Welcome to July's Rants & Raves! I decided that I won't do a mid-year LIST and just save it for an end of the year LIST. Depending on how much content I get through the LIST might be expanded to a top 25 but we will cross that bridge when we get to it.
In regards to this month's LIST, lets get to it.
22. Piranesi by Susanne Clarke: 7 - Okay
Okay, hot take. Despite a lot of critical acclaim from a lot of booktok/ youtubers whom I watch and enjoy their content I personally feel that Piranesi was very mid. I was dangerously close to DNFing this book a couple times and I only stuck it out because I heard it would get better. After the big reveal, it did but this book never got to the heights it was promoted to me.
This book gave me, 'House of Leaves' feelings where I was reading the book but at the same time I was just reading it to get through it not because it was particular compelling. The twist was pretty obvious, the characters were paper thin in their motivations and the ending just did not hit for me. This book also has a very slow start and I like details as much as the next person but sometimes you can go overboard. At the end, I finished it and did not hate it hence the 'Okay' mark but I definitely did not see what all the hype was about.
21. Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe: 8 - Rave
Like a lot of young people my age, I had a lot of English teachers growing up who wanted us to expand our worlds and read books outside of our comfort zone. I recall reading Things Fall Apart for the first time when I was in eight or ninth grade and it stuck with me but I did not recall everything that happened in it. So when I was doing my classics' re-reads, it came to mind and I wanted to re-read as a adult.
Things Fall Apart is Chinua Achebe's magnus opus, his most popular work and I can tell why. It is well written, filled with observations of the African people, customs and culture through the eyes of a person who has lived that life. He vividly paints with prose these complex people and gives us a story about how modern religion/ colonization is introduce to this tribe of indigenous people and the explosive collision that occurs. I low-key feel this book might have been on my mind when I picked anthropology as my major in University.
During my re-read I picked up so much more nuances and I have lot more feelings about the portrayal of religion now I have been saved. Things Fall Apart has without a doubt, one of the most un-likable protagonist I have read in modern history. Our protag, Okonkwo hates all weakness because of the way he was raised so he over-corrects and is a sexist, cruel and very arrogant MC that makes it hard to root for as we follow his story. My biggest gripe with this book is that is just feels like its going through the motions until the inciting incidents and the aftermaths. Other than those events, the book moves at very slow pace and I wish we just got more story instead of my day-to-day descriptions. Combining this slow pace with a very un-likeable protagonist meant that this re-read was just OKAY and I hoped I would have gotten more from it because it was memorable once upon a time.
20. Wastelands: The New Apocalypse by Various: 8 - Rave
Wastelands: The New Apocalypse has me re-thinking how I should rate short stories collections with various authors. As the rating above points out, I do overall think it is an 8 but during early days of this rather big collection, its score would have been a 8.5 or 9. The stories by the authors I knew really hit the mark with Ken Liu of course delivering and Veronica Roth (of Divergent fame) providing a good read. I also found some new authors that I enjoy their stories too, which is always the aim of these collections.
However as time went on, I found a lot more meh stories and a couple of basic stories which lowered the overall score. Near the end, for every good story, I found two or three stories which left no impact on me at all. This is why I am thinking of just rating the short stories and not the overall collection.
One thing I do like about this collection compared to last month's short story collection 'A Phoenix Must Burn...' is how much better the writers embrace the core concept of dystopia fiction but explored it from different perspectives and gave me a lot more meat on the bones compared to the same story re-told multiple times. Definitely a tick in its favor.
19. Who Not How by Dan Sullivan with Dr. Benjamin Hardy: 8 - Rave
A non-fiction book I was recommend to read during my entrepreneurship classes, Who Not How reads very well. The first couple of chapters really hit the mark and inspired me to get up and find my 'Whos', a concept that is, no man is an island and to truly succeed in this world we need to link up with the right people with the right mindsets.
It ends up with an 8 and the back of this LIST mainly because why is a good read it does overstay its welcome. This book is too long for the concept it promotes. I feel near the end, it got a bit repetitive and I think an good editor could of trimmed some of the fat. I would still recommend it for people with entrepreneurship goals but just be aware that this book does have diminishing returns.
