My Faves of 2007! By Liz!

Liz Simpsonized

Unmarketable: Brandalism Copyfighting Mocketing and the Erosion of Integrity by Anne Elizabeth Moore (New Press) $15.95 isbn 9781595581686
A witty and thoughtful look into the mutilation of the underground by them nasty corporate monsters.

The Stolen Child by Keith Donohue (Anchor) $13.95 isbn 9781400096534
So this human little kid is taken by changelings to grow up in the forest. His place with his family is taken by a changeling, who spends most of his life trying to fool everybody he is human. Don’tcha just have those days where you feel like you have to convince everybody that you’re human? Such a drag.

Ladyfriend #10: The Friendship Issue by Christa Donner $4.00
Chicago local Christa Donner anthologizes articles from different ladies and their friends about sisterhood, best friends gone bad, girl crushes, and more!

Female Serial Killers: How and Why Women Become Monsters by Peter Vronsky (Berkley) $16.00 isbn 9780425213902
So many of them were nurses. What the fuck?

Coffeeshop Crushes: Tales of Love and Lust in Coffee Establishments edited by Nicole J Georges and Jon Van Oast $3.00
Exactly what you want it to be: stories, comics, rants, interviews, all about barista love as servers, patrons and coffee admirers.

Love Is a Mix Tape: Life and Loss, One Song at a Time by Rob Sheffield (Three Rivers Press) $13.00 isbn 9781400083039
I was all set to think this was some emostential thing about relationships gone bad, but um, it’s not. I mean, she dies. It’s not like a Craig Thompson graphic novel about heartbreak at Christian overnight camp or whatever. I actually cried at the end of this book.

A Sunday Afternoon Hotdog Meal: A Guide to Chicago Featuring…Written and illustrated by 205 Second Through Sixth Grade Students, All of Whom Are Eager to Show You Around (826CHI) $12.00 isbn 9780979007392
The title pretty much says it all. Get hold of this book before you get to Chicago and plan your vacation with the help of the under ten set, ’cause they know where it’s at, if you know what I’m saying. The best parts are the licks of little kid logic, way more entertaining than any Not For Tourists Guide could ever be: “Bellas’s Pizza is a great place to go. Do you know why? It is about two or one blocks away from my house and sometimes it makes the air smell like many different kinds of food.” This book is even just a fun read if you’re already here.

Soon I Will Be Invincible by Austin Grossman (Pantheon) $22.95 isbn 9780375424861
This is one of those secret life of superheroes tales, like Watchmen, Mystery Men, etc. etc. etc. I’m such a sucker for that shit. Can’t get enough of it. I like the special attention given to the origin of the evil genius-scientist character. You don’t even have to be a comics reader to enjoy this book of fiction. Although I don’t doubt the bigger comics geek you are the more you will enjoy it.

Hand Job: Catalog of Type by Michael Perry (Princeton) $35.00 isbn 9781568986265
This book of handwritten font is perfect for people like me who have unreadable handwriting but want their zines to look all Cometbus-y and handwritten. It does not, however, come with a disc with the handwritten fonts to actually be able to use them. Ah shucks. It’s still pretty damn cool though.

Caboose #6: The Health and Recreation Issue
This is zine is, well, by me. It’s my story of some crazy medical shit I went through and how I navigated my way thorugh the medical world. And then once I got better, I went back to doing my regular ridiculous activities: karaoke, go-go dancing, eating chicken and screaming “Arrr! Fuck yeah!” at Medieval Times, etc. You should totally, totally, totally buy this because I worked very hard on it and I think it’s a compelling and fun read. And because I’m cute.