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Artist Focus: Gene Yang

by gulickb

There are artists who you never knew you loved, you read works that they have worked on and don't even realize that all of them have something in common. Gene Yang is one of those artists for a lot of people.
He's worked on comicalization of the vastly popular animated series Avatar the last Airbender.
He's won multiple awards for American Born Chinese.
He wrote a wonderful and contrasting series set during the Boxer Revolution in Boxer and Saints.
He won an Eisner (along with Derek Kim Kirk) for his work on The Eternal Smile.
He brought a much needed resurrection of the first Asian-American hero the Green Turtle in The Shadow Hero.

These are not all of the books he's worked on just 5 of the most popular of his works!

If you are looking for a new graphic novel to read then you should check out one of Gene Yang's many amazing works.

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All is not as it seems in Quanlom-

by gulickb

The Divine by Boaz Lavie is hard to pin down in terms of genre, is it a political thriller, a fantasy, sci-fi, war commentary? What's not hard to pin down about it is how well made it is. The story is captivating and will draw you on page after page as you try to uncover the secrets of Quanlom.
Mark, the protagonist of this story, is out of the military, newlywed and working for a civilian demolitions company when a government organization offers him a too-good-to-be-true contract for 2 weeks work "lava bending" to bring rich mineral resources to the impoverished area. The only downside is that there is a war going on in Quanlom. A war between what appear to be gods and an actual dragon, with some extra "magic" thrown in for good measure.

To not talk about the art in The Divine would be to do a massive disservice to the Hanuka brothers. The art is breathtakingly detailed, and will draw you into the page better than the story (which would have managed on its own). It's easy to find yourself staring at a single page for minutes as you take in all of the vast amount of information that is being displayed, masterfully, through image. It's not very often that a comic comes along where the art surpasses the story to such a degree that it could be displayed separately from the story and still be just as meaningful.

So if you are looking for a genre defying graphic novel that is most definitely not aimed for young readers then The Divine is the graphic novel for you!

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2015 Thumbs Up award from the Michigan Library Association winner

by gulickb

Every year the Michigan Library Association gives out the Thumbs Up award that recognizes books that offer an outstanding contribution to young adult literature. This years winner is Through the Woods by Emily Carroll.
The book has 5 graphic stories in it each one a complete "fairy tale" type story. The artwork is just phenomenal and the stories gave me chills. Th stories included in the book are Our neighbor's house - A lady's hands are cold - His face all red --My friend Janna - The nesting place and each one creates a great feeling of the "weird" that really works great in tandem with the artwork.

So if you are interested in a great series of short weird graphic stories then give the 2015 Thumbs Up award winning Through the Woods a read!

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NPR's Best Books of 2015

by eapearce

NPR recently released its Best Books of 2015 list, an in depth yearly endeavor where critics and NPR staff choose their favorite books of the year and compile them into a genre-spanning list of several hundred titles. I love that, along with the expected books on the list that are getting accolades from numerous publications and organizations, NPR’s list always contains more obscure titles that many readers likely missed over the course of the year.

You can view all of the titles from the list that we have available in our catalog here.

So what’s on this list of nearly 300 books? Here’s a preview:

In Speak, by Louisa Hall, a young Puritan woman travels to America with her unwanted husband, while in other time and place Alan Turing writes letters to his best friend’s mother and a Jewish refugee tries to reconnect with his distant wife. Elsewhere in time and space, a lonely young girl speaks with an intelligent software program and a formerly celebrated Silicon Valley entrepreneur is imprisoned for making illegal lifelike dolls. How does Hall tie all these characters together? As they all try somehow to communicate across gaps, Hall connects their stories, creating an amazing book that is a blend of historical fiction, science fiction and fantasy.

V is for Vegetables offers more than 140 simple recipes for cooking vegetables in unique and unexpected ways at home. Author and chef Michael Anthony has cleverly divided the chapters of the book by vegetable, so if you ever find yourself staring at kohlrabi or tomatillos in the grocery store, curious about how one cooks such things, this is the book for you! And even expert cooks will be refreshed by Anthony’s new ideas for ways to use common vegetables like broccoli, tomatoes, carrots and squash.

