#damn i read a lot of graphic novels in december

[cyclone-rachel]

books read in December 2023 and January 2024:

December:

Wayne Family Adventures vol. 1 by CRC Payne

Wild Spaces by S.L. Coney

Superman Smashes the Klan by Gene Luen Yang

Belichick and Brady by Michael Holley

Department of Mind-Blowing Theories by Tom Gauld

Woman World by Aminder Dhaliwal

Vern, Custodian of the Universe by Tyrell Waiters

Camp Zero by Michelle Min Sterling

Lone Women by Victor LaValle

Faux Paw by Jessica Kara

Joy Operations by Brian Michael Bendis

Junkwraith by Ellinor Richey

Kill All Normies by Angela Nagle

Pantheon by Hamish Steele

January:

NFL Confidential by David Molk

Pod by Laline Paull

The Long Con vol. 1 by Dylan Meconis

Night Bus by Zuo Ma

Big Game by Mark Leibovich

Seven Kinds of People You Find in Bookshops by Shaun Bythell

Break Out by Joy Becker

Banned Book Club by Kim Hyun Sook

Layoverland by Gabby Noone

Rise of the Black Quarterback by Jason Reid

Of Thunder and Lightning by Kimberly Wang

Wayne Family Adventures vol. 2 by CRC Payne

Broken Faith by Mitch Weiss

Against Football by Steve Almond

Cosplayers by Dash Shaw

[dzpenumbra]

12/1/22

What up, December?

So I had a rough night last night. I had a really tough time sleeping. Falling asleep was okay, but my dreams were very intense, and I kept waking up feeling unsafe. PTSD shit, I guess. I didn't get to bed until like 4:30, super over-tired and exhausted, and I got a little higher than I was intending. I woke up just before dawn and it was just... surreal.

I was tempted to actually get out of bed, hook up my drawing tablet and storyboard this mental image that I was navigating. I didn't because I knew how bad I needed sleep, but I was very tempted. The storyboard was like... the first frame I wanted to try to replicate what it looks like when you're looking at the back of your eyelids with your eyes shut. Well, mine at least, I have no idea if others' experience of that is the same as mine... The weird static-y/pinpoint texture and the flowing afterimages superimposed on the darkness. I was trying to figure out what color dull afterimages are. They kinda look like red, but they can have greens, blues, whites and purples to them too. Try it yourself, close your eyes, let the monitor afterimage fade a bit and then try to identify what color it is. I want to say a lot of mine are purples and reds. So I kinda swam in that concept, then the next frame of the storyboard would be like... shapes forming in the afterimages. Segmenting into shapes like cells. Then the next frame would be a gradual animation of the eyelids opening, which would be sorta keeping the afterimage/static superimposition, but wiping the black background up slowly with a blurred edge, adding in a layer underneath of the super-dark ceiling. But I wanted to have... spirits. Dark face forms. Not like... realistic, but like pareidolia. I wanted to have the frame packed with them, and many very close. Then I wanted it to go third person of getting up and going to the bathroom with a cell phone as a light, and the light creating a bubble of safety. The spirits like... claw and crawl behind and cower back from the light ahead. Like... kinda Spirited Away vibes? But like Spirited Away meets Scary Stories To Read In The Dark. And that was pretty much it.

I wanted to do it either fully animated as a very short sequence or semi-animated as a hybrid micro graphic novel. I've been feeling this calling to do animations or graphic novels of my dreams, and having so many vivid dreams lately has been like... duhh... my inspiration is screaming for me to do my damn job! But I've been so wiped. It's so damn hard to get a notebook and recall a dream on like 3 hours of sleep, but when that notebook is downstairs and packed in a box? No way in hell that's happening, sorry. So I went back to sleep. But I was woken up a few hours later by the maintenance guy actually keying into my apartment. Yep.

I'm still getting used to the sounds of this place, there's a lot of old wood structural beams that crack and pop a lot. It's not the end of the world and I'll get used to it quick. But this dude knocking on the door, in my half-asleep mind, sounded exactly the same as a wood beam popping. Then I just hear someone like right below me going "hello?" and I pop out of bed so fucking fast! I threw on clothes and got the space heaters back to him and went back to bed.

After a bit more sleep, I got up, made some really weak coffee... and some ramen. I got all my dishes and food stuff unpacked in the kitchen which was a big win. Hung out with the kitty, did some yoga, chilled, watched some skate documentaries on Tony Alva and Spike Jonez while I sorted stuff. I decided to order chinese takeout. I'm gonna splurge on the delivery stuff now that I can actually get delivery, I literally can't remember the last time I got delivery dinner before this place, like over a decade. The grubhub guy sent me a text saying he was going to leave my food on a bench at the main door so I just sprinted up to get it and... it wasn't there. I was like... "I'm in the entrance" because I was worried someone maybe took it? He said he was still 15 minutes out... I facepalmed so hard! So I just chilled at the entrance for like 20 minutes waiting for this guy. While I was there, this dude with a beard was walking past and was super smiley and friendly in passing. I was on my phone looking at stone beads on Etsy and looking for mineral shops in the city - it looks like there are three, I'll have to check them all out individually. The guy came back and was on the phone with his two young kids, he seemed really stressed, but was managing really well. Then finally the food came!

On my way back to my place, I had to pass by the dude and his kids, it was a little awkward because I was barefoot and like trying to go in a hurry doing my whole social anxiety speedwalk to get back to my apartment and eat my food. He let me pass and I turned back to say "have a good one" and he spotted my hoodie. Since I'm indoors, I decided to dig up my Born of Osiris hoodie because it's really lightweight, it's my summer/early fall hoodie. Complete fluke that I had it on. He said he was the soundguy who went on tour with them back in like 2009/2010. I was like... what?! We introduced ourselves and I told him I was on the floor below him. I don't know what to say, good lord, I'm surprised I gave him the right name! So we just kinda left it at "see you around." And I guess that's how you meet new friends in your 30's/40's?

I've been on a huge confidence streak lately, but to be completely fair to myself, I've been in extreme isolation for a very fucking long time. I'm granting myself permission to be clumsy and awkward a bit. But check this out. In telling my mom about this serendipitous encounter, she told me there was a recording studio in my building complex. There's also a tattoo studio, but I'll get into that some other time. So... if this guy works there, which I have suspicions he might... I might be able to get a producer. And make music and not have to worry about bothering my neighbors. How. Fucking. Cool. Would. That. Be?!

So yeah, the chinese food was not worth it. But the synchronicity and connection was well worth the cost of mediocre fried rice, watery dumplings and funny-tasting chicken with broccoli.

I spent the rest of the night eating and breaking down a cardboard box to make apotropaic sigils with. I learned that term today. Symbols people have historically used to ward off evil spirits, protective symbols. I don't even care if they don't "work" and they're just "superstition", I put a lot of energy into making cool designs that look neat and a lot of energy and thought into making my home a safe and positive place. That counts for a lot in my book, I hope it can bring me peace and a sense of safety tonight.

I'm going to get ready for bed now, I hope to get some more art done tomorrow in addition to continuing to unpack. I miss art dearly, this move has really gotten in between me and my creative sparks and that tends to set off existential crises.

[chidoroki]

After waiting patiently for many months, my copy of the TPN art book finally arrived and I am SO EMOTIONAL!

It honestly feels a bit surreal to actually have it my hands?? like I remember pre-ordering this back in..December I think? so not only did time fly by since then but to have such easy access to so many of Demizu’s beautiful works whenever I want? It is FANTASTIC and I swear I had a smile on my face the entire time while looking through this, and it took me a few hours to do so!

Seriously, I knew there was gonna be a lot but damn, it surpassed my expectations. Sure I’ve seen many of the colored manga & Shonen Jump pages, covers & illustrations before, but seeing them again in such a nice quality was refreshing! I felt like I was experiencing the whole story all over again, especially the handful of pieces that feature Goldy Pond and everything else the second season decided to ditch completely. There were even a couple I don’t remember at all, which was lovely!

And speaking about new stuff, oh my god, all of the concept art! There is literally so much of it! Early designs of the fullscore trio were to be expected, but what surprised me was just how many variations the three of them went through! I was happy to see little sketches of the other children too like those from GP and Lambda. And I absolutely adore every single one of Demizu’s comments & notes she wrote alongside everything too, even stuff about the buildings and the demons and sweet lord there were so many different ideas for them I felt overwhelmed!

What I really enjoyed were the rough drafts of the volume covers, SJ pages & graphic novels that went unused. I know it won’t ever happen, but I’d love to see some of them actually drawn out and finished because Demizu had really clever ideas in terms of layout and you can tell which designs influenced the final choices. There are some really wholesome ones too and of course I’d never pass up on the chance to see more GP art.

OH there were a couple of interviews with Shirai & Demizu as well! Those were a treat to read through. Shirai is such a big fan of Demizu, it’s precious. I really hope they team up again for future projects. They’re a wonderful duo!!

Throughout the book there were several double page spreads that were shown in the manga, SJ and wherever else, but towards the very end there were a couple more and those.. oh boy, those were beautiful. Even the single page illustrations that followed caught me off guard too but I love them all the same! A real nice way to end the whole book. Reading through everything served as a brilliant reminder about why I cherish this series so much.

Aahh if I had the time and energy to chat about this more then trust me, I definitely would. I’d love to share the overabundance of pictures I took and ramble on about every little detail I found interesting, but I won’t because 1) it would honestly take me forever due to how much content this book contains, 2) I obviously never know when to shut up when it comes to this series, and 3) it is such a lovely collection of artwork and information that you just have to witness it all for yourself!! So apologies for being so vague for once, but if you have the chance to receive a copy of this book for yourself, then definitely do so! Very worth it!!

[tonystarkbingo]

TSB Mark V Roundup - Week 16!

Our party over the weekend was excellent, and we love those who participated!  So far, we’re planning on holding our December party the weekend of the 18th, so put it on your calendars.

Collaborator : Chel Card Number: 5012 Square Filled: A1 - hurt/comfort Title: long story short (i survived) ch 8 Link: AO3 Pairings: Tony/Bucky Word Count: 15344 Rating: Teen Major Tags/Triggers: N/a Summary: After the disastrous Dragon Hunt, Tony decides to grant Steve his blessing and fuck off from the Witcher’s life. Destiny, however, plants Tony in the path of another Witcher

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Collaborator : MrJamesStark Card Number: 5070 Square Filled: S4 - Bucky Barnes / Winter Soldier Title: Public Domain (chapter 1) Link: AO3 Pairings: Tony Stark / Bucky Barnes / Steve Rogers Word Count: 6208 Rating: Explicit Major Tags/Triggers: Accidental Voyeurism, explicit smut, crack treated (semi) seriously Summary: Fifty years after Captain America's supposed death, he enters the public domain. Tony introducing Steve and Bucky to queer erotic novels has consequences he never could have foreseen. Not that he's complaining.

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Collaborator : MrJamesStark Card Number: 5070 Square Filled: T5 - Always Title: Public Domain (chapter 2) Link: AO3 Pairings: Tony Stark / Bucky Barnes / Steve Rogers Word Count: 10098 Rating: Explicit Major Tags/Triggers: Accidental Voyeurism, Explicit Smut Summary: Steve discovers a lot about himself after watching Tony & Bucky together in the kitchen

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Collaborator : Chel Card Number: 5012 Square Filled: R1 - MIT Years Title: this is how we’re meant to be Link: AO3 Pairings: Tony x Rhodey Word Count: 1489 Rating: Gen Major Tags/Triggers: N/a Summary: Tony lets Natasha set him up on a blind date and the whole damn thing is a disaster. Good thing the bartender is cute.

