January 2016 Monthly Wrap Up

Yay! I'm onto this year! Now I'm only 2 months behind!!! BUT! If I can get through this quickly that means that I move onto Feb and as it's the beginning of March I'LL BE CAUGHT UP! (On here at least.)

Now a few things:

A) I am doing NO challenges whatsoever this year. At all. Ever. I have done 1 readalong for one book. That was all so far, and I don't know if I'll be doing anything else this year, because I burned myself out last year and the year before that. I did say I was

B) I have given myself a little challenge to read at least 3 giant books. I read one, ONE all year last year because I was so worried about numbers. Well I'm not now. I'm reading lots of graphic novels like last year (I'll have my year wrap up posted soon, I promise) because I'm picking up a giant book in between. It may take me all year to read these big books but I can do it!!!

C) Year of Valdamar - No longer happening this year. I'm too burned out. I did too much. So I will tackle that started in 2017. Yup. It was a last minute thing but I've enjoyed picking up whatever the heck I felt like. I started on Star Wars and Manga and now Batman is in charge. *shrugs* I kinda love it. Valdamar will happen, I swear. I'm not buying 400 books for nothing (okay there's like 50 of them not 400 but STILL)


Now onto to what I read! After the last two months, you'll see what I meant by burnt out.

From Far Away Vols 10, 11, 12, 13, and 14 by Kyoko Hikawa

★★★★★

I finished up From Far Away at the end of last year and the beginning of this year. I really enjoyed rereading one of my favorite romance manga. I just enjoy this series and think if you want to try Shojo, something light, fluffy, but with plenty of action and fantasy, try this series.

Kanan: The Last Padawan Volume 1 by Greg Weisman, Pepe Larraz, and Mark Brooks

★★★★★

In case you missed me last year and the year before where I made it clear not only am I a big Star Wars fan, but a big Clone Wars, and now Rebels fan, I am. I was obsessed with Clone Wars after I stumbled upon an episode where some bounty hunters took on Anakin and Obi-Wan, and then there was Count Dooku, and it was phenomenal.

Basically the show does what the prequel series couldn't--makes the characters real. The banter is hilarious. Seriously, go pick it up. Clone Wars is on Netflix, so if you can, WATCH IT. It's so good.

In the behind the scenes for Rebels they mentioned this comic, and I found it on Amazon and bought it, right then, then finished watching the video (all on YouTube). Rebels follows Ezra, a force-sensitive teen who runs into a group of rebels know as the Ghost Crew back before the official Rebel Alliance, who are led by a female Twi'lek pilot named Hera, and Kanan, who is a surviving Jedi Padewan.

How he survived is unclear, but the comic explores his past, as well as some adventures that we may or may not see in the show. Among the shows creator is a person whose title is Keeper of the Holocron, aka the person is knows all of the Star Wars stories, canon as well as Legends, so they won't contradict each other (like Clone Wars did over and over again).

Ezra's Gamble by Ryder Windham

★★★☆☆

Ezra's Gamble is an odd book. It's supposed to be canon and it's not. It doesn't fit with the show, and it doesn't fit with the novelization of the first two episodes of the show. It's an adventure that Ezra supposedly goes on the two days before he meets the Ghost Crew. It's odd, doesn't fit very well, and is rather blah. As a big fan of other Star Wars kids novellas, and several written by Ryder Windham, this is definitely the worst so far. I have read around 60 of these kinds of Star Wars books, and seriously, not impressed.

The Rebellion Begins by Michael Kogge

★★★★☆

The Rebellion Begins is the novelization of the first two episodes of Star Wars Rebels, and as you can see, was more along the lines of what I expect from Star Wars novellas for kids. It matched the episode brilliantly, and even added in some scenes we don't get to see by sticking with Ezra during this time. It starts before the episode ends, and includes the bonus scene at the end. I do like it, and recommend Rebels fans pick it up.

