Writer's Workshop - The top of my TBR Pile

 2. List the top 5 books on your list to read next.

I love to read.  A lot.  I regularly have between 30 and 40 books out of the public library.  Some are audio books, some ebooks, but most are physical books.  And the books cover a wide variety of genres and subjects.  Graphic novels, paranormal romance, mystery, political non-fiction, books about Autism, classic fiction, banned books... Like I said, I love to read. 

I also usually have at least 2, sometimes 3 books at the same time.  Most often, there's one audiobook (I'm listening to The Moon Maze Game by Larry Niven and Steven Barnes as I'm typing this), a physical fiction book, a graphic novel and an ebook.  I flip between them depending on what I'm doing and what mood I'm in.  All of this is to say that I have a lot to choose from and I this list may change by the time I link it to Kat's page.

So here is what leads the pack at the moment:

1. 
   
    
   
   
   
   I Alone Can Fix It: Donald J Trump's Catastrophic Final Year by Carol Leonnig and Philip Rucker - This is one that's been on my list for awhile. I've heard good things about it and I'm curious to read what Leonnig and Rucker have to say about the past crazy year.  I enjoyed A Very Stable Genius so I'm expecting the same here.
   
   
2.  
    
   
   Final Exam by Maggie Barbieri - This is the 4th book in Maggie Barbieri's Murder 101 series.  The series involves a professor at a small Catholic college outside of New York City.  She manages to get herself involved in solving murders that seem to be happening around her.  Through the first murder, she met her boyfriend, a NYC Detective.  In this book, she is supposed to meet her boyfriend's family for the first time but gets embroiled in another murder near her home instead.
   
   
3. 
   
   
   
   Chase the Dark by Annette Marie - I was introduced to Annette Marie's writing through her Guild Codex series and decided to try one of her earlier series as well.  This is the first book in the Steel & Stone series.  It's an urban paranormal series and a lot of people on the Annette Marie group on Facebook recommend it.
   



4. 
   
   
   
   Mile High with a Vampire by Lynsay Sands - This is a GoodReads win through their giveaway program.  I used to read the Argeneau series but somehow fell away from it.  The good thing about this series is that I can jump back in anywhere without missing too much.  So I'm looking forward to reading and reviewing this one (in the hopes of winning more awesome books).
   



5. 
   
   
   Because Internet: Understanding the New Rules of Language by Gretchen McCulloch - This is one that's been on my shelf for awhile, so I'm at a read it or return it stage for it.  I love books that talk about changing language and how we're getting where we are.  So this one is probably the next one I'll grab.

And a bonus one, this one being for my November Graphic Novel Book Club read, Loki: The God Who Fell To Earth.  Monday is the October meeting, and for that we read Jughead: The Hunger, Vol 1 & Vol 2.  I have a tendency to get those out through Hoopla and read them fairly quickly after the meeting is done for the month.

Book Review Number 67: Coraline by Neil Gaiman (graphic novel)

It's been awhile since I've done book reviews, so please forgive me if I say things I've said before.  I'm trying to catch back up with them, in part because of the last swap that I'll be doing for awhile - the 2nd quarter book review.  Well, that and the fact that I really need to get back on top of this before I get really far behind.  So on with the review.

I am a huge fan of Neil Gaiman's.  Everything I've ever read or seen by him just totally rocks. If you haven't read his Sandman series, you should run right out and pick it up.  One of his best children's books (second only to The Graveyard Book, in my opinion) is Coraline. I've listened to the audio book and watched the movie and was amazed at what a chillingly wonderful story he'd written.  (And as a complete aside, I get completely creeped out by Lalaloopsy dolls.  I mean, really.  Look at this and tell me it wouldn't creep you out too if you'd read a story where people are trying to replace the main character's eyes with buttons?

*shudder* Anyway, back to the review.)

When my husband brought back the Coraline graphic novel from the library, I knew I'd have to check it out as soon as he was finished with it.  And I'm so glad that I did.  Because, much like the book and the movie, it was a chillingly wonderful story that had me excited to read from one panel to the next.

For those unfamiliar with the story, Coraline is a young girl who has moved into a flat in an old house with her parents.  Above them live an old man who is training a mouse circus.  Below them live a couple of older ladies that had been stars of the stage.  And next door is an empty flat.  Coraline's parents seem to have a benign neglect of their daughter, and the neighbors can't seem to ever get her name right.  One day, when Coraline is bored, she goes exploring and finds that through a locked door, she reaches a parallel world, ruled by the Other Mother.  At first, it seems like the perfect world for her.  But things are never what they seem.