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Collaborator : agron Card Number: 5121 Square Filled: K3 - huddling for warmth Title: one night stand in madripoor fanbook #3 Link: AO3 Pairings: stevetony Word Count: 0 Rating: Mature Major Tags/Triggers: fanart, huddling for warmth, reading pornography Summary: in which steve and tony read porn... of themselves

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Collaborator : Kikidoesfanfic Card Number: 5122 Square Filled: A4 - Kidnapping Title: Give me an inch, I can take you a mile Link: AO3 Pairings: James 'Bucky' Barnes/ Tony Stark Word Count: 5832 Rating: Mature Major Tags/Triggers: graphic violence, kidnapping, hurt Tony Stark, torture, implied/referenced torture, not steve rogers friendly, hydra, not natasha romanov friendly, hurt comfort. Summary: When Tony goes missing, Bucky loses himself a little. All that matters is that they finds Tony, impossible as it may seem. Luckily, Tony Stark is no damsel in distress.

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Collaborator : PoliZ Card Number: 5025 Square Filled: S3 - Movie Retelling Title: Broken Beyond Repair Link: Tumblr Pairings: [none] Word Count: 353 Rating: Teen Major Tags/Triggers: CA:CW canon divergent, Siberian bunker battle, Tony POV, Not Steve-Friendly Summary: This is an alternate take on the final fight scene from Captain America: Civil War where Tony wins - and everyone still loses.

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Collaborator : Sreppub Card Number: 5095 Square Filled: K2 - Art Format - Comic Format Title: Coming Home Link: Tumblr Pairings: Pepper/Tony Word Count: n/a Rating: Gen Major Tags/Triggers: None Summary: Tony, healing after Endgame, surprises his girls by coming home early.

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Collaborator : deehellcat Card Number: 5018 Square Filled: R5 - adopted prompt 'glitch art'--substituting for Historic AU Title: JARVIS Glitched Link: Tumblr Pairings: na Word Count: na Rating: Gen Major Tags/Triggers: na Summary: a digital depiction of JARVIS during Age of Ultron

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Collaborator : AriaGrill Card Number: 5035 Square Filled: Adopted - Last Chance Title: Tickle Fight! Link: AO3 Pairings: Steve Rogers/Tony Stark Word Count: 360 Rating: Teen Major Tags/Triggers: Tickle fighting, fluff Summary: Steve helps Tony to wind down and relax after he was having a hard time in doing so after a particularly rough mission. All Steve wants to do is see Tony smile and maybe even laugh. Good thing he's great at that.

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Collaborator : Huntress79 Card Number: 5010 Square Filled: K2 - Fluff Title: New Center Of Their World Link: AO3 Pairings: Steve/Tony Word Count: 1375 Rating: Gen Major Tags/Triggers: Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Childbirth (Non-Graphic), Peter Parker is Tony Stark's Biological Child, Big Brother Peter Parker, Big Brother Harley Keener, Pepper as their surrogate, Team as Family, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Not Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Compliant, Not Captain America: Civil War (Movie) Compliant, Not Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Compliant, Steve and Tony adopted Harley at some point, Married Steve Rogers/Tony Stark, Everyone Lives at The Tower Summary: Sometimes, timing is everything in their lives. And apparently, the latest addition to the Stark-Rogers household is living up to it. (aka Morgan enters the crazy world that is the extended Avengers family).

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Collaborator : LBibliophile Card Number: 5105 Square Filled: S5 - image [steampunk Stark Industries] Title: Towards Working Together Link: Tumblr Pairings: Tony Stark & SI Word Count: 100 Rating: Gen Major Tags/Triggers: Stark Industries, post-IM1, drabble Summary: Post IM1, Tony gets more involved in the running of Stark Insustries, and discovers that's a good thing on multiple levels.

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Collaborator : hereandnowwearealive Card Number: 5087 Square Filled: T3 - Tony in workshop Title: Workshop Link: Tumblr Pairings: Tony Stark & JARVIS Word Count: n/a Rating: Gen Major Tags/Triggers: Art fill Summary: A picture of Tony in his workshop, facing JARVIS

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Collaborator : Coffee_and_notebooks Card Number: 5109 Square Filled: S4 - Photograph Title: With You Is Where I Wanna Be Link: AO3 Pairings: Steve Rogers/Tony Stark Word Count: 1518 Rating: Gen Major Tags/Triggers: N/A Summary: A series of Peter’s firsts, through the eyes of his parents, Steve and Tony

[libertyreads]

November TBR 2021--

I definitely need to start by clarifying that, despite how sad my TBR looks at the moment, I have more than three books (and rereads at that!) on my TBR for the month. It just turns out I don’t own a physical copy of 7 of the books I plan on reading during the month. Let’s get into it.

1. Starsight by Brandon Sanderson-- I’m reading this one with the husband for the podcast. It is book #2 in the Skyward series. It’s about a girl who wants to become a pilot, but her father’s cowardly reputation gets in her way. It’s got a sassy space ship and a lot of action. Book #2 goes from where the first book leaves off.

2. The Damned by Renee Ahdieh-- Rereading this one before book three comes out in December. This is book #2 in the Beautiful series by this author. It follows vampires in the late 19th century in New Orleans. (The Originals vibes anyone?) I am discovering however as I reread these that I don’t really enjoy it anymore. I think if book three goes in a weird direction then I have to just accept that I don’t like them enough to keep going.

3. Half-Blood Prince--Continuing my reread.

4. Unraveling Eleven by Jerri Chisholm (NetGalley ARC)-- Also a second book in a series. This is a YA Dystopian series that reminds me of a few others I’ve read in the past. The first one was good enough that I requested an arc of the second. We’ll see if I’ll keep going after this one.

5. In the Ballroom with the Candlestick by Diana Peterfreund (Nov. release)-- This is the conclusion to the Clue Mystery Series. The books take place at an isolated boarding school. In book one, we have a closed circle, isolated mystery that involves the Headmaster of the school (Mr. Boddy) getting murdered. Each book unravels a mystery that takes place in that specific book. I’m excited to see how it all wraps up.

6. Sunreach by Brandon Sanderson (Oct. release)-- I know only one thing about this one and it’s that I have to read it before Cytonic comes out in late November. This is a novella that takes place between books two and three in the Skyward series by this author.

7. ReDawn by Brandon Sanderson (Nov. release)-- See #6.

8. Failsafe by Tracy Hunter Abramson (eBook)-- This is book #1 in the Guardian series by a woman who worked in the CIA and now writes novels for a living. This book features a woman and her father who use their farm as a cover for their work with the NSA protecting a team of undercover agents. These all look to be action packed government agent type stories, but there are also romances sprinkled in. I’ve read one book by this author before and really enjoyed it.

9. ExtraOrdinary by V.E. Schwab (Oct. release)-- This is a graphic novel that comes in between books one and two in the Villains duology by V.E. Schwab. In the Villains duology, two boys look to unravel the mysteries of ExtraOrdinaries who develop powers after having Near Death Experiences. This graphic novel follows new characters as they develop powers and try to stay alive.

10. Serendipity by Various Authors (NetGalley ARC)--This is a collection of romance stories by some of the most well loved authors in the YA age range. Includes authors Marissa Meyer, Leah Johnson, Anna-Marie McLemore, and more.

[thesheepthewolf]

December Wrap-Up

The Stonekeeper by Kazu Kibuishi I’ve been eyeing this graphic novel at work for years now, so I finally decided to just give it a go. I absolutely adored the art style, but the pacing of the story felt off to me: some things took wayyy too long, others happened too suddenly. All in all, I don’t think I’ll be picking up the next part. Rating: 3/5 stars

The Witches by Roald Dahl There are so many classic children’s books that, growing up in a non-English speaking country, I’ve just never read. I’m glad I finally got my hands on this one, even though I already had a pretty good idea of what the book was about. It’s a great children’s story, a classic for a reason, and a huge reminder that Roald Dahl really knew what he was doing, writing-wise at least. Rating: 4/5 stars

The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter This is another one of those books that had been on my Goodreads to-read list forever, and I finally decided to stop postponing it for no reason and just read the damn book. My edition featured an introduction by Kelly Link which offered some interesting background information written in an almost academic tone, but unfortunately did also spoil quite a few of the stories. I especially enjoyed some of the super short ones; I always marvel at a writer’s ability to establish a whole world and narrative in just a few pages. Rating: 4/5 stars

Monstress, Vol. 1 by Marjorie Liu & Sana Takeda One of my co-workers, whose copy I borrowed, was absolutely raving about this series. I’d seen the artwork before and was curious. Unfortunately, this didn’t do much for me. Part of that is probably due to my lack of graphic novel reading experience, because I thought the pages were very busy and a lot of the characters looked alike. However, I also didn’t enjoy the infodump worldbuilding and the constant sense that I was missing a ton of background info on this universe and its characters. Rating: 2/5 stars

The Witch Doesn’t Burn in This One by Amanda Lovelace I read The Princess Saves Herself in This One somewhere in 2017 and had mixed feelings about the collection as a whole. My experience with this one was a little more flat: the lows were a little less low, but the highs were also a little less high. I am by no means a poetry connoisseur, so I can’t say much from that perspective, but sometimes a whole bunch of lines about women being magical and strong and indestructable is just exactly what you need to hear, even if it doesn’t leave much of a lasting impression. Rating: 3,5/5 stars

Dear Ijeawele by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie This was a quick read in my lunchbreak when I forgot to bring a book to work. Similar to my experience with Adichie’s We Should All Be Feminists, I enjoyed her clear yet personal writing style (especially in this, as it’s directed to a specific person) and agreed with a lot of her points. One thing that bothered me a little in both works, though, is that she reasons from a very clear gender binary (male/female) and that is simply not my experience of the world. Rating: 4/5 stars

Women & Power by Mary Beard I’d seen this little book around and, working in a bookshop, had obviously heard of Mary Beard (more so in a historian context, though). Not being much of a history geek myself, I was pleasantly surprised by how accessible this book was. I actually really enjoyed how the author managed to put current events into historical context in a quick and concise way. Rating: 4/5 stars

The Time Keeper by Mitch Albom This was a reread of a book I bought years and years ago on a trip. I’read it back then, but had forgotten most of the plot and was curious to see if I would still be as impressed with it now as I remember being back then, especially since Mitch Albom is a hit-or-miss kind of author for me. Some things in this story are really well done and still spoke to me, but others seemed a bit more boring, cliché or problematic to me now. Rating: 3,5/5 stars

The Secret Commonwealth by Philip Pullman It took me ages to finish this book, partly because it’s a chonker and partly because I was reading lots of other stuff on the side. Overall, I really enjoyed the continuation of Lyra’s story and adored revisiting beloved characters from the original trilogy. Although there were some things I didn’t like (which I can’t really discuss because spoilers), I had a great time diving back into this world and can’t wait to see what the next part is going to be like. Rating: 4/5 stars

Make Yourself Cozy by Katie Vaz A few years ago, I created a personal tradition of starting and ending every year with a reread, which worked out perfectly since I’d been wanting to reread this lovely little book for a while now. It’s full of calming and comforting ideas and advice, and especially in this time of year (with cold, nasty weather on the one hand, and the overwhelming holiday madness on the other), it’s very nice to curl up with something like this. Rating: 4/5 stars

[mattkeepsrambling]

2020 Year In Review

What a supremely dull year. I cannot believe how little happened this year. I got into this whole mask-wearing craze that many people seem to have gotten into (except for those who are REALLY against it.) I'm so happy that all the schools decided that teaching in the building was pointless and could just as easily be done online. Things are so much easier now. The election went off without a hitch or any controversy whatsoever, and I am glad that the outgoing President was gracious and we got another peaceful transition of power. I saw so many movies this year. I stopped going to the theater, though. It was just too dark, the screen was too big and the seats too comfortable. I love being at home and being surrounded by all those distractions. I don't know how 2021 could top 2020.

Best of 2020.

