CW: Graphic violence, dark content, murder, etc. (This won’t be discussed in my review, but more for a content warning for this series in general)

Recently, I have been re-reading some of my favorite graphic novels or comic series that I own. One of those series is Nailbiter. Nailbiter is a horror graphic novel series set in a small town in Oregon. This series feels like a mix of Criminal Minds, Se7en, and Twin Peaks put together in a story. I first read Nailbiter in 2016, and I credit the series for helping me get into reading comics. With that being said, I never fully finished the series. I wanted to change that, so I spent a few weeks reading all six books. This series did not disappoint, and it remains one of my all-time favorite graphic novel series.

Nailbiter tells the story of NSA agent Nicholas Finch, who is in a bad place mentally. He gets a call from a colleague, FBI Agent Charles Carroll, to come to Buckaroo, Oregon. Carroll is investigating why so many serial killers are from Buckaroo. As Finch arrives, Carroll has gone missing. Finch wants to find and rescue Carroll, but also figure out what Carroll recovered before he went missing. Finch partners with local Sheriff Crane, a local who grew up in Buckaroo, along with one of the Buckaroo serial killers, Edward “Nailbiter” Warren. The trio finds themselves in danger more often than not, although they do finally get the answers they were so desperately searching for.

I think what makes Nailbiter so good is how each volume truly builds off the other. Minor characters introduced in the first two volumes end up playing a big role in the later volumes. The last volume ties in with the events of the first volume, which I think helps make the series more cohesive. In addition to that, each volume ends on a big cliffhanger, so I found myself going through volume after volume without taking a reading break. I’m glad I ordered all the volumes in one sitting, so I didn’t have to wait to read the next one.

The art in Nailbiter complements the series. There are several panels where you will see a character exploring an area, and then see someone sneaking up on that character. It feels like I’m reading a slasher film in that way. I also found myself, once I finished the volume, paging through it for a second time to solely focus on the art. This isn’t something that I do all the time, but for Nailbiter, I think it’s worth it.

I feel accomplished that I finally finished Nailbiter. The last volume wrapped everything up, and it felt really satisfying to read. Finishing Nailbiter has encouraged me to take a look at my graphic novels shelf and find other series that I didn’t fully finish reading. As an avid collector, I want to have more completed comic series on my shelves.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier is one of my favorite Marvel films. It’s a pivotal film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe because of the way that the movie permanently changes S.H.I.E.L.D. While at C2E2 this year, I went to a panel about Mental Health in Comics. One of the series that was brought up was Ed Brubaker’s Captain America: Winter Soldier run, as this series explored Captain America’s PTSD from the war. After the panel, I purchased the ultimate collection of Captain America: Winter Soldier after the panel ended. Captain America: Winter Soldier is one of the best comic books of all time, and I would argue it’s one of the best Marvel graphic novel series to exist to date.

Captain America: Winter Soldier begins with Steve being called in to investigate the murder of Red Skull. Steve can hardly believe that Red Skull was killed and seems pretty suspicious about the timing of his death. As the issues progress, Steve feels that his memories are being manipulated as he is misremembering certain events from the war. Some of those memories involve Bucky Barnes, his partner, who was killed after he tried to disarm a bomb that went off. Steve feels that someone is personally out to get him for revenge or some other purpose. After a major bomb explodes, Steve investigates and sees Bucky from a distance. Steve can’t believe his eyes until Nick Fury concludes that Bucky is alive, operating under the alias The Winter Soldier. Steve is at a loss; he knows he needs to stop Bucky, but he feels there are parts of him that still remain.

Captain America: Winter Soldier is a dark story. I liked how Ed Brubaker took Captain America and made him more nuanced. Captain America has always been a positive, upbeat person who wants to do the right thing. In other comic runs, they gloss over all of Captain America’s experiences in the war. In this series, Steve talks to Sharon Carter in detail about the memories of WWII and what still haunts him. It makes Captain America more human because he is a regular person at the end of the day, and there were major casualties in WWII that won’t be forgotten.

Steve Epting does an amazing job with the art, along with Michael Lark, who focused on the flashback art panels. In black & white, it shows Steve’s memories from the war, which are mixed with reality in which Steve is retelling these stories. The art is interesting to look at and fits with the overall aesthetic of the story.

