Monday, October 30, 2017

My Weekly Pull [2]

I am really excited to read Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur this week! I'm hoping Moon Girl and Daredevil team-up for a few issues! Also, the new DD cover looks amazing. 💕

Despicable Deadpool #288
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #75
Moon Girl And Devil Dinosaur #24
Daredevil #28
Punisher #17
X-Files JFK Disclosure #1
Amazing Spider-Man #189 (shh... it came out last week)
Amazing Spider-Man #790
Black Panther #166

Luckily, we stopped in a thrift store on our way home and found a few of the older Daredevil comics! I had gone in to sell a couple of my more recent Hulk issues (that I will never attempt to read again), and since they were giving me store credit, I decided to look around. I didn't have a lot of time because my son was with me, and a three-year old does not have the longest attention span. However, I always check DD first since it's one of my husband's favorites. DD and TMNT, of course. 

If you get comics every week (or even randomly), and would like to participate, just leave a link to your post in the comments. 😁

Friday, October 27, 2017

Heartless by Marissa Meyer

Narrated by Rebecca Soler



Well, that was unexpected. 😒










Monday, October 23, 2017

Hulk Vol 4 (#1-11) by Mariko Tamaki







Saturday, October 21, 2017

Talon (Talon, #1) by Julie Kagawa

Narrated by Caitlin Davies,
MacLeod Andrews & Chris Patton


“Rnesh karr slithis," I hissed back, which was Draconic for eat your own tail, the dragon version of go screw yourself. No extra translation needed.”
Love dragons!
Love Julie Kagawa!
Love this book!

I think I've read everything Julie Kagawa has ever written (with the exception of her manga books, but I'm sure I'll read those eventually). The Iron Fey series is something that I've read more than once, and one that will always have a place on my bookshelf. Kagawa has an amazing ability to create beautiful, imaginative worlds that I frequently want to go back to. When I saw she had written a series about dragons, I couldn't contain my excitement! I immediately checked to see if my library had it--they did!

Ember is fiery and determined. She loves to challenge herself and doesn't blindly follow instructions. Unlike her brother, Dante, Ember questions Talon and their rules. It causes her to seek answers elsewhere, which leads her to Riley. Riley is a rogue dragon that promises to give Ember what Talon will not--answers. He claims to know Talon's deep, dark secrets, but he needs to make sure Ember is trustworthy before he shares too much. His life isn't the only one he's concerned about.

Then there is Garrett. He's been fighting dragons longer than he hasn't. He has killed mercilessly, but still has a profound respect for his opponent. When he is sent to lure a sleeper dragon out of hiding, he finds Ember. She affects him in ways he didn't anticipate, and is caught off guard by how deeply he cares for her. They build a friendship based on lies, but something bigger develops between the two. They find themselves drawn to one another despite their misgivings.

I love the relationship between Ember and Garret. It doesn't feel forced, and it doesn't escalate too quickly. It just happens in a slow, lovely way. Her relationship with Riley doesn't make this feel like a love triangle, because her brain knows she cares about Garret, even if her dragon responds very strongly to Riley. Riley thinks their dragons are reacting on instinct, but Ember never seems conflicted about her feelings. She cares about Riley, sure, but she knows he heart is with Garret.

Ember, Garret, Riley--they are all part of a war that has lasted an eternity. Both sides have been training and grooming their soldiers since they were children/hatchlings. It doesn't seem right to force that life on someone before they've been able to make that choice for themselves. If they're even given a choice. I think they've realized it isn't something they want to be a part of, but that means dire consequences for them all.

I really enjoyed Kagawa's descriptions of dragons and how they've adapted over time. It felt natural and believable. The story is fantastic, the secondary characters didn't feel like fluff (yay), and I already want to read the next book, which is currently on my phone and waiting to be listened to. 😆

Thursday, October 19, 2017

My Weekly Pull [1]

J and I get a lot of comics each week, and I thought this would be a great way to share! Comics are normally released every Wednesday, but we might not be able to pick them up until the weekend. The store closes at 8:30, which is crazy, so we usually go when we have more time to look around. Thankfully, the comic book store already knows what comics we want pulled for the week, so they'll be in our box when we get there. If there are special variant editions we would like, we just call ahead and have them pull those, too.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Universe #15 
Venom #156
All-New Guardians Of The Galaxy #12

I'm really excited to read the All-New Guardians Of The Galaxy! Someone new is joining the team, which is why you see all of the random people on the cover. I'm not sure why someone new is being added... I'm a few issues behind on this one. 😔

Spider-Gwen #25 

Incredible Hulk #709

Invincible Iron Man #593

Mighty Thor #700

Spider-Gwen, Incredible Hulk, Invincible Iron Man and Mighty Thor are not currently on our pull list, but they are comics we've been wanting to read. We went ahead and got the issues for this week because they are doing the Lenticular Homage and the How-to-Draw variants. The lenticular variants are holographic and the images move on the cover. It shows both the cover for the current issue, as well as an older, random comic behind it. (I hope I'm explaining that correctly!) My son loves it. J really likes the Hot-to-Draw variants, which my son also loves, hah.

