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Weekly Miscellany

Posted on December 4, 2016 by Lorraine Posted in Weekly Miscellany .

You guys, I am so disorganised at the moment. I had planned to do a final post for Sci-Fi Month on Irish Sci-Fi Authors and never actually got around to typing it up, I’m behind on commenting on all your lovely blog posts, including those from the tail end of Sci-Fi Month, there’s no food in my fridge and I genuinely don’t understand how it’s the 4th of December already. I fly back home on the 18th, which means I have two weeks to sort myself out. ORGANISATION IS NECESSARY! So even though I never did that Sci-Fi Month post, and I haven’t posted my weekly reads for two (three?) weeks, here’s a Weekly Miscellany so that I can pretend to myself that I’m a little bit on track.

Added to Wishlist 01

Descender, Volume 3: Singularities – Jeff Lemire & Dustin Nguyen. I’m eagerly awaiting the next volume in this series, and you should be too.
Wonder Woman, Volume 1: The Lies – Greg Rucka, Liam Sharp, Laura Martin & Jodi Wynne. After having mostly disliked the last run of Wonder Woman, I have high hopes for her reinvention by Greg Rucka.
Chew, Volume 12: Sour Grapes – John Layman & Rob Guillory. The final volume!!! Definitely planning a reread of the whole series when this comes out.
A House at the Bottom of a Lake – Josh Malerman. I loved Birdbox, so I was looking forward to reading Malerman’s next book even before I clapped eyes on that cover <3

Added to Wishlist 02

The Unintentional Time Traveler – Everett Maroon. It looks like there’s a lot going on in this book and I’m curious to see if it’s as interesting as it sounds.
The Last of Us – Rob Ewing. When all the adults on an isolated Scottish island die, the surviving children are left to fend for themselves. Yes!
Agents of Dreamland – Caitlin R. Kiernan. I really need to finish/restart Kiernan’s Wicca trilogy, but there’s no harm adding even more of her work to my wishlist in the mean time, is there?

30 Excellent Scottish Books of 2016. There are so many titles I’ve yet to read, but I can recommend The Sunlight Pilgrims.
5 Irish Tunes You Need To Hear Right Now. Plus a bonus, not really Irish but performed on Irish TV, track by Sugar Hill Gang. Yaaass!
Bill O’Reilly’s Give Please a Chance: An Uncivil Host Lectures Kids on Civility. So this is weird. And creepy.
Best Books of 2016. So many books. I’ve read two, I think, that pop up on these lists.
100 Photographs: The Most Influential Images of All Time. An absolutely gorgeous page.
JWT Amsterdam Brings Rembrandt’s ‘Night Watch’ to Life in Epic Flashmob. This is amazing but I would be so, so confused if I witnessed this in real life 😀
Letters of 1916: A Year in the Life. I can’t tell you how much I wish I had a family letter to submit to this amazing resource.
Hemosep: The Machine Set to Revolutionise Blood Transfusions. Amazing. Absolutely amazing. I’m particularly impressed that it will allow people whose religion prevents them from receiving donor blood to undergo necessary surgeries. Science is fantastic, guys.
5 of the Best from Tramp Press. Tramp Press is a small Irish publishing house that takes a chance on the unusual.

Homemade Amaretto. I’m looking forward to tasting the difference between this and the shop bought stuff.
Rhubarb and Chocolate Layer Cake. Yum.
Christmas Pavlova Wreath. Okay, we have a new contender for Christmas Day dessert.

Read in February 2016 (Catch Up Post!)

Posted on June 8, 2016 by Lorraine Posted in Read This Month .

Some of you may have noticed that there was no Weekly Miscellany this week. This may or may not have been because I forgot to pay my internet bill and the internet company were displeased… *coughcough* Anyway, here’s what I read in February.