A Bride's Story by Kaoru Mori

★★★★☆

I originally started A Bride's Story several years ago (somewhere during the period of unemployment that's rather a blur to me) but DNF'd it (for those unfamiliar with the term, it means Did Not Finish) because there's nudity. But I saw an online review and decided to try it again (mostly cause I forgot).

This time I fell in love with the story and artwork and culture and just did my old trick from Elf Quest - blocked it with my hand. DO NOT READ THIS AT WORK, I don't y'all getting in trouble or something. Now there are some volumes that don't have nudity, but this one does. So if you don't care or can handle it, read this.

This follows the story of Amir, a bride in her late twenties who was married to a 12 year old boy. How they're relationship works is awesome, because he's not a kid to her, he's her husband, and it doesn't feel creepy.

This takes place in Asia, around Mongolia. I love learning about different cultures, and the details of the different cultures this manga portrays is awesome.

Grayson by Tim Seeley, Tom King, Mikel Janin, Stephen Mooney, and Jeromy Cox

★★★★★

Grayson picks up after Nightwing volumes 1-5 and Justice League Trinity War, but basically everyone thinks Dick Grayson is dead, and only Batman knows otherwise. Rather than stand around twiddling his thumbs in some foreign country he has gone undercover in Spiral at Batman's request, to see just what these guys are up to. Neither Batman nor Dick are sure what they're up to.

I enjoyed this and the flash forward that goes like 15 years in advance was really interesting. Hopefully my library will pick up the next volumes!

A Bride's Story Volumes 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 by Kaoru Mori

★★★★☆
★★★★★
★★★★☆
★★★★☆
★★★★★
★★☆☆☆

In the next six volumes the story has expanded to include 5 more brides and their individual stories along side Amir's.

First we have Amir's brother and cousins ordered to drag her back home to marry her off to an abusive family for money for her clan. It's an interesting story and while I didn't want the guys to win, it is obvious they're caught in the middle and don't really want to bother Amir or her new family.

Then the European explorer takes off and meets a lovely lady in volume 3, who has been married multiple times, and they fall in love. While it's a tragedy, it's still brilliantly done.

Volumes 4 and 5 follow a pair of twins round I think India, who are determined to be married. They're adorable and they're husbands end up being perfect for them, absolutely lovely.

Volume 6 goes back to Amir, and her father is bound and determined to get his daughter away from her husband, even though they're in love. Her brother Azel turns out to be a great hero and he and her cousin do their best to keep her safe while upholding the family honor. It's my favorite yet, and I would love to see more of him!

The last volume I read in Jan is my least favorite. It takes place in Iraq, almost entirely in a bathhouse. What I was able to read was alright but it was just too much. So it only gets a 2 out of 5 from me. I enjoyed when it turned to the last bride who's house was destroyed in the conflict between her town and Amir's clan. That was the best part, really.

All in all, when I reached the end of the chapters I could read, I got depressed. This series is so good!

Deadpool Volume 1 by Daniel Way and Paco Medina

★★★★☆

With the Deadpool movie coming out, I decided I needed to learn more about this character. While I won't see the movie until it comes out on cable (it's rated R and I try not to watch them, as you can tell with the nudity issue and stuff), I thought about the comics which bleep out most of the cussing.

I wasn't disappointed. It was great. I enjoyed it, but while this is the beginning of Deadpool, the place to start for newcomers, it's still not much of an introduction to the Marvel universe and since I'm a newbie I was lost at first. This felt more like 52 which isn't where I would recommend newbies to DC start (start with Modern, check out my video about that HERE).

That being said, obviously I enjoyed this as that only knocked it down 1 star rather than 2 or 3. It's really well done.

Tsubasa: WoRLD CHRoNiCLE volume 2 by CLAMP

★★★★★

The second volume of World Chronicle where the trio is in Narai Kanai and have to save it from the dead taking over and destroying both worlds gets creepier and creepier. The fact that only Tsubasa can see the people of both worlds clearly adds to the creep factor. I am really enjoying it, and can't wait to see more of this odd world!



And that's everything I read in January! (Told you it was a lot less than December. That post was HUGE) Thank you guys so much for reading, and I hope you had a good beginning to the year.

