“A group of students stranded out of time face an internal coup, a wasteland monster...and a plague. “ —cover blurb

I use Libib to keep a catalogue of my collection, but these old Disney comics done‘t have a lot of information in them as to who wrote the scripts and illustrated it, etc. Thank god for comics.org. It not a fancy site, but it has all the information I‘ve been looking for. Anyone else have any cool, old comics? 😁 I‘d love to see them!! ❤️❤️

The Drifting Classroom won one of Japan‘s major literary awards, The 20th Shogakukan Manga Award, in 1975. It‘s mix of psychological horror and splatter horror with a pinch of giant monsters is such a delicious blend. *chefs kiss*

The Drifting Classroom ran in Japan from 1972 - 1974. Kazuo Umezz is considered a pioneer of Japans horror manga genre.

The entirety of Yamato Elementary School finds itself mysteriously transported to an alien landscape. Panic, paranoia, dwindling supplies, and strange occurrences will make surviving this wasteland nearly impossible.

Last June, Viz Media released the final volume of The Drifting Classroom: a mammoth collection by famous horror creator, Kazuo Umezz. These are gorgeous hardcovers, each containing over 700 glossy, gorgeous pages.

Escape Journey is a solid yaoi and romance novel with plenty of cute moments and erotic sex scenes.

The central conflict makes use of the trope where the leads cannot communicate effectively. Given the setting, it makes sense and only feels a little forced.

—CONTENT WARNING—
Sexual Violence: I have to dock it a star for a dubiously consentual scene.
Graphic Sex
Urination during sex (brief mention)

Slayton drops you right into the action of this dark, intense urban fantasy. Going between the point of view of two estranged brothers—Slayton introduces flawed, sympathetic characters whose complex relationship grows and changes as the book progresses.

Slayton has written a big-bad that feels truly sinister; a love triangle I actually enjoyed; and balanced the character growth with well-paced action and just the right amount of mystery.

The Spare is another alternate reality England, following the (fictional) members of the royal family. There are quiet a few characters, but Dubner succeeds in integrating their stories without bogging it all down. The various romances--each scandalous in their own way and happening at the same time--seem a bit excessive, but Dubner manages to keep it compelling to the end.

Meal doesn‘t feel as polished as other comics, but it has so many wonderful things going for it. It‘s a food comic in the vain of What Did You Eat Yesterday but with bugs as the focus. The protagonist is queer and is involved in a very cute romance. The entire cast is diverse, which is fantastic to see. It‘s a fascinating read that has me rethinking my views on bugs and cuisine as a whole.

A short but beautiful book. Poetry in comic form. Walden has a way of setting up an impactful atmosphere. I love her work and this is no exception.

Boyfriend Material is a romance book that contains many of my favorite tropes. I love a mouthy protagonist who's life is a hot mess. I love the quiet, broody love interest. The relationship grows through the book through mishaps and sweet moments. Alexis Hall has written a book that is my perfect feel-good read.

Hand, Meadows, and Ashton have done a fantastic job reinterpreting Jane Eyre into a silly adventure story full of ghosts and magic. It‘s a light-hearted romp with a cast of fun characters. It didn‘t always feel entirely focused, but seeing the authors weave Jane Eyre into a brand new creation was hugely enjoyable.

One of the last essays: Stay Out of the Forest, was the kind of thing I was hoping to read from a book with this title. It was a wonderful examination of violence against women, the language we use, and how men are central in enacting change. Much of the rest of the book was a mix of memoir and mediocre self-help stuff.

I‘m not sure I can recommended it. Listen to the podcast My Favourite Murder instead. It‘s fantastic.

It‘s easy to become eagerly engaged in the mysteries and discoveries that the brain holds, especially with Sacks‘ descriptive style.

John Lee narrates the audio book with a soothing cadence, bringing a melodic rhythm to Sacks‘ words.

Outdated phrasing is sort of expected with older works and this book has terms we would no longer use. Besides that it‘s a very accessible book and highly recommended.

“People were animals too once. And when we turned into human beings we gave something up. Being close to animals brings some of it back.”

This is a wonderful book on both autism and animal communication, two topics that are far more closely linked than you may have imagined.

Very accessible. Not a detailed run down of autism, but rather a overview to help people who have autistic women/girls in their life or who are themselves autistic to find understanding and sense of belonging.

If you have any reason to understand more about autism I can recommend this book as a wonderful place to get your feet wet.

❤️

This books has been a ray of light in a dark, confusing reality. I think I may have finally discovered the source of my depression, anxiety, and feelings of alienation. ❤️

My first book of the year was this adorable self-published comic by Jackie E. Davis that my bestie bought me for Christmas. She and I live far apart, which can be so hard. But she‘s always in my heart.

“Who is to say that an object does not come with its own agenda? Or that the collective agenda of its previous owners does not direct its purpose still?”

My Sister, the Serial Killer is dark and satisfying. Braithwaite creates characters with complex motivations and presents objectively horrible people in a way that had me rooting for them.

The slow build to the books conclusion feels sweetly vindicating, like any good revenge fantasy should. This is an amazing book of sympathetic villains, set in a the vibrant world of Lagos, and written with a dark wit.

Easily a high recommendation from me.

Volume one, part one is rough. If I hadn‘t been advised to skip the first part of this series entirely I might have given up the whole thing. I‘m seeing the glimmer of something good here.

That being said: if you can‘t get past the misogynistic tropes or the dog death, I wouldn‘t blame you. There‘s also a pretty gross caricature of a Chinese man...so yay for that (sarcasm).

