#Hound graphic novel

[iukasylvie]

As a Japanese person who is used to reading manga, I find comics outside Japan to be so different beyond size, color, reading direction, and language that I wish there was a book explaining comics of various kinds and how to approach them. For example, I have read The Witch Boy by Molly Ostertag, Magical Boy by The Kao, Hound by Paul J. Bolger and Barry Devlin, An Táin by Colmán Ó Raghallaigh, and the excerpts of Franco-Belgian comics in the guide Invitation au monde de la Bande Dessinée (はじめての人のためのバンド・デシネ徹底ガイド, 2013).

Neither The Witch Boy nor Hound were divided by chapter to my surprise—especially Hound since it was first released in three volumes. Dialogue in Franco-Belgian comics are lengthy compared to what I see in manga, which the academic book Les échanges culturels entre Manga et Bande dessinée : Historie, Adaptation et Création (日仏マンガの交流 ヒストリー・アダプテーション・クリエーション, 2015) has commented on.

Hound was created by at least two Irish people and edited by one British person (Hugh Welchman) but I find this graphic novel to be similar to a certain kind of Franco-Belgian comics like the works of Jean "Mœbius" Giraud. These comics have impressive art and imagery—and I love how Hound portrays Cú Cullan's berserk state and uses dashes of red in an otherwise black and white setting—but they give me little or no idea about what's going on unlike, say, Fullmetal Alchemist by Hiromu Arakawa. I have heard of the international popularity of manga—in France in particular—but I wonder why people outside Japan embrace manga so much when it's not like comics produced in their countries.

Thoughts?

[holmesoldfellow]

Covers for the "The Hound of the Baskervilles" graphic novel by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Ian Edginton, and I.N.J. Culbard of the "Eye Classics" series (Sterling 2009-2011, SelfMadeHero 2017) 3/4

[picturebookshelf]

Hilda and the Black Hound (2014)

Story and Art: Luke Pearson

[smashpages]

Out this week: Hound (Mad Cave Studios, $19.99): 

Sam Freeman, Sam Romesburg and Rodrigo Vazquez are the creative team for this horror graphic novel about a World War I soldier assigned to a company that has formed a dangerous, deadly cult.

See what other comics and graphic novels will arrive in stores this week!

[graphicpolicy]

Preview: Hound

Hound preview. During World War I, a young soldier is assigned to one of the most deadly areas along the western front. However, he finds the greatest threat to his life lies not with the enemy, but with a cult formed by his own men #comics #comicbooks

[ethanmaldridge]

Hound of ill omen.

Here's a snippet from a graphic novel I've been working on! It's a dark fairy tale, with elements of queer romance and folk horror. It will be on a bookshelf near you sometime next summer.

You can learn more about the project, as well as my new gothic mystery series, over on Patreon!

[rockethorse]

Stocking Stuffer 1/5: A Bajillion Random Painting Recolours

Happy Holidays to all! While I'm proud that last year I finally managed to achieve a longtime goal of sharing a full TS2 Advent Calendar, I'm simply not gonna be able to pull it off this year. Nonetheless, the holidlay spirit has encouraged me to finish up and share a couple of things before the end of the year! I'll be sharing five little gifts over the next few arbitrary days. First up: A BUNCH of Maxis painting recolours.

One recolour each of A/B/C Stroke (yes, I still enjoy playing with these as three separate paintings) using vintage matchbook covers designed by Saul Bass for The Ohio Match Company.

Two recolours +frames for Abstrutionism; "Poppy Cake" by Adolf Fényes (1910), and then this edit of Christina's World by Andrew Wyeth (1948) to include Bella Goth (the original Tumblr poster has deactivated).

A recolour of Anonymous Masterpiece with these two digital paintings by user chestnutroan featuring their farmer Sim and his two alien daughters.

One recolour of the Arghist Soldier with "Friday Nights" by Deborah DeWit (2006), perfect for your novel-enthusiast Sims' reading nook.

One recolour of City Skyline with a fruit & veg painting by Twitter user snail_soup (you can buy a real print of this too if you like it!)