You can follow me on Twitter, Tumblr, YouTube, Goodreads, Pinterest, and Figment for all the fangirling, book stuff, and my fanfiction which is probably awful.

December 2015 Monthly Wrap Up

Hey guys! I know I said I would post this shortly after the November one, but my hand's been driving me nuts, so I'm doing it now, and then will post my January and February Wrap Up's as it's near the end of February. My year in review as well as the 2015 KittyBook Awards will be YouTube videos. I haven't had a chance to work the next video beyond filming it but expect it soon! :)

I read a LOT in December, mostly to try to meet my Goodreads goal, which was a little ridiculous, and it was  I have 27 different books to talk about. Yeah. That's a lot. *glances at my right hand* Please survive this...

ElfQuest Final Quest #12 by Wendy and Richard Pini

5/5
Okay so if you want to see all my emotions put in gif form right after I finished it, check it HERE.
Basically as this is the 12th volume of the latest ElfQuest story I will say this READ ELFQUEST IF ONLY TO GET TO THE AMAZINGNESS OF THIS SERIES I ADORE IT IT'S AWESOME OKAY I'M DONE TYPING IN ALL CAPS.

Yeah, it's awesome. :)

Dengeki Daisy vol 16 by Kyousuke Motomi
5/5 Stars

I started the month by reading the last chapter in the last volume in one of my favorite series ever. Dengeki Daisy is a must read if you like manga. Teru's older brother and parents have passed away, but before her brother died, he gave her a cell phone with a number to email/text (unsure which it is exactly) to a man named Daisy who will help her in anything she needs. But she's been lying to him and now he's checking up on her to make sure she's alright. Oh, and he's also the greatest hacker in the world, and her cell phone may have some important program in it that various organizations are attempting to cease by any means necessary.

I expected this to start off cute, and while the text/email (again I'm not sure which it actually is) reads cute and like the girl is super happy go lucky, but then Kurosaki moves the phone and we see Teru facing down bullies spraying her with water, and she's screaming insults right back at them. For once in a shojo the MC is a typical girl, not soft spoken, or super positive. She has serious trouble forgiving, and doesn't think everyone in the world is worth saving. She has no special abilities, and is super sassy.

I love her. She's my favorite female lead character ever. She faces insane odds over and over and while the first time she faces someone with a gun she freezes. Later in the series while being held against her will and forced to attend a big party she stand on top of a table and bellows the Japanese national anthem just to tork them off. I adore this series, and loved every second of it. I'm so sad it's over but seriously, read this manga! Best shojo EVER! (Unless you ain't large age gaps between love interests, then don't read it)

ElfQuest: Fire Eye by Wendy and Richard Pini
4/5

This was apart of my ElfQuest Reread. You will see that I read a lot, because I finished it. Fire Eye follows Jethel, who has now taken the name Fire Eye after the events of New Blood. After he was captured and escaped from his old friend Ahn-Lai, now Lord Ahn-Lai of Passage, Jethel has been staying in the Forevergreen, and eventually starts taking care of the forsaken children who flee to the forest to avoid abuse and neglect.

This is an interesting series and while it has no real end, it matches up perfectly with what's being going on in Final Quest, at least so far. I am eager to see what becomes of Jethel and Chot after the ending. I will explain where to read this when I do my ElfQuest Series Review coming in the next few months on my YouTube Channel.

ElfQuest: World Pool by Wendy and Richard Pini Parts 1 & 2
3/5 Stars

King's Cross is the biggest What If in ElfQuest. What if Cutter was half human? This is a very dark turn of events for ElfQuest where the tribe is from a newer time and is taken prisoner by the Djun. He forces Bearclaw to sleep with Shuna and they have Cutter. Very twisted, and yet I really do enjoy it. I'm glad there's only part 1 and 2, so it's about 40-50 pages long, which feels just enough for this darkness. And yet, I'm glad it exists. A solid 3 because it was fun, but too dark.

