Friday, August 04, 2017

Short Booknotes on Graphic Novels 24, plus a bonus.

These are some books I have read recently that I borrowed from my local public library. They were quick reads, so I am just doing some quick review notes on them.


Pénélope Bagieu (author) and Nanette McGuinness (translator), California Dreamin'. New York: First Second, 2017. ISBN: 9781626725461. 

This is a life of Ellen Cohen, better known by her stage name of Cass Elliot. Cass Elliot was a member of the 1960s band The Mamas and the Papas. The book has an entertaining and moving narrative. It is also humorous at times. We get her life from childhood until the time the title song becomes famous. Each chapter is told mainly from the view of someone in her life. In addition, the art is nice, done in black and white; it is lively. I really liked it. It is a solid biography. The end of the book features a small list of sources and a musical playlist. To note in the end: her friends and her were extremely  dysfunctional, yet she kept her vision, and with the talent she had, she got her dream. This edition is a translation from a French original work.

4 out of 5 stars.

Jason Aaron, et.al., Star Wars, Volume 2: Showdown on the Smuggler's Moon. New York: Marvel Comics,  ISBN: 978-0-7851-9214-5.

This volume is part of the Star Wars series now owned by Disney. It covers issues 7-12 of the Star Wars comic. The story takes place between Episode 4: A New Hope (i.e. the original Star Wars movie) and Episode 5: The Empire Strikes Back. There are two stories in this volume. The main story is Luke Skywalker searching for information and sources about the Jedi. His lightsaber is stolen, and he gets trapped by a Hutt who plans to use him in his arena. Meanwhile, a woman from Han Solo's past threatens him and Leia Organa. It is a good and entertaining story with great pacing. The art is very colorful. The second story is of Obi-Wan Kenobi on Tatooine, from Kenobi's journal. Overall, I think this is one that fans will find satisfying.

4 out of 5 stars.


Jim Davis, Garfield: Lard of the Jungle. New York: Ballantine Books, 2011. ISBN: 9780345525840. 

I continue to read and enjoy this comic This time, it's the 52nd book in the series, and we get the usual clean fun here. Among the highlights, Jon gets a new cellphone. This may take you back to when you got your first cellphone. How many of you remember that? Another amusing comic is Jon remembering some previous dates and girlfriends some of these descriptions are cringe-worthy but still amusing. 4 out of 5 stars.

Diane Muldrow, Everything I Need to Know About Love I Learned from a Little Golden Book. New York: Golden Books, 2014. ISBN: 9780553508758.

Diane Muldrow continues her series small life lessons from the art in Little Golden Books. This time she focuses on love and romance. Though you can read this at any time, this volume is clearly targeted for the Valentine's Day audience. Overall, it is a cute and charming book for adults, and it can be a nice trip down memory lane. If you have enjoyed others in the series, you will enjoy this one as well. 4 out of 5 stars.

No comments: