#Monstress (2015 )

[blood-starved-beast]

No one really talks about this comic but I’ve been reading Monstress (2015) lately and I can’t stop thinking about Tuya and Maika. I’ve only read up to Issue 35 at this point so my preceptions could change as I catch up but it’s fascinating how despite being the person who arguably knows Maika the best, the one Maika outright admits knows all her secrets, Tuya is the one most unhesistant to betray her.

Granted, it took Tuya years to actually do the betraying necessary, but when she was once again given the opportunity she takes the shot and gives her the poison Corvin refused to do. I can’t help but think of the rationale in that in being the person who knows Maika (at least, an earlier version of Maika) the best, Tuya has grounds to fear her the most.

Tuya was there in Constantine. She saw the damage Maika and Zinn wrought the first time, the explosion that either directly or indirectly leveled a city and killed 100,000. She saw the lengths a teenage Maika was willing to take to get answers about her past (a past Tuya intentionally hid, I might add. In some way). The blackouts, and the violence. She knew (at least, prior to current events) that Maika would go out of control and people will be dead. That, to a very young girl as she was in Constantine, is traumatizing. It’s horrifying. It will happen again if the prophecies are to be believed.

It is also no secret that people want to weaponize that. One could count in one (1) hand the amount of people trustworthy enough in the comic that wouldn’t want to weaponize Maika and Zinn in some manner or form. All others want her destroyed. Maika is a target, either way she’s becoming someone’s puppet or is going down. Tuya, the Baroness of Last Dusk, knows this well. And Tuya, in her need for control, believes herself to be the best person involved to make that decision - she after all, would be in direct control of the body, Maika is after all “asleep.” It is a better choice than the alternative. She is, the best alternative. 

It is such an interesting thread. This theme of control, and autonomy. Who has control, who has power. Maika has all this physical power, but is she really in control? 

[book--brackets]

The Two Princesses of Bamarre by Gail Carson Levine (2001)

Twelve-year-old Addie admires her older sister Meryl, who aspires to rid the kingdom of Bamarre of gryphons, specters, and ogres. Addie, on the other hand, is fearful even of spiders and depends on Meryl for courage and protection. Waving her sword Bloodbiter, the older girl declaims in the garden from the heroic epic of Drualt to a thrilled audience of Addie, their governess, and the young sorcerer Rhys. 

But when Meryl falls ill with the dreaded Gray Death, Addie must gather her courage and set off alone on a quest to find the cure and save her beloved sister. Addie takes the seven-league boots and magic spyglass left to her by her mother and the enchanted tablecloth and cloak given to her by Rhys - along with a shy declaration of his love. She prevails in encounters with tricky specters (spiders too) and outwits a wickedly personable dragon in adventures touched with romance and a bittersweet ending.

Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn by Tad Williams (1988-1992)

A war fueled by the powers of dark sorcery is about to engulf the peaceful land of Osten Ard—for Prester John, the High King, lies dying. And with his death, the Storm King, the undead ruler of the elf-like Sithi, seizes the chance to regain his lost realm through a pact with the newly ascended king. Knowing the consequences of this bargain, the king’s younger brother joins with a small, scattered group of scholars, the League of the Scroll, to confront the true danger threatening Osten Ard.

Simon, a kitchen boy from the royal castle unknowingly apprenticed to a member of this League, will be sent on a quest that offers the only hope of salvation, a deadly riddle concerning long-lost swords of power. Compelled by fate and perilous magics, he must leave the only home he’s ever known and face enemies more terrifying than Osten Ard has ever seen, even as the land itself begins to die.

Starbound by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner (2013-2015)

It's a night like any other on board the Icarus. Then, catastrophe strikes: the massive luxury spaceliner is yanked out of hyperspace and plummets into the nearest planet. Lilac LaRoux and Tarver Merendsen survive. And they seem to be alone. 

Lilac is the daughter of the richest man in the universe. Tarver comes from nothing, a young war hero who learned long ago that girls like Lilac are more trouble than they're worth. But with only each other to rely on, Lilac and Tarver must work together, making a tortuous journey across the eerie, deserted terrain to seek help. 

Then, against all odds, Lilac and Tarver find a strange blessing in the tragedy that has thrown them into each other's arms. Without the hope of a future together in their own world, they begin to wonder-would they be better off staying here forever? 

