It's January!

Happy New Year! This is my second day back in the real world. I took time off with the family. I have to take the time while the children are still young, when they actually want to spend time with me. I dread the day when they’re too cool for me.

Since I’m back in the world, I wanted to share what I’ve been reading and watching. I’m halfway through The Hacienda by Isabel Canas. It came in from the eLibrary the other day and I’m loving it. The story is amazing; the characters are so real and Canas writes beautifully. I feel like I’ve picked out 100 amazing sentences already!

Before that, I read Crumbs, by Danie Stirling. It is the CUTEST. I loved it so much.

Before that, I was swimming in holiday tales, including The Girl Who Saved Christmas, by Matt Haig. Not only was it sweet, but real, it reminded me that I needed to read The Radleys.

I also just finished watching The Ways of the Househusband, an anime of Netflix. I needed something fun during the craziness of the holidays. I’ve watched a few cute animes on Netflix in recent months. Romantic Killer and Blue Period, to name a couple more.

What’s next in my reading/watching life? Probably Lumberjanes #10 or Love on the Brain. Maybe Wednesday.

What Happened In 2022

I got a little upset with social media and the internet this past year. I started avoiding my social media and my blog. I was the victim of hacking/phishing with one of my accounts. It was a personal account too, full of pictures of my children. I wrote a whole big, long, angry rant, but I'm leaving it unpublished. Instead, I'd rather focus on happier things.

I have a novel. Completed. That I've started querying. It's scary, but I'm doing it anyway.

What I really want for my blog is to reflect the creator I am, regardless of whether anyone reads blogs anymore (from what I hear, the answer is, no).

I also got my Goodreads year in books. I read A LOT this year. I can probably get another book or two in this year. The audio book for Michelle Obama's The Light We Carry just came in for me at the library. I'll probably be listening to that this evening.

What's next for me? More reading. More writing. Some more cute animes on Netflix. Marvel shows. More time with my children. What does 2023 have in store for any of us?

The Last Week Or Two

I didn't post last week (I've been aiming for once a week). Why? I spent the weekend attending DVCON and it was been great. Really good panels. Really good people. To be honest, some of what the panels talked about I already knew since I've been a member of the WCYR for a few years. What I found invaluable was how the same things I've already learned can be changed / altered / influenced by the fact that I'm a visible minority / marginalized / diverse voice. Perspective can really change so much. It was the first DVCON, born from #DVPit. It was free, but I would have paid to go. The information and inspiration was fantastic. I also "met" some great people. We've followed each other on Twitter and Instagram. I've also joined a couple Discord groups, which typically isn't my thing (I have a hard time with chat rooms), but everyone has been sharing information and supporting each other. I've watched people find Critique Partners and Beta Readers. Writing can be so isolating, and if you're not part of some kind of group, it can be difficult to get the feedback you need to grow. Friends and family worry about your feelings and don't necessarily have the insight another writer does. 

I finished: How to be an Anti-Racist, by Ibram X. Kendi. It was so good, so interesting. I listened to the audiobook. I really liked his reading style (is that a thing?). How to be an Anti-Racist was part memoir, part history lesson, part instruction manual. It was so engaging, that when it got to the end (I won't tell you what happened), I was concerned and ready to cry. I really can't recommend this book enough.

I finished: We Hunt the Flame, by Hafsah Faizal. I've had it sitting in my Kindle app for a while. When I signed up for DVCON and she was going to be speaking, I knew I had to read it. It was so good. Just so good. I enjoyed the world, the characters, the story. Everything. I can't wait to read the sequel. I also enjoyed the panel and what she had to say. She/they offered us information I had not considered before. I'm definitely ready for the sequel, which was just released.

I finished: The A.I. Who Loved Me, by Alyssa Cole. Alyssa Cole has become one of my favourite romance authors. I'm pretty much ready to ready anything she writes. She blends romance into other genres that she writes in. The A.I. Who Loved Me is a near-future sci-fi romance. I thought there would only be a little sci-fi in the novel, but it surprised me. The Hive is very scary, like if Amazon ruled the US. I wonder if Cole will write more stories set in this world. I also saw her speak at DVCON. I think I could listen to her talk about writing and stories all day.

