Fun Home - Alison Bechdel
I'm not sure why Duke University freshmen are giving this graphic novel such a hard time. While it does contain themes of changing adolescence and sexuality, they are entering college. The book shows us the author's personal struggles growing up (family drama, discovering the self/personal identity, making her mark on the world, etc.)...which would be the same general things these Duke freshmen would be (hopefully!) beginning to experience in college. Furthermore, as college students these kids should be open and wanting to learn about different cultures/perspectives. If they plan to be remotely successful, functioning members of society post-graduation, these students need to learn to accept being exposed to "different" themes. As usual, I am stuck and frustrated about how a person can shut down a book (saying it will "violate their Christian morals") without actually reading it. Being shielded or staying away from a certain topic or idea isn't going to make that topic go away. Alas, I have strayed from actually commenting much on the novel itself; it is a fabulous story that a reader of any age (above middle school) will find entertaining and engaging. The art and general comic style is also well thought out and developed. Oh, and did I mention this graphic novel has been made into an award-winning broadway musical? No?
Ready Player One - Ernest Cline
I'm not sure how this science fiction piece eluded me for so long...
Beat the Reaper - Josh Bazell
Immediately after finishing this book, I got on Amazon and ordered the sequel. Hopefully that says a bit about how great this book was. My boyfriend actually picked this book up for me because he thought is seemed a bit like Christopher Moore's A Dirty Job. He was spot on in that notion. Bazell has an eerily similar propensity for mixing the sardonic with the sad. Like Moore's pieces, I found myself laughing at things that I certainly had no right to be laughing at.
Orphan #8 - Kim van Alkemade
I picked up this novel with the notion of reading it only because it was written by an English professor from my Alumni (Shippensburg University). I put down this novel, finished, about two hours after I picked it up. I'm not sure how I managed to get so lucky with my summer book choices, but you definitely won't find me complaining.
The Sculptor - Scott McCloud
Saga - Brian K. Vaughan
Wool - Hugh Howey
An Ember in the Ashes - Sabaa Tahir
Secondhand Souls - Christopher Moore
I'm not sure why Duke University freshmen are giving this graphic novel such a hard time. While it does contain themes of changing adolescence and sexuality, they are entering college. The book shows us the author's personal struggles growing up (family drama, discovering the self/personal identity, making her mark on the world, etc.)...which would be the same general things these Duke freshmen would be (hopefully!) beginning to experience in college. Furthermore, as college students these kids should be open and wanting to learn about different cultures/perspectives. If they plan to be remotely successful, functioning members of society post-graduation, these students need to learn to accept being exposed to "different" themes. As usual, I am stuck and frustrated about how a person can shut down a book (saying it will "violate their Christian morals") without actually reading it. Being shielded or staying away from a certain topic or idea isn't going to make that topic go away. Alas, I have strayed from actually commenting much on the novel itself; it is a fabulous story that a reader of any age (above middle school) will find entertaining and engaging. The art and general comic style is also well thought out and developed. Oh, and did I mention this graphic novel has been made into an award-winning broadway musical? No?Ready Player One - Ernest Cline
I'm not sure how this science fiction piece eluded me for so long...
Immediately after finishing this book, I got on Amazon and ordered the sequel. Hopefully that says a bit about how great this book was. My boyfriend actually picked this book up for me because he thought is seemed a bit like Christopher Moore's A Dirty Job. He was spot on in that notion. Bazell has an eerily similar propensity for mixing the sardonic with the sad. Like Moore's pieces, I found myself laughing at things that I certainly had no right to be laughing at.
Orphan #8 - Kim van Alkemade
I picked up this novel with the notion of reading it only because it was written by an English professor from my Alumni (Shippensburg University). I put down this novel, finished, about two hours after I picked it up. I'm not sure how I managed to get so lucky with my summer book choices, but you definitely won't find me complaining.
The Sculptor - Scott McCloud
Saga - Brian K. Vaughan
Wool - Hugh Howey
An Ember in the Ashes - Sabaa Tahir
Secondhand Souls - Christopher Moore
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