The graphic novel follows the novel incredibly closely.  The artwork is wonderfully dark, evoking the mood that the story has to tell.  Coraline is just as inventive and precocious of a child as she is portrayed in the novel as well.  Her ability to see through the Other Mother (though it does take awhile) is something I wouldn't have expected in a child that so desperately wants to be seen as the girl she is rather than the one that others want her to be.

If you have kids that you want to try to get into reading, I would recommend this as a great starting point.  Being a graphic novel, it appeals to kids that still want pictures in their books but also gives them a complex story to get into.  I'm a big believer that graphic novels can be a great gateway drug into reading more complex stories, and graphic novelizations of other stories are even better for that.

E is for... the Endless, A to Z Challenge

As many regular readers of this blog know, I'm really into graphic novels.  Of late, most of my GN reads have been of the Superhero variety in general, and the DC world in particular.  But, while my first foray into graphic novels was through Vertigo, a DC imprint, it was not a superhero comic.  It was Neil Gaiman's Sandman series.  After reading the first book my husband put in my hands (The Sandman Vol. 3: Dream Country (New Edition) (Sandman (Graphic Novels))), I had to know more about the main characters of this world, the Endless.

For those who have not read the books before (and if you haven't, I'll provide links to all of them at the bottom.  Get thee hence to reading!), I'll provide a little tutorial on the Endless.
There are seven siblings and they are the personification of 7 major factors in the world.  Like most siblings, they don't always get along.  They don't always make the smartest choices.  And they aren't always themselves.

Destiny by ~comocarajomellamo on deviantART

The oldest is Destiny.  He walks the paths of his garden, blind beneath his hood.  With him, he always carries his Book, chained to his wrist.  It tells what has happened, what is happening, and what will happen.  Destiny knows all.  But chooses what to tell very carefully.

Death by ~comocarajomellamo on deviantART

Next comes Death.  In the "present" (for the series anyway), Death is a perky Goth Girl.  She's wise and fun and, honestly, if I had to have Death coming for me, I'd want it to be her.  She is often the confidant for Dream (the main character of the series).  When the world ends, she will be the last one to leave.

The Sandman by ~comocarajomellamo on deviantART

Dream is the main character of the series.  He is the Lord of Dreams, the owner of the realm that you wander to while you sleep.  But it is rare that you see him there.  He is a very complex man, our Morpheus. Sometimes moody, sometimes angry, he will often be in black and has stars in his eyes. And his journey is a sad one.  But one well worth learning about.

Destruction by ~comocarajomellamo on deviantART

Next is Destruction, the absentee brother.  After a family argument, he left his realm to go... elsewhere.  Wander the world, see what could be created, see what he could find.  He left his realm with no guardian, knowing that it needed none.  It would continue on whether he watched over it or not.  He has the laugh of an amused giant, and the heart of a poet.  

Desire by ~comocarajomellamo on deviantART

Despair by ~comocarajomellamo on deviantART
Then come the twins, Desire and Despair.  No one knows whether Desire is male or female.  And anyone that meets Desire does not care.  Desire lives in a heart shaped home and is very antagonistic toward Dream. She is, in many ways, as responsible for the things that befall him as is Dream himself.
Despair is the second of that name.  When her first incarnation died, this Despair took the mantle.  It is rare that she leaves her realm of smoke and mirrors, instead using those mirrors to look out upon those who seem to call to her.  While she sometimes sides with her twin, she is the quiet one.  Her voice is rarely more than a whisper.

delirium by ~comocarajomellamo on deviantART

Finally, we come to the youngest of the Endless - Delirium, who was once Delight.  She can rarely keep herself together, sometimes floating out in multi colored butterflies as her mind wanders tangled pathways.  She is the madness of the mind, the unpredictable.  And you rarely will see her the same way twice.  She always has one eye blue and one eye green, but even they don't know which eye is the right and which is the left.  It is still unknown why she changed from Delight to Delirium, only that it was so long ago that even Destiny cannot say.  Her moods can change from one moment to the next, happy like a 3 year old playing in the sun or angry enough to cause chaos around her.  She is my favorite of the Endless.
Why do I love them so?  Part of it is because Gaiman created, for lack of a better word, real people for these 7 personifications.  They have strengths and flaws.  They make mistakes, hurt themselves and hurt others.  Some have agendas, some just take life the way it was meant to be lived, one day at a time.  Some are complete and utter bitches while others, I'd want as my friend.
I don't feel as though I'm reading a story when I read Sandman.  I feel like I'm reading a history that only Neil Gaiman has been allowed to write.  A history written by someone who was there and can tell the story that needs to be told first hand, rather than trying to reconstruct it years later.  And I can bury myself in that history as I turn the pages filled with Neil's words and the art of so many talented artists like Jill Thompson, Sam Keith, Mike Dringenberger, and the rest.  It becomes real to me.  I want to browse through the library in the Dreaming to see all the books that have never been written. (How many of my titles lie there in wait for a dreamer to happen upon it?)  I want to run into Death on the street, not because she's there for a final visit but because she's a friendly lady that I'd like to get to know.  I want to find Destruction and see his paintings.  I want to watch Delirium from a distance, because I'm afraid that if I get too close I will get sucked into her realm.
Because of Neil Gaiman penning Sandman, I have a new place to visit.  It isn't a place that I want to live.  It isn't a history that I want to experience first hand.  But reading Gaiman's view from the trenches has helped me through some dark times.