Everything changes when they uncover the truth behind the chilling whispers that haunt their every step. Lilac and Tarver may find a way off this planet. But they won't be the same people who landed on it.

Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy (2004-2024)

Meet the great Skulduggery Pleasant: wise-cracking detective, powerful magician, master of dirty tricks and burglary (in the name of the greater good, of course). Oh yeah. And dead.

Then there's his sidekick, Stephanie. She's… well, she's a twelve-year-old girl. With a pair like this on the case, evil had better watch out…

Stephanie's uncle Gordon is a writer of horror fiction. But when he dies and leaves her his estate, Stephanie learns that while he may have written horror, it certainly wasn't fiction. Pursued by evil forces intent on recovering a mysterious key, Stephanie finds help from an unusual source – the wisecracking skeleton of a dead wizard.

When all hell breaks loose, it's lucky for Skulduggery that he's already dead. Though he's about to discover that being a skeleton doesn't stop you from being tortured, if the torturer is determined enough. And if there's anything Skulduggery hates, it's torture… Will evil win the day? Will Stephanie and Skulduggery stop bickering long enough to stop it? One thing's for sure: evil won't know what's hit it.

Fairest by Gail Carson Levine (2006)

Once upon a time, there was a girl who wanted to be pretty . . .

Aza's singing is the fairest in all the land, and the most unusual. She can throw her voice so it seems to come from anywhere. But singing is only one of the two qualities prized in the Kingdom of Ayortha. Aza doesn't possess the other: beauty. Not even close. She's hidden in the shadows in her parents' inn, but when she becomes lady-in-waiting to the new queen, she has to step into the light--especially when the queen demands a dangerous favor. A magic mirror, a charming prince, a jealous queen, palace intrigue, and an injured king twine into a maze that Aza must penetrate to save herself and her beloved kingdom.

Trickster's Duology by Tamora Pierce (2003-2004)

Alianne is the teenage daughter of the famed Alanna, the first lady knight in Tortall. Young Aly follows in the quieter footsteps of her father, however, delighting in the art of spying. When she is captured and sold as a slave to an exiled royal family in the faraway Copper Islands, it is this skill that makes a difference in a world filled with political intrigue, murderous conspiracy, and warring gods. This is the first of two books featuring Alianne.

Monstress by Marjorie M. Liu (2015-present)

Set in an alternate matriarchal 1900's Asia, in a richly imagined world of art deco-inflected steam punk, MONSTRESS tells the story of a teenage girl who is struggling to survive the trauma of war, and who shares a mysterious psychic link with a monster of tremendous power, a connection that will transform them both and make them the target of both human and otherworldly powers.

Lockwood & Co by Jonathan Stroud (2013-2017)

When the dead come back to haunt the living, Lockwood & Co. step in . . .

For more than fifty years, the country has been affected by a horrifying epidemic of ghosts. A number of Psychic Investigations Agencies have sprung up to destroy the dangerous apparitions.

Lucy Carlyle, a talented young agent, arrives in London hoping for a notable career. Instead she finds herself joining the smallest, most ramshackle agency in the city, run by the charismatic Anthony Lockwood. When one of their cases goes horribly wrong, Lockwood & Co. have one last chance of redemption. Unfortunately this involves spending the night in one of the most haunted houses in England, and trying to escape alive.

Protector of the Small by Tamora Pierce (1999-2002)

Keladry of Mindelan is the first girl who dares to take advantage of a new rule in Tortall—one that allows females to train for knighthood. After years in the Yamani Islands, she knows that women can be warriors, and now that she’s returned home, Kel is determined to achieve her goal. She believes she is ready for the traditional hazing and grueling schedule of a page. But standing in Kel’s way is Lord Wyldon. The training master is dead set against girls becoming knights. He says she must pass a one-year trial that no male page has ever had to endure. It’s just one more way to separate Kel from her fellow trainees. But she is not to be underestimated. She will fight to succeed, even when the test is unfair.

Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes (2012-2018)

Princess Cleo of Mytica confronts violence for the first time in her life when a shocking murder sets her kingdom on a path to collapse. Once a privileged royal, Cleo must now summon the strength to survive in this new world and fight for her rightful place as Queen. 

 The King of Limeros's son, Magnus, must plan each footstep with shrewd, sharp guile if he is to earn his powerful father's trust, while his sister, Lucia, discovers a terrifying secret about her heritage that will change everything. 