18. Death of the Silver Surfer: 8 - Rave
For a book that smacks of marketing synergy (we have a new female Silver Surfer thanks to the MCU, we need a new female Silver Surfer in comics) this book still had a good impact on me. I think it comes down to Greg Pak's characterization of the Silver Surfer and making a character that is normally portrayed as lofty and aloof to having a deep empathy with every living thing and a soul. The art is also good and serviceable but nothing mind blowing, at least to me.
My only critique of this book is main villain felt very hokey (basically a Donald Trump/ Elon Musk pastiche rolled into one with all the cliques attached to it) and our new Surfer being a bit predictable. Greg Pak loves to create new Asian characters and put them into big positions (Amadeus Cho for example, who I actually like) but at the same time, they come off a bit Mary Sue-ish sometimes (aka a self-insert character that is a bit too good to be true and written for the story to revolve around them). I felt we could have explore more avenues of empowering existing characters to becoming the new Silver Surfer instead of creating another original character just to fill a diversity gap. Overall though, this was a good read and I guess we shall see how long Marvel lets the original Silver Surfer stay dead and keep this new status quo.
17. Clive Barker's First Tales: 8 - Rave
A very unique project, commissioned by Clive Barker himself, is this re-print of some of the story stories he wrote when he was a teenager, I believe he was 17 at the time? This young Clive shows all the hallmarks of the modern literary magician he will one day becomes with deep world building, strong character work and a touch of the macabre that is in all his works, even his more light-hearted fair.
Both stories are good, the longer novella, 'The Candle in the Cloud' reads like his take on Narnia stories (aka a group of young children are recruited to save a magical land with the help of broad cast of characters). It was an enjoyable tale, a bit predictable but filled with heart. I enjoyed this and I would have like to see it expanded. Reading this however really makes me wish Clive would get back to his modern updated version of this story, his 'Abarat' quartet which is still unfinished.
16. Sacrament by Clive Barker: 8 - Rave
I remember reading Sacrament in my mid twenties when I first discovered Clive and was reading everything he published. I felt I was long due for a re-read and after it I am very conflicted. This book had endlessly potential but in the end I felt a bit disappointed. The premise was unique, we had a layered protagonist and antagonist but overall this book did not have the 'oomph' that I normally get from Clive's writing.
Clive just meandered through this and I felt it just needed a greater sense of urgency. Also when we got to the conclusion, I was like that's it? I think when I do my bigger LIST of my favorite Clive Barker books, this book will be close to the end of it. Also knowing what I know about Clive now, especially after reading his biography, I feel this book also feels semi-autographical and personal especially with its gay protagonist, his rough upbringing with a strict father and living through the AIDS epidemic but seeing his friends and lovers die. It feels bittersweet that I didn't enjoy it more. A rare disappointment from Clive because I walked into this re-read with high hopes.
15. Descendants: Wicked Wonderland: 8 - Rave
Yes, I have long realized around my fifth of sixth musical I no longer hate them and I can actually watch one and not cringe anymore. Full disclaimer, I watched this with no back history with this franchise. I know of it concept (the descendants of Disney's greatest heroes and villains getting their own stories) and I have seen plenty of promotion about it but I never sat down to watch one until this one and to my surprise and enjoyment, I actually liked it.
This film knew its target audience and did not disappoint, the songs are good and catchy, the cast is likeable (definitely keep an eye on new character Pink whom I feel is being positioned to be a lead very soon) and the storyline was compelling enough so you don't get bored. I like some of the story points too, seeing a particular character break bad and all the chaos that ensued. I also appreciated seeing very under-rated character actor Leonardo Nam show up as the big bad as well and hamming it up like I knew he could. Overall, this was a fun movie, nothing ground-breaking but definitely not boring or pedestrian. I actually might go back and watch the other movies in this series now. Shocker.
14. XO Kitty Season 2: 8.5 - Rave
A good follow-up to a strong season one (see my previous LIST for that review). Season 2 of XO Kitty started on shaky ground with a lot going on but no real movement with the main stories. Kitty is still confused about her feelings for Yuri, Q has a new rival/ love interest in Jin and we have a mysterious new character called Stella who seems to be too good to be true. Julianna, Yuri's girlfriend is in the mix too and she is unsure where she fits in as well. It is a lot and its a bit chaotic.
As the season continues the storylines start getting less messy and we get a return to form. We have some good scenes with Kitty rediscovering her roots (her visiting her grandma's sister and the aftermath is a highlight), a true villain emerges that everyone has to come together to take down and some real forward movement with our OTP couple. The final couple episodes of this season really saved a weak start. The show is still a great mix of Korean and Western dramas with some good humor and a strong, likable cast.
