A Year in Review
This year has just been. It's been exhausting, confusing, draining, emotional, and is finally about to be behind me. Which makes me extremely, not happy, but relieved? I didn't read nearly as much as I hoped but I did meet my goals. And while there was less read I think it was overall of a better quality, because I have fallen in love with a lot of books this year. Last year it was kind of hard to figure out my top ten because nothing really made me fall in love with reading all over again. This year was the exact opposite. There were so many books I adored that it was hard to pick favorites. Especially when you realize I've now read everything Ben Aaronovitch has written and could easily have made a top ten list just from The Rivers of London books. Write faster Ben, write faster! So let's see what I remember now shall we?
1) Reckless by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips: I am a huge fan of Brubaker and Phillips. Their work together is phenomenal. So when the Reckless series was first announced I awaited the release of the first volume with baited breath. When I finally got an advance reader copy of it I was let down. It just didn't grab my attention. Fast-forward a few years and I find out that because I moved and I can get a new library card that allows me access to Hoopla. They have the entire Reckless series to date and I thought I'd give it another try. The thing I don't get now that I've read them all is why they decided to release this one first. They aren't really in any chronological order and this is easily the weakest volume. The rest are all stellar. In other words, I'm glad I gave this series another try. This applies to all the volumes. Though I will say that The Ghost in You is my favorite because it deals with Old Hollywood.
2) Friend of the Devil by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips: See above.
3) Destroy All Monsters by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips: See above.
4) The Ghost in You by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips: See above but added note that this was my favorite.
5) Follow Me Down by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips: See above.
6) Pulp by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips: Hoopla also had Pulp which I'd been meaning to read for ages. Pulp proves they don't always get it right.
7) All-New Firefly: Big Damn Finale #1 by David M. Booher: I believe this is the one where they kill of Jayne. AKA, if they ever want to reboot the series they had to find a way to get rid of Adam Baldwin.
8) The Nice House on the Lake #12 by James Tynion IV: A Total non-ending. But in my mind this who series kind of jumped the shark half way through. It was tight and logical and then it became imprisonment and aliens and series, why!?!
9) Something is Killing the Children #26 by James Tynion IV: I sometimes can't remember specific issues, so I'll just say, it seems to be taking a damn long time to resolve things in New Mexico. They're in New Mexico right? Damn, it's been a long time since I read an issue, Hoopla needs to get the rest!
10) Something is Killing the Children #27 by James Tynion IV: A DAMN LONG time in New Mexico.
11) Book of Slaughter #1 by James Tynion IV: OK, this was awesome. This is like a primer to the world of Something is Killing the Children and Book of Slaughter and is a must read for everyone. Little known facts, amazing insights. Now I want to read this again!
12) The Vampire Slayer #8 by Sarah Gailey: This will be a note for all issues of The Vampire Slayer. I do not like this series. I do not like it at all. I read it because it's Buffy, but Buffy isn't Buffy and it's just stupid. There is no point and they draw stuff out for excruciating lengths of time. I do not care about any of these characters, which is bad, because these are characters I have known and loved, in a different iteration, for years.
13) The Vampire Slayer #9 by Sarah Gailey: See above rant.
14) Star Wars: Revelations #1 by Marc Guggenheim: I think that the only thing I really liked in this was finding out about Oscar Issac's parents, oops, I mean Poe Dameron.
15) Star Wars: Hidden Empire #2 by Charles Soule: Oh, the beginning of the year, when I still had hope in this "Hidden Empire" arc before it was clear they didn't know where it was going and it crashed and burned.
16) Star Wars: Doctor Aphra #27 by Alyssa Wong: Shit, she was dealing with the Spark Eternal all the way back at the beginning of the year? Stupidest plot point in all of Doctor Aphra. In fact it's never really been the same since Alyssa Wong took over.
17) Damn Them All #1 by Simon Spurrier: Black Magick meets Alfie. It's fun and has some interesting mythology and is very London gangsters. But now because I stupidly mentioned it all I can think of is Black Magick. Is that ever coming back? It's been three years!
18) Leech by Hiron Ennes: This was a book with an amazing first and second act that just fell apart at the end. The mythology is mind-boggling, with all medical personnel being a part of a gestalt entity. The writing was crisp and moody, and then as the entity become cut off from the outside world the story descended into chaos. In fact I'm not totally certain and know who all died and why. Or even how. It went very BIG GOTHIC at the end. But had a creepy tail fetish.
19) Spellswept by Stephanie Burgis: Oh, this is a perfect way to dive back into Regency Magic, and I do mean dive back in as there's an underwater ballroom. This was a wonderful and magical series set in a matriarchal society. So lovely.
20) Snowspelled by Stephanie Burgis: This book in Stephanie's series should have been my favorite because there was a country house party that was snowbound, but they had too much freedom of the grounds and there wasn't even a single murder!
21) Thornbound by Stephanie Burgis: THIS is for me the pinnacle of this series. We're getting the complexities of setting up a magical school for women. But what I love is that while it's a matriarchal society, they believe that magic is "men's work" and therefore frown on women doing it. I just love the message that women can do anything and that the danger is not dreaming big enough or letting your detractors win.
22) Moontangled by Stephanie Burgis: Just the sweetest story about what you would sacrifice for love.
23) Spellcloaked by Stephanie Burgis: I also love how Stephanie shows that perhaps the reason someone became the "villain" was due to circumstances and that even they can find a happily ever after.
24) Frostgilded by Stephanie Burgis: A sweet and quick story that sweeps up all the stories into a cute little coda.
