Mothballs is a powerful graphic novel about secret family histories, conflicts between generations, and forming one’s own identity despite societal expectations. Nineteen-year-old Rocio’s grandmother Vilma dies, and Rocio inherits her house. Rocio’s relationship with her grandmother was strained; Rocio’s interest in photography, as well as other things, angered Vilma. As Rocio considers her own future, … Continue reading Review: Mothballs, by Sole Otero (Fantagraphics)
Review: Bad Dreams in the Night, by Adam Ellis (Andrews McMeel Publishing)
I love Adam Ellis’ work. Not only do his online comics always look incredibly sleek, his work is always original and absolutely terrifying. Bad Dreams in the Night (fantastic title) is filled with some brand new stories to give you the creeps. Here are my favorites: Me and Evangeline at the Farm - A great … Continue reading Review: Bad Dreams in the Night, by Adam Ellis (Andrews McMeel Publishing)
My Week in Reading – April 17th, 2023
Not sure if you saw the whole back and forth last week, but Scholastic booted themselves in the ass by first asking Maggie Tokuda-Hall if they could license her gorgeous book, Love in the Library, but only if she removed the references to racism in the author's note. Anyway, I read the book this week, … Continue reading My Week in Reading – April 17th, 2023
My Favorite Books of 2022
My reading year has been a bit of a strange one. Around September I started to get a bit of reader burnout, and I felt like finishing a book became more important to me than actually enjoying the experience of reading. I don’t actually remember reading some of the books on my Goodreads, but apparently … Continue reading My Favorite Books of 2022
May 2021 Round-Up
Here’s the list, with a quick five-word summary: Because of You - Dawn French (Penguin) - Funny, entertaining, French is wonderful.Vulnerability is My Superpower - Jackie E. Davis (Andrews McMeel) - Honest, beautifully insightful, colorful comics.Piranesi - Susanna Clark (Bloomsbury) - Cosmic madness in Manchester, maybe?Two Besides: A Pair of Talking Heads - Alan Bennett … Continue reading May 2021 Round-Up
Literary Yammerings – July 17th 2020
My brain is a bit messy at the moment, and this is reflected by the disjointed nature of my reading this week. I bashed through Mexican Gothic, by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, in a matter of days. It's wonderfully written, with a fierce central female character. Lots of oddball characters too. An incredibly engaging story, in a … Continue reading Literary Yammerings – July 17th 2020
How I Read as a Working Parent
Not to get all “speaking as a mother” on you, but making time to read as working parent is really bloody tough. When I’m not child-rearing, or at the office, I barely have enough energy to do anything other than stare blankly into the void. However, it is super important that I have something that … Continue reading How I Read as a Working Parent
Graphic Novel Reviews – February 2016
Soppy by Philippa Rice I spend far too much time on Buzzfeed, but one good thing about it is beneath all the lists about cats dressed as bees, or articles about failed 90s pop stars, they run some great features on upcoming illustrators. It was this article especially that introduced me to the beautiful work of … Continue reading Graphic Novel Reviews – February 2016
Graphic Novel Reviews – January 2016
The Pill Box - David Hughes Thank the lord for the Guardian, and their wide coverage of graphic novels. Without them, I probably wouldn't have heard of David Hughes' weird and unsettling seaside tale. The Pillbox contains interlinked two tales, based around a strange beach on east coast of England. The first is about Jack, … Continue reading Graphic Novel Reviews – January 2016
My Favorite Books of 2015
This post was originally posted on my other blog, She Went To California, on December 16th 2015. I’ve felt extremely fortunate for various reasons this year. Not only have I been granted the rare luxury of free time, I’m also lucky enough to live across the road from a ridiculously well-funded library. At the time … Continue reading My Favorite Books of 2015