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shanaqui's reviews
1148 reviews
The All-Nighter by Chip Zdarsky
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I read all three volumes of Chip Zdarsky's The All-Nighter in pretty short order, so apologies if I get the events of each book a little overlapped! The basic premise of the series is that stories have the power to create the creatures they discuss -- Dracula came into being for real thanks to Bram Stoker, Frankenstein's monster due to Mary Shelley, etc. They remember their fictional pasts, but they've also lived on since then. And there are, of course, rules. They must not reveal themselves, or The Takers come.
So there's a bunch of vampires running a diner, appearing only at night, and trying to fake that they're just humans to avoid a run-in with The Takers. This isn't always a very satisfying life, though, and one of them (Alex) ends up giving into his urge to show off his strength and power by playing the hero and rescuing someone. It turns out to be a loophole: he can pretend to be a superhero, instead, a vigilante hero who works at night, Batman-style...
And obviously things go wrong. There's a found-family situation at the diner and of course they get dragged into it, though most of them (other than Joy) aren't fleshed out much in this first volume, which makes it a bit more difficult to care about that.
In the end, they all come together to solve the mess Alex has caused as all kinds of creatures come out of the wordwork using the same loophole of superheroes and supervillains... but obviously the genie can't be put back in the bottle.
So there's a bunch of vampires running a diner, appearing only at night, and trying to fake that they're just humans to avoid a run-in with The Takers. This isn't always a very satisfying life, though, and one of them (Alex) ends up giving into his urge to show off his strength and power by playing the hero and rescuing someone. It turns out to be a loophole: he can pretend to be a superhero, instead, a vigilante hero who works at night, Batman-style...
And obviously things go wrong. There's a found-family situation at the diner and of course they get dragged into it, though most of them (other than Joy) aren't fleshed out much in this first volume, which makes it a bit more difficult to care about that.
In the end, they all come together to solve the mess Alex has caused as all kinds of creatures come out of the wordwork using the same loophole of superheroes and supervillains... but obviously the genie can't be put back in the bottle.
The Marble Queen by Anna Kopp
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Anna Kopp and Gabrielle Kari's The Marble Queen has some lovely art and character design (though it didn't always look consistently great -- there are some panels that really lack polish).
Story-wise, the pace is a bit meh, since we're meant to believe that Amelia and Salira are in love really quickly, enough to overrule Salira's love for the woman she meant to marry instead. (This is kind of "handled" in that Salira says that she no longer loves that woman because of the circumstances, but it comes across as pretty thin.)
It's a fun concept: Amelia is the princess of a kingdom practically besieged by pirates, married off in order to cement an alliance. To her surprise, she's married to Queen Salira... and unable to ever leave the country again because of magical reasons. She accepts all this remarkably quickly, manages to notice plots that Salira was completely oblivious to, etc, etc, saves the day, etc, etc, happy ending.
It all just goes too fast, probably not helped by the format (it's harder to do lots of quiet pining scenes in a graphic novel). Even when something goes wrong and Amelia is imprisoned, it's literally just for a night and suddenly everything is fine again in the morning.
There are upsides -- Salira and Amelia are adorable. There's also some discussion of Amelia's anxiety, which is represented throughout the story by briars grabbing hold of her, and a little bit of Salira's. Ultimately, though, the book just doesn't linger with any of its themes, and the more I think about it, the more it crumbles.
Story-wise, the pace is a bit meh, since we're meant to believe that Amelia and Salira are in love really quickly, enough to overrule Salira's love for the woman she meant to marry instead. (This is kind of "handled" in that Salira says that she no longer loves that woman because of the circumstances, but it comes across as pretty thin.)
It's a fun concept: Amelia is the princess of a kingdom practically besieged by pirates, married off in order to cement an alliance. To her surprise, she's married to Queen Salira... and unable to ever leave the country again because of magical reasons. She accepts all this remarkably quickly, manages to notice plots that Salira was completely oblivious to, etc, etc, saves the day, etc, etc, happy ending.
