Monthly Archives: May 2022

Kris Longknife Furious by Mike Shepherd

Posted on May 19, 2022 by Talvi

Mike Shepherd likes to theme each of his novels around a certain plot type or genre: with Furious, we get a JAG military court hearing next to a simple Die Hard type of heist. This is in addition to Shepherd … Continue reading →

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Paris by Andi Watson, Simon Gane

Posted on May 18, 2022 by Talvi

While there is nothing new in this story, it has its own style and atmosphere that make for a lovely read. Set in Bohemian Paris in the late 1950s, it is a sweet tale of two young women who fall … Continue reading →

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Decorum by Jonathan Hickman, Mike Huddleston

Posted on May 18, 2022 by Talvi

This is one of those incoherent messes that you either love or hate: high concept, visually confusing, narratively frustrating. Oddly enough, I felt like I had read this before and it just didn’t stick with me through all the randomness … Continue reading →

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Bootblack by by Mikaël

Posted on May 18, 2022 by Talvi

As with his previous work, Giant, this is a gritty and well written story about New York City. The story follows a small ‘gang’ of teens who band together to make money from shining shoes. The story is non linear … Continue reading →

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Star Wars High Republic 2: The Edge of Balance by Shima Shinya, Justina Ireland, Mizuki Sakakibara

Posted on May 18, 2022 by Talvi

If you’ve read the other High Republic books or comics, then this is a no-brainer. It seamlessly interconnects and you’ll find cameos of several characters. The manga art-style does reduce the characters to seeming simple-minded and it does feel targeted … Continue reading →

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Cats, Cats, Cats by Lapuss, Larbier, Paillat

Posted on May 18, 2022 by Talvi

Yes, we’ve read enough “cats are crazy” comics out there over the years (from Garfield to Tom and Jerry). This book brings a really lovely art style and the attitude that cars are both a) completely insane and b) not … Continue reading →

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The Wholesome Yum Easy Keto Carbaholics’ Cookbook by Maya Krampf

Posted on May 18, 2022 by Talvi

Other than three major detractors, this is a nice cookbook. It has photographs for every recipe, is clean and easy to read/follow, and has a nice presentation. The recipes are all variations of common foods: it’s more like a way … Continue reading →

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Long Train Runnin’ by Tom Jonston, Pat Simmons, Chris Epting

Posted on May 18, 2022 by Talvi

This is set up very much like an interview of the founding members/principles of the band Tom Johnston and Pat Simmons. There are other small interviews from various individuals: Michael McDonald, Ted Templeton, Tiran Porter, etc. but for the most … Continue reading →

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The Witcher: Grain of Truth by Andrzej Sapkowski, Jacek Rembis, Jonas Scharf 

Posted on May 11, 2022 by Talvi

This graphic novel is adapted from the short story of the same name from The Last Wish. The same story (with some modifications) also appeared on the Netflix show’s second season episode with the same name. The story is one … Continue reading →

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Elfquest Stargazer’s Hunt Volume 2 by Wendy and Richard Pini, Sonny Strait

Posted on May 10, 2022 by Talvi

The collects the final comics into one volume and concludes the Stargazer’s Hunt story. The art is solid and stays true to Elfquest creator Wendy Pini, who worked closely with her husband/storyteller Richard and assistant Sonny Strait. We get long … Continue reading →

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Apex Legends: Overtime (Collects Comics 1-4)

Posted on May 10, 2022 by Talvi

This ended up being a disappointment to many; not because of the story but because the illustration work just didn’t work for Apex Legends. All the Legends were posed/drawn like a Marvel superhero rather than an Apex Legends character. Some … Continue reading →

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Kris Longknife 9.5: Welcome Home/Go Away

Posted on May 10, 2022 by Talvi

A nice look at the end of Daring but from a different perspective: Kris’ grandfather Trouble. We get a nice view into the great relationship that Ruth and Trouble share as well as their concern for Kris and her well … Continue reading →

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Kris Longknife Daring by Mike Shepherd

Posted on May 10, 2022 by Talvi

With this 9th book, Shepherd manages to keep the plot interesting and moving forward. There are some big issues with characters behaving inexplicably (e.g., Admiral Kratz goes from loving father of two girls/thoughtful man to impulsive, intractable, and a bad … Continue reading →

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I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston

Posted on May 10, 2022 by Talvi

This really does have hit written all over it and should be made into a movie or Netflix series. I was greatly reminded of the charm of Legally Blonde mixed with so many of the snarky YA books set in … Continue reading →

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Bright by Jessica Jung

Posted on May 10, 2022 by Talvi

This was perhaps the most misogynistic book I’ve read in a long time. The running theme is that girls are a) petty; b) snide; c) always jealous; and d) manipulative or manipulated; e) really really shallow and stupid. Boys, of … Continue reading →

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