Sadly for Bertie Wooster, Jeeves is among those who are quite fed up with his newest hobby. After gettiNot everyone appreciates the banjolele.
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Sadly for Bertie Wooster, Jeeves is among those who are quite fed up with his newest hobby. After getting hit with a noise complaint from his neighbors and being deserted by his butler, Bertie heads out to the country to continue to strum his instrument. Of course, everything happens to make that utterly impossible as he gets caught up in one hysterical mishap after another.
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This is one of the funnier Jeeves titles and definitely worth reading if you're a fan of Wodehouse, or even just looking for a humorous book. BUT. I do feel that you should be warned that there's a fair bit of really cringy shit in this one that kind of puts the brakes on the funny for a good bit while you try to recover from the shock of the causal racism. I mean, if you read a lot of older novels, you'll be pretty well used to quite a lot of it. You don't have to like it to admit that it just pops up everywhere.
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But between the N-word, the whole escape plan hinging on blackface, and the maids screaming & fainting when they saw Bertie? And just the simple idea people were so stupid to think that some English dude who has shoe polish or whatever on their face could actually pass for someone of a different ethnicity? It was so insulting. And it just went on forever.
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Now, maybe the author was trying to use this as a way to show how ridiculous people could act over something as simple as skin color. Bertie was the same person underneath it all, but he garnered very different reactions when he pulled his little switcheroo. Unfortunately, Wodehouse is dead, so it's not like we can ask him. And as much as I hate to admit it, this is still a hilarious story...
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This would actually be a 5 star book without all the weird racism, but it seriously put a damper on my enjoyment, so I gotta knock off a star even if Wodehouse didn't realize what he was doing.
Recommended for Wodehouse fans and Bertie & Jeeves addicts.
So this was the year that I finally got on board with audiobooks. Best. Thing. Ever. <--except, not so good for comics. Still, I'd never have had the tiSo this was the year that I finally got on board with audiobooks. Best. Thing. Ever. <--except, not so good for comics. Still, I'd never have had the time to read anything without the aid of my Libby app and some earbuds.
Ok, so I thought I had run across this character while reading Ninjak (something, something, Deadside) but I guess I was wrong? This doesn't 3.5 stars
Ok, so I thought I had run across this character while reading Ninjak (something, something, Deadside) but I guess I was wrong? This doesn't seem like the same person at all. Reboot, perhaps? Whatever. It still turned out to be a decent story.
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So the gist is that this new kid ends up taking up the Shadowman mantle (whatever that is) from the father he never knew. <--because of spoilery magic stuff that I just can't/won't explain right now.
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What did I think? The art looks good and I liked the plot well enough to download the next volume to see what will happen....more
Truthfully, I thought this would be a crappy cash-grab due to the new Netflix show (but this was published in 2014) or an equally crappy cash3.5 stars
Truthfully, I thought this would be a crappy cash-grab due to the new Netflix show (but this was published in 2014) or an equally crappy cash-grab due to the popularity of the video games.
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I'm glad I decided to give it a try because it was neither. It was actually a pretty good self-contained Witcher story.
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Don't get me wrong, this isn't your next must-read comic. Far from it. But it is exactly what I would have expected from a fantasy comic based off of the Witcher series. Geralt fights a cool monster...and there's a twist. The End.
[image] The art was nice and the plot was better than I expected. Recommended for fans of The Witcher....more
Ok, no. Not really. But he hates the idea of spending Christmas at an estate in the English countryside because he assuPoirot hates Christmas.
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Ok, no. Not really. But he hates the idea of spending Christmas at an estate in the English countryside because he assumes it will be a cold, drafty nightmare. He wants heaters. And who can blame him for that? Not me. Bing Crosby can keep his White Christmas. I hate cold weather and could completely understand his reluctance.
