Today I'm sharing the best book I read in December.
Of the 7 books I read this month, I had two 5-star reads:
Demon Lord of Karanda by David Eddings
The Arrival by Shaun Tan
The Eddings was a reread of an old favorite, so I'm going with the other one as my Best of the Bunch for this month.
This is a lovely wordless graphic novel that reads like watching a short animated film. Our protagonist packs up his belongings, says goodbye to his family, and boards a ship to a new land. Tan puts the reader in the shoes of an immigrant through the fantastical world that he has designed; just like the protagonist, the language on papers and signs is unfamiliar to us, as are the strange animals, foods, and methods of transportation. Along the way, he finds kindly strangers who help him navigate this new world, all of whom share their own stories of when they immigrated to this new country. As Art Spiegelman says on the back cover, this book is accessible for children, who will see it as an exploration of a fantasy world (similar to another wordless book, Journey), but it carries a deeper message for adults, who will understand the specific experience it is reflecting to the reader. Definitely recommend picking this one up.
What is the best book you read this month? Let me know in comments, or write your own post and link up below!
Looking back:
One year ago I was reading: Cutting for Stone, If You Come Softly, and Pachinko
Five years ago I was reading: Yes Please and The Canterbury Tales
Ten years ago I was reading: The Red Pony
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