A good story with some very odd narrative decisions. Starts off like a twist on A Christmas Carol, but for whatever reason the receiver of the ghosts is not the one whose story is being told. I spent a long time trying to figure out the point of the story, and by the time it became apparent, I kinda stopped caring as much...

An absolutely delightful graphic novel about friendship, fate, and fall. I got this because of Faith Erin Hicks' art, which is excellent, as always. I've never read any Rainbow Rowell, but I thoroughly enjoyed this YA story.

I have been M.I.A. for a while as my girlfriend and I moved cross-country from Philly to Colorado. It has been intense and very stressful, but there end is near. I'm back in PA for a couple weeks to wrap up some stuff, and I wanted to share the view from our backyard as I celebrate my 3rd Litsy-versary. I hope to get back to normal shortly 😁

Maybe the best new canon Star Wars books. Enough of a connection to the original trilogy to be familiar, but not too much to distract from the engaging new characters. Spanning the original trilogy before ending with a glimpse of the Battle of Jakku, this story was a massive undertaking handled beautifully.

Megabat is pretty adorable!

A decent listen. Definitely geared towards a YA audience. A few too many cliche moments. I was not a fan of the narrator's voice. There are a good deal of characters, and I didn't feel like her range was adaquite. I can't quite say it's a recommendation, but it was entertaining.

Exciting news! My lady friend got a job at the Garfield Country Library system in Western Colorado. We will be moving out in October. Sad to leave Philly behind, but excited for our next adventure.

One of the least popular aspects of the Phantom Menace in book form! Senatorial debates, political intrigue, and committee alliances. I jest, it was actually a decent story, really fleshed out the relationship between Padme and her handmaidens, added some fun details to the original prequel.

Very enjoyable, though it further cements how unfortunately the character was treated in the movies. The reveal at the end about where her armor came from was a little blah, but I liked the storytelling aspect and the side story of Vi and Cardinal was very good.

Are sugar gliders still a thing?

This was a pretty light read about a very for exotic animals. The overarching story involves trying to solve the mysterious deaths of several sugar gliders while maintaining a healthy work-life balance. Throughout are her missing about past and present patients.

It was okay. She either keeps a very detailed journal of her life or conflated a few things. The tangents sometimes takes away from the main story.

A wonderful sci-fi novel, reintroduced to the world by Neil Gaiman, and superbly brought to life by John Hodgman. I share in Hodgman and Gaiman's surprise that Sheckley and Douglas Adams never crossed paths, because the similarities are uncanny. A human is unexpectedly transported from Earth to a quirky journey through the universe. I am certainly interested in exploring Sheckley's work further, as well as other Gaiman Presents titles!

This book examines the struggles of warring physicians at the dawn of modern medicine, innovations in medicine and the resulting backlashes, the creation of medical college in the US, and so much more. The main focus, however, is on Mutter himself. Intelligent, thoughtful, compassionate, and principled, he could have been considered ahead of his time had he not been so instrumental in changing the world to fit his vision.

Just in case Kraven shows up in the next Spider-Man movie, as has been suggested, I thought I'd read Kraven's Last Hunt. This amazing panel is from Kraven's first appearance, drawn by Steve Ditko.

In anticipation of a potential relocation, I've been burning through a serious backlog of graphic novels. East of West Vol. 1 and Batman and Robin Vol. 1 were stellar. Skull Kickers Vol. 4 and Captain Marvel Vol. 2 were fun. Martian Chronicles was very underwhelming. Killing Pickman was intense and weird. The rest didn't leave much an impression.

A very sweet, understated LGBT YA romance/coming-of-age graphic novel. Nice art, though nothing extraordinary. I did like the choice of color, though, using only shades of blue.
Also pictured, a roast beef and cheddar panini 😉

I am a glutton for punishment this weekend! A brutal gut punch of a story, shaking the DC roster to its core, while still being a solid murder mystery.

Flying out to IL for a wedding. Finally getting some reading time in. These books are bleak! But also very good! Events push Avengers and X-Men, past and present, to their breaking points. Brian Michael Bendis is such a brilliant writer

I could be wrong, but I have the feeling this is a very predictable story in a unique setting. Unfortunately, I am not in the mood for "a reluctant heroine has to find these items before time runs out." I also couldn't take another of Zelie's screams of "Inan" (sorry Bahni!). I'll likely go back at some point, since there are unique and appealing aspects, but not right now.

Very cool! I'm not particularly fond of Superman, but I was in the mood, and I picked a couple of winners! Also very happy to see Paste Magazine quoted on the cover

A pretty cool "What If" looking at Superman's worst day (up to that point. I think it was before Doomsday). I really liked the new twist on a classic, probably underestimated villain.
Bonus content includes a solid Superman/ Swamp Thing tale (which has Superman shaving at the end), and "For the Man Who Has Everything," which I remembered from the Justice League cartoon.
Definitely worth a read.

An interesting read. I didn't like the style much, kinda reminds me of McKean's Arkham Asylum, but, like, an amateur version. Did not anticipate the ending. A decent story that deserved better art.

Oh, come on! I know Batman doesn't have any superpowers, but a stick?!?

Excellent story, excellent art, very well done.

