When I was young, me and a neighbor would hang out and play Scooby-Doo Mystery of the Fun Park Phantom during sleepovers. I would usually play Velma because she was quirky and weird like me. Scooby Doo will always make me think back on my childhood and playing PC games. DC Comics owns the Hanna-Barbera license and decided to release titles with the Scooby Doo characters, Flintstones, and the Wacky Races. After a trip to the comic book store, I picked up the first volume of Scooby Doo Apocalypse. It’s a flawed comic book, but it’s fun.

Velma, Daphne, Shaggy, Scooby, and Fred all get a makeover in this updated comic. Something awful has hit the world the gang is a part of, people are being transformed into cannibalistic creatures and food becomes scarce. Can these pesky kids uncover the reason for this atrocity!?

One flawed part of this comic is the writing. It often felt repetitive at times, especially in the way Daphne and Velma interacted. In every issue was there an argument between Daphne and Velma about the cause of the epidemic. I don’t need to read about the same fight between two characters in multiple issues. Another flaw I found is in Daphne’s revamped personality. She was constantly abusive to Velma and Fred which seems so unlike her cartoon counterpart. Daphne can still be a badass female protagonist without punching or throwing things at other people. I hope in the future trades of this series that Daphne is improved upon and develops more as a character.

I do happen to like each character’s revamped look. Daphne may be obnoxious, but I like her purple camo look. Shaggy even looks a bit more hip along with Scooby who’s a technologically advanced super dog. Velma is the only character that didn’t really receive that treatment, but I feel her character is fine on her own.

I wasn’t expecting much from this comic, but it did surprise me how enjoyable of a read it was. There were elements I certainly wasn’t a fan of, but it didn’t completely turn me away from this series. DC Comics made a valiant effort in creating an interesting twist on my favorite childhood cartoon.

Reading has been on the back burner these past couple of months. As I scrolled through my reading/books category on my blog, I notice that I haven’t been posting as many book reviews. Reading is a huge hobby of mine and I want to make it more of a priority. I have been bringing my book to work so I could read on my lunch break which I really enjoy doing, but I also want to read right before bed because it does help me sleep better. Take a look at the books I’m currently reading.

Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson

Steelheart follows the story of David Charleston, a young man growing up in the U.S. where epics reign. Epics were regular humans when exposed to Calamity (a red sun that appears in the sky) gain superpowers. All epics have used their powers to kill or rule over humans and David’s dad was killed by Steelheart, a very powerful epic. David joins the Reckoners, a small army of humans who engage and kill epics. David and the Reckoner’s attempt to take down Steelheart and other epics in the trilogy.

This series is one of my favorite sci-fi trilogys. I normally never re-read books, but I wanted to be in the mood to finish the third book Calamity. I haven’t read Calamity yet, so to prepare I am going back and re-reading the other books Steelheart and Firefight. 

Warcross by Marie Lu

Emika is a teenage hacker struggling to pay her rent. To make extra cash, she works as a bounty hunter for the police capturing smaller criminals the police don’t have time to track. She is a gamer and used to play WarCross, a popular video game almost everyone in the world plays. The WarCross championships are this week, and Emika tries to hack into the game. She is caught by the game’s creator Hideo Tanaka and offered a position to spy on the tournament to catch other hackers in the game.

That’s the most basic premise to the story I can give because I’m only a couple chapters into the book. The average rating for this book on Goodreads is 4.23 stars so I’m anticipating I will enjoy this book.

Scooby Doo Apocalypse Volume #1

Imagine if the Scooby Doo gang were involved in killing zombies. This comic brings the team together in a new way to fight off alien creatures. Each team member gets an updated look including Daphne who looks a lot more kick-ass than her cartoon counterpart. I haven’t finished this comic yet, but I will admit it’s a pretty fun comic to read especially if Scooby Doo was a part of your childhood.

Hopefully, I will start posting comics and book reviews again because I miss writing them. Also, Happy Halloween because this post magically coincides with my favorite day in October.

Last Monday, I was shopping at Marshall’s with a gift card my boyfriend bought me. I enjoy buying clothes for a bargain plus I needed to mature my wardrobe for my full-time job. I randomly popped into my local comic shop after I spent my gift card and bought a couple different comics. One mini goal of mine is to go to my local comic shop once a week or every other week to keep up with a variety of comics. Here is my haul from last Monday:

Moon Struck by Grace Ellis and Shae Beagle

Thanks to dePepi for this comic recommendation! dePepi is a female geek blogger who sometimes writes about comics to add to your pull list. I hadn’t heard of this comic, but it looks like a lovely body-positive indie comic. Julie is the barista trying to serve all of those fancy coffee drinks with her centaur best friend Chet. Apparently, a magical conspiracy occurs so now Julie needs to manage working as a barista and save her friends.

