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<book id="3427455">
  <title><![CDATA[The Best American Comics 2008 (The Best American Series)]]></title>
  <isbn><![CDATA[0618989765]]></isbn>
  <isbn13><![CDATA[9780618989768]]></isbn13>
    <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1255707835m/3427455.jpg</image_url>
    <work>
  <best_book_id type="integer">3427455</best_book_id>
  <books_count type="integer">1</books_count>
  <default_description>This newest addition to the Best American Series returns with a set of both&lt;BR&gt;established and up-and-coming contributors. Editor Lynda Barry and&lt;BR&gt;brand-new series editors Jessica Abel and Matt Madden, acclaimed cartoonists in their own right, culled the best stories from graphic novels,&lt;BR&gt;pamphlet comics, newspapers, magazines, mini-comics, and the web to&lt;BR&gt;create this cutting-edge collection, &quot;perfect for newbies as well as fans&quot;&lt;BR&gt;(San Diego Union-Tribune). This volume features such luminaries as&lt;BR&gt;Chris Ware, Seth, and Alison Bechdel alongside beloved daily cartoonists&lt;BR&gt;like Matt Groening.</default_description>
  <id type="integer">3468318</id>
  <media_type nil="true"></media_type>
  <original_language_id type="integer" nil="true"></original_language_id>
  <original_publication_day type="integer">8</original_publication_day>
  <original_publication_month type="integer">10</original_publication_month>
  <original_publication_year type="integer">2008</original_publication_year>
  <original_title>The Best American Comics 2008 (The Best American Series)</original_title>
  <rating_dist>total:251|5:42|4:108|3:87|2:12|1:2|</rating_dist>
  <ratings_count type="integer">251</ratings_count>
  <ratings_sum type="integer">929</ratings_sum>
  <reviews_count type="integer">413</reviews_count>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">64</text_reviews_count>
</work>

  <average_rating><![CDATA[3.70]]></average_rating>
  <ratings_count><![CDATA[251]]></ratings_count>
  <text_reviews_count><![CDATA[64]]></text_reviews_count>
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3427455.The_Best_American_Comics_2008]]></url>
  <authors>
        <author id="93962">
      <name><![CDATA[Matt Madden]]></name>
      <role><![CDATA[editor]]></role>
      <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/93962.Matt_Madden]]></url>
      <average_rating><![CDATA[3.74]]></average_rating>
      <ratings_count><![CDATA[414]]></ratings_count>
      <text_reviews_count><![CDATA[104]]></text_reviews_count>
    </author>
        <author id="93963">
      <name><![CDATA[Jessica Abel]]></name>
      <role><![CDATA[editor]]></role>
      <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/93963.Jessica_Abel]]></url>
      <average_rating><![CDATA[3.48]]></average_rating>
      <ratings_count><![CDATA[1504]]></ratings_count>
      <text_reviews_count><![CDATA[368]]></text_reviews_count>
    </author>
        <author id="11646">
      <name><![CDATA[Lynda Barry]]></name>
      <role><![CDATA[editor]]></role>
      <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/11646.Lynda_Barry]]></url>
      <average_rating><![CDATA[4.29]]></average_rating>
      <ratings_count><![CDATA[5433]]></ratings_count>
      <text_reviews_count><![CDATA[880]]></text_reviews_count>
    </author>
      </authors>
    <reviews start="1" end="20" total="413">
    <review id="45705054">
    <user id="1024379">
    <name><![CDATA[Bill]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Brightwaters, NY]]></location>        
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1024379-bill]]></url>
  </user>
      <rating>3</rating>
  <votes>1</votes>
  <sell_flag>false</sell_flag>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="art---images" />
        <shelf name="fiction---fun" />
      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Tue Jan 20 00:00:00 -0800 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Sat Feb 07 21:01:44 -0800 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sat Feb 07 21:48:59 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Of the three &quot;Best American Comics&quot; which have been released I found this one the least satisfying.<br/><br/>The two earlier collections were page-turners from beginning to end.  While reading this I found myself putting it down and forgetting about it.<br/><br/>I love Lynda Barry, esp...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/45705054">more...</a>]]></body>
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/45705054]]></url>
</review>
    <review id="39580983">
    <user id="577976">
    <name><![CDATA[Anina]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Washington, DC]]></location>        
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/577976-anina-ertel]]></url>
  </user>
      <rating>5</rating>
  <votes>1</votes>
  <sell_flag>false</sell_flag>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Mon Dec 15 00:00:00 -0800 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Mon Dec 08 04:47:47 -0800 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Mon Dec 15 06:46:45 -0800 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I wasn't gaga about as many comics in this year's compilation as I usually am, but the ones I liked I really liked.  Favorites:  &quot;Something About Madeline&quot;, &quot;Graveyard&quot;, and the one about the art teacher in the Bronx.]]></body>
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/39580983]]></url>
</review>
    <review id="41710117">
    <user id="310055">
    <name><![CDATA[Jason]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Columbus, OH]]></location>        
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/310055-jason]]></url>
  </user>
      <rating>3</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <sell_flag>false</sell_flag>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read-2009" />
      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Sat Jan 03 07:45:05 -0800 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sat Jan 03 08:06:27 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Perhaps I should start by saying how much I love short stories. I love them a lot. I love them because they are snippets of lives, boiled down into the essentials of (generally) a few scenes, sometimes even just one, the dialogue as spare as can be, the narrative description avoiding the painting of...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/41710117">more...</a>]]></body>