If you would like to see what other comics were released this week, we use Comic List. It will also show you the comics and covers being released next week so you can plan ahead! It helps to know what you want ahead of time, if you want specific variants. 

Once we pick up our comics for this week, I will post an actual picture of what we received. I'll edit this post and add it to the bottom. If you would like to participate in this, please leave a link in the comments so I can check it out! 

(Oh, if you're unfamiliar with comic books, don't be discouraged by the high issue numbers. Marvel comics just switched to Legacy numbering, which is why things are a little confusing. It's the number for the series as a whole, and maybe not the current ongoing story. The Legacy issues will continue the previous story, but supposedly will also serve as a starting point for new readers. Again, I might not be the best person to explain this, but Google is a good friend!)

Edit: An actual picture of my comics for the week!

Monday, October 16, 2017

Bitter Spirits (Roaring Twenties, #1) by Jenn Bennett




"Everyone wants to be reassured that there's life after death, but I always beg them not to forget that there's life before death--and that's the only thing we really have any sort of control over."
I thought this would be an excellent book to read during October--and I was right! It was wonderful!  It's like the green eggs and ham of books. I would read it in a house, with a mouse, in a box, with a fox-- I would read it anywhere! I honestly could not get enough of this book.

I really enjoyed Aida's character. She's confident, determined, and unafraid of sex and the more risqué things in life. She is okay with who she is as a person, and she isn't looking to change something about herself. It was really refreshing. She may have gotten a little flustered at times, but she still maintained her flirty, daring attitude. I also liked that she knew what she wanted and went for it, even if that meant attacking making a move on a more than willing bootlegger in the back of a taxi.

When it comes to steamy sex scenes, Bitter Spirits doesn't disappoint. I read this at work when I wasn't busy, and there were a few times I couldn't keep the goofy grin off of my face. This book is infectious! It wasn't just about the romance either, the story is solid and intriguing. It's also unpredictable, which always makes things more enjoyable.

“I love you, damn it.”

Wednesday, October 11, 2017

Q [1] What makes a Superhero?

Kristen from Metaphors and Moonlight left a comment on my Gwenpool #0-5 post that prompted this question. She said, "I have to admit I'm not so much interested (in) the superhero ones..."

When I responded to her comment I said, "TMNT isn't really about superheroes, just turtles with ninja skills, lol." J was sitting next to me on the couch (reading Daredevil) and told me I was wrong. He was very adamant about the Ninja Turtles being superheroes.

What is the criteria for being a superhero? Do you have to save the world? Is there a difference between a hero and a superhero? Daredevil and Black Widow prove that you don't need special powers, so what is it? 

Monday, October 9, 2017

The Unbelievable Gwenpool (#0-5) by Christopher Hastings










Sunday, October 8, 2017

Bitten at BEA

Karen at For What It's Worth mentioned me in her most recent blog post. I wasn't expecting her to, but she's sweet, thoughtful, and always looking to help others. I've known Karen for many, many years. We've been to a lot of different book events together (ALA, BEA), and she knew my husband before he was my husband. She also sent fortune cookie baby shoes when I was pregnant! They were adorable! If you don't know Karen, or don't follow her blog, you definitely should.

In her blog post she mentioned that I am the girl that was bitten at BEA a few years ago. I had no idea this story would become what it is today. Most people don't even know that it was me, they just know it happened, which I am perfectly okay with. I thought it was a fun story to share, even if it was slightly alarming when it happened. Seriously, who would bite someone for a book?? It wasn't even the last book, or a signed book. It was just one of many in a stack at a booth.

People at BEA would arrive early to wait by the doors before they opened for the day. Once the doors opened, it was madness. There were those who had mapped out the entire area and knew exactly where they were going, and then there were those who just dashed around randomly and hoped to find something exciting. If you went with friends, or family, and were not tied together, chances are you were separated until things died down.

I would wait until things were less frantic before I went inside. Normally, I would find a coffee stand and buy breakfast before entering. It usually meant I wouldn't fall on my face trying to maneuver through the crowd. There was always a steady stream of people, but it was nothing compared to the initial onslaught.

