The Book that No One Wanted to Read by Richard Ayoade

Cute and amusing but didn’t knock my socks off.

3.25/5 stars. Read on Libby app. Sept 1-4, 2023.

Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosch

This was suppose to be a funny webcomic collection. This was a bit hard for me to read since it deals heavily with depression and suicidal ideation. The author is severely depressed and I could relate to some of the things she wrote about. Some of the comics amused me but the humor didn’t always work for me. I admire the author’s ability to create art. It is good but it doesn’t lift me up so I won’t read her next works.

3.5/5 stars. Sept 5, 2023.

From Here to Eternity: Traveling the World to Find the Good Death by Caitlin Doughty

Narrated by the author. Another Reading Glasses recommendation. Doughty has a nice voice. As someone with an interest in death, this was right up my alley. I didn’t love all the locations but I enjoyed Dougthy’s observations and reflections in many of them.

4.25/5 stars. Sept 1-6, 2023. Mostly 1.4x.

We are never meeting in real life by Samantha Irby

Narrated by the author. I have mixed feelings. The author and I are very different people. There was too much sexual content for me. There was aggressive humor which I didn’t find funny most of the time. On the other hand, I’ve heard Irby on a podcast and reading between the lines in this book, I find myself respecting and even liking her. She is raw and upfront about who she is and her life. I also liked how she discussed depression, anxiety, and death. I got the feeling she is a great friend. Considering her life circumstances, she’s faced things with her head held high. I do admire that. I have her next two books on hold as well and they are actually easy to listen to in some ways so I’ll likely try the next one.

3.25/5 stars. Sept 5-8, 2023. Mostly 1.5x.

Monstress Vol 5-7 by Marjorie M. Liu, Illustrated by Sana Takeda

I hadn’t caught up to this epic fantasy graphic novel series since pre-pandemic. I forgot almost everything but started remembering some as I went through. The world building is so deep and complex. As a character and setting reader, this series is very intense.

I love this series. It is dark and emotional and even spiritual and humanistic. It has female relationships and found families. It’s also amazingly illustrated. I actually think this is my favourite graphic novel series now over both Sandman and Promethea. Since the story was created by two Asian female writers and has influences in East Asian history and symbolism, I can relate to it much more. I would really like to reread this series when it is done. I love how so much has unfolded. There is a lot of emotionality. I look forward to the next edition.

4.25-4.5/5 stars. September 9-10, 2023.