Tag: Comics

In Audiobook, Comics, DC Smith & Kings Lake, Don Winslow, Faith Hunter, Fantasy, Fiction, Fletch, General Fiction/Literature, Gregory Mcdonald, Harry Bosch, Harry Dresden, Humor, Jim Butcher, M. W. Craven, Michael Connelly, Michael R. Underwood, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller, Non-Fiction, Renée Ballard, Science Fiction, Theology/Christian Living, Urban Fantasy, Washington Poe, YA/MG/Children's Books

I did this last month to catch up up to 2023, but the backlog I’d accrued last year was too big for me. So here we go again. This doesn’t get me totally cuaght up, but it’s close enough. Hopefully it’ll be years before I have to resort to this again.

I frequently mention how looming Mt. TBR is getting for me, but what’s worse is my “To Write About” pile, I know I’m never going to catch up with that properly and it bugs me to no end. But in the interest of something being better than nothing, a dash of realism, and a heavy dose of self-care, I’m cutting myself some slack. This was painful to do, I was looking forward to writing about most of these, and I have so much that I want to say. But I’m just not going to get to them—and other books are starting to pile up, too. So, in 144 characters or less, here’s me cutting myself some slack.

(Click on the cover for an official site with more info)

	If I Understood You, Would I Have This Look on My Face?: My Adventures in the Art and Science of Relating and Communicating by Alan Alda Not sure how helpful this was–but it was quite entertaining & interesting. Hours of Alda’s narration–it almost doesn’t matter what he said.
	The Librarian of Crooked Lane by C.J. Archer, read by: Marian Hussey Great idea. Okay (ish) execution. Had to push myself to keep going more than once.
	The Bittlemores by Jann Arden So strange at times. The ending made all of the “why am I bothering” parts worth it. Capital Q-quirky and emotionally effective. Give it a try.
	Things My Son Needs to Know about the World by Fredrik Backman, read by: Santino Fontana Hilarious and touching. Backman seems more down-to-earth than expected–a great writer & a relatable dad. Should give this to my grandkid’s dad.
	That Old Cloak and Dagger Routine by Anne Louise Bannon Ummm…a cozy and fairly self-consciously chaste spy novel. Who knew that was possible? Wasn’t wowed, but intrigued enough to read more.
	The Deal Goes Down by Larry Beinhart A compelling, self-aware, action read. Really dug it, but not sure I’m 100% into the story’s wrap-up, but the denouement helped.
	Endangered by C.J.Box, read by: David Chandler Ehhhh…I liked this, I think. I’m not sure what to say about it (hence the months of silence from me, I guess)
	Strong Female Character by Fern Brady Funny and helpful look at one woman coming to terms with an ASD diagnosis, and how she got to it.
	Hammered by Lindsay Buroker, read by: Vivienne Leheny Good world, great protagonist/narrator. Decent introductory novel. I’ll be back for more.
	Vampire Weekend by Mike Chen Heckuva read. Words have failed me for a year with this one. The premise, execution, characters, plot–all typical Chen greatness.
	Spider-Man’s Bad Connection by Preeti Chhibber Not as good as book 1, but filled with everything I liked about it. Seemed more concerned about setting up the series arc than this book’s plot.
	Blue Like Me by Aaron Philip Clark, read by: Preston Butler III The mystery/police aspect of this series is great. The personal life material is less so. This author/narrator combo makes it worthwhile.
	Once Upon a Tome: The Misadventures of a Rare Bookseller by Oliver Darkshire If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to work in an antiquarian bookshop or if you like quietly charming people talk about unusual occupations…
	The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin, read by: Scott Brick So sweet, so heartwarming, so charming. This novel about booksellers in love–and Firkney’s adorable daughter–will steal your heart.
	Killing Me by Michelle Gagnon Great take on vigilante serial killers. Great turns and twists.
	Teen Titans: Robin by Kami Garcia, Art by: Gabriel Picolo Not the best in the series, but Garcia’s take on these characters is good enough to overcome that. I just wish these came out faster.
	Charlie Thorne and the Last Equation by Stuart Gibbs, read by: Emily Woo Zeller The problem with an impossibly smart characters is that the creators behind them aren’t that smart. The results are disappointing.
	Evil Valley by Simon Hall I like this series, I like the characters…didn’t think this was up to the author’s standards. Some great scenes and a compelling killer.
	Summer Hours at the Robbers Library by Sue Halpern, read by: Josh Bloomberg, Dara Rosenberg, Allyson Ryan Meandering. The major reveal was a major letdown. It was just intriguing enough to keep me listening, but I wish it hadn’t been.
	The Stench of Honolulu: A Tropical Adventure by Jack Handey What a waste of time (mine and the authors) and talent.
	Pieces of Eight by Peter Hartog I <3 this universe. I think this case was weaker, but the character moments, growth, and magic were so great that it didn't matter. I need more.
	Posthumous Education by Drew Hayes, read by: Kirby Heyborne Good to be back in Fred’s world. Not the best collection of episodes for the Vampire Accountant, but pleasant enough.
	The Last Ranger by Peter Heller, read by: Mark Deakins Feels like a CJ Box standalone that he abandoned because he couldn’t come up with an ending. Heller couldn’t either, but called it good anyway.
	The Door-to-Door Bookstore by Carsten Henn, read by: Raphael Corkhill, translated by Melody Shaw Schmaltzy but pure-of-heart. One central character’s motivation makes no sense. Ignoring that, it’s a sweet celebration of books/readers.
	Murder Your Employer: The McMasters Guide to Homicide by Rupert Holmes, read by: Simon Vance, Neil Patrick Harris Possibly too clever for its own good. I vacillated between reveling in it and utter disdain. It’s a mixed-bag that won me over in the end.
	Fixit by Joe Ide IQ and Dodson are back and better than ever. Who needs to say more than that?
	Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher, read by: Jennifer Blom Great prose in service of a solid modern take on Cinderella.
	Flood and Fury: Old Testament Violence and the Shalom of God by Matthew J. Lynch Helpful work on Divine Violence (how to think of it, how not to think of it or avoid the idea, either) and about the conquest of Canaan.
	But Have You Read the Book?: 52 Literary Gems That Inspired Our Favorite Films by Kristen Lopez How can a book with this premise be so dull? And snobbish, too.
	The Chinese Groove by Kathryn Ma, read by: James Chen Great characters, an okay story, but the payoff wasn’t there. The ending was bad enough to make me wish I hadn’t spent the time.
	Noirville: Tales From The Dark Side by Chris McVeigh 15 of the best short stories I’ve ever read. This is how Crime Fiction should always be.
	Grand Theft Astro by Scott Meyer, read by: Elizabeth Evans The Stainless Steel Rat with a contemporary twist. Meyer is capable of better, but I had enough fun (not sure I’m sold on the ending)
	The Eternity Fund by Liz Monument Dynamite dystopian adventure. Worth the $ just for the worldbuilding. The story and characters were even better–I’d relish a sequel.
	The Mostly True Story of Tanner and Louise by Colleen Oakley, read by: Hillary Huber It took me a long time to decide what this book was really about, but I enjoyed the trip. The destination was okay, too.
	The Raven Thief by Gigi Pandian See what I said about Spider-Man’s Bad Connection.
	Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn, read by: Jane Oppenheimer, Christina Delaine Who doesn’t enjoy an octogenarian assassin? Who doesn’t love female assassins? A group of them out for revenge? Sure-fire fun.
	Vanished by Kat Richardson, read by: Mia Brown Good story, but felt underwhelmed by it all. I think it was me and my timing. not Richardson. I need to get back on this horse.
	She-Hulk, Vol. 1: Jen, Again by Rainbow Rowell A real winner from Rowell. I knew I should’ve started reading this series earlier. Good art, interesting arcs, & some real smiles were induced.
	How to Examine a Wolverine: More Tales from the Accidental Veterinarian by Philipp Schott, read by: Geet Arora A fun Veterinarian Memoir, with a lot of heart. James Herriot with more laughs and technology.
	The Green Ember by S.D. Smith, read by: Zach Franzen Maybe too much like Wingfeather Saga, but with rabbits instead of humans. Still, a good fantasy for the MG crowd.
	Don’t Hang Up by Benjamin Stevenson, read by: Luke Arnold, Sybilla Budd I can’t do better than Mike Finn did. Go read what he said. It’s why I listened.
	How I Won a Nobel Prize by Julius Taranto, read by: Lauren Fortgang Some good writing, but squandered for…I’m not sure really.
	The Marlow Murder Club by Robert Thorogood, read by: Nicolette McKenzie Decent cozy with an intriguing cast of oddball slueths.
	Questland by Carrie Vaughn Jurassic Park for RPG, SF, Fantasy, etc. fans. Been a Vaughn fan for years, but don’t know that I’ve had this much fun with one of her novels.
	All Systems Red by Martha Wells, read by: Kevin R. Free Oh, wow. I understand all the fuss over this series. I shouldn’t have slept on this–or the sequels like I have.
	Self Help by Ben H. Winters, read by: Wil Wheaton, Ron Perlman Cool concept. Great cast. Entertaining but not-entirely satisfying result. Worth the time. But not much more.