I finished: Lumberjanes: Stone Cold, by Shannon Watters, et al. I love Lumberjanes. I've been reading them for a few years. Stone Cold is the 8th volume in the series. I feel like "don't make assumptions" and "don't judge a book by it's cover" were really prevalent in the story. Also, "friendship to the max". I haven't met a Lumberjane I didn't like.

I also binged the Thor movies with my daughter. I think she wanted to watch Loki (who doesn't). We ended up watching the first Avengers movie too. It was fun. She knew a surprising amount of behind-the-scenes stuff and I asked her if she Googled MCU stuff. Not specifically. She Googled Iron Man stuff (her favourite superhero) and fell down the internet MCU rabbit hole. 

What's coming up this week? More work on the edits for my manuscript. Maybe updating the Me! and Writing Life portions of the blog. Edits again. Contemplating the fate of the characters in the manuscript. Reading some more poems by Maya Angelou. Maybe writing some new words for my next novel. 

It's Been A While - Looking Back at 2020

At first, nothing really changed for me.

My day job is work from home gig. I was already home everyday. The biggest difference was having the children at home. Initially, I blogged (among other things), more than I had in a while. It felt good. I was sharing what I was doing/watching/reading. It was nice to share again.

I wrote a lot. I finished a draft of my work-in-progress and started editing. I discovered I might have a mild obsession with my characters' hair. I mention hair a lot.

Then I stopped blogging. I'm not sure why. I was still blogging for the WCYR and doing other work for them/us. I love my writing community. Many like-minded people coming together for the love of writing. We share our ideas, our quirks, unique habits. We're a support and a resource for each other. I'm glad I found them years ago and that I'm now a part of them.

Exhaustion gets me at inconvenient times.

I still did a lot. I attended online meetings/seminars. I read. I watched movies and television. I continued to work at my job. 

Months have passed in this new normal and I find I want to blog again.

Here I am.

I have used Goodreads to track my writing progress for many years. I really like how they put together my year in review. It's a nice way to look back on the books I've read, remembering favourites from January or February, seeing where my reading trends took me. I read by feelings, cravings, imaginings.... 

I read a lot of rom-coms/romances this year. I guess I needed some "Happily Ever Afters". Some favourites? Get A Life, Chloe Brown - I may have cried. The Friend Zone - Not what I expected. Wrapped Up In You - That's 2 for Talia Hibbert. Boy Toy - That title, plus a post-baby body. Meet Cute - The main characters needed so many hugs. 

I also read a lot of fantastic fantasy. Deceptions - Kelley Armstrong making me long for the characters. The Ghost King (The Legend of Drizzt) - Surprisingly sad. Six of Crows - For the win. Rebel - Giving me an amazing end to Day and June's story. Carry On - Surpassing expectations.

I also read All Systems Red - Science-fiction at its best, I think. I read some graphic novels (Wonder Woman, Captain Marvel, Lumberjanes, Avatar, Hawkeye). I read three more Stephanie Plum books. I just realized I didn't read any In Death books this year. How did that happen?

I watched Mulan and Wonder Woman (yes, I paid the premium price). I watched Lucifer. I was sad when Flash and Supergirl abruptly ended in the spring. I enjoyed My Next Guest Needs No Introduction (RDJ has llamas). Nostalgia had me watching War on Cybertron. The need for laughter had me watching Mr. Iglesias. I've been watching Star Trek: Discovery. I loved Star Trek: Picard. I watched the final seasons of She-Ra and the Princesses of Power and Anne with an "E". 

Though 2020 could have been [a lot] better. It also could have been worse. I've come out of it with my health and the good health of my loved ones. I know that can't be said for everyone, so I'm more than grateful for that. 

Will the coming year see me back on my blog? I hope so. I'd like to think so. I've always enjoyed writing out some thoughts here. I know I'll have to tell someone when I read the next Murderbot book. 

Now, for the traditional picture of books.

