July Reads Borrows Boughts

Summer flus led to a limited reading list this month but the selection at least held some diversity.  I read many a graphic novel this month to complete my Top Ten List , then finished off a memoir, non-fiction science book & a girly beach read.  None of the latter make it into my 'must-read' list but they were all somewhat entertaining.  I'd recommend Tina Fey's Bossypants out of the lot for some really great laughs and a very human insight into her dazzling self.

Graphic Novel Top 10 (ish) Part 1

For my list, I am only considering ‘original graphic novels’ much like original screenplays in which there was not a book or movie in existence first…. For instance, the Matrix graphic novel, while beautiful and excellent, does not count as the movie preceded the graphic novel’s release. My one exception is Genesis because the origination has been in existence FOREVER and I would also like to encourage all books of the Bible to be turned into a graphic novel!  I tend to be really picky about visuals as well so you won't see the Sandman listed here (though it tops most lists) because, while complex, I HATE the graphics and can't get past them.  So these will all have reasonably 'pretty' graphics from my point of view.

In Order (Top rated first):

#1 (&2-3) Marjane Satrapi’s memoirs… I already mentioned Persepolis I & II, Chicken with Plums is my next favorite and Embroideries is in the top ten, so I’ll group them together for 1st-3rd place. Chicken with Plums tells Satrapi’s uncle’s history as a romantic, a musician and a family man surrounding the premise that he has chosen no longer to live after his wife breaks his favorite instrument in a fit of rage. It is soon to premier at the Venice Film Festival (Persepolis was made into a film as well). Embroideries is an Iranian version of the “Sex and the City” martini conversations… this time around tea with the Iranian matrons and daughters. It’s a great reminder that there is more alike than different between the Persian and Western cultures.

An added bonus:the graphics are delightful.

#4 Genesis as portrayed by R. Crumb.   This celebrated underground comix artist (depicted by James Urbaniak in “American Splendor” with Paul Giamatti) takes the entire book of Genesis, every chapter, and graphically portrays the stories, ‘begots’ and characters therein.  I’ve never cared much for his stylized humans (they’re usually somewhat grotesque and unlikable) but it works well to engage the reader here and remind one that the book of Genesis, far from being a morality tale, is about humanity and our hit-and-miss relationship with God.  I’m hoping he carries on with Exodus and the rest of the gang!
 

#5 Watchmen by Alan Moore (I know, I know… EVERYONE says this! (at least it wasn’t #1!!).  Considering that this is an incredibly familiar yet complex and fantastic world and that it was written during the age of Star Wars (the counter Mutually-Assured-Destruction Reagan program, not the space-cowboy trilogy), corrupt politicos, gang and drug problems on the rise and the dwindling of the comic-book genre, this story is a true coup.  Alan Moore has produced some other works (Promethea is often mentioned for example) and is a big hero in the graphic novel space but I haven't found anything as creative or rigorous as this in his repetoire.  Instead of the laziness of superheroes with unlimited powers, we're following fairly normal people who once took it upon themselves to become superheroes and are now obsolete and even marginalized.  It captures the sense of an era and people let down by their power structures and facing the real possibility of the end of their world.  The superheros struggle with whether they even want or should try to salvage humanity and the world.  Lovely. (or dark, whatever)
#6-8   These three sort of tie for me as they each have amazing graphics, amazing dialogue and amazing philosophies to contend with.  I'll start with the most familiar and end with the most foreign (to me). 

Blankets by Craig Thompson is the graphic novel answer to the film "Saved" which fundamentalists called 'meanspirited' and I saw as a revelatation for my friends who thought the film was a satire until I told them it was my adolescence.  It's essentially the author's memoir about growing up as a fundamentalist Christian striving to be worthy and faithful to his God, parents and faith and struggling in the face of ill-conceived small-town morality, peer Christian's horrendous behavior and the misunderstanding of his own poetic soul and artistic talents.  It would be the fundamentalist Christian version of Chaim Potok's The Chosen - drawn with beauty and artistry.  I saw myself, my other now-jaded friends and those we left behind in our home town(s) in this tale.  The particular struggle of trying to honor one's parents while rejecting their dogma especially hits close to home.  I'm not sure if mainstreamers are as touched by this story, but I would recommend it anyways and evangelize it to those who grew up in the far right.

