Sunday, March 22, 2015

Murchie Plus Books: March 15th to 21st

The premise: I love my dog. I love books. I bring the two of them together by photographing my tiny and adorable dog next to every book I read, barring the comics I get through Marvel Unlimited.

The photos: go live on Instagram as I edit them and appear here in digest form every Sunday, with commentary.

Not pictured: last week, I used Marvel Unlimited to explore some 80s comics. I began with Nocenti and Adams's LONGSHOT, a miniseries I first heard about on Panels, then moved along to Defalco and Wilshire's FIRESTAR. The pair of 'em took me longer than normal since 80s comics are dense, but I got some good insights for two future My Year With Marvel posts.

I've finally begun rereading ASTONISHING X-MEN, too. Joss Whedon and John Cassaday's run was the only X-related thing I read between the point where I quit buying single issues and the day I got Marvel Unlimited. I'm enjoying it a lot more the second time through, and I'm excited to get to Marjorie Liu's run.

I also devoured two volumes of Michael Alan Nelson's FALL OF CTHULHU, but they were loaners and I couldn't get Murchie to hang around near them for several longwinded reasons with which I shan't bore you.

A fuzzy grey poodle, Murchie, lays on a red and white blanket. Before him sits a white and red iPod with Anna and the French Kiss's pink-tinged cover on its screen.

New audiobook time! I finished RED QUEEN late last week and dove straight into ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS. Y'all have had only good things to say about this contemporary YA novel by Stephanie Perkins, and I'm pleased to report I'm enjoying it very much. It makes excellent listening material during daily walkies.

Speaking of which...

A large yellow lab, Buster, sits with his ears drooped. Before him, propped on a jeans-clad knee, is a white Kobo with Dragonsbane's grey tinted cover on its screen. The cover depicts the silhouette of a flying dragon.

Yep. Buster and I are back together for a couple more days following an emergency that stranded his parents in Vancouver. They're all right, thank goodness, but they did need someone to look after Buster and Ollie on the quick. Luckily, my aunt and uncle were able to take Murchie for a few days. I'm told he's enjoying extensive cuddles and has helped my aunt make chicken stock.

Buster helped me finish Elizabeth Knox's WAKE (which I loved, and should have read far more quickly than I did) and start Barbara Hambly's DRAGONSBANE. This one has been on my TBR for upwards of two years, and I dearly wish I'd gotten to it sooner. It's just as great as everyone says. As I write this, I'm a little less than halfway through (damn my glacial reading speed!) and am eager to carve out some more time with it. It's got me thinking about the roles women play in fantasy and the value of less action-driven fiction, among other consideration.

Buster lets out a mighty roar. Beside his head, a pale hand holds a white Kobo with Reflections's predominantly black cover on its screen. The author's name appears in large, red letters, with a white silhouette of a witch flying beneath them.

I polished off both ANCIENT ROCKETS and Queenie Chan's short story collection this past week, so I figured it was about time for a new dip-into book. Enter REFLECTIONS, Diana Wynne Jones's posthumously published essay collection and yet another book I got through Scribd. As I write this, I'm through the introductions (one of which is by Jones) and the first essay. The next offering is a lengthy look at LORD OF THE RINGS; I'll try not to procrastinate too much before I start it.

(Yeah, that's right--I ain't so big on LOTR. I do tend to enjoy things about LOTR, though--like, fanmade stuff and all that--and I'm exceedingly fond of Jones's prose, so maybe the essay will surprise me.)

Next week: I've got the motherlode of comics waiting for me at the library, so I expect I'll be reading heaps of DEATH NOTE and suchlike--assuming, of course, I can get my gender balance right. For the first time ever, my stats have begun to lean towards male creators, no doubt due to my superhero addiction and this male-authored manga. I'm working to correct that by seeking out more comics written and/or drawn by women. I also hope I'll get through a novel or two, though that seems like a pipe dream at my current reading speed.

2 comments:

  1. I'm glad you reminded me of the existence of Stephanie Perkins! I thought Anna and the French Kiss was a dear of a book, and I've been meaning to read Lola and the Happily Ever After for a while now. Just checked out the ebook! That will make some lovely bedtime reading this evening.

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    1. Hurray for instant bookish gratification! I'm glad my library also has the next two as ebooks (albeit with a wait list), but I'm a bit sad they don't own the audios. I'd love to listen to the other two, too, since this one's a lot of fun.

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