The Lightning Thief (Graphic Novel)

I wasn't planning to read this, but walking through the library last week it caught my eye on a shelf, so I picked up and decided to see how one of my favorites turned out in the graphic novel format. I tried it and liked it with Twilight, so I had high hopes. And you know, it was kind of fun. It didn't take long for me to read this and all the important key plot points were there (unlike the horrible, horrible movie which we will not discuss) with some fun illustrations. Rick Riordan's wit didn't quite translate over, which is why this graphic novel didn't totally click with me. Reducing this story to just the major plot moments got rid of Riordan's funny chapter titles, hilarious dialogue, and awesome action scenes - which wasn't a good thing for this book.

Jon took a look at it after I was done and wasn't very impressed either. So far, he's read the Lightning Thief graphic novel and seen the movie and he's just not understanding why I love the original book so much. I tell him he never will until he reads the book... There's really no replacement for Rick Riordan's unique storytelling style in its original format.

Reading this made me sooooo excited, though, because look what's coming out this fall...

I am such a fangirl when it comes to mythology in books!!! And really, I'm just a major fangirl for Rick Riordan. I have loved, loved, loved everything he's written.

Twilight Official Guide and Graphic Novel

I am a Twilight fan. I don't know why I feel so defensive about that. :D There's nothing wrong with the fact that I like Twilight. I'm not like all the screaming, crazy fans out there. I HATE the movies. I've seen them all, but that's just because I like the series. Are they fluffy, escapist novels? Yes. There's nothing wrong with that. Sometimes I wish I go back in time several years and just be me, the lone Twilight fan that I knew, along with my two sisters-in-law who introduced it to me. Now, I feel like labeling myself as a Twilight fan puts me in a cramped, massive room full of shouting, manic people. If that makes sense. Anyway, I've never claimed that Twilight is brilliant, genius literature. It's just that it's the kind of book I like to read sometimes. I love to get sucked into Stephenie Meyer's world. It's a bit magic, a bit suspense, a bit romance, and plenty of fun.

Anyway. So I checked out the new Official Guide from the library so I could decide if I wanted to buy it. I probably won't, unless I'm feeling particularly rich someday, but it was still fun to peruse. I mainly wanted to read it because of the 63, yes 63, page interview Stephenie Meyer did with Shannon Hale. Two of my favorite authors! I loved reading their conversation and felt like I could have been sitting right there, talking with friends. They discussed things I am really interested in too, not just obscure details about the series. I loved hearing more about their thoughts on writing and creating worlds.

Other than the interview, I wasn't much interested in the rest. I liked the fan art section and it was interesting to get a few more details on a few characters. Overall, I was glad I read it, but it's definitely not a necessity.

I also checked out part 1 of the Twilight graphic novel, just for fun:

It surprised me! I enjoyed it way more than I thought it would and it has gone on my to-buy list. It really visualized the story for me the way I imagined it while reading the book. Sooooooo much better than the movies. Infinitely better. The art was just gorgeous. My biggest complaint is that it splits the book into two parts. The second half won't be coming out until October. The cover will match up with the cover on the first book, which I thought was kind of cool.

So, if you're a Twilight fan too, I'd recommend the graphic novel and I'd recommend checking out the Offical Guide from the library to read an awesome long interview with Shannon Hale and Stephenie Meyer.

The Invention of Hugo Cabret

Delightful. That's how I'd describe the experience that this book is. And it really is an experience, because it's not a book you just read. If you notice, that shiny gold sticker is the Caldecott medal, NOT the Newbery. This is a 544 page-long picture book. But not really. This is what Brian Selznick has to say about Hugo: "... this is not exactly a novel, and it's not quite a picture book, and it's not really a graphic novel, or a flip book, or a movie, but a combination of all these things."

I love that the pictures tell part of the story. There are pages with words on them, but then there are several page-long picture sequences, and they really do tell the story better than if Selznick had written about what was going on. And it's a fabulous story. Hugo is a young thief in Paris, and he uncovers several secrets (while trying to hide a few of his own). I loved the story and learned a lot, surprisingly, about the early history of French cinema. Hugo has earned its way onto my 'to-buy' list. I highly recommend checking it out!

Calamity Jack

I finally got my hands on the sequel to Rapunzel's Revenge! This is a great book, and told from Jack's POV. Jack is hilarious, so this is a very funny read. It has some great new characters and, of course, killer illustrations. I never thought I'd love a graphic novel (that's the new term for comic book), but this is so great. Of course, Shannon Hale is magic. She could write an instruction manual for putting together a bookcase and it'd be fascinating. Anyway, this is a great read. My daughter loves these books, and I think they're great for all ages.