One of my goals this year is to find time to read. Seeing as I read a wide variety of books, I’ve decided to do a monthly book review, where I go over all the books I’ve read in the month, my thoughts on them and a little taste of what they’re about.
Deadly Class Written by Rick Remender Art by Wesley Craig Colours by Lee Loughridge
During Winter break this year I acquired both of the Deadly Class Omnibuses, and I finally finished (re) reading them this month. I originally read the series in trade paperbacks, but there was something magical about reading the series again in the oversized hardcover format – the two page spreads were especially glorious. To top it all off, the back pages were full of character sketches, alternate covers and other various behind-the-scenes content.
Deadly Class is a comic series set in the late 1980s which follows young and homeless Marcus Lopez Arguello. Marcus is recruited to Kings Dominion – a school for assassins dedicated to a mastery of the deadly arts. The characters are well written and the environment is so well established, and through the series I’ve been introduced to an array of bands and music that I wouldn’t normally listen to. It’s an intense, violent and entertaining read, and I thoroughly enjoyed every bit.
Black Bolt Written by Saladin Ahmed Illustrations by Christian Ward
I read a lot of comics from 2015, and I happened across the first of this series at the library a few months ago, I loved it, but didn’t realize that there was more. I found and read the last of the series in the beginning of January and it did not disappoint. Blackbolt is not a character I knew anything about before reading, but Saladin Ahmed did such an excellent job writing him. I was definitely not expecting this comic to be as touching as it was, the characters and themes were so well developed, tears were shed. Not only was the writing superb, the art was something else. Christian Ward’s illustrations were absolutely gorgeous. Even if you know nothing about Marvel I would recommend giving it a try. Like I said, I knew nothing about these characters before reading and I really enjoyed it. Without giving anything away, the book is about Blackbolt who has been wrongfully imprisoned in this creepy high security prison, and it’s his journey of escape and self discovery/ coming to terms with his identity.
A Tale of Magic by Chris Colfer
This book was the newest Chris Colfer novel, I enjoyed his other books and so while playing a game of library catch up I put it on it hold too. (Library catch up is a game that consists of putting a million books on hold at the library and then speed reading them all when they arrive, inevitably all at the same time) It’s a cute story – it takes place before “The Land of Stories” and it proves as an origin story for some of those characters, while also touching on themes such as sexism and equality. Overall I thought it was a fun read, Chris Colfer is a talented writer, and while it was certainly a children’s book, as Philip Pullman says, “There are some themes, some subjects, too large for adult fiction; they can only be dealt with adequately in a children’s book.”
The Fowl Twins by Eoin Colfer
Now here’s another example of excellent children’s literature. Eoin Colfer was one of my favourite authors throughout elementary school. I read all of his books and loved them all. When I discovered that he had written another book, and another Artemis Fowl story at that, I felt a duty to my childhood self to read it. It was an instant nostalgia trip, and I remembered all those reasons I had loved Eoin Colfer’s writing in the first place. Eoin Colfer has a way of writing where he makes the reader feel smart. He uses a beautiful vocabulary of words that sometimes I’ve never even seen before, and contrary to what one might think, it works quite well. There’s not that feeling of “Children’s Fiction” that comes with many other books of the genre. He’s simply telling a story as eloquently as if he were talking to another adult. He’s also hilarious. The book follows Artemis Fowl’s eleven-year-old twin brothers Miles and Beckett and this crazy adventure they are swept up in, complete with a nunterrogator, an immortal duke and a tiny troll. I felt instantly transported back to my childhood, and the pure joy that came from this book was so appreciated – especially after exams.
Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman
January has been a month of finishing things, and this month I finally found sufficient time to finish Good Omens. This book is absolutely hilarious and beautifully written, it’s next to impossible to tell that it was written by two people, Pratchett and Gaiman’s writing blends together seamlessly. The story follows the Angel Aziraphale and Demon Crowley who’ve come together to stop Armageddon and the end of the world because they’ve grown fond of it. It’s the sort of book that leaves you with a grin on your face. It’s clever and ludicrous and all of the best things. This book was a passion project they created with the ultimate goal of making each other laugh, and it shows. It’s a classic for good reason.
Of Music and Books 