13. Dragonlance Destinies # 2: Dragons of Fate by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman: 8.5 - Rave
On a recommendation from my wife because of my enjoyment of LaQuette's novels, I decided to give Anyone But You a try and boy did I have fun. This book is hilarious and the stuff that our main couple goes through is no joke. It is the classic enemies to lovers trope but it was done with a lot of sass and spice, their back and forth verbal sparring made it very enjoyable to read with some laugh out loud moments. Our FMC is filled with one liners and is super relatable if you know any black women and our MMC has 'just' enough ego and boldness to make him likeable.
This was a very breezy read and I had a good time. A.N Boyden writes like she is hanging out with her friends and telling a story and I was here for it. I also got to give a shout-out to the voice actors (I did this as a audio book) who really brought the story to life as well. If you like your romances with a bit of bite and fun, I, like my wife, highly recommend this to you.
11. Chainsaw Man Vol. 1 by Tatsuki Fujimoto: 8.5 - Rave
On the strength of a recommendation from Youtuber Super Eyepatch Wolf, I decided to sit down and read my first manga. Yes, all the reading I do, all the comics I read, I have never really read a manga. Sure I watch anime occasionally but the written form I've never dedicated much time too. So I hoped for my first foray into the medium was a good one and boy did I pick right.
Chainsaw Man is insane, filled with kinetic action that just bleeds off the page. Fujimoto really delivers on all fonts and my only real gripe with this volume is that it ends just as it was getting good. The story is still pretty bare bones too but I have a feeling it'll pick up. This story about a poor (literally) young man and his best friend (who is a devil) possessing him and giving him powers has just started and I am here for it. Also I know I can fix Makima lol.
10. Chainsaw Man Vol. 2 by Tatsuki Fujimoto: 9 - RAVE
So, on the strength of that first volume, I immediately jumped into Vol. 2. I think Vol. 2 is when the story starts picking up and I am enjoying the larger cast of characters too, all of them seem to have their own motivations to do what they do and some of these motivations actually get a bit deeper then the infamous 'touch some boobs' that our MC has.
The art for Vol. 2 continues to hit all the marks with Fujimoto masterfully mixing the mundane with the fantastical. The energy he puts into these pencils is amazing and it is worth the price of admission just to see his art but I am happy the story is getting stronger as well. Needless to say, I will be continuing my journey with Chainsaw Man.
9. Warm Up by V.E Schwab: 9 - RAVE
Warm Up is the prologue to the Villains series by V.E Schwab. As regular readers of this blog know, I am on a V.E reading binge so the Villains series was the next logical step. I mean, super heroes/ villains and V.E at the helm? Sign me up. I really enjoy Warm Up setting the scene really well and it has the now trademark worldbuilding and descriptive characters I have grown to appreciate from V.E.
The story moved at a brisk pace and kept me entrapped. This was a perfect entrée for the full course that is the Villains and as I am reading Vicious right now because I enjoyed this short story so much. This short story scores so highly because in one short story, V.E nailed everything I wanted in a book.
8. Mission Impossible: Final Reckoning: 9 - RAVE
After the very satisfying MI: Dead Reckoning (see my previous LIST), me and my wife was looking forward to finishing out the Mission Impossible series. This movie continues the momentum of the previous one and it was cool that Tom Cruise's Ethan Hunt was able to recruit even more people to his cause including people who were previously against him. It truly showed how high the stakes are. Also the opening credits was filled with easter eggs galore for fans of the franchise which was a nice touch.
This film had a bit of everything, crazy action, personal cost and a compelling plot. The scene where Ethan goes deep diving in a sub at the bottom of the sea almost tops the previous films train scene as one of the craziest things put to a film. The pacing was a bit slower compared to the previous film and you do feel the length of this very long film but the final showdown was worth it and the ending hit. If this truly is the last film in Tom Cruise's Mission Impossible franchise, it went out with a bang.
7. XO Kitty Season 3: 9 - RAVE
Season 3 of XO Kitty pays off the potential season 1 and season 2 had. This season has a more stronger focus especially compared to season 2 and we fans of the main couple finally get a pay-off and more. It was so cute seeing our OTP be together, sad when they broke up, and elated when they finally got back together. It was structured like a k-drama and it had the pay off like a good k-drama.