Below are the links to Amazon for the Graphic Novels in the Sandman Series.

Book Review Number 66: Green Arrow: The Sounds of Violence

I am, unapologetically, a Green Arrow fan.  I adore Ollie Queen and am so, so jealous of Black Canary that I would happily trade places with her any day of any week of any month of any year.  Yeah, I've got it bad.  So I pick up anything Green Arrow that I can find.  Lately, I've been picking up the monthlies in the hopes of keeping track of what the Emerald Archer is up to now.  When I was at my local comic shop yesterday, I ran across The Sounds of Violence, one of the Trade Paperbacks that I hadn't read before.  So, without hesitation, it became mine and it was read last night.

The Sounds of Violence takes place after Oliver Queen returns to the land of the living.  Mia, a girl he rescued from the streets, is living with him and he's taken over trying to be a father figure to her.  He's also trying to get to know his own son, Connor, while putting off getting back in touch with Dinah (aka Black Canary).  It's a pretty typical life for the recently-returned-to-life.

But being a super hero comic, and being Green Arrow, it's never that simple.  Mia wants Ollie to train her as the next Speedy, which he is loathe to do because he doesn't want her getting hurt.  When he meets Dinah for dinner, she insists that she doesn't want things to go quickly with them, but a fight with The Riddler changes things.  And, later, causes an argument with an overprotective Hawkman.

And then comes the big problem - a masked villain that goes by the name of Onomatopoeia.  He talks as the name implies (using "sound words" like "snap", "crack", etc, for those unfamiliar with the word) and he's got something against certain heroes.  He takes out Philadelphia's protector, Virago.  Then moves on to Harrisburg's Buckeye, first killing his wife and then the non-powered hero.  The third one he goes after is Green Arrow II - Connor Hawke - while Connor and Ollie are patrolling.

While I didn't enjoy this one quite as much as Quiver (where Ollie IS returned from the grave), I still really enjoyed it.  It was Ollie through and through - from his sexy scenes with Dinah to his overwhelming need to protect his family.  There is a scene where he is holding his arrow on Onomatopoeia to prevent him from finishing off Connor while Connor is being worked on by doctors.  Ollie is drained from having given blood, but for more than 20 minutes, he stands, arrow knocked, until his son is out of danger.  That is one of the things about Ollie that I admire.

The ending was a good one for the book, with Ollie surrounded by his family, but definitely ready for a continuation.  Onomatopoeia is still out there and Star City still has villains to be taken out.  So I'm ready to find the next book, The Archer's Quest (which I may have read before, but it's been awhile).  I just hope I get lucky enough to find it soon.

Book Review Number 65: New Teen Titans: Who is Donna Troy?

I've had this book out of the library for quite some time.  I requested it when I was on my Teen Titans kick.  I knew vaguely of Donna Troy from when I read the Countdown to Final Crisis series and I thought it might be an interesting read.

The book pulls from several different storylines in Donna Troy's life, all trying to find out about her past.  It is a good, concise look at how DC went about changing back stories for various characters - in this instance, Donna Troy.  It starts before Donna's marriage, when she is agonizing over the fact that she knows nothing of her history.  So Terry, her husband-to-be, goes to the best detective he knows - Dick Grayson - to try to help Donna get to the bottom of her life before being rescued by Wonder Woman. 

I found it hard to get into this for some reason.  I don't quite know why, because the mystery aspect of everything is my kind of thing.  But it sat on my shelf, started but not finished, for a couple of months and only got picked back up because I knew it would be coming due at the library fairly soon.  When I picked it back up, I did find the story interesting, but not something that I'd want to pick up again.  I think it may be in part because her past was so complicated.  Her mother passing away, being adopted, being taken from her adopted parents to be sold, the people planning to sell her dying in a fire... it just felt like a bit too much to me.

The next part of the story was the revamp of her background and that part was just bizarre.  When a mysterious visitor shows up at Titans Tower looking for Donna, then telling her that everything from the fire on was a lie and that she'd been taken by the original Titans of myth to save their lives. And now she was needed to save them again because of another child they'd taken going crazy.    It was just really, really... bizarre. 