25) Phantastes by George MacDonald: This book was written so so long ago and the thing that I kept saying over and over again to members of my book club was that it boggles my mind to think how many authors used MacDonald's journey into the realms of fairy as a blueprint for their own writing. There's C.S. Lewis's wardrobe! There's so much Tolkien I can't even. There's even David Lynch! I mean, it's by no means a perfect book, but it's amazing what it did to create the Fantasy genre.
26) The Vampire Slayer #10 by Sarah Gailey: See rant above.
27) Fables #157 by Bill Willingham: I really want to like this return of Fables, but it's too white saviour and adds nothing to the series. And given how Bill Willingham has now made Fables public domain, there's a whole lot of stuff going on we don't know about behind the scenes which would make for a far more interesting story that this.
28) Something is Killing the Children #28 by James Tynion IV: Still in New Mexico. Seriously though, it is New Mexico right?
29) Damn Them All #2 by Simon Spurrier: Now the only real question for me is how did Alfie get such a hot cop into his bed when he was in New Orleans? Oh, and Alfie is the uncle who died and put this entire series into motion.
30) Book of Evil #1 by Scott Snyder: This was a ComiXology original that was just horrifically bad. It was supposed to be dystopian and I don't know, there was something about eggs I think. It was just so bad I've tried to purge it forever from my mind.
31) The Ill-Kept Oath by C.C. Aune: Oh, this is a wonderful Regency Magic story about two cousins and how they both find out they have a magical legacy in different ways. Told in the epistolary style this is like what I wanted Sorcery and Cecelia to be but never was. There are trolls and enchantments, and swoonworthy romance. In fact I might have started harassing the author about the sequel even before I finished it. I need more!
32) Winterwood by Jacey Bedford: After how wonderful The Ill-Kept Oath was I was hesitant to immediately start another Regency Magic book right away but I am so glad I did. This has become one of my favorite Regency Magic series. EVER. In me there are two girls, one wanted to go to dances, the other wanted to be a pirate, this book shows you can be both. And get a hot guy that is totally Henry Cavill in The Witcher. There's also hot ghost sex if you're into that.
33) Silverwolf by Jacey Bedford: The second book in the Rowankind series is probably my favorite because it's not just about solving the magical problems, it's about solving real problems, like trouble at the family mill. I just love this more Elizabeth Gaskell working class view of Regency England coupled with magic.
34) Sana Starros #1 by Justina Ireland: Sana is finally getting her own story instead of just being Aphra's ex. She has a close-knit family that are all slightly lax with the law.
35) Star Wars: Doctor Aphra #28 by Alyssa Wong: Stupid Spark. Also can we talk about how badly drawn Aphra is in her "Spark" wardrobe? I mean, what even is that? Not even a villain in the tackiest of eighties films would be caught dead wearing that.
36) Star Wars: Hidden Empire #3 by Charles Soule: As I said before, the just didn't know where this was going. It's not like they could defeat the Empire...
37) Damn Them All #3 by Simon Spurrier: More magic and gangsters. All of them trying to get more power and destroy the competition.
38) Damn Them All #4 by Simon Spurrier: See above.
39) Rowankind by Jacey Bedford: A STELLAR conclusion. Magic and politics and happily ever afters all around. Also, am I writing too little about what I remember. I mean, I remember more, but I'm trying to be pithy and kind of concise for some reason this year instead of basically writing a whole review because I've already written those. Oh well, it is what it is.
40) Damn Them All #5 by Simon Spurrier: See above.
41) Something is Killing the Children #29 by James IV Tynion: According to my star rating I really liked this issue. Even if I can't remember if it's New Mexico or not...
42) The Case of the Good Boy by John Allison: For some reason at the end of February I didn't feel I was using my ComiXology Unlimited membership enough so decided to shotgun a whole ton of John Allison's Bad Machinery. Much like Giant Days it's hit or miss. But still somehow nicely cosy. This had some creature they thought was a dog. I think.
43) The Case of the Simple Soul by John Allison: This one was about fire. I liked this one.
44) The Case of the Lonely One by John Allison: I think this was the alien one which I found stupid.
45) The Case of the Fire Inside by John Allison: I think this was the mermaid, oops I mean selkie one, which was again, back to being awesome. These books are really a merry-go-round in quality.
*Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Philip K. Dick: OK, first you're wondering, why doesn't this book have a number? The astrix is that I read this book, but it's part of a larger book by Philip K. Dick that has four of his books in it and I've only read two of them, so until I read the final two this doesn't get marked as read. But rereading this book almost twenty years after I first read it I still am not quite sure how this became Bladerunner. There's also a lot about religion and coveting of animals, and you think about it a lot but it's not perfect.
46) Daisy Jones and The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid: I HATED this book. It's the most anodyne and banal story of a rock band ever told. I can't see how anyone has connected with this book. There's nothing there! Maybe it's because it's nothing people project onto it what they wish it was or who their favorite musicians are. I hated every second of reading it. In fact, it turned me off watching the Amazon series. Do you realize how much I have to hate something for me to willing turn away from Sam Claflin? It's a LOT of hate.
47) A Cold Highland Wind by Tasha Alexander: Lady Emily's latest adventure takes her to Scotland and her BFF Jeremy's estate. Of course there is a murder, of course she solves it despite the presence of children underfoot. But the best thing about this book is Jeremy's aunts, the Greats. They are beyond great, they are magnificent and basically two nosey Miss Marples for the price of one. But the Geraldine McEwan Marple where she was fired because she was a little too rowdy and drunk on set.
48) A Declaration of the Rights of Magicians by H.G. Parry: This book boils down to, what if the French Revolution was the result of a magic being wielded by a vampire. The answer is, basically the same amount of bloodshed, but with Robespierre basically being let off the hook for his atrocities because vampire. It's long and sometimes lugubrious, but the history is so meticulous I was in awe.
