[bks, cmx]

.

I'm going to fall short of average this year in books read. In part because I haven't been reading as many comics as usual. Looking over these last few books though, I wonder if I haven't been repenting.


067) Nurse Nurse by Katie Skelly, finished November 3

Here's the setup. Nurses dispatched through the solar system to deal with atmosphere poisoning. With 1960s uniforms and a B-movie vibe and an indie comix sensibility what with hallucinations and surreality and weird sex&violence asides. Nothing shocking here, but a pleasant read.

It's published Sparkplug Books which I understand is run in part by Tom Neely whose work is pretty incredible. So there's an endorsement for you.

But if you wish for a Yellow Submarine in black and white with a bit of grotesque violence and plenty swag and killer butterflies, here's a book for you.

an evening



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066) Best American Comics 2012 edited by Françoise Mouly, finished November 3

Another great-enough collection filled with usual suspects (including Gary Panter---the emperor's naked, folks!) and new faces. Some wildly surreal stuff and painfully realistic stuff. Some stuff I never want my kids to see and a cool new kids' section in the same volume.

One of my favorites was Jordan Crane's Elsewhere which is rather hard to run down. I cannot explain this.

My second most-likely-to-chase-down is probably Scott Chantler's "The Battle of Buron" which thank goodness is for sale (it's part of this book).

month or two



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065) Everything We Miss by Luke Pearson, finished November 1

This is one of the best comics I've read this year. And I have no idea how I got it. The library sent me an email saying my book had come in. Everything We Miss? By Luke Pearson? What's that? So I picked it up at the library and did not recognize the cover at all.

Huh. A comic book.

I thought it might have been excerpted in the 2012 Best American Comics that I'm reading, but no. Don't recognize this at all. As I read it. Check the BAC ToC online. Nope.

How did I get this? No idea. I have a vague memory (false?) of the main girl's face and the existence of a breakup, but no page had I read before. Very mysterious.

But I'm glad I did.

Thesis: kuraaazy stuff is happening all around us all the time, but we don't see it. Rather than scanning the pages I had planned to share, I'll just share the first couple from Pearson's website (you can read more here; nsfw):

Besides the main couple and the unseen forces and happenstance keeping them apart, the story is filled with moments unsettling and whimsical and sad. It's a moving little piece, with nice recurring symbols and a bit of hidden cheer to leaven the hidden sadnesses.

I'll be checking for more of Pearson's work.

not long at all



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064) Amulet: Prince of the Elves by Kazu Kibuishi, finished October 30
063) Amulet: The Last Council by Kazu Kibuishi, finished October 25

Much like the first three, my kids loved these. I enjoyed them too, but I don't know that my interest will last until the next book comes out. Not enough to reread them all, mefears.

I am a terrible father.

three days each



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062) iPlates: Volume One by Stephen Carter and Jett Atwood, finished October 22

See my full review here.

evening





Previously in 2012 . . . . :


Read the review of 68.
068) Up the Down Staircase by Bel Kaufman, finished November 6

Read the reviews of 57-61.
061) Amulet: The Cloud Searchers by Kazu Kibuishi, finished October 14
060) Amulet: The Stonekeeper's Curse by Kazu Kibuishi, finished October 13
059) Amulet: The Stonekeeper by Kazu Kibuishi, finished October 10
058) Feedback by Robison Wells, finished October 9
057) Mormons in the Media, 1830-2012 by Jared Farmer, finished October 8

Read the review of 56.
056) The Garden of the World by Lawrence Coates, finished October 5

Read the reviews of 52-55.
055) The Skin I'm In by Sharon G. Flake, finished September 27
054) Lote That Dog by Sharon Creech, finished September 25
053) Hate That Cat by Sharon Creech, finished September 24
052) Wormwood, Gentleman Corpse: It Only Hurts When I Pee by Ben Templesmith, finished September 24

