French Milk by Lucy Knisley

French Milk by Lucy Knisley-188 pages

I read An Age of License by Knisley during the travel month, but had to request this from a distant library, so I could not get it in time to read it for that month. I somewhat enjoyed reading this, although it definitely wasn't my favorite. I enjoyed An Age of License better. French Milk is a travelogue of Lucy Knisley's stay in a Paris apartment for a month to celebrate her birthday with her mom. Her dad and a friend also stay for a few days at different times. I was amused at her love of French milk, which is fresh and always whole. They don't drink skim milk. I would like to visit Paris and, especially, the Eiffel Tower someday. I really want to go to Europe. Overall, this was an okay graphic travelogue.

An Age of License: A Travelogue by Lucy Knisley

An Age of License: A Travelogue by Lucy Knisley-195 pages

Since this month's theme is travel, I decided to read some highly acclaimed graphic travelogues and this is one that was recommended. Lucy (the author) travels to Norway, Sweden, Germany, and France in September, 2011 and documents her travels in this graphic volume. Lucy is an acclaimed cartoonist/graphic novelist/artist who is invited to Raptus Comics Fest in Bergen, Norway which is the original reason for her travels, but she decides to visit friends/lovers in the other countries she travels to. It is an interesting, easy read and I would really like to take a trip like this someday.

Japan Ai: A tall girl's adventures in Japan by Aimee Major Steinberger

Japan Ai: A tall girl's adventures in Japan by Aimee Major Steinberger-183pages

I read this because it was recommended as a good read for those wanting to read travel monologue graphic novels. It is a travelogue of the author's trip to Japan with a couple of friends. I enjoyed reading it for the most part, though I am not into some of the things the author is into. I especially enjoyed their adventures to Kyoto and the ancient temples and to the hot springs at Onsen, Japan. Additionally, I thought the explanation of Geisha and Oiran and their place in Japanese society and the difference between them was interesting and informative. I also liked that she got to visit the place she really wanted to visit for a long time and had dedicated a website to them (Volks dolls). Finally, it was interesting to read about her travel mishaps (missing, but later found luggage and taking the wrong train). Overall, I did enjoy reading it.

The Travels of Marco Polo: The Illustrated Edition by Marco Polo

The Travels of Marco Polo: The Illustrated Edition by Marco Polo -377 pages

This classic travelogue has been enhanced with many illustrations and explanatory sidebars and footnotes. Although some of Polo's details are a bit fanciful, his account still makes for very interesting reading on the cultures of a variety of people in the Middle Ages from the eastern Mediterranean to China and southeast Asia. Polo was particularly impressed with the Mongol Khanate in China and editor Morris Rossabi, a professor of East Asian history, helps the reader with deciphering the variety of personal and geographic names used in the original text.