Admittedly, I've been feeling the push to meet my 2019 goal of reading 70 books. I fell quite behind, despite a strong start. But with the permission to relax and let go over winter break came a lot of time to read, and I ended up meeting my goal, which makes me incredibly happy! Here are the books I finished this month:
The Umbrella Academy, Vol. 1 by Gerard Way
I picked up this book a long time ago, long before the show was even a thing on Netflix... maybe in middle school. But I didn't finish. I don't think I had an idea of what was going on in this story. So I'm really glad that I didn't try to force myself to read it anyway, but waited a bit. I think I needed more practice with graphic novels, if that makes sense.
This book is sort of an anti-superhero story. I can't say that the characters in this story have led better lives because they have powers and dedicate their lives, at least for a time, to fighting crime. This is an interesting angle for me. I imagine that being a superhero is a lot of pressure and isn't all that it's cracked up to be.
Some things in this book seemed a little random (like the Eiffel Tower blasting off in the beginning of the book... I hope this is addressed in future volumes), but they also caught my attention and make me want to read more. It's like this book needed something weird in order to kick off the story and force us to stop everything and listen. I think this book has only whet my appetite and I can't wait to get my hands on more issues of these graphic novels. I want to see how this story ends.
Paper Girls, Vol. 1 by Brian K. Vaughan
This book has been sitting on my Amazon wishlist for a while (I don't know why I didn't seek these books out myself sooner), so I was really glad when I got it for Christmas!
I didn't really get what Paper Girls referred to prior to reading this. Maybe it would feature the Manic Pixie Dream Girl trope? Or break it down? But it turns out I could interpret this term literally-- they are girls in the 80s who bike around in the early morning and deliver newspapers.
This book had a strong "Stranger Things" and "War of the Worlds" vibe which I kind of loved. After finishing this first volume, I'm left with a lot of questions, but I loved every second of asking those questions. I think I need to read a few more volumes before passing a true opinion on this series, but just this first volume has gotten me really excited to read this series. Maybe I'll finish in 2020!
Kid Gloves: Nine Months of Careful Chaos by Lucy Knisley
At the end of 2019, I announced to family and friends that my partner and I are expecting our first baby this coming May! Naturally, I want to know everything there is to know about pregnancy and giving birth now. I saw that someone I'm connected with on GoodReads was reading this book and I was instantly intrigued.
Lucy Knisley and her partner struggled with infertility when they started trying to expand their family. It turns out that when you actually want to get pregnant, it can be quite hard to conceive even if you don't struggle with issues of infertility. Reading this, I was a little bit relieved that it wasn't just me thinking about how hard this whole process was as I took medication, took ovulation tests, consulted with my doctor... everything involved. It could be very disheartening, and I never needed surgery in order to successfully conceive. In this way, Lucy Knisley's book made me feel seen.
It's interesting comparing my experiences in my first and second trimesters with hers. Her experience was a lot more tumultuous because she was sick several times every day and I never was. Not bragging or anything, but I definitely expected to feel more than a little nauseous, especially early on.
The part where she described her birth was really scary to me. Oddly, until I read this part of her book, I haven't felt particularly nervous about the actual birth process. I've been watching birth vlogs that people post on YouTube that goes through everything from labor to delivery and even though it can get intense, it still hasn't scared me, even when I can see... well, everything. But to hear that she was basically ignored in the hospital (she has undiagnosed preeclampsia, despite the fact that she was noticing the signs and tried asking her doctor about them) and then had a really scary emergency delivery after a long and arduous labor... and that her partner wasn't allowed to be with her after their baby was born while they were stabilizing her... that was more than I could handle. I remember crying and panicking myself to sleep the night I finished reading it.
I guess if you read this and you are expecting (especially your first), I think it is a worthwhile read, but take breaks towards the end if you're a nervous reader like me.
On A Sunbeam by Tillie Walden
My partner got this for Christmas one year (I think) and it's been sitting on our shelf ever since. It's kind of a thick volume, even for a graphic novel, so it was a little bit intimidating to pick up.