One recolour of the Fourth Element wall scroll with "From Stardust to Stardust - Raccoon" by user ArtOfMienda.

Four Vegetables recoloured with four deliciously juicy tomato paintings by artist Leah Gardner.

Geometry 101 recoloured with a beautiful palette knife painting by Lynn Boggess.

Two recolours of Grilled Cheese (you all know what Grilled Cheese looks like, c'mon); one vintage ad for Hollywood Diet bread which I cleaned/redrew to remove text/graphics, and then "Cloud Rows" by Ivan Eyre (2004).

In The Beginning (+frame) recoloured with "Little Thief" by Courtney / Trash Kitty Art (also available as an affordable IRL print).

Kitten vs. Yarn (+frame) recoloured with this goache painting by user ieafy.

"Until Tonight" by Mark Grantham (2019) slapped on Lady On Red.

Two recolours of Living Room; "Midwestern Summer Fun" by user ink-the-artist (you may wanna zoom in for a surprise), then "Girl On A Swing" (2000) by Andrew Macara.

One recolour of Marketing Print with the Beatles as drawn by other Beatles. I don't remember who drew who because I'm actually not much of a Beatles fan but I thought these sketches were really darling.

In Memory of Johnny Gnome (+frame) recoloured with a piece by Emma Roulette.

A recolour of My First Holiday with art from Twitter user heikala_art.

On Pointed Toes (+frame) recoloured with this digital painting by Twitter user catwheezie.

I fell in love with this Guinness ad so I tweaked it from the photo to fit on the Route 66 poster, then made an accompanying Simlish option.

A single Scruffles recolour (+frame) with this adorable cow illustration by Twitter user poodlewool.

Four recolours of the Sim Noir pop art print; three pieces by Al Parker I found through this Tweet (with some English removed) and then an edit of the original painting to look passingly familiar...

Two recolours (+frames) of Snoozing Enemies; "The Cat on the Pillow" by Adolf von Becker, and "Sleeping Sasha" by Lena Rivo.

Stiller Life (+frame) recoloured with this oil painting of McDonalds by artist Noah Verrier.

Two recolours (+frames) of Stumped Hound; "Shadow" by Tianyi Zhou and "cat falling off table" by user anasauruss.

The Muse recoloured with this Juxtapoz magazine cover by artist Josh Courlas.

And lastly, three recolours of Untitled (the Bella Goth pop art painting) with works by Hiroshi Nagai.

Download All Paintings @ SFS

[wheel-of-fish]

Favorite books with autumn vibes

Contemporary

All Souls Trilogy by Deborah Harkness

At the Edge of the Orchard by Tracy Chevalier

For the Wolf by Hannah Witten

The Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

The Invisible Life of Addie Larue by V.E. Schwab

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

The Once and Future Witches by Alix Harrow

The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

Red at the Bone by Jaqueline Woodson

The Scholomance Trilogy by Naomi Novik

The Secret History by Donna Tartt

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Luis Zafron

Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune

Uprooted by Naomi Novik

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel

Classics

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter

Daddy Long Legs by Jean Webster

Dracula by Bram Stoker

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

The Turn of the Screw by Henry James

We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson

The Woman in Black by Susan Hill

Graphic Novels

My Favorite Thing is Monsters by Emil Ferris

The Sandman Vol. I: Preludes and Nocturnes by Neil Gaiman

Through the Woods by Emily Carroll

Always looking for more! Tell me yours!

[undertheorangetree]

Under the God's Eye

Chapter Four- The Isle of Faces

Summary- Everyone escapes for a night on the lake.

Warnings- MDNI 18+ Female reader. Alcohol and marijuana consumption. Mild sibling rivalry. Spooky trees. Smooching.

Author’s Note- Am I currently on vacation? Yes but that’s why we write things in advance.

Series masterlist

divider created by firefly-graphics

She doesn't breathe a word of what Baela told her about Alys. Aemond hadn't told her about all that for a reason and it seems cruel to bring it all back up now.