The Battle of Versailles tells of a little-known event that took place at the Palace of Versailles: as a fundraiser for the restoration of the palace, the world’s elite gathered in the grand theater there for a “fashion competition” of sorts: five American designers (including Oscar de la Renta and Anne Klein) faced off against five French designers considered to be the best designers in the world—Yves Saint Laurent, Hubert de Givenchy and others. The American clothes were expected to be a laughingstock but instead, the garments and the energy of the models who wore them wowed the crowd. By the end of the evening, American fashion in the world had transformed from a footnote to an enormous influence, not only on style itself but also on the way race, gender, sexuality and economics were treated in fashion in the years to come.

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Crossover Graphic Novels- December edition special TV/Movie tie-in edition!

by gulickb

This month we're going to take a look at some of the great comics that have TV or movie tie-ins. Sometimes watching a show or a movie just isn't enough and you want more. Thankfully we live in a wonderful time where comic book companies have realizes this and provide us with sometimes hundreds of issues of our favorite movies and shows in comic form. So without further ado here are some great graphic novels that are wonderful for kids and adults alike!

With Star Wars Episode VII:The Force Awakens just a mere 10 days from release now is a great time to catch up on the Star Wars universes wonderful comics. From comics that are humourous (such as the Star Wars Jedi Academy series), to the continuation of the Star Wars Clone Wars Adventures, and even Manga style Empire Strikes Back. So while you count down the days until The Force Awakens why not read some excellent graphic novels.

The longest running animation in US history is The Simpsons and it's no surprise that they have been making Simpsons comics for quite a while now ( Bart even has his own series of comics if you can't get enough of his antics!). What is surprising is that the comics feel like the show and if you're familiar with the characters than it is entirely possible that you will read the comics in their voices! The comics keep the feel of the show without duplicating the actual episodes, so if you have seen all the episodes and still want more (or even if you haven't seen them all) then The Simpsons Comic is for you!!!

Teen Titans is a great show for fans of the DC comic world and their latest series "Teen Titans Go" is wonderful as well, but now in a move that turns your favorite comic book turned TV stars back into a comic you can read the first volume of the newly release Teen Titans Go comic. The artwork is identical to the cartoon and so if you need more Teen Titans in your life then Teen Titans Go Volume 1: Party Part! is just the comic for you!

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Gruesome folk(ish) tales in comic form.

by gulickb

The Saint's Eyes and other stories by C.Frakes is a collection of stories that all share one thing in common, they are all weird in the original sense of the word. They have something out of the ordinary, something slightly mystical and sometimes gruesome to them. My favorite of the stories is a woman talking about her life and the curse that she's been placed under. At first you don't notice anything strange but as the panels progress you get a better understanding of just who the woman was.

The artwork is simple, but it works with the style of stories that are being told. The simple lines and lack of shading in the comics give it a whimsical feel that plays well with the stories and creates something that is great.

If you enjoy short stories told in comic form and folk tales then The Saint's Eyes and other stories is definitely for you!

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Fantastic Fantasy Graphic Novels!

by gulickb

There's a lot of great fantasy graphic novels being published and the library has a lot of great trades, but sometimes you want more than just "great" you want to read a fantasy graphic novel that is, well fantastic. So here's some of the most fantastic fantasy trades that the library has for you to check out.

Telos follows Young Jarek and his companions, an anthropomorphic Tiger named Koj, a swashbuckling pirate named Serra, an anthropomorphic fox thief named Rikki, Rikki's companion Hawke an Elf and .a Genie that is bound to protect only Jarek. Read as the companions try to discover the mystery behind Jarek's origin. The artwork in this is very vibrant with lots of bold color choices. The character development in the story is wonderful and you really get a feel for the fantastic world that these companions live in.

Pretty Deadly is a hard comic to describe, it's a western, fable, fantasy, adventure, mystery, art piece. It starts off with a butterfly and a bunny talking about the day they met, the day that bunny was afraid and the day that a young woman, Sissy, shot him. Fantasy westerns are not that common and so when one comes along that is lyrical, in the sense that it focuses on symbols rather than plot to develop the story, and beautifully illustrated. You can tell that each page, each panel is carefully drawn with great attention to the small parts that make a greater whole more solid. If you are at all intrigued by the idea of a western fantasy narrated by a bunny and a butterfly then this is most definitely the graphic novel for you.