All the other over-reaching storylines are brought together as well as couples we want to come back together get their happy endings too. As it stands, we fans are unsure if this is the last season of XO but if they do choose to end it here I won't be too sad because this is would be a great place to end it.
I only have a few very small critiques, the first is, the soundtrack of previous seasons is definitely pulling away from the popular k-pop groups previous seasons used and they are using more indie artists, while this is not a bad thing and one of the best songs of the season is an indie artist, I do miss hearing some of the popular artists. The second is very minor but I do feel if we do have another season, we don't need every character to have an over-reaching arc. I just feel more new characters means less time for more established characters. However, this is the best season of XO Kitty easily.
6. Predator Kills the Marvel Universe: 9 - RAVE
As I moved through the Predator Versus series, I am happy the plan was always to culminate it with a big event like this one. I was hoping with a title that says 'Kills the Marvel Universe' they would not hold back and hold back they did not. In the first issue alone we saw the death of some major MCU darlings and it kept escalating from there. I was legit shocked by how much writer Benjamin Percy was able to get away with but it makes sense that this is a 'alternative' universe setting so he was allowed to really go in. It was nice to tie this story into the previous books as well, with Wolverine and Spider-man (and to a lesser extent Black Panther) playing big roles because they have fought the predators before.
The art in this book was much better than the previous volumes too, the gore and carnage was definitely not held back either which was appropriate for this type of story. All in all, this was a fun ride and a epic conclusion, at least for me. I do see Marvel is planning on continuing it with Predator Vs Punisher but I think this series will be my stop. I do not want too much of a good thing.
5. The Liveship Traders # 3: Ship of Destiny by Robin Hobb: 9 - RAVE
Where do I begin with this series. Being my first Robin Hobb series I was not prepared for her detailed character work, compelling settings, vivid imagery... and very long chapters. However with each book in this trilogy I started to really come around to what Ms. Hobb was selling. In just two books she made characters I could not stand become characters worth cheering for. She made talking boats legit and believable to the point I want a talking boat (kinda), Hell, she even made sea serpents something to care about especially after some early chapters in book one where I could not understand why we needed them. Each book in this series truly made me appreciate this series as a whole.
So why is it just a 9 and not higher? Why am I second guessing if I should continue with her another series of hers or just call it here. Well, to examine that, we must talk about how Ship of Destiny ended. Up until a certain part of the book (readers know which part) I was all in but then it happened and the aftermath of this heinous event and how certain people recovered from it just left a weird feeling in me. Certain characters got a un-necessary redemption arc which I did not feel they deserved, certain important characters in previous conflicts became after-thoughts during the final conflict and certain characters did not get the justice I feel they deserved. The ending also just lands very flat for me and regular readers of this blog know, I need a good ending to really love a series.
I can't not deny this was a grand book, filled with amazing moments, a story that kept me hooked, a amazing crescendo and some of the best, complex characters I have read outside of the Dandelion Dynasty (which is my benchmark for complex characters) and one of the more charismatic, evil but at times you can't help but cheer for villains in the form of Kennit. So it deserves the 9, but if it was not for 'that' scene and subsequent chapters, this could have been a 10 and even higher on this LIST.
4. Thor by Jason Aaron: 9 - RAVE
For 7 years, Jason Aaron and a lot of artists told the story of Thor Odinson, in a complex tale that created so much new lore for Thor that is still felt 7 years after he did it. He add complex nemesis' such as Gorr, the God Butcher, made Thor unworthy, introduce Jane Foster as his replacement and made Malekith (who was once a throw-away MCU villain) to one of the most menacing, ongoing threats that push Thor and his allies to their limits. Aaron's Thor run should go up their with the greats and also comparable to historic runs like Ewing's Immortal Hulk, Miller's Daredevil and Bendis Ultimate Spider-man. Character defining runs which other poor writers have to follow in the giant footsteps of.
