Danica Novgorodoff is the designer for the wonderful First Second Books and has a gn due out from there in fall of 2008. (It is called Slow Storm - some images of her work can be seen at the First Second site.) You read an interview with Danica at Sequential Tart which was conducted after she won the Isotope Award for Excellence in MIni Comics for her title, A Late Freeze. Now on to what Danica read and loved this year!

Tree of Smoke by Denis Johnson – This book was astonishing. Tree of Smoke spans the 1960’s to the 80’s, from the U.S. to Vietnam and beyond, follows a huge cast of very diverse characters, and had me nearly weeping after the first 2 pages of this 600 page opus. I read it one and a half times. It’s on a level with Apocalypse Now.

Airships by Barry Hannah – This was written in the 70’s, but I’d never heard of Hannah until this year. A collection of short stories, mostly southern, the writing is wild and gorgeous. He has such a looseness with words, ways of saying things that could never have possibly occurred to me. I bought three extra copies to give away to my friends.

Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin – An excellent biography of Abraham Lincoln told in the context of his presidential rivals, who then became his cabinet members. I was actually quite heartbroken at Lincoln’s death.

Notes for a War Story by Gipi – Gipi, an Italian, is one of my favorite comics artists. A powerful coming-of-age story of three friends scavenging in a war-torn country; including beautiful watercolor artwork and a prophetic dream sequence.

Faire Semblant C’est Mentir by Dominique Goblet – This might be translated as “To make believe is to lie� (I think). I read this graphic novel in French so I can’t guarantee I fully understood everything, but the art was really exciting – forget the rules of what a comic should be. My favorite part is a succession of full-page pencil-hatched drawings of a ghost. Yes, just a pale glow in a graphite haze. This book is surprisingly emotionally honest.

Exit Wounds by Rutu Modan – Another tale of a troubled relationship with a father, by a super-talented Israeli artist. It takes place against the background of ongoing violence in the region, as female soldier and young taxi driver, Koby, search for his father, whom they suspect has died in a bombing.
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Another fan of Exit Wounds - I'm still thinking about this book and what it had to say about life in the midst of violence. I must - MUST - read Notes From a War Story immediately. I've had it sitting here waiting for my attention and I really loved Gipi's Garage Band so I'm sure I'll be impressed by War Story as well. The problem is what column to fit it into....sometimes titles just don't gravitate easily to themes. Coming-of-age would work though...must put together a coming-of-age column for late winter.

I have not read any Barry Hannah in ages and ages and after reading about Airships here, I'm thinking I need to. The NYT did a piece on Hannah several years ago that presented a wonderful portrait of his career. Here is a bit:

''I'll tell you why I like writing: it's just jumping into a pool,'' he says later in the day, smoking another of his ever-present Marlboro reds on the balcony of Square Books, the Oxford bookstore that has become a gathering place for Southern writers. ''I get myself into a kind of trance. I engage the world, but it's also wonderful to just escape. I try to find the purities out of the confusion. It's pretty old-fashioned, but it's fun.''

What a cool guy - must read more Barry Hannah.

Thanks for stopping by Danica - we wrap up the favorite reads series tomorrow with YA author Richard Scrimger!