 Rebellious Jonas lashes out against the forces of oppression that have kept his country cruelly impoverished--and finds himself the leader of a people's revolution centuries in the making. 

 Witches, if found, are put to death, and Watchers, immortal beings who take the shape of hawks to visit the human world, have been almost entirely forgotten. A vicious power struggle quickly escalates to war, and these four young people collide against each other and the rise of elementia, the magic that can topple kingdoms and crown a ruler in the same day.

[haveyoureadthiscomic-poll]

[levisgeekstuff]

Monster: Veelbelovend fantasy epos

"Monstress" zag voor het eerst het licht in 2015 bij Image Comics. Deze serie, geschreven door Marjorie Liu en met tekeningen van Sana Takeda, werd in de VS al snel één van de meest populaire en belangrijke comics in het fantasy-genre. De reeks won dan ook talloze prijzen, waaronder meerdere Hugo Awards. Geen wonder dat Dark Dragon Books zich nu ook aan een Nederlandstalige versie waagt onder de naam 'Monster'. De eerste 2 delen zijn net verschenen.

Het verhaal speelt zich af in een alternatieve wereld vol arcane magie en steampunk-invloeden. We volgen Maika, een jonge vrouw in een wereld die verscheurd is door een recente oorlog tussen de niet-magische Human Federation en de magische Arcanics. De Arcanics, die deels mens en deels dierlijk zijn, worden als minderwaardig beschouwd en vaak gevangengenomen voor experimenten door een sinistere heksenorde. Maika laat zich opzettelijk gevangen nemen om meer te weten te komen over het lot van haar moeder. Al snel barst de actie los wanneer haar magische krachten ontwaken en ze ontsnapt...

Manga tekenstijl

Sana Takeda’s kunststijl speelt een cruciale rol in het succes van 'Monster'. Haar werk is een visueel spektakel, prachtig en gedetailleerd met art-deco en steampunk-elementen. De gezichten en kapsels van de personages hebben dan weer een manga-achtige uitstraling. Dat zorgt voor een frisse en interessante look. De algemene sfeer van het tekenwerk is donker en dreigend, wat perfect past bij het verhaal.

Niet perfect

Liu’s schrijfwerk is... bijzonder. Het is soms wat verwarrend door de vele plotwendingen en het hoge tempo waarmee nieuwe informatie wordt geïntroduceerd. Zo worden we van de ene locatie naar de andere verplaatst zonder voldoende tijd te krijgen om deze werelden echt te begrijpen.

Daarnaast voelt het verhaal soms onsamenhangend omdat actiescènes enerzijds best chaotisch zijn, maar er daarnaast ook grote hoeveelheden achtergrondinformatie in de tekst wordt verwerkt.

De emotionele diepgang van de personages moet ook nog wat groeien. Zo voelen vooral de slechteriken nogal één-dimensionaal aan met hun voortdurende vijandigheid.

Verdict

Al klinkt bovenstaande misschien wel wat te negatief, want alles bij elkaar genomen is "Monster" een serie met veel potentieel. Het biedt een unieke en visueel verbluffende wereld, maar de verhaallijn zelf moet nog wel wat groeien.

Toch is één blik op deze strip genoeg om te begrijpen waarom dit één van de belangrijkste fantasy strips van het afgelopen decennium is. Zeker aanbevolen voor liefhebbers van donkere, steampunk-achtige verhalen.

[ravenya003]

Stuff I Read/Watching in February...

Island of Whispers by Frances Hardinge

Monstress: Volume 8 by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda

Cat’s Cradle: The Mole King’s Lair by Jo Rioux

Baba Yaga’s Assistant by Marika McCoola and Emily Carroll

The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry and Chris Riddell

Kristy’s Mystery Admirer by Anne M. Martin

Poor Mallory! by Anne M. Martin

The Harvest by Richie Tankersley Cusick

Utterly Dark and the Face of the Wild by Philip Reeve

The Lost Kingdom of Lantia by Maggie Hamilton

King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo

Mirrormask (2005)

Song of the Sea (2014)

When Marnie Was There (2014)

The Little Prince (2015)

Cocaine Bear (2023)

A Haunting in Venice (2023)

Nancy Drew: Season 3 (2021 – 2022)

Evil: Season 3 (2022)

The Great: Season 3 (2023)

More detail on blog...