The art is also something I need to talk about as well because from the beginning, Esad Ribic and Russell Dauterman really brought their A games and made this one of the prettiest books on the stands. Ribic with his realistic look, a dark but clean style started us off with a bang with some of the most iconic covers, Dauterman followed with his more animated style, strong pencils, amazing layouts and ability to bring other worlds to life. His version of Jane Foster's Thor is a sight to behold as well. Sadly this is where this series also loses half a point. Following Ribic and Dauterman, we had Mike Del Mundo and for me, I really could not get with his vision for Thor. His art was always confusing, layouts a bit too experimental and the color choices didn't help. The story arc where he took over was also the least strongest for me story wise as well so it was a double whammy. Coming off the super clean style of Dauterman, it gave me a bit of whiplash and I was very happy when Ribic came back at the end to finish this run on a bang and Dauterman's art was used for the massive Thor crossover event War of the Realms. This run also loses half a point because while it was an amazing run, their was definitely some filler arcs and some non memorable moments (it did last 7 years after all) but overall that can not take that when I think of Thor these days, Jason Aaron's run is the first thing that comes to mind and it is still a hard act to follow.
3. I Will Find You (Netflix): 9 - RAVE
For Harlan's first American production of one his books, he went with a banger with I Will Find You. I already knew the source material was good and I have reviewed it previously so they just need to get the casting right and to nail the presentation. Well, the good news is as you can see not only from its score and its placement, that it nailed it.
Sam Worthington is a great lead and has believable chemistry with Britt Lower, our female lead. Milo Ventimiglia chips in as well in a role that will surprise his long time fans and the story moves at a break neck pace suitable for a Harlan book. The sets look great and thankfully non of the source material was changed too much that it'll effect a person who prefers books to adaptations (something the Run Away TV series could have taken a lesson from).
I thoroughly enjoyed the ride and even though I knew the twists and turns I was still on the edge of my seat. If this is a indicator of what the American studios can do with Harlan properties it seems we are in good hands.
2. His & Hers: 9.5 - RAVE
It looks like Netflix continues to score with adaptations of novels for me and my family this month because the second best piece of content for this month is His & Hers. This thriller brings in two big stars in Tessa Thompson and Jon Bernthal and a strong supporting cast and kept me and my family on our toes. This well paced 6 episode series hit all the marks with giving us complex, borderline unlikeable leads, a killer mystery and enough tension you can cut with a knife. When I say the final couple episodes of this drama had us in a chokehold I am not lying. Kicking off with a great scene between the two leads which really broke down why they fell apart to reveals and twist after twist.
Also no spoilers but the final twist was so well though-out that I was had to say bravo and give it the second highest score of this month. This show was very hyped when it first came out and I am happy to say it was well worth it. However despite it hitting all the marks, it is not my favorite piece of content for the month. That honor belongs too...
1. The Ending Writes Itself by Evelyn Clarke: 9.5 - RAVE
As previously mentioned, I am kind in a V.E binge mood right now so when I learned she co-wrote a book with one of her good friends, Cat Clarke and it was completely different than what she normally writes, I was intrigued. Man, was I happy I took the bait. This book was nutty.
V.E and Cat's premise to put tons of different type of writers on an island to write the ending for a Harry Potter-esque (with the appropriate fan-base) series after the main author prematurely dies is amazing and the characters are as memorable as they can come. All of them still stick in my mind. Also I could see so much of Cat's expertise in dealing with publishing houses and YA authors in this book as much as see V.E influence in some of the unique characters and their unique quirks. (Team Kenzo!) Filled with twists galore and a killer final reveal and even more twists after that, this book feels like the board game Clue come to life.
V.E has steadily become one of my new favorite authors since I have re-started my reading journey and each one of her books have gotten so close to getting the grand prize in one of my LISTs. The Invisible Life... for example would have been a shoe-in if not for Ms. Douglass showing out with her final trilogy she ever wrote. So to give her first golden RAVE to a collaboration and a book outside of her normal MO is impressive as it is earned. The Ending was amazing and I happily award it the highest honor for this month.
Well that is another LIST done and dusted. Some big wins and some big disappointments. This month taught me some recommendations can be completely up my alley (Chainsaw Man) and some, not so much (Piranesi). It taught me that sometimes even your favorites can't always hit it out the park. It showed me adaptions can be done well with the right people behind the wheel (I Will Find You) and nostalgia can be tricky (Things Fall Apart). Ship of Destiny showed I can like a book a lot but some things I can not compromise on and happy endings can be earned and are possible (XO Kitty, Mission Impossible and Thor) and sometimes, the best endings are the ones that stick with you so much, they become golden.
AV
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