a few words on vampires.

sometime around my first public library job, this book for teens came out. twilight by stephenie meyer. all the high school girls went gaga.

me: oh wow, you’re like the 80th person who’s asked me about that book this week.

girl: OMG, i’ve already read it 6 times. it’s about this girl who transfers high schools and falls in love with this guy and he’s a vampire. and then she wants to be a vampire too.

me: (thinking) that is the stupidest thing i have ever heard.

girl: i can’t believe you haven’t read it.

then the second one came out, and i went through the same thing at the next public library i worked at. and when the third one came out, i was working at yet another public library, where i was once more told that i could not live and breathe another day without reading these books. so i read them. and you know what? i LOVED the first one. could not put it down. that girl was right: bella DOES fall in love with this guy, and he IS a vampire.

but the second one was kind of lame, and much longer. see, this other vampire who isn’t bella’s boyfriend wants to eat bella. and then she starts hanging out with a werewolf. and the third one? was the longest YA novel ever in the whole wide world. there are a bunch of vampires in italy, and they also want to eat bella, and more werewolves, and something. dragged on and on and on and on. but it was okay, because i thought it was the last one.

this week, i found out that she is releasing a 4th on august 2. SIGH. and of course it will be obscenely long, but of course i have to read it because there is a particular event, which meyer could have kindly written into the 2nd book and put us out of our misery, but of course she didn’t, she’s stretching it alllll out- anyway, i NEED to know if this particular event is finally going to happen.

but what really goads me? about this 4th book? is that the list price is $22.99. for a YA book. come AWWWN.

so i’m just saying, this better be the last one.

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…