Staff Picks: Chantale’s Favourite Books of 2011
Looking upon my top five, I notice a theme of silliness. Each book uses humour and lightness to charm the pants off of readers all around. However, make no mistake, these are not light fluffy reads. They are sharp and offer directions for comics, picture books, magazines, and memoirs to take in the upcoming years.
If you haven’t already read these books, it’s best you do it now. 2012 is coming and from what I hear, dinosaurs will be returning.
In no particular order:
Hark! A Vagrant by Kate Beaton
What can I say about D+Q’s Hark! that you haven’t already heard or thought about before. Surely, if you are reading this blog, you know that Hark! is top notch: witty, silly, bright, I COULD GO ON… This book is seriously for everyone. I can’t think of any genre of person who would not enjoy this book. Except for the blind, that is.
My Name Is Elizabeth by Annika Dunklee, illustrated by D+Qer Matt Forsythe
Kids. This book is a treat. Wonderfully drawn and wonderfully written, My Name Is Elizabeth is exactly what children picture books should be. Though I have to say, it was really hard to pick my TOP kids book as there were so many endearing and winsome picture books published in 2012. (Bonus kids pick: Where’s Walrus by Stephen Savage)
Lucky Peach Quarterly
Ohhh Lucky Peach, the magazine that we would receive in the store, and sell out a couple days later. The creation of David Chang and Peter Meehan, Lucky Peach completely radicalizes what a food journal can be. I mean, who features a photograph of a bleeding dead fish on a cover of a food magazine?
Bossypantsby Tina Fey
This book is officially a memoir (I suppose), but it is really just another venue for Tina Fey to write jokes. Which is the best. I love Tina Fey jokes. Some may be disappointed that they don’t get to learn a heck of a lot about Fey herself, but come on. At least admit the jokes are unbeatable, general group of people.
What The Hell Are You Doing?: The Essential David Shrigley by David Shrigley
David Shrigley makes me laugh. He makes me go “ha!” when I look at his drawings, sculptures, and photographs. Sometimes I do a “hahahaa…”, or maybe a “ohohoh!”. Once I even did a “HEE!” It’s nice to view art that is funny and profound as opposed to sombre and profound.
If you haven’t already read these books, it’s best you do it now. 2012 is coming and from what I hear, dinosaurs will be returning.
In no particular order:
What can I say about D+Q’s Hark! that you haven’t already heard or thought about before. Surely, if you are reading this blog, you know that Hark! is top notch: witty, silly, bright, I COULD GO ON… This book is seriously for everyone. I can’t think of any genre of person who would not enjoy this book. Except for the blind, that is.
Kids. This book is a treat. Wonderfully drawn and wonderfully written, My Name Is Elizabeth is exactly what children picture books should be. Though I have to say, it was really hard to pick my TOP kids book as there were so many endearing and winsome picture books published in 2012. (Bonus kids pick: Where’s Walrus by Stephen Savage)
Ohhh Lucky Peach, the magazine that we would receive in the store, and sell out a couple days later. The creation of David Chang and Peter Meehan, Lucky Peach completely radicalizes what a food journal can be. I mean, who features a photograph of a bleeding dead fish on a cover of a food magazine?
This book is officially a memoir (I suppose), but it is really just another venue for Tina Fey to write jokes. Which is the best. I love Tina Fey jokes. Some may be disappointed that they don’t get to learn a heck of a lot about Fey herself, but come on. At least admit the jokes are unbeatable, general group of people.
David Shrigley makes me laugh. He makes me go “ha!” when I look at his drawings, sculptures, and photographs. Sometimes I do a “hahahaa…”, or maybe a “ohohoh!”. Once I even did a “HEE!” It’s nice to view art that is funny and profound as opposed to sombre and profound.
D&Q’s Winter 2012 & Spring 2012 catalogues!
WINTER 2012:
Juhani Tolvanen, Moomin Every Day
Seth, Palookaville 21
Dan Zettwoch, Birdseye Bristoe
Matt Forsythe, Jinchalo
Tom Gauld, Goliath
Kevin Huizenga, Gloriana
Amber Albrecht, Idyll
SPRING 2012:
Guy Delisle, Jerusalem
Shigeru Mizuki, NonNonBa
Yoshihiro Tatsumi, Fallen Words
Chester Brown, Ed the Happy Clown
Brecht Evens, The Making Of
Michael Cho, Back Alleys and Urban Landscapes
Marguerite Abouet and Clement Oubrerie, Aya: Life in Yop City
Anouk Ricard, Anna & Froga
Lars Jansson, Moomin Book 7
Yoshihiro Tatsumi, The Pushman, Abandon the Old in Tokyo and Good-Bye paperbacks
Guy Delisle Shenzhen paperback
PDFs!