It finished up with her eulogy and wake, which was pretty good but not good enough that I can remember specifics.

All in all, it was an ok book, but not one of the better ones that I've read.  If your'e a fan of some of the older heroes and groups, then you may enjoy it.  But for me it was something I'm glad I read but not something I'll seek out again.

Book Review Number 63: JSA: Justice Be Done

I've never read any of the JSA comics before, but I decided to pick this one out of the library on a whim.  I didn't know much about it, only that the JSA was the precursor to the JLA and I'd probably recognize more than a few of the characters.  What I didn't know is that I would be brought back, in many ways, to the first graphic novel I ever read.

The novel starts out with Wesley Dodds, formerly the crime-fighter known as Sandman, speaking with his friend, Speed Saunders, in Tibet.  Dodds sends Saunders off on a mission to Dodds' former sidekick, Sandy.  Not long after Saunders leaves, someone else arrives, wanting something from Dodds.  But rather than giving this person what they want, Dodds chooses death by falling from the mountain.

That is the starting place for this fantastic graphic novel.  Former members of the JSA, the children of former members and people that have stepped into the shoes of former members gather not only to say good-bye to Dodd but to be sent on a mission that could have the Fate of the world hanging in the balance.

One of the things that I loved best about this graphic novel was, as I said above, how it brought me back to  Neil Gaiman's wonderful Sandman series.  Of course, this story revolving, in part, around the original DC Sandman, it makes sense to have some homage, but some pieces still took me by surprise.  The appearance of Sandman/Daniel was the first.  I won't mention any more because I want to leave some surprises for any Sandman fans that choose to read this.

While the story did seem to wander a bit for me, taking me places that didn't quite seem to mesh, I found it an overall good book.  The artwork was fantastic (particularly Sandman/Daniel) and it brought to me both a feel of the Golden Age and a feel of now.  It was a very good melding in my mind.

Book Review Number 62: Batman: Year One

Batman: Year One was written around the time that DC comics were revamping a lot of their character's back stories.  Batman was one of the exceptions.  Still, that didn't mean that he didn't get a second look.  In Batman: Year One, we get to see the beginnings of Bruce Wayne as Batman, as well as the beginning of James Gordon as a policeman in the corrupt Gotham City Police Force.  We get to see Bruce Wayne with some vulnerability as he tries to work out the vigilante he is going to become.  We get to see the lengths that Gordon will go to to keep his family safe.  And we get to meet Selina, who is to become Catwoman.

The story revolves primarily around the corruption in the police department and how different people choose to fight it.  Lieutenant James Gordon chooses to fight it from the inside, watching and learning who are the worst of the worst.  Bruce Wayne decides to fight it anonymously from the outside.  He wants justice for his parents, yet isn't sure how to get it.  While "talking" things over with his father, a bat flies to the window.  Thus is Batman born.  

And the story doesn't end there.  The story shows us the measures both men take as they take on their fight.  I had always thought of Gordon as a non-combatant.  I'm not sure why, knowing that he did work his way up through the ranks to eventually become Commissioner Gordon.  But this tale showed that he can do what needs to be done to keep those around him safe - even if it isn't strictly legal.  Then again, with the law in Gotham at this time, "legal" is not a recourse he has.

The artwork is beautiful, though appropriately dark for the subject matter.  The story flows nicely and didn't seem to contradict anything I knew about Batman and his origins (though, to be fair, I am far from a Batman scholar).  It is a fitting beginning to the new, darker era of Batman that Miller ushered in.

And, to be honest, as much as I loved the story of Batman's origins, I found Gordon's origins much more compelling.  His despair at the job that he has come to do, the fear for his pregnant wife, his attempts to stand up to corruption, and the strength of character it takes for a lawful soul to do a lawless act.

Book Review Number 52: Green Lantern: Tales of the Sinestro Corp

I picked this up on a whim at the library, not knowing too much about the Sinestro Corp.  This book was a great introduction to them.  As we follow a new member of the corp, we find out the stories of how different characters decided to join the Sinestro Corp and why, exactly, they want to destroy the Green Lanterns.  I haven't read the Sinestro Corp War yet (which is what these stories were originally part of as side stories and one-shots), but I suspect I'll have a much stronger grounding in it when I find it.

Some of the stories were down right frightening, having me looking over my shoulder.  Particularly the story of Despotellis, who literally gets inside someone to kill.  It made me shudder in that, "Wow.  This is good!" kind of way.  