Hikaru no Go Volumes 20, 21, 22, and 23 by Yumi Hotta and Takeshi Obata

5/5, 5/5, 4/5, 5/5

I finally managed to finish reading Hikaru no Go after it ceased serialization in Shonen Jump in 2006. Yeah, took me almost 10 years to finish this series, and it finished publication in 2011. >.> I'm bad sometimes.

Hikaru no Go follows the story of Hikaru, a 6th grader looking to make some cash to buy manga in his grandpa's attic, trying to find junk to sell. When he finds an old Go board, he starts hearing and seeing Fujiwara-no-Sai, an spirit of the greatest Go player who ever lived but committed suicide before he could play the "Divine Move".

These volumes follow the end of the series, where Hikaru is a pro and trying to move up in the ranks to stay toe to toe with Akira Toriyama. The only reason 22 is a 4 out of 5 is because what happens with Sai. I felt he left too soon, and that they hinted at it, and suddenly it happened. Hikaru's reaction made sense because it was very sudden and I'm not sure it's done well. Then again, the best plot twists take you by surprise. As a writer I approve. As a fan it ripped my heart out. But it ended strong and I kinda wished it would go on.

For those wondering what Go is, it's an ancient type of chess from Asia, popular in China, Korea, and Japan, as well as having teams world wide. Don't worry, the series explains it as you go along beautifully, so I could understand the basics of the games enough, and the characters explain things. Also there are little explanations of Go basics in the volumes as well as when it was in Shonen Jump. Another thing I love is that the Go games were looked over by a pro who made sure each move made sense and was completely correct. The amount of work that went into this is staggering and I just adore it for that even more.

Tsubasa - WoRLD CHRoNiCLE - Niraikanai Hen by CLAMP
5/5

So not only did CLAMP bring us a sequel to xxxHOLiC, but now one to Tsubasa!!! The second I found it I was reading it like mad, and powered through all the chapters in this volume in one sitting. After the insane events of XXX/Tsubasa cross over ending where the universes were saved by Tsubasa and Watanuki, Watanuki has discovered that Tsubasa has to make a dangerous and difficult decision in the next world he travels to. Upon reaching that world, Tsubasa learns he can perhaps meet with Syaoran, his father and clone if he saves Nirai Kanai, but at what cost?

This really feels a bit like the story never stopped. I'm sad that Sakura isn't in it, but as she is the princess and heir to the throne of her world, it makes sense. Fai and Kurogane are the same, and I loved seeing White Mokona again. The gang is back for a little adventure and it's already ripping my heart out.

Goodness I missed this! :)

From Far Away vols 8 and 9 by Kuoko Hikawa
5/5

Yet another reread, I had started this again randomly earlier in the year because it's my favorite romantic manga. I read all of these series back in high school, a friend of mine would bring tons of manga to school and she let me read this series on the bus. I read many a series that way, including the beginning of Fruits Basket, Fushigi Yugi, and this.

I adored this series when I first picked it up back then and it has withstood the test of time as a cute fun series. Noriko is a Japanese middle schooler with crazy dreams about a different world. When a terrorist places bombs around the city, Noriko stands next to one when it goes off. Instead of dying, Noriko is blasted into the world from her dreams when she meets Izark, a warrior with powers who helps her, especially as she is the Awakening, who will awaken the Sky Demon. Whoever controls the Awakening controls the Sky Demon, and can rule the world.

This volume Noriko and Izark are back together and have been helping different world leaders in various countries, but things are getting hairy so they have to separate from the others, and then they finally meet the being behind everything. It's really well done and these volumes are when the pace really picks up.

Catwoman Vol 4: Gotham Underground by Ann Nocenti, Rafa Sandoval, and Jordi Tarragona
4/5

The fourth volume of Catwoman takes place literally under ground, in the series of tunnels beneath Gotham were plenty of enemies and people live. We see a completely different culture with completely different rules, and Catwoman gets trapped down there and tries to get out. She goes through different clans each with their own traditions and rules, and gets caught up in the fight while trying to make it back to the surface of Gotham.

