Another One

So I finally joined the cool kids and caught up with the Lore Olympus webtoon. I tried it once or twice before and didn’t really love it right off. I wasn’t sure about the art because my personal preference is more realistic looking characters, but it really grew on me and I can really appreciate how well drawn they are and how realistic their expressions are. Her version the underworld/Olympus/mortal realm came alive in the artwork. Plus, a big part of the story is dealing with trauma and I probably wasn’t ready to read about that when I tried it earlier.

One of the reasons I had a hard time getting back to it is because there are so many episodes out and I figured I was way behind on the story, like starting a series with 10 books already out. But I forgot this is a webtoon and even though it’s been years since episode 1, it hasn’t been that long in the story. Reading it all at once (most of it anyway) was actually really nice because the story is really tight and when the scenes jump around, they always come back together and it was fun to be able to see that. In other webtoons I read, I sometimes have to re-read to put a story arc together.  

 

Yep, I guess I’m a fan now. It’s a very good comic and deserves the praise it’s getting. Plus, with it becoming more mainstream now, it can only be good for other webtoons that I love. I’m really hoping a few of my other favorites get printed.

A Business Proposal

Since I started down the road of web comics full time last year, I have probably spent between $150.00 -$200.00 on “money” for episodes. I started on Webtoons where I still read the most. Then, after debating with myself for a while, I decided to start using Tapas. And recently, I subscribed to Manta comics after getting sucked into one of theirs. I mean, I could read the free stuff or wait for free episodes but I don’t want to. I’m not worried about the money and I feel like it’s going to support the creators that I’ve really enjoyed. I am still deep down the rabbit hole with web comics and have no plans to come out. There are just so many stories that I’ve loved so much so they’re basically like books in that regard. In fact, I really wish some of them could be published traditionally so I could have a physical copy. I even joined Patreon so I could support some of my favorites. I spend less than $10.00 a month on Patreon so it’s not much at all but it’s something.

 

I just finished A Business Proposal on Tapas and I have to say it might have beat Midnight Poppy Land for #1 favorite. I’m calling it a tie for now. If MLP were not on hiatus, it’s possible it would still be ahead. A Business Proposal is finished and I absolutely love that I have a complete story to re-read. And I have definitely been re-reading it. It is a rom com that made me laugh out loud and just feel good. A girl goes on a blind date for a friend and pretends to be a femme fatale to get rid of him. Unfortunately for her, he’s decided to marry the blind date to get his grandfather off his back and he’s also the CEO of her company. Hijinks ensue. The comedy reminds me so much of silly comedy in old movies like The Glass Bottom Boat. The misunderstandings get cleared up before too many episodes and there’s not a ton of extra drama. Ha-ri, the main female character is funny, but she’s also smart and has a lot going for her. Taemu, the main male character is the good looking, rich boss. The thing I love the most about their relationship is that he’s all in from the beginning. He doesn’t even question why. And while it may seem like he has the upper hand, she really does have him wrapped around her little finger even if she doesn’t realize it. Besides the story, the art is fantastic. I don’t always love when web comics use the chibi style, even for comedic relief, but it is so funny here. There’s a lot of understated humor that just gets me. Anyway, A Business Proposal has joined MPL on the list of favorites and it will most definitely show up on my "best of" list for 2021. 

Fiddler & Fiora Mystery Series

This year I have glommed my way through the Fiddler and Fiora mysteries by A.E. Maxwell.  The whole series just really appealed to me and I’m trying to articulate why. I found them through a podcast that included an interview with Elizabeth Lowell (one half of the A.E. Maxwell duo). They’ve been reissued digitally and after reading the first one, I quickly bought the remaining 7 books in the series.    

The first book was written in 1985 and it feels like the 80’s. They have to stop and find pay phones to make phone calls, shoulder pads are mentioned, and things that I learned in history class or had to look up online because I didn’t know about are current events.  Computer technology is simple, and reports come printed out on reams of paper.  The final book was written in 1993 so the technology does get better, but it’s still such a difference from today.

