Archives for September 2015

MONTHLY RECAP | September 2015 – Consumed by Music and Books

September 30, 2015 Comments : 6

september

Bless the Weather gods for finally calming down… It was soo hot for the first half of the month, which was the worst thing ever because hotness is gross and not appreciated. I wanted the coolness of Fall, and now it’s here! Time to take out my sweaters and scarves! Yeeeeee.

WHAT’S UP?

Not a lot of exciting things happened, except lots of book mail + complaints about how hot the weather was.

I went to the annual September big book sale.

The venue was a bit smaller since it was in a different warehouse. I hoped that there would be a lot of comic books and graphic novels, and luckily, I found a few (like the classic Calvin & Hobbes). I got myself a copy of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban because my original copy had been broken in two due to lots of reads when I was a teenager. (I loved that book so much. Can you tell?)

(There wasn’t a jacket for the copy I got, which sucks because the jacket for my book had been lost years ago.)

I’ve been listening to lots of awesome music.

On top of Halsey, I’ve been listening to Queen and Hamilton the Musical. It’s pure awesomeness. (Scroll down for more in my obsession section. ;D)

I changed my Twitter icon, and now it’s frickin’ perfect.

I just love it a lot okay? It’s of Bo Maeve from the Black Canary comics, drawn by Pia Guerra. It’s ridiculous how much I love that icon I made. I don’t think I’ll be changing it any time soon (hopefully not until Captain America: Civil War is about to come out, in which I will revert to Seb Stan’s face like with CA2). ;D

Comics

FROM PANEL TO PANEL | Comics to Read If You Like Saga

September 29, 2015 Comments : 7

Everybody and their grandparents have read Saga, the comic by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples; it’s the most recommended and well-loved non-superhero comic ever, and it’s so well-deserved of all the praises and love. The question is: where do you go after reading Saga? What comics are similar that have rich world-building, diversity, and is on a realm of the supernatural?

I’m here to tell you about the books that were recommended to me after I had finished Saga and yearned for comics I would fall head over heels in love with. I’ve only included comics that have some similarities to Saga because if I didn’t, it would be a long, overwhelming list.

Y: THE LAST MAN

When you talk about Saga, you gotta talk about Brian K. Vaughan’s other well-known work, Y: The Last Man, okay?

It’s an epic saga about Yorick Brown, “the only human survivor of a planet-wide plague that instantly kills every mammal possessing a Y chromosome,” trying to find out why he’s the last man on Earth with his pet monkey, a geneticist, and a government agent.

This comic series, like Saga, gets a lot of praises, and even though I have yet to read this (which I desperately want to do), I believe it. You can’t go wrong if Brian K. Vaughan is at the helm.

Comics

FROM PANEL TO PANEL | What’s Up, Princess Decomposia and Count Spatula?

September 28, 2015 Comments : 3

from panel to panel

I love comics and graphic novels, so what do I do with that love? Well, I turn it into a new feature!

From Panel to Panel is a new feature where I talk about the awesome (and perhaps not-so awesome) comic books and graphic novels I’ve read. Basically, this will be me pushing them onto your laps. You’re welcome.

princess decomposia

Want a graphic novel that’s gothic, cute, and charming about the Underworld? Look no further than Princess Decomposia and Count Spatula.

What is it about? Because of her supposedly ailing father (who is actually pretending to be unwell), Princess Decomposia has to cover her father’s royal duties, which has to do with lots of paperwork and discussions with supernatural diplomats/groups to improve relations, and all the work is driving her to exhaustion. She hires a new chef, adorably called Count Spatula, who becomes her confidante, urging her to eat and take a break. With him by her side, things begin to change in the way she does her duties, and that causes unease for her father.

Reviews

(ARC) REVIEW | Why You Must Read This Monstrous Thing

September 25, 2015 Comments : 7

This Monstrous Thing

In 1818 Geneva, men built with clockwork parts live hidden away from society, cared for only by illegal mechanics called Shadow Boys. Two years ago, Shadow Boy Alasdair Finch’s life shattered to bits.

His brother, Oliver—dead.

His sweetheart, Mary—gone.

His chance to break free of Geneva—lost.

Heart-broken and desperate, Alasdair does the unthinkable: He brings Oliver back from the dead.

