The Legend of Korra: Kya and the Secret of the Sand by Kiku Hughes

 

I read the ebook edition of The Legend of Korra: Kya and the Secret of the Sand by Kiku Hughes. This is a children's comic book roughly 82 pages in length.

I enjoyed reading The Legend of Korra: Kya and the Secret of the Sand. It has both a nice storyline with good character development. The storyline kind of reminds me a lot of 'Avatar: of The Last Airbender'. Also, the artwork for The Legend of Korra: Kya and the Secret of the Sand is quite delightful!

Below is the publisher's summary for The Legend of Korra: Kya and the Secret of the Sand by Kiku Hughes from Amazon's website:

Join Aang and Katara’s daughter, Kya, in The Legend of Korra: Kya and the Secret of the Sand, as she embarks on a journey of self-discovery and uncovers secrets at the edges of the Earth Kingdom.

While helping Korra recover in the Southern Water Tribe, Kya shares a story from her youth of a time when she was lost and disconnected from herself, far from home in the Si Wong Desert…

Young and untested, Kya leaves her family to seek her purpose in the wider world. Hoping to test herself and help struggling communities, she heads to the Si Wong Desert, where scarce resources and fractured communities are making the fringes of the Earth Kingdom increasingly unstable. Kya, arriving in the community of Liyuan to teach healing and help the struggling community defend itself from bandits, finds that the wounds left from decades of conflict run deep, and may be harder to heal than she first thought.

Written by Eisner-nominated graphic novelist Kiku Hughes (Displacement) with artist Alexandria Monik (The Legend of Korra: Patterns in Time, Legend of Korra: Mystery of Penquan Isand) in collaboration with Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra co-creators Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko!

I am giving The Legend of Korra: Kya and the Secret of the Sand by Kiku Hughes a rating of 4 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

Goodreads Giveaways!! I Won Another Book!!

 

I've been a member of Goodreads since 2014. During my tenure,  I have entered many of the free book giveaways and won many free books over the years. 

My most recent win from the Goodreads Giveaways program is The Flip Side by Jason Walz, which is a new, paperback, graphic novel. It looks like a fun read I hope to read later on this year.

I love winning free books, don't you as well?

Red Scare by Liam Francis Walsh

 

I read the paperback edition of Red Scare by Liam Francis Walsh, which is a graphic novel geared towards children and is set in the early 1950s in the United States of America.

The color artwork and storyline for Red Scare by Liam Francis Walsh is nicely done. I enjoyed the plot, characters, and story quite a bit. Kudos to the author making an engaging read for children and adults alike.

Below is the publisher's summary for Red Scare by Liam Francis Walsh, which I found on Amazon's website:

Peggy is scared: She's struggling to recover from polio and needs crutches to walk, and she and her neighbors are worried about the rumors of Communist spies doing bad things. On top of all that, Peggy has a hard time at school, and gets taunted by her classmates. When she finds a mysterious artifact that gives her the ability to fly, she thinks it's the solution to all her problems. But if Peggy wants to keep it, she'll have to overcome bullies, outsmart FBI agents, and escape from some very strange spies!

I am giving Red Scare by Liam Francis Walsh a rating of 5 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

Séance Tea Party by Reimena Yee

 

I recently read the paperback edition of Séance Tea Party by Reimena Yee. This is a children's graphic novel that is beautifully illustrated in full color. 

What drew me to this graphic novel was the title of the book and the premise of the book itself. Séance Tea Party by Reimena Yee is about a young girl named, Lora. Lora is afraid to grow up and begins to feel left behind by her friends as her friends are becoming more interested in teen type activities than Lora is. 

Although, I loved the idea behind Séance Tea Party by Reimena Yee, I didn't love it as much as I thought or hoped I would. I liked it, but didn't love it. The best part of this graphic novel was the artwork!

Below is the publisher's summary for Séance Tea Party by Reimena Yee, which I discovered on Amazon's wensite:

Lora wants to stay a kid forever, and she'll do anything to make that happen . . . including befriending Alexa, the ghost who haunts her house. A middle-grade graphic novel about growing up that's perfect for fans of Ghosts and Making Friends.

Growing up sounds terrible.

No one has time to do anything fun, or play outside, or use their imagination. Everything is suddenly so serious. People are more interested in their looks and what others think about them than having fun adventures. Who wants that?

Not Lora.

After watching her circle of friends seemingly fade away, Lora is determined to still have fun on her own. A tea party with a twist leaves Lora to re-discovering Alexa, the ghost that haunts her house -- and Lora's old imaginary friend! Lora and Alexa are thrilled to meet kindred spirits and they become best friends . . . but unfortunately, not everything can last forever.

Reimena Yee brings to life a story about growing up, childhood, and what it means to let go. A fantastical story following lovable characters as they each realize what it means to be who you are.