I like that focus on women in this book. The main character, Mia, goes to a boarding school for girls, she later joins a reconstruction team that is made up of women and nonbinary folks, and there is a society where it feels like the default is that you're attracted to women rather than our current default where relationships are centered on male and female relationships. I liked experiencing what this shift could feel like if relationships were accepted just the way they are. It was refreshing.
I love the ending when they go to try and find Grace. Mia convinces her team to go to where she lives (a very dangerous place, it turns out), but doesn't have any expectations for the outcome of their encounter. She is open to sweeping her off her feet and living happily ever after, but at the very least, she just wants some closure and to be able to say goodbye if she can. I think that's awesome and such a great perspective on what a relationship should be, especially if it's a relationship that's been cut short for a while. I loved those small moments of celebration. This was a wonderful read.
Street Angel by Jim Rugg
This book caught me by surprise a bit. It's a story featuring a 12-year-old homeless girl that reminds me a lot of Uma Thurman a la Kill Bill. She's a badass fighter and someone her messed up city can and does turn to in times of great peril.
It's kind of a quirky read. She's not just battling typical bad guys like it other superhero stories, but she's also battling some completely unexpected characters too... Cortez and his Spanish Armada that has been transported through time by Incan gods, Satan himself... just really off-the-wall bad guys. I thought it was awesome!
If you're looking for a book with fairly short chapters and some good actions and quirky characters, this is a great book to try!
This wraps up my reading for 2019! I can't wait to see what I get to read in 2020 :)
Thanks for Reading!
--Jude
- The Umbrella Academy, Vol. 1 by Gerard Way
- Drama by Raina Telgemaier
- Paper Towns by John Green
- Paper Girls, Vol. 1 by Brian K. Vaughan
- For Everyone by Jason Reynolds
- Noise by Kathleen Raymundo
- Kid Gloves by Lucy Knisley
- On A Sunbeam by Tillie Walden
- Love is Love: A Comic Book Anthology to Benefit the Survivors of the Orlando Pulse Shooting by Marc Andreyko
- Nichijou, Vol. 1, 2, 3
- Open Borders: The Science and Ethics of Immigration by Bryan Caplan
- Street Angel by Jim Rugg
- We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
- The Tales of Beadle the Bard by J.K. Rowling
- Mary Shelley's Frankenstein: A Graphic Novel by Pete Katz
As usual, I will just talk about a handful that have really stuck with me from this bunch. I also love that most of these are graphic novels... it's been so wonderful to get to indulge in them.
The Umbrella Academy, Vol. 1 by Gerard WayI picked up this book a long time ago, long before the show was even a thing on Netflix... maybe in middle school. But I didn't finish. I don't think I had an idea of what was going on in this story. So I'm really glad that I didn't try to force myself to read it anyway, but waited a bit. I think I needed more practice with graphic novels, if that makes sense.
This book is sort of an anti-superhero story. I can't say that the characters in this story have led better lives because they have powers and dedicate their lives, at least for a time, to fighting crime. This is an interesting angle for me. I imagine that being a superhero is a lot of pressure and isn't all that it's cracked up to be.
Some things in this book seemed a little random (like the Eiffel Tower blasting off in the beginning of the book... I hope this is addressed in future volumes), but they also caught my attention and make me want to read more. It's like this book needed something weird in order to kick off the story and force us to stop everything and listen. I think this book has only whet my appetite and I can't wait to get my hands on more issues of these graphic novels. I want to see how this story ends.
Paper Girls, Vol. 1 by Brian K. VaughanThis book has been sitting on my Amazon wishlist for a while (I don't know why I didn't seek these books out myself sooner), so I was really glad when I got it for Christmas!
I didn't really get what Paper Girls referred to prior to reading this. Maybe it would feature the Manic Pixie Dream Girl trope? Or break it down? But it turns out I could interpret this term literally-- they are girls in the 80s who bike around in the early morning and deliver newspapers.