The next is the Rabbi's Cat by Joann Sfar which I chose as less foreign than the third selection because it takes place in a foreign place so the strangeness feels right  ('right' not being the adequate word by any means but it'll do).  This book has it all: 1930's historical Algeria and Paris, Judiaism, Arabic-Jewish relations, anti-semetism, philosophy, struggles with faith, love and family tensions.  And the narration of the cat who learns briefly how to speak and uses his speech to take on the resident head rabbi in Talmudic debate is truly a delight.  The follow-on book (same name + "2") is beautifully drawn but more of a set of connected short-stories with an historical backdrop rather than the depth of the first book.  (Note: the third has yet to be translated to English from its original French)  I'm a fan of Joann Sfar's work anyways since whatever he writes tends to be beautifully drawn (either from his own hand or in collaboration) and full of a sense of whimsy.  His other works are worth checking out.

Finally: American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang blew me away as one of the best works out there addressing second-generation Americans searching for their identity in the only country they've ever known as home while straddling parental and familial expectations of respect and duty to where their ancestor's originated.  Honestly, it would probably be at the top of my list (after Persepolis) if not for the sometimes comical graphics which annoy me.  Granted, when they're used, the PURPOSE is to annoy -- they usually crop up when the central character is showing his view of his 'backward' origins that cause the wanna-be-cool Chinese youngster to cringe.  Ultimately the narrator comes to terms with his Chinese-ness as a critical component of his identity and embraces it as part of his coming-of-age as yet another awkward teenage American.  Everyone can identify with these feelings and yet the specific struggles of non WASP-raised adolescents are unknown to WASPs which makes the book terribly relevant and eye-opening.  I think I'm unable to really read memoirs anymore unless they're in this type of format now!

#9 Robot Dreams by Sara Varon.  I'm perhaps cheating a bit here by including this one because there are actually no accompanying words in this book.  However, I think words would take away from the emotion and depth the 'reader' attributes to the story from their own interpretation.  This is not a child's picture-book.  It is a tale of love and loss that happens when one party outgrows another despite one's belief in a committed, unending relationship contract.  Spielberg/Kubrick's "A.I" doesn't even come close to the depth (and tears wrought) of this story. 
While I'm at it, I'd like to sneak in another no-words special-mention here which is sort of a child's book.  If you ever have the opportunity to see The Arrival, check it out as it really brings home a picture-is-worth-a-thousand-words by telling the tale of immigrants looking with fresh eyes at a foreign world (food, plants, people, signs).  It's incredible and incredibly drawn.  Sorry, I digress.

Finally - #10 - Whiteout by Greg Rucka and Steve Lieber.  The artist mention is critical here because the story wouldn't make it without the amazing use of negative space by the artist to depict Antartica as it's own character.  (Actually, it went through a different artist for each edition for awhile and they were each amazing - Lieber was just the final one & the one who continued on Whiteout 2 which is also great).  Once feels notes of familiarity with the recently popular Scandinavian mysteries that are flooding the English market now and introducing their bare, cold, unforgiving Scandinavian landscapes as the vehicle for mood, foreshadowing and characters' internalizations.  I've heard the movie doesn't even come close. 

The last one on my list points out a theme to me about why each of these hit the top 10... I felt like I learned something or changed somehow with each example.  Either it helped me understand an era, place or demographic better, or it helped me get in touch with pieces of my own past and growth.  And this is perhaps what further separates graphic novels from serialized stories or comics for me... they can achieve as much as any literary masterpiece in the library.
Honorable Mentions coming soon....  (I just can't stop at 10!)

Graphic Novels Discussion

There isn’t a definitive requirements list for establishing what a graphic novel is, and isn’t and I’m sure to offend die-hard fans of the genre so I’ll preempt this description with the declaration that I’m explaining for those who aren’t yet fans…

My Definition: A Graphic Novel is a complete story told through pictures with dialogue and narration in which the character or characters progress through plot points similar to a literary novel. It falls somewhere between an illustrated novel and a serialized comic.