It's really interesting and a nice take of how there are indeed lots of different cultures out there where entire group rejects the typical Western society. It was intriguing, but as you can tell from the cover, Joker's Daughter is the main villain, and she rather...disgusting. Not the best volume but still well done I think.

The Protector by Carla Capshaw
5/5

I am not the biggest fan of romance, but when I read Carla Capshaw's The Gladiator, I loved it, and this is the sequel. And before you judge, it's NOT a trashy romance. This is from Steeple Hill's Love Inspired collection, meaning it's a religious romance with nothing beyond like, hand holding and maybe 1 kiss. There is no sex, which means I can actually read it!

This is the sequel to The Gladiator, which follows Adiona, a rich widower, and Quintus, a gladiator slave. And she falls for him, and he and her have been hurt. It's just cute fluff, really, but it does touch on how women were treated in the era more so than the first book. There is a third one but I don't know if I'm going to read it.

Last of the Jedi: Secret Weapon by Jude Watson
4.5/5

Secret Weapon is the 7th book in this series, and it's the third in Jude Watson's Star Wars universe, which seems to be its own, rather than Legends.

This series follows a Jedi Padawan named Ferus Olin that left the Jedi just before the Clone Wars started, so he survived Order 66. Afterwards he became a rebel and was recruited by Obi-Wan Kenobi to find other surviving Jedi to try to build a rebellion.

This volume takes place after Ferus has been recruited by the Emperor to change sides, and despite his closest friends knowing he's really there to undercut the Empire from the inside, some of them wonder, and the rest of the galaxy sees him as a sellout. This series I think is her best, and I really love following Ferus as he attempts to start the rebellion, even if it isn't canon or Legends.

Frosty the Snowman by Annie North Bedford and Corinne Malvern
2.5/5

This is the book that I bought, and read just to fulfill some of the reading goals I had set. I did not enjoy it, and I don't like that I own it. I really only bought and read it for the PopSugar Reading Challenge, which is why I am not doing a single challenge this year. It was a waste of my time and I was so stressed out about doing the challenge that I actually bought this. *sigh*

ElfQuest: Homespun by Wendy and Richard Pini
3/5

This is a short little story that was published in a magazine to promote ElfQuest. This was the introduction of the Preservers and Petalwing, back when ElfQuest Volume 3 was being published as single comics way back when. It's cute but super short, just a little something extra for fans. I recommend reading this at the end of the series or after volume 3, as it's just a bonus thingy.

ElfQuest: Worldpool by Wendy and Richard Pini
3/5

Worldpool is just another bonus grouping, and I recall that I had already reread these stories in New Blood and a few other titles. I enjoyed the stories in it so that's why it got a 3 star rating.

ElfQuest: Ashcan by Wendy and Richard Pini
2/5

This is strictly bonus pages, not really something you read but something you look at. I'd prefer this at the back of a volume rather than alone but it was on the website I kinda understand. I hope it will be included at the end of one of the Complete ElfQuest volumes.

Kekkaishi Vol 2 by Yellow Tanabe
3/5

I thought I had read this volume way back at the beginning of the year but I did not. I read MOST of it, I was short by 2 stupid chapters. So I finished it.

Like I said back in January, I am not too fond of this series mostly due to the grandpa being a straight up jerk. I don't like most of the relationship between the characters, but it starting to grow on me a bit. I'm not DNFing this, but I expect it will take me as long as Hikaru no Go to finish, maybe longer. It's about twice as long as HNG so it'll take forever.

The Heroic Legend of Arslan by Hiromu Arakawa

Based on a novel series by Yoshiki Tanaka Vols 1, 2, 3, 4

5/5 Stars

I actually read this in September, but I didn't realize that I could add it on Goodreads. I read up to date on mangahere.co during December so I'm adding this at the end. I adore this series and can't wait to see what else the brilliant Arakawa does next!

