Batman: A Death in the Family

 

Batman: A Death in the Family by Jim Starlin and Marv Wolfman (1988) 272 pages

The edition I read on Hoopla is actually two Batman stories for the price of one. Jim Starlin is responsible for the A Death in the Family story. And Marv Wolfman is responsible for a story called A Lonely Place of Dying. The first story is famous because readers of the Batman comics had the opportunity to vote for how they wanted the story to end. The Dick Grayson/Robin character had grown up and a new Robin named Jason Todd was trained as Batman's sidekick. The readers decided this new Robin character should die. It is an exciting globetrotting adventure rather then being confined to Gotham. There are multiple mysteries and Batman and company facing off against their greatest foe, the Joker. In the late '80s Batman was becoming darker than ever. The second story suggests Batman needs Robin to humanize him again. It is an origin story of yet another new Robin named Tim Drake. A good chunk of this story follows the Teen Titans, Dick Grayson's new group, rather than Batman, and I was a little lost since I am not familiar with those characters. When we do get back to Batman he is matching wits with Two-Face, but I was disappointed in the plot developments.

Family Business

 Family Business by Jonathan Sims, 336 pages.

Diya's world seems to shrink rapidly after her best friend Angie dies. She is deep in grief and quickly loses touch with her friends and family, and soon loses her meaningless office job as well. So it's a relief when she gets a job at Slough and Sons, a family business that cleans up after the recently dead. The work feels meaningful, but soon Diya starts having visions of the people they clean up after that are hard to explain away, and she begins to fear that something is hunting London's lonely and isolated. And the Sloughs have something to do with it. Diya may have joined the business, but she didn't join the family, and her grief has made her at least as isolated as the poor souls whose houses they clean.

This book was pretty good. It was sort of spooky and atmospheric, and full of really cool images. There wasn't a whole lot here that blew me away, but it was a fun popcorn book for October. If anyone is interested in reading it I would recommend the ebook, as the US release of this one is still a while off.

Fun fact: Jonathan Sims is also the creator of the popular podcast The Magnus Archives, and I think I read a lot of this book in his voice. I wouldn't be at all surprised if he reads the audiobook when it comes out.

Twelfth Grade Night

 Twelfth Grade Night by Molly Horton Booth, Stephanie Kate Strohm, and Jamie Green, 160 pages.

Vi started at Arden High, a magical public high school, for a fresh start and an escape from uniform skirts. But the school isn't the same without her twin brother, who was supposed to switch with her and decided to stay at the private school they had been attending. Luckily, Vi is quickly swept up in the excitement of the new school. She's swept into helping plan the twelfth grade night dance, and swept away by Orsino (aspiring poet and influencer). The only problem is that he wants her to ask Olivia to go to the dance with him, and Olivia keeps flirting with her, not to mention that all of her new friends seem to assume she's not even interested in guys.

This is a shockingly true adaptation for a high school au that also removes the most central plot element of the original play (ie, Vi is not masquerading as her twin brother). Somehow it still comes together into something that feels like Twelfth Night (which, fun fact, is one of my favorite Shakespeare plays). This comic is fun and weird, and it's super fun to see how the author's twisted some things to make the story feel completely natural in the modern day. Apparently there's another upcoming book in the series called King Cheer and I'm very excited for it.

The Odyssey

 The Odyssey by Homer, trans. Emily Wilson, 582 pages.

I don't feel any great need to give a long summary of a story that is several thousands of years old. Odysseus has a hard time getting home after the Trojan War, and once he does he has more trouble there. What I will say is that this is a very good translation. Wilson does an excellent job interrogating the conventions of translating the Odyssey and examining whether or not they actually contribute to a better translation of the original story. This results, most notably, in a text written in much more accessible language, as well as grappling more directly with all of the slavery in this book. I absolutely recommend reading her essays in the introduction, which I read mostly after I finished the main text of the book, but which could also be valuable if you read them before. I believe Emily Wilson is working on a translation of the Iliad right now, and I definitely plan to pick that one up when it's done.

