I was first introduced to Riley Sager after I read Final Girls last year. Final Girls was my favorite book I read in 2020, partly because it felt like I was reading a slasher movie. Riley Sager seems to have found his niche in writing psychological thrillers with some horror or supernatural elements thrown in. Lock Every Door was on my TBR for a long time, as I was saving it for Fall. Lock Every Door was another captivating and eerie read.

Jules Larsen is down on her luck. She’s lost her job, found out her boyfriend was cheating on her, and she’s homeless. Jules finds an ad in the paper about an apartment sitter at a notorious New York ritzy apartment building called The Bartholomew. Jules is interviewed by the luxurious Leslie Evelyn, who decides Jules is the perfect choice as the new apartment sitter. As Jules moves in, she starts to notice strange occurrences at the mansion. After one of the other tenants moves out, Jules decides to launch her investigation, which leads her down a dark path.

This book took some sharp turns where I wasn’t sure what Jule’s fate would be. Jules was a protagonist I was genuinely rooting for. She has been through so much trauma at a young age and knows what it’s like to be close to giving up. I read some negative reviews of Lock Every Door, and they stated that Jules is naive and a bit reckless for moving into an apartment building she doesn’t know anything about. However, I think it’s made clear that Jules needs the money. She is living paycheck to paycheck, and she needs money fast.

Lock Every Door wasn’t a supernatural thriller like I had originally anticipated. It shows how evil humanity can be and how some in society view others as less than due to their income. Each villain in this story was someone I hated, so kudos to Riley Sager for making me hate everyone who had a hand in hurting Jules. While reading Lock Every Door, I kept thinking this reminded me of American Horror Story: Hotel. All I pictured was the rich aura of the Hotel in American Horror Story and how Leslie Evelyn reminded me of Lady Gaga.

I have now read two of Sager’s books, and I’m starting to notice a pattern. Earlier in this post, I mentioned how Riley Sager has a niche. Each book centers around a female protagonist who has been hit with some kind of personal tragedy or trauma. She is put in danger and has to fight her way out using her trauma to provide fuel to fight back. I have liked Riley Sager’s books; however, I can understand why some readers don’t. I find it’s worth mentioning because while I liked this book, I find that once you read one Riley Sager book, you have the formula for the rest.

Lock Every Door was such an engrossing read. I’m a bit skeptical about reading more Riley Sager books, as I’m finding they are becoming a bit formulaic. I rated Lock Every Door five stars on Goodreads.

Every booktuber I follow raved about The House in the Cerulean Sea. My local bookstore had this book on display as one of the best books released in 2020. I purposefully planned to read this in the summer because of the gorgeous cover, along with the lighthearted premise. The House in the Cerulean Sea is a fantasy novel about love, happiness, and fighting against prejudice.

CW for discussions of genocide against indigenous people.

Before I write my review, I want to mention one more thing. T.J. Klune, the author of the book, based this book on the “60s Scoop”. The “60’s Scoop” is a real-life genocide where children were kidnapped and mistreated. There has been discussion about this and whether Klune is profiting from a horrific event. I didn’t know this before reading The House in the Cerulean Sea. If you would like to read more, I suggest starting here: https://www.reddit.com/r/romancelandi… 

Linus Baker lives an ordinary life without much excitement. Linus works as a caseworker, visiting various orphanages along with writing reports about what he sees. Linus is sent away to spend a month on a rather unusual assignment. At this orphanage, he discovers the “anti-Christ” lives there with other magical children. Linus’s goal is to write weekly reports, get to know the children, and decide if this orphanage should be shut down.

The character development in this book was heartwarming and emotional. Linus was somewhat unlikable and scared to break away from his mundane life. Towards the end of the book, he starts to defend himself and realizes that he has the control to decide what will make him happy. Linus develops a deep relationship with Arthur, who cares for the children at the orphanage. Each of the children has their own background and personality. In stories like these, it’s easy to have some characters blend into the background, but that wasn’t the case here.

When reading fantasy, I want to feel like I’m in this world. TJ Klune’s writing made me feel this way. I could close my eyes and picture the seaside town, the color of the water, and the little cottage where Linus stays.