Green Arrow #1 by Benjamin Percy, Otto Schmidt, and Juan Ferreyra

My sole reason for purchasing this is Benjamin Percy is a Minnesota native! Plus I just finished Red Hood & the Outlaws Rebirth #1 which was pretty good. I must admit that I am loving Rebirth versus DC’s New 52.

Jade Street Protection Services #2 by Katy Rex and Fabian Lelay

I bought the first issue of this comic at CONvergence in 2016 and when I saw Katy Rex at MCBA Comic Con this past May, she was sold out of the second issue of her comic. In Jade Street Protection Services Kai, Saba, Noemi, Divya, and Emma are rebellious students at Matsdotter Academy, an elite private school for girls with magical abilities. I remember really enjoying issue #1, so I’m sure I will like the second issue.

KaijuMax by Zander Cannon

Kaijumax is a comic that I have been missing out on and I was able to score this first issue for a dollar. Kaijumax is a prison filled with Kaiju monsters and vicious guards. I haven’t read this comic and I’m looking forward to reading it.

I always need new comic recommendations so feel free to comment below with some of the comic series you’re enjoying so far. I plan on taking some much-needed time on Tuesday, which is my day off from work, to read and get caught up on all the comics I have bought for this haul.

My comic-to-be-read pile is huge! Last weekend I went to a convention where I bought numerous comics and graphic novels and today I went shopping and picked up DC’s Rebirth: Red Hood & the Outlaws Vol. 1 because I’m considering cosplaying Red Hood in the future. In recent days I have finished a couple of series and I wanted to share one gigantic post with all the comics I read.

Saga Volume #1: Saga was a comic book series that everyone was raving about. I felt like I was out of the loop so I purchased the first volume and I liked it. I like Lying Cat, I want one as a pet. The relationship between the two main characters is told extremely well. I liked Saga, I wish I read this earlier. I rated Saga four stars on Goodreads.

Nailbiter Volume #2:  Nailbiter Volume #1 was my favorite series I read last year so I had extremely high hopes. Sadly, I felt a little letdown. I felt like I read the trade paperback and nothing really happened. It seemed a lot of the stories were more filler information about the town than anything else. However, the ending did leave me wanting to keep reading on to the third volume so I’m hoping this is just a slump in the series. I rated Nailbiter three stars on Goodreads.

Superman Red Son: This graphic novel presents an interesting dilemma; what if Superman crash landed in Russia versus the United States? Obviously, Superman would still fight for his country and his people, but now it’s on the side of Communism versus Capitalism. I liked how each of the DC characters was brought into the story including Batman as an anarchist to Superman’s reign. This was an interesting read, but not my favorite title I read this year. My boyfriend loves Superman and probably enjoyed this more than I did. I rated this three stars on Goodreads.

Moon Girl & Devil Dinosaur Volume #1. Three quick words to sum up Moon Girl & Devil Dinosaur would be: adorable, heartwarming, and charming. Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur establish this strong partnership right off the bat and seeing Devil Dinosaur’s facial expressions make me laugh. Moon Girl is a great comic to introduce to younger girls. I want to save this for my future daughter. I rated Moon Girl & Devil Dinosaur five stars on Goodreads.

Snotgirl #1: I was unsure of this series, so I only purchased the first issue. I thought it was okay, but it wasn’t as good as I wanted it to be. I eventually will read the first trade paperback, but not for a while.

This has saved me a lot of time to consolidate this into one post versus writing several in a row. If you don’t follow me on Goodreads, you should >>>> Bizarre Brunette’s Bookshelves!

CW: Fatphobia, Dieting.

Weight loss products are everywhere. On average, we spend 20 billion dollars per year on weight loss products. The way we market weight loss is destructive to mental health, physical health, and financial wellness. I was convinced the key to happiness was being smaller, but even though I have my insecurities, I generally like how I look. Dietland is an honest depiction of what it’s like to wander NYC and to be fat. This book wasn’t what I had expected, but I still think it’s worth a read because it’s eye-opening to how we treat people who aren’t skinny.