What I Read Last Week #2

  

3 poems from Edgar Allan Poe. Not his most famous (I've already read those). I really enjoyed To Isadore, The Village Street, and The Forest Reverie. As I read The Village Street, I kept thinking that this would make an eerie short story. Every so often, I read a bit from Poe's complete works. I enjoy his poetry, but sometimes I can only take so much creepy.

Serpent & Dove was a book I couldn't put down. It definitely did a good job of distracting me from EVERYTHING. I'm very excited to read the sequel, Blood & Honey when it comes out later this year. - I'm hoping the release date doesn't get pushed back.

Wasted Words was my now weekly (?) Romantic Comedy. It was cute and sad, and had a great ending. It's interesting how the events of our teen years can affect us as adults. Even when rationally, we know we're acting "crazy".

I finally read The Search, the second series of graphic novels from Avatar: The Last Airbender. My daughter rewatched the series on Netflix and it was hard to pull myself away when it was on. Reading this book satisfied the itch for more Avatar. If you want to know what happened to Zuko's mother, this is the book you need to read.

Blog post from the Write Practice. It's short. Kind of helpful. Mostly it made me feel better that in my WIP, I occasionally have scenes that are 350ish words.

A reminder to myself that I only need to read so much about Coronavirus and COVID-19.

3 Stories - Fantasy, Mystery & A Marvel Comic

Things have gotten busy lately, so instead of writing three separate posts, I thought I would smash my last three reads into one. I want to consider what each book taught me, whether about what makes a good story, people, life or whatever. There still might be a little, "Ahhhh!" because my last three reads were amazing. I've been pretty good with choosing some fantastic reads this year and I hope it continues.

Children of Blood and Bone

That was an unexpected ending. Just wow. I immediately searched for when the sequel was coming out when I finished. Children of Blood and Bone is one of the best books I’ve read this year. Not only did I love the characters, I loved the interpretation of magic and world that Tomi Odeyemi created. Odeyemi wove magic into the world in a way I really enjoyed. Something about the world she created called to me. I found Odeyemi, her world and her characters inspiring.

One For The Money

Stephanie Plum is amazing. She is smart, funny, witty, and maybe a little too confident sometimes. The pacing in One for the Money was perfect. There was action, but also emotional, frightening moments as well. This was another book I stayed up much too late reading. I’ve already put the second book on hold at the library. I think this would make a great television series. I looked it up and saw that a movie was made. I also saw the reviews and ratings it received. It makes me a little sad. There is so much great material. There are awkward situations, tension and cliffhangers. Janet Evanovich created a sensational hero and cast of supporting characters. Her parents and grandmother are amazing.

A small side note, this novel is very 90s. There were so many situations where a cell phone would have been extremely useful. There’s a car phone that’s used, which is a small source of tension. I wonder how Stephanie changes her tactics as the years progress. Will cell phones and texting become part of the story? Will technology change her cases? This is a series that will give me years of enjoyment.

A-Force:Warzones

One look at the cover and I couldn't resist picking up A-Force: Warzones. Just look at She-Hulk. She means business. A-Force:Warzones is like the other Warzones comics I’ve read. It takes place on Battleworld where Doom is god. A-Force taught me that anyone can be a hero. It’s about need and home and love. It’s about fighting for what you believed in and for what’s right. This edition just reinforced my desire to read the Thors Warzone comic. What makes them the way they are? There’s so much to learn there.

That’s three! What will my next three be? I wonder what genres I’ll be choosing and what each story will teach me.

Wonder Woman: War-Torn

I started out pretty frustrated with Wonder Woman: War-Torn. I was wondering what Meredith Finch and David Finch did to this series that I had been seriously enjoying until now. The ending saved the book. Not just Diana getting more in touch with the island, but her final battle with Donna Troy and the flashback chapter. Oh, Hippolyta.

Irony: "She's everything they used to mock me for."