The Old Woman with the Knife

 

The Old Woman with the Knife by Pyong-mo Ku 280 pp. translated by Chi-Young Kim

Hornclaw is sixty-five years old and coming to the end of her career as a hired assassin for the company started by her and a former business partner. She is slowing down and facing retirement when she will cash out her share of the business. But she is not ready to leave her lifelong career just yet. For decades she has been a ruthlessly efficient killer, dispatching her targets swiftly and avoiding any personal entanglements with them. Now there is a young assassin working for the company who has it in for Hornclaw and she doesn't know why. He seems determined to drive her out of the business. When Hornclaw makes a mistake and is injured, it brings into contact with a young doctor and his extended family. Soon all of them are in danger. This unusual story is fast moving and I found myself sympathizing with the main character in spite of her profession. We women of a certain age have to stick together I guess.

Another Man's Moccasins

 

Another Man's Moccasins by Craig Johnson 290 pp

This is the fourth book in the Longmire mystery series. When the body of a young Vietnamese woman is found along a highway in the middle of nowhere Sheriff Walt Longmire has to find out why she was there and who killed her. The main subject is a disturbed, mountain of a Crow Indian who is a danger to himself and everyone dealing with him. The Vietnamese victim had in her possession a photograph that ties Longmire to the crime via his work as an investigator during the Vietnam War decades before. All the usual Absaroka County characters appear and the audiobook is masterfully narrated by George Guidall. 

The Relic Master

 

The Relic Master by Christopher Buckley  380 pp.

Dismas is a relic hunter in 1517. He makes his living searching for religious relics (many of questionable provenance) to sell to his patrons, Frederick, elector of Saxony and Cardinal Albrecht of Mainz. Albrecht desperately wants Christ's burial shroud for his collection and for the funds it will bring in by luring pilgrims to come see it. Dismas persuades his friend, the artist Dürer to make a forgery. When Albrecht discovers the forgery he sends Dismas, Dürer, and three not-too-bright guards to steal the Shroud of Chambéry. Chaos ensues and Dismas and his party must fight for their lives, more than once. The further along I got in the book, the more I realized I had, in fact read this book before. On checking my lists I discovered I did read it in 2016. I left a more detailed review here.

The Bullet That Missed

The Bullet That Missed by Richard Osman, 342 pages

In this third outing with the Thursday Murder Club, the senior citizen sleuths are digging up the cold case of the murder of Bethany Waites, an up-and-coming TV journalist who was on the verge of uncovering a major scandal when she and her car went off a cliff and into the ocean. As Joyce, Ron, and Ibriham start schmoozing with the local TV anchor to dig into Bethany's last days, former MI6 agent Elizabeth gets a startling ultimatum: an unknown "Viking" tells her she must kill a former KGB agent or he'll kill Joyce. Juggling between the cold case and Elizabeth's secret task, the crew manages to get tangled up in prison visits, snooker games with money launderers, and even Bitcoin. 

Just like the first two books in this series, The Bullet That Missed is a fun mystery with fantastic colorful characters. My one concern is that the cast is getting a bit unwieldy, with the four main members of the Thursday Murder Club, their friendly police officers, a Polish henchman who now does Elizabeth's bidding, and more. I fear that if this exponential growth continues, it's going to be more difficult to keep the twisty plotlines straight. That said, it was a fun story, and I'll certainly read the next one in the series.

Kingdom of the Blind

 

Kingdom of the Blind by Louise Penny (2018) 389 pages

Louise Penny assembles her cast of characters with her usual care, bringing another episode to the Inspector Gamache series. There's way too much to relate, but the larger events include the fact that Armand Gamache is under suspension for a previous investigation that had no possible perfect outcome. Because of the choices he had to make, now there's great concern that a super-dangerous new fentanyl-type drug will be hitting the streets anytime now, and although he is suspended, some of his people are still working with him to try to stop its distribution. A cadet from the police academy who has already been given extra chances has been dismissed for drug use, and she quickly descends to her former life on Montreal's inner city streets. We see a bleak life for drug addicts and prostitutes, even without the newest drug available yet. Meanwhile, Gamache and two others, including Myrna, the psychologist who now runs a bookstore in the village of Three Pines, learn that they were chosen to liquidate the estate of a woman who worked as a housecleaner, but who called herself a Baroness. Was she actually a Baroness, or was she delusional? One of the other estate liquidators, a young builder/handyman named Benedict, seems sweet (and in fact, saved the others when they were in a building that collapsed), but they still can't really trust him completely. Their job grows more difficult with a related death that just might be a murder. 

