Graphic Novels: When is it really just comic books?

So I've been making use of the Ottawa Public Library a lot lately, as I have the time, and it's a nice walk from home. I've discovered that they have a large selection of Graphic Novels, something I always wanted to get into more, and have now had the opportunity to. However, I'm still confused: What's the difference, if any, between a Graphic Novel, and a Comic Book that's just in Hardcover with one storyline (5-10 issues) covered? Because I read a couple, like Watchmen, and one of the Sin City books, but I've also read a bunch of Batman, Daredevil, X-Men, Wolverine, Superman etc.

At what point does it become a novel, and at what point is it still comic books? Either way, I don't think it will stop me, although it's kind of awkward to have to go into the teen fiction section to check some of them out...many thanks to the librarian who actually recommended another one to me instead of look at me like I was a little old for comics...

The Book of Awesome is...not quite.

This afternoon I sat outside in the sunshine and read The Book of Awesome by Neil Pasricha. Of note, Neil was a writer at Golden Words during a good chunk of my years at Queen's, so it is fairly likely he was already responsible for making me chuckle and smile a few times. Neil's book came from his blog/website: 1000 Awesome Things which features one 'awesome' thing each weekday counting back from 1000 to #1. This site launched in June 2008, and will finish on April 20/2012 if all stays on schedule. The blog has been tremendously popular and won awards for celebrating the little things in life. Examples of these include: finding money in an old jacket, having time on the meter when you pull into a parking spot, the smell of bakeries and so forth. Nothing substantial really, but just a nice solid boost of optimism that people like me can definitely use every so often (I may be accused of pessimism by more than one person, and I think I'd probably be guilty some of the time).

The book is simply a collection of some of those awesome things, and is a very easy read, as I finished the nearly 400 pages in an afternoon. While it's very enjoyable and results in laughs and smiles, it's not quite 'Awesome', but definitely 'Rather Enjoyable' It would make a good bathroom book, to have for guests and yourself, to peruse at your leisure.

I won't claim that it's life changing, but I was at the library the day after the election last week, and I thought I needed something 'awesome' to counter the rather non-awesome results. I recommend it to anyone this summer as a good light beach/cottage/vacation book, or for the pessimist/optimist of your friends.

Eating the Dinosaur - Chuck Klosterman

I just finished reading Chuck Klosterman's Eating the Dinosaur, and, much like every other book he's written (aside from Downtown Owl, which was a novel) I tremendously enjoyed it, and had to force myself to not read it all in one night. I really enjoy reading, and unfortunately, studying History at Queen's destroyed my enjoyment reading, and made reading more of a process of trying to soak up as much information as possible for later use in conversation or essays. Luckily, after university, I got back to reading for fun, and have found I enjoy it more now than ever, and I think the university style reading still affects how I read, as I find myself wanting to further research things I read within books. Back to the book itself, a collection of previously published essays, a couple I had read, but most I hadn't. I find this to be a good way to break up a book, so that you can read piecemeal, and not lose connection with the story if you put the book down for a few days or weeks. As with all his work, I found myself readily agreeing to much of what he wrote, and the ideas made for great philosophical discussions, or chatter with friends. It's funny, because I remember reading SPIN magazine when I was in high school and university and absolutely HATING his articles...I think maybe he's evolved as a writer, and I've evolved as a reader/thinker. This is great, because it makes me feel smarter, like I somehow 'get it' now, whereas I didn't earlier...or maybe he just was a shitty writer back then. (probably not, I should go back and reread some of his stuff). It doesn't make sense to get into everything this book covers, but suffice it to say, if you read this book and couldn't find something to be interested in between the covers, I'd be very surprised. Sports, Music, Culture, Politics, Philosophy, Society, it's all there. I think what I really like is that it makes Pop-Culture seem like it's actually important, and a worthy field for intellectuals, and not just people who've got nothing better to do. Highly recommended.

10 Bands I'd like to get into this year

So.
I love music, reading about it, hearing it, discussing it, turning people on to new things and having new things introduced to me.
One of the most enjoyable things for me the last 7-8 yrs has been reading the UK Music Press. Not all of it mind you, but 2 major mags: UNCUT and MOJO
Growing up, the best I did was reading all the old Rolling Stone issues when Mr. Payne was feeling lucid at KCVI's library. That and, of course, Much Music and Z-Rock. If I couldn't tape it off the radio, or see it on Much Music, then I likely didn't know about it. Then good old Columbia House launched my collection with their lovely deals.
Anyhow, back on track here...Uncut and MOJO were a breath of fresh air when Rolling Stone and Spin had years when I was completely uninterested in their work. Magazines that wrote about music like they loved it, and not like it was their job, or they were trying to sell copies and get buzz.
Well the other fantastic thing about those UK mags, is that each issue came with a sample CD, either of new stuff that came out that month, or was featured in the issue. Those CDs opened up worlds of new sounds and things that otherwise didn't happen in Kingston. (Yes the internet helped a lot, but I'm a luddite and still prefer hard copy magazines if I can get them)
So, after this rambling preamble, here's a list of 10 bands that I'd like to get into this year (in no particular order):

1) Super Furry Animals (Welsh psychadelics from what I can gather)

2) Richmond Fontaine (Americana from middle aged normalish Midwesterners)

3) Calexico (my knowledge extends to their work on the soundtrack to I'm Not There)

4) Mastadon (I purchased Blood Mountain and Crack The Skye from Vertigo Records (formerly Spinnables) on Rideau Street here in Ottawa probably about 10-14 months ago secondhand, and have yet to get a chance to blast it properly, though I do look forward to some righteous noise when I get to it.)

5) Bright Eyes (A friend of mine I used to work with who had impeccable music taste suggested I get into Mr. Oberst and his work, and other than 1 or 2 songs on samplers, I have yet to do so...I think it's high time I did.)

6) The Hold Steady (Other than a sampler CD appearance and their cover of Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window? from I'm Not There [which is stupendous] I need to get more of them, and I know Steve will be utterly aghast that I've managed to not have them in my life yet.)

7) The Replacements/Paul Westerberg (I'm embarrassed that I'm ignorant of them other than by name and the OTHER Let it Be album)

8) Howe Gelb (Purveyor of Americana for last 20-25 yrs)

9) Elmore James ('The King of Slide Guitar' and Blues Legend. I'm aware of his stuff, mostly in cover form, but like all the greats of the Blues, the original is always better, and high time I started at the beginning)

10) The First Serious Recommendation I get from someone else.

I'm looking forward to it, along with any other directions the quest sends me off to musically or otherwise.