December 26 2020

The old guard, by Greg Rucka

Old guard

The old guard, by Greg Rucka

Title: The old guard, book 1: opening fire
Author: Greg Rucka
Genre/ issues: Sci-fi. Immortality. Action/adventure.

Shop local where you can: For Australian readers, you can find this book on Booktopia, or support your local independent bookstore. US readers, check out Bookshop.org.

“That man is not my boyfriend. That man is more to me than you can dream in your simpering, pathetic life. That man is the stars in my sky, and the sun that lights my days. That man is the moon when I am lost in darkness and warmth when I shiver in cold. I love that man beyond reason and measure. His kiss still thrills me, even after a millennium. […] His heart overflows with the kindness of which this world is not worthy. His very thoughts make music of the mundane. He is not my boyfriend. He is not my lover, nor is he my partner. He is all and more. He is my everything.”
clipMy partner and I watched The Old Guard movie as one of our #longdistancedatenight sessions this year, and I loved it, so I was thrilled to get the comic for Christmas, and I read it today as part of my #BoxingDayBookFeast. Such an incredible story, and the movie does a great job of capturing both the action and the fantastic characters of the source material. This scene made my heart melt in the movie, and it is even more impactful in the comic- partly, I suspect, because I’m missing my own all and more after he headed back to Perth yesterday.
@ruckawriter’s name on a comic is rapidly becoming an auto-recommend for me, and this one is no exception. A 5/5 read, which has made it more difficult to compile my top 20 list of reads this year!

#TamaraReads #2020readingchallenge 101/100

Happy reading,

Tamara

 

 

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December 13 2020

Brightly woven, by Alexandra Bracken

Brightly woven

Brightly woven, by Alexandra Bracken

Title: Brightly woven
Author: Alexandra Bracken
Genre/ issues: Graphic novel. Fantasy. Magic.

Shop local where you can: For Australian readers, you can find this book on Booktopia, or support your local independent bookstore. US readers, check out Bookshop.org.

Brightly Woven is a graphic novel adaptation of the 2010 YA fantasy novel by Alexandra Bracken. A lovely story about magic and the balance required to wield it, as well as the power in discovering your own skills. I enjoyed this beautifully illustrated narrative – a great, uncomplicated and accessible fantasy graphic for upper primary or secondary school readers.

#TamaraReads #2020readingchallenge 96/100

Happy reading,

Tamara

 

 

Category: Book chat, Children's Books, Graphic Novels | LEAVE A COMMENT
December 4 2020

Faith: Valiant comics

Faith comic

Faith, by Jody Houser et al

Title: Faith
Genre/ issues: Comics. Superhero. Plus size rep.

Shop local where you can: For Australian readers, you can find this book on Booktopia, or support your local independent bookstore. US readers, check out Bookshop.org.

I love a good superhero comic. I’m a fan of texts which feature positive representation of plus-sized characters. And this Valiant comic series, Faith, is a pretty good example of both of these things. It’s perhaps not excellent, though. I have the deluxe edition, which binds up the first three TP editions, and today I read Volume 1 – Hollywood and Vine.
Faith is lovely, and has suitably engaging quirky and nerdy interests. What threw me a bit is how inconsistent the drawing of her is. It’s like the artists couldn’t quite decide how fat she should look, and whilst the size of her stomach is pretty consistent, her relative proportions and her facial structure were distractingly variable for me. I’m not sure if I was overly conscious of it because of my own ongoing issues with my double/triple chin, and if this kind of body variability is common across comics but I don’t notice them in other comics like I do in Faith because I’m overly invested in the depiction of a fat girl on the page. Either way, it was enjoyable. I’ll definitely read the other 2 volumes at some point, and I’m happy to have this on my shelf.

#TamaraReads #2020readingchallenge 93/100

Happy reading,

Tamara

 

 

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November 28 2020

Gaiman graphics love

Gaiman graphics

Likely Stories and Snow, Glass, Apples, by Neil Gaiman

Title: Snow, Glass, Apples
Author: Neil Gaiman
Illustrator: Colleen Doran

Title: Likely Stories
Author: Neil Gaiman
Illustrator: Mark Buckingham

Genre/ issues: Horror. Illustrated stories. Fairytale retelling. Urban horror.

Shop local where you can: For Australian readers, you can find this book on Booktopia, or support your local independent bookstore. US readers, check out Bookshop.org.

