My Weekly Pull [33]

My Weekly Pull is something I do every Wednesday to show which comics I had pulled for me that week! If you're into comics, or you're looking to start, please join me! If you decide to do your own post, leave a link in the comments. I would love to stop by and check it out!

Magic Order #3 by Mark Millar, Olivier Coipel, Tommy Lee Edwards

Hunt for Wolverine Claws of a Killer #4 (of 4) by Mariko Tamaki, Butch Guice, Geoff Shaw

Jacob's comics for the week!

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Bebop and Rocksteady Hit the Road #3 (of 5) by Ben Bates, Dustin Weaver, Ryan Browne

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Urban Legends #4 by Gary Carlson, Frank Fosco, Kevin Eastman

Cable Deadpool Annual #1 by David F. Walker, Paco Diaz, Rob Liefeld

Deadpool Assassin #5 (of 6) by Cullen Bunn, Mark Bagley, Dave Johnson
Infinity Wars #2 (of 6) by Gerry Duggan, Mike Deodato
Peter Parker The Spectacular Spider-Man #308 by Chip Zdarsky, Chris Bachalo

Only two comics for me this week! I might eventually read some of the Deadpool and Spider-Man comics that Jacob's reading right now, but sometimes Deadpool can be a little... much. There are also a ton of Spider-Man-related comics out there, and I'm happy with my Amazing Spider-Man Renew Your Vows and the new The Amazing Spider-Man. 

Magic Order is dark. I'm still not sure how I feel about it after two issues. The story is engaging and similar to watching a murder mystery unfold. We already know who the bad guys are, but we still have to watch as they kill off (at least) three people per issue. It's insanity! Not to mention the ways in which they die... writers can get pretty creative when magic is involved. Speaking of creative, this was the only, er, clothed cover for this week's issue (just in case any of you go searching for this series).

Hunt for Wolverine Claws of a Killer is wrapping up with this final issue. I've been disappointed with how the writer has chosen to portray Daken within this series. Throughout the first three issues, Daken is an ass and often makes petty, childish comments. The Daken I knew previously (All-New Wolverine by Tom Taylor) was sweet and wore feminist t-shirts that were too small for him (Gabby's -- his clothes kept ripping off, hah). Regardless, I never thought he and the others would stumble across zombies. It's been trippy -- especially after the small revelation in the last issue. 

As of yesterday, I was completely caught up on all of my comics, and it shouldn't take me too long to read these two, so yay! Hopefully I can stay on top of these so I can finish the Venom series I started ages ago. I want to finish reading the older run before starting the new one by Donny Cates.

Are you reading any new comics this week? Any old ones you think I'd like? Let me know!

Tell Me Something Tuesday [4]

Tell Me Something Tuesday is hosted by Rainy Day Ramblings! It's a weekly meme that discusses a wide range of topics from books to blogging.

Q: At what point do you think a series has gone on too long?

I actually have a good example for this one! The other day I was looking back at series I started but never finished, and I was surprised by the number of Mortal Instruments books. I thought it was a trilogy? I remember reading it when it was first released and thinking things had wrapped up by the end, but now there are more books? What are they about? I thought the original trilogy was great from the start, but now I'm hesitant to read the newer books.

Another example would be The Vampire Diaries. This was a long time ago, so my information might be a little off, but didn't they fire the original author? There was something in her contract that allowed them to hire ghostwriters to pump out more books for the series, but the original author no longer had any say in how her story ended. I believe they only did that because the TV show was successful, and not for the sake of literature.

The Percy Jackson series (and all the books that go with it) is a different example. Each of those books is its own story with familiar characters. New things are introduced every book, but the world and people stay (mostly) the same. The Heroes of Olympus was another amazing series set within the same world, but with a new twist. We're with a different group of heroes, but the author regularly makes references to the old. At one point the characters from the two series start working together, and the story is told through their various POVs.

I think a series that has a lot of books told through multiple perspectives has a better chance of doing well than a long series told through a single person's point of view. It offers more variety and allows readers to better understand the world they're reading about. I'm also really hesitant to start a series that has 10+ plus, because it's unlikely I'm going to love every single one. Additionally, it's a huge time commitment.

There are a lot of series that end with me craving more, but that's half the fun! I loved Harry Potter and how it ended, and I will always want more books set in that world, but I think the ending was final. Yes, J.K. Rowling could write additional books, but that would feel forced. I love that they went a different route and decided to publish Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. We get more from the wizarding world without ruining the characters we fell in love with.

