October 2017 reading
October 2017 reading:
44. Urban Enemies, edited by Joseph Nassise (448 pages)
Many of these stories are fantastic and fascinating. I admit I mostly picked this up for the Jim Butcher, Faith Hunter, and Seanan McGuire tales, but the others were quite fun to read. I'll be looking for more urban fantasy to read soon, so I'll likely pick up some of these series.
45. Gallery: A Collection of Pictures and Words, by Howard Richard Debs (87 pages)
Debs' Gallery is a true olio of lyric work, ranging from poetry to essay to short fiction, tackling topics ranging from a love of M&Ms to the Holocaust. The poems in here reflect a life well-lived, and possess a mesmerizing quality, especially when read aloud to find the cadence of the words. Divided into four "wings" of Elsewhere, Anywhere, Nowhere, and Somewhere, Gallery takes us through a collage of photographs and homages, pulling us across the miles Debs has traveled from Chicago to Bali. At times his voice laments, at others celebrates, and always explores the idea of kismet, what is meant to be in the gallery that is life.
46. Luna, by Julie Anne Peters (248 pages)
While I enjoyed this read while reading it, there were some deeper issues with the book. It felt like there were too many plotlines going on, and many of them were only glanced at when they could have been delved into. I didn't quite understand why Regan was a social outcast, as that was never developed. Liam/Luna was somewhat more fleshed out, but in many cases seemed very surface-level in characterization and sometimes based on stereotypes. The mom and dad weren't developed either, so they felt sometimes like caricatures. I just find myself wishing this book and its characters had been more fully developed.
47. The Dark Prophecy, by Rick Riordan (414 pages)
Apollo-now-Lester's vision leads the team to Indianapolis, where they promptly lose Festus and have to escape danger. They take refuge in the Waystation, where Apollo finds people from his past, who are having problems of their own thanks to the emperor... also someone from Apollo's past, and someone he isn't looking forward to seeing. They must find a way to solve the problems they face and defeat the emperor, or the city of Indianapolis could see ruin. Good read, and it's interesting to watch Apollo grow.
48. Spice and Wolf: Volume 14, by Isuna Hasekura (240 pages)
Just as things are falling into place - a map to Yoitsu and the means to get there - Lawrence, Col, and Holo run into Elsa again in Lenos, accompanied by a merchant who asks Lawrence for his help. The problem is, it would mean he couldn't accompany Holo to Yoitsu, and worse, Holo is encouraging him to take the opportunity as it would mean a significant profit for him. He's beyond disappointed, and is determined to find a way... SUCH a good read.
October pages: 1,437
Pages to date: 14,345
Progress: 48/52
October 2017 comics/manga reading:
103. Case Closed: Volume 63, by Gosho Aoyama (192 pages)
104. A Certain Scientific Railgun: Volume 12, by Kazuma Kamachi (208 pages)
105. DC Comics Bombshells: Volume 2, by Marguerite Bennett (144 pages)
106. Batman Beyond: Volume 1, by Dan Jurgens (144 pages)
107. Puella Magi Madoka Magica: The Movie Rebellion: Volume 3, by Magica Quartet (144 pages)
108. Dresden Files: Wild Card, by Jim Butcher (144 pages)
109. Mercy Thompson: Moon Called: Volume 1, by Patricia Briggs (128 pages)
110. Injection: Volume 1, by Warren Ellis (120 pages)
111. Wonder Woman: Volume 2, by Brian Azzarello (144 pages)
112. Ghostbusters: Volume 5, by Erik Burnham (104 pages)
113. Kingyo Used Books: Volume 1, by Seimu Yoshizaki (208 pages)
October pages: 1,680
Pages to date: 20,043
Progress: 113/150
44. Urban Enemies, edited by Joseph Nassise (448 pages)
Many of these stories are fantastic and fascinating. I admit I mostly picked this up for the Jim Butcher, Faith Hunter, and Seanan McGuire tales, but the others were quite fun to read. I'll be looking for more urban fantasy to read soon, so I'll likely pick up some of these series.
45. Gallery: A Collection of Pictures and Words, by Howard Richard Debs (87 pages)
Debs' Gallery is a true olio of lyric work, ranging from poetry to essay to short fiction, tackling topics ranging from a love of M&Ms to the Holocaust. The poems in here reflect a life well-lived, and possess a mesmerizing quality, especially when read aloud to find the cadence of the words. Divided into four "wings" of Elsewhere, Anywhere, Nowhere, and Somewhere, Gallery takes us through a collage of photographs and homages, pulling us across the miles Debs has traveled from Chicago to Bali. At times his voice laments, at others celebrates, and always explores the idea of kismet, what is meant to be in the gallery that is life.
46. Luna, by Julie Anne Peters (248 pages)
While I enjoyed this read while reading it, there were some deeper issues with the book. It felt like there were too many plotlines going on, and many of them were only glanced at when they could have been delved into. I didn't quite understand why Regan was a social outcast, as that was never developed. Liam/Luna was somewhat more fleshed out, but in many cases seemed very surface-level in characterization and sometimes based on stereotypes. The mom and dad weren't developed either, so they felt sometimes like caricatures. I just find myself wishing this book and its characters had been more fully developed.
47. The Dark Prophecy, by Rick Riordan (414 pages)
Apollo-now-Lester's vision leads the team to Indianapolis, where they promptly lose Festus and have to escape danger. They take refuge in the Waystation, where Apollo finds people from his past, who are having problems of their own thanks to the emperor... also someone from Apollo's past, and someone he isn't looking forward to seeing. They must find a way to solve the problems they face and defeat the emperor, or the city of Indianapolis could see ruin. Good read, and it's interesting to watch Apollo grow.
48. Spice and Wolf: Volume 14, by Isuna Hasekura (240 pages)
Just as things are falling into place - a map to Yoitsu and the means to get there - Lawrence, Col, and Holo run into Elsa again in Lenos, accompanied by a merchant who asks Lawrence for his help. The problem is, it would mean he couldn't accompany Holo to Yoitsu, and worse, Holo is encouraging him to take the opportunity as it would mean a significant profit for him. He's beyond disappointed, and is determined to find a way... SUCH a good read.
October pages: 1,437
Pages to date: 14,345
Progress: 48/52
October 2017 comics/manga reading:
103. Case Closed: Volume 63, by Gosho Aoyama (192 pages)
104. A Certain Scientific Railgun: Volume 12, by Kazuma Kamachi (208 pages)
105. DC Comics Bombshells: Volume 2, by Marguerite Bennett (144 pages)
106. Batman Beyond: Volume 1, by Dan Jurgens (144 pages)
107. Puella Magi Madoka Magica: The Movie Rebellion: Volume 3, by Magica Quartet (144 pages)
108. Dresden Files: Wild Card, by Jim Butcher (144 pages)
109. Mercy Thompson: Moon Called: Volume 1, by Patricia Briggs (128 pages)
110. Injection: Volume 1, by Warren Ellis (120 pages)
111. Wonder Woman: Volume 2, by Brian Azzarello (144 pages)
112. Ghostbusters: Volume 5, by Erik Burnham (104 pages)
113. Kingyo Used Books: Volume 1, by Seimu Yoshizaki (208 pages)
October pages: 1,680
Pages to date: 20,043
Progress: 113/150