Read in February 01

Cress – Marissa Meyer. An excellent read, but it was Cress herself that I enjoyed the most. She’s such a great character – determined but fearful, loving but uncertain, and generally just awesome.
Winter – Marissa Meyer. Such a satisfying conclusion to The Lunar Chronicles as all of the characters and storylines collide, and, oh, Winter herself! I just wanted to wrap her up and keep her safe <3
And Both Were Young – Madeleine L’Engle. This was a strange mish-mash of genres, being half a boarding school story and half a (really strange) post-World War II story. There were bits I liked and bits I didn’t, and I’m still not sure if, overall, I actually liked it or not.
Fogtown – Andersen Gabrych & Brad Rader. I can’t fully express how much I hated this. On the whole, the Vertigo Crime imprint is massively disappointing. Let’s have a violent male character who does terrible things to cover up the secret he hides deep down inside himself. If he can really, really hate women, that’ll be a bonus. YAWN. Also, kinda offensive, Vertigo Crime.

Read in February 02

The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet – Becky Chambers. I have mixed feelings about this book. I enjoyed it, but I was also a little disappointed. Although it has a plot, this is not really a book that focuses on the story. Instead, it focuses on the characters and the characters in The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet are diverse, believable and worth focusing on. But still, I think I would have enjoyed a bit more plot, you know?
Chew, Volume 10: Blood Puddin’ – John Layman & Rob Guillory. Tony confronts The Collector! Poyo goes to hell! Are you reading this yet? READ IT!
Edward Scissorhands, Volume 2: Whole Again – Kate Leth & Drew Rausch. Apart from the overall message that it’s okay to be different, the storylines in this aren’t particularly memorable. They’re fun though, and the art is super cute, so this manages to be a pretty decent read overall.
Hatter M, Volume 1: The Looking Glass Wars – Frank Beddor, Liz Cavalier & Ben Templesmith. I’ve not read the series that this is based on, but I still managed to enjoy it. The story was decent, but Ben Templesmith’s art was amazing, as always.

Read in February 03

Starlight – Mark Millar & Goran Parlov. What happens when you save an alien planet from destruction but no one on Earth believes you? People think you’re crazy and you get a little bitter as you get older. Which, I have to say, is a concept I really like.
The Nao of Brown – Glyn Dillon. A really interesting look at anxiety and OCD. The artwork is beautiful and Nao’s story is familiar in its awkwardness and uncertainty. Glad I picked this one up.
Sexcastle – Kyle Starks. This is one of the most ridiculous things I’ve ever read and it’s hilarious! An homage/piss-take of 80s action movies, the dialogue is laugh out loud funny, and the insults are deserving of use in every day life 😀
Alex + Ada, Volume 3 – Jonathan Luna & Sarah Vaughn. The final volume in this excellent series, and another great read. Things get dark, and then a little darker and then it punches you right in the feels.
Uncanny X-Men, Volume 6: Storyville – Brian Michael Bendis & Chris Bachalo. I don’t think I really like what’s happened to Cyclops in the last few years. To be fair, he’s more interesting now than he used to be, but… he’s just not really Scott Summers anymore.

2015 Wrap Up

Posted on May 27, 2016 by Lorraine Posted in Yearly Wrap Up .

In 2015 I read a total of 211 books. 204 of these books were fiction, and a mere 7 were non-fiction. A whopping 117 books were graphic novels. All in all, 127 of the books were written by men and only 85 were written by women. I’m surprised at how many graphic novels I read, but not at all surprised that I read more books by men than women. Which is not to say that I’m not disappointed, but graphic novels in particular are still dominated by male creators.

Favourite Books of 2015 01

Non-Fiction: Honourable Friends? Parliament and the Fight for Change – Caroline Lucas.

This is a frustrating read because the current political system in the UK does not work, and it’s upsetting to see that spelled out so clearly by someone trying to do their best for the constituents. It’s brilliant though, offering a really good overview of how the houses of parliament actually work, and highlighting those who are attempting to make a difference.

Fiction: My Real Children – Jo Walton / The Language of Dying – Sarah Pinborough.

My Real Children was just wonderful. I was underwhelmed by Walton’s Among Others which had received rave reviews – I liked it, I just didn’t love it. So although I thought I’d enjoy My Real Children, I never thought it would end up being one of my favourite books of the year. I’m a sucker for Sliding Doors-type narratives, and this one is perfect. The two lives that Patricia leads are beautiful and heart-breaking and real, but that’s just it – are either of them actually real at all?

