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October 20, 2016
Librairie Drawn & Quarterly Books of the Week - October 20, 2016
In the weekly Librairie Drawn & Quarterly Books of the Week, the Montreal bookstore recommends several new works of fiction, art books, periodicals, and comics.
Librairie Drawn & Quarterly is one of Montreal's premiere independent bookstores.
The Artists’ and Writers’ Cookbook
edited by Natalie Eve Garrett
Proust was onto something with the whole food sparking memory thing, and Natalie Eve Garrett has collected 76 artists and writers to vouch for it. Familiar names take up their own personal madeleines, from Neil Gaiman and James Franco to Roz Chast and D+Q author Leanne Shapton. This eclectic cast of creative folk share stories, memories, and poems regarding their favourite meals, each including a recipe. Lovers of art and food should be licking their chops!
Rolling Blackouts: Dispatches from Turkey, Syria, and Iraq
by Sarah Glidden
New from Drawn and Quarterly is Sarah Glidden’s Rolling Blackouts, a follow-up to her acclaimed journalistic graphic novel How to Understand Israel in 60 Days or Less. The narrative follows Glidden as she accompanies two friends—both reporters—on a trip through the Middle East to research the effects of the Iraq War. In spare watercolour panels, Glidden seeks to answer seemingly simple questions: What is journalism? How can one untangle truth from memory? As the trio is joined by an old friend, an ex-marine, a new and at times unwelcome viewpoint is introduced, which illuminates the way North Americans are reported foreign affairs. Inhabiting a warzone is a humanizing experience, and at times journalists find more stories than they had reckoned for; Glidden allows the reader to join this experience with her trademark humour, observation, and empathy.
We Found a Hat
by Jon Klassen
Jon Klassen offers sparse preparation for this adorable read: “Two turtles have found a hat. The hat looks good on both of them. But there are two turtles. And there is only one hat.” The finale to the “Hat” trilogy (I Want My Hat & This is Not My Hat), We Found a Hat sees Klassen return with his gorgeous artwork and sly humour. The story is brilliantly paced, split into three parts, and the buildup pays off with an unexpected and heartwarming twist-ending. A master storyteller, Klassen has already been showered with acclamation for his work (winner of the Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Book and the Caldecott Medal), and his new effort will certainly be considered one of the best from this year.
Kitaro Meets Nurarihyon
by Shigeru Mizuki
Also new from Drawn & Quarterly this week is a volume of fresh English translations of Shigeru Mizuku’s classic Kitaro comics of the 60s and 70s. Though written for young readers, these creepy-yet-comical tales of yokai (spirits from Japanese folklore) are far weirder than most Western kids lit, past or present. In this batch of adventures, Kitaro encounters the urbane, money-dispensing Nurarihyon, bloodsucking Odoro Odoro, a Hungarian vampire (Dracula IV) who has emigrated to Japan, and Datsui Baba, the hag-guardian of hell!
I Am Brian Wilson
by Brian Wilson & Ben Greenman
Having just been portrayed by Paul Dano and John Cusack in last year’s film Love & Mercy, Brian Wilson is shedding more light on his turbulent life through this autobiographical work. Genius is often accompanied by instability, which was unfortunately the case for the Beach Boys’ mastermind, whose life has featured the highest of highs and lowest of lows. I Am Brian Wilson sees the author vividly exploring the sources of his vast creativity, along with harrowing accounts of his bouts with mental illness. Of particular interest are his stories surrounding the soaring masterwork Pet Sounds, an album that has become legendary for its almost surreal recording sessions. This long-awaited, poetic memoir reveals how Brian Wilson fought past inner turmoil and discord to once again find harmony.
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other Librairie Drawn & Quarterly Books of the Week
Antiheroines (interviews with up and coming female comics artists)
Atomic Books Comics Preview (weekly new comics and graphic novel highlights)
Book Notes (authors create music playlists for their book)
guest book reviews
musician/author interviews
Note Books (musicians discuss literature)
Short Cuts (writers pair a song with their short story or essay)
WORD Bookstores Books of the Week (weekly new book highlights)
