I'm a slayer, ask me how.

Hope everyone is doing okay. <3

THIS omg THIS

I can't tell you how many times I've wanted to say that "video games" line to a parent who insists on stopping their child from reading the book they picked out and WANT to read. *sigh*

(side note but anytime I have to spell "February" I hear Kevin Kline's voice in my head singing it. He says that first "r" which is usually forgotten...teaandfailure knows what I'm talking about)

Saga, Volume 5 by Brian K. Vaughan

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Oh Saga, you are so messed up, I just can't even. But as you have been so wrong/right since the first issue, it is almost comforting in twisted way. As usual, I couldn't put down this volume until I finished it and then I was sad it was over again. Lots of twists and turns I did not see coming!

I can't wait for this series to be over so I can sit and read it all the way through as I am sure I miss so much when it comes to the story/foreshadowing etc but only picking these up every few months.



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Moving Target: A Princess Leia Adventure by Cecil Castellucci

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Fun middle-grade read that fills in the story between ESB and RotJ for Princess Leia. The "tie-in" to Force Awakens is pretty slim (the prologue/epilogue, only a few pages, make the connection). I thought Castelluccci and Fry captured the voice of characters we already know and did a good job adventuring around the galaxy far far away.

Definitely recommended for Star Wars fans. I hope there are more Princess Leia adventures some day! I would love to see some stories that take place prior to A New Hope (though I know the 'Rebels' TV series is using a lot of that time period and Leia makes at least one cameo)



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The Bazaar of Bad Dreams by Stephen King

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


3.5 stars

FINALLY finished this today. I had it as an audiobook and my commute is fairly short now, plus with the week of snow I didn't get to listen. I'm happy I listened to it rather than continued to read, I think the voices really brought some of the stories to life. The collection gathered stories that had been previously published elsewhere. They weren't perfect, but it was a great variety and showed King's range and that he's still got it.



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Descender, Vol. 1: Tin Stars by Jeff Lemire

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I picked this up because of Jeff Lemire, but it was Dustin Nguyen's artwork that really made this book perfect. In a story about a strange attack by gigantic robots, Nguyen's gorgeous style (reminiscent of watercolor paintings) keeps the story grounded. I loved this first book and cannot wait to see where the story goes! I already adore Tim-21 and I want to see him save the galaxy!



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Ms. Marvel, Vol. 4: Last Days by G. Willow Wilson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This may be my favorite volume since the first one, lots of forward momentum with the story and the characters, especially Kamala. I can't wait to see what happens in Volume 5! Honestly, the weakest thing was the "bonus" comic which was a team up with Spider-Man. It was cute but after the awesome that was the rest of the book, it felt a little out of place.



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Star Wars: Princess Leia by Mark Waid

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I really enjoyed this comic, far more than I expected. Mark Waid does a wonderful job keeping the action and adventure of the films in this comic, along with creating a good side mission for Princess Leia. I liked that it didn't depend too much on inside jokes and winks to the rest of the Star Wars universe, which I find can sometimes derail this kinds of collections.

A pleasant surprise! I hope we get more stories of Leia's solo missions (NOT Solo missions...that's the realm of fanfic!)



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A New Hope: The Princess, the Scoundrel, and the Farm Boy by Alexandra Bracken

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


While not as strong as Angleberger's RotJ novelization (and that may have more to do with the source material than anything else) Bracken's take on ANH was a really fun read. This would also be a great book for kids to read and then discuss the different ways to tell a story, especially when it comes to film versus writing.

Bracken's approach was to break down the story of Star Wars to each of the main trio's point of view. The first part is all told from Princess Leia's side, with her getting the quest to take the Death Star plans to General Kenobi and being captured by the Empire. Bracken pulls from not just the film, but the previous novelzations and the radio drama to imagine scenes of what happened to Leia before Luke and Han arrived.

The second part is from Han's point of view, picking up where we meet him in the movie, in the cantina on Tatooine. The third is Luke's story, starting right after the escape from the Death Star.

Well written and unique, definitely a must-read for Star Wars fans.



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Lafayette in the Somewhat United States by Sarah Vowell

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I'm really glad I listened to this book rather than reading it. Even though it is only 268 pages, it isn't a quick read, with so many names and dates being thrown at you. It has been a long time since I revisited American history and even longer since I thought about the Revolutionary War. This book taught me more than I ever knew about MY OWN COUNTRY'S HISTORY! It was a little depressing to realize how little I knew.

But I loved the audiobook because Sarah Vowell reads it, with her own unique voice, and has a cast of famous actors that lend their voices and help you keep some of the "characters" straight. (Nick Offerman as George Washington is now my official voice for Washington.)

So if you feel like being reminded of how much history you have forgotten (or maybe you were never taught) this is a great listen for your commute (especially if you are like me and live on the east coast and regularly drive past some of the Revolutionary war battle fields)



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So You Want to Be a Jedi? by Adam Gidwitz

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I cannot say enough about these Star Wars books written by some of my favorite children's authors. Adam Gidwitz's take on 'Empire Strikes Back' not only puts YOU in the role of Luke Skywalker, telling his story from first person, it also provides lessons on how to be a Jedi, teaching the reader ways to calm their mind, meditate, think before acting, and focus.

If you know a kid/were a kid who loves Star Wars, this series is a great way to explore the many ways a story can be told.