It all just goes too fast, probably not helped by the format (it's harder to do lots of quiet pining scenes in a graphic novel). Even when something goes wrong and Amelia is imprisoned, it's literally just for a night and suddenly everything is fine again in the morning.
There are upsides -- Salira and Amelia are adorable. There's also some discussion of Amelia's anxiety, which is represented throughout the story by briars grabbing hold of her, and a little bit of Salira's. Ultimately, though, the book just doesn't linger with any of its themes, and the more I think about it, the more it crumbles.
Dramatic Murder by Elizabeth Anthony
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Elizabeth Anthony's Dramatic Murder has the subtitle "A Lost Christmas Mystery" in the British Library Crime Classics series. And it's technically true: it is set at Christmas, opening as Dr Harley and Katherine arrive at the Scottish home of a playwright, Dimpson McCabe -- and find him dead, electrocuted while working on the lights for an enormous Christmas Tree.
The descriptions of his home and the tree are atmospheric but... somehow none of it screams Christmas. It's basically the fact that there's a tree and a brief mention of giving out presents from the deceased afterwards that reminds you -- barely -- that it opened at Christmas. The story doesn't really revolve around it at all, except that the lights provided a method for murder.
So not a super seasonal read, but I found it a fun mystery. After a certain point it becomes blindingly obvious who the murderer is, though it takes a bit longer for the motive to be spelled out as clearly. It's still very tense, though, because you don't know quite who might be in the firing line next.
The police character, Smith, is a fairly background one, but not exactly cast in the usual mystery mould somehow. He seems so mild. The main "detective" is Katherine, I suppose, but really we get to see the mystery unfold from the point of view of the whole cast of suspects, which adds to the tension as they all seem to feel a sense of foreboding and danger.
Overall, I think I enjoyed it quite a bit. It's kind of hard to say because for a while, as I was reading it, it felt a bit fragmented. But at the end, looking back on it, it came together well, and there's certainly some very fine writing.
The descriptions of his home and the tree are atmospheric but... somehow none of it screams Christmas. It's basically the fact that there's a tree and a brief mention of giving out presents from the deceased afterwards that reminds you -- barely -- that it opened at Christmas. The story doesn't really revolve around it at all, except that the lights provided a method for murder.
So not a super seasonal read, but I found it a fun mystery. After a certain point it becomes blindingly obvious who the murderer is, though it takes a bit longer for the motive to be spelled out as clearly. It's still very tense, though, because you don't know quite who might be in the firing line next.
The police character, Smith, is a fairly background one, but not exactly cast in the usual mystery mould somehow. He seems so mild. The main "detective" is Katherine, I suppose, but really we get to see the mystery unfold from the point of view of the whole cast of suspects, which adds to the tension as they all seem to feel a sense of foreboding and danger.
Overall, I think I enjoyed it quite a bit. It's kind of hard to say because for a while, as I was reading it, it felt a bit fragmented. But at the end, looking back on it, it came together well, and there's certainly some very fine writing.
Soda and Fizzy Drinks: A Global History by Judith Levin
informative
medium-paced
4.0
Judith Levin's Soda and Fizzy Drinks is another entry in the "Edible" series, all global histories of particular food items. Levin discusses the development of fizzy drinks and also their modern popularity, what they mean to people, and why they keep coming out with weird seasonal flavours (basically, to grab people's attention and keep up demand, which isn't a surprise).
I was surprised to learn about flavours of soda like celery, turkey and gravy, etc, and not surprised by much else such as the history of Coca-Cola and various reactions to Coca-Cola like Inca Cola. I was surprised that (according to Levin) Coca-Cola is viewed as pretty much holy by the Maya people. (Mostly so far in my external reading inspired by this book I've found sources discussing it as a part of diet in Mexico, and discussing changes brought by "coca-colonisation", but less about it actually being a part of religious ceremonies.)