I have a secret to tell you. Are you ready? It’s going to be earth-shattering to you all.
*deep breath*
I love @neilhimself.
There, I said it.
It’s Sunday, I’ve just had a Covid test so I’m isolating until I get the results (something new and different for me!) so instead of working on my NaNoWriMo project, I’m working my way some comics and graphics that I’ve collected but not yet gotten around to reading. Holy crapballs, these two are stunning!
Not for children nor the faint of heart, Snow, Glass, Apples is a retelling of the Snow White story completely unlike the Disney fairytale you’re used to. It’s not like any version, really. A chilling reimagining of a familiar tale, with the most breathtaking illustrations by Colleen Doran. I’m feeling a little off-kilter after finishing it, and I guess that’s the point. If you’ve not seen this masterpiece, I’d highly recommend it. Warning – very adult. This is not for the children obsessed with fairytales in your life. It depicts (spoilers ahead – skip to next paragraph if you don’t want to know!) sex, vampirism including a child vampire sucking blood from her father’s nether regions, slaughter and a being burned alive. I told you, chilling. But utterly beautiful and compelling.
Likely Stories  is an anthology of 4 creepy stories, artfully illustrated in traditional comic strip panel style by Mark Buckingham. I’d seen an animated version of Feeders and Eaters once, and had heard Closing Time as an audio story, but the other 2 were new to me. Disturbing and leaving you a bit on edge in that signature Gaiman style, this is a wonderful collection – as long as you’re ok with that lingering wondering following you around for days after you finish reading. I think I need to find something a bit more uplifting to finish off my weekend!

#TamaraReads #2020readingchallenge 90-91/100

Happy reading,

Tamara

 

 

Category: Book chat, Graphic Novels, Serious Adulty Books | LEAVE A COMMENT
November 28 2020

Heartstopper, by Alice Oseman

Heartstopper books

Heartstopper vol 1-3 by Alice Oseman

Title: Heartstopper volume 1, volume 2, and volume 3
Author: Alice Oseman
Genre/ issues: Graphic novels. Queer fiction. YA. Relationships.

Shop local where you can: For Australian readers, you can find this book on Booktopia, or support your local independent bookstore. US readers, check out Bookshop.org.

I’ve got a pile of books by Alice Oseman sitting on my TBR, and this morning I decided to start on Heartstopper. I didn’t stop until I reached the end of volume 3. What a delight these are! A sweet, wholesome and authentic boy meets boy romance graphic novel series, which deals incredibly well with the importance of not judging people based on appearance. The notion of consent is handled incredibly well, both in terms of coming out as well as in the developing phases of a relationship. I love the way that the presence of homophobia is handled – it’s certainly present, and whilst its impact is acknowledged, it’s also not prioritised as a major plot point, nor is it minimised or trivialised. The focus is on the developing relationship between Nick and Charlie, and how they and their friends navigate the often complex and exciting world of first loves. I finished volume three and then saw the timely announcement that volume 4 is due for release in may 2021, so I’ll definitely be adding that to my TBR when it’s out!

#TamaraReads #2020readingchallenge 86-88/100

Happy reading,

Tamara

 

 

Category: Book chat, Graphic Novels, YA Books | LEAVE A COMMENT
November 15 2020

Sandman: Dream Country, by Neil Gaiman

Sandman

Sandman: Dream Country, by Neil Gaiman

Title: Sandman: Dream Country
Author: Neil Gaiman
Genre/ issues: Magic realism. Fantasy. Historical fiction. How we leave a mark. Relationships.

Shop local where you can: For Australian readers, you can find this book on Booktopia, or support your local independent bookstore. US readers, check out Bookshop.org.

I finally finished listening to the Sandman audiobook today, featuring the editions that make up the Dream Country TP (#17-20). These chapters are some of my favourites – Calliope, the cat who wants to change the world with dreams, and Shakespeare in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. It’s an extraordinary audio production of an incredible comic series. I can’t wait for the the rest of the books to make their way to audio format.

#TamaraReads #2020readingchallenge 78/100

Happy reading,

Tamara

 

 

Category: Audiobooks, Book chat, Graphic Novels, Serious Adulty Books | LEAVE A COMMENT
October 22 2020

Future girl, by Asphyxia

Future girl front cover

Future girl, by Asphyxia

Title: Future Girl
Author: Asphyxia
Genre/ issues: Illustrated novel. Near future dystopia. Food insecurity. Deaf community and sign language. Censorship.