Penny does not disappoint me as she weaves the tale, keeping me on edge‒and loving the characters‒until the final page.

The World's Strongest Librarian

The World's Strongest Librarian by Josh Hanagarne, 291 pages

Four things to know about Josh Hanagarne: First, he is a librarian in Salt Lake City. Second, he's a powerlifter who participates in strong-man competitions (he bends horseshoes. FOR FUN.). Third, he's Mormon. Fourth, he has Tourette syndrome, a condition of the nervous system that causes people to have repeated tics, including movements, sounds, and various twitches. 

In this memoir, Hanagarne describes how these four elements of his life (and the many others that I didn't mention above) weave together in sometimes hilarious, sometimes frightening ways. It's a captivating story, and I can't believe it took me almost a decade to read it, despite having colleagues rave about it from day one. *sigh* At least I finally read it!

Husband Material

Husband Material by Alexis Hall, 422 pages

After two years of dating, Luc and Oliver are still going strong. But as their friends (and exes) get married, they start to feel the pressure to tie the knot themselves. As awkwardly as possible, they get engaged and, well, this wouldn't be much of a book if there weren't plenty of hurdles (both serious and absolutely hilarious) on their way to the altar.

I'll admit that I haven't seen Four Weddings and a Funeral, but given the fact that there are, in fact, four weddings and a funeral (that of Oliver's difficult dad) in this book, it's a pretty safe bet that Hall is intentionally referencing it throughout the novel. Despite my romcom cultural blind spot, I enjoyed the framing of this book, and the update on Luc and Oliver's life, the complexities of which are handled masterfully by Hall. I will happily read more about these two, should Hall write more about them.

Boyfriend Material

Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall, 425 pages

As the son of two rock stars, Luc sometimes gets followed by the paparazzi, who always seem to draw the worst conclusions from innocuous situations (tripping over a curb on the way out of a costume party translates to "drugged and drunken D-lister can't control himself or his kinks"), which makes his job raising money for charity particularly difficult. So when Luc's idiot coworker (more on him in a bit) suggests faking a stable relationship to appease the charity's more conservative donors, Luc figures he has nothing to lose. Enter by-the-book barrister Oliver, who happens to need a date to his parents' anniversary party. 

Fake dating tropes re quite possibly the least realistic of all romance tropes, but darn if I don't love them! Hall wrote this one wonderfully, letting Luc and Oliver's insecurities create realistic roadblocks to their fake/not-fake relationship. However, my favorite part of this book is the cast of supporting characters, from Luc's friends (including the married couple, James Royce and James Royce, who decided to combine their last names when they married, so now they're both James Royce-Royce) to his quirky coworkers, including the aforementioned idiot, Alex, who would be quite the contender in the Upper-Class Twit of the Year competition. They're hilarious, and add a good balance to the often serious issues Luc and Oliver are dealing with. I'm so glad Hall wrote a sequel, which I'll be blogging about momentarily.

The Night Circus

 The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, 387 pages.

The circus arrives without warning. Le Cirque des Rêves (The Circus of Dreams in English) is a circus like no other. It opens at sundown and closes when the sun rises, and contained within it's countless black and white striped tents are inexplicable wonders. Which are at least a little more explicable if you know that the circus is also the playing field for a game between two young magicians who have been training for it since childhood, even if they don't entirely understand the rules of the game that their mentors committed them to so many years before. But even Marco's protective spells and Celia's best effort can't keep this magical place running forever, and after decades things are starting to break under the strain.

This is a beautiful book. It's deeply atmospheric, and something about the way Morgenstern writes always feels completely transportative to me. The romance in this book also really works for me. The circus itself becomes a love letter, and I find that this in many ways is the heart of the novel. I would absolutely recommend this sprawling, magical story as a great fall read.

Spy x Family vol. 5 and 6

 Spy x Family vol. 5 and 6 by Tatsuya Endo, 416 pages.