49) House of Slaughter #11 by James Tynion IV: This arc went very brutal but brilliant. Stealing kids, protecting kids, and just, well, slaughter.
50) House of Slaughter #12 by James Tynion IV: See above.
51) House of Slaughter #13 by James Tynion IV: See above.
52) Buffy the Last Vampire Slayer Special by Casey Gilly: Of ALL the Buffy comics that have come and gone over the years, this one is the best. An older Buffy helping Tara and Willow's daughter to become the Slayer, with and whole heap of magical abilities. This was a scary yet sweet answer as to what happened to Tara, because she wasn't killed in the attack that took out Willow.
53) The Vampire Slayer #11 by Sarah Gailey: Whereas I think this is the worst Buffy comic.
54) Blue Book #1 by James Tynion IV: I was excited about this series because it was written by James Tynion IV but it was not good. Not even getting into the whole color choice making it hard to tell that the couple who were the focus of this narrative are African American, it was just bad. The story could have literally been told in one issue but was padded out with bad secondary tales, which often didn't make any sense. And yes, I'm not ranting about the whole series. It just, ugh. For someone who loves shows and books about the supernatural, if you're going to cover this time period then look to what the sadly cancelled Project Blue Book did. That was perfection. This was laughably bad.
55) Damn Them All #6 by Simon Spurrier: This was the end of the first arc in which we learned Uncle Archie accidentally killed himself! It wasn't murder!
56) The Neighbors #1 by Jude Doyle: I wasn't sure about this series, so I waited to get it from the library. It merges fairy tales and tales of personal journeys and identity into something that kind of work but doesn't fully. Also you can't tell the ages of the characters by the drawing style so I didn't know who were parents and who were children.
57) Star Wars: Doctor Aphra #29 by Alyssa Wong: Stupid. Ass. Spark.
58) Star Wars: Hidden Empire #4 by Charles Soule: Oh, we're going to find an all powerful "not a Jedi" or was it "not a Sith" to defeat the Empire. Okaaaay.
59) Sana Starros #2 by Justina Ireland: Sana's family is messed up. Also, her cousin is way too hot to hook up with that Empire goon.
60) Philip K. Dick: A Comics Biography by Laurent Queyssi: One of my friends read this and at our book club discussing Philip K. Dick mentioned this and gauging how wrong he was about Philip K. Dick's life in that discussion I took it upon myself to read this. Also, Hoopla had it. Wow. It's. Yeah. Not accurate and weird as hell. And also does the overused trope of as the person lays dying they flashback on their whole lives... So if you're a fan or just getting into Philip K. Dick, don't read this, it will give you an entirely inaccurate picture of his life.
61) Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo: This book is a wonderful lesbian coming of age story set in San Francisco during the Red Scare. There are just so many fabulous layers to it, how you fit in with your community, how you fit in with your friends, how you fit in with your new friends, and how you fit in with your found family. It wasn't just a great read for fans of historical fiction, it was just an uplifting tale. Though everyone in my book club agreed because I got the companion book from the library, that the little bit of closure that book contained should have been included here because it felt a tad open ended.
62) Scales and Sensibility by Stephanie Burgis: I just love Stephanie Burgis. This is the third series of hers that is set in Regency England that happens to contain magic, and all the different ways that these worlds are made is just wonderful. Here it's about a young girl who is thrust on her odious relatives because her parents died and one day she just snaps at the way her cousin treats her pet dragon. She flees with the dragon and that's where the magic starts to happen. There's mistaken identities and confused feelings, and in the end, true love. I haven't started to read the sequel yet, but just writing this makes me want to dive in right away.
63) Blue Book #2 by James Tynion IV: See above rant.
64) The Vampire Slayer #12 by Sarah Gailey: I think Buffy got her powers back. Maybe. I really couldn't care less.
65) The Case of the Unwelcome Visitor by John Allison: Yeah, I'm remembering nothing.
66) The Price of Salt by Patricia Highsmith: One of the seminal books of gay literature because, guess what, they don't kill the gays at the end! A shop girl comes under the thrall of a woman going through a divorce. They run away together, taking an epic road trip. But her husband is having her followed and she returns home in disgrace. But at the end they reunite. While I think it's an important piece of literature, the characters voices just weren't strong enough.
67) Tales of the City by Armistead Maupin: Rereading this series is like coming home. I know the bigger character arcs and who ends up where, but going back and rereading it's interesting to find out where the first volume ends. And the answer was, not where I thought. I must finish my reread though because there's a new Mona book coming out this year!
68) Tales of the City by Isabelle Bauthian: This was not in the least bit memorable. I have completely blocked it out.
69) Star Wars: Doctor Aphra #30 by Alyssa Wong: Is the spark still here? Do smart people let Wookies win?
70) Star Wars: Hidden Empire #5 by Charles Soule: And Qi-ra just goes off to a random dive bar never to be seen again? What. The. Actual. Fuck. See, they so didn't know what to do with her!
71) Sana Starros #3 by Justina Ireland: All about trying to rescue the pregnant cousin from the clutches of the Empire while also stealing from them? OK. Starros family, you do you.
53) The Vampire Slayer #13 by Sarah Gailey: Yeah, whatever, just end.
73) Fables #158 by Bill Willingham: Hmm, I had this one as five stars... That seems interesting. Something must have happened that wasn't just white savior complex to the max.
74) The Great British Bump-Off #1 by John Allison: Oddly, reading the Bad Machinery books was a smart move on my part because one of the stars of that series is now all grown up and in this lovely squering of GBBO. Notice how even the acronym is the same? I love it! It's irreverent and there's just weird jokes and non sequiturs that true devotees of GBBO will get. One of the best comics of the year.