The messaging throughout this book was lovely. There were various themes subtly presented throughout the book. One example was how children are taught hatred; they aren’t born with it. Another message in this book was self-love. Linus has a lot of insecurity about his weight. All of the characters reinforce the fact that Linus doesn’t have to change, and he’s fine exactly the way he is. I also loved the fact that this book confronted how a society can be destroyed when we let preconceived notions get the better of us. This book has such great messages, and it helped to read this slowly, so I wouldn’t miss it all.

The House in the Cerulean Sea was such a lovely book. It was a feel-good fantasy I was really invested in. The House in the Cerulean Sea lives up to the hype and might be my favorite book I’ve read this year.

As mentioned in one of my recent posts, I was able to use my free weekend to finish The Shadow Mission by Shamim Sarif. This is the second in the Athena Protocol series. I read The Athena Protocol last year, and I loved it. I had high hopes for the sequel. The Shadow Mission was another fast-paced outing; however, there was one scene in particular that didn’t sit right with me. I will discuss this scene in detail later in this post.

After Athena’s mission in Belgrade, Jessie Archer is debriefed for her next mission. The Athena team is tasked to take on a far-right group known as Family First, who feel women shouldn’t be educated and belong in the home. After a terrorist attack at an all-girls school, Jessie is thrown into the investigation and connects with Riya, a detective who is also investigating the bombing. Together, they uncover another terrorist plot at a different all-girls boarding school. Can they stop it in time?

Originally, when reading The Athena Protocol, I wasn’t a big fan of Jessie. However, I felt Jessie had grown quite a bit since the first book. She seemed more mature in this book and aware of the consequences of her actions. I found myself growing attached to her story and why she is the way she is. Caitlin and Hala, Jessie’s fellow Athena agents, are still a big part of this book as well.

While Jessie grew on me as a character, I found a certain scene in this book that made me uneasy.

CW: Outing of an LGBTQIA+ character *read at your own risk*

There’s a scene where Jessie and Hala follow this politician whom they think has affiliations with Family First. As they approach, they recognize that this politician is having an affair with a man. To gain intelligence, Jessie blackmails the politician into helping them by threatening to release photographs to the media. Jessie isn’t straight, so I’m surprised Jessie doesn’t see this as being hypocritical. Additionally, this scene takes place in India, which, in some ways, isn’t as progressive as other countries on LGBTQIA+ rights. This politician isn’t a good person; however, this crossed the line for me. I felt this scene left me with an icky taste in my mouth. I wish Sarif hadn’t written this scene in the book to begin with.

With this being said, I did enjoy reading The Shadow Mission. When I wrote my original review on Goodreads, I ended up only rating this four stars. With the scene I discussed above, it felt out of place enough for me not to give this a full five-star rating. Overall, I’m still excited that this series exists, and I can’t wait for the third book.

Last year, I read The Tea Dragon Society by Katie O’Neill. I was blown away by the art, along with how Katie can write heavy topics with a bright artistic style. Once I read The Tea Dragon Society, I purchased Aquicorn Cove, another book written in the same world as The Tea Dragon Society. It’s no surprise that Aquicorn Cove was a graphic novel I would adore. This story focuses on the loss of a family member and ocean preservation.

Aquicorn Cove focuses on a young girl named Lana. Lana goes on a trip to visit her Aunt Mae, who lives by the sea. Lana would visit Mae when she was younger with her mother. Unfortunately, Lana’s mother was killed in a boating accident when Lana was young. As Lana visits Mae, Lana discovers a young, injured Aquicorn that resembles a Tea Dragon seahorse. Throughout the story, Lana realizes that Mae’s actions may have damaged the ocean and led to the injury of the Aquicorn. This forces Mae to recognize that her actions have consequences.

I see the struggle Lana faces as she visits Mae. Lana is struggling with memories of her mother. As someone who has lost a parent at a young age, I felt Lana’s pain. She is coming to terms with the fact that these memories will preserve her mother in her mind, although it’s painful to think that her mother is gone.

Katie’s imagery in this is breathtaking. The sea is bright, the sky is sparkling, and the aquicorns are cute creatures living in the sea. Each panel was interesting to look at. While this book is about 100 pages long, I found myself taking longer to read it because I kept looking at each page.