On this day, with coffee in hand, I entered a good thirty minutes after everyone else. Book sellers and publishers had become wise to the ways of crazy book bloggers (and other just crazy people), so they wouldn't start dropping books until the first wave had passed. I just happened to be walking by when After Obsession by Carrie Jones caught my eye. The stacks looked undisturbed, so I assumed it had been missed by the masses. It wasn't long before people started overwhelming the small area. There was a way in to grab a book, but getting back out was going to be tricky, or so I thought. I have never seen so many people pushing and shoving each other over a book. It was ridiculous idiotic. There were a few people that grabbed multiple copies before crawling on the floor to get out. I stood there in shocked silence as men shoved children, and women yelled at each other for no apparent reason.

I watched for a few minutes before deciding to reach my hand over two people arguing on the floor. My plan was to gently extricate myself, but as I am pulling my arm back, it stops. Not the madness around me, my arm. What was happening didn't register at first, and it wasn't until I made eye contact with the older woman attached to my arm, that I realized what had just happened. She bit me. She was still biting me. She was looking me in the eye while her teeth sunk deeper into my skin. I dropped the coffee I was holding in my other hand and went to do, I don't know, something, when she let go. She gave a satisfied shake of her head, like this was perfectly acceptable behavior, and then disappeared into the crowd beside me.

What do you do when something like that happens? How are you supposed to react? Was I supposed to angrily look for her and demand retribution? Did I find security and tell them what had just occurred? There were so many thoughts going through my head, but they all stopped as I saw the imprint she had left on my arm. "SOMEONE JUST BIT ME," was the only remaining thought I had. Others had witnessed what happened. There were those who looked as shocked as I was, a few asked me if I was okay, while others insisted I needed medical attention. I waved everyone away and went to find a familiar face. I needed to tell someone I knew what had just happened to me, but it didn't take long for the story to travel on it's own.

By the time I found friends, they had already heard about someone being bitten, they just didn't know it had been me. I did have to clarify a few details, like not having rabies, and never being rushed to the hospital. We laughed. The teeth marks faded. It was just another day at BEA.

Saturday, October 7, 2017

Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan

Narrated by David Levithan

“Things are not magical because they've been conjured for us by some outside force. They are magical because we create them.”
I finished this earlier today while I was at work, and I'm still not sure how to put my feelings into words. I don't want to somehow mangle the beauty of what I just listened to. It was raw, emotional, eye-opening, and so many other incredible things. 

I love that David Levithan narrated the audiobook. He knew exactly how it needed to be read, and his voice was so heartbreaking and lovely inside of my head. I'm really glad I stumbled across the audiobook before reading a physical copy. This is a story that needs to be heard with ears as well as with hearts.

“Make more than dust.”

Sunday, October 1, 2017




"Never in a billion suns. Not even if Zeus showed up as a swan and tried to peck me in your direction. I wouldn't go with you even if my other option was Hades dragging me to the Underworld for an eternal threesome with Persephone."
Why am I having trouble writing this review? Did I like the book? Definitely. Would I read it again? Yes. Am I anxious to read the next book in the series? Mostly. I can't put my finger on what bothered me about this book. I feel like it ended too abruptly and in a way that didn't fit in with everything else. I was also starting to get a little frustrated with Cat, so I think the last few chapters left a sour taste in my mouth.

I'm all for angst and building romantic tension between characters, but they have to break at some point. I was annoyed with Cat's lack of commitment and self-loathing. She should have grown and gotten more comfortable in her own skin. She has trust issues, which are understandable, but Griffin and the others repeatedly prove their love and genuine concern for her. She would trust them with her life and her love, but not with her secrets? What kind of a relationship is that? Eventually, she should have broken down and confided in her new "family," but she didn't. We as readers know what is going on (for the most part), which only made it more maddening when Cat wouldn't confide in anyone else. I know she thought she was protecting them, but I wanted to pull my hair out.

The ending was abrupt and felt a little forced. I don't know how many times Cat nearly had to die while four men fluttered around her and tried to move mountains. I also don't feel like her male companions got enough attention in the book. I can easily describe what they looked like and how they smelled, but I want to know characters on a deeper and more personal level. Where did they come from? Why are they so loyal to Griffin?

Now, with all that being said, those are just my feelings about the last few chapters. I was thoroughly enjoying the book up until then. There's magic, Greek mythology, a She-Dragon--all things I love reading about. I frequently found myself grinning from ear to ear, and a few times I literally laughed out loud. The Beta Team banter was one of my favorite things, and I loved Cat's short, internal arguments with herself. I just wish the story had progressed a little differently, and that Cat would have confided in someone by now.