Le Britbook

A book about pop culture in Britain from The Beatles’ debut and the “rise” of
the mini-skirt in 1962!

From the world of music, there are The Kinks, The Sex Pistols, The Spice
Girls, Wham, Adele, and Queen, but let’s not forget other notable personalities
such as James Bond, Banksy, Mary Quant, the Queen, Margaret
Thatcher, Vidal Sassoon, and Francis Bacon—not to be confused with fried
bacon, which you’ll also read about, along with beer and fish and chips. Cult
TV shows include Doctor Who, Mr. Bean, Peppa Pig, and The Teletubbies.
And then there’s footie (that’s English for soccer), the roller (Rolls-Royce), and
other quintessentially British icons…

Following “Cruelle” (Cruel) and “Pucelle” (Maiden), the third series in Florence
Dupré la Tour’s exploration of her childhood deals with the great love of her
life: her twin sister. With an emotional mix of joy and suffering, their story
raises big questions such as how not to lose yourself in a relationship, how to
find your place in society, and how to come to terms with being male or female.

Waking up in Hell, she is forced to take part in a lottery, which she wins.
Unfortunately for her, since she has had enough of life, the prize is to return to
the living world and continue her life from where she had left it, with one significant
difference: this time, she will see people as ghosts—herself included.
She begins to roam, as before, but are things the same?

Through this simple story, illuminated by his familiar graphic and narrative
genius, Roman Muradov reveals the monotony, hopelessness, and absurdity
of our existence and the sadness and emptiness of the world.

A parable, at the same time gentle and penetrating, that marks the return of
one of the masters of the modern graphic novel.

Three characters, three paths, three destinies: intrigue and deception at the
palace for Count Corto; a journey of discovery for his daughter Blanche; the
road to redemption for resistance fighter Greem. Their three stories take place
at the same time in the same place: the vast New Forest in the era of Neo-
Feudalism. And while the protagonists lose their way, betray one another, fall
in love, and tear each other apart, a terrible storm is brewing in the forest,
where trees are starting to mutate…

Elizabeth is a little girl, but she is also a vampire. And she really really wants
a pony that’s also a unicorn! After running into a fake Father Christmas (and
treating him accordingly), she falls in with Diego, a lonely, sulky little boy with
a prosthetic right hand who shouts and screams when things don’t go his way.
Even though she finds him rather noisy, Elizabeth makes friends with him. She
tells him about Saint Nicholas, because he’s the real Father Christmas, and
he tells her about Golden Boy, his favorite superhero, because he’s… well,
he’s Golden Boy. Now, as everyone knows, Saint Nicholas puts children back
together when they’ve fallen to pieces, so why not ask him to restore Diego’s
right hand? All they have to do is pretend he’s fallen into a thousand pieces…
well, 52 anyway, since Elizabeth hasn’t learned to count up to a thousand yet.

A new children’s series full of imagination and emotion … and diabolical humor.
(Think “Mortelle Adèle,” “Little Vampire,” and “The Big Bad Wolf.”)

New York, 1926. Marcel Duchamp is organizing a major exhibition of the Romanian sculptor Constantin Brâncuși’s work, but when the exhibits arrive at the harbor, customs officers refuse to treat them as works of art and impose the import duty applicable to “consumer goods”—to the tune of $40,000. With the help of Duchamp and his other American contacts, Brâncuși sues the American government and the court has to decide what constitutes a work of art. The argument, which centers around one of Brâncuși’s Bird in Space sculptures, lasts several months, with various other artists and expert witnesses called by Duchamp to answer the questions posed by Brâncuși, who is still in Paris. Supported by his partner Marthe and encouraging letters from friends such as Fernand Léger, Alexander Calder, Man Ray, and Jean Cocteau, the nervous and quiet artist attempts to define abstract art and the distinction between art and craft. Meanwhile, on the other side of the Atlantic, Duchamp is tearing his hair out over the questions raised by the court, which seem to reduce the act of artistic creation to the level of manufacturing. Ironically, the man who coined the term “readymade” finds himself powerless in a country that seems hostile to new and fresh ideas.

Michel Vaillant is not one to back down from a challenge. But when car fanatic Pog throws down the gauntlet, calling on Michel to join him in the legendary Cannonball Run, the French legend has doubts. And rightfully so: what racing champion in his right mind would join a YouTuber in an illegal street race across the US, with nothing to gain, and everything to lose? Then again, car maker Vaillante is looking to make a splash with its latest model, and Michel doesn’t stand to lose anything… as long as he isn’t caught. So begins a breakneck chase from New York to Los Angeles, in an effort to break the all-time record, and come out in one piece. Which might just be harder than Michel thinks, with someone looking to sabotage the record attempt and cause maximum damage. Can Michel reach the finish line before his enemies catch up with him?