Giant Days - A Book Review

I picked it up spur of the moment as I was walking out of my local library. It was on a shelf full of recommended books and, after reading a short blurb about it, I decided to pick up Giant Days. Historically, I have been an avid comic book reader; I have a few copies of my favorite series and when I was younger comics were all I read. I wasn't really into the Marvel or DC comic books about superheroes; instead, I read indie and Christian life comics. I was a fan of the comic versions of Ted Dekker's Circle and Lost Books series and owned a few copies in the Serenity series. All that is to say, I liked comic books.

As I got older, though, I started reading bigger books and more chapter books. While I still enjoyed rereading the occasional comic book, I much preferred the imagination stimulus of non-comic books. But I've never stopped enjoying comic books when the right one surfaces; they're a fun read and give me a real appreciation for the artist's work and talent. Giant Days, written by John Allison and illustrated by Max Sarin, is the story of three college students in England and their daily battles with adulthood. It's a wonderful story and enjoyable to read.

Susan, Daisy, and Esther come from three completely different worlds and all have their own distinct personalities. Susan is a responsible, smoking, med student from Northhampton. Daisy is a sweet, formerly homeschooled bundle of joy and encouragement, and Esther is a rich, ghostly pale Goth girl who would rather spend her time partying than studying. While these three girls are completely different, they somehow end up best friends. Maybe it started because they shared a hall at university but eventually they can't see making it through the end of the term without each other. They all came to college with different goals and different expectations, but once they experience college life, their goals change to simply making it to the end of the semester without going completely crazy. Along for the ride are the girls' hallmates, McGraw and Ed - Susan's ex boyfriend and a adorkable nerd who has a crush on Esther - respectively College is a whole other world all on its own and these five need to help each other survive it.

I really did enjoy this comic series, I've only read the first five volumes but based on their quality, I can say that each continuing issue is a great read. Written in short sections, each book continues the previous one and they all flow together very well. All the characters are incredibly unique and really grow on you as the story progresses; everyone seems very organic and real. I guess you could say that this whole series is a walking college stereotype and all the characters add to that. Since this is a contemporary comic and because of the way our world is today, there are a few interesting themes in Giant Days. One of the characters struggles with the LGBTQ view and is unsure if she is part of it, a few characters have relations with each other (but only the morning after is included in the comic frames), and there are a few times when characters get drunk or high on drugs (but the books don't condone that). It all comes down to what you're comfortable reading about and how that will affect your worldview, so please use good judgment if you give this comic a try. Aside from that, though, Giant Days is a fun comic series that honestly portrays life at college and all the new things that a person can experience there. Well written and beautifully drawn, this comic is worth a read.

Photo Credit: Thirdeyecomics.com

Spilling Ink - A Book Review

I rarely write book reviews, because I rarely come across a book that I think deserves recognition. But I have recently finished a book that I think is worthy, so here's my candid opinion.

Have you ever wanted to write a book, an adventure story, a heartfelt poem? Have you ever tried? You sat down at your desk, picked up your pencil, poised it over the paper, and then with a jolt you realize you don't know how to "properly write a story!" Now, in my opinion, there is no right or wrong way to write; you just need to reach down deep inside of yourself and find the words you need. But if you really want to know the "right" way to put those words on paper, then there's a book for that; Spilling Ink, A Young Writer's Handbook by Anne Mezer and Ellen Potter, is a perfect place to start. This book is not only a great start but it is also a great way to keep going if you are getting discouraged in your own writing. And it might just give you some new ideas that you never would have thought of before.

I really enjoyed this book; it was fun and lighthearted while still giving some great insights. Even though the book is targeted at younger readers and potential writers, I thought that any writer of any age would enjoy it. The writing is easy to follow and keeps you turning the pages to read the next line. The chapters were also divided into manageable sizes that are easy to read anywhere. Even though it is a "how to write properly" book, the authors themselves continually say that writing the right way isn't as important as writing the way that you feel comfortable; I thought that was really nice and encouraging to young writers who are just starting out. I would definitely recommend this book to any beginning writers and I think even experienced writers should give this book at try; it could give them a hand, too.

Never give up on writing; never deprive the world of your words.