This follows the story of Arslan, a crown prince whose nation is invaded by the enemy army. His father is presumed dead, and the enemy is hunting Arslan to execute him publically. But even worse than the European invaders is the man in the silver mask, who has a personal vendetta against the royal family of Pals and vows to personally execute Arslan before his people.

This is yet another time where we see European and Asian cultures clash, but neither are shown in a good light. Both sides in this conflict are awful and have terrible histories and have done horrific things. And the innocent citizens of Pals and Arslan are caught in the middle.

This is based on a series of novels, but was adapted by the brilliant mangaka Hiromu Arakawa, who's name might sound familiar to you as the mangaka (author of both story and art) of Fullmetal Alchemist. It's brilliantly done, sitting solidly at a PG-13 or Teen rating, with some blood, language, and adult humor, but nothing too extreme. She's great at what she does, and even when the story isn't hers (such as with Hero Tales) her style is in every page, as she is in charge of the art, and layout of each page. I just found out there's 1 more chapter I have yet to read and I can't wait to get to it!!!


And that is everything I read in December! Stay tuned for my January and February Wrap Ups which will be posted on here, as well as my 2015 KittyBooks Awards and Year Wrap Up on my YouTube Channel. Follow me on Goodreads and Twitter for info about what I'm reading, and Tumblr and Pinterest for all my fangirling stuff. I will also attempt to get back into my fanfiction writing on Figment, so don't count me out of that! I can do quite a lot in between calls at work (all with permission of course).

I may also post my year in music as well, I'm not sure. I want to. It's fun to figure out what music rocked my year.

Hope you enjoyed! See you soon!

November 2015 Monthly Wrap Up

Since I basically abandoned this blog, and have been trying to get this warp up done since the beginning of December and it's now the end of January, I need to just post it some way. I have less and less time to do my videos between my job and the work I do for my friend's mom and soon my own mom, I need to find other ways to continue to post my book stuff. SO! Here's my November Wrap Up and my December one will go live very soon! :)

November started strong with Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard: The Sword of Summer by Rock Riordan

I gave this a solid 5 Stars, because it is definitely Rick Riordan's best. While I adored Percy Jackson's first series, it was missing something especially that first novel. Heroes of Olympus was very well done, but somethings where also missing. This was the length and the depth and the seriousness of   Heroes of Olympus while still keeping the hilarity of Percy Jackson. The perfect bridge I feel with a brand new character and brand new gods :)

Will review later on!

Then I finished up my real Halloween read of Mort by Terry Pratchett.

Mort follows the story of Mort, who becomes death's apprentice. It's hilarious just like I'd always heard while avoiding being tacky. It didn't try to be funny, it just was. It was humor even slicker than Rick Riordan can pull off, which is why it was another solid 5 out of 5 stars. I enjoyed all the interesting tidbits about the world and how even things like boring exposition is anything but boring. Also I love Death and his awesome skeleton horse Binky. Can't wait to pick up the next book in this huge world!

Cirque du Freak: A Living Nightmare by Darren Shan

Yeah, another Halloween read that I really enjoyed. While this was a 4 out of 5 stars, it was still very well done I felt. I'd seen the movie (don't watch it, it's not very good plus it spoils a major part of the story), and read the manga so I knew I'd enjoy it and boy did I! I'm so glad I bought this in the spring and can't wait to continue this series. I've loved the manga, and since this added more than the either the movie or manga could really portray, I know I'll love all the little added in details. I definitely recommend if you were even slightly interested. :)

Winter by Marissa Meyer

This was hands down my most anticipated release of the year of 2015. I couldn't wait to get my hands on this, and boy was it worth it!!! I think this is the greatest finale to a book series I've read yet! It was anything but a let down and tied up so much I felt. It left a lot open and I can't wait to read the true finale, Stars Above (and I will be receiving a signed copy a week from today!!!) Absolutely deserved the 5 out of 5 star rating!