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/41710117]]></url>
</review>
    <review id="40864695">
    <user id="781567">
    <name><![CDATA[Eric]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[San Francisco, CA]]></location>        
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/781567-eric]]></url>
  </user>
      <rating>5</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <sell_flag>false</sell_flag>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Thu Dec 25 00:00:00 -0800 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Wed Dec 24 21:19:56 -0800 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Wed Dec 24 23:50:04 -0800 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[After a rather disappointing 2007 edition with remote and myopic selections by Chris Ware, Lynda Barry brings this series back into high quality territory. While not all of her selections are home runs, there are a few so out-of-the-park great that they easily make up for the lesser entries. These s...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/40864695">more...</a>]]></body>
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/40864695]]></url>
</review>
    <review id="38887957">
    <user id="957848">
    <name><![CDATA[Ron]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Sunnyside, NY]]></location>        
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/957848-ron]]></url>
  </user>
      <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <sell_flag>false</sell_flag>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="anthology" />
        <shelf name="best-american-series" />
        <shelf name="graphic-novel" />
        <shelf name="pop-culture" />
      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Sat Nov 29 00:00:00 -0800 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Sat Nov 29 14:03:52 -0800 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sat Nov 29 14:16:50 -0800 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Thanks to new editors, the third volume of this series is a bit less obtuse than it has been in past years, and there are some wonderful stories here, like Shawn Cheng and Sara Edward-Corbett's &quot;The Monkey and the Crab&quot; or Jaime Hernandez's &quot;Gold Diggers of 1969&quot; (a &quot;prequel...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/38887957">more...</a>]]></body>
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/38887957]]></url>
</review>
    <review id="66359299">
    <user id="994742">
    <name><![CDATA[Meredith]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Fredericksburg, VA]]></location>        
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/994742-meredith]]></url>
  </user>
      <rating>2</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <sell_flag>false</sell_flag>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="graphic-novels" />
      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[not really]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Wed Aug 05 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Wed Aug 05 17:52:24 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Wed Aug 05 18:13:16 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count>1</read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[There were a few really great comics in here, a lot of lame ones, and whole bunch of talented artists.  This book is not for kids--some of the comics have blatently sexual content.  If this bothers you, you might just want to skip this book.  If it doesn't, just read the good stuff.<br/><br/>I mus...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/66359299">more...</a>]]></body>
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/66359299]]></url>
</review>
    <review id="54981773">
    <user id="91438">
    <name><![CDATA[Edwin]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Andrews, NC]]></location>        
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/91438-edwin-arnaudin]]></url>
  </user>
      <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <sell_flag>false</sell_flag>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Mon May 04 21:11:09 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Mon May 04 21:20:10 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I had a fun time with pretty much all of this year's selections, though at the beginning I doubted I would.  Several of the opening comics are &quot;blink and you miss them&quot; short and also a bit shallow, entirely the opposite of the '07 picks.  With last year's book, I felt like I was given a d...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/54981773">more...</a>]]></body>
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/54981773]]></url>
</review>
    <review id="41912292">
    <user id="1017435">
    <name><![CDATA[Milissa]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[The United States]]></location>        
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1017435-milissa]]></url>
  </user>
      <rating>3</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <sell_flag>false</sell_flag>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Wed Jan 28 21:16:45 -0800 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Sun Jan 04 19:21:46 -0800 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Wed Jan 28 21:16:45 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[i'm not a huge fan of comics. but somehow i got hooked in college when i was trying to buy a gift for my then boyfriend. i remember standing in the comicswap, reading comics at random because they didn't have the green lantern issue he wanted. and i remember reading this bizarre comic about an offic...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/41912292">more...</a>]]></body>
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/41912292]]></url>
</review>
    <review id="39296328">
    <user id="1046345">
    <name><![CDATA[Randy]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[The United States]]></location>        
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1046345-randy]]></url>
  </user>
