Trans punk rock singer-guitarist Laura Jane Grace dropped a new single, “Wearing Black.“ Grace is notable for being one of the first highly visible punk rock musicians to publicly come out as transgender, which she did in May 2012.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohBymqYJ2pk

The video is borderline NSFW, but I couldn't help thinking while watching, “I bet this is what conservatives picture every pride events looks like“ 🤣🤣🤣

#pridemonth

Two immortal assassins from a dystopian future are trapped in endless battle. Each time one of them kills someone, they are transported together to a different time and place. Can they put aside their differences long enough to save humanity, or will their violent nature lock them in a cyclical pattern of death? Lee Bermejo is possible my favorite artist working today, and he gets to flex some serious skill in this wild, stimulating thriller.

Jedi Knight Mace Windu gets involved with a smuggler who claims to have the formula for a new, improved Coaxium hyperdrive fuel. Decent art and a good start, but too many hanging threads to really recommend. If they continue the series, there are some interesting places the story can go, especially with his grim, suspicious demeanor in the movies contrasting with this more loose and open portrayal.

@WildAlaskaBibliophile and I took a very exciting, much needed vacation this past weekend to Talkeetna, AK, which included a train ride, boat trip, and plane tour. It has been a stressful winter, with the Alaskan darkness, work/pet issues, and the Tangerine terror. I was very grateful to get away for a bit with my favorite person.

Happy Release Day to V E. Schwab! I was hoping to get King of Ashes today as well from the library, but it's not in yet. Oh well, it'll give me time to finish You Like It Darker 😁

R.I.P. Sly Stone

"We've got to live together." #tuesdaytunes

https://youtu.be/lkFjRk4jKOo

I really enjoyed this classic sci-fi novel. I've seen the movie a few times, but I really want to rewatch it now to compare.

I don't know what happened at the printer, but every third page has this perforation down the length of the page. Weird...

It took a couple phone calls and fortuitous timing, but we were able to visit Northern Nights Book Company on our last day in Talkeetna. The owner hadn't opened earlier this season because the weather has been quite rainy and the trailer can get humid. Bought a couple titles from Alaskan authors based on her recommendations!

Little Free Library spotted in Talkeetna, AK

#bookspin #bookspinbingo @theAromaofBooks

Really enjoyed this band when they played a show at my college. An alt rock band with a prominent saxophone. Apparently pretty popular at their peak in Boston, Averi released two albums, which I still own 😁 The lead singer left to pursue a solo career, and while they tried to carry on, the group eventually disbanded.

https://open.spotify.com/track/3RSrpI1JNnKmaTvBsjpd1w?si=hCA026bkTjuta78ONce_eQ

#tuesdaytunes

A murder mystery in the Halls of the Dead?! Um, yes please!

Releasing 1.6.26

I selected this book for The Storygraph's genre challenge. It is a great introduction to the struggles of indigenous people throughout the history of the United States. It is especially important to recognize their fight as our government continues to ignore their sovereignty, as evidenced by the recent Supreme Court ruling for greed over non-Christian religious freedom.

#bookspin #bookspinbingo @TheAromaofBooks

We have a couple trips planned for June, so I likely won't read everything I'd like to, but I am excited for V.E. Schwab's new book, as well as S.A. Cosby's.

I had been listening to this as background noise, and realized that I have zero interest in the plot. Cal is an emotionally immature, whiny punk, instead of a budding, confident Jedi. Merrin is an insecure, pining schoolgirl, instead of a powerful, self-assured Nightsister with whom trust needs to be earned. And the whole thing is weirdly horny; not that romance is not welcome, but it is too much a focus for how poorly it is developed.

The Wild Man of Greenhollow lives a quiet life in the woods until a researcher enters his domain and upends his life of quiet seclusion. A slow reveal of an interesting history, soft romantic tension, and a wild second act make for an excellent novella with plenty of green magic.

My mom is a Muppets fan for life, so I grew up loving them. I recently started watching the new(-ish) series on Disney+, The Muppets Mayhem, and it is a delight! Animal is one of my top 3 Muppets, and I especially love him in this series. I couldn't deny #tuesdaytunes followers the original hippy dippy jam from The Muppet Movie ✌️

https://youtu.be/XoKFBjd5-F8

It's hard not to root for Nick and Charlie, even when they are acting like children. This novella deals with a pretty big fight. It was also written before graphic novels as a Solitude novella. I'm not sure if it was tweaked at all before being reissued as a Heartstopper novella, but I appreciated the drawing sprinkled throughout.