The Language of Dying won me over with its cover. I had seen it for several months in my local library before I finally caved and picked it up. I wasn’t sure what to expect but I was blown away. This little novel covers life, death and the wonder of the world in prose that grips you and doesn’t let go.

Favourite Books of 2015 02

Fiction (Translated): The Dirty Dust – Máirtín Ó Cadhain.

I’ll acknowledge right off the bat that this book, and the style in which it’s written, will not be for everyone, but I really enjoyed it. It’s dark but it’s funny, and it’s so, so Irish. I requested that my local library buy this in and I’m so glad that they did. I just hope that some other readers pick it up now that it’s available (according to their online catalogue, it’s on loan at the moment – yay!).

Graphic Novel (Fiction): The Wicked + The Divine, Volume 1: The Faust Act – Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie / Bitch Planet, Volume 1: Extraordinary Machine – Kelly Sue DeConnick and Valentine De Landro.

I can’t remember what drew my attention to The Wicked + The Divine. Every few months I do a catalogue search for graphic novels that have been added to the library catalogue (this whole post is basically a love letter to public libraries), and I think I might have ordered it just because it popped up there. Since I’ve read it, I’ve seen lots of positive reviews for it and they are all right. The story is awesome, the characters are awesome, the artwork is awesome and when it finished, I wanted the next volume immediately.

Bitch Planet, on the other hand, was on my radar before the first issue was even published. I don’t have a regular comic pull list anymore (though I’ve been thinking about setting one up again), so I waited not very patiently until the trade paperback was released and then requested that my library system buy it in. Luckily they did, and I absolutely loved every second of it. Bitch Planet is actually set in a terrifying future where women can be incarcerated at the drop of the hat. Women who don’t fit into the stereotype that men have established for them are labelled non-compliant, and, frankly, we could all stand to be a little more non-compliant.

Graphic Novel (Non-Fiction): Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant? – Roz Chast.

Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant? was in a ‘Best of 2014’ display at my local library. It’s an unflinching account of the deterioration of Roz Chast’s parents in their old age. It’s funny and sad and thought-provoking, and deserved to win every single literary prize it was nominated for.

Favourite Books of 2015 03

Young Adult: Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda – Becky Albertalli / Magonia – Maria Dahvana Headley.

I think I had heard rumblings about Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda before I picked it up, but it was the LGBT element that attracted me. From the looks of it, I knew I’d enjoy it, but I wasn’t expecting to absolutely love it. First of all, it’s really fucking funny, like proper, proper funny. The characters are all wonderful and you really can’t help but root for them all, and the romance is lovely but it’s also believable (which can be a bit rare in YA fiction!).

I picked up Magonia totally blind, being attracted to both the cover and the blurb. It’s also the second book on this list that has a recommendation from Neil Gaiman on its cover (the other being The Language of Dying by Sarah Pinborough) and I have to say he’s only ever let me down once (with Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill). The early chapters of this focus on Aza, whose illness is killing her, and those chapters are so well done. Terminal illness is a difficult subject but Magonia never crosses the line into mawkishness, Aza herself is too determined and too cool for that. When the fantasy twist comes, even though you know it’s coming, it’s brilliant. The new world Aza finds herself in is completely the same but completely different, and I found it enthralling. Can’t wait for the sequel.

Children’s Fiction: The Nowhere Emporium – Ross MacKenzie / The Hundred and One Dalmations – Dodie Smith.

The Nowhere Emporium has a surprisingly high amount of negative reviews on Goodreads, but I really, really enjoyed it. Yes, the concept isn’t the most original in the world, but it becomes original through the characters and the writing. I always enjoy finding good new books by Scottish authors, and this one definitely ticked that box.

I had absolutely no idea that The Hundred and One Dalmatians would be such a charming read. It’s ridiculous how cute it is, especially the version I read which was illustrated by Alex T. Smith. I like the Disney version, but the original book is so much better.

Ferney by James Long

Ferney – James Long.

I really struggled to finish this one, finding it an incredibly dry read. Add to that the fact that I didn’t really enjoy the characters and no, I don’t think this is the original and better version of The Time Traveler’s Wife.

Rat Queens, Volume 1: Sass and Sorcery – Kurtis J. Wiebe & Roc Upchurch

Rat Queens, Volume 1: Sass and Sorcery – Kurtis J. Wiebe & Roc Upchurch.