My answer for this one is vague, so I'm sorry, but it really depends on the series and what the author is doing with it. Only an author can know when their story should end, and readers wanting more isn't a bad thing, but that doesn't mean we should get what we want. We should appreciate the story for what it is, and an author should know when their story has reached its end. It shouldn't be about the money (though I know sometimes it is), but about the characters we fall in love with.

Royally Matched (Royally #2) by Emma Chase

Narrated by Andi Arndt & Shane East

Synopsis (via Goodreads): Some men are born responsible, some men have responsibility thrust upon them. Henry Charles Albert Edgar Pembrook, Prince of Wessco, just got the motherlode of all responsibility dumped in his regal lap.

He’s not handling it well.

Hoping to force her grandson to rise to the occasion, Queen Lenora goes on a much-needed safari holiday—and when the Queen’s away, the Prince will play. After a chance meeting with an American television producer, Henry finally makes a decision all on his own:

Welcome to Matched: Royal Edition.

A reality TV dating game show featuring twenty of the world's most beautiful blue bloods gathered in the same castle. Only one will win the diamond tiara, only one will capture the handsome prince’s heart.

While Henry revels in the sexy, raunchy antics of the contestants as they fight, literally, for his affection, it’s the quiet, bespectacled girl in the corner—with the voice of an angel and a body that would tempt a saint—who catches his eye.

The more Henry gets to know Sarah Mirabelle Zinnia Von Titebottum, the more enamored he becomes of her simple beauty, her strength, her kind spirit…and her naughty sense of humor.

But Rome wasn’t built in a day—and irresponsible royals aren’t reformed overnight.

As he endeavors to right his wrongs, old words take on whole new meanings for the dashing Prince. Words like, Duty, Honor and most of all—Love.

Only the villains lock ladies in a tower.
Then you make me want to be a villain.

My heart is swooning right now! I wasn't sure how I would feel about Henry after reading about him in Royally Screwed, but he was everything I wanted from a character. He loves his country and his family, but he's worried about his ability to make a difference. He's not used to the scrutiny his brother grew up with, and he's struggling to find his place now that people are counting on him.

Feeling overwhelmed, Henry makes an impulsive decision that did not provide the entertainment he was looking for. He foolishly thought it would help him feel more like himself, but it ended up having some pretty bad consequences. My heart broke for Henry over and over again. He always had the best intentions (even if they seemed careless at the time), but the world can be cruel and unfair. People are often selfish and only looking out for themselves, which usually means someone undeserving gets hurt.

Sarah is the sweetest person on Earth. She's supportive of her sister, has friends that she loves and enjoys being around, and is happy with her small place in the world. Henry's loud personality shakes her out of her comfort zone, but Sarah isn't a pushover. She'll defend those she loves even if it means she is the one that ends up getting hurt. I really liked who Sarah was with Henry. She was fierce and his equal in every way. She loves literature and treasures words, and she's honest to the core. 

There were some pretty nasty characters in this one (one repeat from the previous book, ugh), and the things they did made me visibly angry. At one point my husband said it looked like I was going to squeeze my phone into tiny pieces (audiobook), and wanted to know what I was listening to. Henry suiting up with ancient weapons to defend the one he loves -- ahhh. That has to be one of my favorite parts!

At the end when I could tell Henry's decisions were going to have unforeseen consequences, I had to keep reminding myself that there was still time left for a happy ending. He was doing what he thought was best, and trying to protect Sarah, but authors like to drag you through the mud first. Emma Chase made my heart constrict and made me wish my ears could listen faster. 

I loved this book! I'm loving this series! I cannot wait to dive in to the next one -- there's bound to be more excitement and adventures. Oh, and let me just say... Emma Chase knows how to write steamy sex scenes. She can also make me burst out laughing at any given moment -- love it!

Additionally, I adored Sarah's sister, Penelope. I really hope she gets her own book in the future! The ending wasn't anything like what I expected, but now I cannot imagine it happening any other way. It was perfect. Everything was perfect!

(Both narrators are amazing -- two of my favorites!)

Gregor the Overlander (Underland Chronicles, #1) by Suzanne Collins

Synopsis (via Goodreads): This irresistible first novel tells the story of a quiet boy who embarks on a dangerous quest in order to fulfill his destiny -- and find his father -- in a strange world beneath New York City.

When Gregor falls through a grate in the laundry room of his apartment building, he hurtles into the dark Underland, where spiders, rats, cockroaches coexist uneasily with humans. This world is on the brink of war, and Gregor's arrival is no accident. A prophecy foretells that Gregor has a role to play in the Underland's uncertain future. Gregor wants no part of it -- until he realizes it's the only way to solve the mystery of his father's disappearance. Reluctantly, Gregor embarks on a dangerous adventure that will change both him and the Underland forever.

