Reading October 2023

Very heavy on graphic novels this month.  I got into a head space after I read Flung Out of Space, recommended by the NPR book concierge.  Once that happened, I went looking for new GNs and was sort of getting hit and miss [although the Joe Hill GNs are fun].  Then I found out that Hoopla has an Eisner winners category for the last several years [and Flung Out of Space is on it].  Between reviewing the Concierge past GN recs and the Hoopla Eisner list, it ramped up the quality significantly.  The Nice House on the Lake which I found that way [2 collections] was a fun read.

At 645 pages, Wastelands: the New Apocalypse was a solid collection of short stories, third in a collection, and dominated my reading time.  I liked the first collection best, so if you're going to read one collection of stories about the apocalypse ever, do that one instead.

Patton Oswalt's biographical Silver Screen Fiend was fun, although I think he'd hedge his praise of Louis CK 8 years later.  Some incredibly funny anecdotes and to read about very famous comedians who used to perform to basically empty rooms, or rooms full of other comedians, is sort of fascinating.

One for All was a difficult read for me.  It's easy to read, but there's definitely a romance novel or YA vibe to it that got in the way of my enjoyment.  I shouldn't be surprised.  I mean...that's its category.  But I kept wanting the main character to ... fret ... a bit less as a young woman who knows how to wield a rapier with musketeer-level skills.  Mentally I compare this to Dread Nation which I FAR preferred.

The Furthest Station is part of the Rivers Series.  Ben Aaronovitch added novellas between the main books, so this one was number 5.5.  To fully engage in the series includes novels, novellas, graphic novels [which are fairly good] and....per my Gamehole Con experience, observing on a sales table not playing, an RPG.  I don't quite get the RPG....can you spend all your time sexing up river deities?  If so, it seems like the RPG that takes place in the middle of an orgy when everyone needs a rest.

Rorschach was good - the Watchmen universe - primarily because it had a current politics political grifter for president vibe.  Eat the Rich and the Low, Low Woods [as well as Flung Out of Space] all have a diverse vibe [well, so does DC Pride for that matter], although I didn't like Low, Low Woods as much.  Little weird even for me.  Basketful of Heads and Refrigerator Full of Heads - a very fun mash up of sort of horror and sort of action/hero with a final girl.  I enjoyed the second one even though it wasn't as solid as Joe Hill's first part and had a different author.

And Creepshow...bleah.  Didn't capture the spirit of the original Tales From the Crypt comics I read when I was a kid or the Stephen King shorts.  Trinity War...only if you're a harder core DC fan [and even then...no].

• 10/31/2023: One for All by Lillie Lainoff, 2022.  400 pages. 
• 10/30/2023: One for All by Lillie Lainoff, 2022.  400 pages. 
• 10/29/2023: One for All by Lillie Lainoff, 2022.  400 pages. 
• 10/28/2023: One for All by Lillie Lainoff, 2022.  400 pages. 
• 10/27/2023: One for All by Lillie Lainoff, 2022.  400 pages. 
• 10/26/2023: One for All by Lillie Lainoff, 2022.  400 pages. 
• 10/25/2023: One for All by Lillie Lainoff, 2022.  400 pages. 
• 10/24/2023: One for All by Lillie Lainoff, 2022.  400 pages. 
• 10/23/2023: One for All by Lillie Lainoff, 2022.  400 pages. 
• 10/22/2023: One for All by Lillie Lainoff, 2022.  400 pages. 
• 10/21/2023: [Hello, My Name is] Refrigerator Girl.  2022.  GN by Jennifer DK and Katelyn Windels. 144 pages.
• 10/20/2023: Silver Screen Fiend: Learning About Life From an Addiction to Film by Patton Oswalt.  2015.  240 pages.
• 10/19/2023: Silver Screen Fiend: Learning About Life From an Addiction to Film by Patton Oswalt.  2015.  240 pages.
• 10/18/2023: Silver Screen Fiend: Learning About Life From an Addiction to Film by Patton Oswalt.  2015.  240 pages.
• 10/17/2023: Silver Screen Fiend: Learning About Life From an Addiction to Film by Patton Oswalt.  2015.  240 pages.
• 10/16/2023: Silver Screen Fiend: Learning About Life From an Addiction to Film by Patton Oswalt.  2015.  240 pages.
• 10/15/2023: DC Pride: the New Generation.  GN by Jadzia Axelrod, Brandt  Stein, Ivan Cohen, and more.  2023.  192 pages.
• 10/14/2023: Plunge.  GN by Joe Hill with Stuart Immonen illustrating. 2020.  168 pages.
• 10/13/2023: Rorschach by Tom King with Jorge Fornes illustrating.  2021. 304 pages.
• 10/12/2023: Refrigerator Full of Heads. GN by Rio Youers with Tom Fowler illustrating.  2021. 160 pages.
• 10/11/2023: The Furthest Station by Ben Aaronovitch [Rivers of London series, 5.5 in the series]. 2017. 144 pages.
• 10/10/2023: Flung Out of Space: Inspired by the Indecent Adventures of Patricia Highsmith.  GN by Grace Ellis with illustrating by Hannah Templer.  2021.  208 pages.
• 10/9/2023: Eat the Rich. GN for the series numbers 1-5.  By Sarah Gailey with illustrations by Pius Bak.  2022.  128 pages.
• 10/8/2023:  Wastelands the New Apocalypse, edited by John Joseph Adams.  One of three short story collections in this series.  2019.  645 pages.
• 10/7/2023: Creepshow: Volume 1 by Chris Burnham and others. 2023. 128 pages.
• Didn't capture the spirit of the original.
• 10/6/2023: The Nice House on the Lake 7-12 [vol 2]. 2023.  GN by James Tynion IV with Alvaro Martinez Bueno illustrating. 176 pages.
• 10/5/2023: The Nice House on the Lake 1-6 [vol 1].  2022.  GN by James Tynion IV with Alvaro Martinez Bueno illustrating. 171 pages.
• 10/4/2023: Justice League Trinity War GN by Geoff Johns, Jeff Lemire with Ivan Reis illustrating. 2014.  284 pages.
• 10/3/2023: The Low, Low Woods GN by Carmen Maria Machado with Dani illustrating.  2019-2020.  162 pages.
• 10/2/2023: Basket Full of Heads GN by Joe Hill with Reiko Murakami illustrating.  2020.  184 pages.
• 10/1/2023:  Wastelands the New Apocalypse, edited by John Joseph Adams.  One of three short story collections in this series.  2019.  645 pages.