The Mouse Guard are a group of mice who protect their lands in a world where almost everything else is their enemy. The story has an epic feel and often deals with subjects such as fate, destiny and what it is to be a hero. The artwork in this is deeply moving and unlike many other fantasies with animals as the protagonist the mice are not overtly anthropomorphized but instead still look and feel like mice, even if they walk on two legs. This is not the first time I've recommended this series and it won't be the last it is a fantastic graphic novel series and worth every minute it takes to read them!

Here's three of the most fantastic fantasy graphic novels that we have at the library. Keep watch for more fantastic fantasy blogs for even more fantastic fantasy!

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The Best of 2015

by muffy

It's that time of the year. Avid readers are eager to see how their favorites in the past 12 months stack up against other great reads. Many will depend on them for gift-giving inspirations. Or simply use the lists to jump start on the titles you have been meaning to get around to.

If you are flummoxed by the massive New York Times 100 Notable Books of 2015, you are not alone. I suggest you take a look at some of the more focused Best of the Best lists. Let's start with their 10 Best Books of 2015.

Goodreads Choice Awards is the only major book awards decided by readers. Very democratic and organized in 20 categories: Fiction, Mystery & Thriller, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Romance... etc. as well as Nonfiction, Memoir & Autobiography, Science & Technology, and Humor.

The site that gives us top ten books published each month that librarians across the country love, just released LibraryReads Favorite of Favorites 2015. Not many surprises there but what a strong list! (and three of them debut novels).

I also like Publishers Weekly's Best Books 2015; BuzzFeed's The 24 Best Fiction Books Of 2015; The Washington Post's The 10 Best Books of 2015 (if you scroll down this last list, you will see a list for the Best Audiobooks as well as Best Graphic Novels).

Happy Reading.

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There's nothing more Exquisite than a good graphic novel.

by gulickb

French graphic novels translated into English are beginnning to become more popular with titles such as Blacksad taking the comic world by storm. It's not surprising then that Exquisite Corpse has found its way across the Atlantic.

The story follows Zoe, a promotional model for motor shows and other such industry events, as she expresses disinterest in her life and the direction that it's going. One day, on her lunch break, she notices a man looking out at the world from his apartment, and needing to use the bathroom, she barges into his life. The man turns out to be a famous author Thomas Rochard who supposedly died several years earlier. Zoe must navigate living with a "dead" man, as well as his former wife and current editor Agathe.

The artwork is exquisite, if you'll excuse my use of the word to describe this book, and lush with meaning. Whilst reading it you can almost forget that this was originally French, the translation is that good, and you might find yourself shocked when a city scene that is so obviously French appears.

This book is a fascinating read, from the subject matter to the almost meta nature of a book about an author, and it's well worth adding to your "to read" list.

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Out on the Wire: an illustrated look at the world of radio

by eapearce

Jessica Abel pulls off the counter intuitive—illustrating a purely auditory medium—in her new graphic novel Out on the Wire. The book goes behind the scenes at seven of today’s most popular narrative radio shows and podcasts including This American Life, The Moth, Radiolab, Planet Money, Snap Judgment, Serial and Invisibilia to show readers how the producers of these shows go from abstract ideas to the finished product that listeners hear. Narrative radio shows like the ones Out on the Wire focuses on have increased dramatically in popularity over the past few years, as smartphones and apps make it easier to listen to podcasts on the go. As a devoted podcast listener myself, I love how immersive the ones that Abel chose to focus on in this book are. It’s amazing that talk radio has risen to the level that it has! Abel was assisted by Ira Glass, of This American Life, and Jad Abumrad, of Radiolab in the creation of Out on the Wire and Glass even wrote the forward for the book. Although the book is fascinating for all readers, it’s particularly a must-read for fans of the podcasts and shows that Abel focuses on. The book is truly a novel and well-executed idea that gives readers an inside look into the world of the voices and stories that we hear every day.