin — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 03:21:33 +0000

"I’m dumb, so do you mean to say this in “a good way.” Well, as good as this subject matter can be, anyway…"

Oh yeah, definitely in a good way. I enjoyed it while reading it online, but having the whole thing in book form and reading it all in one sitting really hit me differently than it did the first time I read it.

By: Jake

Jake — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 01:20:38 +0000

John Parkin: This week I read Bayou vol. 1, which I’ve had sitting on the nightstand for awhile. It was kind of by accident, as I was just planning to look at the first few pages and see how the transition had worked from screen to print. But I ended up reading the whole thing, and had a hard time going to sleep because, well, it’s quite disturbing. Especially when you sit down and read it all at once, versus reading it on the screen as it’s released every week.
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I'm dumb, so do you mean to say this in "a good way." Well, as good as this subject matter can be, anyway...

I also read it this week and found it to be great storytelling. It's a child escaping her harsh reality, except not figuratively. You just hope, like in real life, that this has happy ending.

Also read The Big Book of Barry Ween, Boy Genius by Judd Winick, Very funny and very touching. It's not genius work, but it almost gets there. That last few pages, especially, were great character work. Heartwrenching, for sure.

By: J. Jonah

J. Jonah — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 23:41:18 +0000

Or "Fluffer"; whichever is more appropriate at the time.

By: J. Jonah

J. Jonah — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 23:40:33 +0000

Tim Hodler's nickname will now be "Fluffy".

By: Kat Kan

Kat Kan — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 21:49:05 +0000

I also read Bayou Vol. 1 this week; it is indeed disturbing. But really great storytelling. I wanted more at the end; I'll just have to seek it out online.

I also read The Storm in the Barn by Matt Phelan (Candlewick Press) which is a great American Dust Bowl novel with more than a touch of magic; the main character's sister is reading The Wizard of Oz out loud to her younger siblings, and young Jack suspects there's something very strange hiding in the neighboring abandoned barn. This is a great one for younger readers and adults. Phelan draws wonderful character faces with economic lines that still express so much emotion, and his color palette is all dusty browns and grays.