My Favorite Books

The absolute best books out there, and some of my personal favorites. These are my opinions, of course, but I'm not alone. Most of these books are critically acclaimed, and highly praised. Many are Science Fiction, but the kind of Sci-Fi that transcends the genre, and goes beyond blowing up aliens to telling some wonderful stories. In short, these are books that you keep in your library, and read over and over again. They are in no particular order, but browsing books is half the fun because you never know what you will find!

Also, by buying any books through these links, you're also supporting this site, assuring your favorite cartoons continue here at HappyGlyphs.com :0)

Okay, so this one isn't critically acclaimed ( yet ), but it is my first book, and I definitely poured my heart and soul into it, so it counts as one of my all time favorite books :0) Check out samples and more here. Or check out my first comic book here.

I had heard good things about this book, and had read some of Mr. belands cartoons before, but this book far surpassed my expectations! A "True Story: Swear to God" collection, that tells a love story in a fun, funny, and honest way, with deceptively simple art that is truly inspired. A really nice read, and a pleasure to look at.

A Goddess for Hire

This is a fun book; very light reading perfect for a little escape or a day at the beach. The heroine isn't exactly lovable, at first, but the book is very funny and entertaining.

Whether you are interested in Art, Cartooning, Biographies, American History, or are that rare sophisticated Krazy Kat fan, this beautiful book is sure to please. Full of the best of Krazy Kat, plus photos, rare drawings and paintings, and incredibly interesting stories from the life of George Herriman. I will always treasure this book, and hold it dear to my heart; after all, it was this very book that got me started on my career as a Cartoonist.

Finally, the reprinting of Krazy Kat, hailed as "the greatest comic strip of all time" has begun again, available in beautifully designed books that reprint 2 years of Sunday strips, with photos and background info in each. Serious collectors complete your collection today!

MAUS is so very hard to describe. Yes, this is a graphic novel in the true sense of the word, using words and pictures to tell a very difficult story. It is so much more, though.

Without a doubt, this is on my top tn list of all time favorites, and I'm not even a Batman fan! 'The Dark Knight Returns' has all of the elements of great literature, and should definitely be considered as such. It is truly a 'graphic novel', not just your normal superhero comic. It recreates a fantastic character well known to so many, without disturbing the basic tenets that made that character great. Stunning artwork and a gripping tale make this a must read for everyone!

This sequel to The Dark Knight is something else indeed! Miller breaks new ground with this one, telling a whole new story in a brand new way. I hated this one, at first, and many others still hate it, but I honestly think those that hate it haven't given it a chance. Click the link and see what the critics have to say; they can say it better than me. I will say this, however; This is great storytelling, and as hard to put down as the first book. Instead of redoing the Dark Knight, Miller reinvents graphic storytelling. The art IS sometimes very crude, at other times elegant, which reflects the story, the world within, and the characters. Give it a chance; you'll be glad you did.

A lost treasure of Frank Miller's; a strange, compelling future tale with more surprises than a dozen boxes of Cracker Jacks! If you like Blade Runner, then you'll enjoy this graphic novel.

Judy Moody was in a mood. Not a good mood. A bad mood.

And so begins the first of 4 delightful children's books that our entire family has enjoyed. This is another book that I wish that I had created! Wonderful writing and delightful illustrations make this a book you and your kids will read over and over again :0)

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Harry Potter #5)

I've actually met a few adults at the library who say they have NOT read a Harry Potter book, because they thought it was a children's book! Please, do yourself a favor and ignore the hype and the movies and pick up one of the books today.

The novels are both funny and edge of your seat excitement, and each sequel really is as good as the first. And each book gets more and more intense until the 4th book becomes very dark, and not really for children at all. Highly recommended; just ask anybody who has read the series :0)

Connie Willis is an absolute gem; I would recommend anything of hers, especially her Christmas stories, but Bellwether is exceptional. This book is one of those few stories I've read that actually had me laughing out loud! It puts Dilbert to shame when it comes to office humour, and yet is so true to life you'll swear you've worked with some of these people. From office politics to bonding seminars to fighting for funding, this one has it all. Synopsis: When two scientists join together their research projects, one a study of Fads and the other on Chaos Theory, they choose as their test subjects a flock of sheep. All heck breaks loose, but there's something to be learned when the sheep escape!