In all seriousness, this year was the worst. Once the world shut down in March, I decided to make the most of it and started cataloging my media consumption (minus video games). It is something I am going to keep doing. I stopped collecting movie tickets a few years ago, and this seems like the next step. I have really enjoyed seeing all that I have consumed. The final tally is 308 movies, 58 television shows/specials, 29 audiobooks, and 43 books/graphic novels since March 18, 2020. As December went on, I had to make sure that I was finished with books, tv shows, and audiobooks before Jan. 1-you will see why when I share my spreadsheet for 2021. Here are the best that I read/watched/listened to this year with all that media. And not all of these things are new for 2020 (most are, though).

Best Movie: Host

A lot of the movies I watched this year were horror movies. You can say that I have been trying to make up for lost time. I subscribed to Shudder recently. It is a streaming service that specializes in horror and thriller movies. I subscribed to the service initially for "Host."

This movie was made during the pandemic, over a Zoom meeting. It is about five friends who do a seance and the spirit they contact. The fact that it is Zoom figures heavily into the movie; it is 57 minutes long, about the length of the free Zoom meeting.

This movie is terrific and damn scary. I have watched very few movies that have genuinely scared me. I have realized what it is that makes a good horror movie: tension. It is all over this movie. This movie uses the general concept of the Zoom meeting so well to build up tension. It doesn't have the benefit of a huge budget and the best cameras. The scenes take place on a computer screen in average rooms. That elevates sudden sounds, slight movements and makes use of darkness.

Honorable Mentions: "Soul," "Promising Young Women," "It Follows," "Hereditary," "Midsommor," "Never, Rarely, Sometimes, Always."

Best TV Show: Ted Lasso

Whenever I talk to other people about AppleTV+, I always mention two things. One is that at $5 a month, you don't even notice the cost. The other is that "Ted Lasso" is worth the price of a subscription.

As I have previously mentioned, the show is about an American football coach being hired to coach English football. This show is based on a one-joke series commercial for NBC Sports. Ted Lasso knows nothing about coaching football.

The commercials boil down to "look how this guy doesn't know anything about England." This should not work as a show. Years ago, ABC aired a TV show based on the Geico commercials' cavemen, and it was terrible. I should know; I watched the pilot and reviewed it for the Buffalo State Record.

"Ted Lasso" works because it is more than the commercials. Yes, they do have a lot of "fish out of water" humor, and you laugh at Ted as he navigates a new sport in a new country, but it is more than that. "Scrubs" creator Bill Lawernce is one of the people behind this show, and it shows. This show can be hilarious and then take a somber turn in no time. "Scrubs" is well known for that.

The other thing that "Ted Lasso" has going for it is boundless optimism. It is baked into the character of Ted Lasso. When the show starts, the fans hate him, the players hate him, and management tries to sabotage him at every turn. Yet, he remains committed to his job and making this team successful. He and his wife go through one of the most amicable divorces ever put on screen. It can be a little much at times, but then that divorce happens. We see Lasso, played amazingly by Jason Sudikus, lose that relentlessly positive exterior.

Those cracks show, and he becomes a much more fleshed out and complicated character. The show has been renewed for two more seasons already, and Lawernce recently said that the creative team had planned three seasons. I love this show, but I think that only three seasons will be a good thing. It means that we will get fully fleshed out arcs, and there is only a certain amount of story that the creators have to tell.

Honorable Mentions: "Fleabag Season 2," "The Clone Wars Season 7," "Harley Quinn Season 2," A Teacher," "Doom Patrol Season 2," "The Flight Attendant Season 1," "The Mandalorian Season 2."

Best Audiobook: Sapiens

This book, published in 2011, has been on my to-read list for a while. Years ago, a friend of mine told me I would like it. In its most basic synopsis, "Sapiens" is a look at how humans evolved. It looks at how we developed societies, religions, governments, and other things that made us the dominant species on the planet.

This book is fascinating. It looks at various social constructs that humanity developed and how that shapes who we have become. Most of the time, I can multitask while listening to audiobooks. I will do the dishes, replay video games, write, lesson plan, clean, or do laundry when an audiobook is playing. This is one I had to give my full attention. There were so many tidbits of information that are just riveting. I was always blown away by what I heard. Despite the topic's denseness (it is 15 hours and 17 minutes long), the audiobook was easy to listen to. It is one that I will be revisiting in the future.

Honorable Mentions: "Ahsoka," "The Graveyard Book," "Crazy is my Superpower."

Best Book: Harleen

I have been a fan of "Batman The Animated Series" forever. One of the most famous things to come out of the series that debuted in 1992 was Harley Quinn character. She started as a sidekick of The Joker. Fans loved her so much that she was given a more prominent role and one of the best backstories of anyone in Batman's rogue's gallery.

Last year DC, under their Black Label brand, released "Harleen," which presented how she went from Dr. Harleen Quinzell, the brilliant psychologist, to Harley Quinn, psychotic on-again/off-again paramour of The Joker. DC Black Label is used for a more mature mini-series, and this is a story that benefits from the freedom allowed. 

The basic plot is that Dr. Quinzell gets a job at Arkham Asylum to study the criminals there for her research into their minds and develop a possible cure. Through her interviews with The Joker, she starts to develop feelings for him. The telling focuses on her background and ends with her fully committing to Joker and a life of crime.

The art by Stjepan Sejic (who also wrote it) is gorgeous. On my second read-through, I took more time to appreciate the art. I bought the issues as they came out on Comixology and read them on my iPad and loved the story and how Sejic chose to tell it. I read them on the way to and from work. With only about 10 minutes on the train, the story was my focus. When I bought the hardcover collected edition, I took my time. It is a beautiful book, and I am glad to have it in my collection.

Honorable Mentions: "One Day," "The Amber Spyglass," "High Hopes," "The Deepest Well," I Wish My Teacher Knew," "Horrorstor."

**Authors Note: I wrote most of the above before I watched "Soul" on Christmas. I have a lot to say about it, and it might have taken the top spot from "Host" (I don't think I could have picked two more different movies to take that top spot). I will have a full review out after at least one more viewing.**

These are the links for my 202 Watch List and my 2021 Spreadsheet.

Media Consumed 2020

Media Consumed 2021

If you have been following my ramblings for the last few years, you know that I don't make New Year's resolutions. I heard the idea of picking a word and working toward that word all year.

This year that word is positivity.

It is really easy to dwell on negative thoughts. In the society we live in now, there is an emphasis put on negativity. It is everywhere, and I hate it. Stop reading right now and think about the best and worst thing that has happened to you. If you are like me, the worst thing comes to mind first. Even though my job is the best thing to happen to me, and it happened in the last two years, my firing from the JCC in September of 2015 hits harder and comes faster. It took me years to get over that and years more to let go of the anger I felt.

There are many reasons why negative thoughts come easier, and I have linked to a few articles I like on the topic below. This year particularly, I have been more prone to rumination on past pain and failures. 2021 is the year I actively try to change that. When I feel a negative thought coming on, I will stop and change my line of thinking.

One concrete example I can give involves my former place of employment. I live very close to the JCC. I walk by it all the time, and I can effortlessly start down the negativity rabbit hole. I am not doing that anymore. I will redirect to the good things that happened there. I am doing that with other places I have negative associations with as well. I want to focus on the positive, think positive thoughts, take positive actions, do things for myself and others that help perpetuate the positive.

I want to weed out negativity in my life whenever I can. Even something as simple as doing the dishes every night before bed (which I started six months ago) is a step in the positive direction. I know this is going to be tough. I despise teaching virtually, and it is what I will be doing for the rest of this school year. But, as much as I hate it, I need to focus on the good moments and less on the bad ones. I will have to stop calling everyone I see outside without a mask a "maskhole" in my head and assuming they are a right-wing MAGA hat-wearing idiot (as I said, it's going to be hard). There is too much negativity in the world right now, and I don't want to contribute to that.

Why Do Negative Thoughts Come to Mind

Is Dwelling on Negative Thoughts Hurting You?

Why Do We Dwell on The Past?

Why Do We Keep Dwelling on Our Mistakes?

The past few years, I have tried to have my word of the year relate to my writing. This year it was a little harder. It was not as straight forward as it has in the past. The choice of positivity was made because there have been so many awful things happening this year that I felt I needed to change my mindset. In regards to my writing, I am keeping it simple: Write something every single day. This heart doc I know motivated me to make this a goal.

I want to write more and find out where "Escape" will end up. I have an idea notebook I will bring with me to jot down inspiration whenever it hits. I am blocking out time every day to write, either something I will post here or just something for me.

Thanks for sticking with me 2,000 words. I hope you all had a great holiday season, and I wish you well in 2021.

[frogsandfries]

I'm so excited about my story again

I just want to run out and buy loads of resin and sculpt my frame and cast a bunch of frames and get my pieces all framed and I want a beautiful, aesthetic Instagram and Tumblr and a beautiful little gallery to show off my hard work.

Speaking of my hard work, I'm finally making my fifth frame. It's a bit of a mess right now, but I'm optimistic that it'll come together. I love that as I get better at reading patterns, I miss fewer details, but I'm also just getting faster at stitching.

I'm so excited to keep watching my story come to life in my hands. I'll be spending a lot of time on the bus till I can get a car. I'm not sure if I should focus on just getting a car, which would partially set me back in the short term, but in the long term, it would be the freedom to fill the spaces at work that not as many people can cover. Or should I actually skip the car for a van? The plan was to be on my own by December, which actually means like January or February, but honestly, I'm still kind of sore over this business about the kitten, but I hope I'm just blowing it out of proportion like I've done about other things. Also, the sooner I get the van going to way I want it, the sooner I can get my own damn kitten and forget this nonsense.

Anyway, I keep obsessing over how cool it'll be to have a beautiful Instagram for my completed work on this story, and how cool it'll be to bring some of the scenes in this story to life. I've never gotten my graphic novel attempts any further than the first hundred frames, and there's waaaaayyyyyyyy more story than that.

It'll also be awesome to have exclusively my own space for the first time in.......... years. Years. It'll really be my space.

[thethousandscars]

So I know my blogging hasn’t been great this year. It’s been odd, the last few months. Between editing three books and my new job, blogging hasn’t really been on my agenda lately. However, I am pleased to say that with SPFBO5 about to begin, I am returning to the author reviews you know and love! But I’m still going to review video games. It’s the one thing that keeps me from going senile.

Even though my job is video games.

Introduction

This has been a game that’s been a long time coming. I bought this game in 2014, and I decided to hold off on it until things became more…developed. With the game hitting 1.0 officially in December 2018, I felt it was finally time to review it.

As you can tell, I’ve put some serious hours into this game, and I’ve probably seen 10% of the content.

Kenshi feels like a twisted, weird mix of games a child would dream up as the ideal video game. Is it the ideal video game? Lord no, but it does one hell of a good job in many areas.

I am a huge fan of open-ended sandboxes were you can just do what you want, but very few seem to do this right. This was made by a very small development team and I could tell as soon as I bought it that it was a game worth supporting. Even if it didn’t go much further, I could afford to spend 10-15$ on it. I have a lot of respect for anyone who can make a game, particularly in this day and age when there is just so much competition. The indie market is booming and with it a lot of the stigma attached to indie developers is fading, as AAA titles continue to frustrate consumers with their practices. It’s the right time to get into it.

Kenshi’s development was slow at first, and originally I did wonder if it was ever going to reach a stage where I would go into it and play it. Then more and more progress was made…and now it’s just impressive just how much is packed in this game.

The Game

This game reminds me a lot like Mount and Blade Warband, another game which I bloody adore. The graphics look like shit, if you want my honest opinion. It looks and feels bloaty, the engine is buggy and badly optimised,  there is no voice acting and no true narrative exists. What’s shocking is virtually none of this matters when it comes to Kenshi. It should be a bad game with how much it crams in, all these different parts somehow working. Parts of the game make me think it’s still an alpha version, and there’s some serious flaws with it but man. . .I love it. It’s an amazing role-playing sandbox.

