May 2009
It’s finally beginning to feel like summer here in the Northeast. I have four bushes of peonies, which are my favorite kind of flower, at my house. While I was delighted to see them in bloom, they typically come out the week of the BookExpo America (BEA) conference so I get to see them maybe for a day or two. By the time I get back, they are usually just massive clumps of petals on the ground. This year is no exception. To get around this, I cut a few lush flowers and put them in a vase and plopped that on my desk in New York, then moved it to the hotel in the city where I am staying. At least I can enjoy some peonies since I know rain, cold and wind will scatter the petals by Sunday afternoon. Between those and the lilacs, the weekend did smell lovely.
May 2009
Well, summer is right around the corner, and I for one could not be happier for the soon-to-be beach weather. I'm sure you're feeling the same way, especially since the school year will be coming to a close for most of you within the next few weeks.
Does your school usually have an assigned summer reading list? How many books do you need to read? What grade does your required summer reading list get? Once school ends, when will you read the books on your summer reading list?
May 27, 2009, 128 voters
Editorial content for Diamondhead
Book
Teaser
When Navy SEAL Mack Bedford’s fellow officers are brutally killed by Iraqi insurgents using a cruel, new, anti-tank Diamondhead missile, Mack avenges their murders by gunning down the then unarmed attackers, ultimately getting himself court-martialed and kicked out of the Navy in the process.
About the Book
When Navy SEAL Mack Bedford’s fellow officers are brutally killed by Iraqi insurgents using a cruel, new, anti-tank Diamondhead missile, Mack avenges their murders by gunning down the then unarmed attackers, ultimately getting himself court-martialed and kicked out of the Navy in the process. To make matters worse, Mack then learns that the Diamondhead missiles were sold illegally by French industrialist and infamous politician Henri Foche. Mack suspects that Foche will succeed in his campaign to become the next French President and fears that his election will promote the spread of international terrorism.
In addition, Mack has a gravely ill son whose life can only be saved with an experimental and unaffordable foreign medical procedure. So when Mack is asked to help assassinate Henri Foche, he finds himself agreeing. His reward: a chance at survival for both his son and the country.
But before Mack can reach Foche, a jilted mercenary group warns the Frenchman of the threat, greatly increasing the difficulty of Mack’s solo assassination attempt. Can Mack track down and murder the French tyrant as he has been commissioned to do? Does he have the power to restore his reputation as a Navy SEAL? And will he be able to save his waning son before it’s too late?
Hey, we're in the middle of a recession and all, but you never know what people have lying around in their wallets. Or in their attics. Take this Dallas man, Ralph Chicorel, who was just recently reported to be holding on to some very special comic gems. Turns out that Ralph, now 78, has been collecting for a very long time and has copies of such classics as Batman #1 and Marvel Mystery Comics #9.
This year, Stumptown Comics Fest in Portland, Oregon, had another participant—the Zine Library Group (ZLG) of Multnomah County Library. Comics are well-represented at Stumptown, as Portland is home to publishers Dark Horse, Oni Press, half of Top Shelf, as well as Sparkplug Comic Books and Tugboat Press. Portland also has many thriving comic book stores, including Guapo Comics, Cosmic Monkey, Floating World, Bridge City Comics, Excalibur, Things from Another World, and Future Dreams.
Does your school usually have an assigned summer reading list?
May 21, 2009, 907 voters
When I was growing up, my dad was very fond of the Robert Service poem "The Cremation of Sam McGee," and in particular, he liked quoting the lines, " A promise made is a debt unpaid." About two months ago, I wrote an article on Graphic Novel Reporter entitled "Who Teaches the Watchmen." At the end of that article, I promised that I would let you know how the unit went. I hereby wish to discharge that debt.
