Discworld – The City Watch Novels

Today’s post is from Erik at Schimelpfenig Library:

  

  

Discworld: The City Watch novels by Terry Pratchett

Terry Pratchett’s Discworld novels may seem entirely overwhelming at first, after all there are over 35 of them and they seem to just keep coming.  However, when you know how they work then the whole idea gets much easier to swallow.  Sure, there are a bunch of them BUT they are actually conveniently grouped into a series of books each pertaining to a different character set in Discworld, for example the City Watch novels I’ll be talking about today.  Clear as mud?  Well, stick with me cause there’s a big payoff at the end.

The City Watch novels consist of 6 books: Guards, Guards!, Men at Arms, Feet of Clay, The Fifth Elephant, Night Watch and Thud!.  They all follow the exploits of the much-put-upon City Watch of Ankh-Morpork, Discworld’s largest city, led by Sam Vimes, Sgt. Fred Colon, “Nobby” Nobbs and Carrot Ironfoundersson (who might just be the rightful heir to the whole darn city).  As the story goes, the cast of characters grows but it mostly stays centered around this group.  The stories are basic police procedural mysteries (albeit with a quirky set of procedures) set in a town where technology meets fantasy meets cornball humor meets highbrow pathos.  The characters are fantastic, some of the best written in fantasy literature and they form the main hook for the stories.  It’s not that the writing isn’t good, it’s wonderful, it’s just that the characters are that much better.

There are other discworld series that focus on different character sets such as The Witch novels, Rincewind, Death, Moist Von Lipwig and even a series for the teens about a young witch named Tiffany Aching.  They range from about 3-6 books in length and most are still growing.  There is some overlapping of characters (Death makes and appearance in every book) but there is nothing that takes away from the characters primary arc.  The Watch novels are my personal favorites but all of them are absolutely wonderful and you will develop your favorites over time as you get attached to certain characters. 

My advice, read the first book or two in each series, you can literally track them down anywhere, and see what you like.  If you’re anything like me, you’ll like them all and you’ll find that you can’t wait for the next one no matter who Terry Pratchett decides it’s about.  And I will try over the course of the next several weeks to cover some of the other character sets, just to whet your appetite.  Look at it this way, at 37+ novels and growing, these may be able to keep you busy reading for quite a while!

Understanding Comics

Today’s post is from Cecily at Haggard Library:

Understanding Comics: the Invisible Art by Scott McCloud

Have you ever looked at a comic book or graphic novel and not quite understood how to read it?  Have you ever assumed they’re just for kids, or not as good as “real” books?  Do you enjoy comics already, and want a better appreciation for the creative process and the logic behind telling stories through pictures and not just words?  In this 240-page comic book about comic books, McCloud makes the art form accessible to everyone by exploring everything from iconicity to the use of color.  This is a great, entertaining ”read” that will give you a better grasp not just on comics, but on the visual arts in general.

Tonoharu, Part One

Today’s post is from Laura at Davis Library:

Tonoharu, Part One by Lars Martinson

Dan is an English teacher in Japan trying to decide whether to stay on for another year. On one hand, it’s a pretty easy job with good pay for just a few hours’ work every day. On the other, he’s the only English-speaker in town, bored with his job, and desperately lonely.

This volume begins with Dan’s arrival in Japan. The person he is replacing seems glad to be leaving, and Dan wonders if that’s a bad sign. He meets another American, who already has friends in Japan and is a lot less bewildered by the situation than he. She becomes his unwilling lifeline, the person he calls when he has questions and when he’s feeling lonely, but it’s totally one-sided. What else can he do, though, with no one else to call?

