Shout Outs aka 'The Shamless Plugs'

I was finally timely in both my comic purchasing and reading this month, allowing me to achieve my long goal of actually contributing this week to the 'This Week in Panels' section of the 4thletter! blog. Y'all should be following, kids. I've been a fan for awhile now, especially Gavok, whose love of 'What If' comics and Spider-Man villain Venom rivals (if not exceeds) me own. Thanks for mentioning my blog, Gavok. You rock.

Also, head on over to Graphic Novel Reporter (which you should be checking at least weekly anyway) 'cause my ol' pal John posted the list of Graphic Novels both 'hot' and 'new' that I selected (along with many other great people, including Karen Green from comiXology blogging fame) for Book Expo America 2011 this past Wednesday. This list is amazing, and will aid not only libraries with upcoming collection development decisions to make, but also many comic readers who are looking for a good story.

CURRENT: You by Charles Benoit

So, as a nice unexpected break from my graphic novel reading SLJ has sent me a chapter book by first time YA novelist Charles Benoit. The book is called "You" - which, is... well it's weirdly titled. I'm about halfway through it two days after I got it. It's a quick read at just 200+ pages. Reading a book fast for me is a good sign. I want to find out what happens. There's a weird kid in a sports jacket. The main character is in love with a girl named Ashley, but is really too scared to tell her. And you know something bad is going to happen. I usually don't like books that are all ominous, but this one is definitely doing it correctly. The book is coming out soon, and I really recommending heading to your local library and checking out a copy.

I know I promised a review of "Countdown" - I did finish it. I loved it. It's a cute book, and I'm talking to anyone who will listen about it. I'm taking some time to make the rounds at Book Expo America 2010. Following SLJ's Day of Dialog tomorrow, I have four new books that I picked up by the end of the day. The most promising is "Annexed" - a sort of re-telling of Anne Frank's story from the perspective of the boy she liked. While this might make some people pause conceptually, as no one wants to mess with that particular source material, I have a feeling this upcoming YA novel might be great. With me finishing up "You" so quickly, I might need something to read ASAP.

Brava! Brava!

Just one week left for the tea contest, so I am hard at work on reading Brava, Valentine. While I was initially worried I wouldn't be able to finish the book and review it in time, I'm finding Brava, Valentine to be a much more enjoyable read. Like the first book, it opens with a marriage; this time, Val's grandmother Teodora in Italy. Teodora throws Val a curve ball by giving her the family shoemaking business... but making her villainous brother Alfred the Chief Financial Officer of the company. The book continues many of the plot threads from the first book. While it's referential, you can probably enjoy the sequel without having to read the original. I think it's a true strength of the story. I'm off to Staten Island again tomorrow, so hopefully I'll finish the book and review this week. Be sure to follow my progress (and become my friend) on Goodreads.

I've been donating some of my graphic novels to the library, mainly to shorten my collection. It was getting kind of out of control. I might be doing a few retro-graphic novel reviews. The one I'm most excited about is re-reading Chuck Dixon's Robin Year One and telling you guys how awesome it is. If this would be helpful or something you'd like to read about, be sure to comment or send me an e-mail. School Library Journal has been sending me many graphic novels to review, so I'm sort of getting a feel for reviewing both the story and art within the texts. I mean, I always kind of did it in my head. So now it's nice to have a professional excuse.

With the Summer Reading season gearing up (and Book Expo America just around the corner! You KNOW I'm going!), I've been thinking about what I'd like to tackle for reading-wise. I'm probably most excited to read a book titled Countdown by Deborah Wiles. Scholastic provided me with an ARC. Other than that, I'm kind of open to reading the possibilities. Titles can be adult or young adult... heck, I'll even take children's literature suggestions. I haven't been keeping up with the publication news like I should be. A fellow librarian gave me Split by Swati Avasthi, so that may also be a contender after "Brava." What are y'all reading?