[thesenesx]

2022 Top Films/Series/Books/Comics

I watched and read heaps of stuff last year, so if you need some recommendations, I've chosen my absolute favourites and compiled them in a list.

Enjoy!

Films:

Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022)

This would have to be one of the best films of the year (and of all time). With an amazing cast and a strong theme, this film will reassure you that even if you don't matter to the multiverse, you matter so much to the ones you love.

Ngeri Ngeri Sedap (2022)

A heartwarming Indonesian film about how traditions mean very little without the love of your family. With tight structuring and a cohesive narrative, the ending is incredibly satisfying as it brings everything (and everyone) together.

Darklands (2022)

An incredible Australian micro-budget thriller that has you hooked throughout. This film really deserves more attention as it has a gripping story, great action and terrifying moments.

All Quiet on the Western Front (2022)

I could write a whole essay on this film. Everything about it is masterful and the growing weight of the inevitable makes this film so heartbreaking yet tremendous.

The Banshees of Inisherin (2022)

A funny yet sad film about two friends having a row. It may not seem like much from the synopsis, but there is so much to enjoy, from the humorous dialogue, to the quaint Irish village setting, and to the incredible cast.

Series

Peacemaker S01 (2022-)

With so many mediocre superhero shows being released last year, this really outshined them all. A fun yet compelling series, James Gunn knows how to make you love a character you didn't know or care about before watching.

Derry Girls S03 (2018-2022)

The final season offered a perfect ending to this iconic series. I'm going to miss these girls (and the wee English fella) so definitely one to keep on my rewatch list.

1899 S01 (2022-)

This show immediately draws you in with horror and tension bubbling below the surface. The unfolding mystery reaches a satisfying conclusion, but alas Netflix has cancelled it so the cliffhanger is left unresolved.

Bee and Puppycat S01 (2022-)

As a fan of the original webseries, this adaptation/reboot is wonderful. The show is quirky and colourful, offering a respite from all the edgy and crude adult animated shows.

Andor S01 (2022-)

Even if you don't like Star Wars, you can enjoy this for what it is. An incredible sci-fi thriller series, with great writing and a powerful message. The series succeeds because it makes everything feel personal without getting lost in aesthetics or nostalgia-bait.

Books

Beauty is a Wound (2002) by Eka Kurniawan

An incredible magical realism novel written by Indonesian writer Eka Kurniawan (I read the English version translated by Annie Tucker). It is gritty yet whimsical as it blends history with fairytales.

The Hidden Case of Ewan Forbes (2021) by Zoë Playdon

A great overview of Transgender history in the UK while also focusing on this one significant case involving a Scottish lord. Once you learn the history, you can understand why there is so much paranoia around transpeople in the UK.

Fireside Coast (2022) by Claire McKenna

The final installment in the Monstrous Heart trilogy, this novel offers a great ending to this gothic series. With the fleshed out setting, deeply-flawed characters, and gruesome nautical gothic details, I was engrossed from the beginning.

Deathless (2011) by Catherynne M. Valente

This was on my TBR for a while and I'm glad I finally read it. A wonderful retelling of the Koschei tale, that blends Russian history and fairytales. I was still thinking about the ending weeks after I had finished it.

Project Hail Mary (2021) by Andy Weir

This novel made me laugh and cry, which is the best experience I can have honestly. A great story with high yet personal stakes for the main character.

Comics

Monstress (2015-)

I started the series a couple of years ago and have loved it ever since. With a stunning art style, high stakes, majority female cast of characters, and eldritch horrors, what more could you want?

Talgard (2019-)

Vol.2 was released last year and proved to be just as worthwhile as the first. These short comics made by Australian writers and artists offer humour, fantasy and a moral at the end of it all.

Retelling the Hobbit (2020-)

A beautiful little webcomic that captures the whimsical world of Tolkien's The Hobbit. It was love at first sight with this one.

Witchy (2014-)

Another webcomic (now published traditionally) that offers a unique world where magic is just a gift someone can exploit. The story is gripping and the characters each have their own struggles to overcome.

The Wizard of Cedel (2022-)

A webcomic that I accidentally stumbled across but immediately loved. The art style is charming and the characters loveable. I can't wait to see how the story develops.

[comicparanoia]

Monstress #1

by

Marjorie Liu

&

Sana Takeda          

released by Image on November 2015.  