Look for my video review coming soon (meaning in the next 6 months)

The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani

I had heard about this series and had wanted to read it for a while, I think over a year now, and finally in November I picked it up. And about 15 pages in I ordered book 2 and will be reading that this year. This story is fairy tales turned on their heads, where these two girls read them and know all the characters! Every year two kids are kidnapped by the headmaster of the School for Good and Evil. The two MCs are opposites and besties and one wants to be kidnapped, the other wants her to stay, and they both go and end up in a fairy tale from the get go! It's adorable and cute and icky with all the roach stuff (you've been warned), and a must read. Does get a bit boring the middle though, which is why it's 3 out of 5 stars.

Warning: girl on girl kissing happens but isn't LGBT.

ElfQuest: Wild Hunt by Wendy and Richard Pini

In case you missed it, I did a reread of ElfQuest starting back in 2014, and as my Twitter followers know, I finished before the end of last year. (YAY!) Wild Hunt follows Cutter's (the main character for most titles) daughter after she's become the chief of the splinter tribe of Wolfriders that live at Howling Rock, while they wander around looking for the evil Winnowill's creations. This is the 23rd title in ElfQuest so if you really aren't following that's okay, I'll have a review of the whole series coming soon, hopefully by the end of Feb. I gave this particular volume a 3.5 because while it's good there are times where it's rather blah, and the love triangle is very tiring. I do like seeing Ember's growth from the wild little girl into this strong chieftess, but it's just more of the same, and I dislike the ending as it was the era where all ElfQuest titles ceased without much of a wrap up. While it does continue in Final Quest, if you try to continue with some other titles on the master list page I find it so confusing and unsatisfying.

A Frozen Heart by Elizabeth Rudnick

In case you missed my July Wrap Up, I read Elizabeth's Rudnick's version of Maleficent and it barely got 3 out of 5 stars. It was a big let down, perhaps the worst of the year. So I was skeptical when I saw this but then I turned it over.

Yeah, I bought it. And it was better. Still not the greatest, as it's Frozen from just Anna's and Hans' perspectives, but the added info about Hans' past, and what his family was like, shocked me. I enjoyed it but it was a little painful to read Anna falling for him. We miss absolutely everything from Elsa's perspective and I really missed seeing her thoughts. That's why it is 4 out of 5.

Batman New 52 Vol 6: Graveyard Shift by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo

Finally concluding the flashback to Zero Year this volume also tied into the events of Batman Inc., and Batman Eternal. While I really enjoyed it at the time, this volume was very forgettable and I had to just look up what happened in it. It's more a transitional volume, so you have to have read all of those to enjoy this, which is rather annoying. I could but if you're just following Batman's comic you'll have to go pick up Batman Inc 1 and 2, as well as Eternal 1. So it's fallen a bit down to a 4 out of 5 stars. Still high because it's Batman and it brought it, but I did forget what it brought exactly.

Cirque du Freak Volume 6: The Vampire Prince (manga) by Darren Shan and Takahiro Arai

I mentioned already that I picked up the actual book because while the movie was a let down, the manga was quite good, and I after reading what I already owned in person with vol 4 and 5, I decided to continue it. And I couldn't put it down, or clicking since I read it online. I absolute love Darren's story and I can't wait to get to book 3 or 4 when things really start to pick up. Shan's vampire world is truly unique without adding sparkling to the mix and staying dark, and yet having truly good vampires. Well done Shan. Totally a 4 out 5 stars!
Also check out my Twitter cuz Darren Shan keeps liking my tweets about his stuff!

Rogue's Curse by Wendy and Richard Pini

Yet another volume of ElfQuest, Rogue's Curse takes place after Final Quest, and actually wraps up in rather a clever way. While most of the other titles published at this time ended like Wild Hunt, very open and rather sudden, this had a sense of conclusion to it despite being very open. And it meshes perfectly to Final Quest, and yet answers a question Final Quest presents: who stays and who goes? This is what happens to Rayek, and while it's a bit spoilery in that regard, it really isn't. I still am not sure what leads to his decision and love the huge growth we see in just this volume with perhaps the most immature Elf we see in all of ElfQuest. But it can also be dull and since it's just Rayek, Winnowill, and Eukar it makes it even more boring at times. A solid 4 out of 5 stars.

