New eyes each year
Find old books here,
And new books, too,
Old eyes renew;
So youth and age
Like ink and page
In this house join,
Minting new coin.

~ Library Ode by Philip Larkin

I’ve been reading The Amnesiac by Sam Taylor and one passage was quite offbeat but I liked it because it led me to discover another writer.

The main character, James, is sitting at a bar reading a story by Borges but is interrupted by a man who is starring at him. The man asks if he can sit with him and they start talking, and finally James tells him that he resembles Philip Larkin. The older gentleman, a librarian tells him he is Philip Larkin by default as he took over the poet’s life and memories when the poet died. Odd isn’t it?

Anyway, it was a curious passage but more than anything my mind kept wandering about Philip Larkin and so I looked for some of his poetry and found the poem I posted at the beginning of this post. Isn’t that a good one? I’m not very familiar with Larkin’s poetry but I do like how one book led me to another writer.

Has that happened to you recently? What book/poem/writer have you discovered as a result of another?

“Drawing is putting a line round an idea.” ~ Henri Matisse

I’ve finished two graphic novels recently which weren’t ones I originally listed for my Graphic Novel challenge but I found these at the library and couldn’t resist them. Know what the cool thing is? I just need to read one more and I complete my challenge – woo,hoo! But, I don’t want to get too carried away so let’s just talk about these for now.

The first one is La Perdida by Jessica Abel (click on title for full review). Immediately I was hooked by the setting, Mexico city, a city I love. The story centers on Carla, a young woman trying to find herself in Mexico.

“I was delirious with Mexico. I was avoiding thinking about the inevitable, the ticket in my backpack that meant the end of the affair, until finally I bit the bullet and looked. I had missed my plane by a week.”

And, so she begins her adventure. I loved this until it neared the end. There are some events that happen which I don’t want to spoil for any reader but that make me question why I even liked Carla as much I did. She disappointed me. Would I read another book by the author? Absolutely. I think she can pull together a good story and I liked her artwork. Perhaps I expected too much out of Carla? I don’t know but I’d be curious to hear if anyone’s read this and what your thoughts are on it.

Next up is Nightmares & Fairy Tales: 1140 Rue Royale by Serena Valentino and art by Crab Scrambly (click on title for full review).

As with any good ghost story this tale starts with a creepy house and is soon filled with ghosts, nightmares and evil. It has plenty of atmosphere although there were a few unanswered questions for me. I see that this is part of a series so I’m not sure if the other books touch upon this house or story line for that matter. I guess I’ll just have to look for another one and find out.

You know, graphic novels may not be the first genre I turn to when I’m thinking of which book next but I’m certainly enjoying them a lot.