The stakes on these volumes zoom in a bit to the family struggles part of the series. In volume five we focus mostly on Anya desperately studying for her midterms because, due to a quirk of her telepathy, she loses her powers in the days surrounding the new moon (which is of course when the midterms fall). 

Volume six introduces us to Twilight's fellow spy, Nightfall. The two are assigned to work together on an important intelligence gathering mission at an underground tennis tournament, which is made more complicated by the fact that she's in love with him and look to steal the role of "wife" from Yor. Naturally this causes some tension.

Spy x Family vol. 3 and 4

 Spy x Family vol. 3 and 4 by Tatsuya Endo, 392 pages

Volume three of this extremely fun series seems to mark the end of the major set-up for the series, as we meet Yor's younger brother Yuri, who (unbeknownst to her and apparently only her) works for the secret police hunting for spies, and Twilight in particular (naturally). 

By volume four we start getting into some more serious spy craft, and higher stakes than have been in the series so far, as Loid as to try and stop an assassination attempt on a visiting foreign minister and Anya gets caught up in a terrorist plot. Also, the Forger family gets a dog! I'm definitely sold on this series, and excited to see where they go with it. 

The Last Children of Mill Creek

The Last Children of Mill Creek by Vivian Gibson, 145 pages

In 1959, the segregated working class neighborhood of Mill Creek Valley was razed to build Highway 40 through St. Louis. Before being torn down in the name of "urban renewal," this vibrant, if poor, neighborhood was full of hard-working Black families who attended church together, kids who played together in the streets and alleys, and the businesses that catered to their needs. 

The Last Children of Mill Creek presents a look at everyday life in Mill Creek Valley through the eyes of a young girl, the author, who lived there with her parents and seven siblings in a three-room apartment. I found the book to be vibrant, humorous, and an illuminating personal narrative that brings into focus many of the historical bits of American life that are generally taught through statistics and maps (if at all) instead of stories of individuals. Well worth a read. 

Unbreak Me

Unbreak Me by Michelle Hazen (2019) 296 pages

Andra was kidnapped and sexually assaulted five years ago while she was in college. Although she was able to go back and complete her degree, she has walled herself off from further pain and further joy. She's living in her own small house on her father's ranch in Montana, training horses. She takes a chance on hiring LJ, a Black cowboy from New Orleans. Not knowing about her past at first, he treats her like a regular person, which is a new feeling for her, since everyone else around their small community has been extra careful about how they speak and behave in her presence.

LJ likes the work, but he has concerns about being too far from his mother as she deals with health issues. At Andra's father's ranch, he's also torn between his attraction to Andra and being treated poorly by others around him, including Andra's father.

Can these two people find a way to explore the possibility of a relationship, while each feels the tug of family ties, while navigating the deep trauma of Andra's assault? It seems to be a situation made for heartbreak.

Cyclopedia Exotica

Cyclopedia Exotica by Arminder Dhaliwal, 265 pages

In this inventive graphic novel, cyclopes live as normally as possible among two-eyed people. But in the case of anyone who looks or lives in a way that's not "normal" (AKA straight, white, and male), the cyclopes deal with a complex relationship with their two-eyed neighbors. Through interweaving stories, Dhaliwal creates a book that humanizes "the other" in many ways, from the confrontational artists to the eternal optimist who's just trying to find a nice girlfriend, from the former spokesmodel for "normalizing" wear for cyclopes to a man whose surgery to become two-eyed failed, leaving him uncomfortable everywhere. This book is smart, insightful, and funny in the best possible ways. If you read and like this one, I'd recommend checking out Dhaliwal's other graphic novel, Woman World, which is likewise fantastic.

Killers of a Certain Age

Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn, 353 pages

Billie, Mary Alice, Natalie, and Helen are on board a cruise to celebrate their retirement from the Museum when they realize that a burly crew member is actually an assassin trying to kill them. Because "the Museum" is actually an extra-governmental organization dedicated to finding and eliminating bad people (drug lords, human traffickers, corrupt judges, even a Nazi every now and then), and our four heroines were some of their best assassins before they retired. Now Billie and her friends must figure out who put the hit out on them and kill or be killed in a globe-trotting caper.