My Graphic Novel Experience:

Great Illustrated Classics introduced me to Ben Hur, Captains Courageous, Great Expectations, A Tale of Two Cities, Sherlock Holmes, The War of the Worlds and other classics before I ever read the literary originals. These had one black and white drawing per page of writing in the abridged books and kept the tales moving along well. These hooked me on classics (especially adventure classics like Ben Hur and Captains Courageous).

I wasn’t reading superhero comics at the time (I was allowed Archie comics and Sunday comics but that was about it!) so these were my first experience of a story told through words and pictures. I never did become a comic book reader (though I love comic book movies!) likely because I felt too old for the medium once I was allowed to read it. Also, the comic book tales were serialized and not necessarily continued with the same authors or artists so they told short stories with new gimmicks every time rather than one complete story arc. The mythology of the characters becomes well developed (see any of the “[Insert Superhero] Men: The Ultimate Guide” books for references) but the stories themselves aren’t compelling or educational. We get to identify with the characters (teenage angst, isolation, etc) but not grow as a result of their stories.

Then along comes a graphic novel…. Propelled by graphics, yet full of beginning, middle & end story arc(s) that shows uses both the literary media and the graphic one to tell a tale that we take away a great deal more of. Whether memoir or fiction, these stories can move one as much as a book, or inform one where the printed word alone would be ignored.

I don’t remember my first graphic novel, but the one that hooked me on the genre (and made me take it seriously) was The Complete Persepolis , a compendium of Persepolis I & II which chronicled the author’s childhood and teens as a young Iranian woman (In Iran and France). I was blown away… not only did Iranians seem so relatable, but it put the last 30 years of political engagements with the U.S. into a completely different context. This was both the easiest and most engaging way to learn history ever! The author does a great job telling (true) stories as evidenced by her other works as well.

I’ve even discovered a favorite publisher: First Second (now owned by Macmillan) – they seem to have the right combo of story & good graphics for me. Eddie Campbell, Joann Sfar, Gene Luen Yang & others favs of mine are published with them.

So now, I’m a fan, and bound to add my own “Top 10”-ish List to the plethora out there.

Bibliophiles Alternative to Cosmo Relationship Quiz

I came across this link from the Not Martha blog and it tickled me.  Ladies, if any of your chosen or sought-after mates name one of these books as their favorite, BEWARE!

Favorite Books of the Secretly Jerky

If your man doesn't fall into one of these, congrats!  However, we've all men that guy who's favorite paperback was Salinger's Catcher in the Rye - so we can all enjoy the breakdown of his issues here!

2nd Half June Reads Borrows and Bought

The second half of the month capped off 2 books that were about as opposite as one might find aside from comparing reading a scientific journal to erotica.  I read them in parallel so it was a bit discombobulating  (what a great onomatopoeia!) 

Let's get the girly beach read out of the way first: Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin

I could denigrate the book as a fluff piece but its really as good (and better written) as most of late that attempt to describe the often complex relationships that form between women, particularly when formed in adolescence. The reality is that these friendships are more intimate than most marriages which means the good, the bad and the very ugly come into the relationship. They're usually more subtle than Margaret Atwood's portrayal in Cat's Eye and this is a decent description. So, for female psychology... sure, check it out. Here's your warning; the author, like the narrator, attempts to set-up the reader into a false dichotomy: either you love the vain, selfish, thoughtless but vivacious beauty, or you side with the loyal, smart, average and maligned narrator (best friend to the beauty). The truth is, they're both bitches. Of course the queen bee takes the cake and I dutifully hated and rooted against her, but the narrator is a spineless, passive-aggressive leech who doesn't learn a thing through her experience stealing the beau and never identifies what she wants. Dissatisfying to finish. The only reason I would want to read the sequel (which promises to be worse due to being from the point of view of the queen bee) is to hope for some actual growth in the characters to resolve my annoyance with this book.

Now on to the gritty crime noir epic....