As usual with this series, the book is illustrated (sometimes making reference of the images and sometimes not really), and has a bunch of recipes in the back.
I was surprised to learn about flavours of soda like celery, turkey and gravy, etc, and not surprised by much else such as the history of Coca-Cola and various reactions to Coca-Cola like Inca Cola. I was surprised that (according to Levin) Coca-Cola is viewed as pretty much holy by the Maya people. (Mostly so far in my external reading inspired by this book I've found sources discussing it as a part of diet in Mexico, and discussing changes brought by "coca-colonisation", but less about it actually being a part of religious ceremonies.)
As usual with this series, the book is illustrated (sometimes making reference of the images and sometimes not really), and has a bunch of recipes in the back.
I Feel Awful, Thanks by Lara Pickle
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Lara Pickle's I Feel Awful, Thanks comes out to being a depiction of anxiety and therapy in a fantasy world where emotions manifest near-physically, and turn into dragons if shut in a box and ignored. It's, ah, not subtle. At all.
The fantasy world is one where magic is basically taken for granted: everyone can do a little, and some can do a lot more than most. Otherwise, it's very much like our world, and the main character Joana goes from Spain to the UK for a first job helping to create new potions. Her work is stolen by her team leader, she makes some friends but falls into terrible patterns of bad communication with her boyfriend, and slams all her feelings into a box with predictable consequences.
As a discussion of how anxiety (and other feelings) can get bottled up and how you can treat yourself poorly in the process, it's not bad. It's a bit overly simplistic, of course, and it feels like Joana's journey is vastly exaggerated as far as speed of recovery goes -- but it does mention genuine techniques that you can try, and Joana and her friends are relatable and likeable enough to spend the time with.
The fantasy world is one where magic is basically taken for granted: everyone can do a little, and some can do a lot more than most. Otherwise, it's very much like our world, and the main character Joana goes from Spain to the UK for a first job helping to create new potions. Her work is stolen by her team leader, she makes some friends but falls into terrible patterns of bad communication with her boyfriend, and slams all her feelings into a box with predictable consequences.
As a discussion of how anxiety (and other feelings) can get bottled up and how you can treat yourself poorly in the process, it's not bad. It's a bit overly simplistic, of course, and it feels like Joana's journey is vastly exaggerated as far as speed of recovery goes -- but it does mention genuine techniques that you can try, and Joana and her friends are relatable and likeable enough to spend the time with.
Book Curses by Eleanor Baker
informative
4.0
Book Curses has commentary and selections by Eleanor Baker, but is largely taken up with reproductions of various curses people have written in books, from ancient times to modern, in order to "protect" the books from being stolen. I was hoping for a little more commentary, personally, though there is enough to provide context (both general, for each block of time discussed, and specific to each curse).
I wasn't 100% sure I agreed with all of the translations, personally. It's been over a decade since Middle English was my field, though (and I have a lot more practice with Anglo-Saxon and Icelandic), so probably I should concede that Baker likely knows what she's doing. There was a translation of a word "pokke" (I think -- I can't quickly find the exact spelling again to check) which can mean "sleeve" or, more obviously, "pocket". It was translated in this volume as "sleeve", with a comment about a particular kind of sleeve that might have been meant. Pocket might have been a more common-sense translation there.
That said, that's quibbling, and I appreciated some of the other decisions very much (like keeping the original choice of where to break lines, for the most part). It's an interesting little compilation!
I wasn't 100% sure I agreed with all of the translations, personally. It's been over a decade since Middle English was my field, though (and I have a lot more practice with Anglo-Saxon and Icelandic), so probably I should concede that Baker likely knows what she's doing. There was a translation of a word "pokke" (I think -- I can't quickly find the exact spelling again to check) which can mean "sleeve" or, more obviously, "pocket". It was translated in this volume as "sleeve", with a comment about a particular kind of sleeve that might have been meant. Pocket might have been a more common-sense translation there.