You are given a massive open-ended map (And I mean it’s huge. 870 square km), full of varied biomes, different factions, and just given a smack on the bum. Go and enjoy. Make your own story. It gives you almost nothing to work with and the beginning is frustrating. It’s also tough. You will die a lot.

To give you an idea just how large the Kenshi map is, here is a slideshow. The first slide shows the Waystation, with The Hub in the distance. Most playthroughs will begin near the Hub, for it is a good starting area in the game.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

This gives a good indication just how massive the map is in Kenshi.

  Onto the story element, there is none, or at least no direct narrative. There is a ton of well crafted lore in the game world of course, but nothing for you to follow. You really need to have some level of creative thinking to get the most out of this game. It’s a role playing game at its purest level. You do need to spend a lot of time with this game, it’s certainly not for the faint hearted. You need to have patience in dealing with some semi-broken mechanics, long loading times as the engine chugs on its single-core, and handle a lot of rough elements. What lies under the rough surface is a game of surprising complexity and depth.

I lost my entire party 10 minutes later to a horde of starving bandits.

However the game’s sheer openness in this case is its biggest strength, with a literal torrent of things to do. It might not be pretty to look at but its mechanics are incredible. I don’t understand how this game manages to fit in so many different genres and play-styles at once like some fucked experiment. Some of them don’t work at times, others are buggy, but for a game to do all this at once, and do a decent job overall, is seriously impressive and deserves recognition. Do they work all the time? No.

You can build your own settlements, hire mercenaries, enslave NPCs to do your bidding, form your own company. The learning mechanics are brilliant, with so many ways to train your characters. You have guilds to join, shit to steal, crops to grow. It’s not so much a game but as a world to craft your own experience, with a story development on par with Rimworld. It has an awesome body system as well. You get fucked in a fight? You will limp around until you can fix it. I get my leg cut off…just read the description here:

A character with a wounded leg will limp or crawl and slow the party down, wounded arms means you must use your sword one-handed or not at all. Severe injuries will result in amputees needing robotic limb replacements. Blood loss means you can pass out, and the blood will attract predators. A character’s stats are affected by equipment, encumbrance, blood loss, injuries and starvation.

This game gives zero shits about you, but it is also surprisingly accessible. While the game is perma death, getting into fights is a great way to get stronger. If you get put in jail, you get healed up and fed while you struggle to break out. Everything you do improves your stats in some way, so don’t shy away from tough situations. The games systems are easy to exploit and easy to break, but doing so will make parts of the game lose its aura.

Building a settlement is hard. You get to research all sorts of things with a research bench and the right materials, but the game punishes you when you start setting out on your own. You’ll get attacked by enemies on a bullshit degree, factions will come demanding tax money, bandits will demand food or money to leave you alone, and don’t get me started on the Holy Nation. Fuck those assholes. My current 30 hour play-through is dedicated to a group of plucky souls building an army to destroy them.

There are plenty of factions to play with, all with different styles. The Skeletons don’t need to eat, but can’t heal themselves without expensive Repair Kits and are hated by nearly everyone. The United Cities are a corrupt, slavers paradise. The Sheks are a warrior kingdom who look down on smuggling drugs (But you can make lots of money if you don’t get caught by their smuggling checks), while the Holy Nation are racist fanatics with a powerful belief in religion and purity. Seriously, fuck the Holy Nation.

Oh, and cannibals. There are lots of those.

This is one of the most impressive open worlds I’ve ever seen in a video game. You can play it as an RPG, a city builder, a fighting game and a stealth game, and do a pretty damn good job in all of them. I’ve rarely seen that in gaming.

If it sounds like I’m gushing, I’m not. Kenshi has some pretty glaring flaws, and if you’re one of those guys who want good optimisation and things to look pretty then you’re going to have a brain injury if you play this game. It’s buggy, chugs harder than a train on National Rail, ugly, and lacks a general direction, certainly. Do I wish it wasn’t as unstable at times? Yes. Do I regret my time with Kenshi? Lord no.

Nonetheless, I mean it when I say this is one of those endless experiences that deserves a chance. I can see myself writing a new novel just from my roleplaying experiences in this game. With an extensive modding scene, we might see some really impressive things in the future.

I will caution this: while there is a healthy modding scene, the tools themselves are limited. While this is a shame, you can fix a lot of base problems in Kenshi already through mods, and the game has been successful enough for the devs to make a sequel, with any engine fixes and improvements to be made to the original Kenshi.

  Pros

Huge world crammed full of deep lore and lots of things to do.

A.I is crude, but it does the job fairly well.

Unforgiving learning curve is satisfying to overcome, even if it takes dozens of hours.

Some of the games visuals can look good.

An excellent combat system that syncs well with the training mechanics.

Almost endless gameplay.

Despite the limitations of the modding engine, it has a healthy scene

A varied mix of factions with their own deep lore.

A great choice of weapons.

So many genres!

A large quantity of mods that add even more mechanics, game starts and factions.

The ultimate sandbox game.

Cons

Brutal early game and lack of hand holding will turn many players off.

Frequent long loading times, even with an SSD.

Ugly environments for the most part.

Limited in some ways by the creativity of the player.

No true story or endgame.

Obtuse squad micromanagement at times.

Despite an extensive number of mods, the modding tools are fairly limited.

Unfortunately you cannot conquer towns and claim them for your own. However, there is a mod in progress that adds this feature!

Much of the open world is feature-sparse desert.

Buggy pathfinding at times.

  To close things off, here are some screenshots I took in-game, and a little story to go with it. This is my current play-through, 50 days in (with no fast forward) and 35 hours.

Khronin and Viro, unlikely rivals turned friends, have a new goal. After Viro was attacked by Holy Sentinels and left for dead, Khronin has sworn vengeance against the Holy Nation.

Khronin’s skill in battle and charisma begins to grow the army. This growing force of disgruntled Sheks and bought slaves prepare themselves for their ultimate goal – the destruction of the Holy Nation.

  With a growing host of skilled fighters, Khronin and Viro take their teams out on training missions against the wild.

  Following a brutal battle between slavers, bandits and our protagonists, Khronin finally decides the time is right to begin their campaign. It will begin in the Holy Farms. Too long have these peasants stood against you. No more.

  FINAL SCORE AND CLOSING THOUGHTS: Kenshi is a hard game to give a score. It has flaws, and a lot of them, but there are few games like this on the market. I’d give this game a 8/10 overall, the bugginess and at times annoying loading bringing down its score. 

The game is not for everyone, but I still recommend you all give it a good go. I play Kenshi zoomed in with my characters, making it more like a close-third person RPG than a top-down strategy game. I suggest you try it out that way as well.

My review on Kenshi! #patientgamers #gaming #amwriting #amediting #rpg #Indie #gamedev So I know my blogging hasn't been great this year. It's been odd, the last few months.

[stevefoxe]

Everything I Read in 2016

For the third year in a row, I logged every novel, short story collection, poetry compilation, graphic novel, and collected edition of monthly comics I read, excluding individual monthly comics (on which I continued to fall catastrophically behind) and anything I read (and reread, and reread again) for my day job. My only big change? A lot of these books were read on my iPad Mini. And a good number were for my gay book club (you can guess which ones). 

If you don’t yet keep track of your reading, you should start in 2017. It’s your best bet for hitting a reading goal, and for folks like me who read a ton, it’s a nice way to recall books that otherwise departed your memory.

For the tl;dr crowd, here are my Top 13 for the year, in the order in which I read them:

On Writing, Stephen King

Binti, Nnedi Okorafor

The Girls, Emma Cline

I Am a Hero Vol. 1 & Vol. 2, Kengo Hanazawa

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, Benjamin Alire Saenz

The Hero: Book Two, David Rubín

Night Sky With Exit Wounds, Ocean Vuong

Lincoln in the Bardo, George Saunders (I read an ARC)

A Choir of Ill Children, Tom Piccirilli

Habitat, Simon Roy

Prez Vol. 1, Mark Russell, Ben Caldwell, Domo Stanton

Bones of the Coast, edited by Shannon Campbell, Jeff Ellis, Kathleen Jacques

(New X-Men Omnibus was a re-read, or it would be up here.)

The rest is below the jump!

I don’t really feel like dumping on anything this year. I definitely got burnt out on comic anthologies, and I hated A Little Life, but the good outweighs the bad. Below is the full list, divided by month, followed by a few statistics and an evaluation of my 2016 reading goals as established last January. 

[A note on comics: I feel guilty that I’ve left off colorists and inkers, as they contribute so much to a book, but I defaulted to cover credits while logging my reading and don’t have most of these books on-hand to fix it now.]

January

The Amazing World of Gumball: Fairy Tale Trouble, Megan Brennan, Katy Farina, Jeremy Lawson

Adventure Time: Masked Mayhem, Kate Leth, Bridget Underwood, Drew Green, Vaughn Pinpin, Meredith McClaren

Sir Edward Grey: Witchfinder: The Mysteries of Unland, Kim Newman, Maura McHugh, Tyler Crook

On Writing, Stephen King

Binti, Nnedi Okorafor

The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2016, edited by John Joseph Adams & Joe Hill

The Sorcerer of the Wildeeps, Kai Ashante Wilson

February

Planet Hulk, Sam Humphries & Marc Laming

Future Imperfect, Peter David & Greg Land

Hail Hydra, Rick Remender & Roland Boschi

House of M, Dennis Hopeless & Marco Failla

Marvel Zombies, Si Spurrier & Kev Walker

Old Man Logan, Brian Michael Bendis & Andrea Sorrentino

The Girls, Emma Cline

The Gilded Razor, Sam Lansky

March

Civil War, Charles Soule & Leinil Francis Yu

New X-Men Omnibus, Grant Morrison, Frank Quitely, Phil Jimenez, Ethan Van Sciver, Igor Kordey, Marc Silvestri, Keron Grant, Chris Bachalo, John Paul Leon, Bill Sienkiewicz, Leinil Francis Yu

The Eye of the Cat, Elejandro Jodorowsky & Moebius

All the Birds in the Sky, Charlie Jane Anders

Beyond Anthology, edited by Sfé Monster & Taneka Scott

A Little Life, Hanya Yanagihara

Balloon Pop Outlaw Black, Patricia Lockwood

April

 I Am a Hero Vol. 1, Kengo Hanazawa

The Nameless City Vol. 1, Faith Erin Hicks

Ody-C Vol. 1, Matt Fraction & Christian Ward

Lovecraft Country, Matt Ruff

Husk, Rachel Autumn Deering

New World: An Anthology of Sci-Fi & Fantasy, edited by C. Spike Trotman

Chainmail Bikini: An Anthology of Women Gamers, edited by Hazel Newlevant

Broken Frontier, edited by Frederik Hautain & Tyler Chin-Tanner

Love in All Forms: The Big Book of Growing Up Queer, edited by Serafina Dwyer

Wonder Woman: Earth One Vol. 1, Grant Morrison & Yanick Paquette

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, Benjamin Alire Saenz

The Hero: Book Two, David Rubín

The Girl With All the Gifts, M. R. Carey

Regular Show: Noir Means Noir, Buddy, Rachel Connor, Robert Luckett, Wook Jin Clark

Night Air, Ben Sears

Revenger: Children of the Damned, Charles Forsman

Magic for Beginners, Kelly Link

May

Dark Engine Vol. 1, Ryan Burton & John Bivens

Disney Kingdoms: Seekers of the Weird, Brandon Seifert, Karl Moline, Filipe Andrade

The Girl in the Flammable Skirt, Aimee Bender

Every Heart a Doorway, Seanan McGuire

Mr. Splitfoot, Samantha Hunt

Fire Shut Up in My Bones, Charles M. Blow

Revival Vol. 1, Tim Seeley & Mike Norton

The Fireman, Joe Hill

Colder: Toss the Bones, Paul Tobin & Juan Ferreyra

The Fly: Outbreak, Brandon Seifert & Menton3

Faker, Mike Carey & Jock

What If? Infinity, Joshua Williamson, Mike Henderson, Riley Rossmo, Mike Norton, Jason Copeland, Goran Sudžuka

