What are you reading in October/2016?

Did you know that October 22nd is the National Nut Day?

So, let's get nuts and talk about our latest readings!!!

I've finished Marvel Comics: The Untold Story by Sean Howe, which tells the backstage story from early 40's (Timely-Atlas era) to the current movie blockbusters era, based on extensive interviews. More than telling the Marvel story, the book creates a context of the period reported, bringing info about politics, culture, DC, Charlton, etc.

It is curious how the up-and-downs of the quality of the comics through the years reflect the up-and-downs of the editorial management, mainly in the Bronze Age (70's to 80's).

In some times, it is a bitter report, but it gives some edge about the professionalism of the artists and the (always forgotten) background production team and has the concern (or mission) of giving the right credits for the successes of this oftenly poor managed company.

Recommended for Marvel fans.

Just finished Same Difference and the Four Letter Worlds anthology, and picked up Monstress, Vol. 1.

>1 apokoliptian: I always love your punny introductions :D

>3 Euryale: My co-worker highly recommended Monstress but I haven't gotten to it yet. Did you like it?

I finished Patience and really enjoyed it, even if the very end was a little 'huh.' I'd recommend it if you like things that are on the weird side.

Was at NYCC last week and picked up A Piggy's Tale (no touchstone available) because it's about the adventures of a three-legged dog and the actual three-legged dog who inspired it was there and all the proceeds went to animal charities so how could I not. But I haven't read it yet. Surprisingly few other comics called out to me at the con.

We had a local authors' event at my library last week as well, with a few graphic novelists there. I picked up What Lives in the Woods, which I just read and enjoyed, and Planet Gigantic, which I didn't get to just yet.

Shout out to a regular (non graphic) novel I'm reading now - The Unfortunate Decisions of Dahlia Moss - for being funny and clever. It is deeply rooted in gaming culture, which has a fandom that overlaps a bit with comics, hence why I'm mentioning it here.

I read Lazarus by Greg Rucka and liked it, and now I'm liking Lazarus Volume 2, as the story gets even more complex. Rucka has become a reliably enjoyable author for me.

I was halfway through one I was excited about, Ta-Nehisi Coates' Black Panther: A Nation Under Our Feet, but I stopped due to boredom. Too bad. I'll finish it at some point.

>5 sweetiegherkin: I like things on the weird side, and I really enjoyed Patience, too.

I've finished The Wicked + The Divine, vol. 4. The whodunnit mystery continues, but in this book the heat is turned to the hightest level, with lots of intrigue and action. In the end, one of the biggest cliffhangers I've ever seen.
Still highly recommendable, but you must read the previous books to get here.

>4 sweetiegherkin: I'm still working out my feelings for Monstress. The art is fantastic and the story is interesting, although it will take me a second read to get everything straight. It's a very dark fantasy about a war between humans and arcanics (human/animal demigods). It starts in media res and slowly explains what's what in flashbacks and cute end-of-chapter notes narrated by a cat professor. So you get the events of the story, but you don't know the significance of them until later. I plan to continue reading the series, but this first volume has a very steep learning curve.

Next up is The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage, just a few days too late for Ada Lovelace Day.

>8 Euryale: Hmm, thanks for the info. I'm not sure that it sounds like it's for me.

Finished up October with Something New: Tales From a Makeshift Bride by Lucy Knisley and Paper Girls, Volume 1 by Brian K. Vaughan.

I'm not a hip hop fan, but I have read FCBD 2014: Hip Hop Family Tree Two-in-One 1,000 times. What caught me was the analysis of pop culture in the late 70's/ early 80's, the influence of NYC enviroment and the comics references (mainly Marvel). Ed Piskor is a good artist, depicting fair portraits of the artists, and a writer that puts passion on his work.
The cover itself (an homage to a Marvel design of the 80's) fished me good.

For those that are into hip hop, I also recommend the documentary Sample This (2012) by Dan Forrer which crosscheck various info inside this book.

I am in the middle of Luke Cage series in Netflix. Different from the expected, it is not so much a super-hero thing and it slightly could be the love child of Spike Lee and Quentin Tarantino in any known parallel universe!!!

Check it!

>12 apokoliptian: Interesting description! I've been watching it, and I think it's very well done. Also recommending.

I'm more than halfway through Bandette, and it is perky and charming. Maybe too much so for some?

>14 jnwelch: That book sounds like fun, Joe. I might just have to check it out now :)

>15 sweetiegherkin: There's a good chance you'll get a kick out of it, sweetiegherkin. There are two more, and I'll be reading them.

BTW, if there are any Dr. Strange fans out there (I may be in a one-person fan club), the NY Times gave the new movie a positive review: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/04/movies/doctor-strange-review.html?referrer=goo...

>17 jnwelch:

Naaah, you are not alone. But I am ignoring the news until I get to the movie theater :)

>17 jnwelch:
By the crimson bands of Cyttorak!

For sure, you are not alone.

>18 AnnieMod:, >19 apokoliptian: As our daughter says to me, " By Hoggoth, your brainless antics would try the patience of a saint!" OK, she doesn't really say that, but she would if she knew about it.