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Quite a bit of the time when I listen to one of these little short stories, they just aren't very satisfying. But The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding had some meat on the bone. The gist is that a con woman tricked a high-profile prince (of somewhere), who is about to be married, into showing her the family jewels (literally and figuratively) and then stepped out for a pack of proverbial cigarettes. They can't go to the police, because if his fiance and her family find out that he's been dipping his wick in another candle's flame, the engagement will be off - and his family isn't eager to live with the shame of an idiot son.
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Spoilery things happen and then they eat some Christmas pudding. <--whateverthefuck that is! Sounded gross when the cook was describing it. Seriously. She made it like a week in advance. ON PURPOSE. That doesn't sound sanitary.
I'm so sorry. I know this is a beloved graphic novel, but I just didn't like it at all.
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Maybe it's because I don't understand the deeper meaningI'm so sorry. I know this is a beloved graphic novel, but I just didn't like it at all.
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Maybe it's because I don't understand the deeper meaning behind sports (hockey, in this case), or maybe because I'm not Canadian, or possibly it's because my crusty heart looks like a shriveled up chunk of beef jerky? But I was expecting to feel something when I closed Essex County. And I did. Just not anything that gave me the warm & fuzzies or made my eyes glisten with tears. I felt like I had wasted my time with a dull story about dull people leading dull lives and making dull mistakes. With dull art.
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This was (to me) a barely cohesive story that went nowhere. Nowhere. My life story is more interesting than the rambling journey I went on with these characters. I kept waiting for it to make sense, come together, or turn into something poingnant and worthwhile, but it never did. It appears as though I must be missing the entire point because all I'm seeing are 4 and 5 star reviews praising the hell out of this thing. <--from friends and reviewers whose opinions I honestly adore!
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Obviously, I'm in the extremely small minority who wasn't completely blown away by Lemire's Essex County, so take my opinion with a grain of salt. However, if you are like me, and aren't really into stories that just kind of meander around showing slices of life that have no real resolution or point to them? You may want to give this a pass. Everyone who didn't accidentally sell their soul at 3 am to that weird dude for a plate of Nachos BellGrande® should probably pick this up....more
I think a lot of people who grew up reading the original comics or watched the '90s tv show as kids were turned off by the very dark adult version of I think a lot of people who grew up reading the original comics or watched the '90s tv show as kids were turned off by the very dark adult version of the character, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, when it popped up. I liked it a lot, but not everyone was jumping up and down for more.
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This one, however? I think Thompson hit on a nice happy medium. A rebooted modern version that doesn't include cannibalism or incest. <--it can only go up from there, right?
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This was a genuinely sweet story, but it didn't leave that gross saccharine taste in my mouth. Sabrina was cool, and unsure of herself, and badass, and sort of lost. Kind of like a normal teenager.
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The bad guys and bullies are a bit more complicated in this one, which makes it better than the old Evil to be Evil schtick. I was kind of afraid we were going to end up with yet another cackling mean girl, but that's not what happened. In fact, I thought all of the characters were well-rounded. I was pretty impressed. Yeah. I was actually very impressed, now that I think about it.
I think this one will work not only for those who hated the darker Sabrina but also for those who loved it....more
After the shocking ending in volume 3, I wasn't really sure what (or who) to expect from Lone Star.
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But this was great, really. It was everythinAfter the shocking ending in volume 3, I wasn't really sure what (or who) to expect from Lone Star.
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But this was great, really. It was everything I could have hoped for and more, especially considering I wasn't even sure who all had made it out alive.
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Perry continues to be my favorite. I love her new, slightly more mature look in this one, as well. She seems to have grown up ever so slightly and it's really fun to watch her work.
