That Which We Are Reading
Shiri: Empire State by Adam Christopher (2012). Super cool concept. Half-way in, still pondering a couple of the organization decisions and the execution. I don’t mind working for a book if there’s a payoff (The Sparrow, In the Name of the Rose); I am generally irked, however, by working hard for a book just because (years of academia, kids). When I was young, in the days BC (before children), I finished every book I started because… I don’t know why. I just did. As I’ve gotten more “discerning” (read: older, frazzled, sleep deprived or any combination thereof, had a couple of kids, have a full time job, #amwriting, and #ampodcasting), if I’m not hooked after 50 pages (or, if the book is actively annoying me, 1 page), it goes into the “return to library” pile. In all fairness, I’ve probably missed some decent books that way, but unless someone can slow down our planetary rotation, I have to have some sort of meter. Empire State would likely have gone in the “bye bye” section after the first 50 had I not promised to read it for the pod and had Luke not said, “oh, yeah, I forgot to tell you about that, make sure you finish it.” Luke, if I don’t hit the jackpot on this one, you owe me ten hours of life. And I get to pick which ten.
Luke’s List
Starting Wool by Hugh Howey. Heard a lot, waited to forget most of what I heard.
East of West (comic) by Jonathan Hickman and Nick Dragotta. Hickman is the master of really great sprawling high concept comics and this one is no different. The four horsemen and the United States as 7 warring kingdoms are only the beginning. The art is amazing and fits the story to a tee. And as always the design of the books is head and shoulders above the rest of the industry. (Hickman was a designer in another life.)
{RE: Empire State, I said the beginning was rough and the book would be interesting to talk about. Not sure if I loved the payoff but it was interesting and possibly flawed enough to talk about. So, there.}
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