I came into this book because I loved Stjepan's other comics like Sunstone and Death Vigil so I knew what I could have expected in this volume, and he didn't disappoint but what I wasn't ready for was the cameo appearance which was such a fun surprise.
...
#pantone2022 #popsugarreadingchallenge #ReadHarder

⭐⭐⭐⭐
It starts at the end - a tragic end that the writer unravels in reverse for us to read as Kurniawan sets the story of two families, interlocked onto each other that we only understand the further into the book we follow and by then we're back at the ending.

This was such a different book from what I usually read that I couldn't help but be drawn in.

So it's been a while since I posted anything, and that was me taking time away to handle some things and mourn. A lot has happened, and it's been slow going for months, but I'm getting there.

And I have a lot to post and some books to review, and I will but slowly. So coming to the end of March, and this is where I'm at...
February wasn't a great reading month, and March was better, so hopefully, April will pick up.

This volume collects all five single issues, but it feels like there's essential buildup missing. I can't help but feel that from issue 1's, this might be a haunted house idea, to issue 4 in which the house isn't haunted as the MC, finds out since she's not just sharing the space with this entity but maybe dating him? It? Them?

I liked where it was going, but I do feel that a few more issues to create buildup and tension would have helped.

What a different take on this genre and I can't help but just cheer Maude on! She's a great character - a no-nonesense, woman in her late 80's, enjoying life and all it has to offer and has no problem with a little murder here and there.
Such a bold a low-ley devious woman that I never want to cross but somehow admire because of it. These short stories have got me interest in more about her, her misadventures and the fools trying to stop her.

Told from two different perspectives in the third person POV, that right from the start what I think won't work, does and it's intriguing as the story develops and the differences between them is just what the other characters needs without realizing it. What I thought was a small connection between them, is so much grander than I could have expected, which in turn made everything else more interesting and reminded me of Allen's other books.

This sounded like a run of the mill regency romance in which there's a wallflower spinster who happens upon a mysterious man with a past but the blurb never once mentioned that A) the heroine is a lock pick 2) the dialogue between the couple is just delicious, like the darkest of chocolates 3) Felicity Faircloth is not a wallflower spinster she is so much more and once Devil sees her for who she is...well no wonder bargains are made 😉

4⭐

I came into this book all thanks to Fangirl. The small hints and opening chapters in that one book intrigued me to know what it was about Simon Snow that had Cather writing for hours and ignoring everything.
She gave me a great Chosen One story that had adventure and magic, but it had great dialogue, which I loved the best! It feels familiar but not, new and yet old. This was a story worthy of Cather writing fanfics of.

I managed to read 18/24 books from my tbr this year which is amazing considering sometimes I only read 1 or 2 in a year!

So I'll be uploading those before the year ends but I managed to beat my reading goal of 75 books so reading-wise, I did better than I expected 😁🎉

Wishing everyone a safe and happy New Year and wishing everyone a better 2022 and good things to come 🎉

Coming to this from watching the films, there are so many differences, especially in terms of the Lost World. Man, were we cheated terribly in that film adaptation. Cheated!! Sarah Harding was such a badass in the book.

Much like Crichton, a lot of scientific details to make it all plausible and natural within the scope of the fantasy without losing the reader. Both books were entertaining, detailed, and yes filled with science and dinosaurs.

This was pretty good.
Not going to lie - I am older than the intended demographic for this but I wanted more pirating!

Overall it was fun and wrapped up the story arc nicely as well as answered some questions from the first book but I do think it's a shame the the last 3 chapters captivated me more than the entirety of the book.

This was just the perfect mix of a standoffish grump and sunshine, black coffee and hearts on the sleeve, and it was everything I wasn't expecting and found loving it. The storyline was solid, the details were great, but what I loved the most were 1) the body positivity as the MC is a plus-size woman, 2) older representation in romance, 3) Consent and communication!!!

I'm kicking myself for having had this in the shelf for so long! How dare I?

I fell in love with the detailing and the dialogue between all the characters. I just can‘t believe that the dragon set himself to be a grumpy princess, what with him hiding in a tower and all, but this goes to show that even dragons need rescuing.

I was promised portals and dragons and the author delivered on both! A but of a slow start but after a few pages, I was totally entertained. Pretty good start of a new series.

Big thanks to Brett Salter for this fun middle grade read.

This time around it seems that she has something that is wanted by a mysterious fae who will do anything to get it, including hurting people that Mercy loves. On top of that, Mercy is still struggling with her feelings towards Adam and the pack from the last book, giving her something else to think about.⁠
⁠
Like I said, trouble loves Mercy.⁠
. . . . .⁠
#21in2021 #fromthetbr

I had more moments that I was rewinding because something would happen that I just needed to pause my work but what a good story. Gailey created characters that I cared about and by the first chapter I was hooked. This was such an interesting take on a western.
⁠
My only complaint is how quick this really was and that it ended too soon but it was a great listen.
⁠
#popsugarreadingchallenge #ReadingWomenChallenge

Solid 3.5 read
Zitkála-Sá writes with such poignant honesty, poetically highlighting her heritage. It's both a memoir and yet poetry to read.⁠
⁠
Reading her work has me interested in learning more about her, her body of writing, and her position within and out of her tribe and in general more indigenous authors.⁠
. . . . .⁠
#popsugarreadingchallenge

I'm a fan of Acevedo's work, listening to her narrate her work along with Melania Luisa Marte, this was taken to another level.⁠

Each one brought out the emotion in each chapter, and with each character owning a chapter at a time, even overlapping. And I do mean literally overlapping as Acevedo and Marte had stanzas in which they matched breathe and tone. ⁠

⁠#popsugardreadingchallenge #readingwomenchallenge

Kate Bishop is back in the hot seat in this volume, and it got me thinking"aww, no" at different moments throughout the volume.