I don't agree with quite a few of Diana's decisions in this story, not that I have to in order to enjoy it. Diana seems to be that "wonder woman" who aims to do it all. She is a member of the Justice League, Queen of the Amazons, and God of War. Can I be honest? I would give up being a member of the Justice League, at least a full-time member. I'd keep in touch, help when the big things are happening, like alien invasions or whatever, but both God of War and Amazon Queen seem like full-time positions. I think that's what frustrated me. Also, when Diana was dealing with First Born, where was the League? I get that it was an Olympus problem, but this involved the FATE OF THE WORLD. Even Orion came from ANOTHER PLANET to help. Sorry for all the All Caps. I have feelings about this book.

Speaking of Orion, where is he? I missed him. I missed Zola and a bunch of the characters from the previous story arc. I know there is a new writer and artistic team, but still! Also, if they want to see who has Hera's favour, Diana couldn't just ask her to stop by? That would have saved lives, no? As I mentioned, the end saved the entire story for me. There were some touching moments. I wonder about Wonder Woman's relationships with Superman and Batman, and if they'll be explored the next two books. I also wonder if all those characters I loved will come back and what these new creators will do with them.

The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl Beats Up The Marvel Universe

With a title like, The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl Beats Up The Marvel Universe, how could I resist? The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl Beats Up The Marvel Universe is my first Squirrel Girl comic, but it definitely won't be my last. I adore Team Squirrel Girl. I love Nancy, Koi Boi and Chipmunk Hunk. Their names are amazing. Also, Squirrel Girl's dynamic with Tony Stark is fantastic and fun. I also enjoyed watching Squirrel Girl have a little banter with Spider-Man. Her final outfit change was perfect. 

The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl Beats Up The Marvel Universe was the perfect book to start off my 2019. It was fun, very funny, but also had a female hero at the centre of a crazy storyline, who was also just a girl. Doreen Green is a 2nd year computer science student. Her hero team are more nerds. She balances her super hero life with her school life. Homework is a high priority and so is her best friend, Nancy. Also, Tippy. Tippy is the BEST squirrel ever. Based on this little squirrel's awesomeness, I hope that she's in the other Squirrel Girl comics that I have. Ryan North and Erica Henderson have created an amazing team of young heroes, who are totally capable of saving the world.

Wonder Woman: Bones

Wonder Woman: Bones is the sixth volume in The New 52: Wonder Woman series. It was fun, exciting, and just what I needed to get me out of my latest slump. I LOVE Diana. She's strong, intelligent, brave, and full of love and compassion. I really can't get enough of her. I also really liked the coming together of the characters they've visited throughout the series. Hephaestus is pretty amazing. So is Demeter. All of them. I wish there was more Orion though. I'm hoping that he and Diana get to spend more time together. There are three more New 52 books after this one.

The ending was pretty spectacular. There were some surprises I didn't expect, especially the one about Zola. I did not see that coming at all. Sometimes I forget that all these gods are siblings, especially with the offer First Born made to Diana, but then they call each other "brother" or "sister" and it comes back to me. 

I'm left wondering what will happen next. Bones is the end of Brian Azzarello and Cliff Chiang's run on Wonder Woman, so it makes sense that this is the end of the First Born arc. I have really enjoyed their work over the last six volumes. I have appreciated the way Chiang draws Wonder Woman with strength. I enjoy the faces of all the characters, there is so much expression, contributing greatly to the story. That's what has kept me reading. The story. I know DC likes to rework and rewrite its heroes and villains. I watch the shows, I've watched the movies. When it comes to DC, I'm not really worried about cannon. I want a story that engages and surprises. Wonder Woman has done that. I'm looking forward to see what the next New 52 has in store. 

Lumberjanes: Out of Time

The more I read the Lumberjanes series, the more I love them. These are some fantastic girls. Their personalities shine. They are so different, and they love each other so much. They love Jen. I was glad we got to spend more time with her. Being their Camp Counselor must be so hard! They are always getting into trouble, sneaking out, or fighting the supernatural! What is Jen to do? Jen understands the girls more in Out of Time, and she learns more about Rosie too. I think this is the most we've seen Rosie. Rosie is usually this overarching presence, without being involved directly in what the girls do. This time though, Rosie finds herself in the midst of not just saving Jen and the girls, but the whole forest.

I really liked that we got to see more of the forest and what lives in those woods. Is every creature living there evil? Are any of them? We learned more about the Bear Woman too. I feel like there's so much more to that story.