Oh, this was so much fun to read! The four main characters are fantastic, and I loved the way their personalities worked together. A fun book, and great for fans of Richard Osman's Thursday Murder Club books. Get in the waiting list for this one, cuz it's worth it.

Suburban Hell

Suburban Hell by Maureen Kilmer, 336 pages

The PTA moms of Winchester, Illinois, have just broken ground on their club house/She Shed when one of their number, Liz, starts acting a bit odd, lazing around and being rude to her friends where she was previously kind and always active. While some of the more perfectionist moms of the group pass it off as "more of Liz's substandard life," Liz's close friend Amy is convinced that something demonic is at play. With the reluctant help of her other pals Melissa and Jess, Amy starts investigating and nothing, even rogue household appliances and rotting-corpse smells, will deter them from saving their friend.

This is a beach read for spooky season. It's light, it's fluffy, and it's funny. I appreciated the snark and the "power of friendships" vein that runs through the book, though I expected the scary stuff to be actually scary. It wasn't. But if you go into this book expecting fluff and fun and nothing more, it's plenty enjoyable.

Ayoade on Ayode

 

Ayoade on Ayoade: A Cinematic Odyssey by Richard Ayoade 320 pp. audiobook read by the author

Anyone familiar with the British sitcom "The IT Crowd" will know Richard Ayoade as the character Moss. After watching that show I was expecting . . . I'm not exactly sure what from this book, but it wasn't this. There are many moments of humor, often subtle. However, much more of it is rambling commentary about Ayoade's life, and his attempts at screenwriting and filmmaking which I think is intended to be humorous but falls flat. Surreal but disappointing. 

What Angels Fear

 

What Angels Fear by C.S. Harris  341 pp.

In 1811 England the country is still involved in a war with France as well as dealing with the crisis of a mad king whose extravagant son is about to be made regent. Sebastian St. Cyr, the Viscount Devlin's father has an important role in the government. Sebastian is accused of the brutal murder and rape of a young actress/prostitute but has escaped the police. He is determined to find the real killer to clear his name. He gathers a crew of assistants including a savvy street urchin, a coroner, and his former love, a beautiful actress named Kat Boleyn (her stage name, not one of those Boleyns). This story has lots of action and interesting characters but almost too many suspects and skin-of-the-teeth escapes. I'm on the fence about reading more in the series. However, the narration of the audiobook by Davina Porter is exemplary.

Silence of the Grave

Silence of the Grave by Arnaldur Indriðason, translated from Icelandic by Bernard Scudder 293 pp.

This is the second book in the Inspector Erlendur Sveinsson mystery series. A skeleton is discovered at a construction site in a remote area outside Reykjavik, where there was once a WWII military base. Because nothing is known about the body it is being treated as both a crime scene and a possible archaeological find. As the body is slowly unearthed by the archaeology crew, Erlendur and his staff begin investigating the possible crime. The story flashes back to the past with the stories of an abused wife and the missing fiancé of a local resident. The investigation is hampered by the slowness of digging out the skeleton which prevents them from knowing if it is of a man or woman. Meanwhile Erlendur's once estranged, drug addicted daughter is in a coma after losing the baby she was carrying. He splits his time between the investigation and hours sitting at the hospital. This is one of those stories where you think you have solved it, then you don't, then you think you were right previously, but then you change your mind . . . . I've read one other in this series and plan to read more.

Siren Queen

Siren Queen

 Siren Queen by Nghi Vo (2022) 288 pages

I listened to the audiobook narrated by Natalie Naudus. This fits the speculative fiction genre, in that it is not quite science fiction and not quite fantasy. It asks "What If?" What if an alternative version of the Golden Age of Hollywood had some fairy tale elements. There are some magical transformations and anthropomorphic animal-like characters. A Chinese American actress like Anna May Wong achieves stardom despite the racist limitations of the film industry. Luli Wei would rather play a monster than a maid without sacrificing too much of her life or blood. The story features queer love in a setting where real life stars and crew had to remain in the closet. There are some steamy scenes. The title Siren Queen also refers to the final film of an adventure trilogy in which Luli Wei stars as a sea creature hunted by a Captain Nemo-like character. I loved the painterly way the author describes the film industry and the artists trying to achieve stardom and recognition. Portraying the danger and triumph of the Hollywood dream factory in this way was so fascinating.

