August: Best and Strangest

Can you believe it’s autumn already?! Only a few more months in which to finish up any reading challenges you’re doing - whether it’s a Goodreads Challenge, Book Riot’s Read Harder challenge, or any other reading challenge you’re doing to push yourself. Here’s what I read this month to keep up with my challenges:

BEST

• Saga Vol. 3 by Brian K. Vaughn and Fiona Staples - I’ve really loved this series and it’s consistently been a fantastic read. Saga is bizarre, hilarious, and so emotionally involved that I need a break before picking up the next one. I’m excited to keep reading it and thrilled that I have no idea what’s going to happen next.

• Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo - I’m surprised this is one of the best books I’ve read this month because it was good, but not excellent. My reading this month has obviously been a bit rough. Regardless, I’ve been hearing about this book for ages and I finally got around to reading it. I was delightfully surprised. While it’s very much a YA fantasy, I enjoyed it a lot and I’m excited to read Crooked Kingdom. If you like heist stories, this is a good book for you.

STRANGEST

• The Drawing of the Three by Stephen King - This series has consistently been really strange…..but it’s getting better. This book involves possessing other people’s bodies (kind of?), traveling through the desert with a wheelchair, and fighting lobstrosities (they’re actually called that in the book). It’s bizarre and exciting and unlike anything I’ve ever read before….in such a good way. Highly recommended for fantasy readers.

EVERYTHING ELSE I READ THIS MONTH

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What’s the best book you’ve read this month? The strangest?

On still reading comics

After recently finishing up a free 30-day trial of Comixology, my reading world has greatly expanded. I’ve seen worlds I never could have dreamed into existence, met characters who I fell in love with a little bit, and learned to appreciate artwork much more than I previously had. I also have a much much better idea of what sort of comics I enjoy, which will help a lot in picking out more comics in the future.

After this past month, I have a lot of comics that I’m interested in sharing with the world. They may be ones that everyone already knows about or ones that are already supermainstream, but I have strong feelings and I MUST share my thoughts. Here are the best comics I’ve read so far:

• Saga by Brian K. Vaughn- Saga is a space thriller with some star-crossed lovers, family drama, a war, and a ghost babysitter. It’s fun, it’s unique, and some of the species are the strangest I’ve seen yet. I didn’t know it was possible to love a series this much, but it’s fantastic. Vaughn successfully mixes science fiction with fantasy and gives us a cast of characters that you can’t help but love. Fiona Staples’ artwork is incredibly beautiful - far more detailed than I originally expected of comics. I highly recommend this to any SFF readers (and anyone who reads in general).
• Giant Days by John Allison - If you like stories about quirky college students, this is the series for you. The series follows 3 roommates/best friends as they navigate their first year of college - full of first loves, mortal enemies, nicotine addictions, big mistakes, and gothic wardrobes. It’s fun, it’s silly, and it’s full of well-developed characters who are easy to relate to. This is great for new college students, aspiring college students, anyone who’s been to college, anyone who knows someone who’s gone to college, and basically just anyone.
• Faith by Jody Houser - Faith Herbert has a lot on her plate - working at her new job, trying to avoid her ex-boyfriend (who’s now a reality TV star), and saving the world from any danger it might encounter. Faith is a superhero who has recently struck out on her own and is struggling to juggle her superhero life while still trying to keep up with her alter ego. This comic was a lot like Superman in some ways, but with the story turned on it’s head. It was fun and refreshing and I really enjoyed the characters and the ridiculousness. Also, it should be noted that Faith is overweight, but her weight isn’t an issue or a plot point or anything - she’s simply an overweight superhero. If you want more diverse characters without their diversity becoming the story, this is a great place to start.

Are there any other comics I should try out? Any comics you really love or really hate?

April: Best and Strangest

It’s been a weird month for a lot of reasons: 1) I had a subscription to Comixology for the first half of the month, so I read a BUNCH of comics, 2) I hardly listened to any audiobooks - I decided to listen to music on my commute instead, and 3) I found out I’m moving in a couple months, which is both exciting and stressful (but mostly exciting). Because of these, I read a lot of things I normally wouldn’t and I also didn’t read as much as I did the past few months, which was probably good (I think I needed a breather), but also made it so that I have a lot of egalleys and ARCs to catch up on next month - so no new library books for awhile :(.

Regardless of the weird things about this month, I still read quite a bit and I still read some wonderful and strange books:

Best:

• The Book of Strange New Things by Michel Faber - This sci-fi novel about a missionary proselyting on another planet is one of the most unique things I’ve read in a long time. It’s a bit gritty, very thoughtful, and incredibly rewarding. I simultaneously rooted for the characters and kind of hated some of them, which (in my mind) is a sign that they were complex and real. I highly recommend this to anyone who likes moral dilemmas or science fiction.
• Saga by Brian K. Vaughn - This graphic novel is bizarre and incredible. Two star-crossed lovers travel the galaxy joined by a motley crew of companions as they try to escape the war that brought them together. It’s a drama and a comedy, a war story and a family story, a science fiction and fantasy tale all at the same time. It’s an absolutely beautiful book.

Strangest:

• Saga by Brian K. Vaughn - In addition to being one of the best things I read in April, this was also one of the strangest books I’ve ever read. The characters are what make it especially bizarre. There’s a royal family with televisions for heads, a lie-detecting cat, a ghost babysitter, and all sorts of bizarre species to meet along the way. It’s a trip, but a good one. I highly highly recommend this book.

What did you read in April? Anything especially wonderful or strange?