December was a hectic month. On one hand, it was the holidays and I took some time off to recharge and decompress. On the other hand, I had a family emergency and a death in the family that hit me pretty hard. Plus trying to get work done prior to the holidays and to make up for time off with family. Still, I somehow managed to have a pretty productive month when it came to reading. I’ve once again rounded up everything I read. I’ve included some brief thoughts on each book and if you click the title of any of the books, it’ll take you to Bookshop where you can purchase a copy for yourself, should you be so inclined. Let’s go!
- Delicious in Dungeon Vol. 1-3 by Ryoko Kui and translated by Sébastien Ludmann — I’m including three volumes in one post because I read them all in December. My pal Andrew let me borrow these after I’d been aching to read them for ages. It’s a popular manga Inspired by Dungeons & Dragons and follows a group of adventurers rallying together after a member of their party is eaten by a dragon in a dungeon. In this world, death isn’t necessarily the end and you can be revived…if someone can get to you in time. The adventurers don’t have gold or time to get new supplies so they set forth into the dungeon to survive off of what’s in the dungeon to eat. It’s a delight! Vol. 1, Vol. 2, Vol. 3 can be found on Bookshop by clicking each respective volume link. Many more volumes are also available but I only read the three.
- Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender — A story about a young trans boy named Felix who winds up in a sort of love triangle after he takes it upon himself to find the culprit of a hateful transphobic incident that publicly exposes Felix’s deadname at his school. It’s a really sweet book about love, finding yourself, and connecting with people who will treat you right.
- Here and Now and Then by Mike Chen — I made a video review of this book and then tweeted about it a bunch but it’s so good. If you’re a fan of Marvel’s Loki series that aired in 2021, this will for sure be up your alley. The story basically revolves around a time-traveling secret agent who gets trapped in the past for over a decade. Thinking he’ll never be retrieved, he starts a new life for himself including a family and his memories of his past life start to fade with his brain unable to process living in two timelines. And then one day he is rescued and brought back home where only a couple of weeks have passed. He has to reconcile his two lives and save the family in the past from being erased from time. SO GOOD, RIGHT?!
- Blood Scion by Deborah Falaye — A compelling debut author for fans of A Song of Wraiths and Ruins and Wings of Ebony. The first book in what I’m sure will become an epic YA fantasy series that will be highly sought after. Out March 8, 2022!
- Secret Identity by Alex Segura — An engrossing and thrilling noir that’s set within the comic book industry bringing mystery, intrigue, and more. I flew through this and couldn’t put it down. Alex Segura does an incredible job of bringing the character of Carmen Valdez to the page in an original story that expertly weaves fiction with real-life comics industry history and Easter eggs. Out March 15, 2022!
- Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel — Okay, so I loved this book and wrote up a full review. I’ll post a snippet here but you can read the full thing over on my Goodreads page. Emily St. John Mandel expertly weaves the various threads of her story together into a cohesive, stunning narrative that absolutely had me captivated from start to finish. I truly love the way that Mandel does this quiet sci-fi that’s unexpected and beautiful. It’s so subtle but incredibly complex. Like Here and Now and Then, it feels like it plays with similar elements we’ve seen recently in shows like Marvel’s Loki series. Time travel isn’t a new concept to play around with though. But it’s so interestingly developed here and I couldn’t put this book down.
- Poison Ivy: Thorns by Kody Keplinger and Sara Kipin — A sapphic modern gothic romance that explores a non-canon version of Poison Ivy’s origins. No previous knowledge of the character is required and imagines her life in high school that feels a bit like Crimson Peak meets the origin of Sailor Saturn from Sailor Moon. That might be a tad specific but the father/daughter relationship felt similar. It’s hard to imagine Ivy being anything but the badass most people know her as in the comics but I enjoyed seeing a different side of her that explored a more organic, slow burn to her antihero life down the line.
- Something is Killing the Children Vol. 1 by James Tynion IV, Werther Dell’Edera, Miquel Muerto, and AndWorld Design — I wasn’t really sure what to expect here but I enjoyed the book a lot. Horror isn’t something I delve into often but it’s done well here and aside from being pretty shocked by the amount of gore (esp. when it comes to children), I enjoyed the story of monster hunters existing to take care of the things that go bump in the night. Kind of like American Vampire meets I Kill Giants but for adults.
