[Comic Sunday #13] The Terrible and Wonderful Reasons Why I Run Long Distances by The Oatmeal

Comic Sundays are an American newspaper tradition where new comic strips are published weekly. At Becoming Books this tradition will continue focusing on comic strips, comics and graphic novels appealing to young adult and adult audiences.

Story and Illustrations by Matthew Inman, The Oatmeal

Nonfiction – Graphic Novel, Health and Fitness | 148 pages

September 30, 2014 // Andrews McMeel Publishing

Purchased personal copy. – Opinions are my own, review policy here.

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This is not just a book about running. It's a book about cupcakes. It's a book about suffering.

It's a book about gluttony, vanity, bliss, electrical storms, ranch dressing, and Godzilla. It's a book about all the terrible and wonderful reasons we wake up each day and propel our bodies through rain, shine, heaven, and hell.

From #1 New York Times best-selling author, Matthew Inman, AKA The Oatmeal, comes this hilarious, beautiful, poignant collection of comics and stories about running, eating, and one cartoonist's reasons for jogging across mountains until his toenails fall off.

I picked this up on Black Friday from Barnes & Noble so it's signed which is cool. More importantly this book is HILARIOUS!!

Illustrations
All the pages are black with various color type and illustrations. This really makes the colors pop however, there's a section towards the end which uses red lettering and it's hard to read for my quasi-young eyes. I love the illustrations which convey SO much emotion, a strong love for food and detest for running. :p While the illustrations are not as prominent as in traditional comics or graphic novels they're still an integral part of the story. They're the story's subconscious.

Story
This is my life. Matthew Inman is able to accurately capture that running is not necessarily to feel great but to not feel horrible. I laughed so many times with my head nodding furiously. I'm still an irregular runner but Matthew's stories and advice have me ready to lace up, today not Monday.

To Pull or Not To Pull? What's a pull list?

The Oatmeal is a web comic series which Matthew has published into about a half dozen books. I will be subscribing to the website for updates and keep an eye out for future publishings. 

[Review] We Should Hangout Sometime by Josh Sundquist

Title: We Should Hang Out Sometime

Author: Josh Sundquist [ Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Website | YouTube ]

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Hachette

Genre: Young Adult Nonfiction - Autobiography, Humor

Release Date: December 23, 2014

Source: ARC provided by publisher, opinions are honest and my own. – review policy here.

A bright, poignant, and deeply funny autobiographical account of coming of age as an amputee cancer survivor, from Josh Sundquist: Paralympic ski racer, YouTube star, and motivational speaker.

Josh Sundquist only ever had one girlfriend.
For twenty-three hours.
In eighth grade.

Why was Josh still single? To find out, he tracked down the girls he had tried to date and asked them straight up: What went wrong?

The results of Josh's semi-scientific, wholly hilarious investigation are captured here. From a disastrous Putt-Putt date involving a backward prosthetic foot, to his introduction to CFD (Close Fast Dancing), to a misguided "grand gesture" at a Miss America pageant, this story is about looking for love--or at least a girlfriend--in all the wrong places.  - via Goodreads

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This is an honest and hilarious voice

Joshua has an amazingly honest and hilarious voice which had me giggling and rolling from story to story. I was laughing so hard I had to read sections aloud to everyone in the room. :p

Don't worry they laughed to. A few things I discovered while laughing... we're all a little awkward, sometimes you really do have to take a chance, and dating is weird at any age. Also, apparently there is a term for "the talk". 

If only love was made of charts and Venn diagrams

The book format does two things that I loved... it sets a great pace further emphasizing the science digest of why these encounters never worked out and it makes each section go by sooo quickly! Almost too quickly. When I got to the end I was sad that there were no more tales to tell after I sped through the pages.

Self reflection is healing...

There's no doubt that Joshua's adventures are hilarious but it's through all of his dating attempts I learned something about myself as well. Not in regards to dating but living with a disability and still moving forward. Self love is important folks. 

Recommended for teens and adults who heart 80s teen romance movies or How I Met Your Mother. Freeze frames and camera narration are a bonus.

3.5 Stars – Because you've been there, now you can laugh about it!

[Waiting...] We Should Hang Out Sometime by Josh Sundquist

"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine,

that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This Week's Pick: 

Title: We Should Hang Out Sometime

Author: Josh Sundquist
[Twitter | YouTube | Website]
Release Date: December 23, 2014
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Genre: Young Adult Non Fiction – Memoir, Humor

Summary via Goodreads:

A bright, poignant, and deeply funny autobiographical account of coming of age as an amputee cancer survivor, from Josh Sundquist: Paralympic ski racer, YouTube star, and motivational speaker.