I still love Kate; her whip-smart answers, eye on the prize attitude, and love of purple keep me coming back. Not to mention all the unanswered questions this one brought up! Got to find the next volume at the library!

I can't believe how easily I was sucked back into this world of Guillermo del Toro's thanks to the voice narration of Luis Avila!!

He captured the wonder and magic of the film that I loved so much!
. . . .
#popsugarreadingchallenge

Can I just say I love the first person POV for this comic? It just works for the inner monologue that is Kate Bishop, and it had me laughing.

The art style and writing is almost as good as when I read Clint's series, which I also enjoyed. The guest appearance of Jessica Jones was a surprise and a treat.

I walked into this knowing the little that I knew from the Netflix adaptation but the book was definitely better.

Once I got into reading this and having Willowdean in my head, I stayed way past what I should have to finish it because there is definitely more to this book than the tiaras and pageants. She is such a voice, aware of herself and her shortcomings, loves with all her heart, and like many wonders where she fits in the world.

I knew of Thunberg but I had never heard a full speech, so it was nice to have them collected.

I read a speech a day so while it did get a bit repetitive, it's also driving the facts that difference needs to happen and now more than ever. Not only that but to trust the science, believe in the knowledge that they are presenting and to make these changes both locally and globally.

#readingwomenchallenge

All are off to college or starting jobs, and there is that everyday humdrum of that in this book which was a nice change of pace between Anne's interactions with everyone. Not to mention the new introductions of characters that round out this book's cast.

But I'm not going to lie. I came into this with the full intent of more Anne x Gilbert and I got it.
Thanks to @SerialReader for having this one available.

This book covers not just racism, and sexism, but how the healthcare system is a failure for women of color, most noticeably black women as well as sexual themes and misconceptions of women, in a way that not only I related to but in some cases had first hand experience in, while in others have heard about from other women. It's a read that gave me a lot to think about.

#readingwomenchallenge #readharder

This was a hard book to rate because it's rating an author's life and memories.

Here is a memoir that depicts all for the murky grey that people can be. This was angry and had every right to be and in that anger, there was a glimmer of something burning brighter.

......

#popsugarreading #readingwomanchallenge #readharder

This was a hard book - not to finish but to start and accept it as a realistic fiction since it covers so many realistic triggers and sometimes with so much emotion that it felt honest and real.

It's a powerful story of a mother and daughter, alternating between their viewpoints to highlight their dynamic and the world around them as it weaves between a mother's past and her daughters present to tell their story.

Rosie Danan where have you been hiding?!?

This was fantastic! the sheer back and forth of the dialogue got me the minute that Clara and Josh met! That first meet-cute that developed into friends into more, read as a natural progression of strangers to friends, to crushing and oh man you had me. You had me!
. . . .
#popsugarreading

This was a better than adorable picture book talking about the beauty of our differences and how regardless of color, each person brings something unique that only they can.

Each person is beautiful for who they are, beyond skin color.

Totally recommend to all readers.. I don't care that the recommended was 4-8 or something like that because this was good.
. . . . .
#popsugarreadingchallenge

In under 100 pages, Dostoyevsky gives the reader a realistic view of a dreamer's whirlwind romance and heartbreak.⁠
⁠
What a whirlwind this one was. Literally talk about a sensation of whiplash. The nameless man upon seeing this sad women one night is instantly attached to her. Just such an instalove that I was like "wait... what?"⁠

Thanks to @SerialReader for having this one and my first Dostoyevsky read.
⁠
⁠

Another one down from the tbr!

It felt familiar and new and that was part of the fun and the intrigue. I loved the twists and turns that this went through, even if I did figure out some plot points before it happened, because of how much I was enjoying this. Oakes' take on wonderland was just as rich and detailed as I remember the original being and it took me back to that world.

#21in2021 #popsugarreading

Sometimes re-reading a book more than once is needed and this is one of my favorites.⁠
⁠
I listened to the BBC Audio narrated by Janet Suzman and she read this with just enough emotion to convey the sentiments of the characters and the intent of the words. As Austen's oldest character in any story, Anne, by her account is portrayed in the past and present landscape and Suzman makes an excellent interpretation of reading her.⁠
⁠

I knew of just one poem from Blake and that's Tyger, thanks to an episode of Batman: The Animated Series 🦇 so I was psyched to find this collection on the @SerialReader app.

I loved the second half of the book compared to the first half. I just connected better with it and this has me looking for more of Blake's work.

