Downloading Digital Comics From Overdrive

We've got a lot of fans of comic books and graphic novels here at Carnegie-Stout and we're very proud of our collection of print comics for adults. We're also very excited that digital comics are starting to find their way into Overdrive as publishers like Image and Dark Horse start making their books available to library ebook readers. For a full list of comics currently available through Overdrive, use Advanced Search to see everything with the subject "Comic and Graphic Books." You can see the results of that search here.

(If you're not into kids' comics and want to get fancy, remember that you can set your Overdrive account to show only books of certain maturity levels -- but that's a different blog post.)

If you're used to downloading our ebooks in EPUB format, our comics are going to work a little differently from what you're used to. Most of them are in Overdrive's Read format. Read opens books in your browser and is generally pretty handy, but it takes a few extra steps to get your comics saved offline so you can read them without an internet connection. Let me walk you through it:

 On Anything Except an iPad or iPhone

If you're not on an iOS device, this is really quick. The screenshots I have are from an Android tablet, but things should be the same on an Android phone or a computer.

Once you've checked your comic out and you're at the Bookshelf page, you'll see a picture of the book and a button that says Read. Click Read to open the book in your browser.

Once the book has loaded, tap the center of the page to open up the Read menu and then the black box in the top left corner of the page to see more options.

In this sidebar menu, pick Offline Access.

In the Offline Access page, click the round button with a little cloud in the middle. Your device will spend a few seconds downloading and let you know when it's done. At this point, the book is saved on your device, but you still need to give yourself an easy way to get back to it. You can bookmark it just like a webpage, but I recommend putting it on your home screen or desktop. These steps will vary a little based on your device and what browser you're using, but Overdrive will give you instructions right on that Offline Access page. When you're done, you'll have a handy button to go straight to your comic.

On an iPad or iPhone

If you're on an iOS device, you'll want to do basically the same steps, but in a slightly different order. 

 Check your comic out and then, on the Bookshelf page, click the Read button.

Once your comic has opened in Safari, click the share button (that's the weird little square with an arrow coming out the top) and pick Add to Home Screen.

Now you've got a nice little link to your comic, but it's not saved on your device yet. Tap your new icon to open the book. You'll be asked to log in with your library card number and PIN, just like when you checked the book out.

Once you've logged in and the book has loaded, tap the center of the page to open the Read menu and then the black box in the top left corner to see more options.

 

In this sidebar, pick Offline Access. In the Offline Access page, click the round button with a small cloud in the center. Your device will spend a few seconds downloading the book and let you know when it's done. Once it's finished, you're all set. Just tap the icon on your home screen whenever you want to read more.

The Fangirl's Guide to the Galaxy: A Handbook for Girl Geeks by Sam Maggs

The Fangirl's Guide to the Galaxy: A Handbook for Girl Geeks by Sam Maggs has everything you need to start being a girl geek (or boy geek) or enhance your already established geekdom. (It even has a litany!)

It discusses:

• fandoms like Harry Potter, Supernatural, Doctor Who, Sherlock, Whedonites, the Unsullied (fans of Game of Thrones who've only seen the TV show) and Bookwalkers (people who've read the books before watching the TV show),
• defining characteristics of being part of a fandom including key accessories, how to become one, and the unending debates fandoms have (Is DC better than Marvel? Kirk or Picard? Who is Jon Snow's mother?), and
• where to find like-minded people (like our Graphic Content book club that meets every other month to discuss graphic novels).

There's a chapter on conventions that includes a how-to guide so you stay hydrated, get that photo with your favorite celebrity, and rock a costume like no one else.
It also has interviews with women working on some of your favorite TV shows and writing your favorite books. Jill Pantozzi, editor in chief of The Mary Sue; Jane Espenson, writer and producer of shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Battlestar Galactica, and Once Upon a Time; Laura Vandervoort, star of Bitten and Smallville; Beth Revis, author of the Across the Universe trilogy and others answer questions on the positive influence of geekdom in their lives and advice for geek girls.

The book also recommends media where you can find kick-ass female characters.

Comics

Batwoman: Elegy written by Greg Rucka, artwork by J.H. Williams III, colors by Dave Stewart

Ms. Marvel written by G. Willow Wilson, illustrated by Adrian Alphona and Jacob Wyatt (Check out Sarah's review of Ms. Marvel here.)

Rat Queens by Kurtis J. Wiebe

Television and Movies

Firefly

Haywire

Sanctuary






Books

Huntress by Malinda Ho

The Immortals Quartet by Tamora Pierce









Anime

Attack on Titan

Slayers









When you're done reading The Fangirl's Guide to the Galaxy: A Handbook for Girl Geeks, check out some other related books.

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Geektastic: Stories from the Nerd Herd edited by Holly Black and Cecil Castellucci

You're Never Weird on the Internet (Almost): A Memoir by Felicia Day (star of The Guild)

Books for a Blizzard

We've pulled together a few favorites for you to check out before the first real winter storm of the season hits. Stop by the Recommendations Desk on the first floor to grab one from the display.

Glitter and Glue by Kelly Corrigan

I've Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella
Also available as an OverDrive eBook.

