Weekly Question - Dec 3 - Other formats

[Robin P, Orbicular Mod]

Do you read short stories, essays, poetry, graphic novels, or other formats that aren't the standard fiction/nonfiction book? Do you have recommendations?

[Misty]

I don't really read graphic novels. They are not a form of literature that I particularly enjoy. Although, my kiddo loves them, and I just bought them a couple for Christmas. I am reading Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe because some extremists in our school district have tried to make a big deal of it (the superintendent basically told them to bugger off about it - LOL). I am planning on giving it to them when I am done with it.

I love poetry, and being a composer, I read a lot of poetry. I recently discovered Joy Harjo. She is amazing, and I would highly recommend her work.

I love short stories - particularly Stephen King. Now, his short stories can be pretty disturbing, so they are not for everyone. If you like that stuff though, his short stories are awesome.

I love essays as well. I can't think of any to recommend at the moment, but I'll come back if I think of some! :)

[Amanda]

I LOVE short stories.

If you're into speculative fiction, I recommend:

-Nghi Vo's Singing Hills Cycle. It technically starts with The Empress of Salt and Fortune but you can read them in any order

- How High We Go in the Dark by Sequoia Nagamatsu. It's a series of loosely connected stories following a pandemic (obviously, trigger warnings apply)

- This Is Where We Talk Things Out. An absolutely bananas horror story about a woman who goes to meet her estranged mother.

- Never Whistle at Night: An Indigenous Dark Fiction Anthology. A horror-ish anthology written by indigenous authors.

- Fruiting Bodies: Stories. Per the synopsis "...it follows characters - mostly queer, mostly women - on the precipice of change." A fantastic set of stories.

- Crossroads and Below by Laurel Hightower, who I think is definitely a horror author to keep an eye on.

- Finally, the shortest (I hesitate to call it a) book I've ever read: In a Grove. It's a 14-page story about truth and how we see it.

[Jennifer W]

I can't stand short stories. They are almost never fleshed out well enough for me.

On the other hand, I LOVE graphic novels!
The Complete Maus probably the best book I have ever read on the Holocaust.
Flamer sweet and powerful story of developing an identity
The Complete Persepolis coming of age in the Iranian revolution
American Born Chinese 3 stories that come together about stereotypes
Boxers and Saints Two sides of the Boxer rebellion
March: Book One The early years of civil rights' activist John Lewis' life
Hyperbole and a Half: Unfortunate Situations, Flawed Coping Mechanisms, Mayhem, and Other Things That Happened when I need to laugh so hard I cry! :)

[Miles]

My favourite book is Neil Gaiman's short story book Smoke and Mirrors: Short Fiction and Illusions
The most recent ATY book I read was an illustrated one with no words The Wanderer. I love picture books / graphic novels / graphic memoirs etc.
I go through phases of reading poetry and really enjoyed Honorifics
Essays can be hit or miss for me but enjoyed Cut from the Same Cloth?: Muslim Women on Life in Britain
I enjoy novels in verse and have 2 tied for my favourites A Time to Dance and Clap When You Land
I think being dyslexic means I enjoy lots of formats more suited to my reading style.

[Robin P, Orbicular Mod]

Jennifer W wrote: "I can't stand short stories. They are almost never fleshed out well enough for me.

On the other hand, I LOVE graphic novels!
The Complete Maus probably the best book I have ever read ..."

I feel the same about short stories (especially the vague literary type in The New Yorker) - except when they are linked to a series I enjoy. Many mystery and romance series have shorter stories, sometimes for Christmas.

I loved reading poetry as a kid because of the fun language and rhyme. But most adult poetry is very abstract, and of course doesn't rhyme. I did enjoy Call Us What We Carry: Poems by Amanda Gorman. I owe that to the musical Hamilton which made me appreciate hip-hop verse for the first time, again because of clever wordplays and rhyme.

I have sometimes read essays if the overall topic really appeals to me, or maybe I really love the author. But I generally want a story.

I was scornful of graphic novels for a long time, even though I grew up loving comic books. I actually started reading some because of GR challenges. I totally fell in love with Heartstopper: Volume One and the rest of the series. But I kind of feel like they are cheating because many of them can be read in 20-40 minutes. Way back when it was new, I did read The Complete Maus, which broke ground for that format.

[Miles]

I changed my mind for if quick read picture based books count as much as full length text only books after I got into audiobooks.
I can take longer to read a pretty standard super hero graphic novel than listen to a sped up audio discworld novel. Some like Safe Area Goražde: The War in Eastern Bosnia, 1992-1995 have a surprisingly high word count so take me a long time to read.
I think though where I decided to count all books was after realising some wordless books like Belonging By: Jeannie Baker January, 2007 had a bigger impact on me than some full length novels and would recommend over some classic literature.

[Ciara]

My daughter (she just turned 11) is a graphic novel fanatic & three of her all-time faves have already been mentioned here: Gender Queer: A Memoir, The Complete Maus, & Heartstopper: Volume One (the entire series). She also recently read Welcome to St. Hell: My Trans Teen Misadventure & loved it. I will also add Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic & everything by Nicole J. Georges.

I cannot with poetry, which is odd, as I majored in poetry when I was in college. I actually chose to spend enormous chunks of my day reading, writing, studying, & listening to poetry everyday. Who WAS that person? & why on EARTH did my parents let me do that?!? The most recent poet I've read & enjoyed is Brontez Purnell. My favorite when I was in school was Nikki Giovanni.

I actually do like the short fiction in The New Yorker (I subscribe!), but I prefer novels. I was thinking just the other day that short stories so often set up the conflict of a novel & then just call it a day. No major exposition to get us into the characters' world, certainly no resolution. Reading too many of them too fast can be a very demoralizing experience, like trying to binge-watch "Twin Peaks" or something. That said, I like Karen Russell & Aimee Bender. I like Angela Carter a lot.

[Pam]

I like the occasional short story but have a hard time finishing a whole collection. My favorite collection and one of my favorite books is The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories by Ken Liu. I also like graphic novels. My favorites are Dune, The History of Science Fiction, and The Rabbi’s Cat. I just purchased and am planning to read I Am a Cat: Manga edition in 2024.

[Mandy]

I love manga and graphic novels.

I highly recommend some of the Korean ones being published by the imprint Ize press (yen on).

Why Raeliana Ended Up at the Duke's Mansion, Vol. 1
Daughter of the Emperor, Vol. 1
A Returner's Magic Should be Special, Vol. 1
Villains Are Destined to Die, Vol. 1
Noblesse Volume One

Raeliana, Returner's, and Noblesse all have anime.

I would love if the original novels would come out as well.

I also love The Apothecary Diaries Manga, Vol. 1 and The Apothecary Diaries (Light Novel): Volume 1

I've read some of the manga and light novels. The anime is amazing and gorgeous. They take place in ancient China and Mao Mao is so freaking cool.

[Denise]

yes to poetry, essays, short stories....basically books that are primarily words. So no to graphic novels or manga

a few illustrations are fine, but I want mostly words