[manfrommars2049]

[Excerpt] Monstress #1 (Image, 2015) via comicbooks

[lesbianalanwake]

Monstress (2015-present) // Control (2019)

[legomocfodder]

Women's History Month 2021

Marjorie Liu @monstress-comic

Marjorie Liu was the first woman to win an Eisner Award for writing in 2018, but she was also the first person to win in the writing category that had to share the award. She has written for Marvel comics, including writing for X-23, Astonishing X-men, and Dark Wolverine. In 2015 her comic series Monstress debuted, and explored racism, feminism and the effects of war. She's not just a comic writer though and has written a number of novels, including X-Men: Dark Mirror and Hunter Kiss

NSFW blogs do not reblog!

[geekynerfherder]

#Monstress issue #1, first published #OnThisDay in 2015 by #ImageComics (@imagecomics) #CoverArt by #SanaTakeda (@sanatakeda_art) #CoolArt #Art #Comics #ComicArt #ComicCover #ComicCoverArt #MarjorieLiu #MaikaHalfWolf https://www.instagram.com/p/CHLiJOqnLHL/?igshid=1pvlcnb2cvben

[renaroo]

Wednesday Roundup 5.7.2017

So I think in the year-ish that I’ve been doing the Roundups, this is an actual literal first for me. This is the first time I have one “entry” from all my major publishers at the same time and not more. I mean one’s cheating since Monstress is a collected trade, but yeah, I have one from Dark Horse, DC, IDW, Image, and Marvel. 

I could not have planned this if I tried.

In any case, fascinating coincidences aside, how did this week end up stacking up? How good were any of the issues? Lllllets find out!

Marvel’s All-New Wolverine, Image’s Monstress, DC’s Superman, IDW’s Transformers: Till All Are One, Dark Horse’s Zodiac Starforce: Cries of the Fire Prince

Marvel’s All-New Wolverine (2015-present) #22 Tom Taylor, Leonard Kirk, Cory Hamscher, Erick Arciniega, Michael Garland

I’m not sure how many more times I can compliment this comic without it sounding repetitive but where we are, All-New Wolverine actually is making me, by force, enjoy a deep space story featuring the multitudes of Marvel alien species that I struggle to care about normally but really do here and now because GAAAAABBBY.

The relationship between Gabby and all the people around her is really one of the main driving forces. There’s of course the joy that’s her and Laura interacting and Laura growing into the mentor she never would have thought herself capable of (true daughter of Logan if there’s ever been), but this issue is wise in expanding on that during the first half of the story.

Gabby and Wade basically lampoon it from the start with Wade repeatedly expressing to Laura how special and unique Gabby is, and then Gabby working her magic on Laura, forcing her to grow up and move out of Logan’s old apartment into her very own (so on the nose and yet I love it oh so much). And of course there is the hilarity of bringing Jonathan into space. 

All so that the cliffhanger at the end would leave you as emotionally destroyed as I feel at the moment!

Tom Taylor’s great, and I love how dedicated this comic seemingly is to staying out of Secret Empire and even more so to how dedicated it seemingly is to progress its own greater narrative -- namely with our mysterious hooded watcher who sees the departure of the Wolverines and cryptically moves their plans to Daken. To which I say nooooooooo our siblings were finally getting alonooonnnngggg

Great issue, on the edge of my seat for what’s to come! 

Image’s Monstress (2015-present) Volume Two: The Blood Marjorie Liu, Sana Takeda

So like Descender and a few of the other Indie titles I’ve picked up in the last year, I had Liu and Takeda’s Monstress come to my radar thanks to suggestions from people on tumblr! And what can I say? Those of you who recommend stuff to me really know my tastes it seems like!

This is a beautiful fantasy story with a very dark and unseemly look at the idea of fate and inheritance by blood. There is a weight to everything and the gorgeous style of the world hides the secret of the inner ugliness behind each and every corner. 

To put things even more simply, this book is fascinatingly dark and is not the gentle Chosen One narrative that fantasy so often falls into at least in Western tropes. You can feel the influence of mythologies beyond Western, and really other than inverting the idea of a By Blood Chosen One you could argue that Western fantasy ideas do not really play much of a role within the narrative at all.

I think that’s what’s so fascinating to me. There’s a dense story with a lot to unpack, so those surface elements come off all the stronger and fascinate me into wanting to see even more of them. 

Again just a very good read overall. Much approved. 