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I'm also digging that there's a whole society of creatures out there, not just vampires. And the idea that there's a supernatural town somewhere off the grid is very cool, too. No complaints here. Recommended....more
Ok, while I can't say I'm all aflutter and fangirling, this is definitely the kind of YA that I don't mind reading. It wasn't whiny or angsty. You're nOk, while I can't say I'm all aflutter and fangirling, this is definitely the kind of YA that I don't mind reading. It wasn't whiny or angsty. You're not a drama queen if you're upset because someone really is trying to kill you, you know? And that was maybe the coolest thing about the entire book for me. Here I am, reading a young adult novel and enjoying it without doing much (if any) eye-rolling. There's no mopey teen girl with a crush on a bad boy and there's no emo-dude stalking his true love from afar. Just a bunch of nasty fairies and a human girl determined to not just survive but to thrive in their world.
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I really can't complain. This was a good young adult book and I can definitely see myself listening to the next one....more
It's the matchup we've been waiting (and waiting and waiting and waiting) for since Batman found that stupid Button. <--I'd lonDC vs. Watchmen!
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It's the matchup we've been waiting (and waiting and waiting and waiting) for since Batman found that stupid Button. <--I'd long since lost interest in whateverthefuck was supposed to have happened, to be quite honest.
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I haven't been keeping up with DC titles, I haven't read the Watchmen in over 10 years, and I wasn't expecting to understand or enjoy much of this. But. There wasn't much else that looked interesting, either. So.
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Having said that, I was surprised that I ended up getting pretty interested in Marionette and Mime. They were actually really well done and I was (dare I say?) rooting for them by the end. The new Rorschach had a good backstory, as well.
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Now, the DC characters that popped up didn't fare as well. Batman was an idiot in this and I don't care about Luthor. Also, I thought Lex was a good guy? Guess that shit wore off.
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At the end of the day, this was (to me) much better than expected. I'm not saying it's going down in the history books as a must-read or anything, but I did think it had a lot more entertainment value than I could have hoped for from a story with characters that I didn't know well and (to be honest) didn't care about previously.
This wasn't completely awful, but Clark's inner monologue was just weird. How can someone sound so fucking awkward inside their own heHa! No.
1.5 stars
This wasn't completely awful, but Clark's inner monologue was just weird. How can someone sound so fucking awkward inside their own head? He sounded so goddamn creepy that I was honestly waiting for the moment when Miller popped up with a Gotcha! This is Evil Superman! twist. No, seriously. I was shocked when it didn't happen.
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I'm not sure what exactly happened to make anyone think it would be a good idea to have Clark turn into a playboy, either. The whole thing is littered with the women in his life who are falling all over themselves to be with him. And...ok? But then he just up and leaves several of them without a backward glance after having these You Are My Forever Love moments with them. And in the case of Posiodon's daughter, Lori, it seems as though they may have been on their way to getting married when he just sort of trotted off on to another adventure. WEIRD. And speaking of weird, that whole incestuous storyline was a lot of fun, wasn't it?
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I gotta say, Wonder Woman giving him that weepy-eyed look as he flies out the window made me throw up in my mouth a little. Getthefuckoutofherewiththat.
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Oh, and apparently Batman not only has a gun (pew, pew!) but now acts like a douchey frat boy after a kegger. AWESOME.
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It's also worth noting that it looks like this version of Baby Clark mind controlled the Kents into adopting him. Because that's not scary as all fuck, is it?
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Just so you think I'm not a big whiner baby, there were parts of it that were interesting. The stuff with him in the military caught my attention as a what if - then it just went off the rails and into mermaid land. Add to that the fact that he never seemed to visit Smallville, or mention Lana & the Kents again, and you can see why I was convinced I was reading a comic about Ultraman.
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Normally, I'm not a fan of John Romita Jr.'s art, but I actually thought this was the best work I've ever personally seen from him. That's not to say I loved it, but I didn't (for once) hate it.
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And look, I know it had to be incredibly hard to try and retell the Superman origin story...again. I get that, really. But maybe that's a sign that it doesn't need to be retold.
I think I'm pretty safe when I say that Code of the Woosters is generally considered one of, if not the, best when it comes to a Bertie & Jeeves book.I think I'm pretty safe when I say that Code of the Woosters is generally considered one of, if not the, best when it comes to a Bertie & Jeeves book. And for good reason. It. Is. Hilarious.