75) Star Wars: Princess Leia by Mark Waid: This was so amazingly awful that I have completely blocked it from my mind forever.
76) A Radical Act of Free Magic by H.G. Parry: British Vampire and French Vampire have a showdown and end the French Revolution! Yes, that's the book in a nutshell, but it's the characters and friendships that make this book work better than the first volume. That and not having to be annoyed by Robespierre anymore. He really was annoying.
77) Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch: OK, so this starts my Ben Aaronovitch obsession that continues throughout the entire year. Here we meet Peter Grant and he finds out magic is real. Instead of continuing to be a regular British Police Officer he becomes part of The Folly under Thomas Nightingale and they solve magical crimes. This first volume is about how the spirit of mayhem as embodied by Punch from Punch and Judy shows tries to destroy all of London. And we learn that while Peter might save the day, there's a lot of property damage involved.
78) Shrines of Gaiety by Kate Atkinson: This book is so odd. It's a heavily detailed account of way too many characters and their day to day lives and how they connect to this female criminal in Soho. Then, after hundreds of pages, Kate Atkinson decides she's bored of her characters and just abruptly ends the book. We get very little closure and that which we do is hamfisted.
79) Moon Over Soho by Ben Aaronovitch: Peter Grant falls for a Jazz Vampire! And we stumble on The Folly's nemesis, The Faceless Man!
80) Whispers Under Ground by Ben Aaronovitch: Peter Grant has a tube station fall on him! There are other things, but he has a tube station FALL ON HIM!
81) Broken Homes by Ben Aaronovitch: And now Peter has an entire town block fall on him. Well, more he rides down its side as it collapses, but you get the idea. Destruction follows Peter. As does The Faceless Man! Oh, and his BFF Lesly betrays him.
82) The Neighbors #2 by Jude Doyle: Still can't tell who is who agewise. Or really what's happening at all.
83) Ghostlore #1 by Cullen Bunn: I was excited for this because Cullen Bunn, I was hesitant because I hate the art of Leomacs, which means I'm very glad I got it from the library. Family car crash, seeing ghosts, crisis of faith, it's like Midnight Mass meets Ghost Whisperer and it's nowhere near as good as either. Got that, it's worse that Ghost Whisperer...
84) Foxglove Summer by Ben Aaronovitch: This is the only book I didn't love in the Rivers of London series. Perhaps it's because I've developed an attachment to Thomas Nightingale and because Peter was out in the countryside dealing with fairies Thomas wasn't really in this volume. But it just didn't gel. Girls are missing, then they're not, but are they changelings... Didn't work.
85) Rivers of London Volume 1: Body Work by Ben Aaronovitch: Now I will start these Rivers of London graphic novels with the caveat that the only reason I read them is because there's things that happen in them that directly affect what happens in the books. Otherwise I would have avoided them because I HATE the art style and I like to picture this as they are in my head not as someone else is trying to make me see them. I just, yeah. Didn't like a single one of these and I've read them. All of them. This one was about a haunted car. Could have been funny. It wasn't.
86) Rivers of London Volume 2: Night Witch by Ben Aaronovitch: Russian hitmen. Yeah. Could we be any less original?
87) What Abigail Did That Summer by Ben Aaronovitch: Abigail is Peter Grant's young cousin who happens to have magical adventures of her own. Unlike Peter's summer adventure which I didn't care for, Abigail's is delightful, involving foxes and a house trapped in a different time that captures kids. She saves the day. Because of course she does.
88) The Furthest Station by Ben Aaronovitch: Ghosts haunting the underground lead to a potential killer and a kidnap victim. Ooooh. Yas. Oh, this and Abigail's story are both novellas, so, short and sweet.
89) Foxes for Christmas by Ben Aaronovitch: I'm ashamed to admit I don't remember this short short story. But my rating says that I loved it...
90) Rivers of London Volume 3: Black Mould by Ben Aaronovitch: Oh, evil magical mould. Nothing about this works.
91) Rivers of London Volume 4: Detective Stories by Ben Aaronovitch: Interconnected case stories that I have blocked from my memory. I vaguely remember extra bad art in this one.
92) Rivers of London Volume 5: Cry Fox by Ben Aaronovitch: Oh, a creepy pedophile and hunting people for sport! Yeah. No thanks.
93) Rivers of London Volume 6: Water Weed by Ben Aaronovitch: Drug deals along the waterways, which makes the genius loci pissed.
94) The Neighbors #3 by Jude Doyle: Coming together a little. I do like the idea of finding your true self and your family.
95) Rivers of London Volume 7: Action at a Distance by Ben Aaronovitch: I was hoping this would be better because of Thomas. It wasn't. Much.
96) The Seep by Chana Porter: Aliens take over the world and give us everything that we want. But what happens when the person we want no longer wants us? Then you become a whiny bitch who can't move on and the protagonist of this story. It could have been more. It wasn't.
97) The Rook by Daniel O'Malley: A reread which just makes me realize how much I missed Myfanwy Thomas. She has secret powers, she works for the British government, she has amnesia, and she's snarky. LOVE IT!
98) Something is Killing the Children #30 by James Tynion IV: I think this is the massacre at the New Mexico police station. It is New Mexico right?
99) House of Slaughter #14 by James Tynion IV: My rating is really high but I can't remember this issue.
100) House of Slaughter #15 by James Tynion IV: See directly above.
101) Stiletto by Daniel O'Malley: The "sequel" to The Rook which I really didn't appreciate the first time because I wasn't sure I liked the new protagonist, Odette. But now I love her. A "monster" trying to work within the enemy camp while looking fabulous and mourning her friends? I want more! But I had a feeling that the long awaited volume three wouldn't return to her and I was right.