Clearing the Deck II: Tweet-length thoughts about books I can’t find time to write about

By HCNewton

On January 11, 2024

I did this back in January 2020, and need to do it again.

I frequently mention how looming Mt. TBR is getting for me, but what’s worse is my “To Write About” pile, I know I’m never going to catch up with that properly and it bugs me to no end. But in the interest of something being better than nothing, a dash of realism, and a heavy dose of self-care, I’m cutting myself some slack. So I’m clearing the deck of everything from 2020-2022 that I haven’t made time for. This was painful to do, I was looking forward to writing about most of these, and I have so much that I want to say. But I’m just not going to get to them—and other books are starting to pile up, too. So, in 144 characters or less, here’s me cutting myself some slack.

How bad am I at keeping up with my To-Write-Titles? I put together the list of books for this post in January 2023. And am just now getting to it. I wish that was a joke.

(Click on the cover for an official site with more info)

	Battle Ground by Jim Butcher I just can’t talk about this one yet. I need more time. (yeah, they’re fictional characters, but I’ve spent too long with them to not be reeling)
	Desert Star by Michael Connelly Loved it while reading it. But I have more and more questions about all of it the longer I think about it. Not Connelly’s best but well worth it
	Dead Ground by M. W. Craven Not a typical Poe and Tilly case, just as good and gripping as the rest though.
	The Posthumous Memoirs of Brás Cubas by Machado de Assis, Flora Thomson-DeVeaux (Translator) A strange and somewhat humorous look at a ghost’s POV on his life. I want to read it a few more times to really get a handle on it. Heckuva read
	Nightwing: Year One Deluxe Edition by Chuck Dixon If there’s a better Nightwing writer out there, I’d like to see it. A great, great, great telling of his origin.
	Mythos by Stephen Fry Drags a little. Wish he could pick a tone for his retellings/commentary on the classic stories. Still, it’s Stephen Fry talking—worth the time.
	Heroes: Mortals and Monsters, Quests and Adventures by Stephen Fry See above, but felt it dragged a bit more.
	Teen Titans: Beast Boy by Kami Garcia, Gabriel Picolo (Penciller) A solid, believable update of Gar Logan’s backstory. Very promising follow-up to the Raven book. Really impressed with Picolo.
	Teen Titans: Beast Boy Loves Raven by Kami Garcia, Gabriel Picolo (Penciller) Bring the two together and it’s even better. I’m curious about the overall story, but would read just them being awkward together. Like the art.
	Missing Pieces: A Kings Lake Investigation by Peter Grainger, Gildart Jackosn (Narrator) The Murder Squad tackles a cold case and is as excellent as ever. I don’t know how to talk about this series w/o being redundant. I want more!
	Junkyard War by Faith Hunter, Khristine Hvam (Narrator) This was utterly fine. A lot didn’t go the way I expected. But I’m still in this series for the long haul.
	The Dime by Kathleen Kent One of the best first chapters ever. The rest is pretty good. Not sure I buy the motive for the murders, nor that I want to see what comes next.
	Batman: City of Crime by David Lapham If you buy (I can’t) Batman losing sight of his mission, this story about him recovering it is great. If you can’t…well, it’s pretty good.
	Bluebird, Bluebird by Attica Locke, J.D. Jackson (Narrator) A stunning work of fiction. Words fail me. A deeply compromised Texas Ranger tries to solve a potential hate crime and keep his job.
	Flynn by Gregory McDonald, Donald Corren (Narrator) I expected the Fletch narrator for some reason, but Corren won me over in minutes. One of my favorite novels of all-time. Great audio version.
	Son of Fletch by Gregory McDonald, Dan John Miller (Narrator) Oh, I wanted to love this. But I just liked it. I’ll probably hear Miller in my head anytime I read Fletch in print.
	Fletch Reflected by Gregory McDonald, Dan John Miller (Narrator) This is not the way the series should’ve ended. Some fantastic moments, but not sure it was worth it. Miller was solid as always.
	Last Couple Standing by Matthew Norman Norman’s best female characters (to date). Stupid premise, but it almost convinces me to like it by the end. Lots of great moments.
	Weakness Is the Way: Life with Christ Our Strength by J.I. Packer Packer’s great on 2 Corinthians and what Paul tells about weakness as a way of life for the Christian.
	The Monster in the Hollows by Andrew Peterson I’m not sure I loved the way the story went in this one, but I grew to appreciate it. Characters are still great.
	The Warden and the Wolf King by Andrew Peterson Whatever my misgivings about the last one, this was the right way to end the series. Just what I wanted (if mildly predictable)
	Deathstroke, Vol. 1: The Professional by Christopher J. Priest I prefer the version Wolfman and Perez initially told about his origin, but this ain’t a bad version. And I see why it was necessary. Good ’nuff
	There Goes The Neighborhood by S. Reed I stopped working with a book tour company because they wouldn’t let me be honest about this book ever. So I won’t be. Loved ALL of it. <3<3<3<3
	Percy Jackson’s Greek Gods by Rick Riordan, Jesse Bernstein (Narrator) If Percy Jackson edited D’Aulaires’s book you’d get this. A great way to introduce the myths to young readers. Bernstein is a spot-on Percy.
	Percy Jackson’s Greek Heroes by Rick Riordan, Jesse Bernstein (Narrator) See above, but with heroes.
	I Will Judge You by Your Bookshelf by Grant Snider If someone looked into my brain, took all of my ideas and feelings, and improved them, you’d get this book. But only one-third as good as this.
	All These Worlds by Dennis E. Taylor, Ray Porter (Narrator) Taylor and Porter are unbeatable together. This is funny (duh), and the grief and sadness are real. As is the anger. Is the ending too easy?
	The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien, Andy Serkis (Narrator) Serkis nails the narration (as you’d expect). Is there a better first book of a series in Fantasy?
	The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien, Andy Serkis (Narrator) Serkis is tremendous here. This whole book is ridiculously good.
	The Return of the King by by J.R.R. Tolkien, Andy Serkis (Narrator) One day the pacing on this won’t surprise me. The book gets better every time. Serkis was phenomenal.
	Annihilation Aria by Michael R. Underwood Found family stars in this fun, space opera about archeologists fighting an empire.
	The Cartel by Don Winslow The best of the trilogy. Shocking. Moving. Gripping. All-too-real—if you told me this was non-fiction, I’d almost believe it. A true classic.