Dietland depicts the daily struggles of Plum Kettle. She hides her appearance behind baggy clothes and is quiet. She is dreaming of her weight loss surgery that will turn her into “Alicia”. Alicia is the skinny, beautiful woman who gets dates all the time and probably has a handsome boyfriend. Plum gets connected with feminist icons who teach her what beauty truly means and how to accept yourself.

That seems so corny, but I love how Plum develops throughout the book. She becomes such a badass in the end. She’s confident and proud of her body and I think a lot of women including myself struggle daily with this concept. It sickens me that as a culture we have become so mean. Many of us often assume someone’s health status based on their size when that’s frankly none of our business.

Steering this post back to harmful diet culture, the diet industry tries to make people (men are included in this discussion too) feel bad about themselves so they purchase these products that may not even be healthy anyway! Our bodies aren’t designed to lose weight quickly. Under my ACSM (American College of Sport’s Medicine) Certified Personal Training Certification, it’s healthy to lose 1-2 lbs. per week. These products are saying 5-10 lbs. in a week… it’s not reliable or safe.

To end this post, put Dietland on your bookshelf and be kind to each other. Don’t assume someone’s health status and be proud of the natural beauty that we all radiate.

I have recently been reading a lot of Image graphic novels lately. One such comic that I’m loving right now is Papergirls. The references to the ’80s, pterodactyl-like creatures flying around Cleveland, and female teenagers being the protagonists in an alien invasion make Papergirls a must-read for 2017.

Papergirls follows Erin Tieng waking up in the early hours of the morning to deliver newspapers. After being harassed by some local boys, she is defended by Mackenzie, KJ, and Tiffany. The quartet notices some strange occurrences including locating an alien capsule, ninjas from outer space and flying pterodactyl-like creatures. These four are the only hope that Cleveland has in preventing the destruction of planet Earth.

I will purchase any comic with mostly all female characters. Zodiac Starforce, Rat Queens, and now Papergirls have all-starred female ensembles. I can’t choose a favorite character because they all add to the story and further the adventure.

Papergirls was such a fun graphic novel and I can’t wait to read the third volume.

My bibliophile confession of the day is I am a leisurely reader. I prefer to read two or three chapters before bed versus finishing a book in one day. However, there are a couple books that I spent hours finishing because I simply cannot stop reading. Last weekend I power-read through This is Our Story by Ashley Elston and without a doubt, this book is on my list of being one of the best books I read in 2017.

Five Boys Went Hunting . . . Four Came Back. 

Four privileged high school students surround the body of their dear, dead friend Grant. Henry, Logan, Shep, and John Michael made a vow that day to not reveal the name of the boy who pulled the trigger. Kate Marino is the intern at the smaller district attorney’s office and gets assigned to the case. The River Point boys as they are called all tested positive for either drugs or alcohol in their system at the time of the shooting. This begs the question as to whether Grant’s death is the result of a drunk kid accidentally firing a rifle or was there an alternative motive behind the shooting?

Curiously, Ashley Elston gives each of the four boys a motive behind wanting Grant dead. I unfortunately cannot talk about these motives without spoiling the story. I never knew who committed the crime until I skimmed the last twenty pages. I became too impatient so I read until I found out the truth.

This is Our Story was such a good Young Adult thriller.

 

Last October I was chilling with friends while crafting thanks to this book that was sent to me. After writing my post, I emailed the link off to the woman responsible for marketing the feminism crafting book. Exactly one month later she emailed me about the probability of reviewing a geek-centered retelling of Cinderella and wondered if I would like an advance reading copy. I gleefully typed my response saying I was looking forward to receiving this book. As I returned to my cozy college house I noticed the purple package on my bed and tore it open to find Geekerella within the purple paper. This morning while sipping on coffee, I finished the book. I was disappointed because I didn’t want the book to end.

Elle is the Starfield fangirl. She blogs writes fanfiction, and cosplays and her dad started a convention surrounding Starfield. It wouldn’t be a Cinderella-esque re-telling without Catherine the fake step-mom and Chloe the beauty vlogger stepsister. Darien fits as prince charming who so happens to be the prince in the movie reboot of Starfield. Sage is the fairy godmother in the form of jarring green hair and multiple facial piercings. I don’t want to say much more than that since the book hasn’t been released yet.

This book captures what a fangirl means and why I put so much of my heart and soul into a fictional series. I relate to Elle in the way she speaks of her relationship with her father and her passion for Starfield. Darien is a great character because he presents a new side of what it means to be in the public eye. He often feels alone and distrustful of those in his inner circle. Elle and Darien have this healthy geek relationship that often mirrors how I view my relationship.