Aquicorn Cove is a beautiful story of life, loss, and reflection. I would recommend reading The Tea Dragon Society first because I think it sets the tone for this story. Both The Tea Dragon Society and Aquicorn Cove can be purchased on Oni Press‘s website or through your local bookstore.

I have seen the Mid-Year Book Tag floating around the internet, both on blogs and YouTube videos. I wanted to shake it up because this year I have read so many comics. Having a pull list has created an obligation to go to a comic book store at least twice a month. This is my take on the “Mid-Year Book Tag” except with comics instead.

Best Comic I’ve Read So Far in 2021

Earlier in 2021, Marvel had launched their King in Black crossover event. This teams up the Marvel heroes to battle Knull, the god of the symbiotes. I had several series I was interested in, but none captured my attention like Black Cat. Each issue was equally entertaining and action-packed. Black Cat has quickly become one of my favorite Marvel heroes to follow. This was so good and quite possibly might be my favorite issue I have read in 2021.

Best Comic Sequel I’ve Read in 2021

Witchblood is another comic series that I’m thoroughly enjoying. On the cover is the main protagonist, Yonna. She is a witch traveling in the Western United States. While traveling, her motorcycle breaks down, and she stumbles upon a group of vampires. These vampires are hunting for an artifact that belongs to Yonna’s mentor. Yonna realizes she can’t let these vampires collect the artifact, and now she’s on an adventure to stop them.

Witchblood is a comic I would recommend for anyone new to comics.

New Release I Haven’t Read Yet

I backed the third volume of For Goodness Sake by K. Lynn Smith. Additionally, I was able to pick up the second volume, too. I believe it technically will be released this year? or sent to me in the mail this year, so I thought it counted.

For Goodness Sake tells the story of Rayne, a young woman traveling throughout the US in her makeshift camper. She stumbles upon Thatcher. Thatcher was cursed, and now he appears as a relative of the devil. Rayne is determined to rid Thatcher of his curse and find who cursed him in the first place. Rayne and Thatcher’s friendship is adorable to read about.

Biggest Disappointment

Hollywood Trash #1 was probably the worst comic I have read this year. I’m a big fan of Mad Cave Studios; however, this series wasn’t for me. The story was hard to follow, and I didn’t find it that interesting.

Newest Favorite Character

Logan McBride is a character I thought was intriguing to follow. She’s one of the main characters in Destiny NY by Pat Shand. I like reading about Logan because her actions seem realistic. She is going through a bad breakup and calls out her ex for treating her badly. She takes comfort in working at a coffee shop and petting her kitty. She also fulfilled her destiny at a young age and now struggles to find what’s next for her. She’s a young woman who doesn’t know who she is yet. I think that struggle reminds me of me a couple of years ago.

Destiny NY is another great comic series I would recommend.

Book That Made Me Happy + Beautiful Book I’ve Bought

Aquicorn Cove is such a lovely story about family, loss, and ocean preservation. Aquicorn Cove takes place in the same world as Tea Dragon Society, both written and illustrated by Katie O’Neill. Aquicorn Cove centers on Lana, who visits her aunt by the sea. Lana’s mother passed away when Lana was young, and she finds the sea has awakened memories of her and her mother. As storms constantly rock the land, Lana finds an Aquicorn that’s been impacted by the pollution in the lake. This prompts Lana’s aunt to revisit why she does the things she does and how her actions have caused damage to the ocean.

This is such a beautiful story. Katie O’Neill has a way of telling a story about heavy topics while still making this light-hearted. I want to save these books for my children and read these stories to them.

Currently, I have read 63 books and/or comics this year. I have surpassed my goal, and I’m excited to see what my reading number will be at the end of 2021. What comics have you read this year that you have loved? Let me know in the comments below.

CW: Abuse / Specifically Abuse of a Young Girl

**I won’t discuss this in my recap of the book, but if you choose to read this book, the content warning is needed**

Last month, I primarily read mysteries and thrillers. I found a used copy of Then She Was Gone at my local bookstore. I have heard raving reviews for Lisa Jewell’s books, so I figured I’d give this a shot. This was such a fast-paced, dark thriller to read.