The start of this series is a rough one. It does improve significantly near the end of the volume, but the entire Dio Brando the Invader section was awful. By the time I got to the final third of the volume, things started getting fun. The Stone Mask introduces the outrageous fights and goofy characters the the series is famous for. From the start of this part, until the final page, it had me entertained with its absurdity.

TW: ASSAULT & DOG DEATH!!
icky plot points! Erina, the only female character so far (who isn‘t immediately killed) is assaulted by Dio in order to cause Jojo pain (big yikes). And then! Just to really drive home what a big-bad Dio is, he burns Jojo‘s dog alive. Ughhh

It‘s very obvious that Araki was unsure where he wanted to take this. The story opens with some pretty atrocious dialogue that probably could have been better localized, but I wonder what they had to work with initially. “I hate rich people! I don‘t have a reason to, but I hate them!” Yikes.

VIZ Media‘s treatment of this series. The books are gorgeous! Eye-catching covers that translate the absurdity of the narrative, and all printed on sturdy materials. There are some lovely coloured pages in here. And the end papers! Not only are they cleverly designed, but they also translate where and when this story takes place with a simple graphic.

Dear Anita,
I don‘t know where life led you, all these years later, it I remember your kindness and hope you are well ❤️ #notesinmybook #lostandfound #thinkingofyou

Morrison‘s empathy and wisdom are etched into ever drop of ink. This is a book about breaking cycles of abuse and finding the courage to love yourself, to love others. But it‘s also a commentary of the destruction childhood trauma can cause. One of the best books I‘ve ever read. I would absolutely recommend to everyone —except— for the fact that I must issue a TRIGGER WARNING: descriptions of childhood rape and abuse. proceed with caution.

Morrison is a master of her craft. Her writing is beautiful, powerful—I‘m in love with this woman‘s words.

I have never read a book that was so brutal and so beautiful. It makes my heart ache—but with what I‘m not sure. Sadness? Love? Maybe both. It‘s a woven tapestry of shit and sunshine. One of the most powerful books I‘ve ever read and I‘m only 2/3 through.

I‘ve been trying to save money but today I just couldn‘t resist. Look at these beauties!! ❤️❤️

“Guilt, the train wheels clucked like round black birds, and guilt, and guilt, and guilt.”

Plath's short allegorical story starts off innocently enough, subtly revealing the more sinister subplot as the tale weaves on.

Rejecting the guilt and expectation--running from a society that would have you shut up and keep your to your place--I loved that. It's dangerous and scary and the only way to be free.

School assignments and reading is pretty heavy this weekend, so during my study breaks I‘m reorganizing and cataloguing my books to help with the stress 😝#bibliophile #homelibrary

My ‘E‘ entry for the #LitsyAtoZ2019 challenge by @BookishMarginalia

Satrapi put together a lovely vignette focusing on a gathering women coming together to have tea. The illustrative style pairs perfectly with the raw, unpolished narrative. It‘s a book about a bunch of women venting and sharing their personal and political thoughts and it‘s fantastic.

Highly recommended.

There‘s something I really love about stories that focus on small moments.

Dementia 21 is the D title for my #LitsyAtoZ2019 challenge by @BookishMarginalia

I‘m a bit behind with this challenge but I‘m having a lot of fun with it. Especially with this bizarre book 😋

If you‘re a fan of horror or Junji Ito I‘m sure you‘ll get a kick out of this book. Fantagraphics have put together a beautiful edition. Rachel Matt Thorne has done a fantastic job with the translation. And there‘s even a bit of an interview in the back of the book, paired with fantastic full colour images.

Kago‘s work ranges from bizarre to disturbing to silly. Each chapter is a new, wild scenario where health aide Sakai cares for a strange elderly person or people. Some have crazy powers, others seem possessed. It‘s always a wild ride to see where Kago‘s crazy mind goes next.

Silly, bizarre, and over-the-top, Sparks reminds me of a kids cartoon in all the best ways. I love the premise of two super intelligent cats saving the day while propelling a dog suit.

A fantastic all-ages comic. Recommended.

Matsumoto‘s art is expressive and Dedrick‘s colours are vivid. Combined, they have created a dynamic and fun comic to look at. Boothby‘s story has great comedic beats and a good narrative flow. He manages to provide character depth to an otherwise simplistic story. Great balance of goofiness and sincerity.

Johnson‘s latest comic with First Second is a cute and silly comic focusing on a team of elementary school girls each struggling with their own growing pains and slowly becoming friends.

I‘m very interested in reading more by Johnson and can easily recommend this book to kids and adults.

I loved the representation in this book. Their are tomboys and preppy girls, punks and studious kids. Everyone has a distinct personality and get a bit of backstory to give them depth. The different interactions are super cute. Bonus, if you‘re looking for positive LGBTQ+ rep, this book has it.

I really love the sketchy look to the illustrations in The Breakaways. It gives the girls energy and personality in every panel. Kevin Czap‘s colours pairs wonderfully with Johnson‘s work.

The first book in what promises to be a fantastic adventure series. It reminds me a lot of the Tintin comics I read as a kid. Theres a great ebb and flow of action and tension. Larson has a good sense of when to add her narrative beats.

The book is a fantastic, all-ages adventure, particularly if you want a break from the plethora of fantasy & sci-fi stories.

This is my C entry in the #LitsyAtoZ2019 Reading Challenge ❤️ by @BookishMarginalia

Larson has created a great balance of exposition and visual story telling with this title.

Mock‘s illustrations are fun and vibrant. She does a fantastic job relating personality into each of her characters. I love her bold lines and colours. It really makes the story come alive. #comicsread2019