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Usually I wait until the end of the next month to post the books I have read but this book...this book needs it's own entry.

I had already had it on hold because BEATLES and then it won the Eisner Award for best non-fiction graphic novel. And let me tell you, it DESERVED IT.

First of all, the story. I'm a HUGE Beatles fan, I know who Brian Epstein was. But this story, which was both well researched but then also elaborated on in ways that the author admits are fiction since he has no way of knowing what the exact conversations were like between Brian and other people. This isn't The Beatles story, this is Brian's story, with the Beatles as a backdrop. It's the story of a young man, trying to find his place in the world. But it's not just as simple as being successful. Brian Epstein was gay and in the 1960s, being gay in the UK was ILLEGAL. So here is a man who is in charge of the band that becomes the symbol of "All You Need is Love" and he feels like he can never be loved. It's heartbreaking.

And then the artwork. Oh my god, it is just beautiful. There is nothing more to say, it is just so gorgeous, so well laid out. The colors are perfect. The imagery...

This book has so much to offer. Even if your knowledge of the Beatles is just a few songs, the basic history, this book is worth looking at to see the social and cultural issues that are the same and that have changed (or have they?). It's a look into that world, a peek behind the curtain of the man behind Beatlemania. Of the naive and innocent man who tried so hard to dive into a business he knew nothing about, and how it pulled him under.

Go get this book now. You can read it in an afternoon. But it will stay with you long after.

Ohmyglob, I fell SO FAR behind on my April questions because of the trip!! OOPS! Going to try to catch up really quick:

faeriesfolly asked who is your favorite Muppet -- How do I choose just one? I love Gonzo because how can I not identify with a little weirdo who doesn’t quite fit in? Or Pepe, that King Prawn who tries to play it tough but really has such a sweet spot. And lovable, loyal Beaker. MEEP!!!!!!! Then again, I took the "Which Muppet are you?" quiz and got ANIMAL! RAWR! (I got the Muppets Character Encyclopedia for my birthday and I am tempted to just flip through it right now and keep typing FOREVER).



rogueslayer452 asked Do you believe in life or the existence of other beings like us on other planets/galaxies? Do you think we'll ever know, or will the human race die out before we get a chance? -- Yes, I think it is foolish to believe that we are the only other lifeforms out there. But I tend to lean towards the Douglas Adams point of view: that an entire galaxy of creatures is going on around us but we are so low on the totem pole that they pay us no attention. Mostly harmless, you know. I doubt we will ever come in contact with them (especially if they have seen any of our movies and know how we will react to alien lifeforms in most cases).



hellonelo asked Do you have any comic series you would highly recommend to someone?
It's always dangerous to ask a librarian for book recommendations. I'll try to contain myself. I am a big Brian K Vaughan fan so I HAVE to recommend the epic Y The Last Man and Runaways. Transmetropolitan by Warren Ellis is a crude and rude tale that surprises you in the end with having more heart than you thought it could. Always have to give a shout-out to Fray by Joss Whedon, a fantastic part of the Slayer mythology that doesn’t really require any knowledge of the Buffyverse to enjoy. And I was pleasantly surprised by the Adventure Time comics, which made me laugh out loud and manage to capture the magic of the show on the page.

hellonelo asked If you could become a super hero, what ability would you have and why? I know it’s so simple, but I think the power of flight would be fantastic. To just zoom from here to there without having to deal with traffic or airplane tickets. Hm..would be nice to have some super strength though so I can carry Tim around with me (this answer inspired after I bought plane tickets to SanFran and realized how EXPENSIVE flying is ugh!)

thekaiserchief asked Do you think your zodiac sign accurately reflects you and your personality? Why or why not? -- I found this description of Pisces online:

Pisces Strength Keywords:
- Compassionate
- Adaptable
- Accepting
- Devoted
- Imaginative
Pisces Weakness Keywords:
- Oversensitive
- Indecisive
- Self-pitying
- Lazy
- Escapist

I'm going to say yes? LOL. I don't think I'm oversensitive but perhaps you should ask someone else haha. Other than that, I think I fit pretty well into both the good and the bad.

This post is getting LONG! I will do the other half of the leftover questions later. After we watch Orphan Black!

Originally posted on orangerful.vox.com

I did NOT know that AMC was making The Walking Dead into a TV show. That is awesome. I read the first few trades in the series and really enjoyed them. I need to pick it up again, especially now that I have a decent comic store that I go to on a semi-regular basis.

It's got all those elements of 28 Days Later with creepy zombies, but even more messed up people. It's about the survivors of the zombie apocolypse. And really, the zombies are the last of their worries because they can avoid them pretty easily. It's the tension in this group of random individuals shoved together out of desperation that makes the story to great. We don't really know what kind of people they were before the zombie's took over....

Yeah, do yourself a favor and pick up the first trade (it's only like $10 cover price) and give it a read. Good stuff...mmm...October, so after my Vampires go away (True Blood), it will be Zombie time!

So, I have about 5 pages left in the FINAL Y: The Last Man comic book series. I have a feeling I might cry why I read the last page. I'm going to miss these characters. I loved hanging out with Yorick and 355 and Beth and Hero and following their adventure. And now it is almost over. If it is hard for me to just read those last few pages, I wonder what it was like to write them? At least when I am finished, I can look for some BKV interviews and read his comments on the end.

Okay, time to finish this...*tears up*