102) The Only One Left by Riley Sager: The newest Riley Sager is like Lizzie Borden living at Manderley. There's lots of Gothic twists and turns and a crumbling estate, but what I really connected to was the final little twist at the very end. I won't spoil it, it literally bumped it up a whole other star for me.
103) Iron and Velvet by Alexis Hall: I really just can't with this series. Kate Kane's backstory is cribbed from Twilight and that level of worldbuilding continues throughout the series. As in, there really isn't any worldbuilding and just lots of Twilight jokes that land flat. In this volume I believe it was a sewer fairy that was causing trouble. Seriously, it was painful reading this series.
104) The Sixth Gun Vol. 1: Deluxe Edition by Cullen Bunn: I read this because I'm a huge Cullen Bunn fan and there was going to be a big Kickstarter for a new deluxe edition of this series. It was OK, Wild West with a lot of mysticism thrown in. I think I'll need to read a few more volumes before I get a full grasp on the mythology of this world. It's interesting, but not backing it on Kickstarter interesting.
105) The Hanging Tree by Ben Aaronovitch: Oh, this adventure for Peter Grant was intense, the search for The Faceless Man pays off! But what really made it special to me was the further exploration of women practitioners and how they were excluded from the likes of The Folly so they did what they wanted and have skills the menfolk can barely imagine are possible. That's right folks, The Folly doesn't know everything!
106) Under Kite Hill by Ben Aaronovitch: I believe an adventure with the foxes and Abigail... I believe.
107) Shadows and Dreams by Alexis Hall: Oh look, more Twilight jokes. And "Edward" has a new girl in his life.
108) Tales from the Folly by Ben Aaronovitch: Sadly very uneven. Some were spectacular, some were just ideas already presented in other stories presented in a slightly different way, so it wasn't that interesting. Overall I'm glad that I didn't pay money for this volume and got it from the library.
109) Lies Sleeping by Ben Aaronovitch: The culmination of the story of The Faceless Man. Sadly lackluster and a lot to do with bells. The bells were interesting, The Faceless Man wasn't. My problem is I don't think "Punch" was ever properly realized in the first book in this series, so bringing it back to him and still not fleshing him out enough made this feel like a weak sequel.
110) Super-Infinite: The Transformations of John Donne by Katherine Rundell: OK, who knew John Donne wasn't just a poet but basically a rogue, a pirate, and a priest!?! I sure as hell didn't. This man needs a twelve part BBC miniseries stat! Plus, think of the background of the Tudor court!
111) The October Man by Ben Aaronovitch: The only story, aside from the comics, that I hated in the Rivers of London series. Annoying German practitioner who is pedantic and just repeating things we've already learned from Peter. Also I kind of want Thomas to show up and kill him because the Black Library might not be as destroyed as previously thought...
112) Rivers of London Volume 8: The Fey and the Furious by Ben Aaronovitch: Yes, a Fast and Furious parody involving cars and unicorn horns. Oddly rather lackluster. Maybe just because I'm fine with fairies in our world it somehow just doesn't work with stories set in their world. I don't like it.
113) Fire and Water by Alexis Hall: The Twilight jokes have ended. Oddly this has somehow made the books worse. I didn't think that was possible.
114) I Have Some Questions For You by Rebecca Makkai: This is a very thought provoking book. A woman who graduated from an elite boarding school in 1995 looks back on the murder of a fellow classmate and how an innocent man might have been wrongly convicted. It has true crime, it has cancel culture, it has #MeToo, but for me, what it had most of was looking back on a time where girls were just taught that the behaviour of boys, no matter how deplorable, was somehow acceptable. The whole "boys will be boys" mentality, that everyone of a certain age has to rewire their brain to grasp the fact that no, this wasn't OK. We weren't OK and it's important to embrace that. The book had a solid first act, the second act though didn't stick the landing.
115) Buffy the Last Vampire Slayer #1 by Casey Gilly: I just LOVE that they were smart enough to bring this series back. Perhaps the oneshot earlier this year showed how beloved it is? But this shows the trials of Thessaly trying to work with Anya and Buffy and the reformed Watchers Council. Due to the amusement park it has a very The Lost Boys vibe.
116) The Vampire Slayer #14 by Sarah Gailey: Just.
117) The Vampire Slayer #15 by Sarah Gailey: End.
118) The Vampire Slayer #16 by Sarah Gailey: Already.
119) Buffy: The Lost Summer #1 by Casey Gilly: This one was a little odd as it doesn't fit in any of the ongoing comic lines, but it's funny because it's all about Spike trying to get back his poetry that he wrote when he was "William the Bloody Awful." Hint, it doesn't end as you think.
120) Archie Horror Presents: The Cursed Library FCBD 2023 by Magdalene Visaggio: Yeah, don't remember this like at all.
121) Free Comic Book Day 2023: The Umbrella Academy/The Witcher by Bartosz Sztybor: The thing I need to keep reminding myself, the comics of The Umbrella Academy aren't the show. Which means they are awful. Unlike the show which is totally brilliant. Anyone else beyond excited for the final season this year?
122) Something is Killing the Children #31 by James Tynion IV: Still in New Mexico? I think. Is it New Mexico. But mini rant. While these two issues are awesome I had to buy them because my library didn't get them up on Hoopla. I buy them, and a month later they are up on Hoopla. So now I'm woefully behind because I know the SECOND I break down and buy them Hoopla will get them, so I'm in a standoff with Hoopla.
123) Something is Killing the Children #32 by James Tynion IV: See above note.
124) House of Slaughter #16 by James Tynion IV: See the note about Killing the Children #31 but change the rant to be about House of Slaughter.
125) Damn Them All #7 by Simon Spurrier: See the note about Killing the Children #31 but change the rant to be about Damn Them All.