Also recommended;

Everyone's heard of P.G. Wodehouse, but when's the last time you've read him? His Jeeves & Wooster characters are the best, and this book is in my opinion the best of the Jeeves& Wooster stories. Okay, there are at least 6 other Jeeves stories that have made me laugh out loud, but this one's had the most laughs out of me!

And if you've read the books, have you seen the television series? Brilliantly casted, this series captures the books so perfectly, it's unbelievable! Very funny and entertaining, it truly adds an extra dimension to the stories.

Kage Baker is another of my 'new' favorite authors, and her 'Company' novels are among my favorite books. I've read them 3 times each now, and I still get something from them in each reread! She knows how to write, and how to tell a gripping story. She doesn't just come up with great concepts and say "look here, isn't this a great idea?"; no, she explores the concepts so thoroughly and finds every twist and niche within so that each novel brings more and more surprises and depth.

SYNOPSIS: In the 24th century, the Company preserves works of art and extinct forms of life. It recruits orphans from the past, renders them all but immortal, and trains them to serve the Company. Mendoza is sent to Elizabethan England to collect samples from the garden of Sir Walter Iden. Her quest is jeopardized by Nicholas Harpole, who stirs unfamiliar emotions within her about her future—with a man she will long outlive.

Her latest Company book is a series of short stories that add dimension to and fill in some of the gaps between the other four books, as well as give more clues to the mystery that has been unravelling throughout the novels. Highly recommended, but you'll get a lot more out of these stories if you've read the other books first.

You've seen Groundhog Day and half a dozen other sci-fi time looping stories, but this is the original, and most intense. A fascinating, sometimes disturbing look at two people who keep living segments of their lives over and over again, and the good and bad that this can bring. I'm not doing the story justice here, but trust me, it's a damn fine book.

Described as "China as it out to have been", these books are a delightful fantasy unlike any other I've read. Very funny, very whimsical, and very entertaining.

Absolutely the finest example of Graphic Stroytelling, period. I treasure all fourteen volumes of Maison Ikkoku, and pray that one day I will meet Rumiko Takahashi so I can thank her for changing my life, and for setting such a high standard with her art and writing. It's a love story, but so much more, with laugh out loud humour and the most gentle, touching scenes ever created for a comic book. But don't take my word for it; Rumiko Takahashi is considered the greatest female cartoonist ( and best-selling ) in the world.

More outrageous fun from the Queen of graphic storytelling! The novels are great, but the videos are outstanding! The first video will have you laughing out loud! The graphic novels are just as great, however; laugh along as you meet Ranma, a teenage boy who, thanks to a tragic accident, turns into a beautiful girl whenever he comes into contact with cold water! Add to his dillema "anything goes martial arts", and believe me, the fun is never-ending!

This is just the latest of several volumes of Lynn Johnston's ground breaking award winning comic strip. If you're a fan, check it out today :0)

Good Grief, It’s Sparky!
A gorgeous keepsake album of photographs, original strips, and early developmental drawings, Peanuts is a worthy tribute to Charles M. Schulz, the beloved cartoonist whose art reflected his belief that children were simply adults "with the lids still on."

From the Publisher; This is Greyminster, a smoky, post-industrial milltown tucked away in the north west corner of England. A pleasant enough place except for one fact. Greyminster is the Spaghetti Junction of the Fortean World. Time travel, ravenous space beasts, manic old biddies and robots with a penchant for Hob Nobs. This volume contains all four Greyminster novels, five short stories, characters by the barrow load and enough good humour to blow your socks off!

Brian's a truly talented Cartoonist, and he writes his novels like he cartoons; he doesn't exaggerate or distort his characters and places, but instead draws out every detail until we see the very best and very worst of humanity and its environs. And no matter how intense or fast paced the story, there's always a laugh around each corner and under every pavestone! I would call his writing a cross between Douglas Adams, Monty Python, and Red Dwarf, but this would hardly do him justice, because quite frankly, Brian is in a league of his own.

The Comic Strips, characters, and original artwork, writing, and designs, including Knight and Day, Oz, and The Inquiring Minds on this site are ©2000-2006 by John W. Steventon, Jr. All rights reserved.
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