Posted February 10, 2015 by in Reviews / 0 Comments
Sailor Twain, Mark Siegel
I wasn’t a fan of the art at first, and the main character remained kind of distractingly comical-looking for me, but it grew on me. The charcoal look is great, suits the setting perfectly, and for all that Sailor Twain himself looks a little odd, some of the characters are beautifully done. Including, of course, the mermaid. Funnily enough, I read this just the day before I read Brubaker’s Fatale: Death Chases Me, and the whole enchantment aspect seemed pretty similar; a shared theme bridging two dissimilar graphic novels.
The mythology… I could wish it was delved into a little more. We get what we need to know and no more, and I still had plenty of questions — it felt like the rules were made up for the story, rather than the story bending to the rules, which is a pet peeve of mine, really. You’ll always convince me more easily by writing out your rules and then constraining your story within them.
It’s a very quick read, for all that it looks really chunky, and some of the character backstories are really interesting. I don’t know, though; I found myself wishing for more depth, in the end.
Rating: 3/5
Tags: book reviews, books, comics, SF/F
Posted February 7, 2015 by in General / 37 Comments
And another week gone! This year is flying by already… which in a way is fortunate, because I was excited for the two books I picked up this week, both out on 03/02 (coincidentally, my mother’s birthday). Now it’s just A Darker Shade of Magic to go and then I’ll have the books I’m most eagerly coveting…
Bought
The cover of Karen Memory is just perfect. I’m already partway through — might even have finished it by the time this goes live — and enjoying it very much. I’ve already finished Trigger Warning…
Library
Guess who’s onto the chemistry section of their Open University textbook? And Stonehenge, well, who can resist archaeology about Stonehenge?
For review
I still haven’t read a single book by Ian Tregillis. I have them. I just need to, you know, read them. Oops.
Comics
Peggyyyyy. I really need to watch Agent Carter, too. Mind you, I still really need to watch Agents of SHIELD and, uh, Norton’s Hulk (though really Mark Ruffalo is the only Bruce Banner for me, sorry).
Anyway, this was quite a big haul for me, but I’m still keeping to my resolutions! For now, at least. I do need to hurry up and get reading my review copies, though. How’s everyone else been doing? Any massive hauls?
Tags: books, comics, Neil Gaiman, non-fiction, Stacking the Shelves
Posted January 29, 2015 by in General / 8 Comments
The prompt this week for Tough Travels is this:
Seems odd to think that in fantasy cities in which entire economies revolve around crime there is room for the men in blue (or crimson, or whatever). But the law does the best it can, even when faced with magic, mystical creatures, or rogue deities.
So I thought about this and for some reason my mind was totally blank. I mean, there’s various forces of law and order in fantasy, of course, but I couldn’t think of specific ones. In a lot of what I read, they’re just in the background — the king’s guardsmen, the city watch, whatever. Anyway, I’ve done my best to think of some of the forces of law and order that we don’t normally associate with the men in blue, as such. Like…
- The Avengers (Marvel comics). You’ve never met a more law-abiding, law-enforcing person than Steve Rogers! And, admittedly, he does wear a mostly blue uniform.
- The wizards on Roke (A Wizard of Earthsea). They’re pretty insular a lot of the time, granted, but if there’s a problem out there in the world, they’re probably the only ones who can solve it. And Ged is very aware of that fact. There’s the short story in Tales from Earthsea where he goes after a disgraced wizard, and then there’s the whole plot of The Furthest Shore…
- Valek (Poison Study). The Commander might be the centre of power, but he wouldn’t be that way without Valek keeping people in line.
And for a guy who does represent the boys in blue, though this is not strictly fantasy (it’s alternate history)…
- Peter Carmichael (Small Change trilogy). Because he tries to do his job even when it’s hard. Because despite all the risks to himself and those he loves, he subverts the regime he’s in, and supports real justice.