June

Hawkeye vs. Deadpool, Gerry Duggan, Matteo Lolli, Jacopo Camagni

Outcast Vol. 3, Robert Kirkman & Paul Azaceta

Lady Killer Vol. 1, Joelle Jones & Jamie S. Rich

The Fiction, Curt Pires & David Rubín

The Amazing World of Gumball Vol. 2, Frank Gibson, Tyson Hesse, Paulina Ganucheau

Arcadia, Alex Paknadel & Eric Scott Pfeiffer

Black Market, Frank J. Barbiere & Victor Santos

Dream Thief Vol. 2, Jai Nitz, Greg Smallwood, Todd Galusha

Contest of Champions Vol.1, Al Ewing & Paco Medina

The Infinity Gauntlet, Dustin Weaver & Gerry Duggan

The Amulet, Michael McDowell

The Dark Half, Stephen King

The Creature from the Black Lagoon, Steve Moncuse & Art Adams

Steven Universe: Too Cool for School, Ian Jones-Quartey, Jeremy Sorese, Asia Kendrick-Horton, Rachel Dukes, Josceline Fenton

Bob’s Burgers: Medium Rare, overseen by Loren Bouchard

Bob’s Burgers: Well Done, overseen by Loren Bouchard

Zombie, Joyce Carol Oates

Kare-Kare Komiks, Andrew Drilon

Night Sky With Exit Wounds, Ocean Vuong

The Witcher: House of Glass, Paul Tobin & Joe Querio

X-Men: No More Humans, Mike Carey & Salvador Larroca

Cold Moon Over Babylon, Michael McDowell

July

Black Hand Comics, Wes Craig

Disappearance at Devil’s Rock, Paul Tremblay

B.P.R.D.: Hell on Earth: The Devil’s Wings, John Arcudi, Mike Mignola, Lawrence Campbell, Joe Querio, Tyler Crook

B.P.R.D.: Hell on Earth: Flesh & Stone, John Arcudi, Mike Mignola, James Harren

Abe Sapien: Sacred Places, Mike Mignola, Scott Allie, Sebastian Fiumara, Max Fiumara

Abe Sapien: A Darkness So Great, Mike Mignola, Scott Allie, Sebastian Fuimara, Max Fiumara

Hellboy & the B.P.R.D. 1952, Mike Mignola, John Arcudi, Alex Maleev

Lobster Johnson: Get the Lobster!, Mike Mignola, John Arcudi, Tonči Zonjić

Green River Killer: A True Detective Story, Jeff Jensen & Jonathan Case

The Witcher: Fox Children, Paul Tobin & Joe Querio

Children of the Night, John Blackburn

Frankenstein Underground, Mike Mignola & Ben Stenbeck

My Best Friend’s Exorcism, Grady Hendrix

August

The Well, Jack Cady

Angel Catbird Vol. 1, Margaret Atwood & Johnnie Christmas

Lincoln in the Bardo, George Saunders

September

Fellside, M. R. Carey

The Twilight Children, Gilbert Hernandez & Darwyn Cooke

Veil, Greg Rucka & Toni Fejzula

Negative Space, Ryan K. Lindsey & Owen Geini

Grindhouse: Doors Open at Midnight Vol. 1, Alex De Campi, Chris Peterson, Simon Fraser

Bitch Planet Vol. 1, Kelly Sue DeConnick, Valentine De Landro, Robert Wilson IV

Ody-C Vol. 2, Matt Fraction & Christian Ward

Tampa, Alissa Nutting

Clive Barker’s A-Z of Horror, compiled by Stephen Jones

The Missing, Sarah Langan

Grindhouse: Doors Open at Midnight Vol. 2, Alex De Campi, Federica Manfredi, Gary Erskine

Grindhouse: Doors Open at Midnight Vol. 3, Alex De Campi, R.M. Guera, Chris Peterson

Grindhouse: Doors Open at Midnight Vol. 4, Alex De Campi, Mulele Jarvis, John Lucas

Audition, Ryu Murakami

Mr. Arashi’s Amazing Freak Show, Suehiro Maruo

In the Miso Soup, Ryu Murakami

October

Ghosts, Raina Telgemeier

Anya’s Ghost, Vera Brosgol

One Week in the Library, W. Maxwell Prince & John Amor

A Choir of Ill Children, Tom Piccirilli

The Bloody Chamber, Angela Carter

I Am a Hero Vol. 2, Kengo Hanazawa

The Beauty Vol. 1, Jeremy Haun & Jason A. Hurley

The Creepy Case Files of Margo Maloo Vol. 1, Drew Weing

November

Gerald’s Game, Stephen King

Call Me By Your Name, André Aciman

Invisible Republic Vol. 1, Gabriel Hardman & Corinne Bechko

Roche Limit Vol. 1, Michael Moreci & Vic Malhorta

What Belongs to You, Garth Greenwell

Roche Limit Vol. 2, Michael Moreci & Kyle Charles

Roche Limit Vol. 3, Michael Moreci & Kyle Charles

One-Punch Man Vol. 9, ONE & Yusuke Murata

One-Punch Man Vol. 10, ONE & Yusuke Murata

Habitat, Simon Roy

December

Beowulf, Santiago García & David Rubín

The Oath, edited by Audrey Redpath

Star Wars: Tales From the Far, Far Away, Michael Moreci, Tim Daniel, Ryan Cady, Phillip Sevy, etc.

Prelude to Bruise, Saeed Jones

Grief is the Thing With Feathers, Max Porter

Tomie Deluxe Edition, Junji Ito

Krampus!, Brian Jones & Dean Kotz

Fantasy Sports Vol. 2, Sam Bosma

The Beauty Vol. 2, Jeremy Haun, Jason A. Hurley, Mike Huddleston, Brett Weldele, Stephen Green

Prez Vol. 1, Mark Russell, Ben Caldwell, Domo Stanton

The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl Beats Up the Marvel Universe, Ryan Q. North & Erica Henderson

Love is Love, edited by Marc Andreyko

Joe Golem Vol. 1, Mike Mignola, Christopher Golden, Patric Reynolds

Baltimore: Cult of the Red King, Mike Mignola, Christopher Golden, Peter Bergting

Abe Sapien: The Burning Fire, Mike Mignola, Scott Allie, Max Fiumara, Sebastian Fiumara, Tyler Crook

Forbidden Brides of the Faceless Slaves in the Secret House of the Night of Dread Desire, Neil Gaiman & Shane Oakley

Bones of the Coast, edited by Shannon Campbell, Jeff Ellis, Kathleen Jacques

Total: 

140 Books (up from 128 in 2015 and 87 in 2014)

Breakdown:

39 Novels or short story collections (down from 43 in 2015 and 44 in 2014)

98 Graphic novels/collected editions of comics (up from 84 in 2015 and a measly 42 in 2014)

3 Books of poetry (triple the 2015 and 2014 counts!)

About 35 Books written or edited by female authors (up from 20 in 2015 and 16 in 2014; note that I’m only counting writers and editors, not artists, and I’m counting books, not unique authors)

Roughly 19 books by (known-to-be) non-white authors (down from 30 last year but up from 9 in 2014...but both this year and last were inflated by multiple entries from manga creators)

...and at least 16 books written or edited by queer and trans authors. 

So...any suggestions for 2017?

[willreadforbooze]

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Hope you all had a safe and drunken New Years’ party! We welcome you to the Year of Our Lord 2020 with open arms. Fuck 2019, here’s to 2020. If you haven’t seen our wrap up and goals, check ’em out.

Linz

Minda

Sam

Ginny (comin’ on Wednesday, I’ll link it when it drops)

Sam’s Updates

Oh. My God. I don’t think I’ve been this tired in a long-ass time. Ginny and I went to MAGFest (Music and Gaming Festival) and it was A BLAST. Board games, video games, arcade games, up until 4 and 5 in the morning. It was great. I am in so much pain lol.

What Sam read this week:

Once & Future by Amy Rose Capetta: This is gender-swapped King Arthur in space. This was so damn good. I sort of expected it to be fluffy and it was NOT. I would die for some of these characters. Drunk Review coming.

What Sam’s currently reading:

Silvered Serpents by Roshani Chokshi: This is the sequel to The Gilded Wolves which Linz reviewed and then so did I because I couldn’t shut up about it. I swear, this book is really good, I’ve just been in a bit of a slump. With the New Year, it’s a New Me (TM).

Ginny’s Updates

Whatsup all? I spent the weekend at MAGfest which means I played a lot of pinball, didn’t sleep nearly enough, and snuck in only a few moments of reading. Also, I think I got like four hours of sleep last night so I’m running at 20% power.

Finished:

Hither Page by Cat Sebastian: This book was cute but I don’t think I enjoyed it as much as the other series Sebastian has written. The mystery was kind of interested but I didn’t find myself involved in the world in the same way that I can be. It was still charming with interesting characters, but I find myself caring more about some of the minor characters that those the action should be centered around. 3.5/5

Darkdawn by Jay Kristoff: This was the third book in the Nevernight trilogy. Mia has grown as a character and this book does some amazing things. Some that I called, many that I didn’t (Sam kept gettings texts going “XXXX is going to happen.” and then fifteen minutes later “nevermind, I was wrong.”) There is a great bit in the middle where Kristoff is clearly making fun of himself, which had me actually laughing. That being said, I find myself frustrated with the ending… 3.75/5

Tears of the Giraffe by Alexander McCall Smith: This is the second book in a series about Mma Ramotswe, Botswana’s first lady detective. I still like the way the world grows through each of the different cases that gets taken on. And the perspectives in this book are stunningly well done. I didn’t enjoy this quite as much as the earlier one, but still, a very  nice book 3.75/5

Currently:

Realm of Ash by Tasha Suri: I absolutely adored Suri’s first book, Empire of Sand after I picked it up at bookcon. This book I preordered and have been dying to read, but I needed to finish Darkdawn first. And now I get to read all about the widow colony. Pumped

Sapphire Flames  by Ilona Andrews: This book is technically the 4th in a series but it’s clear a lot happened between the third and fourth book, and there’s a novella set in between. But if the novella has to be read there needs to be a better way to denote that than naming it 3.5… Nevada’s younger sister Catalina is now the head of their ‘house.’ and is dealing with the murder of a family friend.

Minda’s Updates

T minus 10 days until baby’s due date! CRAZY.

What Minda finished:

The Lager Queen of Minnesota by J. Ryan Stradal – Good read, especially if you’re really into beer! Wasn’t perfect, but I liked the generational story and, again, there were a lot of great beer descriptions. Can’t wait to review.

What Minda is reading now:

Becoming by Michelle Obama – About time I finish this! I let my mom borrow it for awhile and recently got it back.

Dark Age by Pierce Brown – It’s back on my shelf from the library so let’s give it another chance. Second time is a charm?

Linz’s Updates

December sucked so hard, I took two days off this month already just to catch up on life. Still not totally caught up BUT I did get some reading done!

What I read:

The Sins of Lord Lockwood by Meredith Duran: Good ol’ romance novel genre. I dunno, could have had more sex and the conceit is a stretch even by romance novel standards–the night of their arranged marriage, the guy gets kidnapped and held in an Australian penal colony for three years, and then gets out and won’t tell his wife where he was? And neither his wife nor his friends think to look for him when they don’t hear from him?

Mostly Dead Things by Kristin Arnett: Contemporary adult fiction about a kinda poor Florida family’s struggle to cope after the patriarch’s suicide. Excellent secondary narrative about the daughter’s struggle to understand and embrace her sexuality and gender. I did struggle with a lot of the book’s very graphic descriptions of taxidermy. Not a book to read while eating.