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You know a book is good when it can make you like cockroaches and spiders. I actually wanted to hug a cockroach and feared for its life! I would love to tell you that Gregor the Overlander has forever changed my heart, but sadly it has not. Cockroaches in real life still make me jump onto the nearest piece of furniture, or run screaming in the opposite direction. The first few times they're mentioned in the book, my skin literally crawled. Even thinking about them right now is giving me gooseflesh, because they were giant cockroaches that you could ride on.

However, Temp and Tick will forever hold a special place in my heart. They treasured Boots and kept her safe (Boots is Gregor's two-year-old sister and my favorite character). She didn't judge them or think they were gross -- she loved them for who/what they were. Boots always remembered to include them in meals and was constantly concerned with their well-being. The others, like me, thought the Crawlers were creepy and kept their distance. In the end, they won me over with their kindness and selfless personalities.

I've never been afraid of bats or rats, but this book gave me a new appreciation for them. It's crazy how a different perspective can alter years of thoughts and feelings.

I really enjoy books with prophecies! It's one of the reasons I like the Percy Jackson books so much. They always start with a prophecy, and it's fun trying to piece the information together on my own. The majority of the time things don't click into place until they happen, but the journey is enjoyable. I have a feeling this series will revolve around prophecies as well (yay!).

Like I said before, Boots was my favorite. She's two and Suzanne Collins captured her personality perfectly. Children (especially at that age) are not immediately afraid of things. They are trusting and view the world with an open heart. Boots was no exception. She quickly formed a friendship with the Crawlers and didn't hesitate to befriend anything or anyone that came her way. I loved the innocence Collins was able to portray through Boots, and how her personality often helped them accomplish their goals.

Gregor was also an enjoyable character and took wonderful care of his sister. He didn't always have the tools he needed, but it was obvious he loved her. He would risk his own life, even being a child himself, to make sure she stayed safe. He carried her on his back without complaint just to keep her close. Gregor was also quick on his feet and easily adapted to new situations. He took everything in stride and tried to find the best path for him and his sister.

Gregor the Overlander was a phenomenal story! I was reading this to my son at night, but would keep turning the pages long after he'd fallen asleep. I'd allow myself to read one more chapter (re-reading it to him the next day), but once I reached a certain point I couldn't stop. I needed to know what happened and how the story ended. I'm really happy with the conclusion -- hopeful and final -- and cannot wait to read the rest of this series!

Mini Reviews [13]

If My Moon Was Your Sun by Andreas Steinhofel

Nele Palmtag (Illustrator)

Synopsis (via Goodreads): Did you hear the story about Max, the boy who kidnapped his grandfather from a nursing home ? You didn't see it on the news? Well, let me tell you about it.

Max lives in a small town, much smaller than yours. His grandpa is losing his memory, but still remembers quite a bit. You can imagine how they hurried, Max and his grandpa, followed by old Miss Schneider, who insisted on coming along. Why were they in a hurry? Because everyone was after them. Max had skipped school to rescue his grandpa, and they were just starting out on what promised to be one of the best days of their entire lives.

A touching story about dementia and the special relationship between grandparents and grandchildren, with full-color illustrations and a read-along CD audiobook featuring twelve classical pieces for children by Georges Bizet and Sergei Prokofiev.

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I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. Any quotes I use are from an unpublished copy and may not reflect the finished product.

If My Moon Was Your Sun made me feel both sad and hopeful. Max loves his grandfather, and they've always been close, but now he's in a nursing home across town. His grandfather has dementia, so it wasn't enough to just occasionally check on him at home. He needed constant care that Max and his mother couldn't provide. 

One day, Max decides to take his grandfather away from the nursing home, an adultnapping of sorts, so he can spend the day in a place that was familiar and meaningful. While I'm not entirely sure I believe the logistics of this story, it was sweet and enjoyable. A few of their conversations seemed random at the time, but they did come together at the end. I wish the story had flowed a little better, but instead it felt choppy and scattered.

Despite having a few issues, it was a lovely story overall. 

∕

Edison: The Mystery of the Missing Mouse

Treasure by Torben Kuhlmann
Expected publication: October 2, 2018

Synopsis (via Goodreads): A long time ago, one mouse learned to fly, another landed on the moon...what will happen in the next Mouse adventure?

From the creator of Lindbergh—The Tale of a Flying Mouse and Armstrong, comes Edison—The Mystery of the Missing Mouse Treasure.

When two unlikely friends build a vessel capable of taking them to the bottom of the ocean find a missing treasure—the truth turns out to be far more amazing.

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I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. Any quotes I use are from an unpublished copy and may not reflect the finished product.

