weekend graphic novel binge

when i start my new job (still a few months off, sadly) i will be developing and maintaining the teen and adult graphic novel collections. really exciting, as graphic novels are rapidly becoming another of my oysters. i did a project on graphic novels/manga promoting literacy in teens last semester and since then i’ve been all in.

i was feeling the beginnings of an ear infection while at work on friday, and snow was in the forecast, so i decided to turn the weekend into a full on graphic novel binge. aside from friday night, which is always date night with my beloved, saturday night (ms. s’ b’day party) and sunday night (AHAS meeting) i have been reading reading reading. reading in bed. reading in the recliner. reading in the bathtub. a short break for homework. but mostly reading.

here are the fruits of my labor:

Miki Falls: Spring, by Mark Crilley

Type: global manga (reads front to back and left to right, but characters are manga style)

Miki starts her senior year of high school vowing to stop worrying about what other people think. So when the cute new student, Hiro, is a giant jerkface to everyone, she sees past his tough facade and makes friends with him. BUT Hiro has a secret, one that may destroy their friendship! Crilley’s artwork is some of the best I’ve seen, and (bonus!) he’s coming to do a program at our library in April.

Fruits Basket: Volume 3, by Natsuki Tayaka

Type: shojo manga (reads from back to front, right to left, packaged for high school girls)

The continuing story of Tohru Honda, who, after being orphaned and losing her tent to high winds, is taken in by the Sohma family: Shigure, Yuki, and Kyo. But wait! The Sohmas have a secret! Whenever they are hugged by a member of the opposite sex, they turn into a member of the Chinese Zodiac! In this volume, we meet Hatsuharu, the ox. (moo!) Excellent fun.

Agnes Quill: an Anthology of Mystery, by Dave Roman

Type: comic style western graphic novel

Agnes has inherited the ability to communicate with ghosts. Sounds exciting, right? Too bad. I didn’t like it. Each chapter is illustrated by a different graphic novelist, some of whom were way too busy and difficult to read, and the stories were underdeveloped.

Alice 19th: Volume 1, by Yu Watase

Type: shojo manga

Poor Alice. Her beautiful blond older sister Mayura has a crush on the same boy she likes: the enigmatic Kyo. Alice doesn’t stand a chance until one morning, when she darts into traffic to rescue a stray bunny. In turn, Kyo rescues Alice AND bunny from being hit by a car. But wait! This is no ordinary bunny, it’s a magical bunny girl sent to teach Alice to speak the truth from her heart!

Avalon High Coronation: Volume one, by Meg Cabot and Jinky Coronado. (best. name. everrr.)

type: western graphic novel, similar in style to “betty & veronica” ie ridiculously large breasts.

Ellie thought she was just an ordinary high school student, dating an ordinary football quarterback. But wait! Her boyfriend Will is no ordinary football quarterback, he is none other than the reincarnation of King Arthur! Except that he refuses to believe it, meaning that he will not fulfill his prophesy in time and the world will end. But who has time to think about that when Ellie’s just been nominated for homecoming queen??

Bleach: Volume 1, by Tite Kubo

Type: shonen manga (packaged for high school boys but enjoyed by all, obviously, action/sports)

Ichigo Kurosaki is an ordinary high school student. But wait! He can communicate with ghosts! (does this sound familiar?) And furthermore, how did that mysterious soul reaper get into his bedroom? And why is she telling him that he needs to carry a big sword and rescue good ghosts from bad ghosts? And…is she kinda cute?

A happy weekend indeed…

the big two four

yesterday was ms. s’ birthday. we had a little party in our little apartment.

i made this cake:

and no, i have never even taken a cake decorating class.

conversation with mr. elderly frenchman #1

I had been helping him interloan books written in French, a rather complicated process involving lots of typing and head-scratching, since the interloan catalog stubbornly refuses to understand French.

Mr. E.F.: merci beaucoup!

me: (trying to be impressive but drawing giant blank)… OUI!

Mr. E.F.: (chuckles and walks away)

me: wait…au revoir!!

Mr. E.F.: Au revoir!

I wish I knew how to say ‘you’re welcome’ in French.

(retro) conversation with todd #1

my beloved and i are sitting at his desk in the studio, waiting for the weekend field trip to leave.

todd: (meanders up) do either of you happen to have a packet of mayonnaise?

us: ….no

todd: (wandering sadly away) i just hate a dry sandwich.

conversation with todd* #2

*not his real name

me: (sits innocently at architecture convention, waiting for beloved to finish something or other)

todd: (walks up to me and lurks in my line of vision)

me: hi

todd: hi

me: how’s it going

him: (reverent silence) …I met someone

me: oh?

him: yeah. we’re going to hang out. i really like her.

me: well, that’s great.

him: yeah, she says she’s seeing someone…but she didn’t use the word ‘boyfriend’ so i think this could be good. i really like her. she’s young too.

me: (speechless)

well well well.

i seem to have fallen into some gainful employment (aka full time dream job- teen services librarian!!) starting very part time now, full time after graduation. no one is more surprised than i.