Saving Savannah by Tonya Bolden: Historical, middle-grade-ish book about a privileged black teen in DC after the end of WWI. (Thanks to ALA, Bolden, and Bloomsbury to read this ARCH!) LOVED. DC’s black community has a long, rich, and complicated history, and I love how well-researched this book was. The narrative was a little choppy timeline-wise, but highly recommend.

What I’m currently reading:

Wicked As You Wish by Rin Chupeco: Thanks to NetGalley, Chupeco, and Sourcefire books for this ARC! My TBR queue is well and truly fucked this month already; this YA contemporary fantasy/alt-history stars a Filipina-white teen with magic abilities who needs to help save a prince and his kingdom.

Until next time, we main forever drunkenly yours,

Sam, Ginny, Linz, and Minda

Weekly Wrap Up: Dec 30, 2019 – Jan 5 2020 HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! Hope you all had a safe and drunken New Years' party! We welcome you to the Year of Our Lord 2020 with open arms.

[williamsjoan]

DualShockers’ Game of the Year 2018 Staff Lists — Hoffmann’s Top 10

As 2018 comes to a close, DualShockers and our staff are reflecting on this year’s batch of games and what were their personal highlights within the last year. Unlike the official Game of the Year 2018 awards for DualShockers, there are little-to-no-rules on our individual Top 10 posts. For instance, any game — not just 2018 releases — can be considered.

This year had a lot of great releases, but I still play many games that were released before 2018. Some I play to shrink my giant backlog a bit, while others, like Street Fighter V, I continue to play because they are still getting updates and are a lot of fun online.

It was difficult to choose just ten personal games for me in 2018, especially since I played many older ones. I bought way too many great games on PC in the last two years, thanks to Humble Monthly, and many other bundles alongside individual purchases.

Now, here are my Top 10:

10. GemCraft: Chasing Shadows

This tower defense game was released back in 2014, and it’s already the fourth game of the series. It is a true beast of a game with almost 200 levels and each of them can be a mighty challenge..IF you use the different options and battle traits + difficulty modes to make them one.

It is my most played game according to Steam so far, with over 330 hours. This year I took on the Iron Wizard challenge mode, which removes many features that made the game easier in its normal mode. The developer is currently working on the fifth game in the series that might come with many new features, but will also continue to build on the surprisingly deep and dark story of the GemCraft games.

9. Batman: Arkham Asylum

Yup, I am playing really old games that most people played years ago already sometimes. I love to play many good games, but the majority of my time is usually for fighting games and single-player adventures as the exceptions.

Sometime this summer, I finally started Batman: Arkham Asylum on PC and was…well, hooked. It took me some days and nights to get through it, but they were an awesome experience. The game still looks nice and plays well in 2018, and I am looking forward to playing and beat Arkham City in 2019.

8. BlazBlue: Continuum Shift Extend

First of all, the BlazBlue games are a wonderful series of technical fighting games, but they also have a story mode that kicks ass. Unlike the big cinematic experiences in the Netherrealm Studios fighting games like Mortal Kombat X and Injustice, they are going for the visual novel style which can be boring for those that want to see action instead of reading or listening to it, especially the sometimes cringy dialogue.

But if you like this type of story-telling, the BlazBlue games are doing a damn fine job. BlazBlue: Continuum Shift Extend especially has a big main story but also individual story modes for the over 20 characters, and also a few extra stories. I played both the arcade mode and all the story stuff this year and believe that the BlazBlue universe can cause you even more headaches than the Kingdom Hearts ones.

But…I laughed often and that means it was worth the around 50 hours!

7. Grim Dawn

Grim Dawn is a hack & slash (& shoot) action-RPG by the TitanQuest developers, released in 2016 and one of the games that are constantly getting free updates and additions alongside purchasable expansions. Beside its grim setting, it is as addicting to me as Diablo II: Lord of Destruction was many years ago.

Even today and after many hours of playtime I did not see all the skills of every class or discover all the additional parts of the big world this game offers. I stopped playing Diablo 3 years ago as it was just not my thing, but this game is my favorite Diablo-like game now since its launch. It is still getting content, including a big second expansion soon that comes with another character class. Oh well…

6. DOOM

I loved the old DOOM games and also the fantastic Brutal Doom Mod, but I had just too many other games to play in 2016 and 2017. In June this year, I eventually started 2016’s DOOM and did not play another game before I beat this damn gem of a first-person shooter, which took around 15 hours for me.

Everything in this game just screams “TESTOSTERONE,” from the awesome industrial metal soundtrack to the fast and very brutal gameplay, and being a protagonist that is more dangerous than even the Cyber-Demon himself. Can’t wait for DOOM Eternal now.

Check out the DualShockers review of DOOM.

5. Earth Defense Force 4.1

To save our mother Earth from any alien attack From vicious giant insects who have once again come back We’ll unleash all our forces, we won’t cut them any slack The EDF deploys!

Play it…love it. This is one of the best video games ever created, and for me personally in the same league as Tetris, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, Street Fighter II and Alien 3 on the SNES.

I can’t wait to play Earth Defense Force: Iron Rain next.

E.D.F! E.D.F!!! E.D.F!!!!!!

4. Dungeon Warfare 2

Dungeon Warfare 2 is basically a tower defense game but instead of towers, the player has a ton of different (over 30) traps to use against the masses of humans that want to enter the dungeon. The game has a ton of maps to defend, and the player has to learn strategies and also how to use runes that raise the difficulty of the enemies. But, this also results in bigger rewards for clearing the map and is accompanied by a super fitting metal soundtrack.

I bought this indie game at launch on Steam in July and played almost 60 hours so far. If you like defense-like games, being the evil guy, using traps, and you just love to listen to the death screams of your enemies…Dungeon Warfare 2 is something for you.

3. Yakuza 0

Yakuza 0 was first released on the PlayStation 3 in Japan back in 2015 already, but it is also the first Yakuza game released for the PC. It took SEGA three years to port it, but the game did not feel old or anything to me since I did not play the current-gen Yakuza games like Yakuza Kiwami 2 and Yakuza 6 yet.

The graphics in Yakuza 0 look greater than ever before on PC, and the game itself is just like a rollercoaster ride through Japanese culture and the Japanese Mafia that the series gets its name from. The two absolutely lovable main protagonists, Kiryu Kazumi and Goro Majima, are a highlight in the sometimes funny, but sometimes also very sad main story.

This game illustrates how video games can be a perfect platform for a combination of an emotional story, relatively simple beat’em up gameplay, a sightseeing tour through Tokyo, and many short stories that are helping both main protagonists to express their very different personalities. I played it for around 40 hours to beat the main story, around 45 of the over 80 side stories, and I am now getting motivated to beat the complete Yakuza game series someday.

Check out the DualShockers review of Yakuza 0.

2. Super Meat Boy

This wonderful game starts so easy…and becomes a nightmare as soon as you meet the first boss. Super Meat Boy truly made me appreciate difficult level design more than any other video game I know about. I beat it by playing only 1-3 levels per day to not lose my mind in the last worlds.

This is one of the best 2D platformers ever made, and if you like a “meaty” experience get it, play it, and try to bat it completely, including all the extra characters and stages.

Good luck.

Check out the DualShockers review of Super Meat Boy.

1. Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition

I originally bought Street Fighter V on February 16, 2016 but returned it after only a few days, since I was absolutely not happy with the game and how problematic it was, especially the online matches. However, I got a good deal with the PC version in December 2017 instead and also bought the first two season characters.

While I had some fun already with the story mode in the original version of Street Fighter V, I was looking forward to the Arcade Edition and since then, it has not disappointed. The Arcade Edition would add a real arcade mode as well as weekly Fight Money based challenges in the form of Shadaloo Soldiers, and the option to “unlock” extra costumes like the really cool Captain Commando costume for Nash.

To make it short, Street Fighter V is an excellent fighting game that has really a ton of content for both single players and weirdos like me that love to fight world warriors from everywhere and show them some #PsychoPower. And since I first played the game, the Arcade Edition shows it has come a long way.

I have played this game for over 300 hours off and online now since December 2017, and have some fun with it almost every day. Grab it and challenge me : )

Check out the other DualShockers’ staff Top 10 lists and our official Game of the Year Awards:

December 17: DualShockers Game of the Year Awards 2018 December 18: Lou Contaldi, Editor in Chief // Logan Moore, Reviews Editor December 19: Ryan Meitzler, Features Editor // Tomas Franzese, News Editor December 20: Scott Meaney, Community Director December 21: Reinhold Hoffmann, Community Manager // Ben Bayliss, Staff Writer December 22: Ben Walker, Staff Writer // Chris Compendio, Staff Writer December 23: Eoghan Murphy, Staff Writer // Grant Huff, Staff Writer December 26: Iyane Agossah, Staff Writer // Jordan Boyd, Staff Writer December 27: Max Roberts, Staff Writer // Michael Ruiz, Staff Writer  December 28: Noah Buttner, Staff Writer // Rachael Fiddis, Staff Writer  December 29: Steven Santana, Staff Writer // Tanner Pierce, Staff Writer December 30: Travis Verbil, Staff Writer // Zack Potter, Staff Writer

The post DualShockers’ Game of the Year 2018 Staff Lists — Hoffmann’s Top 10 by Reinhold Hoffmann appeared first on DualShockers.

DualShockers’ Game of the Year 2018 Staff Lists — Hoffmann’s Top 10 published first on https://timloewe.tumblr.com/

[starless-chasm]