I am giving Séance Tea Party by Reimena Yee a rating of 3 stars of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

Filipino Award-Winning Graphic Novel, Trese, Becomes a Netflix Series!!

I recently learned through reading an article titled, Pinoy graphic novel is now a Netflix series, on Business World's website that the  graphic novel, Trese by Budjette Tan and KaJO Baldisimo, is a new anime series to be released on June 11, 2021 via Netflix.

In the above mentioned article, I learned the following information:

Trese is a crime/horror graphic novel about a detective who solves supernatural crimes which are often connected with creatures from Philippine mythology. The Original Anime series — directed by Jay Oliva and written by Tanya Yuson, Zig Marasigan, and Mihk Vergara — is set in Manila where these mythical creatures live in hiding amongst humans, and where detective Alexandra Trese finds herself going head-to-head with a criminal underworld comprised of malevolent supernatural beings.

I now want to both read the 'Trese' series and watch the new series when it comes out next month on Netflix. The online reviews sound great for this award winning graphic novel/comic series.

Below is the trailer for Trese from Netflix.

30 Days of Night by Steve Niles & Ben Templesmith

I listened to the unabridged audio dramatization of the graphic novel, 30 Days of Night by Steve Niles & Ben Templesmith, which was narrated by a cast of voice actors. 30 Days of Night by Steve Niles & Ben Templesmith is the first read for the month of November as I started and finished it on November 1st.

Listening time for 30 Days of Night by Steve Niles & Ben Templesmith is 1 hour, 3 minutes.

I purchased 30 Days of Night by Steve Niles & Ben Templesmith for 99 cents from Audible as it was their Daily Deal on Halloween this year. It falls into the horror genre and a perfect scary read for Halloween!! I'd never heard of the graphic novel 30 Days of Night by Steve Niles & Ben Templesmith before. I loved that this was a dramatization as it was like listening to a radio show/program, which added a fun dimension to this audio edition. I thought the entire program was nicely done. I enjoyed the storyline and the characters very much as well. 

So, if you enjoy the horror genre and vampires, then this may be the read for you.

The following is the plot summary of 30 Days of Night by Steve Niles & Ben Templesmith from Audible:

An all-new, full-cast dramatization of the classic graphic novel.

The isolated town of Barrow, Alaska, is plunged into darkness for a month each year when the sun sinks below the horizon. As the last rays of light fade, the town is attacked by a bloodthirsty gang of vampires bent on an uninterrupted orgy of destruction. Only Barrow's husband-and-wife sheriff team stand between the survivors and certain destruction. By the time the sun rises, will they pay the ultimate price - or worse?

I am giving 30 Days of Night by Steve Niles & Ben Templesmith a rating of 4 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!

Drama by Raina Telgemeier

Graphic Novel - Hardback Edition

I decided to read Drama by Raina Telgemeier for Banned Books Week this year as I learned that Drama made the top ten list for most banned book in 2017! This graphic novel for young adults was banned due to LBGQT characters in the book.

I read Drama by Raina Telgemeier in a few hours. I loved the storyline, the characters, and the color artwork found in Drama by Raina Telgemeier. There wasn't much I didn't like about this graphic novel and I really can't understand why it was banned at all.

The following is the plot summary for Drama by Raina Telgemeier from Amazon:

From Raina Telgemeier, the #1 New York Times bestselling, multiple Eisner Award-winning author of Smile and Sisters!

Callie loves theater. And while she would totally try out for her middle school's production of Moon over Mississippi, she can't really sing. Instead she's the set designer for the drama department's stage crew, and this year she's determined to create a set worthy of Broadway on a middle-school budget. But how can she, when she doesn't know much about carpentry, ticket sales are down, and the crew members are having trouble working together? Not to mention the onstage AND offstage drama that occurs once the actors are chosen. And when two cute brothers enter the picture, things get even crazier!

Below is a book trailer for Drama by Raina Telgemeier:

I am giving Drama by Raina Telgemeier a rating of 5 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

Tetris: The Games People Play by Box Brown

In the late 1980s/early 1990s, I too played Tetris! I remember becoming addicted to this video game. So when I discovered a graphic novel titled, Tetris: The Games People Play by Box Brown, I couldn't resist buying and reading this book about the history of Tetris.

I enjoyed the artwork in Tetris: The Games People Play by Box Brown. All the artwork images are done in yellow, black, and white throughout this graphic novel and the text size was perfect; not too small, nor too large. I enjoyed the storyline for Tetris: The Games People Play by Box Brown as well. I learned  the pertinent points about the life of Alexey Pajitnov's life and how he came to create Tetris. 

