bell7's 2008 100 graphic novels

Since I want to broaden my reading in the graphic novel/manga world, I've decided to try reading 100 volumes this year (yes, I am counting volumes separately otherwise I could never get to 100).

Here's what I've read so far this year (the touchstones are acting odd, so sorry if they didn't come out right):

January --
1. Yotsuba&! Volume 1
2. Crossroad Volume 1
3. Crossroad Volume 2

February--
4. The Great Cow Race

April--
5. Death Note Volume 12

May--
6. Fruits Basket Volume 1
7. Fruits Basket Volume 2
8. Fruits Basket Volume 3
9. Fruits Basket Volume 4
10. Fruits Basket Volume 5
11. Fruits Basket Volume 6
12. Fruits Basket Volume 7
13. Fruits Basket Volume 8
14. Fruits Basket Volume 9
15. Fruits Basket Volume 10
16. Fruits Basket Volume 11
17. Fruits Basket Volume 12
18. Fruits Basket Volume 13
19. Fruits Basket Volume 14
20. Fruits Basket Volume 15
21. Fruits Basket Volume 16
22. Fruits Basket Volume 17
23. Fruits Basket Volume 18
24. Fruits Basket Volume 19
25. Shaman King Volume 1
26. Shaman King Volume 2
27. Tsubasa Volume 1
28. Tsubasa Volume 2
29. Tsubasa Volume 3
30. Tsubasa Volume 4

Finishing off May:

31. Tsubasa Volume 5
32. Tsubasa Volume 6
33. Tsubasa Volume 7
34. Tsubasa Volume 8
35. Cardcaptor Sakura Volume 1
36. Cardcaptor Sakura Volume 2

Fruits Basket earlier this year was a reread for me. I love that series, and I was reading it while working on final projects.

I'm really enjoying Tsubasa a lot, and started reading Cardcaptor (by the same authors) because I wanted to understand some of the references to previous series. I'm planning on trying xxxholic soon as well.

June, Week 1:

37. Kindaichi Case Files: The Opera House Murders by Yozaburo Kanari
38. Cardcaptor Sakura Volume 3 by CLAMP
39. Cardcaptor Sakura Volume 4
40. Cardcaptor Sakura Volume 5
41. Cardcaptor Sakura Volume 6
42. Kare Kano Volume 1 by Masami Tsuda
43. Hana-Kimi Volume 1 by Hisaya Nakajo
44. Kare Kano Volume 2
45. Kare Kano Volume 3
46. Kare Kano Volume 4
47. Kare Kano Volume 5
48. Cardcaptor Sakura: Master of the Clow Volume 1
49. Cardcaptor Sakura: Master of the Clow Volume 2
50. xxxHolic Volume 1 by CLAMP
51. xxxHolic Volume 2

Over the half way point! And I thought it would be impossible to get to 100 by the end of the year...I feel like even after completing 100 volumes I won't even have tapped into the possible stories.

I've really enjoyed the stories I've read by Clamp -- Cardcaptor, Tsubasa, and xxxholic. These are definitely stories that reward you for having read their other work, and I love the complicated multiple worlds (which very much reminds me of Diana Wynne Jones).

Kare Kano and Hana-Kimi are both different from the type of books I tend to read (which is mostly fantasy, mostly YA) in that they were more romance-y. In both, I liked getting to know the characters in the first few volumes and will most likely read a few more, but I have yet to decide whether or not to continue reading the series through.