Tags: books, comics, Jo Walton, Maria V. Snyder, Marvel, Tough Travels, Ursula Le Guin
Posted January 24, 2015 by in General / 14 Comments
Haven’t bought any books this week! I know, it’s shocking. I do actually owe myself a book from finishing my second OU textbook, and I think I know what I’m going to get, but I seem to be holding out on myself. (I’m probably going to get Owl and the Japanese Circus, by Kristi Charish. They actually approved me for an ARC of that on NG and immediately, literally seconds after, archived it so I could never have downloaded it anyway, though, so I’m a liiiittle bit cranky about that. No fair teasing like that!) Anyway, I have got some library books and it’s starting to get to the point where my pull list means I get at least one comic every week, woo.
Library books
Yep, that ol’ nature reading interest again.
Comics
Eee!
So how’s everyone else been doing? Still sticking to your resolutions? (I posted a bit about mine here just this week, if you’re interested!)
Tags: books, comics, Marvel, non-fiction, Stacking the Shelves
Posted January 17, 2015 by in General / 34 Comments
I seem to have acquired some books this week! Though I’ve still been relatively conservative — my purchases were a novel and a novella, and the other book was bought for me by the wonderful Lynn. I’m still pretty much hanging in there with my resolutions: I’ve read some ARCs, I’m not buying anything on the spur of the moment, and I’m well within my budget. Woooo.
Bought/acquired
I’ve already read two of the three, too! And I’m a good chunk of the way into California Bones. Good choices, so far. But then maybe I did also purchase a lot of comics…
Lady Thor, Peggy Carter as a heroine, and the new Captain Marvel — how could I resist?
Library
I didn’t actually find any fiction I wanted this week at the library. Shocking, I know! I’m especially interested in The Lucifer Effect, as I recently reviewed another book by that psychologist (The Time Paradox), and this promises to discuss his most famous and controversial work, that of the Stanford Prison Experiment.
For review
Eeeee. That’s all I have to say about Shadow Study. Nalo Hopkinson will be good, of course; Will Grayson, Will Grayson should be fun.
Freebie
I haven’t actually read anything I already have by M.C.A. Hogarth yet, but this was free on the Kobo store, so I thought I’d grab it while I could.
What’s everyone else been getting? Broken your resolutions yet?
Tags: books, comics, Marvel, N.K. Jemisin, Stacking the Shelves
Posted January 10, 2015 by in General / 16 Comments
First full week of 2015; first chance for us to break all our resolutions and buy a load of books. How’s everyone else been getting along?
Comics
Late Christmas present from my dad. <3
Library books
At my parents’ place again for most of January, so this is what I got out of the library to keep me amused — as if I needed anything more than what’s on my ereader and on my shelves from their generosity at Christmas! Ahem…
Anyway, so far this year I’ve avoided buying any new books; I’ve finished the first book in my Open University course already, so I feel like maybe I deserve one, but I can’t choose. I do now have an Amazon wishlist which I’m trying to keep updated. If nothing else, it’ll serve as a list of ‘approved’ books when I do want to get something, and I’ve saved stuff I haven’t preordered yet onto there too.
Tags: books, comics, DC, Gail Simone, Stacking the Shelves
Posted January 6, 2015 by in Reviews / 0 Comments
Hawkeye: My Life as a Weapon, Matt Fraction, David Aja, Javier Pulido, Alan Davis
Reread this ’cause I couldn’t remember much about it, and I have volume three to read now and volume four to read as soon as they stop procrastinating and actually bring it out. I love the consistency of most of the art in this series, which suits the tone perfectly, though it makes the included bit from Young Avengers Presents look particularly out of place (and man, had I ever forgotten that Tommy’s crush on Kate was obvious even there).
This is a pretty relaxed comic. It’s not really about the superhero, Hawkeye, one of the Avengers; it’s about Clint Barton and Kate Bishop and all the trouble they can get into when they don’t have their teams backing them up. It’s about Clint being a dummy and Kate being really awesome and all the weird and wonderful arrows Clint has, some of which I’m sure refer to other comics (that you don’t have to know about it to make it funny). I love the generally irreverent tone of this: however much I adore Steve Rogers, and however much of a snarky little shit he can be, Clint Barton’s something else when it comes to doing stupid stuff and being an idiot about it.
Still not my favourite comic ever (hello, Captain Marvel) but pretty awesome all the same.