I finished this wonder of a novel today, and I’m feeling all the feelings. Visually stunning is a given – check out these interior shots, or head over to Asphyxia’s website for more of their stunning artwork!! The narrative voice of Future Girl is so powerful and compelling.
This is Piper’s art journal, and I love how the colour and intensity of the art and collage in the pages reflects her journey as she negotiates complex relationships with her mother, her friend and her new maybe boyfriend, as well as her relationship with food in a near-future Melbourne dealing with a food crisis.
We also gain deep insight into her experience of life as a d/Deaf person in a hearing world, and how powerful and important it is to be able to communicate on your own terms. Piper’s struggle to communicate as a Deaf person is effectively paralleled with the growing concerns over increasing censorship in a world where communication is all filtered through a monolithic IT corporation. Asphyxia plays beautifully with the idea of voice – spoken, written, signed, painted or texted, our voices matter, and EVERYONE should have the right to use theirs.
I’ve always been interested in learning to sign, but I have to confess to previously not having fully understood the depth, complexity and beauty of signing as its own distinct and unique language. This book was eye-opening to me about some of the issues around accessible communication for the deaf community. I know that I’ll always be a hearing person who can sign a little, and that my relationship with this language will always be as an outsider, but it’s something that I’m committed to starting to learn now, rather than just always thinking about it. This book is a wonder, and it’s high on the list of best books I’ve read this year, and ones I’ll be recommending for a long time to come.
Future girl interior page

#TamaraReads #2020readingchallenge 72/100

Happy reading,

Tamara

 

 

Category: Book chat, Graphic Novels, YA Books | LEAVE A COMMENT
October 16 2020

The unbeatable Squirrel Girl vol 1: Squirrel Power

Squirrel girl

The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl vol1: Squirrel Power

Title: The unbeatable Squirrel Girl vol 1: Squirrel Power
Author: Ryan North and Erica Henderson
Genre/ issues: YA. Superheroes. Graphic novels.

Shop local where you can: For Australian readers, search Indies to locate your closest independent bookstore, or find it on Booktopia. US readers, check out Bookshop.org.

The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl could have been written for me. Curvy girl superhero. Quirky. Funny. Clumsy. Easily distracted but totally loyal to her friends. I adore this comic, and I’m glad I ordered the first three trade paperback editions at once, so I don’t have to wait for the more! A good friend recommended this one, and I’m so glad she did. Doreen Allene Greene is an absolute joy.

#TamaraReads #2020readingchallenge 65/100

Happy reading,

Tamara

 

 

Category: Book chat, Graphic Novels | LEAVE A COMMENT
October 2 2020

Lumberjanes, Vol 2 Friendship to the Max

Lumberjanes

Lumberjanes Vol 2: Friendship to the Max

Title: Lumberjanes volume 2: Friendship to the max
Author: Noelle Stevenson
Genre/ issues: Comics. Mystery. Adventure. Supernatural.

Shop local where you can: For Australian readers, search Indies to locate your closest independent bookstore, or find it on Booktopia. US readers, check out Bookshop.org.

A quick catch up post – I thought I’d posted about this, but then realised I had expected to read a lot more graphic novels last month so was going to post them all together. Instead, this was one of only 4 books I read in September. It’s worthy of its own post, regardless. I love Lumberjanes. It’s smart, funny, quirky and cool. The diversity of strong female characters gives me endless seratonin. Volume 2x Friendship tor the Max, sees the campers encounter some characters you might be familiar with from Greek mythology, but in a whole new way. Such a great comic series!

#TamaraReads #2020readingchallenge 63/100

Happy reading,

Tamara

 

 

Category: Book chat, Children's Books, Graphic Novels | LEAVE A COMMENT
August 29 2020

You brought me the ocean, by Alex Sanchez and Julie Maroh

You brought me the ocea

You brought me the ocean, by Alex Sanchez and Julie Maroh

Title: You brought me the ocean
Author: Alex Sanchez
Illustrator: Julie Maroh
Genre/ issues: Graphic novel. DC universe. Queer fiction.

Shop local where you can: For Australian readers, search Indies to locate your closest independent bookstore, or find it on Booktopia. US readers, check out Bookshop.org.

You remember a few months ago I posted about wanting to get into reading comics and graphic novels more? Well, this shelf is now officially full and I need to shuffle the bookcase to start a second one. I think I’ve done it!
I picked up You Brought Me the Ocean at Kings Comics last weekend when I visited, and I’ve just read it in one sitting. Sweet, thoughtful, and beautifully illustrated by Julie Maroh, it’s the story of Jake, who lives in the desert but is obsessed with the ocean. Jake is dealing with a lot of complications – his best friend, who wants them to go to college together and stay close to home. His mother, who wants to keep him safe and as far away from water as possible. His strange blue birthmarks which glow when he comes into contact with water. And his developing attraction for Kenny, swim team captain and class rebel. This is a great coming of age graphic novel, with lovely messages about family and communication, a super-sweet romance and coming-our story, and some pretty cool appearances by some iconic characters from the DC universe. A good solid 4/5 read for me, nothing too confronting or difficult, some great racial diversity amongst the main characters and the types of families presented, and a relatively quick read. Not a bad way to spend an afternoon!

#TamaraReads #2020readingchallenge 56/100

Happy reading,

Tamara

 

 

Category: Book chat, Graphic Novels, YA Books | LEAVE A COMMENT