Even though it seems a dark cloud looming over her head, their first week at the God's Eye is not nearly as painful as she originally anticipated. Aemond turns out to be a fairly attentive fake boyfriend; bringing her drinks, offering her food from his own plate, and making it a habit to stay close by and check in on her when his family decides to hound her with well meaning questions. They ease into each other over time, growing more comfortable in the other’s presence and she thinks perhaps this holiday may end up being easier than she had thought.

Despite having been there for a full week, she has yet to meet Viserys. He has stayed all but camped out at Aemond's grandfather's cottage, working on only God knows what. When she had asked Aemond if his father would be making an appearance any time soon, he had only curled his lip and said she shouldn't hold her breath. A part of her is annoyed, as half the reason she came here was to meet the man behind Targaryen and Hightower and attempt to get into his good graces, but if Aemond's reaction to the mere mention of his father is any indication, he would be happy if Viserys stayed away for the rest of the month.

It's a thought that refuses to leave her head as she enters their shared room, closing the door halfway before making her way over to her bag in search of the novel she had brought along. Or, at least, she thinks she has brought along. As she digs through her bag, shifting clothes to the side, she's no longer so sure. She's so engrossed in her search that she doesn't hear the door to the ensuite open until she sees something move out of the corner of her eye, head lifting before immediately dropping back down, face burning.

Aemond's face has gone just as flushed as her own, one hand clamped around the towel wrapped low around his hips. She had only looked at him for half a moment, but that had been long enough for her to see everything. The pale expanse of his chest, dotted with freckles, the way his hair had begun to curl from the steam of the shower. She presses her lips together, staring resolutely down into her bag.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know you were in here," she manages, cursing herself when it comes out stilted.

Despite his blush, his voice is almost arrogant as he says, "No, I should have told you. My fault."

The embarrassment is ridiculous. Over the last week, she had seen him dressed in nothing more than a bathing suit more than once, but somehow this feels different. More intimate somehow, as if she is seeing something that isn't hers to see. She stands, keeping her eyes downcast as she makes her way toward the door, book forgotten.

"Aegon wants us all to go the Isle of Faces later," he tells her before she makes it to the door, walking further into the room to begin rifling through the drawers he had organized his clothes into.

The name is enough to stop her in her tracks. "The Isle of Faces?"

He huffs something that sounds suspiciously like a laugh. "It's stupid. There's an island in the middle of the lake that we like to go to. He and his frat brothers came up here a few years ago and decided to put those face decorations on nearly every tree on the island. He was rather proud when he thought up the name."

She has not known Aegon long but that sounds like something he would take pride in.

Though it wasn't really a question, she still finds herself agreeing to it. "Yeah, that sounds fun."

He hums, turning back to face the dresser, and she shuffles closer to the door. She pulls it open, one foot just stepping outside the threshold when he adds, "We'll probably all go swimming while we're there so you might want to be able to look at me without blushing before then."

Read the rest here

Taglist- @backyardfolklore @docmartinis @watercolorskyy @barbieaemond @bellaisasleep @yentroucnagol @aemondsbabygirl @at-a-rax-ia

[iukasylvie]

Ethan Sabatella's reviews of Hound by Paul J. Bolger and Barry Devlin are invaluable since he writes from the perspective of someone who has studied Irish mythology.

[st-el-la-luna]

Okay but like, what's with fandoms and their recent obsession with "purifying" themselves and the content in them?

It's one thing if a content creator is outed as a pedophile or a racist or a xenophobe.

What I'm talking about is this newfound hatred towards dark fics and dark subject matter in general. It's like people don't understand that it's fiction. Fiction is not reality. Even if the writing is disgusting or amoral, it's not real. And you don't have to read it.

People have been writing weird shit for ages. So how come we only ever see these purity enforcers attacking fic writers or fan artists in fandoms?

Like, in the COD fandom I've seen a bunch of people getting hounded for posting or consuming dark content, I've also gotten a couple messages about it. And, like, hey buddy? Who really cares.

Fiction and reality are two separate things.

Also, why are you attacking me, a 20 year old who lives with their mom and writes for their ten consultant followers and not, oh, I don't know...

Stephen King, who has that whole underage sewer orgy scene in It.