1-18-08 rollcall

worked 8 hours yesterday, nearly all of which were on the desk. did i mind? no i did not. i love the desk. the desk is my oyster.

reference question rollcall!

-biography of hearst

-”The Infidel”

-The Closer Season 3? (not out yet, actually)

-Lori Wick series: what is the difference? do we have them all? can i put holds on them all? (yes you can.)

-lost 2 year old wearing red jacket. enjoys hiding to scare his mother. this one took 20 minutes, by the end of which there was a frantic mother near tears. several phone calls were made to all floors. 2 year old located by mr. e. upstairs hiding in computer lab.

-mr. elderly frenchman came in; i am very fond of him. he’d been to the basic email class last week and had been helped to sign up for email, however, now he could not remember his username or password. sadly i could not help very much.

-video game thieves struck again

-books about rats, raccoons, and owls.

-where are the tintin books?

-where is the jungle book?

-architect came in wanting to take photos of the library because he is designing one.

-books about the 1918 flu pandemic and its effect on people’s lives. this was fun and spurred the conversation topic “what is your favorite plague?” with my coworker. his: bubonic. mine: red death, as in “masque of the” until we discovered that edgar allen poe actually made it up, at which point i changed my answer to yellow fever.

-phone number for B. F. chen’s. did not take long to figure out which chain restaurant she really meant.

-karen kingsbury books.

-do you have the textbook for my college physiology class? i need it, um, now. (sorry, no).

-books about computers

-books about modern architecture

-oh, i didn’t mean modern architecture, i meant fireplace design

-my computer won’t scroll

-how late are you open?

-is the new pirates of the carribean movie in? (no.)

-i need to call my mom

-i need to call my mom too

-i need to call my mom again

and a few more that i forgot to write down. how could you not love this job?

and in the morning, there were post-its on the wall

my beloved has gone to the big city for the weekend, to participate in some sort of conference at which he expects to have a horrible time. i am home, therefore, all alone with an escaped murderer running around and around the neighborhood, no doubt planning to seek refuge in this very apartment, instead of wisely leaving town as there are posters of his sulky face plastered all over campus.

so last night ms. s came over to keep me company. i had procured a copy of HB0’s miniseries Elizabeth I, as i am currently very into stories of the british monarchy which have been sexified and scandled up for my entertainment– thank you, philippa greg0ry! so we went to visit the lovely mediterranean family effort down the road to see about refreshments. came home with a bottle of pink boone’s farm (for nostalgia!), a bottle of dreadful cheap aussie chardonnay (had a koala bear on the lable!) (not a bear! a marsupial!) and some lovely squashy oatmeal cookies. only spent 10 dollars! hmmm.

on the wall this morning:

“i just don’t like assholes.” — ms. s

“isn’t it funny that they lived back then and put mercury on their faces and we live now and have robot vacuums?” –me

“the dutch have no religion, they have cheese!” –helen mirren as elizabeth I. how true, how very true.

The Nature of Jade- Deb Caletti

High school senior Jade DeLuna’s life is saved by a herd of elephants. Was she really in danger? Depends who you ask. Jade has panic disorder, and her brain tricks her into thinking that even ordinary situations are dangerous. There are things that help: cough drops, patron saint candles, tapping door frames, and watching the Seattle zoo elephant webcam on her computer.

Jade’s not sure why these gigantic, borderline frightening animals calm her down. But one day she signs the volunteer waiver, climbs into overalls, and walks into the elephant house. Subsequently, she spends her afternoons bathing and playing with elephants.

Which is how she meets red jacket boy, whom she first glimpsed on the zoo webcam. He’s even better in person, and soon Jade has a secret boyfriend to run to while things with her friends and family are driving her crazy. Jade, like her name, is unexpectedly strong, and by the end of the book she and her readers have almost forgotten about her anxiety.

I loved being in Jade’s head- the writing is solid and her thoughts are intriguing. I also loved the Seattle setting for obvious reasons…Caletti spends part of her time on a houseboat and part in Issaquah, not too far from where my parents live.

ps- there is an escaped murderer loose in my neighborhood!

o hai

mrs. banana blogs again…