126) The Cult of That Wilkin Boy by Cullen Bunn: And then I fell down a ComiXology rabbit hole and ended up reading random things, like this. It's a devil's crossroad deal to be a rock star. Not very original.
127) Fables #159 by Bill Willingham: This are becoming more sporadic so I'm caring less and less about the story.
128) The Great British Bump-Off #1 by John Allison: So it was so many months before I read the first issue that I reread it before finishing off the next three. Needless to say, this was exactly what I've always needed in my life, a GBBO mystery, that loves yet makes fun of the show. It was just total perfection.
129) The Great British Bump-Off #2 by John Allison: See above.
130) The Great British Bump-Off #3 by John Allison: See above.
131) The Great British Bump-Off #4 by John Allison: See above.
132) Jinx Grim Fairy Tales by Magdalene Visaggio: No memory.
133) Jinx: A Cursed Life #1 by Magdalene Visaggio: Nope. Nothing.
134) The Lonesome Hunters by Tyler Crook: OK, so before the new arc, "The Wolf Child" started, I decided to refamiliarise myself with the world Tyler Crook has created. Obviously because it's Crook the art is amazing. But the mythology is interesting as well, religious crackpots who have a stolen sacred artifact that in the right hands can change the world. But our hero ran away from the church and has been hiding out for years until his young neighbor unwittingly brings it all back to him.
135) The Lonesome Hunters: The Wolf Child #1 by Tyler Crook: This arc is about them being on the run and stumbling upon a wolf of some magical properties and it's "human" child.
136) Blue Book #3 by James Tynion IV: See above for how lackluster this was. Watch Project Blue Book instead.
137) Blue Book #4 by James Tynion IV: See directly above.
138) Blue Book #5 by James Tynion IV: Ditto.
139) Star Wars: Doctor Aphra #31 by Alyssa Wong: Spark Gone!
140) Star Wars: Doctor Aphra #32 by Alyssa Wong: Luke Back!
141) Star Wars: Doctor Aphra #33 by Alyssa Wong: Does this tie into the Murderbots/Droids arc they're now on after Crimson Dawn?
142) Star Wars: Doctor Aphra #34 by Alyssa Wong: Who knows! Because I have only read Aphra and Sana!
143) Sana Starros #4 by Justina Ireland: Anyone else have this feeling that the tech or whatever is on this ship that was created by a Starros is just a MacGuffin? Because I sure do.
144) Sana Starros #5 by Justina Ireland: And that's it? OK.
145) Enola Holmes and the Mark of the Mongoose by Nancy Springer: The supposed final Enola Holmes book and I am NOT OK! I need these forever and ever. This one had Rudyard Kipling being misogynistic and bombastic and dealt with the disappearance of his dear friend and the early days of rabies treatment.
146) False Value by Ben Aaronovitch: If you like Peter Grant you are a Douglas Adams fan. The two just go hand in hand. Which means, this book is for you. It's 90% Douglas Adams references. Overall I felt the ending was a little too convoluted, but I seriously loved all the Douglas Adams.
147) The Inheritances Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes: I've had so many recommendations from so many people to read this series, and I felt the first volume was really meh. So Avery Grambs inherits a fortune from a billionaire who disinherits his family. That family includes four rather unique and hot boys around Avery's age. Angst and puzzles insue. My issues were too much angst and the puzzle didn't abide by fair play. In other words readers couldn't solve them. But as you will see below, my opinion shifts. Somewhat.
148) The Lonesome Hunters: The Wolf Child #2 by Tyler Crook: "Wolf" child's mama is in danger and Lupe and Howard shall help!
149) Smoke and Ashes by Alexis Hall: The last book in the series "for now." I never ever want to have to read this series again. It's just not good.
150) The Little Red Wolf by Amélie Fléchais: Cute and beautifully illustrated tale that wolves might not be the real danger. Danger wears many faces.
151) Amongst Our Weapons by Ben Aaronovitch: Peter Grant and Monty Python. A match made in heaven. But what I really admire is that while it could have just been a throwaway Spanish Inquisition joke, Ben Aaronovitch weaves it into the plot. I don't know what I'm going to do without another book in the series currently in print.
152) Rivers of London Volume 9: Monday, Monday by Ben Aaronovitch: Oh, I know. Go back to the shitty comics. Well, according to my star rating I actually liked this one. Don't remember why. Don't care to remember.
153) Rivers of London Volume 10: Deadly Ever After by Ben Aaronovitch: Mainly because this one was the worst of the lot. Just Bev's younger sisters being annoying and just not getting it.
154) Rivers of London Volume 11: Here Be Dragons #1 by Ben Aaronovitch: And then my library actually got in the individual issues of the current graphic novel and there are dragons! I mean, I kind of wish Peter hand done more damage with the dragons, a downed helicopter isn't much damage.
155) Rivers of London Volume 11: Here Be Dragons #2 by Ben Aaronovitch: And then some fairies show up. I don't really like them in this world. In fact I find it interesting that in all the books the one that relies on them the most, Foxglove Summer, is my least favorite.
156) Rivers of London Volume 11: Here Be Dragons #3 by Ben Aaronovitch: And then we go on this bizarre Jimi Hendrix in fairy odyssey. Which, while I like the music angle tying into Peter's father and the music connection that runs through the series. It just didn't really work. Also fairy chavs aren't that funny. Maybe in the abstract, but nope.
157) The Ghosts of Nothing by Cecily Walters: Nelly and her family are the outcasts in the town of Nothing. She's always wondered why she was shunned and hated and gets a possible answer when she finds out she's part fairy. She goes on an adventure and finds answers to her questions but there are surely more adventures ahead.