The Cold Six Thousand by James Ellroy....pretty much 180degrees from Borrowed except perhaps for seeing every characters dark side (some of them don't have light sides) and disliking all of them. The 1960's tale starts (and never ends) with JFK's assassination in Dallas and continues along a reasonably explained trajectory of consequences for the cast of characters involved. It's impressive & overwhelming and I had to wonder if the frenetic prose is due to the author partaking of similar uppers as his characters.  I was grateful I'd seen "The Aviator" and some History Channel Mob pieces as well as read "Lies My Teacher Told Me" and even "The Help" because I would not have been able to track most of this otherwise (its like a Russian novel for #'s of characters and their nicknames). My generation wasn't taught the recent history of our parents so we're ignorant of the events of most of the 60's and I certainly didn't grow up with all the racial slurs spouted in these passages! This was a revealing, thought-provoking take on what might have been behind the very real events and motivations of the movers and shakers in the Kennedy, Vietnam and Civil Rights era(s). Warning: this is beyond Elmore Leonard for grit.... Leonard is a tourist's sampling of noir compared to the violence here that compounds one's horror with the sneaking suspicion that much of it must be true.

I broke my fast for new books big time towards the end of the month due to a lovely gift card I couldn't resist spending ... I'm very much looking forward to reading and gifting these (the parenting book is a gift I don't currently need myself though I LOVE the title The Three-Martini Playdate!) in the month(s)to come.

First Half June Reads, Borrows & Bought

I finished two books in the first days of June so my month is artificially weighted this round.   To get a jump on this, I'll split my record into first & second half this month.  Good news: I've made it through half the month without borrowing or buying any new books (whew!).

China Mieville came to Powells at the end of May, inspiring me to pick up a couple of his books and hear his reading (or rather his delightful vocabulary and British accent!).  He writes what some call "weird fiction" but I would describe as a cross between steam punk and modern lit.  I'm always on the lookout for new, smart takes on fantasy since I love the genre but have to filter through a lot of crap to find the gems.  It's been awhile  since I've attended a book reading and this time exceeded my expectations for a few reasons - 1) Mieville is marvelously clever and a joy to listen to (and fun to look at!) & 2) the audience made for excellent people-watching and they asked interesting questions rather than the pretentious I-worked-on-this-question-for-a-week-so-I-would-sound-deep questions I'm used to cringing at during modern lit author readings (or worse, poetry readings!).

My first reading of Mieville was his foray into children's books & while the tale didn't blow me away, it encouraged me to read more if only to see how he continually creates new worlds to explore.

Now, to hit the highlight of the month so far...  my book club read The Help by Kathryn Stockett several months ago and I chose to read the alternate book instead because I thought the story would be heavy and depress me.  I didn't hear much of the conversation about the book but in the intervening months, a friend here and there have mentioned how much they liked the book and wanted to discuss it.  Then, with the impending movie (and I like Emma Stone so I'll likely see it), I finally decided to plunge in and read the tale. 
I was blown away.  I found the characters so incredibly vivid and believable, and could empathize alike with those breaking with and those brainwashed by their culture.  The story has a little bit of everything; a girl establishing her independence, racial issues, class issues, familial love and conflict, danger, history, loss and hope.  Instead of a story of ignorance and blame, this was a story of one woman's emergence from Plato's cave and the myriad impacts in her life both difficult and wonderful.  If there is a moral to the story, it matches that of "Mean Girls:" we are all women facing similar challenges in the world... if we would just help each other, we can change our lives and our futures for the better.

May Reads, Borrows and Bought

This was a month of sampling multiple books at once before knuckling down to finish any.  As a result, 3 of my books completed the first week of June which sorely tested me for my chronological reporting.  However, I will stick to the facts and use this as an excuse to say a little more on my fewer reads than I normally post for a respectible number. 

Despite the few completions, this was a banner month for picking up books: the library had a sale, an author came for a book reading to Portland, and Borders had too many great coupons!  As a result, my vice is extremely apparent this month but I'm excited about the selections and already anticipate getting through several in the month of June!