Books to Look For (October): History, Comics/Graphic Novels, & Travel

History


1913: The Year Before the Storm by Florian Illies, Transl. Shaun Whiteside & Jamie Lee Searle (Melville House, 272 pages, October 29)

Just before World War I did it's whole destroy everything!!! thing, Europe and America were bursting at the creative seams. Nineteen-thirteen was more than just the year before the "war to end all wars": it was the year of Ford, Louis Armstrong, Charlie Chaplin, Proust, and Picasso. Seriously- a must read, people.






Comics/Graphic Novels

 
The Best American Comics 2013 ed. Jeff Smith, Jessica Abel, & Matt Madden (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 400 pages, October 8)

Feast your eyes on this collection of the best graphic pieces from 2012. You'll find familiar and not-so-familiar names here, so enjoy.








Travel

Route 66 Treasures: Featuring Rare Facsimile Memorabilia from America's Mother Road by Jim Hinckley (Voyageur Press, 64 pages, October 21)

Did you know that Route 66, the cultural icon and vacation destination, was called the "Mother Road"? Was I the only one who didn't know that? Well, this was THE ROAD across the country until the interstate system kicked it to the curb (pun so very intended). Check out the book for cool memorabilia from that bygone era. (I love history...[happy sigh]).