I really liked all of the illustrations for Edison, but some of the wording was weird. I was under the impression that this was a children's book, so saying things like "When I was young, I also went off on crazy adventures, risking life and limb like an idiot" seemed inappropriate. It wouldn't have taken much to phrase that a little differently.

This is another book that didn't flow well. It was almost like reading an old telegram. Words words words STOP words words STOP words... I felt like I kept having to stop and start again within the story. Some of their mousey comments didn't make sense either.

I liked the idea of mice being just as intelligent and independent as people. It made me think of the movie The Borrowers, but with rodents. They have homes, schools, can weld and invent -- one even went to the moon. It was an interesting story about using your brain to come up with a scientific solution to a problem. Trial and error, drawing out plans, researching, hypothesizing -- all of this was a great way to incorporate science into a children's story.

Wonderful book, although I wish it had been presented and worded just a tad differently.

∕

Amazing Spider-Man Renew Your Vows #21

by Jody Houser, Scott Koblish (Illustrator),

Eduard Petrovich (Illustrator)

Synopsis (via Goodreads): WEIRD SCIENCE CONTINUES! Is this the start of Annie Parker’s own clone saga? Can Peter and Mary Jane save her from herself? 

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Spider-Man has been cloned in the past, but it's different when his daughter is the target of a villain's scheme. Is it cloning? The person(s) they keep running into seem to have similar features and attributes, but there are some major differences.

We still don't know why the baddie is doing what they're doing, but we know it can't be anything good. I'm really enjoying the family dynamics and watching all three of them work together. They have to balance their superhero lives, and they also have to deal with regular family issues.

Annie may be Spiderling, but she's also a teenager in high school They don't always make the best decisions, and have to make their own mistakes in order to learn from them. However, her mistakes as Spiderling can have more severe consequences, so opening up to her parents as a superhero might be more necessary than opening up to them as their child.

The Amazing Spider-Man Renew Your Vows is still one of my favorites! I cannot wait to see where their story goes. Also, this comic has some of the best illustrations!

∕

Amazing Spider-Man #1 by Nick Spencer

Ryan Ottley (Illustrator)

Synopsis (via Goodreads): An alien invasion hits New York City and the only one who can stop it is…Spider-Man?! And if even that’s not enough, you’ll see a new roommate, new love interests – and a new villain! Spider-Man goes back to basics courtesy of Nick Spencer (SECRET EMPIRE, SUPERIOR FOES OF SPIDER-MAN) and the Marvel debut of RYAN OTTLEY (Invincible)! 

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I was really happy to start The Amazing Spider-Man from the beginning. There's a new writer, so that means new stories or old ones with a different perspective.

The first one was... interesting. All of the other superheroes seem annoyed with Spider-Man, but we're not really sure why. I believe Mayor Fisk (bad guy) has something to do with it. I know he wants to isolate Spider-Man, but it doesn't say whether or not he was successful in this issue.

Despite all the animosity directed at him, Spider-Man still does what he always does -- saves the world. He's been selflessly giving up everything about Peter Parker in order to maintain his secret identity and keep everyone safe. I've never thought it was fair how much Peter has lost over the years while being Spider-Man. He's always losing his job, his friends, and alienating his family. (I really wish after all this time he would tell Aunt May what he does. She wouldn't be disappointed, and he could better explain when things go wrong.)

It's too soon to have an opinion on the series as a whole, but the first issue was long. There are some additional stories in the back that give you a villain's perspective as well as something else Peter is dealing with. I really want to love this, so I hope it doesn't disappoint!

My Weekly Pull [32]

My Weekly Pull is something I do every Wednesday to show which comics I had pulled for me that week! If you're into comics, or you're looking to start, please join me! If you decide to do your own post, leave a link in the comments. I would love to stop by and check it out!

Amazing Spider-Man #3 by Nick Spencer, Ryan Ottley
Amazing Spider-Man Renew Your Vows #22 by Jody Houser, Scott Koblish, Eduard Petrovich

Domino #5 by Gail Simone, David Baldeon, Greg Land
Hunt for Wolverine Adamantium Agenda #4 (of 4) by Tom Taylor, R.B. Silva

Jacob's comics for the week!

Optimus Prime #22 by John Barber, Kei Zama

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Bebop and Rocksteady Hit the Road #2 (of 5) by Ben Bates, Nick Pitarra
Transformers Unicron #3 (of 6) by John Barber, Nick Roche
Daredevil #606 by Charles Soule, Phil Noto
Spider-Man Annual #1 by Bryan Edward Hill, Nelson Blake II, Kris Anka
Spider-Man Deadpool #37 by Robbie Thompson, Jim Towe, Dave Johnson

I haven't actually started the new Amazing Spider-Man, but I have the first two issues lined up to read this week. I've been working on getting through my stack of comics since getting back from visiting relatives. I always plan on reading while I'm away, but it never works. I think I read ten pages of a book while I was gone, so I've been trying to catch up the last few days. 

