This book finds a good balance between over the top humor, parenthood, and grief. It was fun reading all the ways Pat tries to connect with the kids and fails, and watching him work through his grief. He does read like a gay type-character from a comedy movie, though, and I wish the kids got a little more characterization. We don't really see them deal with their grief and they feel like they stop being people when not on screen. #LGBTQ #Grief

I'm joining in on some Inktober fun by doing an #OctoberDailyDoodle with @Clwojick ! I'm not surr yet if I'll do this in my book journal or on scraps of paper, and I'm not sure if I'll be able to do it every day or not. I'll try to post as regularly as I can, though. Anyone else want to join?

I read this because it was one of the books picked for the September #RainbowCrate. It was a fun read. I absolutely loved the fairytale feel of this story about a girl cursed to be poisonous to the touch, and enjoyed all of the various twists and transformations throughout. It was also a ton of fun reading about the author's Persian inspiration in the back of the book. I wish that had been at the front! #LGBTQ #Fairytale

I grew up watching Miyazaki's adaptation of this book, so it was a ton of fun listening to the original. What a cute story! I love all of the situations Kiki gets caught up in. This book also starts with a super charming forward from the author. I look forward to reading more of this cute middle grade series. #MovieAdaptation #Witch #MiddleGrade #Japan

I had this marked as read on Goodreads but don't remember ever having read it. I'm not usually a fan of short stories, and humor is hit or miss with me, so I didn't love this. It's a fairly fun collection, though, if you enjoy silly, out-there, surreal shorts. Not a fan of the curry one or the one that more or less uses suicide as a punchline. #Comic #Humor

A light, fluffy, and adorable romance. I really enjoyed this one. The relationship hurdles these characters face are well handled and the art style is lovely. I was a little worried about the title going in, but it ended up being cute instead of potentially problematic. #LGBTQ #manga

After years of this being on my TBR, my husband discovered it and really connected with it. Bechdel is even more analytical with this book than the one about her dad, bringing in psychology scholarship to examine her life and relationship with mom. In one panel her therapist suggests her childhood diary was a way to distance herself from what was going on, and I felt like that summarized her style with this book as well. #LGBTQ #MentalHealth

I absolutely forgot about #Roll100 for September, but that's alright since I was still reading my August picks. Here are my picks for October. I have no idea why Catherine House is on my list (I hate horror-thrillers), so I might not make it through that one. @PuddleJumper

This starts out super sweet, light, and fluffy with delightful characters and mountains of otaku charm. When something significant is revealed about one of the characters‘ pasts, though, everything changes. The tone of the story changes and the characters‘ personalities seem to completely change. Even the way the characters are drawn seems to change. I didn‘t enjoy the change as much, but it might really add some interest for others. #manga #LGBTQ

Jer Thorp does an excellent job of examining the benefits and potential (and past) harms of data projects and data collection. He explores the social elements and consequences of data collection and interpretation. I didn‘t read the description going in (very common for me now), so I went into this expecting a much lighter book about data collection and data art creation. I really appreciated what I got instead. #Nonfiction #data #DataViz

A wonderfully light and fluffy romance. The first story is cute with a focus on parenthood and being comfortable with yourself after homophobic bullying. The middle story is so-so and feels underdeveloped. The third was my favorite and had perhaps the cutest use of surveys for research in the history of literature. #manga #LGBTQ #romance

I still do this any time I‘m going to have to introduce myself! #anxiety #shy

An excellent collection providing an overview of some of the amazing women of science and mathmatics, with deep dives into some of their lives in the form of comics. The illustrations are lovely, and the stories are well portrayed. I wish more of the women got comics, especially the BIPOC women, and I also wish there was a little more diversity (more BIPOC, asian, LGBTQ, and disabled women, for example). #WomenInSTEM #History #Nonfiction

This book might have the cutest table of contents page I‘ve ever seen! #Manga #PageDesign

The first volume of this series isn't so-so, though it wasn't quite a pick for me. The mystery behind Doctor Mirage's loss of her power to see the dead combined with the action of the story make it interesting. The art style is a ton of fun, and I love the way Hell and the Egyptian mythos characters are depicted. I'm not sure what didn't quite capture me about this book. #Comic #Ghosts

I started this today because it was a bonus borrow on Hoopla last month. I tried another cozy a few months ago for similar reasons and enjoyed it. I bailed on this one after only 12 minutes because the explanations of everything from character descriptions to character relationships are just a bit too writer-y. There‘s also an emphasis on defining the characters by their high school identities as if it was the defining time of their lives somehow.