Or the e creators of call of duty for creating literal propaganda. Because, hey besties, yes, that's what COD is. Propaganda. They want you to see it and be like, "yay, guns and the military!" And that's the thing about fiction. It's allowed.

The issue at hand is, in my mind, an issue of deeper reading comprehension or complex thoughts. And a lack of understanding of catharsis.

No one is saying these things are good. But these things exist in the world, like it or not. And in my mind, it's better to portray them in fiction than not at all. Because at least in portraying it awareness can be spread.

And again, if you don't like something, if it triggers you, just don't read it. It's simple. Like if you're watching a movie and can't stand blood so you cover your eyes not to see. You aren't going to go after the director are you? No. You're going to take steps to protect yourself against content you don't want to see or consume.

I think it's an issue of separating fan works from "real" works. Those who say fan art isn't real art or fanfiction isn't real writing. So perhaps in those people's minds, fan works, not being "real" means that they shouldn't portray things we see in reality.

All this to say here's a non-definitive list of novels with dark/disturbing content that these people would want to oppose:

It by Stephen King: The kids having an orgy in the sewers, child abuse, sexual abuse

Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov: pseudo-incest, hebephilia

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Attwood: Women being stripped of rights, education, loss of bodily autonomy, forced breeders (at the hands of a government)

The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks

The Road by Cormac McCarthy: People keeping other people for food, people keeping women as breeding stock (at the hands of bandits in a post-apocalyptic world)

Flowers in the Attic by V. C. Andrews: child neglect, child abuse, forced isolation, incest, rape

1984 by George Orwell: totalitarianism, government surveillance, insignificance and weakness of the individual

The Stand by Stephen King: sex, rape, ableism, abuse of handicapped people, violence and killing

Maus by Art Spiegelman: depiction of violence, concentration camps, Nazis, Nazi imagery, dehumanization, starvation, mass murder

Frankenstein by Marry Shelley: human experimentation, grave robbing, necromancy, technical necrophilia, murder, revenge, suicide

In the Miso Soup by Ryū Murakami: pedo/hebephilic relations, sex industry, murder

Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy: graphic depictions of violence, use of slurs, child abuse, infanticide (? Been a while since I read it so I might be misremembering), pedophilia, rape, sexual assault and violence

Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica: cannibalism, forced breeding, objectification, slave trade, people being bred and sold for meat

A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess: sadism, sexual violence

The Girl Next Door by Jack Ketchum: captivity, torture, torture at the hands of children, violence, sexual violence, based on a true story

Lord of The Flies by William Golding: shows the truth of human nature, dissolution of society and it's rules, violence as a basal instinct

The 120 Days of Sodom by Marquis de Sade: sex, sexual violence, rape, sex trade, pedophilia, incest, abuse, literally just the whole book

Trainspotting by Irvine Welsh: mental illness, drug use/addiction, infant death

American Psycho by Brett Easton Ellis: violence, gore, rape, murder, torture, misogyny, sadism

A lot of these books, though considered scary and disturbing and gross, are also seen as classics.

It's not the fault of the author or the media they create, but that of the consumer.

You can find it icky and gross after reading or watching such things. Most of the time you're supposed to. That's a good thing, it means you're human. These things make you think and feel and emphasize.

To control what can and cannot be written is censorship. To control how certain things are portrayed is censorship.

Be aware of the media that's out there, because these disturbing things are real issues out there. And if you can't stomach it, don't consume it.

Simple.

[badsongpetey]

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7

The Water Guardian (aka Cryptid Keith AU) Part 8

And so Lance falls into an easy pattern with his new cryptid friend. Every week he brings books to an eagerly awaiting Keith, and steadily the conversations between them become less and less strained. Lance has discovered that he and Keith share similar tastes. Keith loves graphic novels, and in addition to adventure and fantasy stories, has a penchant for horror. The scary monster in the haunted waterfall loves horror, go figure.

Lance would be lying if he hadn’t hoped to get Keith to open up more about his mysterious past, because what’s the fun of having a supernatural friend without learning his cosmic secrets, right? But as the weeks turn to months, Keith remains as reluctant as ever to broach the subject. And strangely, Lance finds himself minding less and less.

