So, it's been a while.

If you wanna see some of what I've been up to, you can follow me & @Dempsey at @yourwordspodca1 on Twitter and check out our podcast at yourwordspodcast.com .

I've only read the first story so far, but already I can tell this is gonna be one of my favorite books I read this year.

The Barnes and Noble near where I work reopened to the public today, with a new, more social distancing-friendly floor plan. Once I got a handle on where the manga section was, I found that the new volume of Flying Witch had come out!

Finally got this beefy book knocked out after 3 months. A great family drama spread across 4 generations, with rich historical detail and cultural savvy that beings you right into the characters' perspectives.

Surprised I didn't post about reading this one, despite starting it at the same time as Indelicacy. Not as memorable as Vacationland, but enjoyable throughout with some really standout sequences.

Finished this one a while back. The shift in tone between the different narrative elements, from the disappearance to the investigation to the historical context and legal proceedings, is engaging and manages to feel respectful of the victims.

A great aspect afforded by the serialized format are these chapter bumpers that vary between single panel vignettes, promotional art, and even concurrent side-stories to the main plot.

On the other hand, the writing can be effectively spare and poignant when it needs to be. For context, these two panels comprise a full page in a 20 page weekly comic.

One of the more delightful aspects of the writing is how it embraces asides and tangents. Luffy & Usopp are especially good for this kind of dialogue.

Have been working my way through One Piece on the Shonen Jump app for the last month and taking screen caps of pages that I find most striking.

All the local libraries are closed, so I haven't been able to return these overdue books.

Read this one in store over the course of 4 days. Feel like the spectre of illness lent the read a somber atmosphere, which helped with some of the early & winter-set passages. Really enjoyed for its prose and the psychology of the protagonist. While the ending isn't much, the overall brevity makes that less an issue and, if anything, invites revisiting.

I started reading this short novel at M. Judson's the other day; then I learned that the B&N near my job had a copy too, so I could finish it on my breaks.

Considering the last volume came out nearly 14 months ago, this one's release feels like an event.

After going into town to cast my absentee ballot, I swung by M. Judson's and saw where they had a new Penguin series on display. Had put this one on my #TBR ages ago and forgot about it until now.

Now that I've gotten a couple of titles under my belt, I feel more comfortable taking on something with some heft. Actually a pretty swift read, considering; after a few days I'm already at over a hundred pages.

A great collection of thematically linked stories with only one dud to speak of. Will say as I wrote in my journal entry, it's discomforting how close some of these hit to home.

Between Their Eyes Were Watching God and Brave New World, right where it belongs.

I bought these Yen Press editions to replace my old ADV editions, mainly so I could have them without all the advertisements in the back. Am interested to look into the editorial & translation differences between the two versions.

Had a gnarled B&N edition of Tristram Shandy that I've been looking to replace for a while now, and found this and an Olive edition while out running errands today.

Finished my first book of the year and made my first journal entry.

Not a long book, but one that benefits from a single session reading. Less a travelogue than a collection of essays and short stories from an ambiguously autobiographical narrator.

Couldn't make it by M. Judson's before they closed for New Year's Eve, so I hit up the main branch of my local library instead. I really fell off reading library books this year, and one of my reading resolutions is certainly to do more, as well as reading the books I already own.

Really looking forward to starting my reading journal next year.

That having been said: uh, bookriot? Can we talk about who you use for your theme quotes?

Got this lovely edition for Christmas; gonna wait to start it in the new year.

Time to throw in the towel: I'm not gonna make my reading goal for this year. Otherwise, I might be inclined to not include a book I read in less than an hour. Now though? Eh.

A fun read, and a good vehicle for Vonnegut's sardonic wit.

#fallisbooked #ascarybook

Read Uzumaki earlier this year, and while this isn't considered quite as terrifying, it feels in the spirit of the season.

#manga

Guilted myself into buying something from my local #indiebookstore today. Beautiful cover won me over.

Snagged some #manga at 2nd & Charles today. Will have occasion to post about the others later, but today I wanted to post this gorgeous collection of the late, great Satoshi Kon's works. I still haven't read Opus, but I've loved all his films, and really look forward to getting into these stories.

Refreshing in its indigenous perspective, though dated where aspects of gender are concerned. Ends a little neatly for my taste, but is a great ride getting there.

Was stopped in my tracks by this stunning collection of Olive Editions. Picked up a couple of promising titles to get into the spirit of the season.

#fallisbooked #octobertbr

Quite good literary novel I bought years ago and never got around to finishing until now. The back cover fell off, so I've been using it as a bookmark.

Guts > Starlord

Got the second omnibus recently, which spurred me to finally finish book one. Know the Golden Age arc from the original anime, but it's interesting to see what parts were changed.

A lot of manga, especially that which is aimed at young boys, can be indulgent and problematic. At its best (or even at the same time), it can be a great means for getting those same young boys to engage with their emotions in a way that encourages vulnerability and empathy.

Okay, all this book shopping is starting to read like lifestyle porn, so I think I'll reign it in for a while after this.

Anyway, had a special coupon for B&N that expired today, so I used it to buy, among other things, my 10th Vonnegut novel (miscounted before the last post, I'm still 4 short of all the novels).

Here are the titles that beat out Jacob's Ladder for my Emory Bookstore purchase. I prioritize translated works when I'm shopping there, as it's a safer bet I won't be able to find them closer to home.

The Decateur Book Nook can honestly be a bit of a slog sometimes, with the bulk of it's used stock falling pretty middle of the road. Where it excels, however, is in it's stock of media and newer hardbacks, the prices for which are generally a steal.

Here are the other books I picked up from ATL Vintage yesterday.

- The staffer who rang me up seemed genuinely surprised that they had a like-new Lovecraft in stock.
- With Bluebeard, I now own all but one of Vonnegut's novels.
- Feel like I'd heard of Dies before, though maybe there are multiple books out there that consist of a single sentence.

Was curious why a used copy of a trade paperback would go for $15; then I learned that it wasn't commercially available in America, but was instead published in english in India and then imported. Thanks to the ATL Vintage staffer who sold it to me at a further discount even after we learned this fact. Seriously, cannot recommend that store highly enough!

Eagle Eye is the perfect middle ground between retail bookseller (they even have their own B&N-esque free membership program) and used bookstore. This was the only title I picked up today, but only because I'd already gotten a lot of the other books they had that I'd be interested in.

Don't let the corporate branding fool you, #barnesandnoble student bookstores have some of the most eclectic selections of modern and classic titles you'll find anywhere.

There's almost always one big book I wind up not getting at the time, only to not be able to find it anywhere later. It was either this one or two paperbacks, and I went with the latter.

Possibly the biggest bookstore in Atlanta, or at least the most dense. Great for those who enjoy getting lost amongst the shelves.

For their staff, stock, and general ambiance, Vintage Books is the absolute best bookstore in Atlanta.

@Dempsey BOO!

In Atlanta today & tomorrow, so you can expect a lot of bookstore updates. For now, though, gonna get some dinner at one of my old favorite spots.

Some #booksale novel purchases. Was only familiar with Silence, which I'd been waiting to find a non-film licensed edition to buy. Other two are beefy reads I don't expect to get to for a while.

Another batch from last week's #booksale , grouped by badges. Only one is a decal; try to guess which one.

Been a pretty busy week, so I haven't been able to post about last weekend's Literacy Association #booksale .

Have been wanting to get into this series, but the titles can vary in price (have seen some as high as $7), so when I had the opportunity to get a dozen of them at $2 a pop, I leapt at it.