The Long Road Home + two more

The Long Road Home: One Step at a Time 93 pp.

The War Within: One More Step at a Time 110 pp.

Signature Wound: Rocking TBI 122 pp.

Author G.B. Trudeau

G.B. Trudeau revisits his Doonesbury characters in these three graphic novels about injured Iraq War veterans. In the first two books BD, the character who always wore a helmet in the old comic strips, loses his leg in combat. The first volume covers his recovery, learning to use his prosthetic leg and his return to his wife, Boopsie and their daughter, and Zonker the hippie stoner who is their live-in "nanny". While the first story mostly involves his physical recovery, the second is about BD's mental recovery and dealing with PTSD with the help of another disabled vet who does counseling. The third book is about a new character nicknamed "Toggle" who was under BD's command. Toggle suffers a Traumatic Brain Injury and BD ends up working as his counselor. For fans of Doonesbury and everyone else. There is information appended to each book about Fisher House, a "home away from home" for military families with patients in military and VA medical centers (think Ronald McDonald House for soldiers). 

 

Pumpkinheads

Rainbow Rowell, 209 pages

 

This graphic novel is a sweet Autumn story with a slight romantic feeling between two friends Deja and Josiah who work at a pumpkin patch every year. Together they plan an awesome Halloween night to celebrate their last season working together at the pumpkin patch before heading off to college.

 Josiah has a crush on another girl at the pumpkin patch, and Deja isn’t going to let him spend his last night at the pumpkin patch without encouraging him to confront his crush. They both go through hoops and ladders to find his crush while they enjoy all the food and fun at the patch. In the end Josiah realizes that his friendship with Deja means more than his crush.  

Hell Followed With Us

Hell Followed With Us by Andrew Joseph White, 416 pages.

Benji is sixteen, trans, and on the run from the fundamentalist cult that raised him, caused the apocalypse, and infected him with a virus that is slowly turning him into a monster. Benji is found and taken in by the ALC, the remnants of the Acheson LGBTQ+ Center, who are now banding together to try and survive the apocalypse and the cult that is trying to finish the job that the plague they unleashed started. A job that Benji was made to help them complete. But he figures that if he's being transformed into a monster anyway, he may as well make them suffer for it. 

For a debut novel this is pretty strong. If this was Kara's book club I would definitely have some items in the "Don't buy it" category, but it overall read very smoothly and was genuinely spooky and/or deeply disturbing in a lot of places. It's also, fair warning, very gross. There's a whole lot of body horror in this novel, and I would definitely say it's not for the squeamish. 

Side Note: this cover is so cool, I love the flat style and colors
 

Less Is Lost

Less Is Lost by Andrew Sean Greer (2022) 257 pages

Learning about Greer's newest book was like coming across a friend I had never expected to see again! Arthur Less's mentor and longtime former lover, Robert Brownburn has died. The twist is that although Brownburn seems to have given to Less the one bedroom bungalow in San Francisco that he and Less lived in, Less learns that he must pay for a decade's worth of back rent within a month, or he loses the bungalow forever. 

Thus starts off our quirky hero Less on a frenetic search for enough cash ‒ tasks which include bringing an author to an-out-town onstage event to interview him, being part of a prize committee, and traveling in the South with a troupe who has made a play out of one of Less's own books.

Meanwhile, Less's lover, Freddy, is in Maine, teaching (and later hibernating on an island), trying to make sense of his and Less's lives. We also learn more about Less's family history, his relationships with his mother, sister and mostly absentee father. And about other people named Arthur Less.

I recommend that one read the first book, Less, before reading this one, just to appreciate it all the more. Enjoyed this tremendously, and expect to reread soon, to pull out even more of the rich tidbits packaged inside so well.

