TGIF! Seriously, it has been a long week and I am looking forward to some weekend relaxing. The weather is supposed to be lovely, I have a stack of books just waiting for my attention, and I have the whole weekend off. This week I brought home five graphic novels and managed to finish three. The first order of business was to catch up on a couple of series that I read.
Chi’s Sweet Home by Konami Kanata is a charming all-ages manga series that follows the life of a stray kitten and the family that adopts her. Chi is mischievous and precocious and often find’s herself in some precarious situations. Volume 6 contains my all-time favorite Chi incident: pigeon stalking. I laughed out loud at the eight pages showing Chi trying to catch a pigeon that was walking down the sidewalk. This volume is full of gems like this. Pushing things down the stairs, attacking a houseplant, making new friends, and getting a new collar are all part of Chi’s daily adventures.
I went straight from adorable kittens to vampires with The Lake of Souls, the tenth installment of the Cirque du Freak manga series.
I really like the Cirque du Freak: The Manga by Darren Shan. I did not read the original books and was overwhelmed at the idea of starting a 13 book series, but I was looking for non-sparkly vampires that would have guy appeal. The manga was the perfect solution. The series follows Darren Shan, a young half-vampire as he rises through the ranks of the vampire society. Certainly not cute and cuddly, but great fun and action-packed.
Finally, I read Page by Paige by Laura Lee Gulledge. This one satisfied two reading challenges-graphic novel and debut author.
Page by Paige is the story of how Page Turner (yeah, her parent’s are writers) copes with her new life in New York City through her art. She struggles insecurity, loneliness, and her big secret: she wants to be an artist. She slowly makes friends and begins sharing her art first with them, and then with a larger audience. I really liked this one. The black and white art is simple but powerful and it tells it’s own story. This autobiographical debut is heartfelt and inspirational. Fans of Cecil Castellucci’s Plain Janes and Janes in Love will enjoy this books.
Time to wrap it up. I will leave you with my thoughts on last night’s Project Runway.
1. The chiffon outfit was hideous. What were they thinking?
2. Bert and Viktor were obnoxious. I loved Bert after the first episode but now I think I am over him.
3. What’s the deal with Oliver? Fake accent? Still bitter about the awful dogbed sherpa top. Super ugly.
Have a great weekend!
Happy Reading!
˜Megan
YA? Why Not? 