What about Abigail? When are we going to see her again? Because she's not done with the forest or Rosie. What happened to her was sad, but she did not deal with it well. She was an interesting character, a real contrast to those we've met so far. 

Jo was a stand out for me too. She always seemed like such a leader to me, sure of herself and her place among the group. In Out of Time we got to see her have doubts. She had to deal with one of the Scouting Lads from earlier in the series. April befriended Barney and we got to see him return with his kitten (which was a call back to the brainwashing story, so that was fun). Barney wants to be a Lumberjane so much, he wants to go on adventures and thinks these girls are amazing. Through this interaction, we get to see Jo grow as a person, become more mature and reflect on herself. We also get to see her call her Dads and what that reveals about the camp the girls are in.

Lumberjanes: Out of Time was the fun and uplifting story I wanted it to be. I'm so glad I have more Lumberjanes waiting for me. I've introduced them to my daughter too. I'm excited to start talking to her about these fun and fantastic stories.

Wonder Woman: Flesh

The end of Wonder Woman: Flesh was fantastic. I couldn't have asked for it to be better. Though it feels like a "middle" book (it definitely leaves off on a cliffhanger) there is character growth. We get to see not only Diana change, but also Hera and even Apollo. I was starting to feel bad for First Born, but nope, I don't. I think I feel bad for Cassandra though. I don't think she saw that coming. I would like for Zola to learn something, to be more active in her own safety. I understand that everyone is some kind of god or demi-god, but still, something. Also, I could have used more Orion.

Again, I find myself enjoying the art. I love the thick lines and expressiveness. Wonder Woman's smirk after a certain fight was perfect, and so telling. The art of Flesh and of the series so far, has been engaging, not just fitting well with the story, but adding to it as well. Flesh has left me very excited to read Bones. There are battles to be fought, destinies to be fulfilled, babies to raise. Diana has suffered so much loss, but also gained so much love. What is next for Wonder Woman?

X-Men '92: The World Is A Vampire

The nostalgia factor is high every time I open up an X-Men '92 comic. X-Men '92: The World is a Vampire is not in the same continuity as the rest of the the Marvel Universe. These are the X-Men I grew up watching. (I wish the show was still on Netflix.) Just looking at the cover makes me happy. I'm so happy with the art too, the way everyone is drawn may not be exactly the way they looked in the cartoon, but the essence of the characters are still captured, they feel how I want them to feel.

As the title suggests, the X-Men find themselves battling vampires. They are also without Cyclops and Jean Grey. Cyclops has decided to retire and Storm is in command. They have reopened the school, so there are students to worry about when Alpha Red comes knocking. I love the addition of Psylocke and Bishop, two amazing characters and two characters who do well balancing out Storm and Beast's thoughtfulness. Side note: look who is in love with Storm, not that I can blame him. The battles were exciting. Relationships were tested, new ones were forged. I really hope we get to know the students a little bit more. This edition of X-Men '92 was what I wanted it to be.

I was a little less happy with the final part of the graphic novel, Jean and Cyclop's story. It was still exciting and saw the characters having a pretty big revelation at the end. It was just missing something that the rest of the novel had. Maybe because it was so short, the story didn't get to fully develop. That stuff with Mr. Sinister was creepy though. Something about Jean's hair too. I know that's superficial, but it's just an example of how the art was different and didn't flow from the previous parts of the graphic novel. Maybe it was fine, being a different story, with completely different things happening to Scott and Jean (no vampires), but I don't know, her hair just bothered me.

All together, X-Men '92: The World is a Vampire hit all the right notes. There was the call back to the show in the '90s, and there was also Storm, Beast, Pylocke, and Bishop all being amazing. Wolverine and Jubilee were great. I'm excited to read the next (and final) X-Men '92 installment.