Fiddler is a guy who likes to meddle and help the underdog and can do so because his ex-wife Fiora, who is a finance genius, invested his money and made him rich. He doesn’t have to work. The two of them have an on again off again relationship at the beginning of the series. As it progresses, they start to deal with some of their issues and end up as partners.  These books are filled with all kinds of details and facts that I find a little bit unnecessary, but worked to create a certain atmosphere. Fiddler is the street smart, tough P.I. who keeps up on current events so the details didn’t seem out of place. At first, I didn’t like Fiora quite as much because I kept getting told she was the brains, but didn’t really get to see it in action as often. Even though she’s supposed to be Fiddler’s equal she came off more like his arm candy a few times. As the series progresses this does change and she even calls Fiddler out on a few things that I’m glad he didn’t just get away with (especially in regards to their relationship). The later books in the series where they truly became partners are definitely my favorite.

Anyway, I have loved reading this series. It will probably be on my top books list later this year. It’s really put me in the mood for 80’s television shows. I own a few seasons of Remington Steele so I should dig the DVDs out. I kind of wish Magnum P.I. or The A Team would come back to Netflix. I guess I’ve still got MacGyver. LOL

Book Review: Class 5 Series

I’ve been on a huge space opera/SFR kick lately. That’s all I’ve wanted to read. I prefer them to be light on the technical details as long as the world is interesting. After all, I’m reading about spaceships and aliens so I’m willing to accept the fantastical. Most of the recent sci-fi romance seems to be self-published. I’m ok with that and I try to do a little digging for content. Goodreads has some good lists I’ve been browsing through for new books to try.

I recently discovered Michelle Diener’s Class 5 series: Dark Horse, Dark Deeds, and Dark Minds. I read Dark Horse in June and liked it quite a bit except for a few things.  This last week I read Dark Deeds and then realized that Dark Minds was just published and I bought it and read the entire book last night.

Each book has a different heroine who has been abducted from Earth and held hostage or prisoner and each of them comes in contact with an AI or “thinking system” and becomes a kind of conscience for them as they are set free. There’s an ongoing story about the different alien races trying to destroy or capture the Class 5 ships and keep the galaxy from war.  And of course, there are the heroes who find and rescue the ladies (initially – there’s a lot of ladies rescuing their men also).

The series as a whole is fantastic. I had 2 problems with it in general. The first is that all 3 women learned multiple languages fluently in 2 months or less. It’s a minor issue and it’s offset by the whole notion that there were other races and cultures and of course they would speak differently. The second is that each book has a central romance and they all took place in less than a week. I generally don’t like insta-love and wasn’t prepared for it to be that fast in the first book. I was ready for the others and they didn’t bother me so much and I just went with it.

Again, those are minor issues. There are a lot of little details that I just loved. One was the fact that the food didn’t taste great to Rose, Fiona, or Imogen and they had to find things they could eat and did like. Another was how music was used culturally by the Grih and how different it is from Earth culture. The songs sung by Fiona and Imogen cracked me up a few times. I have to admit the songs that weren’t actually named had me wondering what they were exactly, and the ones that were had me listening/watching videos on YouTube.

Anyway, I’ve had a great time with this series and can already tell I will be re-reading at least my favorite parts.

I think readers who enjoyed the Scarabaeus series by Sara Creasy or the Paradox series by Rachel Bach would enjoy this.

The Road Home by Ellen Emerson White

I recently finished the Echo Company series by Ellen Emerson White (I believe they were originally published under her pen name Zack Emerson).  I bought them on impulse from a kindle deal I heard about through a blog I enjoy reading.  I started the first one on the journey to Peru and quickly read through 3 of them on the plane.  I finished the last 2 after I got home. Then I went and checked out some books about the Vietnam War from the library.

I love it when something I read makes me want to learn more about real life things. We study the Vietnam War in school from a historical and political perspective but these books seemed so real in the details that I want to know what it was like to be there because it sounds horrifying and terrible and so very sad for the men and women who went there.

Anyway, I really enjoyed the whole series. I loved Michael and his gang of friends from the first time they meet. Michael tried so hard not to let them in because they could be gone in an instant. And some of them were. Then Michael meets Rebecca.  These two both go through so much and from the moment they meet I was hoping for a happy ending for them.