Being backstories as they are, there isn't a whole lot of plot to it.  Well, not in and of itself.  It does give you a glimpse into the Sinestro Corp War, but it's not a major part of it.  I would actually suggest reading this before jumping into the Sinestro Corp War series, especially if you aren't very familiar with Green Lantern history.  It should help bring you up to speed on quite a few things.  I know it did for me.

Book Review Number 51: Teen Titans, Vol 6: Titans Around the World

As with life, change occurs to the Titans as well.  This volume comes after the death of Superboy and a year after Infinite Crisis, so many of the changes are great.  The team is not the same any more - Starfire is missing, Cy is broken, Gar is back with Doom Patrol, Bart (Kid Flash) is now THE Flash, Raven is gone and there are a bunch of Teen Titans that hadn't been there before.

Of course, this couldn't be just a meet and greet.  Not in the world of Super Hero Comics.  The team has been infiltrated by someone plotting against them.  Immediately suspicions go to Ravager, the daughter of Deathstroke.  But nothing is as it seems, and only Ravager can figure out who has gone rogue.  Add to this former (dead) members returning and there's a lot happening at Titans Tower.

I enjoyed reading this one, in finding out about these characters.  I was only familiar with most of them from the later-series graphic novels that I'd read (like Kid Devil, who has become one of my favorite DC characters). I knew also, because of the later-series reading that I'd done, who the traitor was.  But watching the story unfold was still a wonder for me.

If you've been enjoying the Teen Titans series so far, I don't think you'll be disappointed with this one.

Book Review Number 49: Batgirl, Vol 1: Batgirl Rising

Jumping around in DC the way I have been, I was expecting this to be a Barbara Gordon Batgirl.  Honestly, I didn't know there were any others!  (I know, I know.  Bad comic fan!)  But this particular Batgirl was formerly The Spoiler, a character I'd read and enjoyed in one of the other graphic novels (a Teen Titans or a Nightwing, I think).  And seeing her in this new light is wonderful.

Being a Vol 1 of a (hopefully) long running series means that there's quite a bit of set-up in it.  We find out why Stephanie Brown has chosen to wear the cowl (she was given it by Cassandra Cain, the Batgirl between Barbara and Stephanie, when Cassandra got tired of it after Bruce Wayne's death) and see her growing pains in the role. Barbara Gordon isn't too thrilled with the idea, remembering the problems she had as a youth in the role.  But with a new drug on the street, Barbara needs the girl's help.  By the end of this particular adventure, Barbara has gained respect for Stephanie.

It's interesting to see the balance that Stephanie needs to make between her days as a college student and her nights as a costumed vigilante.  It's not always easy.  I was grateful to see Barbara come around in the end, even to the point of keeping an eye on Stephanie not out of a fear that she'd screw up, but more to make sure that she was there if she needed her.

This was a quick read and I did enjoy it.  But I can't say that it was one of the more memorable titles I've read.  Here, several weeks after I finished it, I was having to remind myself what exactly had been in the comic.  Still, it's a good one to pick up if you want to get a bit more into the modern world of DC comics.

Book Review Number 48: Trinity, Vol 2

(Note: Since I've been linking everything back to Amazon anyway, I figure that I might try to make a little money should anyone decide to buy it from them based on my review.  If people think this is too distracting, please let me know.)

Trinity, Vol 2 picks up where Vol 1 left off - with Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman erased from history on their earth.  Most of the people of the world - heroes included - forget that they ever existed.  It, along with the fact that the aspects the three embodied have also been weakened, makes the world a very strange one.  Only a few people remember the truth.  Firestorm was outside of time (if I'm remembering correctly) so his memories survived intact.  Tarot, being at the center of it all, also remembers some of what things need to be and quests to bring everything back to how it should be.  A lot of time is also spent on the Dark three - Morgan le Fey, Despero and Enigma (who I actually felt sorry for as I read his back story) - and what is happening with them.    

Be warned - Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman do not show up in this book.  It's much more a story of how the world changes without them in it and what needs to be done to get them back.  I've read a few reviews online that hated this fact and felt mislead because of the cover.  It doesn't bother me so much because it's the middle of the story.

And it definitely is the middle of the story.  Quite a bit has been pushed forward and there's still a lot left to go.  But that's why there's a book three.  Unlike written word series novels, there isn't a majority of a story that's been tidied up so you get a sense of some closure at the end with just enough mystery left to have you buy the next book.  Because of what graphic novels (usually) are - a compilation of the monthly comic - it is just one overarcing story and can't come in neat little packages.  Some of them can be put into those neat packages - when you have smaller storylines to deal with - but a large number of the big ones are going to be broken up like this.

One of the things that I truly loved about this particular volume was seeing the changed characters without the Big Three in their lives. Alfred, in particular, interested me.  Not having Bruce Wayne as an employer, he became an archeologist.  Yet still, he was Alfred to the core.