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Wodehouse was really on top of his game when he wrote CotW. It starts Bertie nixing a cruise that Jeeves wants them to go on, moves on to Aunt Dahlia ordering him to sneer at an antique cow creamer, and somehow ends with our favorite Wooster (as he would say) in the soup.
Roderick Spode (leader of the fascist Black Shorts) loves the drippy Madeline, the daughter of Sir Watkyn Bassett - a judge who once fined Bertie £5 for stealing a policeman's helmet. But Madeline is engaged to Bertie's ridiculous friend, Gussie Fink-Nottle - an idiot obsessed with newts. Oh, and Madeline is under the impression that Bertie is secretly in love with her and plans to marry him if anything goes awry with Gussie. Things happen, because of course they do, and it's Bertie to the rescue. Well, it's really Jeeves to the rescue, and the next thing you know Bertie is agreeing to go on that damn cruise. Because of course he does.
This is the Gold Standard for Jeeves' fans, so if you haven't read it yet, make it a priority....more
This is basically masturbatory fanfiction in all its cringy glory. Not that there's anything wrong with that... But it isn't what I expected when I borThis is basically masturbatory fanfiction in all its cringy glory. Not that there's anything wrong with that... But it isn't what I expected when I borrowed this one from my library. However, if you are aware of it going in, you may fare better than I did with this one.
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Now, I knew there were going to be parallels. Because...duh! I mean, I was reading this specifically for that reason. The idea that there could be another Sherlock Holmesesque character really appealed to me. A daughter? Whooo-hoo! And not only Sherly's offspring but Irene Adler's as well?
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Warning: don't go into it expecting a steamy Holmes/Adler secret love story.
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You will be SORELY disappointed.
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Of course, Dr. Watson has a son - Dr. John Watson Jr. And he and Joanna make moon eyes at each other because we've needed a Holmes/Watson love affair since Doyle wrote the original stories. <--I heartily approved of this.
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However. The problems stemmed from the daunting amount of overkill that came along with too much of a good thing. Sherlock & Irene had a secret daughter who has the combined intelligence and craftiness of her biological parents, making her a better detective than her father.
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And (thanks to the infusion of Adler's genes) she is without Holmes grating lack of social graces. Plus, she's beautiful. Oh, and her (super intelligent) son looks exactly like a young Sherlock Holmes.
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Remember the bloodhound, Toby? Well, he's dead. <--because dogs die eventually But the offspring of Toby (Toby 2.0!) is even better.
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Everyone - everyone - in the story is the child of one of Doyle's original characters. In fact, I'm pretty sure the guy delivering the packages in this book to 221B Baker Street is the son of the guy who delivered packages to Sherlock when he and Watson were roommates, and the woman selling flowers on the corner was probably the daughter of the woman selling flowers when Dr. John Watson Sr was courting Dr. John Watson Jr's mother.
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This means that not so shockingly even the bad guy is the descendant of one of Holmes' bad guys.
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The plot was even too much like a Sherlock plot if that makes sense? I mean, back in the day, you could get away with the whole people are born bad because their ancestor was evil, but that sort of thing just sounds stupid now. Yes, it is a Sherlockish theory - but not EVERYTHING in the whole damn book needed to match up to the old stuff. I could only (personally) take so much before the story felt like fanfic written by an obsessed 12 year old.
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I listened to the audiobook version, and the plot worked as a decent time suck. So. It wasn't a total wash for me. And there were times that I thought something was cool. But none of it made up for the overall bombardment of old characters with slightly new DNA....more
Alright, now I listened to the full-cast audiobook and thought that was lovely. However, that meant that I didn't get to look at any of the lovely drawAlright, now I listened to the full-cast audiobook and thought that was lovely. However, that meant that I didn't get to look at any of the lovely drawings that everyone else is talking about in their reviews. From what I can find online, they're worth eyeballing. Free Lesson of the Day: Life is a series of trade-offs, kids.