*If you search for, "the world is a vampire" Smashing Pumpkins comes up, not this book. I had to make sure I included "X-Men" to get what I wanted.

https://youtu.be/8-r-V0uK4u0

Avengers Assemble: The Forgeries Of Jealously

Based on the goodnight thank you poem by Kelly Sue DeConnick at the end of this collections, I think Avengers Assemble: The Forgeries Of Jealously is the last Marvel book DeConnick worked on. I really enjoyed seeing the Avengers through Spider-Girl’s eyes. I also loved how each partner she had was trying to teach her something. Team Lady-Spider was pretty funny. I loved Spider-Girl and Logan. I like how there was some other big global crisis going on (one of stories from earlier in the series?), but the Avengers were still taking the time to help Spider-Girl find her missing teacher. It was a good, fun story.

Two things bothered me just a little about the story. I don’t feel like the art always fully conveyed the emotion or thoughts of the characters. Maybe it was just the style. I don’t know. It was still good, it just didn’t hook me the way other artists have in the past. The other was the final end. I think I expected something more exciting, like Avengers Assemble, or funny like Science Bros. It was good, emotional, and it showed the connection Spider-Girl made with the team, but it was still missing something for me. Maybe I’ll find it on a re-read. Because I did enjoy it, like I did with the entire Avengers Assemble series. I definitely see myself flipping through these pages again.

Captain Marvel: Rise of Alpha Flight

I need to know more about Abigail Brand. I’ve only see on her in bits and pieces. I know she has green hair and wears green glasses all the time. I’ve seen the character on Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes and in the Spider-Woman motion comic, Spider-Woman: Agent of SWORD. She’s pretty wicked. She is hard and strong and smart. I’m also pretty sure she’s not human. She’s the boss though, but not of Alpha Flight. Captain Marvel has been given command of this station. A desk job? Low key? Maybe, maybe not.

I feel like Carol is barely there for a day when there is a problem. There is a delegation to deal with, but also problems on the station. There are explosions, goo, weird creatures, and the dead. Captain Marvel barely gets time to get her feet wet. Brand tries to get Carol to focus, but she's not one for standing around. When it is time for Alpha Flight to meet a threat head-on, Captain Marvel flies out there with them.

I loved the characters I got to meet in Rise of Alpha Flight. I knew who Sasquatch was, but I had never read a comic with him in it. He's great. So is Aurora. I loved Puck. I loved Wendy. I want Wendy to be around forever. The aliens were certainly interesting. Some people just don't listen. It's nice to know the Kree's reputation spans the universe.

Tara Butters and Michele Fazekas did a fantastic job. I really connected to the art of Kris Anka and Felipe Smith. The comic covers were amazing. Captain Marvel: Rise of Alpha Flight was full of humour, emotion, excitement, and Carol Danvers' amazing attitude. It is the book I needed to read.

Lumberjanes: A Terrible Plan

You know what isn't "a terrible plan"? Reading this book. Lumberjanes #3: A Terrible Plan was fun. It was lighter than the previous two books. I felt like the girls were in less mortal peril.  A Terrible Plan was about the girls having an opportunity to navigate normal life and learn more about each other. There was definitely still some adventure. Some questions were answered, more were asked.

A Terrible Plan was the book that I needed. I have been in a reading slump. It has been a little while, but I have also been in denial. Since the new year, I had only finished one book. One! When I'm not reading, I'm not writing very much either. When I think about it, I feel bad. I feel as though I'm missing something. I started reading It when this reading slump began (not realizing that I was in a slump). I have been struggling through it. Not that I am not enjoying it. Once I pick it up and have time to dive into it, I enjoy it. I'm excited to see what happens in Derry, what happened when they were kids, and what will happen to Pennywise. But trying to get through a Stephen King novel is not how I get through a slump, though I tried and tried. I was about halfway through when I decided to take a break. I decided what I needed was a fun graphic novel. I think Lumberjanes: A Terrible Plan may have just done the trick. I'm feeling more excited about reading. The story and the art grabbed me. Am I reading to go back to It? No. Next, I'm going to read Wonder Woman: War. (The cover is freaky.)

Maybe I'll need to read another Lumberjanes book or I'll decide I need some short stories. I'm definitely going to let my feelings guide me for the next little while.