Keith, contrary to first impressions, is actually funny. Okay, his sense of humor is definitely an acquired taste, but it’s there, and he frequently has Lance laughing out loud. And stranger still, Keith is just fun to hang out with. He’s smart, and creative, and passionate about the things he cares for. Sure, he’s still stubborn and annoying and almost ridiculously oblivious at times, but in a ways that challenge Lance to be better instead of frustrating him.

Introducing Keith to more modern stories has also opened up a world of questions for the dragon. Every week he hounds Lance for answers: What’s the internet? What’s a TV show? And why do people binge eat them on streams? These are tough to answer as the area where Keith lives is the deadest of dead zones, a fact Lance attributes more to Keith himself than any feature of technology or geography.

In return for Lance’s knowledge, Keith shows him his world. Lance learns secrets of the forest; meets a host of wild animals — some friendlier than others, stupid chipmunks; and is dazzled with dragon magic tricks.

They swim, and hike, and make up stupid challenges to see who can best the other. He even hatches a scheme to camp out and surprise Keith with his first ever movie night. Keith’s face, transfixed as he watches some of Lance’s favorite flicks on his laptop, is something Lance finds far more compelling than the movies themselves. Somewhere along the line, without being fully aware of it, Lance realizes that Keith has gone from being a friend in name only, to one of his best friends.

And speaking of best friends, it crosses his mind more than once that he’s never invited them to come visit Keith. Hunk really should get to meet the dragon he thought was going to eat them, he knows Hunk and Keith would be good friends. And Pidge would be maniacal with glee over the discovery of a whole new species. On second thought, maybe keeping Pidge away is for the best. Keith might actually be forced to eat them in self defense.

Lance tells himself that he’ll introduce them when the time is right, but truth is, he likes having Keith’s friendship to himself. And he tries his best to ignore the weird little flutter thing that his heart does when Keith comes bounding out of the woods like an excited puppy to greet him. Who wouldn’t be excited to have a magical being for a secret friend, right? Of course right, there’s no other explanation.

“Are there any other dragons?” Lance asks one afternoon as they lay sunning themselves on the warm rocks after a swim.

When he’s met with silence, he looks over at Keith unmoving on the rocks beside to him.

“I was just thinking, you know, there must be more dragons out there, besides you and your parents. Maybe, you’ve run into them?” Lance elaborates.

Keith is still quiet, and Lance is about to chalk this one up to things they don’t talk about when…

“I don’t know. I’ve never left my waters.”

Lance sits up. “You’ve never left?” He asks incredulously. “Not once in a century? You’ve just been here all alone?”

Keith is sitting now too, and his brow furrows in response.

“Look,” Lance sighs, “I know there are things you don’t want to discuss, but… I dunno, I worry about you, here all alone.”

“I’m not alone, I have you.”

“And I’m incredible, I know. I mean, you’re not gonna find better than me, human or dragon, that’s a given.” Lance replies over the soft sound of Keith’s scoffs. “But I’m still just one guy, and, well, aren’t you curious? At all?”

Keith frowns and looks away, his established way of shutting down a conversation.

Lance huffs in frustration. “Keith, part of being friends is talking about stuff. Friends talk. They care about each other and help each other, and trust each other. I’m just hoping that maybe you trust me.”

Lance stares at the back of Keith’s head and wonders if he just ruined a friendship and not merely a perfectly nice afternoon. But he’s reached a point with Keith where he wants more. He can’t keep walking on eggshells whenever the subject of Keith’s past comes up, and he’s at a loss about what else he can do.

“My mom, before she… passed… she made me promise to never leave here. To never look for any others. She said it was too dangerous. And it’s been hard, but it was the only thing she asked of me.” Keith’s voice quavers as he replies.

“Keith, I… I’m so sorry, but she couldn’t have wanted you to be all alone for so long…”

“You don’t understand!” Keith snaps, turning around, eyes filling with tears, cutting Lance off mid-sentence.

“Dragons don’t just take care of a body of water, we’re bound to it. A water dragon cannot be, cannot exist, without this bond. My mom came here when she was still pregnant with me. She never told me where she’d come from, only that she came here to protect me. Her magic was strong and she was able to sever her old bond and forge a new one here.”

