Smile

Smile by Raina Telgemeier, 213 pages

When she was 12, Raina Telgemeier tripped and knocked out her two front teeth, setting off a four-year orthodontic ordeal to make her smile somewhat normal again. Of course, that time also coincided with becoming a teenager and all of the drama that comes with it.

In Smile, Telgemeier presents a smart, funny, relatable, and beautifully drawn memoir. This is another comic that I can't believe it's taken me this long to read. Both of my kids love this book, and I can completely see why this book is so insanely popular. I'd recommend it, but as my children tell me, I was probably the last person on the planet to catch on to this awesome book. *shrug* There goes my "cool mom" badge.

Reasons to Be Cheerful

Reasons to Be Cheerful / Nina Stibbe, 279 p.

Following up the wonderful Paradise Lodge, we have more adventures of Lizzy Vogel, now 18 and living on her own in 'the city' (Leicestershire), and working as a dental assistant. It was great spending time with these characters again, especially Lizzy's deeply dysfunctional mother, and if the story has fewer laugh-out-loud moments than its predecessor it's still worthwhile.