"If Beale Street Could Talk" is my first James Baldwin book; I was unaware of everything he captured. This could have easily been a book about today's current climate and not something that he had written in 1974 - 1974?!?

This won't be my last James Baldwin, just the first.

#readharder

This new version narrated by Tatiana Maslany made a difference in tone. Maybe because I'm aware of Maslany and her range from "Orphan Black," but she could capture Katniss in a different way than the previous narrator - Her Katniss is stoic, full of rage, saddened, naïve, and young. Yet, hardened, damaged both physically and mentally. She's deadened by war & loss, and that is evident in her actions & in her way of compartmentalizing herself.

On every subsequent re-read, I enjoy this series but there was something different going on with Tatiana Maslany's narration that I love.

The way her voice catches, the sighs and small dips in her voice. The confusion of her emotions from the last games through this victory tour and into the Quarter Quell really echoes through Tatiana's voice and brings another dimension to the role.

I've read this book three different times, and each time, I appreciated it differently.⁠
⁠
This last time around, I borrowed the special edition read by Tatiana Maslany, and I was utterly sucked back into district 12, among the dirt and turmoil as I had to listen to Maslany narrate this in Katniss' POV and she sounds exactly as I imagined Katniss would be.⁠

How can trouble keep finding Mercy? Asking for a friend... Because I swear it was just a few pages in and trouble was in Mercy's living room, looking up at her. Mercy being who she is of course, needs to get to the bottom of it and figure out the situation in order to save who she cares for.

I love the first POV as Mercy has these great inner monologues and it really helps define her character and growth from book one to this one.

Did you know that Pizza Hut has a book club for kids? That they can get pizza voucher for reading?!?

https://parade.com/1210379/lindsaylowe/pizza-hut-book-it-returns-summer-2021/?ut...

My first time reading Sappho and I'm more interested in the woman behind the few words collected here.⁠
This collection, while complete, is still not. These translated words are but pieces of what are larger poems or songs.
⁠
These are the remnants of what the world has left of Sappho and in between her words, there's a tenderness, a longing, a quietness that I don't find in today's modern poetry.⁠

I think that I had hyped this up in my head a lot from reading "Force of Nature" first so that's on me but I did like this one overall but I stand by that she has a way o f writing which is why I'm going to keep reading her books ❤⁠
#tbrreadingchallenge #ReadingWomanChallenge #popsugarreadingchallenge

A 3.5 read for me on this one but what a book.
As a whole this book has a lot of everything. There is so much to unpack and I'm not sure where to start...

Story wise, it's a lot of interweaving between different POVs, all bringing something different into the overall story while still managing to be heavy in it's tackling of different topics like friendships, love, family, and the differences between them.

Kudos to the narrator, Bianca Amato, because of her tone as she read this hooked me. ⁠
⁠
Overall the story was ok. I liked some things and others that raised questions, but it felt like a lot was thrown together that didn't gel for me, but I am glad to have read it and knocked it out of my TBR.⁠

#tbrreadingchallenge #20in21readingchallenge

I had never read anything by Tiffany Midge before, so I wasn't sure what to expect from these essays, but overall, I found the satire to be humorous and witty.

Some pieces were straightforward and quickly read as satire, while others were on the fence, taking a current event and adding a twist to work for the author's favor. Those were a hit or miss for me in this collection, but I will definitely be looking for Midge's work at my library.

1. East Los Angeles, CA
2. Los Angeles, CA... Didn't go very far but lived a few different places before coming back
3. I'm #4 of 6
4. I think it was a collection of fairy tales, like a Little Golden Book type

#wondrouswednesdays @Eggs

This time around in the reread, I saw Scout for the smart kid that she is, Finch for a man stuck between a rock and a hard place, Boo Radley for a man trying not to get get involved for fear of the very town he lives in, and the town for the diverse cast of characters in any neighborhood, some good, some bad, most unaware. ⁠
⁠
Still as relevant today as it was when it was I first read this way back when. ⁠

I haven't read King Lear since high school so my memory is vague about the story so I went with this graphic adaptation for a re-read.⁠
⁠
I can see that Hinds kept the larger aspects of the bard's original story and adding in some additional context in his adaptation but trying to follow the dashes from character to speech bubbles became confusing and in a digital format didn't read as well as maybe a printed version could.⁠

Aside from the fact that the artwork is still as stunning as the first volume with its rich details and use of colors, this volume flips between past and present, giving readers more of Maika's backstory as she is still on the hunt for the remaining pieces of the mask but with obstacles in her way, she may be hunting for more than she was bargaining for.⁠

Maybe this was just me, but I felt that this volume gave me a new story arc?⁠

Not bad, but also wondering if there was a need to do so, considering but this volume gave me more questions rather than tackle some existing open-ended questions
⁠
Yeah, more questions...⁠

Part memoir, part musings, part cookbook, I enjoyed the slow journey to learning more about Padma.
The book has a back and forth narrative as she jumps back and forth from childhood to adulthood and all of the in-between, creating a more personal narrative. Almost like she's having a conversation with the reader.

Definitely recommend this one in audio 🎧