Before picking this up, I’d heard amazing things about it, but it just didn’t live up to expectations for me. I liked the setting, I liked the characters, I even, despite Roc Upchurch being a total scumbag, liked the art, but I just didn’t feel it, if you know what I mean. The total experience was a bit of a meh, which was disappointing.

The Magicians by Lev Grossman

The Magicians – Lev Grossman.

I hate Quentin, the main character in this, with a passion that scares me. He’s such a dick. I love the world that this is set in, and the way magic works, and the idea of Brakebills, but I hate Quentin and the execution of Brakebills, so that made it all a bit tricky. Something else that annoyed me, which is not the book’s fault, is how many reviews of this start with ‘oh, I totally thought this was going to be a Harry Potter rip-off’. The idea of a school for people who can do magic is not unique to Harry Potter, people! Anyway, despite all of that I did pick up the sequel, and enjoyed it a lot more.

Todd, the Ugliest Kid on Earth, Volume 1 – M.K. Perker & Ken Kristensen.

Surprising because, from the cover and the blurb, it looked rubbish but it was actually really fun. Poor Todd. He’s the nicest kid in the world, but he’s so ugly that his own parents make him wear a paper bag over his head, and everyone hates him. An oddly appealing concept 😀

How Music Got Free by Stephen Witt

How Music Got Free – Stephen Witt.

Surprising because the way that the music industry operates is mental, but the story of the people who leaked most of the music available online is even more mental. This is actually a really readable, enjoyable book, even if you do spend the whole thing thinking ‘what the fuck??’

I recommended, and continue to recommend, so many books that I read last year to so many people, for so many different reasons.

2015 Books I Recommend 01

For a twist on a fairy tale: The Sleeper and the Spindle – Neil Gaiman & Chris Riddell.

For a twist on a vampire story: The Moth Diaries – Rachel Klein.

For a twist on a boarding school story: The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place – Julie Berry.

For a magical read by a Scottish author: The Nowhere Emporium – Ross MacKenzie.

2015 Books I Recommend 02

For an excellent political read: Honourable Friends? Parliament and the Fight for Change – Caroline Lucas.

For an awesome graphic novel: The Wicked + The Divine, Volume 1: The Faust Act – Kieron Gillen & Jamie McKelvie.

For an original fantasy read: Magonia – Maria Dahvana Headley.

2015 Books I Recommend 03

For a very darkly comedic read: The Dirty Dust – Máirtín Ó Cadhain.

For an uplifting YA read: Simon vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda – Becky Albertalli.

For a ‘fuck yeah, feminism!’ read: Bitch Planet, Volume 1: Extraordinary Machine – Kelly Sue DeConnick & Valentine De Landro.

No book series this year (although I did continue to read Ben Aaronovich’s Rivers of London series, Robin Stevens’ Murder Most Unladylike series, Jacqueline Harvey’s Alice-Miranda series, Holly Black’s Curse Workers series, Teri Terry’s Slated series, Maggie Stiefvater’s Wolves of Mercy Falls series, Pat Barker’s Life Class series, and Jennifer Lynn Barnes’ Raised By Wolves series), but I was introduced to some many brilliant comic book series in 2015 (and continued to read Jim McCann’s Mind the Gap, Scott Snyder’s American Vampire, John Layman’s Chew, Brian K. Vaughan’s Saga, and Greg Rucka’s Lazarus).

Best Series of 2015 01

Ms Marvel, Volume 1: No Normal – G. Willow Wilson & Adrian Alphona.

Morning Glories Deluxe Collection, Volume 1 – Nick Spencer, Joe Eisman & Rodin Esquejo.

The Wicked + The Divine, Volume 1: The Faust Act – Kieron Gillen & Jamie McKelvie.

Best Series of 2015 02

Alex + Ada, Volume 1 – Jonathan Luna & Sarah Vaughn.

Bitch Planet, Volume 1: Extraordinary Machine – Kelly Sue DeConnick & Valentine De Landro.

I would have to say Sarah Pinborough and Maria Dahvana Headley, both of whom create magical worlds, though in very different ways. I’ll definitely be picking up more books by them both.