Year-end Book (and Book Blogging) Survey


It's the last day of December! Before I go all dramatic and revisit my IELTS-ful year, I mean not-so-eventful offline memory lane, I’ll just do some “book business” and answer this year-end literary survey. I’ve seen this posted in my tumblr dash so I guess I’ll answer it. Apologies in advance…I may be publishing a lot of entries today. I'm trying to be productive, but hey, thanks for understanding! :)) 
1. The Best Book You Read In 2017? 
This question is probably one of the pet peeves I will never ever be able to avoid. It never fails to render me speechless every time—not in a good way, obviously—it feels like you're being asked who your favorite son/daughter amongst your kids...no, you can't just do that - so many to choose from! Haha. That said, I have a lot of favorites in different genre. 
•The Hate You Give by Angie Thomas
•A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas
•Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo 
2. The Most Disappointing Book or a Book You Wish You Loved More Than You Did? 
The Gentleman's Guide To Vice And Virtue by Mackenzi Lee. I really wish I could like it more just like what people in the internet are saying. Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t hate it, I just don't like it. Runner-up’s Renee Ahdieh’s The Rose and the Dagger. This is the sequel to The Wrath And The Dawn which I truly loved as it's a re-telling of my favorite fairytale of all time: One Thousand And One Nights. I was smitten with Ahdieh's oh-so-surreal work on the first book, but this one’s an exception. There’s just something…off about it. 
3. Most surprising (in a good way!) book of 2017? 
Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli. I first picked up this book last year and only got to read its first chapter. I really don't know why I did it. Haha. Then early this year, I wouldn’t have picked this book back if it solely brandished a regular soulmate formula, but the nerd factor involved in its blurb (and its title, duh!) convinced me to try it one last time. It was amazing, and not just in a geeky kind of way. Also in a flabbergasted oh-my-god-it-shattered-my-heart-but-still-made-me-smile-at-the-end kind of way.
Runners-up are: the YA book Turtles All The Way Down by John Green, and The Sun Is Also A Star by Nicola Yoon. 
4. Book you recommended to people most in 2017? 
I will never stop recommending The Hate You Give. In fact, I can almost see myself still recommending it in 2018. Also, on top of my list is the poetry book The Princess Saves Herself On This One by Amanda Lovelace and The Wrinkle In Time by Madeliene L'Engle. Oh, and also Sally Thorne's The Hating Game! Because they’re awesome, okay? Just spreading the love, ‘ya know. Same with all of John Green’s. Yeah, I roll like that. 
5. Best series you discovered in 2017?
Right, I’m going to cheat again because there’s a lot of good series in different genres I discovered this year: 
• A Court Of Thorns and Roses trilogy by Sarah J Maas (young adult fantasy, science fiction).
•Six of Crows duology by Leigh Bardugo (young adult fantasy, science fiction).
•To All The Boys I Loved Before trilogy by Jenny Han (young adult fiction) 
6. Favorite new authors you discovered in 2017? 
Markus Zusak, Sarah J Maas, Leigh Bardugo, Becky Albertalli, Nicola Yoon, Jennifer L. Armentrout, Khaleed Hosseini, Rupi Kaur and Madeleine L'Engle. 
7. Best book that was out of your comfort zone or was a new genre for you? Actually, I have a problem with going out of my comfort zone in terms of reading ever since I can remember. But let's see, I'd like to try reading a lot of biographies next year, then I'll get back to this question. 
8. Most thrilling, unputdownable book in 2017? 
Hmm, in terms of unputdownability (gads, I love the word), I guess the award’s going to Leigh Bardugo's Six of Crows series and Lauren Oliver’s Before I Fall (yep, I liked Oliver’s debut novel more than her famed dystopian book). They’re just so gripping! 
9. Book you most anticipated in 2018?
Puddin' by Julie Murphy. Come on—Murphy's writing another YA story after her debut novel Side Effects May Vary? Who can’t NOT get excited by that? I hope I can get through next year.
10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2017? 
Unfortunately, this is not the version I own. I have the American edition, the one with the dominoes on the cover. The Book Thief has a total of 35 editions and I specially adore the UK Adult Edition. I mean, how can you not love this edition? There’s just something about it that really appeals to me. Dancing with Death, even in illustrations, look so morbidly beautiful and poetic. I'm still hoping I can find the UK Edition though.
11. Most memorable character in 2017?
Unfair! Just one? If this survey is going to continue having questions like this one, I have no choice but to cheat. Just lemme do it, mkay? 
• Kaz Brekker from Six of Crows Duology by Leigh Bardugo.
• Feyre Acheron and Rhysand from A Court Of Thorns And Roses Trilogy by Sarah J Maas. Well, I specially love Feyre—just the fact that she may be my fictional alter ego if I were to be chucked in the pages of a young-adult fantasy book. She’s feisty, and she believes she can forge her own destiny. She reminds me of myself in so many ways.
• Simon Spier from Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda.
12. Most beautifully written book read in 2017? 
The Wrath and the Dawn (need I say more?),The Book Thief until I got my hands on this I’ve never enjoyed reading a Death anthropomorph narrating a story that ever exceeded the one in Gaiman’s The Sandman graphic novels). 
13. Book that had the greatest impact on you in 2017? 
You wouldn’t be mad if I say it’s one of the books above, right? Haha. 
14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2017 to finally read? 
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath. I should have read this a long time ago! 
15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2017? 
from Lauren Oliver’s Before I Fall: “Most of the time—99 percent of the time—you just don’t know how and why the threads are looped together, and that’s okay. Do a good thing and something bad happens. Do a bad thing and something good happens. Do nothing and everything explodes. And very, very rarely—by some miracle of chance and coincidence, butterflies beating their wings just so and all the threads hanging together for a minute—you get the chance to do the right thing.” 
from Markus Zusak, The Book Thief: "I wanted to tell the book thief many things, about beauty and brutality. But what could I tell her about those things that she didn't already know? I wanted to explain that I am constantly overestimating and underestimating the human race-that rarely do I ever estimate it. I wanted to ask her how the same thing could be so ugly and so glorious, and its words and stories so damning and brilliant."
I could add more, but I’ll just leave it at two. 
16. Book That You Read In 2011 That Would Be Most Likely To Reread In 2012? 
Not counting the ones I repeated more than twice above, I guess I’ll reread Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda before I watch the movie adaptation. 
17. Book That Had A Scene In It That Had You Reeling And Dying To Talk To Somebody About It? (a WTF moment, an epic revelation, a steamy kiss, etc. etc.) 
Haha! To be honest? Six of Crows duology. There’s a reason why it's my favorite this year. :p I’m always gushing about this duology—sending messages to my friends, fangirling about it online (even joining a contest where I declared my love for one them). 
18. One Book You Didn’t Get To Read In 2017 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2018? 
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, The God of Small Things by Arundathi Roy, 1Q84 + a bunch of other books by Murakami. There. 
19. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2018? 
Please refer to question no.9. 
20. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging In 2018? 
Just read more, learn more, inspire more, and blog more.


[aion-rsa]

The Secret of BOOM! Box’s Success: Diverse, Hopeful Comics

Imprints are a tricky thing in comic book publishing. Pay attention to the industry long enough, and you’ll see plenty that come and go after an initial burst — or some stick around but noticeably divert from its original vision.

BOOM! Studios launched BOOM! Box in December 2013 with “The Midas Flesh” #1, from the team of writer Ryan North and artists Shelli Paroline and Braden Lamb. a href=”/tag/lumberjanes”>”Lumberjanes,” from Noelle Stevenson, Grace Ellis and Brooke Allen, followed a few months later, and soon became the line’s breakout hit. The stated goal of BOOM! Box upon its initial announcement was to “push the envelope with experimental content from some of the brightest, forward-thinking creators in comics today,” and the books have remained consistent with that initial promise, with a robust line of original series from the Los Angeles-based publisher.

EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW: “Lumberjanes” #37

Now, with “Lumberjanes” entering its fourth year later this month with issue #37, and John Allison, Max Sarin and Liz Fleming’s “Giant Days” hitting the issue #25 milestone this week — fairly lengthy runs in the relaunch-happy comics market — CBR talked in-depth with BOOM! Box founding editor (and “Lumberjanes” co-creator and co-writer) Shannon Watters and BOOM! Studios editor Dafna Pleban (editor of “Lumberjanes” and “Goldie Vance”) about the importance of providing “joyful, gleeful comics” targeted at a diverse audience, along with a look at the recently debuted “Coady and the Creepies” from Liz Prince and Amanda Kirk, and the May-debuting “Misfit City” by the writing team of Kiwi Smiith & Kurt Lustgarten, and artist Naomi Franquiz. Plus, CBR has the first look inside “Lumberjanes” #37, by Watters & Kat Leyh, and artist Ayme Sotuyo.

“Lumberjanes” #37 cover by Kat Leyh.

CBR: Shannon, Dafna, to start out, BOOM! Box has been around now for almost three and a half years, and a lot of imprints have come and gone in less time than that. Even BOOM! has had some trouble getting them to stick, but this one has. For both of you, from your perspectives, what do you see as what BOOM! Box has provided to the comics medium that was needed?

Shannon Watters: What we strive to do with BOOM! Box is provide really joyful, gleeful comics. Specifically, joyful, gleeful comics that are targeted not just at folks that are looking to show up and get the same old things that they’ve always gotten. It’s a perspective that I think a lot of folks in indie comics, especially webcomics, have been trying to put forward for years and years, and all we’re doing is attempting to amplify that for the mainstream comic book market.

Dafna Pleban: I think it also helps that it was, by accident or design — and I think it’s a little bit of both — a bit of counter-programming to what was happening in the stores at the time. I think we got really good momentum with KaBOOM!, and the “Adventure Time” comics, that showed there was an audience that is looking for something that is all-ages in a sense that anyone could read it, but not necessarily dumbed-down as if it’s only for kids. I think over time, other companies — IDW as well, and DC and Marvel — have been seeing that there’s an audience for people who want to be able to share this with anyone, not just people who are up to the last 20 years of canon.

That started bringing in enough people to take a chance on something like BOOM! Box, which was a bit older than all-ages, also more different kinds of readers, like women and teens — a more diverse audience that doesn’t necessarily find a work that speaks to them in the mainstream space. I think we kind of lucked out. There’s good stories to tell, there’s stories that haven’t been told a thousand times, and there was an audience that was already coming in for all this other good work that we and other publishers were doing, that were ready to try something new.

I’m sure you’ve experienced it on your end — there are some great books that get overlooked all the time, and everything about them works. The artist works, the writers work, what they’re trying to tell works. I can’t count — I think my favorite one recently was “Omega Men.” You look at Tom King, and he blew up right after that, and it’s not that it wasn’t good — it was amazing. It just hit at a point where people weren’t paying attention. And I think that book’s going to live on in trade. It’s weird to equate “Omega Men,” which is really dark and more adult-oriented, with “Lumberjanes,” but I think it’s a fair comparison to make. To some degree, we were really helped by people noticing at the right time, and telling their friends.

Watters: I said this a lot when we were getting the imprint off the ground: We wanted it to be kind of a clubhouse for everybody. We wanted it to be the cool kids’ clubhouse that everybody could join. We wanted everybody to be a part of it. That continues to be a guiding principle today.

“Giant Days” #25 cover by Max Sarin.

Certainly my guess is a big reason these books have been successful is that they’re appealing to an audience that is growing, but has often been underserved by mainstream comics. Is that a deliberate focus with the line?

Watters: Absolutely, 100 percent. There are a million places in this town where you can be a sad boy telling a sad boy story. That’s fine.

Pleban: I’m probably reading a lot of those!

Watters: That is the “mainstream.” We all have been raging against the machine re: the New York Times Best-Seller list taking their graphic novel list out of commission. It is a damn shame, because it was such a valuable tool for telling everybody the truth, which is the books that people are reading are by women and marginalized creators, and telling stories that are not about straight white men. Literally, the biggest contingent of people reading comics today are young women. Raina [Telgemeier] has been at the top of the New York Times Best-Seller list for how long? Years. Dominating. Multiple books.

What we’re talking about, we refer to direct market comic books as the “mainstream” comic book market, but that’s nonsense. It is not the mainstream market. It’s not. We are making the kind of books that serve the people that should have been served there for the last 10 years, and were not.

Pleban: The last time publishers remembered female readers exist was manga — 10 years [ago] is actually the last time a huge amount of women were welcomed into comic shops; comic shops started stocking manga. I think we have this cultural forgetfulness that women read comics and make comics, because at the end of the day, if you don’t make your space welcoming, if you stop offering the content, they’re not going to show up. I think BOOM! Box is tapping into an audience that’s hungry, and has been reading comics for ages.

I think you see that kind of genre reflected in the tone of BOOM! Box books. They tend to have the kind of — I call them “extreme swings of emotion” — that manga popularized. It helps give that whimsy to a medium that has been a bit navel gaze-y and serious for a couple years now.

Watters: Couple? Couple of years? Sure. Just a handful.

We’re approaching creators and doing the comics that we like, as queer women in 2017. Ask us about our agenda in comics. We could talk forever!

“Misfit City” #1 cover by Naomi Franquiz.

The New York Times Best-Seller list was such a good reality check to people in the direct market bubble. And in three and a half years of BOOM! Box, if you look back at the announcement of the line back in 2013, it’s striking to me that it seems like it’s remained very consistent — it’s grown, expanded, but that general mission statement appears to still be very much defining what a BOOM! Box release is. In what ways do you see the line as evolving, experiencing important growth, in that time?

Watters: I think as far as the mission statement, [it] has always been “make gleeful comics for everybody.” But I do think we’re narrowed our focus tonally to the kinds of comics we want to be making. Generally, they feature lady protagonists kicking ass in a variety positive ways. But that feels very derivative to reduce it to that.

It’s hopeful to write stories that exist in that space, because it gives you strength. Because the real world is not like that, it gives you strength to read stories about people who are living in that world, and who are able to tell their stories in that safe space. I think it’s very valuable and very important. We’re going to continue to refine our mission statement, and continue to get better at things that are goals for us, in line with our mission statement. It’s been quite a lovely few years, and I’m very happy with how it’s gone.

For whatever reason, I feel like hopeful stories are uniquely important in 2017.

Watters: No kidding. No flippin’ kidding. It’s hard times to make hopeful stories. Thank goodness this train is already on the track.

