Razor's Edge

I was a MAJOR fan of the special effects and the narrator. They really helped pull the story together. Don't let the cover fool you either; Princess Leia is the star of this show with Han Solo following close behind, Luke Skywalker on the other-hand is a minor footnote in this tale of deceit, cunning, and badassery. When Princess Leia is forced to flee into pirate territory she has no idea how dire her situation has become. She may not be battling imperial ships, but she does have to contend with backstabbing Alderaaneans, untrustworthy pirates, and Han who is forever pushing on her nerves. Fast paced and full of near misses, action, and riveting chase scenes. This book is pure fun!

Stumptown: Volume One

Wow, I fell write into this book and was sad when I stumbled out of it at the end. Dex Parios is a private investigator and she's really stepped into it this time. Her gambling debts have gotten ahead of her and the owner of the casino is calling Dex in to make good on them. Her granddaughter has gone missing and she wants Dex to clear her schedule immediately and find her. Easier said then done. The granddaughter was running with some bad people and its only going to get worse before it gets better. Gritty, witty, and all around bad-ass. I want to continue reading this series and I definitely want to watch the TV adaptation. So glad to have a new graphic novel series to devour. I'm all in!

Are You Listening?

I will say the illustrations in this graphic novel are lush and gorgeous. But as for the story itself, I couldn't really get into it. Maybe because I couldn't necessarily relate or because I didn't care, I'm not sure. Bea is running away and she lucks into Lou who gives her a ride. Together the two annoy each other and rely on each other in equal measure. They find a stray cat on their journey and they find themselves bonding over that and over past trauma they've both experienced. Soon they're no longer on the map and the only thing they have is each other. But is that enough? I was very underwhelmed but I didn't hate it. I think you need the right reader for this one. A

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: New School Nightmare

A cute, unique take on Buffy that's aimed at younger teens. Buffy Summers has moved to a new town and that means she has to start at a new middle school. Is there anything worse for a teenager? She's having trouble making friends and the librarian is being really weird around her and won't stop calling Buffy "the chosen one." When Buffy encounters a vampire, she knows that she might actually have to turn to the weirdo librarian for help. Soon Buffy becomes friends with other preteens with oddities of their own. Sarafina is learning witchcraft and Alvaro becomes a werewolf once a month; but together the trio will help keep the vampires at bay. Now only if they had time to keep up with their homework and get some sleep in. Cute and told in comics, doodles, and diary entries. The only character that is "the same" from the original Buffy universe is Buffy herself, everyone else is reinvented. A lot of fun and a good way to get the younger generation interested in a classic. 

The Walking Dead: Book Sixteen

Honestly.... I wasn't disappointed. I had NO IDEA how this series was ever going to end, but Robert Kirkman pulled it off very well. It wasn't what I was necessarily expecting, but that's a good thing. I wanted something off the beaten path, that still felt fitting for a series that I have been invested in for nearly a decade. I really enjoyed the author's note at the end as well. Overall I am glad I stuck by this series. I really got invested in the characters and their journey to find life instead of just survival. One of a kind and I'm sad to see it end, but it's time. Great job Robert Kirkman, that ending got me a little choked up!!

The Lady From the Black Lagoon

I adored this book! I quickly learned how little I actually knew about Hollywood and its classic monsters and how much more I WANTED to learn. Boss babe, Mallory O'Meara (I seriously need to be friends with this chick), had always been enamored with the creature from the black lagoon and as a young goth and film industry worker she set out to learn more about the woman who created the iconic monster. Researching the woman behind the monster became an obsession and it led Mallory on a chase through old Hollywood, its sexism, horror tropes, and double standards. Milicent Patrick was a woman ahead of her time who got hardly any credit for her work as an artist. She created countless monsters, portraits, and even worked as an animator for Disney, but men always took credit for her work. Little is know about her, but O'Meara spends years putting together the bigger picture and attempts to give Milicent the credit and fame that she's owed. Witty, fascinating, and hard to put down. A book that horror nerds, Hollywood fans, and feminists will enjoy.

This Tender Land

A wonderful tale of four runaway vagabonds who escape their miserable confinement in an Indian School/ orphanage during the thirties. Brothers, Opie and Albert are some of the few white kids at the Indian school, although that doesn't mean they're any better treated. Under the "black witch" they are often subject to beatings, nights in solitary confinement and hard manual labor. When things reach a breaking point they decide to canoe down the river with the good friend Moses, a mute Indian boy, and Emma a recently orphaned six year old girl who looks on the older boys as her protectors and older brothers. The stakes are high as the black witch has alerted the authorities that precious little Emma has been kidnapped, and the boys must use all their wiles to evade other vagabonds, police, and poor people who would be happy to sell them out for the reward money. Entrancing and wonderfully told; these four young characters will earn a place in your heart. It's a touching journey of freedom, discovery, and adventure.