Happily, they were both excellent and worth waiting for.

Most Anticipated of 2015

The Sleeper and the Spindle – Neil Gaiman & Chris Riddell

Bitch Planet, Volume 1: Extraordinary Machine – Kelly Sue DeConnick & Valentine De Landro

Patricia from My Real Children by Jo Walton, who made me want to be the best possible version of myself that I can be. Lucifer aka ‘Lucy’ from The Wicked + The Divine, Volume 1: The Faust Act by Kieron Gillen & Jamie McKelvie who made me want to enjoy myself and dress sharply. Kamala from Ms Marvel, Volume 1: No Normal by G. Willow Wilson & Adrian Alphona who made me want to be true to myself, no matter what obstacles are put in my way.

The Hundred and One Dalmations by Dodie Smith

The Hundred and One Dalmations – Dodie Smith.

Why did no one tell me how good this was before now? To my shame, I’ve never read Dodie Smith, despite I Capture the Castle popping up in libraries, charity shops and bookshops all the time, mocking me.

The Luninaries – Eleanor Catton. When I went to Thailand in October, I thought this would be the perfect read for the long plane journey. Sadly, for me, the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry. I slogged my way through roughly half of it, not giving a shit about any of the characters or anything that was happening, before my aunt-in-law finally told me to just stop. I have weird guilt about not finishing a book, but I took her advice.

Walking the Dog by David Hughes

Walking the Dog – David Hughes. I just couldn’t get into this ‘landmark book in the field of graphic literature’. The memoir of a man in his 40s, it just didn’t appeal to me. I quite enjoyed the art style, but realised after about twenty pages that the story just wasn’t for me as I didn’t care about the narrator, and I didn’t care about his dog.

Based solely on my 2015 reading list, I’m looking forward to quite a few titles.

Looking Forward To in 2016 01

The Hanging Tree – Ben Aaronovitch. The sixth entry in the Rivers of London series.

Ms. Marvel, Volume 3: Crushed – G. Willow Wilson, Takeshi Miyazawa & Elmo Bondoc.

Ms. Marvel, Volume 4: Last Days – G. Willow Wilson & Adrian Alphona.

Chew, Volume 11: The Last Suppers – John Layman & Rob Guillory. The second last volume in the series, I think.

Looking Forward To in 2016

Jolly Foul Play – Robin Stevens. The fourth Murder Most Unladylike mystery.

Lazarus, Volume 4: Poison – Greg Rucka & Michael Lark. Not enough people are talking about this awesome sci-fi comic.

The Wicked + The Divine, Volume 3: Commercial Suicide – Kieron Gillen & Jamie McKelvie.

Aerie – Maria Dahvana Headley. The sequel to Magonia.

Looking Forward To in 2016

Bitch Planet, Volume 2: President Bitch – Kelly Sue DeConnick & Taki Soma.

The Magicians Land – Lev Grossman. The Magician King was much better than The Magicians, so I’m hopeful for the last title in the trilogy.

Read in November 2015 (Catch Up Post!)

Posted on May 18, 2016 by Lorraine Posted in Read This Month .

Read in November 01

Alex + Ada, Volume 1 – Jonathan Luna & Sarah Vaughn. I really enjoyed this tale of Alex whose Grandmother buys him a robotic companion that he doesn’t want. From quite a simple concept it looks at what makes us human in a really compelling way. Recommended!
Alex + Ada, Volume 2 – Jonathan Luna & Sarah Vaughn. See above.
Wolverines, Volume 4: Destiny – Charles Soule et. al. Utter nonsense.
Hawkeye vs Deadpool – Gerry Duggan, Matteo Lolli & Jacopo Camagni. Absolutely loved this. I really don’t know anything about Hawkeye but he was fab in this. His dynamic with Deadpool is hilariously antagonistic and I would read more of this if they made it!

