comics – Bookspoils

The Perfect Fall Read: Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell, Faith Erin Hicks

October 12, 2019October 12, 2019 bookspoilsLeave a comment

Pumpkinheads - bookspoils Ah, there’s nothing quite as comforting to me as settling into a new Rainbow Rowell release. Having re-read all her books countless times, I take particular joy in any new works.

Plus, having that familiarity with her books, it’s funny noticing how this graphic novel didn’t have the main characters sit on the floor by the bed, which is something I’ve hit upon recently when browsing through her writing. Carry On caught my attention with this scene mentioning it: “…and sits on the floor at the end of his bed, even though the room is full of comfortable things to sit on.”

Moving on, Pumpkinheads feels like the quintessential fall read that makes you want to cozy up in your layers.

Pumpkinheads- bookspoils

Also, any time I have to type the word “pumpkin,” I just think back to Fangirl‘s Cath cringing at Levi’s misspelling. Now I’m ultra-aware of the word.

And I adored so much in this read that it’s best summed up here:

Why is Josiah the perfect visualization of Levi? Like, all the plaid and farm boy vibes are screaming “Levi!” at me. All he’s missing is that infamous Carhartt jacket. I mean does this move not scream “Levi!” to you: Josiah is like if Levi had anxiety in social settings, especially romantic ones.

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Luckily, he has Deja there to hold up half the weight, maybe sometimes (usually) even more. You know when someone’s so great you can never find the right words to encompass all their greatness? That’s Deja. This is them in one panel: Pumpkinheads 2- bookspoils

Tackling the widespread idea of romanticizing people because they look like a great cover for whatever story you want to paint them in your head. Deja put it best:

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The artwork by Faith Erin Hicks is a whole new world of brilliant. Am I spying a Rainbow Rowell pop up within the graphic novel or??

Pumpkinheads 4- bookspoils B R I L L I A N T

Many great puns and humor incorporated throughout, which we’ve come to expect with Rainbow’s great one-liners. Few examples include,
“Vanessa Pudgens,” “Fudge Judy,” and more that I’ll leave for you to find out.

Check out just that through this excerpt:

Reading with My Sister | Review: Kristy’s Great Idea (Baby-Sitters Club Graphic Novels #1) by Raina Telgemeier

January 20, 2019January 21, 2019 bookspoils1 Comment

Nothing quite beats the feeling from walking into the library not knowing what to get and walking away victoriously with two exciting reads. Raina Telgemeier graphic novel adaption to the Baby-Sitters Club with Kristy’s Great Idea was one of them.

One of my greatest accomplishments as a big sister is passing on my love for books to my ten-year-old sister, and I can thank in part Raina Telgemeier’s graphic novels for kicking it off with a bang, specifically with Sisters, which my sister still recites certain scenes from today, like, the infamous road trip. So spending this past Shabbat poring over this newest release was a walk down memory lane for us.

For me, what I personally cherish in these books is how timeless Telgemeier’s writing feels. Like, when I read other middle-grade books I’m self-aware throughout the story that this is meant for younger audiences, but there’s something so appealing in its nostalgic nature.

I also appreciated how this particular book on babysitting kids showcases situations with how to deal with the not-so-kind moments, similar to How to Talk So Teens Will Listen & Listen So Teens Will Talk, wherein it opens up with a kid acting a certain way (throwing tantrums, asking big questions, opening up) and through the Baby-Sitters Club we see a number of ways to react in a helpful manner.

And as always, the art was astounding and perfectly captured those quintessential summer days spent frolicking outside with friends, thinking of what to do next.

It’s also interesting looking back on my 2018 reading challenge to suddenly realize that Raina Telgemeier’s Ghosts was my second book of the year (and first graphic novel), just like Kristy’s Great Idea is my second read of 2019.

Make your bookish purchases through my Amazon Affiliate. I’ll make a small commission! Kristy’s Great Idea by Raina Telgemeier:

Review: Exquisite Corpse by Pénélope Bagieu

July 24, 2018September 12, 2018 bookspoilsLeave a comment

I read it for the art… and to satisfy my curiosity from a couple of years back regarding this book.

Zoe isn’t exactly the intellectual type, which is why she doesn’t recognize world-famous author Thomas Rocher when she stumbles into his apartment…and into his life. It’s also why she doesn’t know that Rocher is supposed to be dead. Turns out, Rocher faked his death years ago to escape his critics, and has been making a killing releasing his new work as “lost manuscripts,” in cahoots with his editor/ex-wife Agathe. Neither of them would have invited a crass party girl like Zoe into their literary conspiracy of two, but now that she’s there anyway. . . . Zoe doesn’t know Balzac from Batman, but she’s going to have to wise up fast… because she’s sitting on the literary scandal of the century!

Exquisite Corpse is the epitome of a graphic novel set to feature gorgeous artwork with essentially no depth to the storyline. We have flat, unmotivated characters whose actions are never explored; it’s somehow a given that it’ll make sense for a complete stranger to let a girl into his apartment to pee simply because she rang his intercom…
Manic Pixie Dream Girl to the max. No person, especially a stranger, talks like that.

Exquisite Corpse perfectly embodies those clichéd French novels all about Oh, Love French sigh that I’ve been warned about. It checks pretty much every mark from the mistreating old boyfriend to the oh-so-romantic new love interest to the out-of-nowhere mature ex-wives to Lolita-esque relationships (literally have way too many examples of this I’ll share below). The warnings weren’t for naught. So it became quite humorous when the novel tried to take itself too seriously.

This right here illustrates their imbalanced relationship. They don’t view each other as equals, and the writer dude (such a bland character I don’t even recall his name) is beyond patronizing.

The adults are having a conversation while sending the little girl off to bed:

BLEH.

This 22-year-old needs a therapist, not someone twice her age preying on her.

Also: The clear contrast established between her old boyfriend and this writer dude was so forced, and it made all the “good” the writer represented (listening to her, complimenting her, etc.) seem like he was reading from a script or something he read in a magazine. IT’S NOT REAL. The artificial interactions bothered me all too much for a book that’s supposed to be contemporary.

The ridiculously blown-out aspects of this book made it so I could never fully sink into the storyline. At one point I thought we were on the brink of a breakthrough when the main character finally realized what a douche the writer was and ran from him, but their relationship shouldn’t have happened in the first place so there wasn’t a lot of room for positive feelings. But then even that tiny revelation ruined itself at the very end with another lolita-esque relationship. S T O P.

I really wished the main character would’ve gotten some time alone to realize and reflect on what direction she wants her life to head into, instead of turning from one bad relationship to the other. I just felt sorry for this girl who clearly craves belonging, so she’s willing to settle with anybody who can provide even a tiny slice of it. Don’t settle, please.

I’ll end my review on a more positive note by featuring some of my favorite pieces:

Note: I’m an Amazon Affiliate. If you’re interested in buying Exquisite Corpse, just click on the image below to go through my link. I’ll make a small commission!

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