Welcome to Litsy!

I wanted to like this book, but I was bored and just couldn't stay focused on it. I loved the symbolism it brought in and the journey of self-discovery the character went on, but it wasn't enough to make me enjoy the story.

I actually think this was the best in the series. Deeper themes, grief, getting more into the characters‘ past, present, and future. Nicely done.

I don't know how to properly review this. I feel like it requires multiple reads or a slow, contemplative one. Topics include suicide ideation, communication, depression, self-worth, relationships with self and others, creativity and creation. The art is wonderfully varied to convey different ideas. The narration is very meta and very personal, but I think the message is universal, especially post-2020, even if you don't struggle with depression.

Valentine‘s Day used to be Valentina‘s favorite holiday—but not anymore. She believes her family is cursed to be unlucky in love. But when she meets a cute lion dancer on Lunar New Year, she embarks on a reluctant journey, hoping that maybe—just maybe—she can break that curse. This didn‘t have the complexity I loved in American Born Chinese, but as a love story, it still took some unexpected turns! Great characters, & I loved the artwork as well.

Absolutely love the cover of this one! This volume was sheer craziness between the back and forth of the different multiverses that both Chloes occupy that it definitely confused me for a bit. But the story stayed strong throughout the book. The ending was a tad bit anti-climatic but still looking forward to reading the next volume. As usual art is great as well.

They don‘t advertise it on the box, but Funko‘s enormous enamel Storm pin glows in the dark! I‘ve been enjoying her eerie light since last summer, but she never got bright enough for my phone‘s camera to pick up until a few days ago, when I had the overhead lamp on for a bit longer than usual. Now I get to share this joy with the world.

Book 80/100 of the year.

I found this . . . convoluted.

Bourdain‘s graphic novel collaborator, Joel Rose, finished this two years after Tony‘s death. The artwork in this exploration of Japanese food-related horror tales was excellent, but the copy felt unfinished. I plan to try his other graphic novels on #hoopla that were finished before his death. This one is available there, too, but I took advantage of my library‘s hard copy. Between a pick and a so-so.

Absolutely couldn‘t put down this compelling graphic memoir. And I generally don‘t stick with a memoir through the whole book but this one is 💯