158) Blitz by Daniel O'Malley: As predicted, there's like no Odette in this volume. Instead we're following Lynette who, despite growing up, having a kid, and being in a stable marriage, all of a sudden discovers she has powers and The Checquy swoop in. She's taught to control her powers and when murder victims start turning up looking as if she's killed them she has to clear her name. And it all ties back to WWII. I really wish it had all been set in WWII because then I wouldn't have been missing my favorite characters so much.
159) The Running Grave by Robert Galbraith: Robin goes undercover in a cult and is sexually assaulted. Again. Strike declares his love for her. JK Rowling is still a TERF.
160) Hell House by Richard Matheson: I really wanted to like this book because I adore the movie. But I think the movie is better, probably because Matheson himself was able to work out the kinks, and one of the kinks in this book is really leaning into the "taboo" of lesbianism. Dammit, I wish Mike Flanagan had gotten the rights to this book so we could have seen what he would have done with it.
161) Putting the Fun in Funeral by Diana Pharaoh Francis: This book is kind of off the wall, but in a good way. There's magic, and torture, and family secrets, and a very weird magical society that makes the government in The Handmaid's Tale seem lax. I look forward to reading more.
162) The Hawthorne Legacy by Jennifer Lynn Barnes: And I came back to the series and really liked this volume. Possibly because this was about finding the lost Hawthorne, Toby, and there were stakes and death and secrets revealed. And yeah. The series found it's groove.
163) The Final Gambit by Jennifer Lynn Barnes: Which continued here, if not quite as strong. But more secrets, more death, and more surprises. And hints of what's to come after the trilogy.
164) Ghostlore #2 by Cullen Bunn: Yeah, people are talking to ghosts and it's whatever.
165) Ghostlore #3 by Cullen Bunn: See above.
166) Ghostlore #4 by Cullen Bunn: See above.
167) The Neighbors #4 by Jude Doyle: I really liked the message of love and inclusivity that this series embraces, but sadly it's not very memorable.
168) The Neighbors #5 by Jude Doyle: See above.
169) Rivers of London Volume 11: Here Be Dragons #4 by Ben Aaronovitch: And they lure the dragons with the obvious egg that was in play. And scene.
170) Season of the Bruja Vol. 1 by Aaron Duran: This was about stolen history and heritage and embracing yourself. It was sweet and I'd totally read more set in this world.
171) Fables #160 by Bill Willingham: Oh look, another issue finally came out. The final two were supposed to be out in November. That never happened. Some websites say the final issue will be in February, some say that's when the penultimate issue will be... At this point, who knows. The way Willingham screwed over DC I'm surprised they're releasing them at all.
172) The Lonesome Hunters: The Wolf Child #3 by Tyler Crook: And evil hunters are coming for the wolf mama. Let's kill them!
173) The Last Word by Taylor Adams: Weird meta thriller where an author attempts to kill a reader for a bad review. It was too obvious, not snarky enough, and the heroine wasn't final girl material.
174) The Ghost Writer by John Hardwood: A young Australian boy has a sexy secret pen pal who turns out to be his aunt bent on revenge after his mother betrayed her. What makes this book special is that it is interwoven with stories written by the boy's great-grandmother that mirror the lives of the family and contain secrets. I wanted more stories and a less abrupt ending.
175) From Hell by Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell: While I totally don't buy into Jack the Ripper being a masonic series of murders at the behest of Queen Victoria, this series wonderfully captured Victorian England and how it's influences would shape the world to come. Just a simply stellar graphic novel. I'd also recommend the colorized version that was release a few years ago.
176) The Lonesome Hunters: The Wolf Child #4 by Tyler Crook: Mama wolf takes out hunters. Like all good mama wolves should.
177) Universal Monsters: Dracula #1 by James Tynion IV: Bought obviously because of the author, but while the writing is serviceable for the story of Dracula, the art is something to behold. Wonderful mixed media that gives a sense of depth and dread. I can not wait to read more.
178) Buffy the Last Vampire Slayer #2 by Casey Gilly: More Lost Boys action.
179) Buffy the Last Vampire Slayer #3 by Casey Gilly: Not sure if it was this issue of the previous but the Buffy "cutting loose, I didn't like it. Didn't work for me. Too Pretty Woman actually is my problem!
180) Firefly: The Fall Guys #1 by Sam Humphries: OK, this is continuing after the death of Jayne. So why are they reintroducing all the characters like it's the first time we've met them? The only people still reading these are diehard fans. So why!?! And why are they trying to make it like a seventies Western? I really just should call it a day with this series but I can't seem to quit it.
181) Firefly: The Fall Guys #2 by Sam Humphries: Read above rant but throw in a rant about restaging the Kennedy assassination.
182) Star Wars: Doctor Aphra #35 by Alyssa Wong: OK, not sure what happened in these three issues, other than Aphra sleeping with her boss Domina, which is a stupid, bad, and also icky turn of events. Please just stop.
183) Star Wars: Doctor Aphra #36 by Alyssa Wong: See above.
184) Star Wars: Doctor Aphra #37 by Alyssa Wong: See above.
185) The Plague Court Murders by John Dickson Carr: Locked room murder mystery that is dependant on mud! It should have been my jam with seances, spiritualists, and murder, but it was very boring and predictable.
186) A Haunting on the Hill by Elizabeth Hand: A wonderful spiritual successor to The Haunting of Hill House with a troupe of performers taking over the house and what happens when there's witches and winter storms. I particularly liked that it told it's own story with a very Alice's Adventures in Wonderland bent.
187) Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree: This book has been read by everyone right? It's about an orc who creates a place in the world for herself and her found family by opening up a coffee shop. It's cozy, it's cute, it's the perfect read for some true comfort. I loved reading it over Thanksgiving. It was something to be thankful for, that's for sure.