June, Week 2:

52. W Juliet Volume 1 by Emura
53. Hana-Kimi Volume 2 by Hisaya Nakajo
54. Hana-Kimi Volume 3
55. xxxHolic Volume 3 by CLAMP
56. Tsubasa Volume 9 by CLAMP
57. Tsubasa Volume 10
58. Tsubasa Volume 11
59. Tsubasa Volume 12
60. Tsubasa Volume 13

Hana-Kimi has won me over, especially the third volume which was laugh-out-loud funny, and I'll continue to read the series. And oh joy! the next book in the xxxHolic series has come in at the library, so I can continue in that as well. W Juliet was a pretty funny story about a girl (who looks like a guy) who's become friends with a guy that dresses as a girl so that he can follow his dream and become an actor (his father, who wanted him to take over the family business laid this out as a challenge). I enjoyed it alright, but my reaction wasn't as strong to this one as some of the others (Tsubasa, xxxholic, Fruits Basket), so I probably won't go back to the series for awhile, if I do at all.

61. xxxHolic Volume 4 by CLAMP
62. xxxHolic Volume 5
63. xxxHolic Volume 6

Sadly, this is all my library owns and I have to wait for interlibrary loan books to come in before continuing....great series, though.

64. Antique Bakery, Volume 1 by Fumi Yoshinaga
65. Antique Bakery, Volume 2

These were OK...realistic/drama type story about three guys who run a bakery and their customers. I like the other series I've been reading better.

66. Cardcaptor Sakura: Master of the Clow Volume 3 by CLAMP
67. Cardcaptor Sakura: Master of the Clow Volume 4
68. Cardcaptor Sakura: Master of the Clow Volume 5
69. Cardcaptor Sakura: Master of the Clow Volume 6

Really good series, and especially useful for sort-of background information in Tsubasa and xxxHOLiC.

70. Her Majesty's Dog Volume 1 by Mick Takeuchi
71. Her Majesty's Dog Volume 2 by Mick Takeuchi
72. Her Majesty's Dog Volume 3 by Mick Takeuchi
73. Her Majesty's Dog Volume 4 by Mick Takeuchi
74. Her Majesty's Dog Volume 5 by Mick Takeuchi
75. Her Majesty's Dog Volume 6 by Mick Takeuchi

If you can't tell, I like this series. But my library is the only one in the system with these books and there's only three more available :::sob::: Kind of like "Beauty and the Beast" meets "Fruits Basket"...kinda. Hard to describe, but a really fun story.

I can't believe I'm already 3/4 of the way done!

End of June:
76. Bone: Eyes of the Storm by Jeff Smith
77. Bone: The Dragonslayer by Jeff Smith
78. Naruto Volume 1 by Masashi Kishimoto
79. Chibi Vampire Volume 1 by Yuna Kagesaki
80. Chibi Vampire Volume 2

The Bone series continues to be a really fun read for me. Naruto has been a really popular series at my library, so when I saw the first one was available I nabbed it. I didn't expect to like it as much as I did -- the story was fun, with a lot of laugh out loud moments. I'm not completely sold on the Chibi Vampire series, but it's kind of a fun plot -- a girl in a family of vampires is the odd one out because she has excess blood she has to give to people or she gets massive nosebleeds. I'll probably continue reading at least another volume just to see where the story goes and how I like it.

July, Week 1:
81. Fruits Basket Volume 20 by Natsuki Takaya

That's the wrong touchstone, 'cause it's the English edition. OH MY GOSH is all I can say....I need to reread the last few volumes again, and I am already counting down the days 'til November comes and I can purchase the next one.

I've got a pile of xxxHOLic and Her Majesty's Dog as well as the second Naruto waiting for me now...

ETA: Bone Volume 4, and fixing the numbers.

July, Week 2:

81. xxxHOLic Volume 7 by CLAMP
82. xxxHOLic Volume 8
83. xxxHOLic Volume 9
84. xxxHOLic Volume 10
85. xxxHOLic Volume 11

I seem to have gotten ahead in this series, because the last references to the characters in Tsubasa threw my for a loop...oops. May have to go back and reread to catch the end of the storyline.

86. Her Majesty's Dog Volume 7 by Mick Takeuchi
87. Naruto Volume 2 by Masashi Kishimoto
88. Naruto Volume 3

I can see why Naruto has been incredibly popular at my local library. The story is fun and laugh-out-loud funny, and it's pretty easy for me to pick up where I left off in the story, even with some delay between volumes.