The Mysteries by Bill Watterson and John Kascht: Watterson’s Visually Stunning Return

By HCNewton

On November 22, 2023

In Comics, Fantasy, Fiction

The Mysteries

by Bill Watterson and John Kascht

DETAILS:
Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing
Publication Date: October 10, 2023
Format: Hardcover
Length: 72 pgs.
Read Date: October 31, 2024

What’s The Mysteries About?

Here’s the Publisher’s Description, if I try, I’m going to end up telling the whole, brief story:

In a fable for grown-ups by cartoonist Bill Watterson, a long-ago kingdom is afflicted with unexplainable calamities. Hoping to end the torment, the king dispatches his knights to discover the source of the mysterious events. Years later, a single battered knight returns.

I’m not going to say more, even though I think we could use a teensy-weensy expansion to really sell the story. But the story isn’t the important part because…

WOW. The Art!

This is why you pick up this book. Period. You’re curious about what Watterson’s been up to for the last umpteen years, how his art has changed and developed. What’s got his attention? And we won’t really know much given how short this book is and how atypical it is, but still, that curiosity is there.

Maybe you know John Kascht’s work and want to see what he’s been dabbling in.

Either way, this is why you come to this book—and you will be well rewarded for it.

I’m not going to try to explain how these black-and-white images capture so much—and yet, leave so much to the imagination. But I’ve already gone through this book a few times just to see the art without caring about the words (which, yeah, I’ve read twice—but not as often). There are a couple of samples here.

Here’s a video put out by the publisher where the two artists describe how they worked together (and no, you don’t get to see any faces. Just hands and the works in progress).

So, what did I think about The Mysteries?

Honestly, the story doesn’t do much for me. It’s fine—good enough to justify your time, but that’s it. It feels like the first 50-70% of a Neil Gaiman story (but told in far fewer words). Honestly, anyone who described something like that to me would be enough to get me to pick it up—but I wanted a little more from Watterson.

But the more I think about it, I’m always going to want more from Watterson than he seems willing to give. So I should shut up and be happy about it.

I cannot say enough good things about these images, though—the visual look of the book as a whole, either. I’m so glad I got this just for that experience. And it’s an experience I can repeat frequently.

I’m not going to give this a rating, because…I don’t know. I can’t assign a number to this. I’m just happy to see that Watterson is still out there doing creative things and hope he decides to share some more in the years to come.

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, the opinions expressed are my own.
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Bunnicula: The Graphic Novel by James Howe, Andrew Donkin, Stephen Gilpin: The Children’s Classic Brought to Life in a New Format

By HCNewton

On November 1, 2022

In Comics, Dogs, Fantasy, Fiction, Urban Fantasy, YA/MG/Children's Books

Bunnicula: The Graphic Novel

by James Howe, Andrew Donkin, Stephen Gilpin (Illustrator)

DETAILS:
Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: August 29, 2022
Format: Paperback
Length: 128 pg.
Read Date: October 22, 2022

What’s Bunnicula: The Graphic Novel About?

This is easy—it’s a graphic novel adaptation of the modern classic, Bunnicula: A Rabbit-Tale of Mystery by James and Deborah Howe.

For those who missed this when they were kids, briefly, it’s the story about a dog (Harold) and a cat (Chester) reacting to a rabbit that their family brings home after finding him in a movie theater. The rabbit has some distinctive patterns on his fur that remind the kids (and Chester) of a classic Dracula-type vampire, so they name him Bunnicula.

Chester’s a literary type, with a taste for classic horror. Between his look, Bunnicula’s nocturnal habits, and the fact that every vegetable in the house starts being drained of its juices, Chester becomes convinced that the new pet is a vampire and tries his best to warn the family and destroy the intruder before he harms the family. Harold’s around as the voice of reason and tries to mitigate Chester’s shenanigans before his new little buddy gets hurt. Hilarity and shenanigans ensue.