But putting back together a broken life is more difficult than mending bones and adding clockwork pieces. Oliver returns more monster than man, and Alasdair’s horror further damages the already troubled relationship.

Then comes the publication of Frankenstein and the city intensifies its search for Shadow Boys, aiming to discover the real life doctor and his monster. Alasdair finds refuge with his idol, the brilliant Dr. Geisler, who may offer him a way to escape the dangerous present and his guilt-ridden past, but at a horrible price only Oliver can pay…[/note]

myreview

[note note_color=”#BFD1D1″ text_color=”#ffffff”]I received this book for free from HarperCollins in exchange for review consideration. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.[/note]

First sentence: “My brother’s heart was heavy in my hands.”

The first time I ever read Frankenstein was in a required British Literature course for my major, and I absolutely fell in love with the story. When I heard about This Monstrous Thing, my heart nearly leaped out of my chest because I never knew how much I wanted this book.

This Monstrous Thing takes place in 1818 Geneva, where Alasdair Finch has to deal with his guilt for his brother’s death as well as navigate the constant threats against Clockwork men (people who have clock parts as body parts) and Shadow Boys (mechanics who help them) that have been more rampant since a new book called Frankenstein was published, which seems to detail the events of the resurrection of his brother, Oliver. Not only does Alasdair have to deal these, he has to deal with Dr. Geisler, his idol, who has nefarious plans for Alasdair and his brother.

Doesn’t that sound interesting?

Comics

FROM PANEL TO PANEL | September Graphic Novel Releases I’m Excited About!

September 24, 2015 Comments : 3

from panel to panel

I love comics and graphic novels, so what do I do with that love? Well, I turn it into a new feature!

From Panel to Panel is a new feature where I talk about the awesome (and perhaps not-so awesome) comic books and graphic novels I’ve read. Basically, this will be me pushing them onto your laps. You’re welcome.

September is the month with lots of interesting (and hopefully kickass) comics/graphic novels! I’ve found so many that I want to add into my shopping cart!

Let’s talk about those September graphic novels I’m excited about (and you should too!). You’ll see ones about a lady killer, a comic book character with her own Netflix series, historical humor, a gay Jamaican cop, people seeking revenge, and so much more!

*LADY KILLER*

Josie Schuller is a picture-perfect homemaker, wife, and mother–but she’s also a ruthless, efficient killer! She’s balanced cheerful domestic bliss with coldly performed assassinations, but when Josie finds herself in the crosshairs, her American Dream life is in danger!

A brand-new original black comedy series that combines the wholesome imagery of early 1960s domestic bliss with a tightening web of murder, paranoia, and cold-blooded survival.

Written by Joelle Jones and Jamie S. Rich, and illustrated by Joelle Jones. — Dark Horse Comics

Publication date: September 2, 2015 by Dark Horse Comics

Buy: LCBS · Amazon · Barnes & Noble · The Book Depository

Why I’m excited: Two words: Lady Killer. On the surface, Josie Schuller is your usual 1960s housewife, but underneath it all, she’s a coldblooded killer. How is that not exciting? It’s like Mr. and Mrs. Smith but with one person. I have so many questions like how and why did she start killing? I’m dying to know more about Josie Schuller. You’d want to too.

Letters

SINCERELY, CEE | A letter from yours truly to Sarah Rees Brennan + Tell the Wind and Fire

September 23, 2015 Comments : 3

**Dear Sarah Rees Brennan and Tell the Wind and Fire,**

Would you or somebody please send me this book right now?

[quote cite=”Goodreads” url=”http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16221851-tell-the-wind-and-fire”]Tell the Wind and Fire is about a young girl called Lucie who lives in a New York very different from the New York we know: the city is torn between two very different kinds of magic, and Lucie’s own family was torn apart years ago by that conflict. Lucie wears magic rings and carries a burden of guilt she can’t share with anyone.

The light in her life is her sweetheart boyfriend Ethan, but it turns out Ethan has a secret too: a soulless doppelganger created by dark magic, who has to conceal the face identical to Ethan’s with a hood fastened by a collar nobody but a Light magician with magical rings can take off… and who introduces himself to both of them by, for reasons nobody can understand, saving Ethan’s life… [/quote]