89. Her Majesty's Dog Volume 8
90. Her Majesty's Dog Volume 9

Still really liking the series, but the last few volumes felt more like prep work for the coming climax of the plot so I didn't like them as much individually as the first few. The end of volume 9 in particular seemed close to a turning point, and I'm looking forward to finding out what's going to happen.

Only a few more to report:

91. Chibi Vampire Volume 3 by Yuna Kagesaki
92. Chibi Vampire Volume 4 by Yuna Kagesaki

It's not on top of my list of series to read, but I'll probably keep reading slowly but surely.

93. Hana-Kimi Volume 4 by Hisaya Nakajo
94. Hana-Kimi Volume 5
95. Naruto Volume 4 by Masashi Kishimoto
96. Naruto Volume 5

I'm stealing the Naruto series from the middle school boys in my library. haha...

Wow, bell7! You are almost through! Good going! I have never read a graphic novel although my girls do have a couple of them. I guess I am going to have to check one out.
--BJ

Thanks! I think if I'd realized I'd reach my goal so quickly I would have made it a bit harder for myself. But I'm enjoying myself in finding new manga series that I enjoy. What graphic novels to your girls own/read?

I only know of a couple that my younger daughter has by Neil Gaiman The Dolls' House and Preludes and Nocturnes and then one called something like Yotsuba. I was interested to see that the Japanese books read backwards. I think that would take me a little getting used to. Anyway, my girls want me to give them a try.
--BJ

Cool! Hope you enjoy them. I haven't read any of Neil Gaiman's graphic novels, though they're on my list to read. The Japanese manga reading right to left did take some getting used to, but I'm pretty good at following the panels correctly now, most of the time anyway!

97. Chobits Volume 1 by CLAMP
98. Chobits Volume 2

I chose these because I like the other manga I've read by CLAMP. I found out that Chobits is a fairly large departure from the others I've read, a science fiction story about a guy who finds this gorgeous computer that looks like a girl and he may just be falling in love with her. There's a lot more sexual innuendo than I tend to like in books I choose, so I won't be reading more of the series.

99. Crossroad Volume 3 by Shioko Mizuki
100. Crossroad Volume 4

I really liked the first two volumes but at the risk of ***spoilers***, the shift in the story, where the girl who likes her kind-of-almost step-brother starts dating her teacher is veering off into territory I'm not all that interested in. I really liked the first two volumes for the characters and the themes of friendship and family, but I'm debating whether or not to finish the series at this point (there's only 3 more volumes).

And YAY! I reached my goal. Surpassed it, actually, with --

101. Ouran High School Host Club Volume 1 by Bisco Hatori
102. Ouran High School Host Club Volume 2

...a series which was recommended to me by a LibraryThing member. It's really funny, about Horohi, a scholarship student in an elite school for rich kids that stumbles on this host club that some of the guys have in a school music room. Horohi accidentally breaks a vase, and to replace it must work for the host club to pay off the debt. (As a sidenote, it's kinda funny that by the title it sounds worse than Chobits, but it's actually more of a comedy and flirtatious at most, at least so far).

Well, I've finished up my 100 volumes a lot faster than I thought I would, and I've started enough new series that I bet I could make it to 200 by the end of the year...

103. Bleach Volume 1 by Tite Kubo
104. Bleach Volume 2
105. Naruto Volume 6 by Masashi Kishimoto
106. Naruto Volume 7

Bleach was an interesting story about a boy who can see ghosts and who meets someone who sends ghosts to the place they ought to be and keeps Hollows from eating the souls of humans. During a fight to save his family, he receives her powers and as a result has to help her do her job.