This is Alaska at 11p 😜

A pair of sisters support their ailing father in a world where magicians are consigned into the service of the king. When the younger sister starts showing signs of magical abilities, choices must be made, but the threat of war is not the only danger magicians face.
Paulsen, creator of Garlic and the Vampire, has a style all her own, bold and consistently strong. The story is exciting and well paced.

I borrowed this audio from Queer Liberation Library!
This is a pretty effective zombie novella with strong themes of queer acceptance and righteous anger. A void in the cosmos is causing straight people to become irrational and violent towards queer folk for one night a year. A group of friends attempt to escape to Joshua Tree to wait out the event. It doesn't go well. Heavy COVID allegories, as straights refuse the vaccine and ignore precautions

You may have noticed that I've been doing a read-through of the Lady Mechanika series. The upcoming volume has started its Kickstarter campaign; while the new issues are a continuation of the main storyline, if you are interested in dipping your toe, you can pledge $15 and start at the beginning with Vol. 1 (and support independent comics)!

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/eljoebenitez/lady-mechanika-the-mechanical-...

#tuesdaytunes We had the absolute delight of seeing country star Pam Tillis in concert Friday. She had shows in Anchorage and Fairbanks, and graciously added a show on the peninsula in a local high school. It was a great night of prime country music and stories of her life.

One of her biggest hits includes some literary references:
https://youtu.be/D1OVMyJbJwE

2025 Nominees have been announced!

https://www.comic-con.org/awards/eisner-awards/

Library cover vs. the cover I had growing up. I think they did a reissue of her books when I Know What You Did Last Summer became a movie.
A teen nearing high school graduation develops psychic abilities that catch the attention of a local police officer.
This was a fun read, until the end. Very predictable twist, very toxic/borderline inappropriate relationship.
It was interesting to read this and The Dead Zone at the same time 😋

King writing about a political clown goofing his way into office spelling certain disaster, decades before Drumpf disgraced the White House. I hated James Franco as narrator; he sounds either hung over or bored for the majority of the audio. It was a well constructed story, though, with lots of foreshadowing and good payoff. #losersclub #constantreader

Recommended by @WildAlaskaBibliophile :
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I absolutely loved this! I loved the story, the characters, the art, the message, the relationships.
Snap is a weird kid who is trying to find her place in the world. She befriends another social exile at school as she also investigates the town witch. Both actions have huge impacts on her life.

I completed my first gallon of blood donations with the Blood Bank of Alaska this week! #5joysfriday @DebinHawaii

A quiet book about a quiet man. Bookended by a year in his old age, we examine different eras of Bob's life. I think Patrick deWitt is one of the finest modern authors, so I really enjoyed reading this novel, but I think I lost the thread when it flashed back to Bob's runaway. Still, Bob is probably one of my favorite main characters I've read about in a while.

I really enjoyed this series, more so than a lot of older comics I've read recently. Batman is settling into his role in Gotham when a villain known as the Reaper starts to terrorize the city. A vigilante from the past, the Reaper's return rattles Batman, as he is a violent, murderous reflection of our dark knight. Batman has to reconcile with his own self-imposed limits while also confronting Joe Chill in a fascinating side story.

@WildAlaskaBibliophile usually crank the 80s and 90s country hits during road trips, and this weekend we spent Saturday in Homer. A song from this album popped up. This was an early favorite of mine; I grew up with country music from my mom and classic rock from my dad. This was one of the early country-pop crossover hits, but I think it was well-balanced. https://youtu.be/hU0nP9dcI_w
#tuesdaytunes

Happy Peter Pan Day! I have this reminder hanging on the printer next to my desk at work. 🧚‍♂️

I got this beautiful connecting cover set through the last Kickstarter campaign, and I'm finally caught up on this series.

Lady Mechanika is still working solo as her partnership with Mr. Lewis remains strained. She is called to Serbia to hunt a lake monster that may be responsible for the disappearance of a research team. A sweet, heartbreaking story. I enjoyed this guest artist, Siya Oum, more than the artist on Vol 6.

I am wanting to do a re-read of some of the Marvel Star Wars comics soon. I am familiar with Sana, but I only remember bits and pieces of her character, but this is a solid comic even without any history. A dysfunctional family heist/rescue mission with lots of twists and improvisation. Good art and entertaining characters.

#tuesdaytunes

The non profit radio station in Philly, WXPN, has a program called Kid's Korner at 7p EST. We loved it growing up, and I still catch every now and then, especially since it comes on at 3p Alaska time, the middle of my work afternoon. They were celebrating a belated May the 4th, and played this delightful little Star Wars ditty. Enjoy!

https://youtu.be/pjBAiroabUI

@WildAlaskaBibliophile indulged my fandom with a gift of this Star Wars logo Lego set. I spent a couple hours yesterday on my replay of Jedi: Fallen Order, then we built Legos together until it was time for errands and cooking. Happy Belated May the 4th!

