reading and movie time

Recommended graphic novels for this week:

1. Skim (Mariko and Jillian Tamaki): Just like watching Juno or Somersault on pages, that's all I would say. A bitter fragment of an teenage outsider whose strangeness and isolation simply remind me of my horrid puberty.

        I fell in love with Jillian Tamaki's  

       artistic techniques after reading this

       book and started following her blog,  

       which made me admire her even more.

       Her blog is a roller coaster adventure 

       filled with interesting events, random 

       sketches as well as thoughts, shared 

       experience and lovely comments of

       Tamaki for her students. As a artist, she 

       is inspirational for her flexibility 

       with various approaches and mediums, 

       who is never tired of trying out new

       things– a work ethnic and an 

       unconventional mind that are worth 

       taking example from. 

2. 
   The Nao of Brown (Glyn Dillon): I finished this book today after 2-hour reading straight and closed the book with a smile on my face. Nao in the story reminds me so much of myself; first we are both Asians and enjoy wearing red coats (ha!), then a hidden suffering from insecurities and self loathing covered by constant smiles in presence. Moreover, Nao also struggles with her severe OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) that even puts her into more of a challenge to live a normal, happy life... Dillon's artworks also enhance the sharpness and poignancy of the book, panels merged in subtle watercoloured images and fine pen outlines.

       Another doodle from my sketchbook:

      Apart from reading good stuff this week, Sleepy Hallow by Tim Burton really disappoints me as it's just merely a slasher movie with lots of pretty costumes and fantasy backgrounds. In a way, I guess Burton's stunning art direction (as always) really saves this movie from being rated as a sheer cheap piece of horror.

      Woody Allen's Annie Hall is a lovely film though, truly saved my weekend from watching the movie above. Such joys listening to delightful, witty dialogues as well as enjoying the ride of love found-love lost roller coaster!