Laurel Mack has been without her daughter, Ellie, for almost a decade since her disappearance. The grief of losing her daughter and not knowing what happened to her has kept Laurel from moving on. As Laurel goes about her routine, she meets a man in a cafe with whom she begins a relationship. She meets his daughter, Poppy, who is identical to Ellie. This leads Laurel into a harrowing investigation of Ellie and what happened to her all those years ago.

I loved Laurel as a character. She starts to see the cracks in her relationship early on. Instead of being consumed by this new romance, she continues to investigate Ellie’s disappearance and whether someone Ellie knew could have played a role in her vanishing. Laurel is intelligent, kind, and imperfect, and was a character I enjoyed reading about. The way she handled her grief seemed realistic, especially with putting her other daughter, Hanna, on a pedestal to replace Ellie. Laurel has her flaws, but she’s also a genuinely good person.

This isn’t the type of thriller where there’s a plot twist towards the end of the book. It’s revealed early on what happened to Ellie through flashbacks. The reason Then She Was Gone was so engaging was the tension of seeing the full story and how Laurel was going to uncover what happened. I tend to prefer thrillers where there is a plot twist at the end; however, the way Jewell wrote the book felt more like a countdown to when Laurel would figure out the truth.

Then She Was Gone was a well-written thriller about a mother desperate for answers and how Ellie’s disappearance has put a dark cloud over the Mack family. This was one of the darkest thrillers I have read. With the content warning, I can fully understand why some readers would avoid this book. However, Then She Was Gone is well worth the read.

Every Sunday, Heather at Just Geeking By creates a blog prompt with various themed questions. I pre-schedule my posts, so I always end up missing out on participating. My writing routine has been a bit off-kilter, which allowed me to participate in this entry. This Sunday’s theme is comics.

What was my first comic book?

My first comic book wasn’t a comic book, but a comic strip. My dad used to get the newspaper, and I would read the comic pages once he was done reading them. I always read Garfield, Dennis the Menace, and The Peanuts. From there, I started reading Calvin & Hobbes. I still have a couple of Calvin & Hobbes books on my shelf. I credit them for building interest in comics at a young age.

Which comic did you read recently?

The last graphic novel I read was Space Battle Lunchtime by Natalie Riess. For single issues, I’m reading all of Marvel’s King in Black crossover, along with DC’s Future State Yara Flor and Wonder Woman.

Which Comic Series Would I Recommend to Someone Just Starting to Read Comics?

This is the beauty of comics: there’s something for everyone. Before I would recommend anything, I’d ask basic questions about their interests or what they liked to read. From there, I could specify a comic recommendation that I think they would like. For general recommendations, Snotgirl, Saga, and Paper Girls are generally well-regarded comic series to start with. I think it’s important to start with graphic novels and then start picking up single issues. It helps to have a full story first, versus coming into the middle of a story.

Comic Series on My TBR?

My comic TBR is divided between single issues and graphic novels. Since starting a pull list earlier this year, I seem to never be able to catch up on my TBR. In my single issues stack, I have Marvel’s King in Black, DC’s Future State, Critical Role Vox Machina Series III issue #2, Witchblood Issue #1 and #2, and so much more. In my graphic novels stack, I have the first volume of Dredd, Aquicorn Cove by Katie O’Neill, and a few other Oni Press titles I’m not remembering.

My Favorite Books / Series

I love Sex Criminals by Chip Zdarsky and Matt Fraction. Based on the title, there’s a lot of sex scenes, nudity, and shenanigans. Additionally, Nailbiter is one of my favorite horror comics. I’m also enjoying Paper Girls. There are many series I love, but those stick out to me the most.

Favorite Comic Artists/Writers, etc.

I like artists who have their own unique styles. I could look at any comic in my local comic book store and know that the comic was illustrated by that person. Some of these include Jen Bartel, Liana Kangas, and K Lynn Smith. For writers, I like Jed MacKay, Chip Zdarsky, and Matt Fraction.

Seriously Geeky Sundays are hosted by Heather at Just Geeking By. You can find this Sunday’s questions here