I couldn’t help but compare this graphic novel to the movie adaptation. For the most part, the movie does a great job of taking the story that Ed Brubaker originally wrote. Some of the major differences include Sharon Carter’s involvement, Red Skull, and Steve being sent Bucky’s original report. The differences do make sense, especially because Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) took the Sharon Carter role in the graphic novel.

Captain America: Winter Soldier is one of those Marvel classic stories. It’s a great example of how to re-examine the same characters in new ways.

For most of March, I have been struggling with a reading slump. I tried reading a few books, but didn’t get past the first few chapters. On top of that, I have had a few stressful weeks, so I found myself falling asleep earlier instead of reading before I went to bed. After getting coffee with a friend, I was reminded how I haven’t applied for a library card since moving to our house last year. I visited my local library, received my library card, and strolled around the shelves looking for something new to read. I found two books and two manga that I’m planning on reading throughout March and April. I feel invigorated! I am so excited to read the books I borrowed. I wanted to share what’s on my TBR.

Lore by Alexandra Bracken

Lore takes place in New York City and focuses on Lore. She’s a young woman who has ties to the Greek Gods. Every seven years, the gods are brought back to Earth, stripped of their powers, and need to stay alive. This hunt is called the Agon. During the Agon, hunters will step up to the plate to try to kill the gods and take their powers. Lore’s bloodline is linked to one of the gods, so even if she has no interest in this hunt, she is still a target. Lore is approached by Athena during the Agon as Athena is severely wounded. Lore has to decide if it’s worth putting her life on the line to help Athena and potentially stop a horrible person from becoming a god.

Lore reminds me of The Hunger Games if The Hunger Games involved the Greek Gods. I’m only on chapter two now, but I’m looking forward to how this book plays out.

56 Days by Catherine Ryan Howard

Ciara and Oliver start dating right before the COVID-19 pandemic begins. Oliver suggests to Ciara that she could move in with him to quarantine together. 35 days later, a body is found by the police in Oliver’s apartment. Is Oliver dead, or is he a killer? Did Ciara have something to do with his death? Or was it self-defense?

Thrillers are some of my favorite books to read, and I liked how 56 Days takes place before COVID. I’m curious to see how this plays out, considering that Ciara and Oliver just met and now they are living together. That doesn’t seem like the most logical thing to do. I’m curious about what the twist will be and how everything will be revealed.

Scott Pilgrim Volume #1 by Bryan Lee O’Malley

I have never read the original Scott Pilgrim graphic novels, nor have I watched the film adaptation. Scott Pilgrim is one of the most well-known graphic novels out there, and I figured now is as good a time as any to start reading the series.

Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure Part #1 by Hirohiko Araki

In this manga series, each part of the series stars a family member from the Joestar family. Each Joestar family member has this power that they can harness, which they can use to defeat evil and prevent corruption. In this first volume, Jonathan Joestar meets his adopted brother, Dio Brando, who hates him right away. Dio turns himself into a vampire and comes for Jonathan’s legacy, which prompts Jonathan to take down Dio once and for all.

I have heard good things about Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure. I’m still in the process of finding out the type of manga that I like to read, so I’m trying to read the first volumes in a bunch of different series to see what I’m most interested in.

I’m looking forward to going to my local library more often! The librarian who helped me with my library card insisted that I download the library app. In the app, you can select books to keep on hold. How cool is that?? I clearly haven’t been to a library in a long time because I didn’t realize that libraries have their own apps. I’m glad to be back on a regular reading schedule and have something new to read.

February is over, which means that my Romance Reading month has concluded. I had four books and one romance graphic novel on my TBR. I ended up reading the graphic novel plus two of the books. It wasn’t a bad reading month, but I was expecting to do better. Some of the books I was reading took a little bit longer, and I was out of town for one weekend in February, which didn’t help. Here is everything I read last month.

All The Feels by Olivia Dade – Finished

All The Feels was a little bit of a letdown. Lauren was a character I was looking forward to reading about, but she was kind of boring. She’s an ER therapist, yet there’s nothing else memorable about her. She doesn’t have any hobbies or interests outside of her job. I find it hard to believe there wasn’t something that could have been added to make her character more interesting. In contrast to Spoiler Alert, the first book in the series, April was a geologist who was so cool to read about! Besides Lauren, I liked everything else in the book. I rated All The Feels three stars on Goodreads.