I would not recommend picking this one up first.  With a lot of things, I'll jump around from book to book (the Riley Jensen series, for example) and, while some bits are a little confusing, most of the time I don't mind it.  Because of the story for Trinity, I definitely suggest reading them in order.

Book Review Number 47: Teen Titans Spotlight: Raven

Teen Titans Spotlight: Raven

This book wasn't what I was expecting with a spotlight on Raven.  I was used to two different kinds of Ravens - the cartoon version from the Teen Titans cartoon, and the older mentor Raven from the comics.  This Raven is after her battle with (I believe) Trigon's followers that were using her to try to bring him back.  Her physical body was lost so the connection could be permanently severed, and she found herself in a newer, younger body.

The novel shows her first days in a new school, getting used to what was happening around her, how her new body worked, and dealing with some pretty frightening visions.  The artwork is slanted a bit more toward the anime than to the classic comic.  New Raven is incredibly cute and it's interesting seeing her find her niche in this private school.

Watching her try to figure out what the cause of the visions are and her role in them was a real page turner.  You had no idea if she was going to be the cause, or if she was going to have an effect on things.  There were bits that I wasn't expecting (and I don't want to give too much away) and more than a few people that I felt sorry for.

I'm a Raven fan, and I really did enjoy this one.  Even if it wasn't what I expected, I'm glad that I took the time to read it.  Now I just need to find a bit more of her original storyline.

Book Review Number 46: Teen Titans Vol 5: Life and Death

Teen Titans Vol 5: Life and Death

Teen Titans, Vol 5: Life and Death is the next book in the newest incarnation of the Teen Titans.  It's getting closer to the time of Infinite Crisis, and things are definitely changing.  The Titans have to deal with deceased members of the time returning from the dead and all the pain and horror that entails.  Brother Blood and many of the newly-returned-dead are closing in on them, and they are trying to find out which side of the line they're going to be on.  Along with this, SuperBoy has some of his own demons to face as he tries to figure out what his purpose is.  Just as he is figuring out what his importance is, he must battle his counterpart from a much darker world.

This was one of the saddest graphics that I've read in the Teen Titans line.  Not everyone makes it out alive, and the final panels had me in tears.  I would definitely not recommend reading this as a stand alone, but if you've been reading up until now, you won't want to miss this one.  I know that I didn't regret it (though I did know some of what was going to happen because of my jumping around in the continuity, it was still a blow to the chest to see how things worked out.)  This may be one that I'll try to get my hands on for my own collection.

Once again, back in the saddle

The last several weeks have been insane.  Between Teddy's birthday weekend and an unexpected trip to Philly/NJ for a funeral, I have barely had a chance to breath let alone get anything done.  While there is still a lot of chaos around me, I'm trying to feel revitalized enough to get everything done.  I'm still trying to come up with a plan of attack... I have some ideas, but I really need to sit down and write them out.  I need to come up with something to keep everything in as well.  I'm getting ready to head out for several errands, including running to Wal-Mart, so I may be able to find something that will help me out.  And tonight, Rich is taking the boys out to go shopping for my birthday (am I seriously going to be 37 on Friday?  Gah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!), so I might be able to get some of my organization done then.

I'm still staying about the same in the weight department.  I think I need to revamp my goals again, but that shouldn't be too difficult.  I'm still determined that I'm going to make the changes that I need to to be healthy.  The weather has been nicer, so I might be able to get out and walk more.  I bought another new pedometer - the one that I got with the DS program had the hook break off so it won't stay on my hip/shoe/whatever, and it doesn't do well in my pocket.  But the new one doesn't seem to be working right either.  I'll figure something out.  When I'm out at the store today, I'm going to pick up some more fruit so I have some healthier options for snacking.

I'm pretty behind in Swap-Bot again, in large part because of the trip to the NE.  I think tomorrow is going to be a Focus on Swap-Bot day.  Kids should be in PDO, so that should give me some time for taking care of things without the boys driving me insane.  I'm hoping to have everything back to normal on that end by the weekend.  We'll see how it goes, though.

I still have a lot of backlog with writing book reviews as well.  I'm going to write that up on a list as well, for the various things that I need to do.  That crosses over into Swap-Bot, since one of the swaps I'm in is a book log for the first quarter of 2011.  It shouldn't be too difficult, though, since most of the books I've read are graphic novels.  I did, however, listen to a couple of audio books on the trip, so those will count as well.