I've always enjoyed Spider-Man, which is one of the reasons I like Amazing Spider-Man Renew Your Vows so much, but I've always thought that jumping into the ongoing series for Amazing Spider-Man would be too daunting of a task. However, now there's a new writer (used to be Dan Slott), so the story is getting a new start. I'll let you know how that goes!

Domino is flipping fantastic! I love her humor and the randomness of her ability. Luck isn't always lucky, but she makes it work. Her history is also really interesting. Now that I know more about the villains, it's hard to hate them as much. They've suffered for their differences, too. They're trying to make things right the only way they know how -- through violence. It's all they've ever known, and it's hard to remain unaffected by so much cruelty. Their relationship to Domino is bizarre and fascinating, but really unfortunate. It's not her fault, but she's their target nonetheless. 

I'm actually really worried about Domino's posse. Her friends are trying to do the right thing, but I think they acted impulsively (out of love for their friend), and now bad stuff is inevitable. These villains are nasty, and I don't see how this story will end well for everyone. If you're looking for a new comic to start, I cannot recommend this one enough. (I'm so using this as my review for Domino on Goodreads and Amazon, haha!)

This is the last issue of Hunt for Wolverine Adamantium Agenda! I honestly have no idea how this group is going to get through everything unscathed. Someone is bound to lose something... All of the Hunt for Wolverine comics should be concluding, so I guess we'll see if anyone actually found the Wolverine. It's been fun to watch the different groups get together to search for him/his body.

Echoes by Alice Reeds

Synopsis (via Goodreads): They wake on a deserted island. Fiona and Miles, high school enemies now stranded together. No memory of how they got there. No plan to follow, no hope to hold on to.

Each step forward reveals the mystery behind the forces that brought them here. And soon, the most chilling discovery: something else is on the island with them.

Something that won't let them leave alive. 

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I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. Any quotes I use are from an unpublished copy and may not reflect the finished product.

I love how simple the synopsis is! It says just enough to make you curious, but not enough to give anything away. That's definitely a good thing with this one, because there is a lot going on. I had so many questions and only a vague idea of what was happening. I felt just as lost as Miles and Fiona.

However, the romance felt forced and unnecessary. They were two teens that disliked each other but found themselves tossed together under dire circumstances. Flirting, feeling zings of electricity, and doing anything even remotely romantic felt wrong. They were stranded and fighting for their lives, unreliable hormones should have been the furthest thing from their minds. Although, a truce that turned into a friendship would have been understandable and more likely in their situation.

I also didn't like how many times Fiona made a reference to her kickboxing. Yes, you have fighting skills and know how to stay calm in stressful situations, but you do not have to compare every single scenario with how it related to your training. I loved how strong and determined Fiona was, but I felt like that fact was thrown in my face way too often. Miles is an arrogant asshole, Fiona is strong and quick on her feet... I grasped the concept in the beginning and didn't like how frequently it was repeated.

There were a few times I had to go along with something I didn't believe or agree with, but it was necessary to keep the story moving forward. Miles and Fiona did a few things that likely would not have worked in real life, but needed to work to get them out of one situation or another. Most adults wouldn't be that gullible or oblivious.

Echoes was a weird, trippy story that left me guessing the entire time. The information we're given was vague and only enough to keep me curious about the ending. I wanted to know why these two teenagers were abandoned and unable to reach anyone that mattered. From the beginning we know something creeptastic is going on, but it isn't until the very end that we discover exactly...

Exactly what? What happened at the end? I have no idea. I think I have more questions now than I did at the beginning. Have you seen Lost? It feels a lot like a YA version of Lost, but the ending isn't really an ending... or is it? I don't know if this was intended as a stand alone (it should be), but the ending was ugh. I did not go through that mindfuck to get to an ending that wasn't an ending. It didn't even feel like a cliffhanger, but like the story was left unfinished.

In the end, Echoes will make you question everything and everyone. The characters were okay, but I never felt attached to them. The author tells you a lot about who they are and why they act a certain way, but I would have liked drawing those conclusions for myself. I like it when I'm able to discern things based on how a character acts, rather than being told what makes them who they are.

I don't think I'll read the second book (if there is one), but this was a quick read with a somewhat interesting story. I did want to know what happened to them, but since that wasn't really answered, I feel like I wasted all the time I invested in this book.