Without a moment of hesitation, I rated Geekerella five stars on Goodreads. I wish I could erase my memory of this book so I could re-read it and be entranced with the story.

Perpetual Page Turner is the book blog that starts this end-of-year book survey and I’m very happy to fill it out. Unfortunately, 2016 was not my best reading year compared to 2015. I still read a substantial number of books, but in 2015 I was blown away by my reading number. I cut out some questions because it was getting a little too long.

2016 Reading Stats 

Number Of Books You Read: 33

Number of Re-Reads: 0. I’m not a re-read type of person.

Genre You Read The Most From Graphic novels, only because this genre doesn’t take me that long to read.

Best in Books 

1. Best Book You Read In 2016?

Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll is my pick. Initially, I thought I wouldn’t like this book because the main character was miserable to be around. However, once I read more of her backstory, I started to sympathize with her. The main character is different by the end of the book and she starts focusing on her happiness and dreams.

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

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins. Every book blogger could not stop raving about this book. I read it and I was not impressed. The fact that St. Clair kept doing shady things with Anna behind his girlfriend’s back was not romantic and ruined it for me.

3. Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read?

Operation Stop Hate by Jessie Chandler. This book was intriguing because it analyzed a hate group that was based in Minneapolis. There were parts that I read that I was angry with because this group was just awful in general. It saddens me that people in the world truly believe this way. This book was really well written and I’m on the lookout for more in the series.

4. Best series you started in 2016? Best Sequel of 2016? Best Series Ender of 2016?

I read the entire Brilliance trilogy by Marcus Sakey. Overall, I liked the series.

6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2016?

Rainbow Rowell is my favorite author. I read more of her books in 2015, but I usually always love everything she writes.

7. Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone?

Transgender 101 by Nicolas M Teich. I don’t typically read non-fiction novels, but I have always been interested in sexuality and gender. This book is informative and educational.

8. Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?

Justice for Sara by Erica Spindler was a thrilling mystery. I discovered this book by browsing the mystery section at my local library. This book demonstrates how your family isn’t always the members related by blood.

9. Book You Read In 2016 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?

Nailbiter Volume 1. SO GOOD.

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2016?

Firefight by Brandon Sanderson. The Steelheart series has the best book covers.

11. Most memorable character of 2016?

Suzie from Sex Criminals. Her plans are over the top and she’s devoted to saving her library from demolition. If Suzie existed in the real world, I feel that we would be best friends.

12. Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2016?

I Kill Giants by Joe Kelly. This graphic novel surprised me because I wasn’t expecting how it would turn out. I won’t spoil anything, but I liked Barbara as a character.

13. Best Book You Read In 2016 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure:

Anna and the French Kiss…. and I really really didn’t like this book.
14. Book That Put A Smile On Your Face/Was The Most FUN To Read?

I read Zodiac Starforce and thought it was upbeat and nicely written. I liked the bright colors and all of the characters had their own strengths and personalities. Can’t wait for the second volume.

Blogging/Book Life 

1. New favorite book blog you discovered in 2016?

I always follow Super Space Chick for book reviews. I haven’t discovered a new book blog, but I like blogs that are broader versus writing something so specific.

2. Favorite review that you wrote in 2016?

Feminism Crafting Book. I’m not usually a crafty person, but when I was sent this book to review, I will admit throwing a crafting party added to the experience of writing the review. I made the empowering underwear that I’m still wearing.

3. Best event that you participated in (author signings, festivals, virtual events, memes, etc.)?

Minnesota Comic Book Association Spring Comic Con. I met Phil Juliano and I ended up supporting his Kickstarter campaign. This is a great con to do networking in the Minnesota Comic Scene so I’m glad I went.

4. Best moment of bookish/blogging life in 2016?

Met my goal of 30 for Goodreads, so that’s pretty good.

5. Most challenging thing about blogging or your reading life this year?

My biggest issue is that I want to read before I sleep, but sometimes after a long day, I just want to go to bed. I want to schedule a time to read before I reach that feeling of fatigue where all I can think about is sleep. I also would love to do more reading during the day instead of just at night.

6. Did you complete any reading challenges or goals that you had set for yourself at the beginning of this year?

I only use Goodreads because I like how organized the site is and how it keeps track of what I’m reading.

Looking Ahead

1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2016 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2017?

Finishing the Steelheart series and maybe doing a Harry Potter series re-read.

2. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging Life In 2017? 

50 books are going to be my new goal for 2017.