Stephen Gilpin’s Work and the Look of the Book Overall

When I saw this on the bookstore shelf, I was intrigued because the original novel was such a favorite of mine—and then my kids, too. I had no real intentions of buying it because I could always just grab the novel again to revisit, but I picked it up to give it a quick glance and the art blew me away, and I had to buy it. Chester looked good, I clicked immediately with the character design for the Monroes (particularly the boys), Bunnicula was spot-on…

But the clincher for me was Harold. He might as well have been a werewolf drinking a piña colada at Trader Vic’s, because his hair (and everything else) was perfect. Sure, now it’s expected that the dog will be my favorite character in a book—but that wasn’t my default when I first encountered the book. But it took little time for him to be my favorite character in the series*. So when Gilpin knocked that character out of the park, he won my affection. Sure, it’s based on the illustrations from the original book, but he owned it and brought the look to life.

* It’s very likely that Harold laid the groundwork for my appreciation of canine protagonists, like Chet and Oberon.

Sometimes, I wonder what the point is behind doing a graphic novel adaptation of a written work—does it really add anything? This one did—there are some nice updates (Harold uses a computer, etc.) and some visual jokes and flourishes that could only be made in this format. Gilpin clearly made the most out of what Howe and Donkin gave him.

So, what did I think about Bunnicula: The Graphic Novel?

It’d be hard (but not impossible) to make something faithful to the letter (as much as space allows) and the spirit of the novel that didn’t make me happy. But this one wowed me—it brought me back to the day I first discovered this great band of people and critters decades ago, recapturing and repackaging the magic.

I’m not sure that it’ll have that impact on everyone—I don’t know if an 8-10 year-old picking it up in 2022 is going to get hooked on the series, for example. I can’t imagine how one doesn’t, but I don’t know if they will.

I wasn’t sure how to rate this, how much of my reaction to it was based on memory and nostalgia and how much was this new work. But I know how I felt while reading it and I saw how my (now adult) children’s eyes lit up when I showed them this version of the book, and I had to go with the full five stars.

Adult fans who remember the book—grab this, you’ll have a blast. It’ll probably work its charms on younger readers, too—and hopefully will work to bring them to the original series.

5 Stars

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, the opinions expressed are my own.

Catch-Up Quick Takes: A Few May/June Books

By HCNewton

On July 1, 2022

In Audiobook, Comics, Fiction, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller, Non-Fiction, Urban Fantasy

The point of these quick takes posts is to catch up on my “To Write About” stack—emphasizing pithiness, not thoroughness. This time, I’m covering a few books from the end of May and June that I just don’t have that much to say about.

A Line to Kill

by Anthony Horowitz, Rory Kinnear (Narrator)

DETAILS:
Series: A Hawthorne and Horowitz Mystery, #3
Publisher: HarperAudio
Publication Date: October 18, 2021
Format: Unabridged Audiobook
Length: 8 hr., 50 min.
Read Date: May 26-31, 2022

(the official blurb)
If you were to ask me: “HC, what do you think of the Hawthorne and Horowitz series?” I’d tell you that I love the concept, I think Hawthorne is an intriguing character and that I really enjoy Horowitz’s fictionalized version of himself. And that’s true in theory.

I’m just not so sure about the practice. I had a hard time finishing this, and more than once thought about quitting. I’m glad I didn’t–the solution was pretty clever and the resolution was satisfying.

Hawthorne regularly annoyed me–and I found his antics held no charm for me. It’s a good read, but I can see my time with this series coming to an end soon (I can also see being won over soon, too).

(none of this is a reflection on Rory Kinnear, who did his typically good reading).
3 Stars

Hellbound Guilds & Other Misdirections

by Annette Marie, Rob Jacobson, Iggy Toma (Narrator)

DETAILS:
Series: Guild Codex: Warped, #2
Publisher: Tantor Audio
Publication Date: September 13, 2021
Format: Unabridged Audiobook
Length: 8 hr., 12 min.
Read Date: June 6-7, 2022

(the official blurb)
This does a great job of interweaving the events (and characters) of Demon Magic and a Martini and Taming Demons for Beginners into the events of this adventure–I love seeing the way Marie is creating a multi-faceted world here.

This time out, our petty criminal turned aspiring MagiPol Agent tries to help out his friend, Agent Shen, who had got him out of that life of crime. She needs a big win to stay in her current assignment and not be transferred to the last office on Earth she wants. Their snooping gets them on the trail of some of the shady demon contracts the aforementioned books were about and then we’re off to the races.

There’s some really good character development for Kit Morris here–especially when it comes to learning how to use his magic. This is a common tie between these series–all three protagonists are on a similar path. Given the varied amount of knowledge they all had going into it (totally unaware; not-that-experienced-but-fairly-aware; or a lot of academic knowledge, but little practical) keeps the series distinct, yet similar–which I really appreciate.

I do prefer the other magical threats these series covered before they all focused on demons. But I’m still enjoying the ride (rides?), so I’ll stick with these a little longer.
3 Stars

How to Take Over the World:
Practical Schemes and Scientific
Solutions for the Aspiring Supervillain

by Ryan North

DETAILS:
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Publication Date: March 14, 2022
Format: Unabridged Audiobook
Length: 10 hr., 3 min.
Read Date: June 7-9, 2022

(the official blurb)
I’m clearly a sucker for popular-level science books with a humorous presentation (which means I really need to give Mary Roach another try, I know). In this one, North focuses on the kinds of cutting-edge science that a comic book/James Bond supervillain would use to take over the world, destroy large parts of it, accumulate power to themselves, etc.

He covers such things as cloning a dinosaur (sorry, Jurassic Park, it’s just not possible…), creating a new island to use as a secret base, becoming immortal, pulling off the perfect heist, and more. The punchline to the book is essentially that a supervillain is going to have to work hard to out-do what humans are doing already when it comes to destroying the planet.

Depressing conclusion aside–this was a fun book, and exposed me to a lot of things I never would have considered before. I’m not sure I retained as much as I would have liked to–but that’s on me, not North (who, by the way, was a perfect narrator for the material). It also means that I’ve got a good reason to listen to it again or to pick up the hard copy to refer back to. Recommended.
3 Stars

Batman: Their Dark Designs

by James Tynion IV with too many artists to list for this kind of post

DETAILS:
Publisher: DC Comics
Publication Date: November 8, 2021
Format: Trade Paperback
Length: 264 pgs.
Read Date: June 18-25, 2022

(the official blurb)
I don’t read a lot of graphic novels/collections of individual comics lately, and don’t know what might appeal to me. I basically read whatever Lashaan Balasingam mentions that seems interesting. He recently posted about the last volume in this series and it got me curious.