My library just bought through Volume 8 of Naruto so I'm impatiently waiting for itto return. :-) It's one of those books that I feel way to old to be enjoying as much as I do. haha

Hi, bell7,
I just wanted to say congratulations on reaching your goal!
--BJ

Thanks! If you give your daughters' graphic novels a try, I'd be interested to see what you think. :-)

naruto rocks ive read every one that has came out exepet 31 threw the others i hope they come out soon untill then keep reading mang it rocks

Glad you like them too! I've still only read through volume 8. I had some come in for me in the library, thought I'd reserved specific volumes only to have 13 and 23 show up inexplicably....

Ah well. I'll definitely keep reading more!

Oops...I see I have a bit of updating to do. It really is a pain keeping graphic novels/manga separate from my novel and nonfiction reading. I'm not going to duplicate the dual thread thing next year.

107. Rock Jaw: Master of the Eastern Border by Jeff Smith

Continuing the Bone series veeerrrrrrrry slowly on my part, but definitely still enjoying it. It's getting darker and a little more complicated as it goes on.

108. Naruto Volume 8 by Masashi Kishimoto

I really should learn to get more than one volume at a time...it drives me crazy to read just one and have it end abruptly.

109. Ouran High School Host Club Volume 3 by Bisco Hatori
110. Ouran High School Host Club Volume 4

This series never fails to make me laugh. Can't wait to read more!

111. Naruto Volume 9 by Masashi Kishimoto
112. Naruto Volume 10
113. Naruto Volume 11
114. Naruto Volume 12

I'm curious to know where the story will go as the kids continue their training to become ninjas. The fight scenes are a little bloody for my taste, but it's still hilarious and fun to read. Will put the next few volumes on hold soon.

115. Her Majesty's Dog Volume 10 by Mick Takeuchi

This volume really picked up (I think I complained that the last one was too much "set up" and not enough story), revealing some very interesting things about characters and a cliffhanger of an ending...darn. The next volume comes out in November, just a few days after the next Fruits Basket volume.

Oh, and speaking of Fruits Basket, I've started rereading the series in preparation for the next volume coming out in November. I'm not counting rereading them in the year's total.

Almost forgot...
116. Dramacon by Svetlana Chmakova

Technically a reread, but only once this year. It's about Chriss, a girl going to her first con, and her good, bad, and overwhelming experiences in that one weekend. The first in a series of 3.

117. Naruto Volume 13 by Masashi Kishimoto
118. Naruto Volume 14
119. Naruto Volume 15

Can anyone say "CLIFFHANGER?" Geesh...I'm really hoping the next volume comes in on interlibrary loan today. I put a hold on as soon as I finished Vol. 15. The series has turned much more serious than the first few volumes, but now I care about the characters and want to know what happens.

Edited to fix a typo.

120. Naruto Volume 16
121. Naruto Volume 17
122. Naruto Volume 18
123. Naruto Volume 19
124. Naruto Volume 20
125. Bone: Old Man's Cave by Jeff Smith
126. Bone: Ghost Circles

The Bone series is moving very fast at this point, and I have the next 2 books ready in the wings.

127. Fruits Basket Volume 21

Not quite the cliffhanger of Volume 20, but really good and looking forward to March to read the next one...

I've started rereading Tsubasa and xxxholic because I got confused about the crossover when I reached volume 11 of the latter. It's a pretty complicated story, but I like it for that. I've reread through Volume 9 of Tsubasa and Volume 6 of xxxholic.

127. Treasure Hunters Jeff Smith
128. Crown of Horns

Series finished, and highly recommended!

129. Tsubasa Volume 14 by CLAMP
130. Tsubasa Volume 15
131. Tsubasa Volume 16
132. Tsubasa Volume 17
133. Tsubasa Volume 18
134. Tsubasa Volume 19
135. xxxholic Volume 12

Waiting impatiently for the next volumes in these crossover series to come out before I forget what's going on again. (I reread both concurrently so I could follow the crossover, and my brain is still spinning.) Great series as well.

That's it for '08 -- I'm keeping track of manga/graphic novels in the same thread for 2009.