I also learned how Tetris became so popular worldwide, which was not such a straight forward story as one would imagine it to be. As readers, we learn how Tetris made its way out of the Soviet Union and who had the rights to sell the game in which markets and in which formats. But, there are many entanglements and mishaps along the way, which made it difficult at times to keep track of all the players out to make money from the sale of Tetris in the retail arena. But don't let this minor detail deter you from reading this graphic novel if you are a Tetris fan. Tetris: The Games People Play by Box Brown gives readers a glimpse into the history of Tetris. 

The following is a summary of Tetris: The Games People Play by Box Brown from Amazon:

It is, perhaps, the perfect video game. Simple yet addictive, Tetris delivers an irresistible, unending puzzle that has players hooked. Play it long enough and you’ll see those brightly colored geometric shapes everywhere. You’ll see them in your dreams.

Alexey Pajitnov had big ideas about games. In 1984, he created Tetris in his spare time while developing software for the Soviet government. Once Tetris emerged from behind the Iron Curtain, it was an instant hit. Nintendo, Atari, Sega―game developers big and small all wanted Tetris. A bidding war was sparked, followed by clandestine trips to Moscow, backroom deals, innumerable miscommunications, and outright theft.

In this graphic novel,New York Times–bestselling author Box Brown untangles this complex history and delves deep into the role games play in art, culture, and commerce. For the first time and in unparalleled detail, Tetris: The Games People Play tells the true story of the world’s most popular video game.

I enjoyed reading all 253 pages of Tetris: The Games People Play by Box Brown in a couple of hours. So, it's definitely a fast read. I am giving Tetris: The Games People Play by Box Brown a rating of 4 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!

50/50 Friday ~ Best/Worst Graphic Novel/Manga You've Read

50/50 Friday is a meme hosted by Carrie @ The Butterfly Reads and Laura @ Blue Eye Books. This fun themed meme focuses on the opposite sides of books (best/worst, differing opinions, etc). Every week a new topic will give bloggers the chance to showcase their answers.

This week's topic is the Best/Worst Graphic Novel/Manga You've Read!

This is a tough choice for me to make as I have not read many books from the graphic novel/manga genre. The books I have read from either genre have either been really good or not to my liking at all!

The Best Graphic Novel/Manga I've read

Embroideries by Marjane Satrapi

(Click on above link to read my review.)

The Worst Graphic Novel/Manga I've read

A Strange Kind of Woman, Volume 1 by Inu

(Click on above link to read my review.)

Howl: A Graphic Novel by Allen Ginsberg

To the best of my recollection, I've never read anything written by Allen Ginsberg before. I chose to read Howl: A Graphic Novel by Allen Ginsberg this year in honor of Banned Books Week.

One of the reasons I chose to read Howl: A Graphic Novel by Allen Ginsberg was because poetry is something one rarely thinks of as being banned or challenged. 

I also read Howl: A Graphic Novel by Allen Ginsberg because he was part of the Beat Generation. I haven't read anything from this group of writers before, so this was another reason I read Howl: A Graphic Novel by Allen Ginsberg. 

Howl was written in 1954 and "contains many references to illicit drugs and sexual practices" (Wikipedia). This eventually led to the 1957 Obscenity Trial, where California Superior Court Judge Clayton Horn found that Howl had "redeeming social importance" (Wikipedia). Thank goodness for judges seeing the redeeming value of free speech and the written word.

As far as Howl: A Graphic Novel by Allen Ginsberg goes, I am glad that I read the graphic novel edition of Howl, as Erick Drooker's artistry adds another dimension/layer to this iconic poem. 

Howl makes for interesting reading, but I didn't quite grasp the meaning of the poem in its entirety and all of its nuances... Which meant looking up the meaning of various parts of this poem online.

I am giving Howl: A Graphic Novel by Allen Ginsberg a rating of 3 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!

The Exile: An Outlander Graphic Novel by Diana Gabaldon

Hardback Edition

I became a fan of Diana Gabaldon's 'Outlander' series back in the 1990s. I was actually introduced to Diana Gabaldon's novels by my maternal grandmother of all people. My grandmother has always been an avid reader, like myself. I do not recall how my grandmother first heard about the 'Outlander' series. All I do remember is that my grandmother shared with me the details of Outlander (the first novel in the series) by Diana Gabaldon. She said Outlander was a wonderful, must read novel. 

So, I read Outlander by Diana Gabaldon, along with several other novels in the 'Outlander' series, and have enjoyed reading these novels very much. I am a bit behind in the 'Outlander' series at the moment though and will need to play catch up at some point.

I became aware of The Exile: An Outlander Graphic Novel by Diana Gabaldon in the past year or so... Yet this graphic novel was published back in 2010. How'd I miss that bit of information I'd like to know!?!? Generally, I do not read a lot of graphic novels or manga for that matter... But being a fan of the 'Outlander' series, I'm surprised I wasn't aware of this graphic novel sooner. 

Needless to say, I decided to read The Exile: An Outlander Graphic Novel by Diana Gabaldon. After reading, The Exile: An Outlander Graphic Novel, I have mixed thoughts about it.