I really enjoyed this manga series and this was an excellent ending to the story. A gay man and an asexual woman marry to avoid unwelcome societal pressure of being adult and single. In past volumes, there were tons of flashbacks, but this volume spends the majority in the present, dealing with familial tension and concerns about the future.

Patrick Horvath's new one-shot comic about a future where the 1% either donate half of their wealth or fight to the death to try to keep it all. Short and to the point, with plenty of violence and tension. After the success of Beneath the Trees and this, he is definitely a creator to watch.

A cute book, quick read. Themes of consumerism, online safety, labor unions, and community. While I may not be the target audience for this book, I really enjoy Jen Wang's art, and I'd like to read more from Cory Doctorow.

@TheAromaofBooks #bookspin #bookspinbingo
May 2025

Thanks to @debinhawaii for this giveaway a while back!

This features several stories that examine the tension of claiming Hawaii as home: people who were born there, people who left and came back, people who weren't born there but lived most of their lives there, and outsiders/tourists. Definitely some new-to-me perspectives and themes. Well written and easy to get caught up in the stories!

This was entertaining enough, but a little disappointing overall. The Batman/Elmer Fudd issue rightfully got the most attention, but the Wonder Woman/Taz issues was also fun, and the Martian Manhunter/Marvin the Martian was a good idea, if a little lazy in execution. Lobo/Road Runner was overly silly. Johan Hex/Yosemite Sam was overly serious. Legion of Superheroes/Bugs was just bad. The 8-page looney comics were also bad.

#tuesdaytunes

Candi Staton, maybe best known for “Young Hearts Run Free,“ covered a country hit titled “He Called Me Baby,“ and it completely transforms the song!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CTvhlWA0HY (Candi's)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6dpIEtUhRg (Original by Charlie Rich)

Candi has had a career spanning 50 years, releasing her latest album in February, her first following her battle with breast cancer.

We saw the movie Sinners on Saturday, and I can't stop thinking about it! A superb film.
I could help but think of Ring Shout, which has a very similar vibe, as well as Bitter Root and The Ballad of Black Tom. I've also heard others compare it to The Reformatory and Blackheart Man.
But, if you are in the mood for a bloody vampire tale with amazing music, brilliant acting, and a stellar story, even before the vampires, go see Sinners!

#5joysFriday @debinhawaii

- I passed my CHAA exam
- We got first place in bar trivia for the first time
- Papa Murphy's has dairy-free cheese options
- @wildalaskabibliophile made me a Sazerac, and it was a freakin' delight! I had been gathering ingredients but hadn't made one yet.
- Words cannot describe the joy that Dick Van Dyke exudes. Found this on Instagram from a few days ago https://www.instagram.com/p/DIsBYq_zWWo/

I wanted to like this more, but it was a little repetitive reading about rebels living in the ice caves and oppressed workers fleeing Bespin. It felt like 80% of the stories were either on Hoth or Cloud City. There was also less creativity in the formatting; mostly straight prose. Still, there was enough in here to make it an enjoyable read.
#bookspin

#Two4Tuesday @TheSpineView

I got in the habit of keeping $10-20 in the car for tolls when I lived in the lower 48, but since there aren't toll roads in AK, I've fallen out of the habit. I don't often carry cash in my wallet. 💵

There have been some cool stories of a stripped-down Batman, but for the most part, his tools and gadgets are a big part of his character. 🦇

This webcomic was started in 2013. It follows the story of Patrik the Vampire, switching back and forth through several periods of his life. He is certainly a loveable, but flawed, character, and the story goes to some interesting places; however, the artist last posted about three and a half years ago, so who knows if it will continue. Do you have a favorite webcomic that was never concluded?

patrikthevampire.com/about

#tuesdaytunes

I am not at all current on pop music, which really hampers our bar trivia performance. Our trivia host gives weekly hints, and they were having a category on Coachella, so I did some research before, and, not only did I learn about an excellent song and artist, but it was a trivia question (we still came in 5th, but I got that question right 😜)

https://youtu.be/XoiOOiuH8iI?si=_miU_VdmijFkf-YF

@WildAlaskaBibliophile and I enjoyed some chocolate milk spiked with chocolate vodka, served in a hollow chocolate bunny, while watching an episode of Batman '66 with Egghead (and an unfortunately whitewashed American Indian character). I always looked forward to this character's episodes being aired on TV Land on Easter 🤣