Josh Sundquist only ever had one girlfriend.
For twenty-three hours.
In eighth grade.

Why was Josh still single? To find out, he tracked down the girls he had tried to date and asked them straight up: What went wrong?

The results of Josh's semi-scientific, wholly hilarious investigation are captured here. From a disastrous Putt-Putt date involving a backward prosthetic foot, to his introduction to CFD (Close Fast Dancing), to a misguided "grand gesture" at a Miss America pageant, this story is about looking for love--or at least a girlfriend--in all the wrong places.

Why I'm Waiting...

I got the chance to meet Josh at BEA and he was really awesome. He took the time to chat with all his adoring lady fans, sign our books, pose for photos, etc. I love a good humor book since life is always throwing funnies our way. 

Check out his YouTube channel and you'll know immediately why I'm waiting! Plus, he's on the US National Amputee Soccer Team and will play in the World Cup in December, talk about an awesome book birthday! 

Comic Sunday #11: Sisters by Raina Telgmeier

Comic Sundays are an American newspaper tradition where new comic strips are published weekly. At Becoming Books this tradition will continue focusing on comic strips, comics and graphic novels appealing to young adult and adult audiences.

Story by and Illustrations by Raina Telgemeier
Color by Braden Lamb
MG Nonfiction – Graphic Novel, 211 pages // August 26, 2014

Graphix an imprint of Scholastic Books // Buy on Amazon
Advanced copy provided by the publisher. – Opinions are my own, review policy here.

Carefully balancing the present and the past Raina unveils her family's drama after her wish for a baby sister comes true. The present day takes mom, Raina, younger sister Amara and baby brother Will on a road trip from San Francisco to Colorado for a family reunion. The carefully placed flashbacks give the reader more background on the family's dynamics. Luckily for the reader, no matter where we're at on the timeline the humor shines through in the writing and majorly expressive illustrations. The writing is  very much "To tell that story, I have to tell this story" commonly used by comedians and translates brilliantly in graphic form with each scene interweaving into a new one.

Juggling the family living space, the desire for pets, family issues and more Raina tackles relevant topics and makes the accessible to middle grade readers. The moral of the story is something all ages could take away from the novel while the big question sets up a possible focus for a third novel.

Why I'll be reading Smile and heart Raina:

I saw Raina on a graphic novel panel at BEA/BookCon back in May and was blown away. I haven't read Smile but I immediately saw her impact on young readers as we were waiting to start. Several young girls approached her for photos and signatures. She did them one better and pulled out ARCs from her bag.

I haven't read Smile but I plan to pronto! I will also be gifting these novels to any middle grade readers I know. Sisters is heartfelt and I giggled long after closing the book. The nostalgia of being a big sister was enough to be like "yup!" that's my relationship with my sister. I hope you read it and enjoy it as much as I did.

4 Stars 

Comic Sunday #4: NYC Basic Tips and Etiquette by Nathan W. Pyle

Comic Sundays are an American newspaper tradition where new comic strips are published weekly. At Becoming Books this tradition will continue focusing on comic strips, comics and graphic novels appealing to young adult and adult audiences.

NYC Tips and Etiquetteby Nathan W. Pyle 

April 15, 2014 / 144 pages, B&W / William Marrow, an imprint of HarperCollins

Purchased personal paperback copy. – Opinions are my own, review policy here.

Storytelling:

There's not a story here in the traditional sense. Pyle gives the reader enough to know that he moved to NYC from Ohio. The writing is sharp, concise and carries a chuckle through the 136 tips featured in the book. If you pay attention you can even catch the name/location drops of some of Pyle's NYC favs. 

These are very useful and a good resource for those planning a trip to NYC and even those who've visited previously. Some of my favorite ones have to do with staying out of the way and navigating mass transit. Honestly, this is better than any travel guidebook for NYC I've ever read. 

Artwork:

The artwork is expressive and educational for each tip Pyle presents. Using traditional cartoon style the reader gets a sense of what it's like to live day-to-day as a New Yorker. Bonus: If you get the ebook edition the artwork is animated!

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Yay or Nay? 

Yay! I highly recommend this for visitors and those moving to NYC or any major city. Or even in my case you enjoy a chuckle because memories are tied to all of these tips and their respective faux pas. 

What is your #1 tip or etiquette point for those in NYC?