Like Mal and Molly's feelings? I really enjoyed the developing of Molly and Mal's relationship. They're getting closer, learning more about each other, their "real lives" not just their lives at the camp. They also get into adventure, and learn a little more about the past of the camp. I'm excited to see more "Bear Woman" too.

I liked seeing more of the other campers. The camp seems to be filled with exceptional girls. As the other three explore more "common" goals, the readers get to see even the "common" is special at the Lumberjanes camp. 

I need to mention that the art is different in this volume of the Lumberjanes. It's not bad. It took me a bit to stop missing the previous artist and stop comparing (which I'm going to do here a bit anyway). I found every thing more "round". I'm not sure that's the right word, but that's the one I'm going with. The faces, the eyes, the hair, the background, there was a roundness to it. I enjoyed the expressions, the faces and the emotions they conveyed. So, it was good. It was just noticeably different.

I have not checked (and try not to check) to see if the artists have changes for book 4. Part of me never wants to know. It's not like I like being surprised, it's just with graphic novels, I feel like even a little bit of peaking can give something away. 

Books of 2017

I read 45 books in 2017! Part of me can't believe it. I've been so busy lately. I'm reading Stephen King's It right now. I had hoped to be done before the end of the year, but nope. I read a surprising amount of Romance this year. It is a genre I used to steer away from. I thoroughly enjoyed each of those stories, which I plan on posting about soon.

The best book I read this year might have been The Shadow Land. I was surprised by how much I loved it. I won it from Goodreads and I honestly don't know if I would have picked it up this year if not for the win. I loved everything about it. The characters were engaging. There was a really interesting mystery. A large part of the book took place in a time and place I wasn't very familiar with, but I ended up learning so much.

Actually, The Shadow Land might be tied with Unless for best book of the year. I loved Carol Shields' novel. I plan on reading it again. I just connected so much with the main character and felt so much for her daughter.

I read a few books from series by Sarah J. Maas. She is one of my favourite authors now. I am eagerly awaiting the next books in the Court of Thorns and Roses and Throne of Glass series.

King's Cage did not disappoint. I had been looking forward to Victoria Aveyard's latest and was beyond excited to read every word.

I started some great graphic novel series, Avengers Assemble, Wonder Woman: The New 52, Lumberjanes, and X-Men '92. I have more books from all of those series. I might take a break from It to read some of them.

The Rules of Magic and Anne of Green Gables both made me cry. 

Brave New World freaked me out.

A Study In Scarlet hooked me on Sherlock Holmes.

I'm really happy with the books I read this year. They called to different parts of me. There was love and magic, family and friends, parents and children. Looking at the image, I would read each of these books again (except one). I might read them all again sometime in the future. 

Plans for 2018? I'm going to finish the Queen of the Tearling series. I got my hands on the 2nd and 3rd books. I'll read more graphic novels. I might start the Ms. Marvel series. I might read something else from Carol Shields. I'm pretty sure I have The Stone Diaries. I will read more Romance, especially the books by Melissa Foster. I'll read some more Captain Underpants with my son. Looking again at the image, I realize I didn't ready any Margaret Atwood in 2017! Last month I got a copy of The Heart Goes Last, so that's definitely on the list too. 

So many reading plans, so little time....and it is only January 1st!

I hope everyone was happy with what they read in 2017 and that they have great books to look forward to in 2018!

Happy New Year!

Wonder Woman: Iron

That did not end the way I thought it would. Though, I really liked it. It was unexpected. The final image was fantastic. I ended up liking Ares more than I thought I would. I liked learning more about Diana's past, specifically, her childhood. I think I might have a crush on Orion. When I started Wonder Woman: Iron, I wasn't sure where the story was going to go. Obviously, they had to search for Zola's baby, but beyond that, I didn't know.

I really enjoyed the dual story lines of Wonder Woman and the First Born. First Born was definitely an interesting character. I wonder if he is the reason Hera punishes Zeus's other children. Though it's not their fault. If Zola is any example, not all of the mothers knew who he was. Even if they did, it is not the child's fault. Not Diana, Lennox or Siracca. I loved Siracca, I loved how her relationship with Diana has begun. I hope we get to see her again.

