Something New: It's hard to explain how little and much things have changed

I had an evening in NYC to myself so naturally I found myself at the Strand. The idea was to JUST BROWSE and not get anything cos I mean, I don't really need anything and also I'm staying in the city and only have a backpack which is already filled with work stuff and clothes and I can't even fit anything else in there, so really, I won't actually get anything.

Of course, I ended up buying two books.

First was a copy of Caitlin Moran's latest book Moranifesto and it was a SIGNED COPY. Obviously I can't leave that behind. Then as I continued my just-browsing-not-buying-anything-except-this-one-book I ended up by the graphic novels which I always want to get into but have a hard time with. I remembered the book Relish looked like something I might be able to get behind and thought I'd flip through it. Instead I found a different book of hers, Something New. One of the copies was priced at $18. The other identical copy was priced at $10. Both had the correct label for the correct book. So I mean, I couldn't turn down this deal. The fates were MAKING me buy books.

One thing I have learned about myself (other than I have no willpower) is that I am down for memoir-type graphic novels because I was totally for Something New, a book about the author getting engaged and planning her wedding. She has a lot of questions from the more superficial (What sort of cat cake topper perfectly encapsulates us as a couple?) to more important (What's marriage actually mean for a feminist and is this something I really need to do and what do I want in my future?). Both sides of the question are great.

Even if this hadn't been a graphic novel, I would have been all about reading this story. But the graphic parts work as well. There are chapters that tell the story (in a somewhat non-linear fashion) and then sections in between like Weird Wedding Facts or Crafts done for the wedding.

The book is so fun and sweet and her drawing style is the type of thing I can get behind (vs. some of the more elaborate styles that are SO PRETTY but can be overwhelming for me when I'm trying to read the story). It was a book I didn't want to put down so I sped through it. And it's definitely a book that I want to give to friends going through the whole wedding process. And I definitely want to read her other stuff.

Gif rating:

Title quote from page 277

Knisley, Lucy. Something New: Tales From a Makeshift Bride. First Second, 2016.