I have a grand plan for cleaning.  Rather than focus on a room at a time, I'm going to focus on a section of a room at a time.  The rest of the house might be a mess, but that isn't to worry about right now.  Instead, I'm going to start at one corner of the apartment - specifically, the far left corner in the kitchen.  I'm going to clean and organize from that point forward until I feel finished for the day, then I'm going to quit.  The next day, I can pick up from that point.  While I go, I'm also going to decorate - pictures on walls, things like that.  I won't have to be stressed because I don't have a specific amount that needs to be done daily, but I'll still be able to see progress.

There's fun worked in here as well.  Yesterday, before we got home, we stopped by GameStop to pick up our reserved copies of Pokemon: Black and Pokemon: White.  It's pretty cool because everything is brand new - new area, completely new pokemon, and I've been avoiding spoiling myself so I don't know what will be coming up.  Along with Pokemon, I'm finally downloading WoW to the new computer (which came in right before the trip to the NE).  So I'm going to make some time for that as well.  After all, I'm paying for it, I might as well use it.

I'm getting back into a few other things as well.  I finally got the 1st disc of Season 4 of Dexter, so I'm catching up on that.  I'm hoping that disc 2 will be in soon.  I'm also getting ready to start season 5 of Teen Titans.  I just have to send the latest disc back to Netflix.  We listened to Book 5 of The 39 Clues on the trip back and have decided that we really want to get back into those, so I have the first several of those on hold at the library.  Rather than spending a lot of TV time, we're planning on spending a lot of Audio Book time in the evenings.  It'll be nice, I think.  Plus, I need to make a trip back to Rick's Comic City to pick up a few new comics.  I haven't gotten a box yet, but I'm still thinking about it.  I could use more Green Arrow.

Speaking of which, Barnes & Noble is doing an online promotion of buy 3 get the 4th free on their graphic novels.  I'm debating picking up some.  I have a $20 gift card for B&N anyway, so it would be a good thing to buy.  I just have to decide what I want to get.

Re: the trip to Philly... for all that we saw family for a sad reason (my husband's grandmother's funeral), it was actually a pretty good visit.  We got to spend time with family and got to have fun with the boys.  I got quite a few cute pics of the boys and various members of the family, and I'm hoping to get those up on Picasa and/or Facebook next week.  I've got a few things that I'm hoping to put into the scrapbook as well.  That's another thing that needs to go onto my To Do list.

We'll be making another trip north this summer.  My in-laws have rented a house on the Jersey shore and we'll be there for a week.  We're hoping to go up to NY to spend time with my family as well.  I'm also hoping that we might be able to include a few days of visiting in Philly with friends and maybe making an extra stop or two at places in VA that we've been wanting to check out (including a super huge book sale that goes on 6 or 7 times a year).

It definitely looks like things are going to be keeping busy.  And that's good.  I need to keep busy.  Especially because Teddy will be starting Kindergarten in the fall.  And if I'm busy, I won't have to think about my little boy becoming a big one! :D

Now I'd better get going and run some errands.  Just too much going on and we all have to start somewhere!  :)

Have a great Fat Tuesday, all!

Book Review Number 38: Trinity Vol 1

Trinity, Vol 1

In the world of DC Comics, Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman are the big three.  And this story takes firm advantage of that fact.

Something is sending dreams to the big three.  Disturbing dreams.  As they come together to try and find out what the deeper meaning is, they call on friends to help them out.  Meanwhile, Morgan Le Fey and the mysterious Enigma bring in Desparo to try to get to whatever the secret is first.  And since things can never be simple in the lives of Superheroes, a woman with the power to know the future through tarot (called, appropriately, Tarot) has become incredibly important to it all.  Former Hero, Gangbuster, comes out of retirement to help rescue her when she's been taken by Morgan LeFey and company.

The whole cast of characters is brilliantly written and wonderfully drawn.  The story is engaging and had me up until all hours, knowing that I needed to sleep but just wanting to read one more page.  I suspect Vol 2 (which I picked up from the library today) will be very much the same.

Book Review Number 36: Teen Titans #7: Titans East

Teen Titans #7: Titans East

When I got this book from the library, I didn't realize that it was part of the Teen Titans series that I'd been reading out of order.  I was thinking it was a side novel.  But getting it home didn't stop me from reading it.  Because I'm weird that way.

This is placed between the two graphic novels I'd read previously, so I had some knowledge of what was going on and of what would be going on.  Once again, Deathstrike is the villain du jour, this time bringing in a group that he calls Titans East - more young supers that are put together specifically to combat the Teen Titans.  There's some great action in the book and it was interesting to see these various characters interact together.

The beginning of the book told about Kid Devil's origins... a story that I found incredibly interesting.  I was first introduced to Kid Devil much later in his storyline and he was someone who intrigued me.  His origin story is even more intriguing.  The end of the book was a good set up for the story lines in Countdown to Final Crisis, as the murder of Duela Dent is the focus of that part of the story.