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Okey-doke. Gaiman is very much hit or miss with me. I sometimes feel like he goes off on rambling tangents and I do not care to traipse along with him. But how much trouble can he get into with a short story? Not much, thankfully.
Spoilers Below!
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I like that he made the queen a badass, but more than that, I liked that she was the one who kissed the sleeping princess without it turning into some sort of crappy, jerk-off lesbian fantasy material. However. There's just not a lot here. Faux Snow White (now a queen) takes off with a few dwarves to go check out some odd happenings a few days (weeks? not sure, but it was a damn sight close) before her marriage. She ends up unraveling a mystery and saving the kingdom of Pseudo Sleeping Beauty. <--the kiss, remember? Then she decides she wants to have adventures instead of marriage and tromps off into the sunset and away from her kingdom.
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Except that was weird. Not her choosing adventure, just the way she did it. I mean, she was the boss when she left her kingdom. There didn't seem to be a valid reason to leave, you know? It didn't appear that she was being forced into marriage, even if she was only mildly fond of the prince and it was a political match. And if she leaves, what happens to all of her subjects? How are you going to guarantee that some tyrant isn't going to step in and take over? If you are the queen of a kingdom and you want to chuck it all and become a pirate, well...you do you. But common courtesy says that you should (as a responsible adult) at least make sure the kingdom doesn't end up getting turned over to someone who is twirling their mustache and cackling. I assume she thought it was all going to be ok, but I think you'd need a visual confirmation for something that big. Also, the prince deserved better than getting ghosted. There was nothing in the story that says he was anything other than a good guy. <--doesn't mean she needs to love him, but it does mean he should get more than a lifetime of wondering if his fiancee got eaten by a bear.
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Bitching aside, it was a good short story that gave the Snow White & Sleeping Beauty fairytales a nice little kick in the ass....more
A good collection of shorts for anyone looking to dip their toes in. I’ve left a link to each individual story at the end of the review, but that’s moA good collection of shorts for anyone looking to dip their toes in. I’ve left a link to each individual story at the end of the review, but that’s mostly for me to help keep track of what stories I have and haven’t read.
Ok. While I think Hugh Fraser is the most excellent narrator on his own, these Poirot novels are really fun when David Suchet guest stars in the audio versions with him. It's just the best of both worlds for me.
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The gist is that Poirot and (sometimes) Hastings solve some unsolvable mysteries. <--but I'm pretty sure most of you guessed that.
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The Adventure of the Clapham Cook is (for some reason) my favorite. I think it's because Poirot gets challenged by a rather huffy woman who is devastated by losing her cook. To her, this loss is just as important as a secret document lost by the government or an expensive gem to a prince, and it made Poirot rethink his snobbish ways and go on the hunt. And then she fired him. Ahahahaha! Of course, that wasn't the end of it for Poirot...
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If you're looking for a fun collection of mini-mysteries by Christie, I personally think this would be a great choice.
I figured it out! I knew whodunnit! I was smugly chuckling and congratulating myself on finally beating Agatha Christie at her own game as I listened tI figured it out! I knew whodunnit! I was smugly chuckling and congratulating myself on finally beating Agatha Christie at her own game as I listened to the end of the book drawing near, knowing that I had beaten the Queen of Mystery.
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Goddammit. She fooled me again. I was all like, wait...whatthefuckjusthappened?! - as I listened to the actual murderer get hauled off to the pokey. sighs
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Anyway. The gist is that Miss Marple's friend, Dolly, finds a body in her library. <--I know, right? Yeah, some random chick (a dancer, no less) pops up all dead and sprawled out in her house, and if she doesn't figure out the who, what, & why, everyone will just assume that it was some floozy her husband was banging on the side. There are a whole lotta extra characters (several with something to hide), a fat inheritance, and another dead girl (this one a gullible teenager) that gets thrown into the mix to make this an interesting story.
Stephanie Cole was the narrator of the version I listened to and (as always) she did an admirable job.