      <rating>5</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <sell_flag>false</sell_flag>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[Comic lovers]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Mon Dec 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Thu Dec 04 10:47:03 -0800 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Fri Dec 12 16:01:19 -0800 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Awesome. I love the idea that years from now, I will have a whole shelf from this yearly series. Lynda Barry's turn as host is something of a good decision, because she presents the book in exactly the right tone to get things moving. She returns like the friend I've never met. I am still not sure i...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/39296328">more...</a>]]></body>
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/39296328]]></url>
</review>
    <review id="49370862">
    <user id="1936658">
    <name><![CDATA[Tina]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Efland, NC]]></location>        
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1936658-tina]]></url>
  </user>
      <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <sell_flag>false</sell_flag>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="2009" />
        <shelf name="compilation" />
        <shelf name="graphic-novel" />
      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Wed Mar 18 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Sun Mar 15 15:29:38 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Wed Mar 18 17:44:15 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I only had two problems with this compilation: 1) several of the excerpts, while from excellent works, lost their impact when taken out of context; and 2) the transformations necessary to make all the disparate graphics fit into one format caused several of them to have very tiny print, which is not...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/49370862">more...</a>]]></body>
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/49370862]]></url>
</review>
    <review id="44603291">
    <user id="372443">
    <name><![CDATA[Liz]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Providence, RI]]></location>        
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/372443-liz]]></url>
  </user>
      <rating>2</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <sell_flag>false</sell_flag>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="comics--theory-and-practice" />
      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Tue Jan 27 21:54:20 -0800 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Tue Jan 27 21:54:20 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[This is the first Best American of its kind that featured many selections that I couldn't stomach my way through. No time is wasted after Barry's discussion on how successful comics operate on many levels (like any other medium, really) before the reader is marched into a field of didactic, derivati...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/44603291">more...</a>]]></body>
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/44603291]]></url>
</review>
    <review id="44333766">
    <user id="339871">
    <name><![CDATA[Sundry]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Acton, CA]]></location>        
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/339871-sundry]]></url>
  </user>
      <rating>5</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <sell_flag>false</sell_flag>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="fiction" />
        <shelf name="graphic" />
      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Sat Jan 31 00:00:00 -0800 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Sun Jan 25 17:02:54 -0800 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sat Jan 31 08:47:04 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I think this may be the best in the series' short life.  I enjoyed all but maybe a couple of the entries.  So I guess I agree with the edition's editor, Lynda Barry.<br/><br/>These collections are a great way to find graphic artists that you want to read more of.  I've put a bunch of books on hold...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/44333766">more...</a>]]></body>
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/44333766]]></url>
</review>
    <review id="49253345">
    <user id="2220602">
    <name><![CDATA[Jason]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Rochester, NY]]></location>        
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2220602-jason]]></url>
  </user>
      <rating>5</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <sell_flag>false</sell_flag>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="comics-and-graphic-novels" />
      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Sun Mar 01 00:00:00 -0800 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Sat Mar 14 11:58:01 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sat Mar 14 12:03:48 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[While the sum of its parts is not greater than the whole, there's a ton of great stuff in here. Notable entries: &quot;The Salon&quot;, &quot;Seven Sacks&quot;, &quot;George Sprott (1894-1975)&quot;, &quot;Part II. the Benders Arrive&quot;, &quot;Graveyard&quot;, and &quot;Burden&quot;, among others...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/49253345">more...</a>]]></body>
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/49253345]]></url>
</review>
    <review id="54878422">
    <user id="74893">
    <name><![CDATA[Lindy Loo]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Cleveland, OH]]></location>        
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/74893-lindy-loo]]></url>
  </user>
      <rating>3</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <sell_flag>false</sell_flag>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="graphic-novels---comic-books" />
      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Mon May 04 06:28:34 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Mon May 04 06:31:14 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[There were some interesting comics in here (my favs were actually Matt Groening's which had me laughing out loud), but overall, I found it difficult to really engage because a) many of the comics were just parts of a larger story, so it felt like they ended abruptly or weren't contextualized in a wa...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/54878422">more...</a>]]></body>
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/54878422]]></url>
</review>
    <review id="41323904">
    <user id="32360">
    <name><![CDATA[John]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Malden, MA]]></location>        