For darkness, this is middle of the road.  It's definitely not as dark as Final Crisis nor as light as Batman: The Brave and the Bold.  But it's a good read none-the-less.

Book Review Number 35: Teen Titans #1: A Kid's Game

Teen Titans #1: A Kid's Game

This one of the latest (if not the latest) reboot of the Teen Titans.  Some of the Titans of old, like Cyborg, Starfire and Beast Boy, are acting as mentors for the newest bunch of teen aged heroes.  This book is about both getting the kids involved in the Titans (with some, against their parents or mentors better judgment) and dealing with their first major villain as a team.  For all that it's an intro story, there's still a fair amount of character development. 

I enjoyed reading this because I'm still not as familiar with the Teen Titans as I'd like to be.  As I believe I've mentioned before, I'm much more familiar with the Teen Titans of the TV show.  But they aren't the first or the last, and seeing what else is out there is part of the fun.  Other than Cy, Starfire and Beast Boy, or some of the others coming in for one shot bits, I only recognized a few of the characters and those from the later Teen Titans graphic novel that I'd read.  But starting at the beginning helped me get a feeling for the characters.  It's a great place to start if the newer Teen Titans are something you'd be interested in getting into.

Book Review Number 34: Batman: The Brave and the Bold

Batman: The Brave and the Bold

This was a great change from a lot of the other graphic novels that I've been reading lately. As you've probably noticed if you've been reading my book reviews, so many of them have been dark and emotionally draining (though still wonderful).  This is just a big book of fun.  It's the first six issues of the Batman: The Brave and the Bold comic book, which is based on the Batman: The Brave and the Bold cartoon.  We get to see Batman and various friends of his (including Green Arrow... swoon) taking on the Queen of Fables and even Batman as the president.

One of the best things about it is that it's one that I had no problem handing over to Teddy to read.  There was nothing disturbing or depressing in it, and being a favorite of his meant that I knew he'd enjoy it.  It also had "Bat Files" - little bits of information on the villain and the hero helping out Batman - that helped tell him a bit more about Batman's world.  Definitely a good read for comic fans of all ages, especially if you have a good dose of silliness in your make-up.

Book Review Number 32 & 33: Countdown to Final Crisis

             Countdown to Final Crisis, Vol 1                                           Countdown to Final Crisis, Vol 3

Having read CtFC, v. 2 in December, I wanted to read the rest of the series.  Of course, that means things are a bit spotty.  And somehow, I thought I'd read v. 4, but I didn't.  So that's on my list for the next time I go to the library.

Things get stranger and stranger as the series goes forward.  It's hard to talk about things specifically without giving away too much of what's happening.  But suffice it to say that major things happen to just about everyone involved.  There's dimension hopping, betrayals, complete surprises... it's definitely a page turner.

I think I need to reread them all, though, in one sitting.  I know the hit and miss reading that I've done has caused me to miss quite a bit.  But even with that, it's truly an epic story that explains why Final Crisis was as dark as it was.

Book Review Number 21: Nightwing Vol 7: On the Razor's Edge

Nightwing Vol 7: On the Razor's Edge

I took another foray into DC Comics with Nightwing Vol 7: On the Razor's Edge.  I've previously read the first three volumes so I knew a lot of the players from Bludhaven.  This volume was, of course, a bit further in the timeline.  It includes issues 52 and 54 through 60.  Issue 52 is a little bit with Catwoman that seemed a bit more fluff than moving the story forward.  The rest deal with the coming of Shrike, who knew Nightwing as Robin.  Blockbuster auditions him by having him go against the villains that had previously failed to take out Nightwing, then sends him after Nightwing.  Shrike manages to capture Nightwing and takes him to an undisclosed location.  But Nightwing isn't without resources.  First, Oracle (whose relationship with Dick/Nightwing is progressing nicely) is alerted to Nightwing's plight when Shrike attempts to run Nightwing's prints.  She and Black Canary are able to track down where Nightwing is being held.  Meanwhile, Nightwing is able to use his ingenuity to free himself.  There's the typical fight between Nightwing and Shrike where they leave things somewhat unresolved.  There's a secondary plot where Dick is continuing his attempt to get into Bludhaven's Police force.  His mentor and superior, Amy, not only brings him in as an officer but brings him into a secret society that was formed to battle the corruption within the police.

I really enjoyed reading this one.  I'm loving finding out about various DC heroes, their strengths and weaknesses.  The story was well balanced between Dick Grayson's travels and Nightwing's. The artwork is, as always, fantastic.  I definitely recommend it for those who like DC comics, though I'd start with some of the earlier graphic novels to get up to speed on Who's Who in Bludhaven.