This book had a strong "Stranger Things" and "War of the Worlds" vibe which I kind of loved. After finishing this first volume, I'm left with a lot of questions, but I loved every second of asking those questions. I think I need to read a few more volumes before passing a true opinion on this series, but just this first volume has gotten me really excited to read this series. Maybe I'll finish in 2020!
Kid Gloves: Nine Months of Careful Chaos by Lucy KnisleyAt the end of 2019, I announced to family and friends that my partner and I are expecting our first baby this coming May! Naturally, I want to know everything there is to know about pregnancy and giving birth now. I saw that someone I'm connected with on GoodReads was reading this book and I was instantly intrigued.
Lucy Knisley and her partner struggled with infertility when they started trying to expand their family. It turns out that when you actually want to get pregnant, it can be quite hard to conceive even if you don't struggle with issues of infertility. Reading this, I was a little bit relieved that it wasn't just me thinking about how hard this whole process was as I took medication, took ovulation tests, consulted with my doctor... everything involved. It could be very disheartening, and I never needed surgery in order to successfully conceive. In this way, Lucy Knisley's book made me feel seen.
It's interesting comparing my experiences in my first and second trimesters with hers. Her experience was a lot more tumultuous because she was sick several times every day and I never was. Not bragging or anything, but I definitely expected to feel more than a little nauseous, especially early on.
The part where she described her birth was really scary to me. Oddly, until I read this part of her book, I haven't felt particularly nervous about the actual birth process. I've been watching birth vlogs that people post on YouTube that goes through everything from labor to delivery and even though it can get intense, it still hasn't scared me, even when I can see... well, everything. But to hear that she was basically ignored in the hospital (she has undiagnosed preeclampsia, despite the fact that she was noticing the signs and tried asking her doctor about them) and then had a really scary emergency delivery after a long and arduous labor... and that her partner wasn't allowed to be with her after their baby was born while they were stabilizing her... that was more than I could handle. I remember crying and panicking myself to sleep the night I finished reading it.
I guess if you read this and you are expecting (especially your first), I think it is a worthwhile read, but take breaks towards the end if you're a nervous reader like me.
On A Sunbeam by Tillie WaldenMy partner got this for Christmas one year (I think) and it's been sitting on our shelf ever since. It's kind of a thick volume, even for a graphic novel, so it was a little bit intimidating to pick up.
I like that focus on women in this book. The main character, Mia, goes to a boarding school for girls, she later joins a reconstruction team that is made up of women and nonbinary folks, and there is a society where it feels like the default is that you're attracted to women rather than our current default where relationships are centered on male and female relationships. I liked experiencing what this shift could feel like if relationships were accepted just the way they are. It was refreshing.
I love the ending when they go to try and find Grace. Mia convinces her team to go to where she lives (a very dangerous place, it turns out), but doesn't have any expectations for the outcome of their encounter. She is open to sweeping her off her feet and living happily ever after, but at the very least, she just wants some closure and to be able to say goodbye if she can. I think that's awesome and such a great perspective on what a relationship should be, especially if it's a relationship that's been cut short for a while. I loved those small moments of celebration. This was a wonderful read.
Street Angel by Jim RuggThis book caught me by surprise a bit. It's a story featuring a 12-year-old homeless girl that reminds me a lot of Uma Thurman a la Kill Bill. She's a badass fighter and someone her messed up city can and does turn to in times of great peril.
It's kind of a quirky read. She's not just battling typical bad guys like it other superhero stories, but she's also battling some completely unexpected characters too... Cortez and his Spanish Armada that has been transported through time by Incan gods, Satan himself... just really off-the-wall bad guys. I thought it was awesome!
If you're looking for a book with fairly short chapters and some good actions and quirky characters, this is a great book to try!
This wraps up my reading for 2019! I can't wait to see what I get to read in 2020 :)
Thanks for Reading!
--Jude
No comments:
Post a Comment
I love your comments! Comment away!