The Road Home is my favorite book of the series. I’ve already bought myself a used paper copy. It goes on the keeper shelf and the second half of the book has already been re-read multiple times.  It’s about Rebecca coming home from the war and how she deals with trying to get on with her life when she can’t get over her recent past. I loved it. I won’t say it has a happy ending, but it has a perfect ending.  Perfect, and hard, and hopeful, which is why it is one of the best books I’ve read all year and one that I’ll revisit often in the future.

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Sometimes you read a book and it pretty much takes over and moves in.  I look at my bookshelves and see so many old favorites that have been there for years, but I’m always kind of delighted when a new favorite gets a place on my shelf.  Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell did that recently. I bought it for my kindle last November when it was being sold on one of Amazon’s deals and read it this past February. Then in March I bought it in hardcover.  I had to have a physical copy and was going to wait for the paperback to come out but just couldn’t do it. I can’t even say how many times I’ve read this book. Well, ok, I’ve read it all the way through once and then most of it many, many times. I completely fell for Cath, Levi, Reagan, Wren, and their dad.

I think the reason I love this book so much is because even though I am not like Cath, I remember some of those feelings from my first year of college. Thinks like figuring out how to eat in the cafeteria, or finding your classes or the best spots to study in the library. All the new people you meet. I even had a roommate whose boyfriend was over all the time. Cath is so strong even though she doesn’t think so. Even with her stomach in knots she still does what she needs to and makes it through whatever she’s dealing with.  And then there’s Levi who gives out smiles just because he can and because it makes him happy.  Levi has been my biggest book crush all year so far and I don’t see that going away any time soon.  

The only small squabble I had with this book is the actual fan fiction Cath writes. While I would probably read the fictional Simon Snow series if it were real, getting just bits and pieces of it took me out of the story. I wanted Cath and Levi, not Simon and Baz. I’m not saying it wasn’t good, I’m just saying that now that I’ve read it once, I can skip those parts and go straight to everything else that I love.

I bought Eleanor and Park at the same time I bought Fangirl and while I didn’t love that one as much, I found out that I love Rainbow Rowell’s writing. I’ve got Attachments on hold at the library and when Landline comes out, I’ll be reading it too.

Book Review: Written in Red by Anne Bishop

Written in Red by Anne Bishop

I’ve never read anything by Anne Bishop before but I read an intriguing review of this one and then saw that my library had it readily available so I decided to give it a try. I loved this book and am not going to even try to pretend any different.

Imagine a world very similar to ours, except in this world the inhabitants that were here first didn’t let the humans take over as they settled the colonies and moved west. Instead there is an uneasy truce where the terra indigene (or Others) and humans co-exist, bartering with each other for things they need or want. The Others that live close to, and interact with humans, live in closed communities called courtyards and human laws don’t apply in the courtyards. When the Others in the Lakeside courtyard take in a runaway human as their liaison and make her one of their own, they won’t give up without a fight when someone tries to take her back.

I was immediately immersed in this alternate reality. The book takes its time describing how the courtyard operates and there are many day to day details. There’s a long setup and the action doesn’t start happening until about 50 pages from the end. This did not bother me one bit. I was so totally wrapped up in the workings of the courtyard, I was surprised when I looked at the pages and saw how far I was. Meg is one of those underdog heroines who learns that she’s stronger than she thought and I really liked her. She is a blood prophet, which means when she cuts herself she has visions. I was a little wary of this going into it, but it turned out to be a very small part of the book and not graphic in details. The Others were my favorite part. I loved them all: Simon, Sam, Tess, Henry, Vlad, Winter, Grandfather Erebus, the Ponies… I can’t even name them all. They are not human and don’t even pretend they want to be. They are a mixture of species: wolves, vampires, elementals, and even a woman who reminds me a lot of Medusa. These characters and this world will be in my head for a very long time.

Really, this is the best new urban fantasy I’ve read in a while. My only complaint is that I had to go and read and love the first book in a brand new series and now I’m stuck waiting for the next one.