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/32360-john]]></url>
  </user>
      <rating>2</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <sell_flag>false</sell_flag>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="2008" />
        <shelf name="comics" />
      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Tue Dec 30 00:00:00 -0800 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Tue Dec 30 14:13:29 -0800 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Tue Dec 30 14:17:45 -0800 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I was interested in the series after last year's edition, but this one is blah.  Too many well-known artists and selections from bigger works. Nothing felt self-contained.  The selection wasn't as varied as I hoped and I had already read half the work in the collection already. I did think the intro...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/41323904">more...</a>]]></body>
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/41323904]]></url>
</review>
    <review id="62071111">
    <user id="815139">
    <name><![CDATA[angrykitty]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Minneapolis, MN]]></location>        
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/815139-angrykitty]]></url>
  </user>
      <rating>3</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <sell_flag>false</sell_flag>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="2009" />
        <shelf name="comics" />
        <shelf name="short-stories" />
      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
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  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Fri Jul 03 18:40:47 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sun Jul 05 12:07:40 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[even after my crazy rant of a review for the 2007 edition of this series, i'm still going to keep reading these books.....and i'm still full of excitement as i start.....<br/><br/>i probably enjoyed this one the most out of the three collections. lots of nudity in this one though.....so heed the w...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/62071111">more...</a>]]></body>
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/62071111]]></url>
</review>
    <review id="43666354">
    <user id="4197">
    <name><![CDATA[Laura]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Tustin, CA]]></location>        
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/4197-laura]]></url>
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      <rating>4</rating>
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  <read_at>Mon Jan 19 00:00:00 -0800 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Mon Jan 19 22:09:18 -0800 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Mon Jan 19 22:15:43 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[My favorite bits were Lynda Barry's intro, Rick Geary's &quot;Part II The Benders Arrive&quot; (must seek out his Victorian murder series), Matt Groening's Will and Abe comics (though that's a nepotistic choice), the art of Cathy Malkasian's &quot;Percy Gloom,&quot; and Sarah Oleksyk's &quot;Graveya...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/43666354">more...</a>]]></body>
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/43666354]]></url>
</review>
    <review id="72998343">
    <user id="666804">
    <name><![CDATA[Terry]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[The United States]]></location>        
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/666804-terry]]></url>
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      <rating>3</rating>
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  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Wed Sep 30 08:50:08 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Wed Sep 30 08:52:27 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Huh, I guess this should be on the &quot;fiction&quot; shelf? Hmm. Anyway. I liked this book; I adore Lynda Barry and trust her taste, although I'm not sure I agree with her criteria for her choices--but I'm glad she specified what those criteria were. As ever this collection essentially serves as a...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/72998343">more...</a>]]></body>
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/72998343]]></url>
</review>
    <review id="39544651">
    <user id="142598">
    <name><![CDATA[Meghan]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Olympia, WA]]></location>        
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/142598-meghan]]></url>
  </user>
      <rating>2</rating>
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  <date_added>Sun Dec 07 16:40:26 -0800 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Fri Dec 12 11:16:27 -0800 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Lynda Barry's introduction is awesome and she discusses her favorite cartoonist Bil Keane of Family Circus. But I've come to realize these anthologies are not for me  - rather, they are for people who do not know what kind of comics they like or who are interested in a broad range. Everything I like...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/39544651">more...</a>]]></body>
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/39544651]]></url>
</review>
    <review id="38693580">
    <user id="669429">
    <name><![CDATA[Lauren]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[The United States]]></location>        
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/669429-lauren]]></url>
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      <rating>5</rating>
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  <read_at>Fri Dec 05 00:00:00 -0800 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Wed Nov 26 09:21:14 -0800 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Fri Dec 05 12:52:42 -0800 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[For the past 2 or 3 years I have waited impatiently for November or December for this book to come out. I love they they have finally figured out that comics are worth their own yearly anthology. AND then this year the editor is Lynda Barry - it's great book meets great editor. And her intro is a-ma...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/38693580">more...</a>]]></body>
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/38693580]]></url>
</review>
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