Armchair BEA 2014: More Than Just Words

Designed by Nina Reads

There are so many mediums that feature more than just words and enhance a story in a multitude of ways. Examples may include graphic novels and comics, audiobooks, or even multimedia novels. On this day, we will be talking about those books and formats that move beyond just the words and use other ways to experience a story. Which books stand out to you in these different formats? 
Experiencing the written word has evolved through the years (especially recently) beyond just the words in the pages of our favorite books and have utilized various media to spread their "influence" and enable to reach as many people as they could so they could enjoy them. 

Graphic novels and comics are one way to reach those who are not overly fond of reading endless texts which, sometimes, I must admit could be mundane especially if the storytelling is monotonous and boring. Portraits and illustrations also help visualize the setting and put faces onto the characters we love. We might not agree with how some of our beloved characters look like, at least we could hit up one of our favorite DeviantArt artists and order a commission. Of course, there are also movies. They're also a great help and it let's you fangirl not only about books but about your favorite actors and actresses. 
On the other hand, audiobooks are really handy for those long drives out on the countryside or that 10-minute rides to the supermarket or those long hours when you're scrubbing down the house from top to bottom. At least you could say to yourself that you finally had progress on that book you've been wanting to read since the author teased about it. I haven't listened to an audiobook yet. I want to but I don't know which one I would enjoy listening to. Any recommendations?
But what impressed me the most, where the storytellers went beyond words and really utilized modern media, was the work of Hank Green and Bernie Su. And yes, I am talking about The Lizzie Bennet Diaries. Not only did they set Pride and Prejudice, my favorite classic novel of all time, in the here and now but they did produce it as a video diary with separate Twitter accounts for the characters. Like they were real people who live in the here and now. They constantly interacted with their fans and followers and they featured costume theater like the ones we do when we were little kids - play pretend. I was obsessed with this, man, and I could never thank [enough] the person on Tumblr who posted GIFs that led me to its discovery. It was a retelling of Pride and Prejudice and I was curious enough to follow the link and I regret nothing. Perhaps, in this day and age and how society is now, these modern forms of storytelling are necessary as to keep up with the times and with the people who are now experiencing fast lives - as we all know, fellow readers/bloggers. It is gratifying to know that whatever form these books come to us, we know that, in one way or the other, we could enjoy them and help us through this fast age. ETA: OMG, Juli of Universe in Words just alerted me to the fact that a book based on the videos is available on NetGalley right now.