Well Played by Jen DeLuca – Finished

Well Played is one of the lowest-rated books in the Well Met book series. Part of the reason for this is the catfishing trope in this book. Stacey reached out to an old fling and later found out that she was talking to his cousin. I didn’t personally have a problem with this because Daniel, the man Stacey was actually communicating with, was apologetic and realized that what he did was wrong. I think what was more concerning to me was what their fight was about. Once that happened, I felt more animosity toward Stacey and Daniel as a couple.

I liked Well Played because I love the Renaissance Fest being the backdrop for the story. I think I will avoid catfishing in romance books going forward. I rated Well Played four stars on Goodreads.

The Love Con by Seressia Glass – Currently Reading

I’m currently reading The Love Con, as I wasn’t able to finish it by the end of February. I’m loving it so far. It’s basically a “friends to lovers” romance with the backdrop of a Project Runway Cosplay reality TV show. I’m planning on finishing The Love Con sometime this month.

Book Lovers by Emily Henry – Didn’t Read

I didn’t get a chance to read Book Lovers, which is completely fine by me. This book would be perfect to read in the summer.

Lore Olympus Vol #1 by Rachel Smythe – Finished

Lore Olympus is so good. I love that there are physical trade paperbacks now, and I think I prefer reading Lore Olympus this way versus on an app. I rated Lore Olympus five stars on Goodreads.

As far as what’s next, I plan on finishing The Love Con by the end of the month. March will be a much busier month for me since I will be attending two conventions out of state. I’m not sure how much reading I will get done, but it’s a nice break to be able to read whatever I’m in the mood for versus doing a full reading challenge. My next reading challenge will be Star Wars books in May, which I always look forward to.

In 2021, I started to prioritize reading romance books in February. I noticed that when I set aside months out of the year as a theme of what to read, I end up reading more. I love saving my romance books for February because it gives me something to look forward to during winter. My romance “to be read” (TBR) pile is ambitious because I have a lot to read. I wanted to share my Romance TBR, along with keeping myself on track for next month.

All The Feels by Olivia Dade

Alexander Woodroe is an actor on one of the most popular TV shows, God of the Gates. After it’s released to the tabloids that he got into a bar fight, his future on the show is uncertain. Lauren Clegg is an ER therapist who’s assigned to keep Alexander on track after his previous bad behavior. As they spend time together, they start to fall for each other, and Lauren has to decide if dating Alexander is worth it, especially with him being an actor and being followed by paparazzi.

I read the first book in this series, Spoiler Alert, a few years ago, and I remember liking it. I like the God of the Gates show being the background to the series. It’s refreshing to read a romance book with a protagonist who doesn’t have the stereotypical body type. For example, I read Ali Hazelwood’s books, and all her characters are thin women, so it’s nice to read something different.

Well Played by Jen DeLuca

Stacey has been working at the local Renaissance Faire for several years and finds herself wanting more. She has her eyes on Dex MacLean, a performer in the group “The Dueling Kilts”. Throughout the past year, Stacey thinks she has been sending messages to Dex, but maybe it’s actually someone else. Stacey may not be looking for love, but it might catch up to her anyway.

This is the second book in the “Willow Creek Renaissance Faire” book series. I read Well Met last year, and I loved it! I read reviews of Well Played, and a lot of readers didn’t like the catfishing part of the story. I’m not sure how I will feel about that, but I still want to read this book, as the other books that come after Well Played are highly rated.

The Love Con by Seressia Glass

Kenya Davenport is a gamer, cosplayer, and anime fan. She has always wanted to turn her passions into a full career. She auditions and joins the cast of a reality TV show called Cosplay or No Way, which will test her cosplay skills. There’s a specific challenge on the show where Kenya enlists her friend, Cameron Lassiter, to help assist her. While Kenya and Cameron are good friends, they end up pretending to date on the show. Will Kenya’s feelings for Cameron become a reality, even if it means that their friendship will be forever changed?

I had no idea that this book existed until I saw it on a shelf at Barnes & Noble. As a cosplayer, I love the idea of a Project Runway meets cosplay romance book. This book, I believe, is a friend-to-lovers type of romance, which I like to read.

Book Lovers by Emily Henry

Nora Stephens is a successful literary agent who thrives in the publishing industry. She’s convinced by her sister, Libby, to travel to Sunshine Falls, North Carolina, to get away for a little bit. As Nora explores the area, she runs into Charlie Lastra, an editor whom Nora isn’t a big fan of. Nora has a carefully constructed view of herself, and maybe Charlie is the perfect person to break down the wall that she’s built.