DC’s Superman (2016-present) #26 Michael Moreci, Mike Godelwski, HI-FI

This is a very pleasant, very nice one-off read. 

I’m not sure how much impact this issue will have on the greater story being told about our titular Kent family, but it was refreshing to have a look at especially Jon’s character from a different writer. As much as I have enjoyed Jurgens, Tomasi, and Gleason, Jon being naïve and near perfect has been a criticism I’ve thought deserved its dues for sure. And it’s interesting to see him feeling more his age in this issue and being a bit more stubborn and in the wrong and just flawed in the ways that kids are.

I loved that the lesson here was two-fold -- a lesson about Clark learning how to allow children to make their own mistakes and be there to comfort them when they fall, and about Jon learning to, in Clark’s terms, “flex muscles above the neck.”

The art was quite good and while Lois didn’t receive a lot of time here, she was Clark’s rock. I’m hoping that we will get more of the feisty and tenacious Lois who needs Clark holding her back from time to time sooner or later. 

It’s a decent issue, and I’m glad Moreci is proving that people outside the usual team can tackle this new-old take on classic Superman and on the all-new Jon Kent. 

IDW’s Transformers: Till All Are One (2016-present) #11 Mairghread Scott, Sara Pitre-Durocher, Joana Lafuente

I knew we weren’t close to seeing the end of Windblade! And not at all because I cheat and looked at next month’s cover back when the solicits for it came out like forever ago. 

Rather than jumping around POVs which TAAO has made a habit of doing (well might I add!) with its ensemble cast, the continued narrowing of focus down to Starscream, with a short interlude showing Windblade’s internal mental battle, really worked for this issue. It’s so fascinating to get all the facets of Starscream’s perspective that we do here, and especially how the scars of being a Decepticon and being abused by Megatron still affect him greatly.

As the one Cybertronian who seemed the easiest adjusted to the new world of post-world Cybertron, it’s both expected and yet very shocking to see that it was a ruse. He has been as badly effected as nearly all the other Autobots and Decepticons have been by what they’ve lived through.

And I’m usually exhausted of the hallucinations about Bumblebee which I know are going to eventually be revealed to not be that much of a hallucination but it worked to great effect here. Mostly because Bumblebee left lol With that ominous ending silhouette and the subtle parallel between Starscream’s years long hallucinations of Bumblebee with the struggle Windblade is undergoing with two minds at once. 

Reminds me of certain elements of Transformers Prime and Scott is a fan of bringing in elements of the Aligned universe into the IDW fold...

I really loved this issue, and especially loved the art. It breaks my heart knowing this series is coming to an end.

Dark Horse’s Zodiac Starforce: Cries of the Fire Prince (2017-present) #1 Kevin Panetta, Paulina Gancheau, Sarah Stern

Ever since I read the original Zodiac Starforce comic, I was really hoping we would be getting more of a follow up because my love of this genre and my love of how clever this comic was and how good it was with building this complicated world was too much for the tasty treat we got out of the original. And I couldn’t have been happier to hear we were getting just that!

We’re picking up a few months since the ending of the first volume and it’s really interesting to see how much our girls have grown in their various roles since then. I’m also getting the sense that this new storyline is going to be taking the opportunity to focus on the characters who didn’t get so much attention the last go around, like Kim and Molly and Lily. 

Kim’s home life really strikes close to home for a lot of people, I’ve got to say. I’ve seen these situations play out, and I have to really applaud this comic for showing how important and defining it is for a supportive boyfriend/husband/etc. for a young woman in such a bad situation can be. It both helps women in the situation to feel as though they can seek support, and tells young men in the world that they can and should be the type of partner who is this supportive.

It’s interesting to see how the events of last time have played into everyone’s relationships months later, and it’s for better and for worse, especially for the scorned girls and boys who got a taste of the dark powers of Cimmeria. I’m so interested to see where all of this goes!

So this is going to seem incredibly strange but I would almost be willing to call each and every single issue that came out today a tie because I just genuinely enjoyed reading each and every one of them that much. It was such an amazing and unexpected variety this week for me and it just hit all the feelings I needed them to fit. But, as always, twist my arm and I can offer a real answer. 

And that answer is Transformers: Till All Are One. It has so quickly become my favorite Transformers title from the entire IDW line and I just was enraptured in each panel. It’s a definite win from me, even in a week as fantastic and tightly held as this one.