This was a lot of fun–check out the blurb for details. I really enjoyed Tynion’s take on these characters (including the new ones)–if this is how he always writes the Dark Knight, I could be satisfied reading him for years. Most of the art was dynamite (a couple of the pencilers left a little to be desired). Simply put, this is exactly what I want in a comic series.

My major mistake is that I didn’t see that my library doesn’t have the 4 volumes that tell the rest of this story. I don’t want to spend the money on these, but not knowing how the story is going to resolve is a little maddening.
3 Stars

This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase from any of them, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, the opinions expressed are my own.

Quick Take Catch Ups: Strange Planet; Claire Dewitt and the City of the Dead; Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore; Paper: Paging Through History

By HCNewton

On April 28, 2021

In Audiobook, Comics, Fiction, History, Humor, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller, Non-Fiction

This is an odd group of books, I realize—there’s no theme or anything. Most are books that I can’t find the time to write a full post about, and one I don’t want to spend the time on. To do justice to the Claire DeWitt book would take at least two of my longer-sized posts, and I’d want to read the book at least two more times—so, that’s just not happening, I’ll settle for this sketch. The point of these quick takes posts is to catch up on my “To Write About” stack—emphasizing pithiness, not thoroughness. As you’ll see here.

Strange Planet

by Nathan W. Pyle
Series: Strange Planet, #1
Hardcover, 144 pg.
Morrow Gift, 2019
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore

(the official blurb)
I’m not sure how to talk about this collection. If you’ve seen the comics floating around online, you either love ’em or hate ’em. If you haven’t seen the comics floating around online, you’re probably wrong, they’re fairly ubiquitous.

Having these in one handy collection is great—this covers the topics “Young Beings,” “Friendship,” “Adulthood,” and “Recreation” from Pyle’s distinctive perspective. They’re great to dip into and out of—either in order or just randomly. I could (and have) spend too much time reading/rereading this.
4 Stars

Claire DeWitt and the City of the Dead

by Sara Gran
Series: Claire DeWitt Mysteries, #1
Paperback, 273 pg.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2012
Read: February 15, 2021
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore

(the official blurb)
I have copious notes on this one, and I just can’t decide how to talk about it. So…I’ll cheat and do this.

It’s like someone decided to do a serious take on Dirk Gently and his approach to detection. And it is pretty serious—although it has moments where I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to laugh or not. A former teen detective turned “world’s best detective” comes to post-Katrina New Orleans to hunt for a missing D.A. Following the idiosyncratic methods of her mentors (in both print and in real life), DeWitt deals with the good, the bad, and the hard-to-fathom that make up New Orleans. She also deals with some ghosts from her past as she uncovers the truth about the DA (including many things he’d probably want no one to uncover).

It’s a book about literary private eyes as much as it is a literary private eye story. I do recommend it, you’re not likely to read anything like it. I’m coming back for the sequel soon.

Not that there was a great danger of this, but between this book and Treme there is zero chance I’ll ever live in New Orleans.
3.5 Stars

Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore

by Matthew J. Sullivan, Madeleine Maby (Narrator)
Unabridged Audiobook, 8 hrs., 59 min.
Simon & Schuster Audio, 2017
Read: February 24-26, 2021
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore

(the official blurb)
A bookstore clerk finds a frequent customer dead in the shelves after he committed suicide. He has some sort of connection to her as a child, she discovers, and has left his few possessions to her. She’s compelled to learn why he killed himself, why he died with a photo of her as a child in his possession, and along the way has to come to terms with horrific events from about the time the photo was taken.

There are a lot of layers to this novel—fantastic concept, heartbreaking conclusion. I never really connected with the protagonist, but I couldn’t stop listening, either.

Mabey did a fine job with the narration, I should add. Looking over some of her other titles suggests that I’ll be running into her again.
3 Stars

Paper: Paging Through History

by Mark Kurlansky, Andrew Garman (Narrator)
Unabridged Audiobook, 13 hrs., 42 min.
Recorded Books, 2016
Read: March 4-9, 2021
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore

(the official blurb)

This vacillated between intensely interesting and stultifyling dull, overly detailed, and seemingly random in focus, provocative and insulting. More than once I wondered about the connection between paper and whatever particular period of history he wanted to sound off on—the connection was usually there and clear (and germane), but he stretched it more than once. Also, Kurlansky seems to have a real chip on his shoulder regarding religions of many stripes. That’s fine, it’s just not all that germane.

I’m not sure audio was the right for this medium, outside of the irony. There was just so much thrown at the listener, I can’t imagine how anyone could retain any details—I didn’t even try.

None of my problems were with Garman’s narration (although I questioned a few of his pronunciation), it was simply the text.
2 1/2 Stars

This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase from any of them, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, opinions are my own.

Catch-Up Quick Takes Timeless; Point Blank; Smarter Faster Better; Heartburn; In Plain Sight; Wonder Woman: Tempest Tossed; The Bitterroots

By HCNewton

On August 4, 2020

In Audiobook, C. J. Box, Comics, Fiction, General Fiction/Literature, Joe Pickett, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller, Non-Fiction, Steampunk, YA/MG/Children's Books

The point of these quick takes post to catch up on my “To Write About” stack—emphasizing pithiness, not thoroughness. Half of this particular group bothers me to include here, but I’m afraid I’m about to lose track of them. The other half? Well, I might have trouble coming up with enough to talk about even in this format.

Timeless

by Gail Carriger, Emily Gray (Narrator)
Series: The Parasol Protectorate, #5
Unabridged Audiobook, 11 hrs., 25 mins.
Hachette Audio, 2012
Read: May 13-18, 2020
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

(the official blurb)
I won’t deny that there were a couple of moments that had me on the edge of my seat, but overall this concluding novel felt like a letdown. There was just a lot of treading water going on, the plot just wouldn’t move for ages, it seemed.

An audiobook narrated by Emily Gray Unabridged Audiobooks a multitude of shortcomings, however. She’s just so much fun to listen to.