188) The Brothers Hawthorne by Jennifer Lynn Barnes: The beginning of the next phase of The Inheritance Games involves us following Grayson and Jameson on different tasks that all boil down to "fixing the mistakes of their (until recently unknown) fathers." Jameson does this in a high stakes game in England while Grayson does this in Arizona protecting his sisters from the death of their father. Very fast paced if totally unbelievable. Especially that twist at the end.
189) Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde: When this book came out in 2009 it was my everything. A dystopian world built on color. I was in love. Fast Forward to now, and the sequel is coming out THIS YEAR! I was lucky enough to get an advance reader copy so decided to reread the original to make sure I remembered everything. Sadly I wasn't in quite the right frame of mind to enjoy it as much as I usually do. I've reread it several times. But I'm in a weird headspace right now, so I decided to push on through because my desire to read Red Side Story is actually greater than starting my Christmas reading, which is saying something.
190) Red Side Story by Jasper Fforde: I have been waiting fourteen years for this book. Yes, I've been waiting longer for this than for GRRM! But this was worth the wait. I think. I mean, I certainly got answers. I know so much now. Yes, I still have questions. But somehow it lacked the mystery of the first. Was it because I was given everything I wanted? I'm not sure. The first book was a puzzle you were slotting together and this was seeing where the pieces landed. It lacked that cozy murder mystery vibe of the first and Jollity Faire, while necessary, which you will see when you read the book, was too contrived for my tastes.
191) Mortal Terror #1 by Christopher Golden: A wonderful inversion of vampire mythology set firmly in the world of Dracula but where the humans are the danger and the myth. Very excited to see where Christopher Golden takes this. I've loved all his vampire stories over the years.
192) Buffy the Last Vampire Slayer #4 by Casey Gilly: This was a confusing issue, but it comes down to, The Watchers Council needing to stop messing with their slayers and let them do their job. Management right?
193) Firefly: The Fall Guys #3 by Sam Humphries: Ugh, this was just so so bad. I mean. I should stop reading it. They used the word zaddy. I hurt.
194) Star Wars: Doctor Aphra #38 by Alyssa Wong: They're tying this into the Spark!?! Oh hell no, we're not going back there!
195) Universal Monsters: Dracula #1 by James Tynion IV: I mean, it's Dracula, you all know the story. This is all about the art. It's just amazing. I can't even describe it just that it's perfect. Though I do agree with someone who said Renfield is looking too much like the Joker.
196) Deviant #1 by James Tynion IV: I need to hold my judgement on this until I read more issues. It's a fine line being walked when you're talking about homosexuality and serial killers. I mean Ryan Murphy handles this horribly all the time. But I have more faith in James Tynion IV to do this subject justice.
197) The Christmas Guest by Peter Swanson: A killer lurking in a small British town where a golden boy is accused of the crimes. Could he be the killer? Enter a naive American art student and things get complicated. Is this a Gothic romance or is it horror? And what would you do for those you love most? Would you let them get away with murder? Would you help them?
198) Winter's Gifts by Ben Aaronovitch: I love the world the Aaronovitch has created by I was hesitant to read this one because it takes place in Wisconsin so therefore, I might notice the errors more than the average person... And there are errors. I'll forgive Aaronovitch for a lot of the words that are just too British, because it's just his writing style, I won't forgive him though for not knowing enough about Wisconsin to make his romantic lead come across as a pretentious dick. Kimberley Reynolds has to deal with some fallout in Northern Wisconsin from 1843. Her love interest is Bill. He would seem perfect to anyone not from Wisconsin. But he loves a notorious disliked weatherman and lives "on the Isthmus" in Madison, a phrase only the pretentious use. Oh, and what's with naming one of the characters after the most hated governor that Wisconsin has ever had? It just pissed me off.
199) Murder for Christmas by Francis Duncan: A Golden Age locked room mystery, which sees our romantic sleuth, Mordecai Tremaine, invited to a house party that is rather tense with an overwhelming sense of doom. So it's not too shocking when a corpse is found under the Christmas Tree. Tremaine sets to work and it's a wonderful, very Clue-esque, Christmas caper.
200) The White Priory Murders by Carter Dickson: This is the reason I read the aforementioned The Plague Court Murders. And reading that book made me appreciate this book more. Because he fixed his problems. Sir Henry arrives sooner, the annoying narrator is gone, and it's all together a better book. I am amused though that the crime is set up in almost the exact same manner, an outer building with the detritus of nature, this time snow instead of mud, making signs of exit and entry obvious. The ending was a nice twist, but overall the way "Carter Dickson" writes is a little too obfuscating and confusing. What confuses me most is the murder victim is almost a non-entity. It's all about the crime not the victim. Sir Henry in fact sees the murder in this case as she deserved to die? Um what!?!
201) Your Guide to Not Getting Murdered in a Quaint English Village by Maureen Johnson: This book is sheer brilliance. Very Charles Addams meets Edward Gorey but with the most obsessively observant eye when it comes to British murder mysteries, be they books or shows of movies. I laughed aloud many times and even nodded sagely because some of the tropes she skewers were in the books I had just read! This is a must read for any Anglophile, especially if you obsessively watch Midsomer Murders!
202) Murder on the Christmas Express by Alexandra Benedict: This book should have come with a HUGE Trigger Warning. I mean, ostensibly it's Alexandra Benedict doing Murder on the Orient Express, but it's all about rape and PTSD and if you have mother issues, damn, stay away from this one. I like how so many people thought this would be a cozy Christmas read. I at least knew that she is capable of massive slaughter after reading her previous book. I'm glad I was more prepared than most, but still. Damn.
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