So how was everyone else’s Wednesday pull? Agree with me? Disagree? Think I should be picking up something I’ve missed? Please feel free to let me know!

[ahb-writes]

Master Ren is very well read.

(from Monstress #1)

[kittyreading]

Reread-a-thon TBR Nov 7-30

I specifically picked books I haven’t already reread before so some of these might be slightly surprising lol there’s also 13 books on this list so I may not get to all of them!

1. A book you didn’t like at the time but think you may enjoy now

             Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor - 2019

2. A DNF

               The Outsider by Stephen King - 2019

3. Favorite first book in a series

               The Search For Wondla by Tony DiTerlizzi - 2016

4. Your favorite Graphic-novel/manga if you read them

               Crush by Stvetlana Chmakova - 2018

5. An Audiobook

               The Giant Smugglers by Matt Solomon and Chris Pauls - 2017

6. A Middle-Grade novel (more than 1 if you’d like)

               The Assassins Curse by Casandra Rose Clarke -2014

7. A book under 300 pages

               Nightmares! by Jason Segal & Kristin Miller -2014

8. You’re least favorite genre

           The Boy Who Drew Monsters - 2017

9. A Classic

          Dracula by Bram Stoker -2015

10. favorite stand-alone

           Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult -2015

The Death of Mrs. Westoway by Ruth Ware - 2019

11. A book you like but no one talks about

           The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Straud 2016

12. 3 books from the same series (can be graphic novals/manga)

           Monstress Vol 1-3 by Marjorie M. Liu and Sana Takeda - 2018

I’m super excited!! I wanna see y’all’s tbrs too!!

[refreshdaemon]

Maika and company have to deal with a wily ancient, but much more interesting is the backstory we finally get of the monster.

[kattra]

KATTRA’S TOP BOOKS OF 2018

because i totally blanked for an entire year and never wrote up one of these for 2018. (but because i’m a perfectionist, i gotta include it so the new year/new decade doesn’t start off sideways.) cheers!

(GOAL: 200 // READ: 205)

***YA FICTION*** Boy Proof by Cecil Castellucci The Pros of Cons by Alison Cherry, Lindsay Ribar & Michelle Schusterman One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus All the Crooked Saints by Maggie Stiefvater

***GENERAL FICTION*** The Girls’ Guide to Hunting and Fishing by Melissa Bank Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green The Magicians Trilogy by Lev Grossman Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman Goodbye, Vitamin by Rachel Kong All Our Wrong Todays by Elan Mastai Dusk or Dark or Dawn or Day by Seanan McGuire The October Daye Series by Seanan McGuire (ongoing)  Wayward Children Series by Seanan McGuire (ongoing)  Circe by Madeline Miller Little Fire Everywhere by Celeste Ng Vengeful by V.E. Schwab Doubting Yourself to the Bone by Thomas Trofimuk

***NON-FICTION*** Too Much and Not the Mood: Essays by Durga Chew-Bose The View From the Cheap Seats by Neil Gaiman The Lonely City: Adventures in the Art of Being Alone by Olivia Laing Calm Things: Essays by Shawna Lemay The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America’s Shining Women by Kate Moore New Order: A Decluttering Handbook for Creative Folks (and Everyone Else) by Fay Wolf

***POETRY*** Calling a Wolf a Wolf by Kaveh Akbar Why God Is a Woman by Nin Andrews Tender Hooks by Beth Ann Fennelly Let Them Eat Chaos by Kate Tempest

***GRAPHIC NOVELS*** Wet Moon by Sophie Campbell (complete series, 7 volumes) DC: The New Frontier by Darwyn Cooke (standalone) Mooncop by Tom Gauld (standalone) I’m Not Here by gg (standalone) Say I Love You by Kanae Hizuki (complete manga series, 18 volumes) Monstress by Marjorie Liu & San Takeda (ongoing series) Seconds by Bryan Lee O’Malley (standalone) Scott Pilgrim by Bryan Lee O’Malley (complete series, 6 volumes) Quiet Girl in a Noisy World: An Introvert’s Story by Debbie Tung (standalone) Peter Panzerfaust by Kurtis J. Wiebe & Tyler Jenkins (complete series, 5 volumes)

Books of: 2014 (favs) | 2015 (favs) | 2016 (favs) | 2017 (favs) | 2018 | 2019 | my goodreads