Sandman: Overture

Sandman: Overture by Neil Gaiman, art by J.H. Williams III, 224 pages

Originally published in 2015, this prequel to the Sandman story sets up everything that happens in the groundbreaking comics series. We learn what put Dream in the weakened state that got him captured to begin with; we find out why his relationship with Desire is so prickly; we meet his parents. And through it all, J.H. Williams III illustrates it beautifully. I read this when it first came out, and while the story didn't stick with me particularly well, I remember thinking that it was absolutely gorgeous. Well, between 2015 and now, I've read a heck of a lot more graphic novels, and I can still say with 100% conviction that this is the most gorgeous graphic novel I've ever seen. What's particularly impressive is the wide range of artistic styles that Williams utilizes, perfectly matching the scenes and characters. I love me some Neil Gaiman and this story is fantastic, but his writing definitely takes a backseat to the art in this tale. I could stare at the pages for days.

Sandman: Endless Nights

Sandman: Endless Nights by Neil Gaiman, various artists, 160 pages

Created to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the groundbreaking Sandman comics series, this collection of short graphic stories provides a tale for each of the Endless: Dream, Death, Destiny, Delirium, Desire, Despair, and Destruction. Each features a different artistic style (the most striking of which, IMO, is "Fifteen Portraits of Despair," which was art directed by the amazing Dave McKean) and style of storytelling. It's a lovely way to celebrate an anniversary: dipping back into the endless lives of these amazing characters for one last glimpse.*

*Not really a last glimpse, as there's also Sandman: Overture, which I'm gonna blog about in a minute.

Sandman: The Dream Hunters

Sandman: The Dream Hunters by Neil Gaiman, art by Yoshitaka Amano, 144 pages

Published 10 years after the original series concluded, this Sandman book isn't part of the official comics series — but it's a key example of "related work." Told in prose and accompanied by striking artwork, this story retells a Japanese fairy tale about a monk, a fox, and murder-through-dreams. It's lovely, wonderfully told, and is as accessible to newcomers to the story as it is to Sandman aficionados. Well worth a read, if you haven't read it yet.

High School

High School by Sara Quin & Tegan Quin, 369 pages

In 2019, the twin queens of Canadian indie rock, Tegan and Sara, published this memoir of their high school years. These were the years when they started learning to play music (by stealing their step-dad's guitar out of his office while he wasn't home and playing along to whatever grunge music they had playing at the time), write songs (many of which were spurred by their confused feelings about their best friends/girlfriends), and work together musically while fighting tooth and nail otherwise. 

This was a great book, and I can see why it's being adapted into a TV series for Amazon. It's relatable, captivating, and full of stories that are a bit more dramatic than anything I experienced in high school (of course, I was a band geek, so what do I know?). I highly recommend listening to the audiobook, which is read by the the twins (thankfully they announce their name before each chapter they read, as their voices are pretty similar) and is interspersed with low-fi recordings of their first songs. More than once, I found myself humming the songs, none of which I'd heard before, despite being a big fan of theirs. It also includes a short interview between Tegan and Sara about writing the book and recording the audiobook. A great book and an even better audiobook.

Hard Reboot

Hard Reboot by Django Wexler, 149 pages

For a novella about giant fighting robots, this book packs a heck of a punch, covering everything from generational class-based prejudice to academic integrity to our increasing reliance on technology. Regan wrote an excellent review here, so I'll not try to reinvent the wheel, except to say that I too am excited to talk to the Orcs & Aliens book group about this on Monday!

September totals

Hey, it's a new blogging year, and that means we need more bloggers! Now's your chance to advance your readers' advisory skills, help us win a shiny trophy, and join the cool kids on the blog! Ask Kara or Regan how to get involved.

Jan  4/1192

Kara  13/3533

Regan  14/3937

Total: 31 books, 8662 pages

Thistlefoot

Thistlefoot by GennaRose Nethercott, 435 pages

Woodworker Bellatine and her nomadic brother Isaac are minding their own business when they get word that they have inherited something from their long-gone ancestor: her house. But their ancestor was Baba Yaga, and her house, well, it has chicken legs and runs around. Despite their trepidation about the semi-sentient house, they take it on the road, traveling from town to town, presenting a puppet show that their parents used to do. However,  neither Bellatine nor Isaac can shake off their own demons, and there's a creepy...man?...stalking them across the country.

This was a wonderful and weird story about history, the power of stories, generational trauma, self-doubt, and so much more. I absolutely loved it, and I can definitely see reading this in Orcs & Aliens some day (I don't think we've done a Baba Yaga story yet...?).