TBR Thursday: Graphic Novel Double Feature - The Wicked + Divine by Kieran Gillen and Aether & Empire by Mike Horan

TBR Thursdays is hosted by Kim @ Kimberly Faye Reads! This feature was created with the intent of spotlighting a title from your shelf that you planning on reading in order to discuss why you want to read it, as well to discuss the book with others! If you'd like to join, feel free to use the banner created by Kimberley (or your own), and stop by her page to participate.

I've got two graphic novels waiting for me on my TBR, so I've decided to feature both of them! Up first is Aether & Empire by Mike Horan, and second is The Wicked + Divine by Kieran GIllen. I'm already a little bit into Aether & Empire, but haven't had a chance to read more yet, so I'm excited to see how the story continues to go. The Wicked + Divine sounds really interesting and I've heard so many split opinions on it, so I can't wait to find out for myself. Read on for synopses!

Synopsis from Goodreads:

"At the height of Victoria's reign, a scientific expedition to Mars has vanished and the daring rescue mission is now a race against time and space. When control is wrested from fellow scientists and given to a heroic crew of Her Majesty's Navy, can the two groups work together to save the men of the first voyage? Jules Verne meets Star Trek in Aether & Empire, a tale of adventure, mystery, and terror from Blue Juice Comics! This volume collects Issues 1-6 of the comic book."

Aether & Empire by Mike Horan, Bong Dazo, and Tim Yates
Publication Date: December 6th, 2016
Blue Juice Comics

Synopsis from Goodreads: 

"Every ninety years, twelve gods incarnate as humans. They are loved. They are hated. In two years, they are dead. The team behind critical tongue-attractors like Young Avengers and PHONOGRAM reunite to create a world where gods are the ultimate pop stars and pop stars are the ultimate gods. But remember: just because you’re immortal, doesn’t mean you’re going to live forever."

The Wicked + Divine by Kieran Gillen, Jamie McKelvie (Illustrations), Matt Wilson (Colorist), Clayton Cowles

Publication Date: November 12th, 2014

Image Comics

Are you interested in reading these books? What books are on your TBR?

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TBR Thursday: Yvain: The Knight of the Lion by M. T. Anderson, illustrated by Andrea Offerman

This week I have decided to jump on board with TBR Thursdays, created by Kim @ Kimberly Faye Reads! This feature was created with the intent of spotlighting a title from your shelf that you planning on reading in order to discuss why you want to read it, as well to discuss the book with others! If you'd like to join, feel free to use the banner created by Kimberley (or your own), and stop by her page to participate.

For this week's TBR Thursday I realized  that I wanted to share an upcoming graphic novel that I'm excited to start - Yvain: The Knight of the Lion by M. T. Anderson. But this posed a problem: how does one share the first paragraph from a graphic novel? And then I realized that Barnes & Noble has the first few pages available as a sample, so I decided I would share it that way. So rather than a paragraph, I have provided roughly the equivalent of that in graphic novel format below. If you want to read a longer sample, one can be found here. I'm always interested in reading some good Arthurian lore, and this seems like it will be a great addition!

(*All images belong to the author, publisher, and illustrator. I claim ownership to nothing.)

Are you interested in reading this book? What books are on your TBR?

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Footnotes in Gaza by Joe Sacco

Footnotes in Gaza by Joe Sacco. Metropolitan Books, 2009. Hardcover. 432 pages.

Footnotes in Gaza has been on my radar for a while, but because of its size and the complexity of the content, I was always a bit intimidated by it. I finally picked up this hefty graphic novel because it was one of the options listed to read for a class I was taking this past winter quarter, because there's nothing like a school requirement to motivate you to do something, right?

Footnotes in Gaza is journalist Joe Sacco's exploration into two sparsely covered reports of massacres that occurred in Khan Younis and Rafah, both located in the Gaza Strip, during the 1956 Suez Canal Crisis. The facts of these events, what really happened, and who is at fault is still debated, but Sacco's aim was to find out -- from firsthand accounts and interviews -- what happened during these massacres.

This is a dense graphic novel. There is so much information packed into these pages that it took me an extremely long time to get through the entire thing. I found myself needing to stop a re-read a few pages to fully grasp what was going on before continuing on with the story. If you, like me, are unfamiliar with much of the content and the background of Israel-Palestine conflicts, then it takes a little time to fully understand the things which Sacco describes, but fortunately he does provide enough background information to make everything come together.

In addition to the obvious topic of the Khan Younis and Rafah massacres, this novel covers so much more than just those two events. Sacco takes his readers with him as he travels around the Gaza Strip in the present day (then 2003) to see the current conditions of those living in Palestinian land, and he also receives firsthand accounts about other periods of time in Israel and Palestine's tumultuous history.

This is an extremely compelling read, and there are no details left out. It is extremely heartbreaking and frustrating at times to read of the horrific violence and deplorable conditions those living both then and now experience. The illustrations are all done in black and white, but that does not in any way take away from their impact and meaning. He illustrates every story he is told, no matter how dramatic or devastating it is, which allows each person to have a face and a story to tell.

What I found particularly interesting about Sacco's journalism was that so many of the people he interviewed were perplexed by his interest in these two massacres -- why did he care about things that happened so long ago, when so many other thing had happened and were currently happening? To me, this brings up an important discussion about why events in history are important, even if they are just considered "footnotes."

Some people seem to claim the Sacco is too biased towards the Palestinians, but I do not personally feel that is the case. I saw Sacco as a mainly looking to find information on one particular event in one place, and that is exactly what he did. He told the accounts as he was told them, and he mentions many times that not all of these stories may be accurate.

Overall, I am giving Footnotes in Gaza four stars! I really enjoyed this graphic novel, but for me it was quite difficult to get through at times. Despite this, I still think it is an extremely important book about some rather unknown events that should be considered.

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The Chibok Girls by Helon Habila
Consequence by Eric Fair

Through the Woods by Emily Carroll

Through the Woods by Emily Carroll. Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2014. Hardcover. 208 pages.

This is, hands down, a book that I will come back to many times to reread over and over.  I received this book as a gift a few months ago and had yet to dive in, but I've been in a little bit a slump - what with university and other books I've been reading - and I knew I wanted something refreshing, short, and captivating. Through the Woods delivered all of those things and added more than I imagined.

Through the Woods contains a few relatively short, quick stories, but they have so many layers and so much depth that I truly feel like I would never get tired of them. These tales are all undeniably beautiful, haunting, and spine-tingling. Emily Carroll is a master at telling stories that say a great deal in very few words. The images contribute wonderfully and convey just as much as each word, causing both elements work hand-in-hand. This book is mystifying, beautiful, terrifying, and captivating. I'm not so sure I would recommend reading it at night (unless you're into feeling terrified alone in the dark). Though to be honest, I feel like this would be so much fun to read on a stormy night with some soft lighting (or candles) either by yourself or reading aloud with a few friends or family members. That would bring this book to a whole other level... but I digress.

The pages and illustrations are gorgeous. I love the glossy pages with colors so vibrant you feel like you're holding a much more expensive book in your hands. (I felt overwhelmed with how beautiful it is.) The colors are so vibrant and have a wonderfully haunting quality due to their vibrant hues - the reds and blacks dominate and draw attention to the most captivating parts of each image. It's truly a masterpiece.

Overall, Through the Woods will be receiving a very ecstatic five stars. Go read it!

                          

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Warren the 13th and the All-Seeing Eye by Tania del Rio, illustrated by WIlliam Stadht
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