Well, that was... unmemorable. Apologies to Dave Taylor, but I hated the art.

I'm sad to have completed the Blacksad series, because they are such engaging, beautiful books. A Silent Hell was a little lackluster in its story, but still a fun ride and includes a great section where artist Juanjo Guarnido breaks down his process. Amarillo was a different kind of story for the series and quite good. I'll definitely be checking out the PlayStation game in September!

This was really interesting, though not very good. Obviously meant for kids & teens. I know we owned a copy growing up, but I don't remember any of the stories. There are certain parts, especially the first chapter, that act like instructions for story telling, which is needed these days, but overall I didn't much care about the book. It will be interesting to see what del Toro does for the movie.

I warned my girlfriend that I would be falling into a Star Wars pit as Episode IX approaches, and it has begun. This was an excellent examination of the tumultuous early days in Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan's relationship. A relatively small story, which allows for more focus on the characters. I didn't connect much with the new characters, though.

I won't go into how asinine the abortion debate is, but if you want to hear a good discussion about the value of women's anger, give this podcast a listen. I'll definitely be checking out her book!

Black Jack is sucking up all the snuggles while I rewatch a childhood film, Little Nemo. A very strange film based on some very strange comics. There was also a video game for NES.

A very good prequel Star Wars Rebels, and an excellent introduction to Thrawn. Despite every intention, I never read Zahn's original Thrawn trilogy, but I enjoyed this very much. Book two is on its way!

I believe this is the first time an author has liked my post about their work. Very cool! 😍

An excellent account of a road trip through the deep South to explore the LGBTQ culture in areas most Americans assume it can't survive. But people are standing strong against prejudice and choosing to stay where they call home instead of taking the perceived easy road and heading north. It also serves as a story of the author's life as she returns to places that shaped her. Excellent writing! Highly recommended

https://www.tor.com/2018/09/05/triquetra-kirstyn-mcdermott/

A crazy, twisted short story sequel to the Snow White tale.

A little late, but I won a Facebook contest with my local comic shop, Wade's Comic Madness. My prize was every release for this year's Free Comic Book Day, plus a few graphic novels. Good stuff 😁

I am fascinated by the Cold War era, and this book provides an exhaustive look at the Cuban Missile Crisis. Avoiding the pitfalls of overdramatization, Dobbs highlights, almost casually, how easily we could have slipped into nuclear war. Great book.
Sometimes to its detriment, the narration lacked emphasis, and there was also so much detailed information, it was very easy to miss key moments. I think it would have been better to read the print.

All the stars! Part mystery, part behind-the-scenes Hollywood expose, part feminist manifesto, part biography, part memoir; The Lady From the Black Lagoon has everything! I loved it all. I especially enjoyed the narration from the author. This is an extremely personal project, and her voice wonderfully conveys all the emotions. I can't recommend this enough.
Pictured are some things I own that are mentioned in the book.

I'm only an hour into the audio, and I'm LOVING IT!

The high points balanced out the low points, but there were still a good number of low points. I've appreciated the deep dive into the psychies of characters we have seen before, but these are characters we've seen before in a not terribly original story. I also wasn't impressed with the audio performances.

Happy #recordstoreday
Pretty good haul from Creep Records in Northern Liberties, Philadelphia. Unfortunately, they did not have the Billy Joel release. It was either sold out or hasn't arrived. I couldn't get a clear answer ☹️

https://www.tor.com/2019/01/16/beyond-the-el-john-chu

I dunno, food-centric stories just don't do anything for me...

https://www.tor.com/2011/11/02/hello-moto/

So many questions, but none of them really matter in this very short afrofuturistic story about wigs integrated with technology and bad juju.

A dense, powerful graphic novel. Tells a complete story with a cool concept, satisfying character arc, strong ending, and great art.

An amazing collection of stories celebrating 80 years of Batman. I especially loved the story of the gun and Knute Brody!

A look at Japanese culture through the lens of a single father coming to terms with his brother's homosexuality when his husband comes to visit.

There was a lot to like here, but also some very out-dated, cringe-worthy jokes. The one that sticks in my head is a very funny Moulin Rouge spoof, immediately followed by people explain to a Baz Luhrmann type why he's gay. There is also a political spoof chillingly similar to Trump's campaign, complete with "Make America Great Again"...
It's been a while since I've watched Mr. Show, but the humor overall is very much in line.

Some of the "myths" were pretty obnoxious, and I was worried that the book would pander too much to the ignorant, but the author's do a very good job of not just providing evidence to the contrary, but also examining the source of the myth and the historical reasons it has persisted.
Could also be titled: Damn, white people REALLY suck...

A coconut milk latte with avocado toast and Jonathan Ames at Juniper Tree Juice Bar in Chester Springs, PA.

I've finished this very uneven series, all in audio. I thoroughly enjoyed Catwoman, maybe because her origins haven't been told 100 times. Wonder Woman was okay, but a little too reliant on YA tropes. Superman was entirely forgettable. Batman was very disappointing.

Decent, but ultimately forgettable. Young Clark Kent tries to get his powers under control while learning about his past and trying to fight a conspiracy. A pretty basic Superman story. Lacking Batman's detective skills, he punches and fumbles his way to the conclusion.