Lance sits slack-jawed and stunned as the story comes pouring out of Keith.

“Normally, when a young dragon comes of age they find their own place, their own bond. But, I couldn’t go…” Keith hiccups out a sob, “I couldn’t leave, and she couldn’t leave, and… and… she gave her bond to me. She gave it up so I could live. And she… she…”

Keith’s voice breaks as he cries and Lance is moving before he even decides to. He wraps himself around his friend and Keith just collapses in his arms, releasing a grief held for longer than Lance can imagine.

“I’m here now.” He whispers into Keith’s hair. “I’m here and I won’t let you be alone ever again.” He promises. And Lance never breaks a promise.

[ashesandhackles]

@hprecfest Day 4 - Fic with Art

Unfortunately, I don't listen to podfics - so skipping ahead to Day 4.

1. Ginny Weasley and the Chamber of Secrets by @its-nanse

Gen. Teen and up audience. There is a warning for graphic depiction of violence.

Haunting, unsettling, disturbing!! It would be a crime to not start this list with Nanse's graphic novel following Ginny's first year. Their art is so evocative - appropriately colourful or claustrophobic, depending on the scene. The illustration of the moment with roosters or Ginny in the Chamber stuck with me. I still think about it.

Summary:

Chamber of secrets from Ginny's perspective. As a graphic novel.

2. As Moments Do by @thecat-isblogging-blog

Gen. WIP.

As Moments Do is a canon compliant journey of Remus Lupin from OOTP to HBP. The first three chapters focus on set up of the Order, first full moon in Grimmauld and the first mission. Cat's art focuses on a moment with Sirius during the full moon that lives in my head rent free - Sirius imposing his will on Remus during the full moon, Remus lashing out and the way they negotiate back to their dynamic is just... gorgeous and I am forever in awe. Here is the art link.

Summary:

Lupin's POV following Ootp and HBP.

3. Home for Christmas by @thecat-isblogging-blog

Home for Christmas is a pre-canon - a snapshot of teenage Remus, living with simmering tension with his parents, both of whom love Remus deeply but are unable to render it in a way that reaches Remus, beaten down by his status as a werewolf. Cat illustrated a very moment - Remus noticing the statue of Gelert the Hound, the wolf slayer. It is a motif that follows him through the story, and Cat also masterfully ties it with his feelings about Sirius post prank: underlying fear and resentment that he suppresses. Here is the illustration.

Summary:

It’s the Christmas holidays, and like every year, Remus goes home to spend it with his parents. But there’s nothing worse than feeling homesick when you’re already home.

4. I must have done something good by @yletylyf

Sirius x Severus. Explicit.

We all needed a Sirius and Severus finding comfort in each other at their best friend's wedding and Lety, as usual, delivered. @tricksterringmaster illustrated a particular striking moment in this fic - I am going to let their work speak here. Here is the art.

Summary:

James and Lily are getting married. Their best friends aren't as happy about it as they should be. But fed up with pining over their lost loves, Sirius and Severus find something better to do at the wedding.

[hpowellsmith]

Books of January

I've really enjoyed reading more this month! I always read a lot over the holidays and then fall out of the habit but ended up doing more this time around.

Wild: from Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail - Cheryl Strayed (reread)

I liked this when I first read it, and liked it even more this time. The sense of the outdoors and the personal journeys within feel incredibly real to me. It inspired me to get out and about more: I always feel better when I take some time outdoors. I didn't really get on with her other books, but this one remains a favourite.

Dancing on Eggshells: Kitchen, Ballroom, & The Messy Inbetween - John Whaite

Every so often I read a celebrity memoir and usually it falls a little flat - often too obviously ghostwritten/over-edited or glib or twee. This one is less over-polished which is to its benefit, includes a bunch of lovely recipes, and explores growing up gay in England during Section 28 (at the same time I was growing up). Whaite comes across as very sincere in this, and since publication has said he's quitting TV which is probably a good thing. It was interesting reading the Strictly parts having read Craig Revel Horwood's memoir last year - Revel Horwood is very blithe about how lovely it all is whereas Whaite gives a more complicated perspective.