Ares has me so confused. Is he good? Bad? Selfish? Selfless? What has changed in him from when Diana first met him to now. His behaviour during Apollo's party was interesting. We certainly know who his favourite siblings are. I think Diana has become more of target of the Olympians as well.

I'm also left wondering what Orion will do in the end. Will he fulfill his mission? How will he fulfill it? Will he find a loophole? Brian Azzarello has created an intriguing story. Cliff Chiang and the other artists created a very visual appealing story. I loved Diana's expressions. All the characters showed their emotions and intentions on their faces. Except for Aphrodite, of course. I don't want to see what someone thinks perfect beauty looks like. Wonder Woman: Iron had a great ending, but also left me excited to read Wonder Woman: War.

X-Men '92: Warzones

When I found out there was a series called X-Men '92, I knew I had to have it. I talked about it so much with my Hubby. These are my X-Men. These were the X-Men that was on TV when I was young. This cartoon series probably led me to loving comics, and probably led me to being more of a Marvel girl, than a DC. The television series is on Netflix and I've been rewatching it with my Hubby (who also loved this cartoon) and our own children. The nostalgia is strong with this one.

Knowing that this volume was a Warzones collection, I knew that the book wouldn't find the X-Men in the world I was familiar with. These X-Men live on Battleworld with our Lord Doom. They fought a war and won. The world they won seems to be the one that the X-Men from my youth were fighting for. Mutants are free and the X-men are heroes. Baron Kelly certainly seems to like them. They seem to be happy. I want them to be happy, but then it wouldn’t be a good story if they stayed that way

What we learn is that there is a mutant rehab centre for “evil mutants”. The X-men didn’t know about it and they don’t trust it. Even though Baron Kelly reassures them, they have to investigate. I was not surprised by what was going on, but surprised by other things. I was also very excited to see another awesome group of mutants show up.

X-Men ‘92: Warzones was fun and fantastic. It hit the nostalgia where I wanted it too, but also had a great story driving it. I’m excited to read the next books in the series.

Lumberjanes: Friendship to the Max

Lumberjanes: Friendship to the Max was so much fun. It was exactly what I expected and exactly what I needed. I loved Jen. Jen is the best camp leader the girls could have asked for. Jen wanted to have adventure, but her first priority was always the safety of the girls. We learn more about the personality and motivations of someone we only saw as “in the way” for the Roanoke campers.

I like that in this volume we get to see more of the camp. There are more cabins, and they are filled with more girls. Their safety is Rosie’s top priority. We also get introduced to new and unique characters. Diane was interesting. I wasn’t sure where she was going to lead the girls. I also liked that we learned more about the boys camp. Who was the bear lady

The bull coming out of the woods thing was pretty funny

I wish Lumberjanes was longer. There was an issue of another comic at the end. It was good, I just expected more Jo, April, Mal, Molly, Ripley and Jen. And Rosie. Who is Rosie? I want to know so much more. I have the next 2 volumes and I know there are at least 4 more after that. I’m hoping we’ll find out more about Rosie in one of them. Because I think the Lumberjanes camp is no accident. There’s definitely something going on.

Also, Jen’s happiness at the end made me happy. Molly and Mal made me happy too.

Wonder Woman 2: Guts

Wow. That ending was nuts. Diana, Hermes, Zola, wow. I couldn't put it done. Wonder Woman: Guts was fantastic. It was exciting, full of action, emotion and the unexpected. It was a great, maybe perfect sequel to Blood. Hermes! I thought one thing, then it was totally something else. Brian Azzarello, Cliff Chiang and the team did a fantastic job. 

I don't know if I could have been more excited by what Guts did with all the characters. Diana, of course, was amazing. I loved seeing more of Apollo. We got to see Artemis, Demeter, and Persephone. The time with Hades, his whole story, left me a little heartbroken, but also with hope. I wonder if we'll see more of him in the future. The characters were explored and made three-dimensional. 

I'm not sure what else to say... If I say much more, I'm going to give away the end, because Hermes... Demeter... damn. Otherwise, I'm just gushing about how much I enjoyed this book and I am very much looking forward to more Wonder Woman from The New 52.