Rating: 4/5
Tags: book reviews, books, comics, Marvel, Matt Fraction
Posted December 27, 2014 by in General / 24 Comments
Or, Stacking the Shelves: The Christmas Edition! I think I’ve probably had similarly large hauls before, but still… I had a very good Christmas, and if I could just tear myself away from my new game (Final Fantasy Theatrhythm: Curtain Call), I’ll show you all the details. Plus my giant literary giraffe, a gift from my dad.
His name is Charles Parker, after Lord Peter’s best friend.
He turns up when you least expect it.
Turn around…
So yeah, that was a Christmas. And this is a haul…
Comics
The first four are from Mum and Dad — and don’t worry, I know it’s the first two feature Cassandra Cain as Batgirl, and the third Barbara Gordon — and the two Saga volumes are from my little sis. <3
Non-fiction
One of you lot recommended me The Trouble with Physics, and Dad got me that and the book on Lucy. The other three came from the Kindle sale.
Pure geekery
Little sister knows me well! Or, you know, remembered what I did some of my master’s work on.
Fiction
That’s a real mix of gifts, sales and randomness.
Audiobooks
I had credits to spend.
I also got a £20 Waterstones gift card, which I’ll be spending today, so watch out for next week’s haul, too… What’s everyone else been getting?!
Tags: Alastair Reynolds, books, Brian Vaughan, comics, DC, J.R.R. Tolkien, Marvel, non-fiction, Stacking the Shelves
Posted December 22, 2014 by in Reviews / 2 Comments
Black Widow: The Finely Woven Thread, Nathan Edmondson, Phil Noto
It shouldn’t really be surprising that this comic features a lot of Black Widow being kickass. There’s quite a casual tone to it, though, with some of the things she says, which made me feel a bit like it was trying to be Black Widow a la Hawkeye. A comment like “Pro tip (often learned too late): don’t argue with crazy”… I don’t know, it seems more like smartass Hawkeye than Widow. Not that she couldn’t imitate whoever she needs to, to fit in, but… that’s her mental commentary? Doesn’t feel right.
It’s fun watching Widow be kickass and all, but it did feel a little lacking in that the overarching plot is the same one as every other Black Widow comic I’ve read: Natasha wants to atone for her past sins. Natasha can’t let anyone close. Natasha is a predator. Etc. It wouldn’t be true to the character to drop that, but there are plenty of people who can put a fresh spin on an old story, or bring new motivations and conflicts to an old character. (Steve Rogers facing off against Bucky Barnes in Brubaker’s Winter Soldier is a good example, but Widow facing off against people from her past has been done, and done.)
The art looks gorgeous, though the constant muted red palette is again… something that feels typical. I enjoyed reading this, but it didn’t bring me anything new. It’s a good place to start to build something, and there does seem to be an ongoing plot as of the last couple of issues collected in this TPB, but… I don’t want to be able to predict Natasha Romanoff.
Rating: 3/5
Tags: book reviews, books, comics, Marvel
Posted December 20, 2014 by in General / 23 Comments
Setting this up very much in advance, so goodness knows what it’ll look like by the time I’m done…
Gifts
Yep, someone sent me Smashwords codes for all these. <3 I’m looking forward to trying them. I actually got them last week, but I didn’t remember in time to include them in that StS post.
Comics
Oh dear, all three out on the same day now? I got these covers from the Marvel site before the release, hence the lack of text (I think?).
SantaThing
I love taking part in the Secret Santa on LibraryThing; the person who had me to choose for clearly ‘got’ me as a reader, given how much I love Addison’s The Goblin Emperor. So good to have a dead tree version — and that’s an excuse to reread it, right? Right? …No? Anyway, I’m looking forward to reading the comics, too! I’m not as sure about The Name of the Wind; on the one hand, I’ve been recced it several times, on the other, some people I trust really disliked it. Still, prime excuse to try it!
Bought
I bought this for my mother a while back, but she hasn’t had chance to read it. (She’s nuts about fountain pens; it seemed perfect.) But I saw this copy today in The Works for £3, and I thought… well, why not? I was meaning to borrow it after Mum anyway.
What’s anyone else been getting?
Tags: books, comics, Marvel, SF/F
Sailor Twain, Mark Siegel