- Black Widow Vol. 1: The Ties That Bind by Kelly Thompson and Elena Casagrande — I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again: Kelly Thompson is just such a master of exploring existing characters, sticking true to them, and also making them her own. She seamlessly integrates herself into these worlds and tells original, exciting tales revolving around some of my all-time faves and nails it every time. I genuinely can’t think of a single thing that I haven’t loved by her so far.
- Fence Vol. 2 by C.S. Pacat, Johanna the Mad, Joana LaFuente, and Jim Campbell — I can’t say enough good things about this series. It’s maybe the first series in a long time to really catch my interest and keep it. Short arcs, delightfully unique and complex characters, and a really fun story. No knowledge of fencing is needed to enjoy!
- Garlic & the Vampire by Bree Paulsen — This book is GOSH DANG DELIGHT. I was smiling the entire time I read it. A sentient garlic person suffering from anxiety sent to visit a local castle to ward off a vampire with her natural garlic-ness? What a perfect concept! I loved every minute of this story!
- Tidesong by Wendy Xu — A lush and beautiful story for fans of Ponyo and Spirited Away. Rich with wonderfully magical worldbuilding and very relatable characters.
- Verse Book 1: The Broken Half by Sam Beck — Beautiful, compelling, and incredibly well done. From the story to the STUNNING art and colours, the whole book is an epic fantasy story about magic, power, and fighting for what you believe in.
- Swan Lake: Quest for the Kingdoms by Rey Terciero and Megan Kearney — This graphic novel is a wonderful retelling of the classic Swan Lake fairytale. The art and the colours are beautiful and it’s just so much fun to read. Out March 15, 2022!
- For the Wolf by Hannah F. Whitten — Basically, there’s a curse and within the royal family, whenever two daughters are born, the eldest inherits the crown while the second daughter is sent to the woods as a sacrifice for the wolf that lives there and guards the forest. It’s an incredible dark fantasy that’s essentially Red Riding Hood x Beauty and the Beast. Highly enjoyable and a compelling read, and a brilliant debut from Hannah F. Whitten.
- Sabrina the Teenage Witch Vol. 2: Something Wicked by Kelly Thompson, Veronica Fish, and Andy Fish — As stated above with Black Widow, I am so envious of how Kelly Thompson writes these existing characters. When I read the first volume of this book, I was so ready to be like “I could do this too!” since Sabrina is such a beloved character to me (and on my bucket list to write) but she nailed the tone and managed to integrate the comic book version of Sabrina while also integrating the humor of the sitcom Sabrina. This is a continuation and I think you do need to read the first to really get this story but it’s enjoyable and dare I say, magical.
- Quince by Sebastian Kadlecik, Kit Steinkellner, Emma Steinkellner, and translated by Valeria Tranier — Average teenager Lupe is excited for her quinceañera but is not prepared when she is suddenly bestowed with superpowers?! With great power comes great responsibility and blah blah blah, Lupe has to learn how to control her new gifts and try to put them to good use! It’s such a fun story with art by Emma Steinkellner who you may know from her series, The Okay Witch. The story features a latina superhero and is available in both Spanish and English.
- Smile by Raina Telgemeier — I’m pretty sure I will die shouting about how great Raina Telgemeier is…in this house, we stan Raina forever for her incredible stories and how she helped to pioneer the middle-grade graphic novel market that we have today. Smile is the book that really started it all for her and with its extremely relatable characters, story, and themes, you can see why kids gravitate towards them like candy. Raina just gets it and understands how to tell stories for young people through her own experiences…and it’s incredible.
- Fresh by Margot Wood — A queer, sex-positive, modern retelling of the classic Emma. This is a fun, laugh-out-loud, heartfelt exploration of those exciting (and sometimes awkward) college years. I was smiling throughout the book, devoured it in a day, and loved every minute. For fans of Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging and Adrian Mole and want something that reminds them of those stories. Margot Wood’s writing is a joy!
GEEZ. I knew I read a lot but writing it out, I’m like SHEESH. I guess that’s what happens when you have free time, eh? So that’s 19 individual titles and 21 overall including the three total volumes of Delicious in Dungeons. WHEW…well, that’s not my normal output for reading so don’t get used to this.
Stay tuned for what’s to come in 2022!