Kitty Cornered by Bob Tarte

Marley and Me by John Grogan
Also available as an OverDrive eBook.

Native Tongue by Carl Hiaasen

On Dublin Street by Samantha Young

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

The Rook by Daniel O'Malley
Also available as an OverDrive eBook.

Scott Pilgrim by Bryan Lee O'Malley

The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey

If You Liked Rocket Raccoon, Try Airplane Monkey!

Sarah and I were both huge fans of Ann Leckie’s Ancillary Justice (you can read Sarah’s review here). We’ve spent the last several months watching the literary awards roll in for Leckie’s singular and inventive story of a former spaceship out for revenge. When the British Science Fiction Association announced the choice for Best Novel of 2013, Ancillary Justice had tied with Ack-Ack Macaque by Gareth L. Powell, a book whose synopsis made “former spaceship out for revenge” sound positively pedestrian. From the back cover:

In 1944, as waves of German ninjas parachute into Kent, Britain’s best hopes for victory lie with a Spitfire pilot codenamed ‘Ack-Ack Macaque.’ The trouble is, Ack-Ack Macaque is a cynical, one-eyed, cigar-chomping monkey, and he’s starting to doubt everything, including his own existence.

To be honest, that’s the sort of pitch that usually elicits a chuckle but then disappoints me. With so many self-consciously far-fetched ideas in play, it’s no mean feat to keep a book from spinning wildly out of control. But if the British Science Fiction Association said Powell’s Nazi-fighting monkey pilot book was actually one of the two best sci-fi novels of the year, then I’d give him the benefit of the doubt.

Once I got into the book, things became even more complicated with the addition of a modern day plot built around alternate history, domineering corporations, transhumanists, and nuclear zeppelins. With all these elements crammed together, I’d have been impressed if Powell simply pulled off a crash he could walk away from. Instead, he soared effortlessly. The characters are fun and believable. The plot is engrossing and cohesive (though really hard to convey to a third party -- just ask my wife). There were moments where it's exactly as silly as a warrior monkey book should be alongside moments of genuine suspense and emotional weight.

My title for this review suggests Ack-Ack Macaque as a good follow-up for Guardians of the Galaxy. Despite the shared theme of cybernetically-enhanced mammals with big guns and aircraft, I don’t know that I’d say one is a good match to the other. Ack-Ack Macaque is fairly dark and spends a lot of time considering questions of humanity in a world of cybernetic implants. Guardians of the Galaxy certainly has some heart and sci-fi chops, but keeps things loose and funny. All that said, both works share an important feature of successful high concept media: despite the superficial absurdity of their premise, they play things straight. They don’t wink to the reader or viewer, trying to make sure we know that they know that a talking monkey is silly. Nor do they veer toward grim and gritty excess in order to grind out any trace of silliness. To some degree, both works succeed because their creators believe they can -- no extra support or justification required.

If, after Ack Ack Macaque, you’ve still not had your fill of uplifted animals, try one of these:

• Hive Monkey by Gareth Powell -- The sequel to Ack-Ack Macaque. I haven’t read it yet, but it seems an obvious place to turn.

• We3 by Grant Morrison and Frank Quietly -- If you want to read a thrilling and gory action comic that will have you weeping bitterly at the end, I’ve got the book for you!

• Duncan the Wonder Dog by Adam Hines -- For those who like their talking animal comics with a more philosophical bent.

• Mrs Frisby and the Rats of NIHM by Robert C. O’Brien -- A classic and personal favorite, this children’s novel is quieter and lighter on the sci-fi, but no less engrossing.

ComicsPlus Library Edition

Carnegie-Stout has digital books, audio books, music, and magazines. These services have proven to be a popular option that lets folks get library materials without worrying about hours or parking. Now, thanks to funding from the Friends of the Library, we're pleased to start offering digital comics.

ComicsPlus Library Edition offers thousands of comics, readable on any device with an internet connection and a full-featured web browser. The comics look great and work smoothly on desktops, laptops, tablets, and smartphones. To get started, click the link above or go to our homepage, mouse over E-Branch Library to select Digital Collections, and then click the link for ComicsPlus Library Edition.

To start reading comics you'll need both a library card and a ComicsPlus account. If you're new to ComicsPlus, you'll want to start by clicking Register Now to make an account. Just type in your email address and make up a password (the password must contain numbers, lowercase and uppercase characters -- minimum 5 characters).

Once you've created your account and return to the login page, click on the Library box to switch it to
Carnegie-Stout. Then enter your email address, the password you just made, your library card number, and your PIN (the boxes for your card number and PIN are labeled Patron Username and Patron Password). If you get an error saying that your patron username or password are considered invalid, it's probably a simple issue with your card. Give the library a call at (563) 589-4225 and we'll probably be able to clear it up over the phone.

Once you've logged in, you can browse the available comics by publisher or search by title and author. When you find something you want, just click Borrow to start reading. Titles check out for one week. You don't need to do anything once the week is up. Your expired comic will just disappear. Every comic can be read by any number of patrons at a time, so you'll never see something that isn't available. Because you read the comic online rather than downloading it, you do need to have an Internet connection while reading.