Recommended for fans of Agatha Christie mysteries....more
The Flash origin is retold again and this time his nemesis is The Turtle. <--not kidding And once again, time travel plays a huge roEh.
2.5 stars
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The Flash origin is retold again and this time his nemesis is The Turtle. <--not kidding And once again, time travel plays a huge role in the overall plot. <--shocking, I know
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It was underwhelming. Not terrible. Not unreadable. Just very underwhelming.
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I think if you're a fan of The Flash (like me) you'll feel compelled to read this. I mean, I usually feel the need to read all of the Year One stuff anyway, but that may not be how everyone feels. Anyway. The Turtle + Time Travel = You Decide...more
This was fun, but not (I repeat NOT) a good jumping-off point for anyone new to the Guardians. Or really, anyone who hasn't really been keeping up withThis was fun, but not (I repeat NOT) a good jumping-off point for anyone new to the Guardians. Or really, anyone who hasn't really been keeping up with what's been happening lately. Psst! What's been happening lately?
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Gamora has hightailed it for some reason. Rocket is MIA due to some shhh! don't talk about what happened! secret, and Groot can fucking talk now.
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I liked seeing the reappearance of some of the older GotG members like Moondragon and Nova. Was Nova a member or did he just hang out with them all the time? I can't remember. At any rate, I like seeing the new/old faces. This is one I'd like to keep reading, but I think I'll just Google what's happened in the previous comics because I'm pretty sure I tried once before and just lost interest somewhere along the way. I like Cates, so if anyone has an opinion on whether or not this is one to stick with, I'd appreciate it....more
This is the age-old story of the good guys fighting the bad guys, plus more bad guys who are also fighting the first set of bad guys, together with a This is the age-old story of the good guys fighting the bad guys, plus more bad guys who are also fighting the first set of bad guys, together with a few morally ambiguous guys who work for the bad guys, aaaaand a few fucknuts crazies who just like to kill things.
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I'm not super familiar with The Authority, having just read enough about them to recognize a few things here and there. I'd like to read more, but I've found that I'm usually less than impressed when I have to go back and read older comics for the first time. Which means that I've kind of become the person who tries to find good reboots.
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And as a 'retelling' of the origins of The Authority to someone who didn't read much of the source material? I liked this quite a bit. If you're a fan of the original? Your mileage may vary.
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I thoroughly enjoyed not only volume 4's conclusion (well done!) but the entire run. Recommended!...more
This had a seriously GREAT premise and very nice art. But the more I read the worse it got.
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The gist is that a coven of extremely powerful witcheThis had a seriously GREAT premise and very nice art. But the more I read the worse it got.
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The gist is that a coven of extremely powerful witches gets taken down by a group of male witch hunters. How, you ask? They somehow get hold of and brainwash the ladies (off-page) into thinking that they're housewives, and then have this whole Truman Show camera set up going on underground to keep an eye on them while the guys are 'at work'. Plus, a massive firewall (literally a forest fire) around the neighborhood keeps the women from leaving. What?
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Here's the thing, though. I wanted to root for these women to break free, but they weren't all that likable. I mean, I still wanted them to figure out what was happening to them, but I didn't particularly think they were good people and/or very interesting without their magic. (view spoiler)[I thought it was weird that the one chick set her 'husband' on fire and casually killed him, and he wasn't even the worst of the bunch. Then they just let the other dudes off? Supposedly burying them in the bunker but letting them live? The whole ending was strange and the various punishments didn't quite seem to fit the crimes. (hide spoiler)]
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The dialogue was clunky and the plot seemed to wander off onto this oddball path that didn't make any sort of real sense. I kind of want to see if Blacker can pull the story back down off the ledge, but it doesn't look (as of right now) like there's going to be a 2nd volume. Of course, that could change.
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If you're on the fence about this, I'd recommend waiting to see what happens in the future with this title. As of right now, I'm not all that impressed....more
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