I’m glad I listened to this series, but I’m also glad that I’m done. It started strong, but over the course of the series, it kept getting weaker and weaker. A fun mash-up of Urban Fantasy and Victorian Steampunk, but ultimately unsatisfying.

Point Blank

by Anthony Horowitz, Simon Prebble (Narrator)
Series: Alex Rider, #2
Unabridged Audiobook, 5 hrs., 42 min.
Recorded Books, 2013
Read: May 29, 2020
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

(the official blurb)
Alex Rider is back with another dose of escapist spy fiction for the MG set. It’s fun, but disposable. It’s the audiobook equivalent of NCIS, an entertaining way to spend some time, but that’s about it. I liked what Horowitz did with his character and I appreciated the growth in Alex.

This time, Alex is sent to an exclusive private school in the guise of a child of a rich and powerful man. Two similar fathers, from different parts of the world, with sons at this school, had recently been assassinated and M16 wants to get to the bottom of it.

Prebble did a fine job with the narration, I hope he continues.

This was clever and pretty exciting, I hope the series continues in this vein—I can absolutely see why my son tore through them (and re-read them, probably the only things he re-read). I’ll be back for more (just wish I’d made myself do this back when he was reading them).

Smarter Faster Better: The Secrets of Being Productive in Life and Business

by Charles Duhigg, Mike Chamberlain (Narrator)
Unabridged Audiobook, 10 hrs., 23 min.
Random House Audio, 2016
Read: July 2-6, 2020
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

(the official blurb)
My chief complaint about Duhigg’s book, The Power of Habit, was that I expected something the reader could use for themselves. This isn’t as easy to apply as you might want, but it’s clearly written with an eye for the reader not just to understand the principles of efficiency and productivity, but to show some ways to bring the lessons home.

That said, it’s not a how-to book, it’s not self-improvement, it’s largely about the science/study/understanding of productivity. I found it just as fascinating as the last book, and can see where it’d be a useful guidebook for people in some sort of position of authority in an organization.

Duhigg also shows us his process while illustrating his own application of the book’s lessons—which I really enjoyed.

I’m absolutely on board for whatever book Duhigg puts out next, Chamberlain is a great narrator for his material, too.

Heartburn

by Nora Ephron, Meryl Streep (Narrator)
Unabridged Audiobook, 5 hrs., 30 min.
Random House Audio, 2013
Read: July 7, 2020
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

(the official blurb)
A very pregnant cookbook writer/TV host/new mom’s marriage crumbles around her, as she attempts to salvage it, protect her children, and make a way for herself in the world. Really, she’s trying to do it all, and do it well. (that’s a lousy summary, just click the link above, will ya?)

The narrator? This Meryl Streep person? I tell you what, I think she’s going places—there’s something special about her performance. Seriously, she did a great job, no surprise there.

Nor is it a surprise that Ephron can write a clever little book. I’m a long-time fan, I knew I should’ve picked this up when it was released. I don’t know that it’s necessarily deep, or that you walk away with new insight into the human condition, marriage, or love. But it was funny, it felt honest and real, and you get caught up in the life of Rachel Samstat right away. Solidly entertaining.

In Plain Sight

by C. J. Box, David Chandler (Narrator)
Series: Joe Pickett, #6
Unabridged Audiobook, 8 hrs., 23 min.
Recorded Books, 2008
Read: July 22-24, 2020
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

(the official blurb)
So this is all about chickens coming home to roost—almost everything that happened in this novel ties into one or more of the previous novels. And never the fun stuff from those novels. There’s the marital issues we got a glimpse at since Day 1 (and getting worse all the time—especially in the last book), the dead former Sheriff, the new Sheriff and his issues with Joe, Joe’s new boss—and more that I will just gloss over and let you read.

There’s a truly disturbing secret unearthed that really sheds light on so much of what happened in the book, most authors would’ve spent a lot more time on it than Box did here, he just let it be something that happened on the way to the major showdown. I like that he did it, but also kind of wish he’d given us a little more about it.

I did like the new governor and hope we get to see him again. (I especially like the fact that he’s a fictional politician and governs a neighboring state, not my own, I don’t even think I could enjoy him as a fictional Idaho governor).

There’s a lot left hanging at the close of this novel, I know the series continues (for many, many books to come), but I really have no idea what it’ll look like when I come back for Free Fire. Joe will be different, too, no matter what the circumstances around him are like. I assume Box is going to address it and I’m very curious about it.

Wonder Woman: Tempest Tossed

by Laurie Halse Anderson, Leila del Duca (Art)
Paperback, 208 pg.
DC Comics, 2020
Read: July 25, 2020
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

(the official blurb)
I really didn’t need this book, Leigh Bardugo’s YA retelling of Wonder Woman’s origin was good enough, and superior to this one. But I’d read some largely positive reviews and decided to give it a shot.

It felt less like a Wonder Woman story, and more like Anderson wanted to find a way to talk about certain issues and shoved Diana into the necessary circumstances and then shaped the character around that, rather than making it feel organic and earned. Also, there was too much left unexplained. There was so much I didn’t understand about what was going on with Diana on the Themyscira and physically that it felt more like Anderson dropped the ball and less like she was being understated.

It wasn’t bad, but it sure wasn’t good.

The Bitterroots

by C. J. Box, Christina Delaine (Narrator)
Series: The Highway Quartet, #5
Unabridged Audiobook, 9 hrs., 49 min.
Macmillan Audio, 2019
Read: July 30-31, 2020
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

(the official blurb)
Cassie’s done with law enforcement (but like Harry Bosch, will always think like a cop), and is making a living as a PI. A blast from the past calls in a favor owed and hires her to do some work as an investigator for the defense in a criminal proceeding. Cassie hates the idea in general, and loathes it in particular—the client is clearly guilty. Clearly guilty of raping his teenage niece, no less. He’s also a highly unpleasant person—she wouldn’t want to work for him even before the rape charge. But a debt’s a debt, and she figures she’ll find enough evidence to get him to switch his plea to guilty and work out a deal.

Readers/Listeners know all too well that the clearly guilty part guarantees that Cassie will eat some crow on this point, but that’s for later.

So Cassie travels to the very small town in northern Montana where the crime took place and the client’s estranged family runs everything from their ranch to the school board and all things in between—including the Sheriff’s Office and Courts. Things do not go well for her and her investigation—which just makes her think there’s something for her to find to help the client after all.

I definitely listened to this too soon after In Plain Sight, one of the themes of it is repeated here—not something I’d have noticed (at least not as much) if a few more weeks had passed.