Pleban: We tend, for the longest time, to tell limited runs. BOOM! Box has most of our longest-running books, outside of “Adventure Time.” “Lumberjanes” is about to pass year four.

Watters: 36 issues. And it’s sold something like 800,000 units in single [issues].

“Giant Days” is going into its third year, and “Lumberjanes” is going into in its fourth year, which is massive, that there’s a market for that out there. They’re being sustained.

Pleban: “Goldie [Vance]” is going into its second.

Watters: It’s amazing.

Pleban: It’s rare for a lot of independent publishers to have ongoing, universe stuff, and we feel comfortable in that space.

Watters: I think BOOM! Box has always been this way, but has developed even more so over time; a very character-driven imprint. I have a unified theory of character in monthly comic books: Nobody comes back month after month for super-duper involved plots. You have all these big companies with these amazing characters that have been developed over years and years and years, and they just drown them in these over-complicated events and plots.

The reason that people come back to something every week, or even why somebody watches a television show every week, or comes back month after month for a comic book, is because they like spending time with these characters. That’s the thing we really feel strongly about at BOOM! Box. It matters less what Jo and April and Molly and Mal and Ripley are doing every month, because you enjoy hanging out with them.

“Coady and the Creepies” #1 cover by Kat Leyh.

BOOM! Box has had big hits like “Lumberjanes” and “Giant Days,” and also “Goldie Vance” and “Jonesy” as newer successes, but at the same time, it’s not easy for any new concepts — let alone an imprint that’s solely new concepts. What are some of the challenges you’ve experienced with the line? We talked about how some series appear to have everything going for them, but don’t find the audience they merit.

Watters: Obviously, any new series runs that risk. We try to engineer series that sell themselves. But obviously not every series is going to find a foothold or an audience that it deserves. However, I always feel like those series are learning experiences for both me and the creative teams, and if they touch someone the way that our mission statement wants people to be touched by our books — if somebody is affected or inspired by a series, and has discovered it because it was out through BOOM! Box, then it’s worth it. It is building a brand in a different way. Maybe we didn’t have a ton of readers on a series, but that reader who showed up feels seen and understood that they don’t in a lot of other contexts at a comic book shop, and that’s somebody who is going to come back. That is somebody who is going to come back for the next series, and the next series, as long as we’re doing our jobs right.

Launching a new series is always a challenge; always a gamble. But what I hope is that each series that we do continues to find a foothold — a very strong foothold — with some readers, and those readers trust us to be making content that feels true and relevant to them, and they’ll be back for the next one.

It’s always going to be a challenge. Every single part of it is a challenge. Comic book publishing is a horrible racket, and it’s always a challenge — but overcoming that challenge is a matter of self-examination, and learning from those experiences, and trusting that if you do honest, high-quality work, you will have touched someone and they will give you another shot.

Pleban: Also anxiety.

Watters: So much anxiety.

Pleban: I think what Shannon was able to do with BOOM! Box — BOOM! Box was Shannon’s baby, let’s be clear about that — is that it comes from such a specific point of view, and it’s an unconscious specific point of view. You can sometimes see when someone’s trying to tap into a zeitgeist, and it feels a little constructed, and it feels a little planned. I think what was helped with BOOM! Box is, Shannon just innately responds to people speaking their truth — which sounds like a collection of phrases, but it’s true. I think “Lumberjanes” is a very clear example of that. It helps that Shannon co-created it, but I can’t count on how many years Shannon talked my ear off about “Baby-Sitters Club” and I could care less, but then I see what she responded to in “Baby-Sitters Club” unconsciously filtered into something like “Lumberjanes,” and it makes 100 percent sense. I think every single book there you can tell comes from a place of, “This person has that story to tell, whether they realize it or not.”

On that subject, in the three-plus year history of BOOM! Box, are there specific titles that maybe readers didn’t check out as much as they should have, and should go back and take a look at?

Watters: I felt like Jake Lawrence’s “Teen Dog” should have gotten a zillion eyeballs on it. That’s the most lovely, honest, beautiful little book. It was very much a passion project for me, bringing that on to the imprint. I feel like if it launched at BOOM! Box today, it would have a much higher readership than it did. Same with “Help Us, Great Warrior.” Those are just two very intensely emotional honest and true and kind and powerful comics that I wish more people had checked out.

Let’s wrap by taking a look at the newer books coming out this year — Liz Prince has a new series from the line.

Watters: Yeah! We’ve got “Backstagers,” which has been just such a lovely book for us. Again, just people telling their truth, like James [Tynion IV] and Rian [Sygh] just telling their truth. “Jonesy” is wrapping, Sam [Humphries] and Caitlin [Rose Boyle] kicking butt on that.

We’ve got the new Liz Prince series, “Coady and the Creepies.” It’s such a pleasure. It’s one of those things, you don’t expect it until it comes together. It’s kind of a punk rock — if you know Liz’s earlier work, you’re going to love this. It’s very much her sensibility. It’s “Josie and the Pussycats” meets “Scott Pilgrim” meets all of Liz’s work over the years. It’s supernatural punk rockers trying to complete a pin quest, but one of them is a ghost. It’s just so fun and funny, and beautiful, and again, you just read it, and you’re like, “I love these characters. I just want to hang out with them. Let’s hang out every month.”

Then we’ve got “Misfit City” coming out in May. It’s going to be real good. If you’re a fan of very classic ’90s teen movies, you’ll really respond, I think, to this one. “SLAM!” is continuing, that’s just lovely as heck. I love girl friendships — I could just watch girls be friends all day long. As we’ve talked at length about, “Giant Days,” “Lumberjanes” and “Goldie Vance,” but I’m so proud of my little corner of the publishing world. I’m happy that people keep showing up for it. I really appreciate it.

“Giant Days” #25 is on sale this Wednesday, April 5. “Lumberjanes” #37 is scheduled for release on April 26.

“Lumberjanes” #37 interior page by Shannon Watters & Kat Leyh and Ayme Sotuyo

“Lumberjanes” #37 interior page by Shannon Watters & Kat Leyh and Ayme Sotuyo

“Lumberjanes” #37 interior page by Shannon Watters & Kat Leyh and Ayme Sotuyo

“Lumberjanes” #37 interior page by Shannon Watters & Kat Leyh and Ayme Sotuyo

“Lumberjanes” #37 interior page by Shannon Watters & Kat Leyh and Ayme Sotuyo

The post The Secret of BOOM! Box’s Success: Diverse, Hopeful Comics appeared first on CBR.

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[midnightbookreviewsco]

By: K Webster Length:   227 pages Publication: December 6, 2016

My Review

First, I will begin to state that going into this book, I thought it would have been something COMPLETELY different. Like, a regular dark romance. Even reading the author’s warning at the beginning of the book had me a little worried and I still thought, okay, it may be more crass, than other dark romances. I wasn’t clueing in. I didn’t read any reviews previously, so I went in blindly like the author suggested.

Secondly, this book is not for the faint of heart. The pages are filled with none stop trigger’s and if you’re sensitive, move on.

My God, this book, Yeo and Kady, I don’t know if there are words. I am seriously having a hard time to find a way to summarize my review, without giving away too much. On a quick note, I couldn’t but this book down.

As I digress, Kady had a horrible life. A life that no one should have to endure, and you can just tell how broken our main girl is. You can see how life has rendered her fragile, timid and utterly broken. So broken and sad, and you can’t help but want to reach out and hold her. The writing is very vivid and it’s pretty easy to picture everything like you were watching a movie.

From the beginning, you understand how Kady lives. She doesn’t have much and tries to get by as best as possible. She teaches kids in the neighborhood how to play the piano, and while reading Whispers And The Roars, there’s something whispering in the back of your head. You hear the whispers, you hear them loud and clear, letting you know that something isn’t right. Kady is off, and you’re just waiting for that ‘something’ to happen, to prove those faint words, those faint whispers true.

Throughout the read, Kady will tell you certain things. Nothing too revealing and certain situations may jump out at you, and even Yeo will say certain things to have your brain reeling and trying to really figure out our main girl.

In the beginning of the book and somewhere about 50% of the read, you think you know. You think okay, I’m understanding Kady and Yeo. I know certain situations for me, were like an ‘okay, sure’ moment. I wasn’t sure how I felt when certain things happened, I was trying to make it, make sense in my head. Trying to understand Yeo and Kady, but then the authors tosses a serious curve ball and the book changes.

Trust me, what you think you know up until that 50% point, changes drastically.

After the changing point in the novel, I was emotionally gutted. I was in tears reading what Kady did to protect herself. To shield herself from her father. It broke my heart into a million pieces.

There were a lot of flashbacks that helped you to understand Kady and Yeo. They helped the reader to understand Yeo’s and Kady’s never dying love for each other. Those flashbacks warmed my heart and saddened me at the same time. Their love was so unique and pure, and you couldn’t help but to love them together. You could feel how much they both needed each other. Yes, Kady was the one with the many problems and she couldn’t survive without Yeo. You could honestly feel her emotions bleeding into your soul when it came to Yeo. He was her everything. Her all and it damn near killed her when she sent him away 12 years ago. Kady believed that she was toxic and in all honesty, she is, or can be.

Here’s a perfect quote from the book, it describes our main girl to the tee.

“You are terrifying and strange and beautiful, something not everyone knows how to love.”

Yeo, OMG. He needed Kady just as much as she needed him. What a man to take on such a beautiful broken girl. Against his better judgment, Yeo heeds Kady’s plea’s 12 years previous and goes away to university. Now into the present, Yeo graduated and he’s a doctor and wants to settle down with his lady. Yeo, is one hell of a man. 12 frickn’ years! Granted, he didn’t stay away completely, he still came around to check in on her, but Kady had her friends to distract Yeo while she hid from him. From her overwhelming emotions. Yeo had been her first love since they were kids, and so although she sent him away, she couldn’t deal properly.

Honestly, reading this book, my brain was hurting with, and for Kady. She’s so much. So overwhelming with emotions. Highs and lows. You just never knew what mood she was going to be in. It made me anxious reading, not knowing what would set her off in this scene, or that. It could be the simplest of things, and she’s gone in her mind.

“Kady. Kady. Kady.”

“He’s calling for me, but i’m drowning. His whispers are drowned out by the goddamned roars.”

He roars, “KADY! KADY! KADY!”

His deep voice rumbles right through me and cuts through the haze of my mind as if he’s wielding a knife.

The ‘Kady. Kady. Kady’ parts of the story felt really eerie to me and I don’t know why.

Anywho, this book was written exceptionally well and you should read it. I tried to say everything without saying too much. READ THIS BOOK!

*I was given a complimentary copy

Book Summary

***THIS STANDALONE IS BEST ENJOYED WHEN YOU DON’T READ ANY REVIEWS OR SPOILERS BEFORE READING. GOING IN BLIND IS BEST. TRUST ME.***

When my eyes are closed, the monster can’t see me. When I sing a song in my head, the monster can’t hear me. When I pretend my bedroom is a playground where I play hide-and-seek, the monster can’t find me. The darkness should frighten me. I should worry I’ll find more monsters…monsters scarier than him. But I’m not afraid. It’s safe here. When I’m inside of my head… He. Can’t. Ever. Touch. Me.

Warning: Whispers and the Roars is a dark romance. Strong sexual themes and violence, which could trigger emotional distress, are found in this story. The abuse written in this story is graphic and not glossed over, which could be upsetting to some. This story is NOT for everyone. Proceed with caution.

About Author

K Webster is the author of dozens of romance books in many different genres including contemporary romance, historical romance, paranormal romance, and erotic romance. When not spending time with her husband of twelve years and two adorable children, she’s active on social media connecting with her readers.

Her other passions besides writing include reading and graphic design. K can always be found in front of her computer chasing her next idea and taking action. She looks forward to the day when she will see one of her titles on the big screen.

You can easily find K Webster on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Goodreads!

Website: www.authorkwebster.com Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/bllgoP