The artwork rendered by illustrator, Huang Nguyen, is beautifully done. However, both Claire and Jamie are not how I had envisioned they would look... Claire ends up looking too busty and Jamie looks kind of scrawny to me. However, the biggest issue I have with the illustration work done by Huang Nguyen, was that many of the male characters in this graphic novel looked too similar, making it difficult to keep each of the male characters identities straight throughout the novel.

As far as the storyline goes for The Exile: An Outlander Graphic Novel... It was decent enough to be entertaining and interesting as a spinoff of the 'Outlander' series, but it didn't W-O-W me like I thought/hoped it would. If I'd never read Outlander by Diana Gabaldon prior to reading The Exile: An Outlander Graphic Novel, I'd have been completely turned off from ever reading Outlander or the rest of the 'Outlander' series.

Also, there were quite a bit of Gaelic words and phrases used in The Exile: An Outlander Graphic Novel, which I didn't mind... But after the initial translations of what the Gaelic words/phrases meant, the definitions weren't mentioned again when the word or phrase was used later on. This was frustrating as I didn't want to have to search back through this graphic novel looking for the meaning of the Gaelic word or phrase.

Claire also seemed to have more of a potty mouth than I recalled from the 'Outlander' series. Sure, Claire's feisty and confident, but she's not one who'd have a potty mouth. So, this was a bit of a turn off for me.

The best parts of The Exile: An Outlander Graphic Novel for me, were the sections written by Diana Gabaldon about how The Exile: An Outlander Graphic Novel came to be and the actual making of the book itself. I learned that Diana Gabaldon at one time wrote comic book scripts for Disney! 

Below is a book trailer about The Exile: An Outlander Graphic Novel by Diana Gabaldon, which I found on YouTube:

I am giving The Exile: An Outlander Graphic Novel by Diana Gabaldon a rating of 3 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!

A Graphic Novel Version of 'To Kill A Mockingbird' Will Be Published in 2018!

Just read an article on Bustle titled, Harper Lee's Estate Just Endorsed A "To Kill A Mockingbird" Graphic Novel by Maddy Foley. In the article, Maddy Foley wrote the following:

In a statement earlier this week, Harper Lee's estate announced that the story of Scout Finch, whose childhood in small town Alabama is punctuated by a racially-charged trial and the heartbreaking aftermath, will soon hit shelves in a graphic re-telling. The project will be helmed by artist Fred Fordham, who recently collaborated with Phillip Pullman on The Adventures of John Blake: Mystery of the Ghost Ship. "Adapting a story that means so much to so many – and finding the appropriate art style to give it life in a long-form visual medium – is a great honor and responsibility, and, mercifully, also a great pleasure," Mr. Fordham told The Guardian.

Wow, this is epic news indeed! I will be interested in reading the graphic novel version of To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee. I'm simply hoping that it will be a spectacular rendition and do the original novel justice.

8 Reasons You'll Love the 'Sex Criminals' Comic Series

Okay, I admit that I am curious about the Sex Criminals series, but have yet to read it. After reading an article on Bustle titled Why 'Sex Criminals' Is The ONE Comic Series Every Woman Needs to Read by Melissa Ragsdale, I now more than ever want to read this series!

In the article, Melissa Ragsdale wrote the following:

Even if you're not the biggest comic book nerd, you won't be able to resist the sex comedy comic series that is Sex Criminals. Superpowers meet sex in this wild, one-of-a-kind read. That's right, I said sex and superpowers. Who could ask for anything more?

Two years ago, my copy of Sex Criminals: Volume One arrived in the mail. "Enjoy your night out," I said to my roommate. "I'm going to take a bath and read." And it was a decision I certainly do not regret.

Sex Criminals is about two people, Suzie and Jon, who have the power to stop time by having sex. When they find each other, and are able to stop time together, they do what anybody would do: they start using their sexy superpowers to rob banks! But the duo soon finds out that they're not alone in the space between time, and suddenly they're being chased by a danger far greater than they could have dreamed.

Click on the very first link above to read Melissa Ragsdale's article and discover the 8 Reasons You'll Love the 'Sex Criminals' Comic Series!

See Which Graphic Novel to Read Based on Your Zodiac Sign

I recently read another interesting article on Bustle titled The Graphic Novel To Read Based On Your Zodiac Sign by Charlotte Ahlin. 

Truth be known, I'm starting to expand my reading horizons by reading more comic books, graphic novels, and manga... So, I was definitely curious to see which graphic novel I should read based on my zodiac sign. I'm a Gemini, so the graphic novel suggested for me is Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh. I haven't read this novel, so will add it to my ever growing reading wishlist. 

Want to know which graphic novel is recommended for your zodiac sign? Then click on the link above to find out!!

Until my next post, happy reading!!