Read the reviews of 49-51.
051) The Zabîme Sisters by Aristophane, finished September 20
050) Little Death by Thomas Kriebaum, finished September 16
049) God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater by Kurt Vonnegut, finished September 11

Read the reviews of 44-48.
048) American Nerd: The Story of My People by Benjamin Nugent, finished September 7
047) Powers by Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Avon Oeming, finished September 6
046) Simply Science by a number of authors and illustrators for All Aboard Reading, finished September 5
045) Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex by Mary Roach, finished September 3
044) The Strange Case of the Walking Corpse: A Chronicle of Medical Mysteries, Curious Remedies, and Bizarre but True Healing Folklore by Nancy Butcher, finished August 27

Read the reviews of 40-43.
043) How to Analyze the Works of Stephenie Meyer by Marcela Kostihova, finished August 13
042) The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie, finished August 10
041) Captain America: Man Out of Time by Mark Waid and Jorge Molina, finished August 1
040) If You Believe in Mermaids . . . Don't Tell by A.A. Philips, finished July 28

Read the reviews of 37-39.
039) The Smartest Man in Ireland by Mollie Hunter, finished July 27
038) Blockade Billy / Morality by Stephen King, finished July 12
037) Dispirited by Luisa M. Perkins, finished July 9

Read the reviews of 34-36.
036) Hyperion by Dan Simmons, finished July 2
035) A Short Stay in Hell by Steven L. Peck, finished June 27
034) Kampung Boy by Lat, finished June 22

Read the reviews of 29-33.
034) The Giant Joshua by Maurine Whipple, finished June 20
033) Fantastic Mr Fox by Roald Dahl, finished June 18
032) Wicked Plants by Amy Stewart, "finished" June 18
031) Make the Bread, Buy the Butter by Jennifer Reese, "finished" June 15
030) The Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon, finished June 9
029) Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community, and War by Nathaniel Philbrick, finished early June

Read the reviews of 25-28.
028) Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, finished May 24
027) The Lover’s Dictionary by David Levithan, finished May 16
026) The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows, finished May 10
025) Dominant Traits by Eric Freeze, finished April 10

Read the reviews of 21-24.
024) The Elements of Style by William Strunk, Jr., and E.B. White, finished April 2
023) UNTITLED MS by Kyle Jepson, finished March 12, 2012
022) The Complete Peanuts 1981-1982 by Charles M. Schulz, finished March 4
021) The True Meaning of Smekday by Adam Rex, finished March 3

Read the reviews of 14-20.
020) Billy Hazelnuts by Tony Millionaire, finished February 25
019) Good-bye, Chunky Rice by Craig Thompson, finished February 26
018) Madman 20th Anniversary Monster HC by [everybody], finished February 25
017) Billy Hazelnuts and Crazy Bird by Tony Millionaire, finished February 25
016) Billy Hazelnuts by Tony Millionaire, finished February 25
015) Habibi by Craig Thompson, finished February 20
014) The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: 1910 by Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill, finished February 15

Read the reviews of 12-13.
013) Assassination Vacation by Sarah Vowell, finished February 12
012) Black Hole by Charles Burns, finished February 11

Read the reviews of 6-11.
011) The Complete Peanuts: 1979-1980 by Charles M. Schulz, finished February 4
010) Blankets by Craig Thompson, finished February 4
009) Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut, finished February 2
008) The Millstone Necklace (forthcoming) by S.P. Bailey, finished January 31
007) American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang, finished January 27
006) Across a Harvested Field by Robert Goble, finished January 23

Read the reviews of 1-5.
005) Hark! a Vagrant! by Kate Beaton, finished January 21
004) The Death of a Disco Dancer by David Clark, finished January 12
003) Bucketfoot Al: The Baseball Life of Al Simmons by Clifton Blue Parker, finished January 9
002) Uncle Montague's Tales of Terror by Chris Priestly, finished January 9
001) What of the Night? by Stephen Carter, finished January 5