That said, that's quibbling, and I appreciated some of the other decisions very much (like keeping the original choice of where to break lines, for the most part). It's an interesting little compilation!
Merriment and Mayhem by Alexandria Bellefleur
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Embarrassment squick for me, yike.
Only Santas in the Building by Alexis Daria
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Come on, girl, it's obvious who is leaving you the ornaments, sheesh.
The Cybernetic Tea Shop by Meredith Katz
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Meredith Katz's The Cybernetic Teashop is a novella focusing on two characters: a technician called Clara, who likes to wander from city to city, letting her job take her wherever she feels an urge to go, and a robot called Sal, who has been running a teashop for almost 300 years, since long after her original owner (and partner) died.
The solution is obvious in the setup: Sal is slowly beginning to fall apart, and Clara's got the knowhow to fix her. But that isn't all there is to it, as they also form a personal bond, and become partners. There's a bittersweetness to it since we know Sal will long outlast Clara, but the way it works out is very sweet: Sal is ready to begin taking new risks and doing new things, and Clara has someone who will go with her.
Also, a particular highlight is Clara's pet/robot, Joanie: she isn't quite sentient but still packs plenty of personality...
I really liked it, and though there are some shadows over the story (such as persecution of Sal for being a robot), it's overall really gentle and warm.
The solution is obvious in the setup: Sal is slowly beginning to fall apart, and Clara's got the knowhow to fix her. But that isn't all there is to it, as they also form a personal bond, and become partners. There's a bittersweetness to it since we know Sal will long outlast Clara, but the way it works out is very sweet: Sal is ready to begin taking new risks and doing new things, and Clara has someone who will go with her.
Also, a particular highlight is Clara's pet/robot, Joanie: she isn't quite sentient but still packs plenty of personality...
I really liked it, and though there are some shadows over the story (such as persecution of Sal for being a robot), it's overall really gentle and warm.
Against Technoableism: Rethinking Who Needs Improvement by Ashley Shew
informative
reflective
fast-paced
4.0
Ashley Shew's Against Technoableism is a fairly short book divided into chapters that don't need to be read linearly. It has a few different themes: one is that technology isn't the cure-all that people are suggesting for various disabilities, and that even if it was, is that really for the best for people with disabilities, and is it what they want? And why, either way, is assistive technology often developed without reference to what disabled people actually want?
It also delves into the social model of disability, and spares a chapter to discuss neurodiversity (though Shew acknowledges that that isn't her lane, so she does a lot of talking with others). She points out throughout the book that the way we look at people with disabilities is often what is disabling: if we stopped policing how autistic people express themselves, for example, they would be healthier, happier, and more able to contribute in the ways they are interested in doing.
None of it was an enormous surprise to me; I've been lucky enough to be exposed to a lot of similar discussion through friends, discussions I've followed online, etc. But it's very readable and clear, and I think a good start if you're interested in the topic.
As a note, Shew does discuss why she became an amputee, though not immediately, and talks frankly about the cancer that led to it. If you have any health-focused anxiety, it's worth being aware of that going in!
It also delves into the social model of disability, and spares a chapter to discuss neurodiversity (though Shew acknowledges that that isn't her lane, so she does a lot of talking with others). She points out throughout the book that the way we look at people with disabilities is often what is disabling: if we stopped policing how autistic people express themselves, for example, they would be healthier, happier, and more able to contribute in the ways they are interested in doing.
None of it was an enormous surprise to me; I've been lucky enough to be exposed to a lot of similar discussion through friends, discussions I've followed online, etc. But it's very readable and clear, and I think a good start if you're interested in the topic.
As a note, Shew does discuss why she became an amputee, though not immediately, and talks frankly about the cancer that led to it. If you have any health-focused anxiety, it's worth being aware of that going in!