 Tonoharu, a graphic novel for adults,  does a wonderful job expressing Dan’s isolation and the feeling of being newly out of college with no idea what to do next. It’s a simple story, but the emotions run deep, and you can’t help but hurt for him. I’m looking forward to volume two.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Greg Heffley’s Journal

Today’s post is from Erik at Schimelpfenig Library:

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Greg Heffley’s Journal  by Jeff Kinney

I remember the sixth grade very well.  I remember how my idea of what was cool somehow didn’t jive with the more widely accepted definition.  I got my first pair of glasses in the sixth grade and to this day I wonder if seeing was worth enduring the future “joys” of junior high and high school.   You see, unbeknownst to me when I got them, the glasses I picked had Superman’s logo on the earpiece.  I was just thrilled thinking what actually seeing the chalkboard was going to do for my grades.  So there I was walking the halls trying to figure out who all the other kids were talking about when I heard them singing the Superman theme or asking me where my cape was.  And so it went…for six more years.  The upshot of all this being that after years of hallway incidents, I am completely unable to be tripped by a human being; low-hanging tree branches however still pose a significant threat since I have never learned not to read and walk at the same time.  Oh yeah, and I am totally able to accept criticism, so fire away with the comments!

All of which brings us to today’s post.  I don’t know if you, or possibly your kids, have gone through any similar experiences to those of Greg Heffley but take it from those of us that have; the book hits a home-run and I would recommend it to child and parent alike.  Sequels are coming fast and furious and I hear tell there is even a movie on the horizon for next year so jump on board with the rest of us nerds, geeks and wimps and enjoy the ride.

And hey, if you happen to catch me in the hallways, I’ll be happy to tell you my own junior high talent show experience.  Let’s just say it falls slightly short of Susan Boyle’s.

Skim

Today’s post is from Laura at Davis Library:

Skim by Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki

Kim Cameron (Skim) is an overweight teenager with a lousy best friend, recently divorced parents, and a crush on her English teacher. Rather than making things even worse for Kim, this beautifully crafted story takes its time to illustrate Kim’s realistic journey through the confusion, loneliness, and unexpected high points of junior year.

Slice-of-everyday-life books are hard to describe without feeling like you’re giving too much away. Over the course of the story, Kim attends a Wicca meeting that turns out to be an AA group, develops an unlikely friendship with a popular classmate, comes to terms with her father’s new relationship, makes some bad decisions, and makes some very, very good ones.

The art of Skim perfectly matches Kim’s own relationship to the world–sketchy and abstract when she’s in her own head, detailed and more sharply focused when she’s interacting with family and friends. Recommended for older high school students and adults.

The Watchmen

Today’s post is from Erik at Schimelpfenig Library.

The Watchmen by Alan Moore (writer) and Dave Gibbons (art).

I’ve written before of transcendent literature and I honestly can’t conceive a better example of that concept than the graphic novel, The Watchmen.  This is not your normal super-hero story filled with super-heroes doing super things; this is the story of real people trying to live their lives in a very troubled time.  It just so happens that they used to do so, in capes and masks.  The story and the characters are as complex, layered and well-developed as any traditional novel and better than most.  The art, of which I was not originally a fan, grows on you and re-reading it now I couldn’t imagine any other artist being responsible for the graphic portrayal of these characters.

 I could pontificate about how wonderful I think the book is but in all honesty I wouldn’t do it justice.  It’s won awards that speak to its quality; namely The Hugo Award for the Best Fantasy and Science Fiction work and it was named one of Time Magazines Top 100 Best Novels.  Ever.  It has changed the way society views what can and can’t be accomplished with graphic storytelling and paved the way for such writers as Neil Gaiman, Peter David and Brad Meltzer.  One word of warning, it IS a very adult story, with fairly graphic (no pun intended) violence and content so you may want to leave your notions of what a “funny book”  should be at the door and enjoy storytelling at its very finest.

 Briefly, the story is this:  The Comedian, ex-Watchmen and current government operative, has been murdered.  One of his old associates, the dangerously unbalanced Rorschach, wants to know why and if someone out there is targeting masks.  With that relatively straight-forward beginning, the story starts.  I would not want to ruin it for you by telling you what happens, just be assured that you will enjoy the ride.  And when you’re done, give the movie a try, it’s excellent as well.