Read in November 02

Captain Marvel, Volume 3: Alis Volat Propriis – Kelly Sue DeConnick, Warren Ellis & David Lopez. I’ve not read any of the issues leading up to this volume, but I was able to jump right in and really enjoyed it. Hurrah for Captain Marvel!
Mrs Bradshaw’s Handbook – Terry Pratchett. I wasn’t expecting much from this but it was a lovely little addition to the Discworld.
The Wicked + The Divine, Volume 2: Fandemonium – Kieron Gillen et. al. I still love EVERYTHING about this. Check it out as soon as you can, people!
The Massive, Volume 5: Ragnarok – Brian Wood, Garry Brown & Jordie Bellaire. A satisfying conclusion to this very decent environmental sci-fi comic.

Read in November 03

The Fade Out, Volume 1: Act One – Ed Brubaker & Sean Phillips. Hey look, it’s a story that only exists because someone murdered a woman. Fun! (It’s not fun. I’m tired of this trope now.)
Injection, Volume 1 – Warren Ellis, Declan Shalvey & Jordie Bellaire. A bit of a confusing read, but the sci-fi elements were enough to keep me reading. I’d pick another one up out of curiosity, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to find it.
Roche Limit, Volume 1: Anomalies – Michael Moreci & Vic Malhotra. I enjoyed the gritty sci-fi element of this. It’s similar to a LOT of sci-fi out there, but it was a well done version.
Postal, Volume 1 – Matt Hawkins et. al. Eden is a town populated by criminals where crime is strictly forbidden. But nothing is quite as it seems, as we discover when a woman is murdered. The narrator in this is an outsider in two ways – he’s not a criminal, and he has aspergers – which gives this an interest it wouldn’t have otherwise.

Read in November 04

Trees, Volume 1: In Shadow: Warren Ellis & Jason Howard. I really enjoyed this. Ten years ago, alien artefacts that are referred to as trees, landed all over the Earth and have just sat there being mysterious and doing nothing, until now. What is their purpose and who sent them?
Low, Volume 1: The Delirium of Hope – Rick Remender & Greg Tocchini. In a future where humans have been forced to abandon the land and live underwater, their time is running out. The art in this was beautiful, and I liked the core of the story, but I just couldn’t get into it as much as I wanted. Okay, but not great.
Bitch Planet, Volume 1: Extraordinary Machine – Kelly Sue DeConnick & Valentine De Landro. Right, this is AMAZING (like, it’s a terrifying version of the future where women are controlled and kept down, but it’s amazing). Read it immediately and be proud to be non-compliant.
Nailbiter, Volume 1: There Will Be Blood – Joshua Williamson et. al. This was an interesting horror-crime comic, a genre I don’t dip into too often. Buckaroo, Oregon is the birthplace of some of the worst serial killers the USA has ever seen, but why? Dun, dun, DDDUUUUNNN!! 😉

Read in November 05

Nailbiter, Volume 2: Bloody Hands – Joshua Williamson et. al. See above.
Nailbiter, Volume 3: Blood in the Water – Joshua Williamson et. al. See above.
Milly-Molly-Mandy’s School Days – Joyce Lankester Brisley. I picked this up primarily because Joyce Lankester Brisley is the sister of Nina K. Brisley, the illustrator of the early Chalet School books. It didn’t disappoint. The illustrations were sweet and the story was ridiculous but charming. I’ll definitely be reading more.
Chew, Volume 8: Family Recipes – John Layman & Rob Guillory. If you’re still not reading this, why? It’s fun and mad and clever and ridiculous and so, so readable. *draws lovehearts all around Toni*

Read in November 06

Chew, Volume 9: Chicken Tenders – John Layman & Rob Guillory. See above.
Noonday – Pat Barker. A wonderful World War II novel that continues Pat Barkers record of writing touching, though-provoking books that never wander into maudlin territory.
The Magicians – Lev Grossman. I absolutely hated Quentin. HATED him. I also wasn’t particularly into the idea that this school lets its students wander around the place largely unsupervised and almost always drunk. I enjoyed the magic itself, and the world building generally enough that I did pick up the sequel though.
Northern Lights: The Graphic Novel, Volume 1 – Philip Pullman, Stephane Melchior & Clement Oubrerie. I wasn’t a fan of this adaptation at all. The artwork was shoddy and the story was confusing.
First Class Murder – Robin Stevens. A brilliant addition to the Murder Most Unladylike series. This time our heroines are involved in hijinks on the Orient Express.