Maw - Jude Ellison S. Doyle

This horror graphic novel is gripping in places but it didn't pull me in as much as I'd hoped having read Doyle's discussions about the writing process and inspirations. It was over a little fast, characters appeared and were killed off a little too speedily for it to have much impact, and the ending felt a little abrupt. I liked the characters and the general idea but would have liked more breathing room to get to know them. I've got The Neighbors on pre-order and hope to get into that one more.

The Easternmost Sky - Juliet Blaxland

I could write an essay about what was frustrating about this book - the lack of class-consciousness from someone who casually mentions going to visit cousins for Christmas at the local manor, the (wilfully?) ignorant comments about rewilding, the unexamined pro-hunting commentary - but parts of it are quite good and evocative. Having grown up in rural England where neither I nor my peers were involved with the hunting-and-shooting manor-house culture, it's irritating to read a book which cheerfully conflates "country life" with being someone who loves running to hounds and thinks hunting is great, but some of the descriptions were lovely. Still, I'd recommend other nature writers like Robert MacFarlane or Helen Macdonald (who engages with falconry, but in a much more thoughtful way) over this one.

The Lives of Christopher Chant - Diana Wynne Jones (reread)

This was a beloved book from my teenage years and I shared it with my child after there was a lot of enjoyment of Howl's Moving Castle and Charmed Life last year. This one was a harder sell, it turned out: it's slower-paced than I remember, and bleaker, and there's very DWJ-esque penultimate chapter where a lot of stuff suddenly happens and is revealed and resolved very fast. I do love Christopher and his friends, though, and as with many of DWJ's books, it does betrayal and sudden self-awareness heartbreakingly well.

Mexican Gothic - Silvia Moreno-Garcia

I. Loved. This. I loved it! I'd read a couple of Moreno-Garcia's books before and enjoyed them reasonably but this was the first one where it really grabbed me and wouldn't let go. A post-colonial Mexican gothic horror in which the heroine probes into an English family's business when her cousin, who's married into this family, sends a disturbed message begging for help... it's so good. I don't want to say anything more about it but I enjoyed it immensely and it solidified Moreno-Garcia as a favourite author.

Toto the Ninja Cat and the Legend of the Wildcat - Dermot O'Leary

This was really cute. My child and I ended up losing track of some of the plot, which became slightly complex, but it was generally adorable. There's not a ton else to say other than it's a nice story with a few jokes for adults that are good sensible-chuckle material.

Untamed Shore - Silvia Moreno-Garcia

This was so good. It's a noir thriller without the supernatural elements I'd encountered in the author's other work, but it gripped me excellently. I really enjoyed the unfolding dangerousness of all the characters, including the protagonist, and I was genuinely uncertain about what would happen towards the end - it had me really tense! I enjoyed it greatly.

[hufuf]

Hilda and her mother Johanna going shopping together

Reference : Graphic Novel "Hilda and the Black Hound"

23rd December was public holiday in Japan as The Emperor's birthday until 2018.

In May 2019, current Emperor succeeded previous Emperor and the holiday was moved to his birthday 23rd February.

I have never experienced the holiday on new date in Japan so far.

[daughterofhecata]

Once again I aimed for complete blackouts on @batmanisagatewaydrug's and @macrolit's reading bingos and this time, I actually succeded! (Even if I took some liberties with the term 'novel' on the macrolit one, mostly focused on the 'classics' aspect.) Lowkey proud of myself ngl.