Box ultimately won me over, but I came close to DNFing this a time or two, and I really didn’t enjoy most of the book. It was just a little heavy-handed, and the tie-in to a prior nemesis really didn’t work for me at all (and I’m not sure the introduction of the tie-in works now that I’ve seen where Box was taking it—it’s too complicated to explain, especially for this post, let’s just say I didn’t like it). But by the end, I liked what Cassie got up to and how she handled herself—and I like the way that Box dealt with the climax and denouement—both were really strong (and semi-unexpected).

This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase from any of them, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, opinions are my own.

Vagrant Queen by Magdelene Visaggio, Jason Smith: A Quirky Space Opera that Hits the Mark

By HCNewton

On July 20, 2020

In Comics, Fiction, Science Fiction

Vagrant Queen

by Magdelene Visaggio, Jason Smith (Art)
Series: Vagrant Queen, Vol. 1

Paperback, 192 pg.
Vault Comics, 2019

Read: July 4, 2020
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

As I do occasionally, I hopped on goodreads to skim some reviews to get a couple of names, so I didn’t have to go looking through the book. And I made a mistake—I never read these things, I just skim, until I’ve written my post. But this time, I saw that Beth Tabler had posted her review there, and I read it. Save yourself some time, and go read it, it’s better than anything I’m going to but here (although I’m not quite as enthusiastic about it as she is).

Let’s get this out of the way, I’m having a very difficult time not talking about the job the late SYFY show did of adapting this. I could go on and on…I don’t know if I’d have liked it if I’d read the comic first, but I think I would. It captures the spirit of the book, and a fair amount of the letter. Coming the other direction, I’m pretty impressed.

Enough of that, talk about the book

Once upon a time, there was a child queen, Eldaya. Eldaya seems to have had a good heart and a desire to rule her people well. Her handlers seemed all in favor of that, but some things came first. Somewhere along the line, her advisors/hanlders—as well as her predecessors—lost track of their purpose, and let the galaxy (not ours) go to pot, letting injustice and suffering grow. Eventually, this bubbles into a French Revolution-style revolt. Eldaya, her mother and some loyal people escape—for a while. They’re eventually found, and some of the revolutionary forces almost get the queen, they get almost all of her staff and mother.

It’s years later now, and the queen has adopted the name Elida. Elida’s a mavericky, smark alecky, savanger—doing all she can to survive. She wants nothing to do with her past and is doing all she can to pretend it has nothing to do with her (and it works, there are few who have a clue about it)

Elida has a…frequent ally, I guess. He’s not really a friend. He’s definitely not an enemy. Think Empire-era Han and Lando, maybe. Isaac is from Earth (a planet that no one believes exists), and will do almost anything for a shot to get back there—even if it is in another galaxy.

One of the revolutionaries, Lazaro, has been hunting for the Queen since she fled her home—and after all this time, he thinks he can capture and kill her.

Throw these three into a galaxy-wide chase with Elida trying to rescue her long-lost mother from the clutches of the revolution…and you’ve got yourself an exciting little space opera.

How’s the art?

I don’t have a lot to say about it, really. Which solely reflects on me, not on Smith. The art is quirky, vibrant—there’s a great sense of motion to it. I really dug Smith’s approach.

I think Lazaro is frequently depicted a bit too cartoonishly. Which is odd, as he’s about as far from comic relief as you can get.

What did I think about Vagrant Queen vol. 1?

It was fun, with some great action. I wanted a little more depth to everything, but not much. For a little bit of fun SF adventure, Vagrant Queen fits the bill nicely. I’ll be back for Vol. 2.

3.5 Stars

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, opinions are my own.

The Stay at Home Book Tag

By HCNewton

On April 29, 2020

In Book Tag, Books, Fiction, General Fiction/Literature, News/Misc.

The Stay at Home Book Tag
I saw this tag over on this one from Witty and Sarcastic Book Club last week and figured I’d better join in the fun soon—our Stay at Home order is set to expire at the end of this month, and I may not get another chance.

Laying in Bed: A Book You Could/Have Read in a Day

This one gave me some trouble, honestly, if you’re committed, what book can’t you read in a day? But…I’m going to go with:

Not Dressed

by Matthew Hanover
I didn’t read this in a day, but man, I could’ve. This book (like last year’s Not Famous) is effortless to read. When I started this book, it was late in the day and I thought I’d just stick a toe in the water, maybe read about 10% of it. Before I knew it, I was about a third into the book (and were it not for the time of day, I’d have probably finished it in one sitting!). It’s funny, it’s sweet, it’s infectious, it’s engaging as anything I can remember. I cared about these characters and got invested in their lives faster than I typically do. It’s as comfortable as staying in bed should be.

In case you’re curious, here’s my post about it.

Snacking: A Guilty Pleasure Book

Pop Culture! …Building a Better Tomorrow by Avoiding Today

by Dave Kellett
I’m honestly troubled by the idea of “guilty pleasure.” If you dig a piece of fiction, you dig a piece of fiction—why feel bad about it?* But, I ended up going with this collection of Sheldon comics. I love this strip and read them every time that Kellett posts a new one. I don’t let myself sit down and read through a collection (or part of one) very often, I feel like I should be reading “a real book,” or something I could blog about—or, you know spending time with my family, I guess. So, this is a pleasure that makes me feel guilty when I indulge (which I guess undercuts my opening line…oops).

* Note how I don’t go for the cheap Dan Brown joke here…

Netflix: series you want to start

The Shattered Sea

by Joe Abercrombie
Abercrombie’s Norse-influenced YA trilogy has appealed to me since it was announced. Especially as it’s complete, there’s no good reason I can’t tackle it—the entire trilogy is about as long as some epic fantasy novels, I don’t know what I’m waiting for.

Dan Willis’ Arcane Casebook is also right up there. I hopefully will get to both in 2020.

Deep Clean: a book that’s been on your “to be read” list for ages

Stiletto

by Daniel O’Malley
I loved O’Malley’s The Rook, but read it long before I launched this thing, so I didn’t write anything about it—and then re-read it so I could get ready for Stiletto, and took so many notes I couldn’t get through them all to write something. Anyway, this came out in ’16 and I heard so many lukewarm things that I haven’t been able to get myself to read it. It’s right there on top of my bookshelf, right where it’s been since July 2016 and I don’t know when it’s coming down.