Batman and Robin Vol 5: The Big Burn by Peter J Tomasi, Patrick Gleason, Mick Gray, and Doug Mahnke

After the very dark events of Batman Inc vol 2, Batman has been in this downward spiral and managed to piss of pretty much every single member of the Bat family except perhaps Catwoman and Alfred. All the Batkids have fled to their own nests and are avoiding him, and he finally has woken up and realized he came close to losing everything in his grief. So Bruce throws himself into this feud that was brewing under his nose while he elsewhere (see doing stupid s*** in Africa and Europe) between Two-Face and the woman who made him (also never heard of her before but I've only dabbled in Modern). Things go to pot real quick and he has to pull out all the stops to keep Gotham from being totally destroyed as two mafia's duke it out.
I find that Batman and Robin are full of great scenes and pull together for really good volumes, while Batman and the others seem up and down per volume. The greatest scene in this has to be where we see just how deep Bruce's friendship with Superman is, and what Superman does for him. Also very refreshing after everything that's gone down in Injustice (see below). Absolutely deserves the 4.5 Stars, while leaning close to 5/5.

Cirque du Freak volumes 7 & 8 by Darren Shan and Takahiro Arai

I read not only these two but also all of 9 that I could find online, because as I said earlier, I became obsessed. I absolutely love this series and it's really interesting. Again, thanks to the movie a big twist was totally revealed (STUPID MOVIE REALLY DON'T WATCH IT UNLESS YOU LIKE BEING SPOILED) to that made something scenes frustrating, but now I'm eager to see how all the twists are played out. Again, since it's not as amazing as some others it's sitting solidly at a 4.5 out of 5 stars.
Check out my reviews for them (warning some spoilers) HERE and HERE.

Avatar: The Rift Part Two by Gene Luen Yang, Michael Dante DiMartino, Bryan Konietzlo, and Gurihiru

For those who aren't aware, I fell in love with Avatar long before Korra or the epic finale (and what a finale this show has). I found episode 3 the night it premiered and was very sad when it ended, especially with some big questions let unanswered. And while Korra simply teases about these questions, it's 50 years later. The comics start less than 1 year after Sozen's Comet, and finally answer these questions raised in first Avatar, then Korra. The Rift starts off when the question of Toph's family. What happened after the fall out? Well, the Rift is mostly about that as well as setting up just where Korra stays in season 1. I enjoyed it but as it's just a small part of an over arc, I can't rate it properly until I read part 3, so it's sitting at a 4 out of 5 for now.

Injustice: Gods Among Us Year 3 Volume 1 by Tom Taylor, Bruno Redondo, and Mike S Miller

I'm gonna go with what I typed on my review for this because it's perfect.
Injustice is a wild ride. First, everyone hero you love from DC is gunning for each other and lots of people are dying. Superman is evil and doesn't even know it. He's damning the world to totalitarian rule and doesn't care. He's his greatest enemy and has lost so much, and is losing the rest.
And I love it.
The war between Batman and Superman has boiled down. So many have been lost on both sides, and both sides are desperate. Now we got the big guns moving in, the super powerful magic users, and it's getting uglier.
But the last part shows us perhaps the saddest thing in this universe: what if? It's beautiful and terrible and you just wish that happened and know it can't and that it's going to end in death and darkness. Beautiful story and so effing messed up.
4.75/5 stars



And that's all I read November! Make sure to stay tuned as I'll be posting December's Wrap Up later this week, and may continue to post them on this blog. I am coming back, but I'm doing things slowly. I started back up on Tumblr, stayed on Pinterest, and have solidified Twitter as my reading fangirling platform (meaning where I share what I feel as I read, just recently read Deadpool vol 1). YouTube's coming back, and big thanks to all the family and friends, as well as comments urging me to keep going there. I was close to deleting, and you guys brought it back. I will come back, but not until towards the end of February. But stay tuned.

Love you all!