Titles for both under the cut, full reading list here.

batmanisagatewaydrug:

graphic novel: Christopher Tauber, Hanna Wenzel: Rocky Beach. Eine Interpretation. [no english title]

horror: Jáchym Topol: Die Teufelswerkstatt [org. title: Chladnou zemí/engl. title: The Devil’s Workshop]

author you’ve never read before: David Henry Hwang: M Butterfly

translation: Władysław Szlengel: Was ich den Toten las [org. title: Co czytałem umarłym/engl. title: What I Read to the Dead]

poetry collection: Richard Siken: Crush

a book recommended by a friend: James Oswald: Natural Causes. An Inspector McLean Novel.

verse novel: Alexander F. Spreng: Der Fluch [no english title]

novella: Thomas Mann: Der Tod in Venedig [engl. title: Death in Venice]

a book w/ vampires: Michael Scott: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel #2. The Magician.

book w/ a cover you think is cool: Cornelia Funke: Tintenwelt #4. Die Farbe der Rache. [engl. title: The Color of Revenge]

2023 release: Jonathan Kellerman: Unnatural History. An Alex Delaware Novel

book w/ an animal on the cover: Faye Kellerman: Der Zorn sei dein Ende [org. title: The Hunt]

book published before 1980: Josef Bor: Die verlassene Puppe [org. title: Opuštěná panenka/engl. title: The Abandoned Doll]

science fiction: Ursula K. Le Guin: The Dispossessed

romance: Akwaeke Emezi: You made a Fool of Death with your Beauty

historical fiction: Alena Mornštajnová: Hana [org. title: Hana/engl. title: Hannah]

450+ pages: James Ellroy: Die Schwarze Dahlie [org. title: The Black Dahlia]

memoir: Jeanette McCurdy: I‘m Glad My Mom Died

re-read a book from school: Frank Wedekind: Frühlings Erwachen [engl. title: Spring Awakening]

short story collection: John Barth: Lost in the Funhouse

non-fiction: Vera Schiff: The Theresienstadt Deception. The Concentration Camp the Nazis Created to Deceive the World.

book w/ a movie adaption: Vladimir Nabokov: Lolita

book published in your birthday month: Jan T. Gross: Neighbors. The Destruction of the Jewish Community in Jedwabne, Poland.

anthology: Alain Locke: The New Negro

macrolit:

Classic Author A/B/C: James Baldwin: Giovanni‘s Room

Published between 2000-2023: Kim Newman: Professor Moriarty. The Hound of the D‘Urbervilles

Philosophy or Literary Criticism: [various books and essays for three literature courses]

Harlem Renaissance: Claude McKay: Harlem Shadows

Children’s Literature: [various Three Investigators books]

Fan Fiction: [various works]

Essays or Satire: Mark Thompson: Leatherfolk. Radical Sex, People, Politics and Practice.

Book of Short Stories: John Barth: Lost in the Funhouse

Classic Author G/H/I: Lorraine Vivian Hansberry: A Raisin in the Sun

LGBTQ+ Author: Ocean Vuong: Time is a Mother

Published before 1940: Friedrich Schiller: Maria Stuart

Classic Author J/K/L: Ursula K. Le Guin: The Dispossessed

Detective, Horror, or Suspense: Maurice Leblanc: Arsène Lupin und der Schatz der Könige von Frankreich [org. title: L'Aiguille creuse/engl. title: The Hollow Needle]

Classic Author M/N/O: Vladimir Nabokov: Lolita

Classic Author S/T/U: J.D. Salinger: The Catcher in the Rye

Poetry or Play: Arthur Schnitzler: Reigen [engl. title: La Ronde]

Biography or Non-Fiction: Peter Hallama: Nationale Helden und jüdische Opfer. Tschechische Repräsentationen des Holocaust. [no english title]

Classic Author P/Q/R: Sylvia Plath: The Bell Jar

Graphic Novel: Christopher Tauber, Hanna Wenzel: Rocky Beach. Eine Interpretation. [no english title]

Published between 1940-1999: Hanna Krall: Dem Herrgott Zuvorkommen [org. title: Zdążyć przed Panem Bogiem/engl. title: Shielding the Flame]

Classic Author D/E/F: Bret Easton Ellis: American Psycho

Young Adult: Kathy Reichs: Virals #1. Tote können nicht mehr reden. [org. title: Virals]

Gothic Fiction: E.T.A. Hoffmann: Nussknacker und Mausekönig [engl. title: The Nutcracker and the Mouse King]

Classic Author V/W/X/Y/Z: Frank Wedekind: Frühlings Erwachen [engl. title: Spring Awakening]