Animal Crossing: a book you recently bought because of hype

The Last Smile in Sunder City

by Luke Arnold

A former soldier turned PI tries to help the fantasy creatures whose lives he ruined in a world that’s lost its magic in a compelling debut fantasy by Black Sails actor Luke Arnold.

Welcome to Sunder City. The magic is gone but the monsters remain.

I’m Fetch Phillips, just like it says on the window. There are a few things you should know before you hire me:

1. Sobriety costs extra.
2. My services are confidential.
3. I don’t work for humans.

It’s nothing personal–I’m human myself. But after what happened, to the magic, it’s not the humans who need my help.

Walk the streets of Sunder City and meet Fetch, his magical clients, and a darkly imagined world perfect for readers of Ben Aaronovitch and Jim Butcher.

How can I say “no” to that?

Yeah, this is on the list because of the hype, but when I went to find some examples of the hype that sold me, I could only find this one from Witty and Sarcastic Book Club, which was enough on its own, honestly. Still, if you’re reading this and I’ve just snubbed you. Sorry. Correct me and I’ll throw a link up here.

Productivity: A book you learned from, or that had an impact on you

How Not to Die

by Michael Greger M.D. FACLM, Gene Stone
This is a book that was recommended to me as part of a medical program I’m in (in an effort to forestall any future cardiac events)—I’m not convinced by all of what it says, but it’s helped me make significant changes to my life—and will continue to do so.

In case you’re curious, here’s my post about it (the post is about the library’s copy of the audiobook, I have the hardcover now—it’s heavy enough I could probably organize an exercise regimen using only it as a weight.

Facetime: a book you were gifted

The Name of the Wind: 10th Anniversary Deluxe Edition

by Patrick Rothfuss, Illustrated by Dan dos Santos
My kids got this for me for Father’s Day in ’17—still one of my favorite gifts from them. A gorgeous edition of one of my all-time favorite books.

Self-care: what is one thing you’ve done recently to look after yourself

Ehhh…not much, really. This is the kind of thing I’m not good at.

Bonus: name a book that is coming out soon

Platonic Comedy

by Ian Shane
Ian Shane’s Postgraduate was one of my favorites from 2019. If this is almost as good, it’ll be one of my favorites of 2020.

Ex-jock Rob and socially awkward Liz weren’t likely to become best friends, but they’ve had each other’s back since college. On a night both of their romantic lives implode, they make a pledge; if they aren’t married by Rob’s fortieth birthday, they would marry each other. With a year left before their deadline, Rob and Liz make a mad dash to find “The One,” while navigating a minefield of modern dating complications. They must deal with skeptical friends, faces from the past, and hidden jealousies and feelings neither one of them will ever admit to.

From Ian Shane, author of Postgraduate and Radio Radio, comes an unconventional one-in-eight-billion romantic comedy. Platonic Comedy is a contemporary When Harry Met Sally that is perfect for fans of Nick Hornby, Jonathan Tropper, and Matthew Norman.

As usual, I’m not tagging anyone in this—but I’d like to see what you all have to come up with.

Looking for Calvin and Hobbes (Audiobook) by Nevin Martell, Jeremy Arthur: A close-up look at the Cartoonist and His Creation

By HCNewton

On October 1, 2018

In (Auto)Biography, 2018 First Reads Challenge, 2018 Library Love Challenge, Audiobook

I’ve spent 20 minutes trying to get this header to look decent — and I give up. It’s just going to look awkward given the length of the title.
—

Looking for Calvin and Hobbes: The Unconventional Story of Bill Watterson and His Revolutionary Comic Strip

by Nevin Martell, Jeremy Arthur (Narrator)
Unabridged Audiobook, 7 hrs., 9 min.
ListenUp Production, 2014
Read: September 25 – 27, 2018
Nevin Martell, like just about everyone who ever read him, is a Calvin and Hobbes fan — what’s more, he discovered the strip at the right age and was able to appreciate it as only a child can — without being self-conscious about reading a comic strip and with devotion. Years later, when trying to write something more meaningful to him than another book about a pop star, he decides to write about that strip and its reclusive creator.

The reclusive part of that sentence is the key — Watterson had (and has) pretty much dropped off the face of the earth as far as your typical person is concerned. A few select friends, business acquaintances and family members can get in touch with him, but no one else can. This isn’t crippling to a book about his comic strips or himself, but it sure hampers it (especially because those people who can get in touch with him are just about as reticent as he is to talk about him or his work). Unencumbered by access to Watterson himself, and his perspective on his life and career was like, what his influences were, what made him make the creative decisions, etc. Martell dove into research — things written about and by Watterson, archives of his previous work (when and where available) and interviews with colleagues, editors and the like.

In the kind of detail only a scholar or a fan can appreciate, Martell describes Watteron’s childhood, college, and pre-Calvin and Hobbes career; then he discusses that comic strip — major themes — and its publishing history; Watterson’s battle to keep control of the strip, its merchandising/licensing; then he describes Watterson’s retirement. As much of that as he can, which isn’t much. Following that, Martell focuses on things like the impact of Watterson on the industry, his relationships with other cartoonists and is influence on those who followed.

I wish he’d given us more (and maybe he gave us all he could, but I don’t think so) from Watterson’s contemporaries/those he influenced in the field of comics (or related fields — he spoke with a novelist and Dave Barry, too). Martell spoke to many and gave us a lot of what he was told — but I’d have appreciated more coming from professionals about Watterson’s strengths, technique, stories — whatever. Sure, it might have gotten a little redundant, but something tells me that it wouldn’t have been too bad. These were my favorite parts of the book, and I could’ve listened to another hour of them easily.

I’m not convinced that I was ever as invested in Martell’s journey as he seemed to think his readers would (should?) be — and I’m okay with that. I know I tend to overshare here a tad myself — so I understand the impulse. Or maybe I’m just callous, and everyone else got into it.

As far as Arthur’s work narrating — there’s not a lot to say. This isn’t a work of fiction where he can play with characters, pacing, and whatnot. It’s a straightforward text and he does a capable job of reading it in a straightforward manner. I did have to remind myself a couple of times that I was listening to someone Martell’s words rather than listening to him — which I guess is a good thing.

It was a pleasant book, nothing too challenging — and it reinvigorated an impulse to go read a collection or two of Watterson again on my part (and some of Larson’s The Far Side, too — I’m sure there’s an interesting book to be written there, too). It’s not a must-read, but it’ll scratch an itch for those who have an interest in the subject.

—–

3 Stars