What are you reading in July/2016?

Some have Summer Holidays, other Winter vacations. Most have all work and little play.
But we all have books in common.

Finished The Strain Vol.1, which is the comic book adaptation for the Guillermo Del Toro's book. This is the first part of a vampires' tale in the optics of virus-like infectation, reminding me of Alan Moore's Swamp Thing: American Gothic plus Invasion of Body Snatchers.

Finished Jupiter's Circle, the prequel for Jupiter's Legacy placed in the 1950's. While it is good and has a Mad men feel (everybody smokes a lot), the ace in the sleeve is the art, which is all based/ inspired by Alex Toth, resembling the designs for Super Friends! and with a special cameo of the Hall of Justice.

>3 apokoliptian: Jupiter's Circle & Jupiter's Legacy both sound interesting and have good reviews/ratings. But my goodness I really can't add another thing to my TBR pile right now for fear of it toppling over!

>4 sweetiegherkin:
Well... If there is no risk of a Jenga-like incident, I would recommend them to top your pile. :)

>4 sweetiegherkin:

Start a second pile. Problem solved :)

I've started Private Eye by Brian K. Vaughan and Lucifer Book 4.

I've finished Deep State, vol.1: Darker Side of the Moon by Justin Jordan and Ariela Kristantina. The book is about an agency X-Files/ Men in Black-like dealing with strange cases; in this one, an alien invasion.

While the whole concept of the story is very credible and interesting, it is wrapped up very rushly. But the low point is the art, which is very sketchy, making the book look like a storyboard for a movie.

Jordan is a very good writer and I'll try the 2nd volume.

The Private Eye was bizarre and pretty good. The same would apply to Patience by Daniel Clowes, a time travel story with his special brand of angst.

Tamara Drewe was quite a nice book. Very novelistic and very English.

I just read Neil Gaiman's How To Talk to Girls at Parties, illustrated by Gabriel Ba and Fabio Moon, and thoroughly enjoyed it. My short review's on the book page.

ETA: Now I'm reading Saga Volume 6 (can't get the touchstone to work) by Brian K. Vaughan. Much better, IMO, than #5 so far.

>9 jnwelch: I just could not get into The Private Eye at all. And I'm still eagerly awaiting Saga, Vol. 6 (got the touchstone, had to do a page search for Saga, and it was farrrr down the page)

>12 DanieXJ: I can understand that, Danie, re The Private Eye. They talk a bit in the deluxe edition about what an unusual project it was. It was bizarre, but I enjoy bizarre.

Yeah, there's a push from Librarything members to change the touchstone methodology. I get Twilight when I touchstone Saga, and you're right, it's a long hunt to find the right one. Why not have exact match titles come up first?

Saga Volume 6 was excellent. I was a little let down by the 5th one, but this 6th one was back on track.

I'm now reading Jason's Almost Silent; lots of visual puns.

>13 jnwelch:
I have read Jason Conquers America, which is a small book celebrating the 10 years of publication of Jason's books by Fantagraphics. It is fun.

>14 apokoliptian:

Ha. I did not know that this book existed and I thought I have all of his books.

I have finished Chrononauts by Mark Millar and Sean Murphy. This book that has Millar with his scatology turned to maximum is about a duo of scientists that travels through time and do everything that is considered wrong. Think about The Time Tunnel guys without Super Ego.

The book can be fun, but Murphy's art is the glue for it. It amazes me the range of his work (from humor to horror) and the quality of the art (those thin lines, the blacks and hatch), that works in color and B&W.

Waiting for my Saga Volume 6 to be delivered. In the meantime, I have The Unwritten Vol. 1; I loved Carey and Gross's work on Lucifer, so I have high hopes for this series.

>17 Euryale: I love The Unwritten. :)

>18 AnnieMod: I think I'm hooked.

>17 Euryale:, >19 Euryale: I'm hooked on Lucifer. I'm on book 4 now. Sounds like I should try The Unwritten.

>20 jnwelch: Definitely!

>20 jnwelch:

You should. :) It is one of those stories that just manages to get to you. Especially of you are a reader (as opposed to reading 2 comics per month kind of person).

>19 Euryale:

Good! :) Happy reading. I need to reread.

>21 Euryale:, >22 AnnieMod: Sounds good to me. Thanks!

Right now I'm reading the new Ms. Marvel, #5, and so far it's as good as the prior ones. G. Willow Wilson has done such a terrific job with this series.

I've been reading Thief of Thieves which I believe someone here may have recommended (jnwelch?). really enjoyed the first three volumes.

>24 brianjungwi:
I think it was me. If you liked this one, try Ghosted if you find it.

I've finished Phonogram, Vol.3: The Immaterial Girl. Phonogram has plenty of metaphors about music and pop culture and, in this installment, it revolves around videos clips and early MTV generation.

It is not as brilliant as the 1st volume (about Brit Pop) or as fun as the 2nd (about different points of view of the same night in a dance club), but it is worth checking.

25> cheers, i'll look for it =)

I finished Lucifer Book Four and Ms. Marvel Vol. 5. The Lucifer book was a bit confusing compared to the ones before, but still good, and I continue to enjoy the Ms. Marvel series.

>24 brianjungwi:, >25 apokoliptian: Yeah, not me for that one, although now you've got me curious.

In time: For those who liked Phonogram, I recommend the movie Begin Again with Mark Ruffalo, Keira Knightley and Adam Levine, which has a phonomantic point of view of music and pop culture.

I mostly read single issues, so I'm reading my lonigish and varied pull list. I'm also working my way through 3 stacks of graphic novels and collections of comics I don't buy monthly. I just started on Marvel's Vision by Tom King, having just finished reading Dark Night by Paul Dini, which was great.

Is there somebody here reading Dark Knight III? Is it good?

>30 ShellyS:

Dark Night by Paul Dini

That one sounds really good.

>31 apokoliptian:

Yes, do tell!

> 5, 6 I was speaking more metaphorically ... though I do have large piles of unread books throughout my house, my wishlist of books to read is also gigantic!

I devoured Lazarus by Rucka and Lark. Amazing near future story of a genetically enhanced assassin who acts as the protector for her family. The family is one of sixteen families who now rule the planet. It is part military, part family drama, and all high octane. An instant classic in my book.