Everyone has raved about Emily Henry’s books, and I haven’t read a single one. I added this one to my list because I want to see what all the hype is about. I love the setting of this book, as it takes place in North Carolina, which is such a beautiful part of the US.

Lore Olympus Volume #1 by Rachel Smythe

Lore Olympus is a graphic novel centered around the Greek Gods interacting with each other. Most of the story is centered on Persephone and her budding romance with Hades. Lore Olympus was a Webtoon comic that I started reading and ended up falling behind on. Once I realized that there would be graphic novels being released, I decided to hold off getting caught up on Webtoon and instead buy the graphic novels. One of the best things about Lore Olympus is the art. The art is gorgeous, and I love the contrast between Persephone’s bright pink and Hades and the dark blue Underworld that he calls home.

I’m excited to start reading romance this month! I look forward to it every year. Once the month of February is over, I’ll write a recap post that will feature all the reviews for the books I read and whether I read everything on my list. I’ll have that post written and published in the first few days of March.

Legends & Lattes was one of the most hyped books I had on my TBR. Every person who read this book described it as if Animal Crossing met Dungeons & Dragons. This sounds right up my alley. I received my copy of Legends & Lattes for Christmas this year and was saving it for January, so there was something I could look forward to in my least favorite months of the year. Legends & Lattes didn’t disappoint; it was the coziest fantasy book I have ever read.

Viv is finished with her adventuring days. After collecting bounties, she wants to retire to a more peaceful career, building and maintaining a coffee shop. She hires several citizens from Thune who provide their different talents and areas of expertise to grow the business. Although Viv wants to retire, her old adventuring crew won’t let her go that easily.

It should be no surprise that I loved Legends & Lattes. I loved Viv. Once Viv opens this coffee shop, she seems to let down her guard and helps create an open atmosphere in Thune. I liked learning about all the regulars who come to the shop. There’s Pendry, the bard who plays music. Hemington, the college student. Amity is a dire-cat who sleeps in the shop and acts as a protector of sorts. Besides the customers, there’s Tandri, Cal, and Thimble, who all play a role in building Legends & Lattes. Each of the characters fit into the story and was easy to keep track of.

While I liked Legends & Lattes, it felt like there wasn’t a driving plot. Each chapter was about Viv expanding her shop, learning a new beverage, or Thimble creating a new recipe. There was conflict throughout the latter half of the book, but it sometimes felt a little slow. I think I was hoping for a perfect blend of a coffee shop cozy atmosphere and a driven plot throughout the book.

Legends & Lattes would be a perfect book recommendation for those who want to get into reading fantasy but don’t want something complex. I loved the scenery throughout the book and can’t wait to see if Travis Baldree will expand on this in any future books.

2022 was a great reading year for me. I read a total of 104 books, single-issue comics, graphic novels, and manga. 104!? I can’t believe I hit the triple digits. Since I started tracking my reading on Goodreads, I have gotten into a good rhythm in making time to read, along with figuring out the types of books and genres that interest me the most. Every year, I participate in Perpetual Page Turner‘s End of Year Book Survey. It’s one of the most detailed book surveys that I have found. I always look forward to writing each post as it helps me review the books I read and pick the books that stood out to me the most.

2022 Reading Stats

Number of Books Read: 104

Number of Re-Reads: Two. I re-read Columbine by Dave Cullen and Dracula by Bram Stoker. I read both of these books in high school, so it was time for a re-read. I typically re-read books when it’s been at least five years since I originally read the book, or if I pick up the book from my shelf and I don’t remember the plot of the book.

Genre You Read the Most From: Doing a quick scan through my Goodreads, I felt that I read more fantasy and non-fiction this year.

Best in Books

Best Book in 2022

I read a lot of good books this year. As I scanned through my list, I had at least five books that I rated five stars throughout the year. I had to ponder on this one for a while, but in the end, I chose The Guest List by Lucy Foley. The Guest List is a wedding thriller where the guests travel to an island off the coast of Ireland. The groom is found murdered, and secrets are revealed leading up to his demise. I liked the build-up, the setting, and reading how everything was so interconnected. The Guest List kept me invested throughout and reminded me why mysteries and thrillers are one of my favorite genres to read.

Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?

One To Watch by Kate Stayman-London had such a good premise. It was a romance centered on Bea, a plus-size woman going on a Bachelorette show to find love. I didn’t buy into the end romance, and there was a cheating side plot, which I wasn’t a big fan of. There was also a side plot where one of the producers slept with a contestant on the show, which I found completely unprofessional. I wanted to like this, but I felt the book went in a completely different direction than what I was looking for.

Favorite New Author You Discovered in 2022?

Ashley Winstead, who wrote In My Dreams I Hold A Knife, is an author on my radar. This book was so good. In My Dreams, I Hold A Knife is centered on a group of college friends who met up at a college reunion. They are confronted with their past as one of their friends was murdered during their tenure at their university. Ashley Winstead did write a book this year titled The Last Housewife, which is centered around a cult. I didn’t read it this year because I didn’t see a paperback copy, and I’m not a fan of hardcover. I could see myself picking up The Last Housewife sometime next year.

Favorite Cover Of A Book You Read in 2022?

The Lost Apothecary was a book I purchased late last year solely on the cover. Out of all the books I read this year, this cover is gorgeous.

Most Thought-Provoking Book / Life-Changing Book of 2022

I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy was a heartbreaking book to read. I grew up with the Nickelodeon shows, and I remember watching iCarly when it aired. It came as a shock to me to read this book and hear what Jennette endured from her mom. I couldn’t imagine my mom forcing me into acting at a young age. There were a lot of graphic descriptions in this coming from Jennette, especially when she detailed her eating disorder. Child actors have to endure so much at a young age, and I think this book illustrates why child actors need more protection in the industry.

OTP (One True Pairing) Of The Year

Vivienne and Rhys in The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling are my OTP. They belonged together.

Newest Fictional Crush From A Book You Read in 2022?

The first person I thought of was Simon from Well Met by Jen DeLuca. Simon’s family runs this Renaissance Faire every year and is running around the Faire in costume. Simon seems so sweet and a little nerdy, which makes him easy to have a crush on.

Book That Was The Most Fun To Read?

The Killing Code by Ellie Marney was another great book that I read this year. It was fun to read about the code breakers and learn more about this particular time in history. I’m not usually a historical fiction type of reader, but this was an exception.

Book That Crushed Your Soul?

Razorblade Tears by S.A. Cosby is the book that sat with me long after I finished reading it. The book centers on two dads who find out that their sons were murdered. Their sons had been in a relationship together, which neither of them supported because of their beliefs about homosexuality. The dads team up to find out who killed their sons and get revenge. I think what hurt the most for me was that these dads couldn’t accept their sons when they were alive, and ended up completely changing their views by the end of the book. It sucks that it happened after their sons died. This book reminded me that this type of environment and hatred are still alive in certain parts of the US.

Your Blogging and Bookish Life

Favorite Post You Wrote in 2022?

My favorite book-related post was Writing Tropes That Aren’t For Me. I wrote this post in July as I was contemplating different books I read and why I liked or disliked reading them. It helped me recognize some tropes I see pop up in books and my feelings towards those tropes when I come across them.

Best Moment of Bookish/Blogging Life in 2022?

I think the moments that I keep coming back to are all the books I picked up while traveling. I stopped in several bookstores and museum gift shops. I have several non-fiction books on my TBR that I hope to read in 2023. I love purchasing books as souvenirs. It helps me learn about other areas outside of where I live, along with parts of history that I haven’t read about in a while.

Did You Complete Any Reading Challenges Or Goals That You Had Set For Yourself At The Beginning Of The Year?

I don’t necessarily set reading goals; however, I’m still in awe that I made it past 100 books. This is the most I have ever read, and I’m so proud of myself for making the time to read.

Looking Ahead

One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2022 But Will Be Your Number #1 Priority In 2023?

Honestly, I ended up reading everything that I wanted to this year. My in-laws bought me a few books for Christmas that I plan on reading in January, which will be a good way to start the year. I may write a post about my post-Christmas TBR, so I can share all the books I received on Christmas.

One Thing You Hope To Accomplish In Your Reading / Blogging Life in 2023?

The only goal that I have is to read 100 books in 2023. I’m impressed that I was able to get there this year, so I want to see if I can do it again next year.

Happy Reading! Let me know in the comments what your favorite book was that you read this year.