Incoming Books: Saturnalia

There were no books in the mail this past week, but there were some books in wrapped packages yesterday. And these are the things my family thought I might like based on various on-line lists and recommendation engines:

Important Literary Journal and You Should Have Killed Me When You Had the Chance! -- two recent self-published collections of comics and related stuff by Kyle Baker, who seems to have revved up the self-publishing engine in recent years. I'm always in favor of more Kyle Baker, no matter how it happens.

The Complete Peanuts, Vol. 26 by Charles M. Schulz -- this book collects all of the other Peanuts stuff: books like Happiness is a Warm Puppy (not that book in particular, I just noticed, but many others, less well known, like it), advertising drawings, stories from comic books, single-panel gags, and other random stuff. It's all by Schulz himself, and it's all Peanuts-related in one way or another.

Avid Reader by Robert Gottlieb -- I am still bitter about the way I couldn't manage to stay in trade publishing, but it doesn't stop me from sticking my nose up to the glass and peering at the lucky folks still inside there. And Gottlieb has certainly had a long and stories career, which I'm sure will not fill me with deep jealousy. Oh no.

Dungeon Monstres, Vol. 6: The Great Animator -- the most recent in the series of graphic novels from France, as always written by Lewis Trondheim and Joann Sfar, with art by Stanislas and Keramidas this time. I do still intend to read the whole series through at some point, though I think my son might have some of these books in his room right now.

Syllabus by Lynda Barry -- the latest in her series of books about how to write/draw/be an artist/be a better person. I'm a total grump and I certainly don't do her exercises, but I like Barry's attitude and her books are lovely and positive and helpful.

And last is an oldie: the 25th anniversary edition of Batman: Arkham Asylum by Grant Morrison and Dave McKean. "A serious house on serious earth," as they say.

(By the way -- and this may be more for myself than for anyone else -- I was planning to review three books a day during this vacation to finish off the pile of stuff I've read in December. But yesterday was lost due to holiday festivities, and the cold that's been building for the past three days has ensconced itself firmly in my brain today. So I'm not thinking as clearly as I'd like to, and inspiration is not coming. It's entirely possible that I'll feel better later or tomorrow, so it will all look seamless from the outside. But just in case that doesn't happen, this is why.)