I loved this just as much as book 1. It‘s a very calm, reflective, warm book exploring human relationships with themselves, the world around them, society, and what it feels like to redefine your relationships with all of the above. I love the world, and the characters absolutely delight me. Moscap always makes me smile. This world is also wonderfully inclusive, removed from a context where LGBTQ lives and bodies are viewed with hate. #LGBTQ

This was too much fun and must be such an absolute delight for kids who like this series! I just picked this up on a whim and it has some great science info that‘s highly digestible for the target age group. I even learned a few things! The art is beautiful, and I loved that the section about good stewardship extended to things everyone can do even if you don‘t live near the ocean. #Comic #NonfictionComic #ScienceForKids

I love picking up middle grade comics (especially nonfiction) on a whim. I‘m usually not disappointed. Today I learned that the part of bird legs that bends backwards isn‘t a knee, it‘s their heel. That whole section is part of their foot structure! I‘m not sure if I missed this in school or if it‘s just one of those details you have to find out later. #Science #NonfictionComic

I don‘t think I‘ve read any of the books in this series, but if they‘re anything like this one they‘re pretty good! The subject matter was well planned for a kid audience without being oversimplified. I learned a few things too, since I‘ve never formally studied Isaac Newton‘s life. #Comic #NonfictionComic #History

This was thoroughly odd. It‘s not a pick for me, but that‘s because I don‘t love surreal works like this. A man goes on a book tour only to find that nobody wants his books, there‘s a murderer killing bookshop women, and nobody is interested in listening to him (it‘s like they all have assigned parts to play). The art style is interesting, and so is the pacing. #comic #BooksAboutBooks

I love the way this starts out like a romcom with Frances meeting the maker of the podcast she‘s obsessed with quite by accident. It then becomes a book about friendship, mental health, child abuse, and toxic fandom culture. It was a fun ride. I especially enjoyed having demisexual rep. The fandom references seemed a little dated for teens the year this came out, but that might have been on purpose (or they were popular then in the UK). #LGBTQ

I‘m starting the the 20 Minute Back To School Reading Challenge for TrevorProject today. Right now I‘m reading the tagged book, & read the first of this wonderfully calm, soothing series last month. I‘m so excited to read the second book as I read 20 minutes per day to raise money for suicide prevention. Today I wrapped up with 47 minutes. I probably won‘t update every day on Litsy, but I‘ll be sure to post a few times! #TrevorProject #LGBTQ

August wrap-up time! I finished 22 reads, most borrowed via the library as usual.

🎧 6 audiobooks (1 nonfiction)
💥 12 graphic novels/manga
📖 1 physical book
📰 2 magazines

Top 3:
Under the Whispering Door
As the Crow Flies
Howl‘s Moving Castle (reread)

#MonthlyStats #AugustWrapUp #ReadingStats

Adorable! I don‘t often read graphic novels for elementary schoolers, but this one was part of Hoopla‘s bonus borrows for August and it was adorable. The character designs are cute, the problem is straightforward (Mr. Spring is missing and this bed and breakfast crew set out to find him), and the problems encountered along the way are adventurous! #comic #Seasons

Pretty cute! I don't read a lot of these comics because the pacing is weird and they feel like they pander a lot to the older MLP audiences, but they're cute and I love the sense of fandom collaboration I get from them. #Comic

A beautiful read examining grief, love, death, and moving forward all in Klune's usual humorous style. I enjoyed all of the character growth throughout, and liked seeing so many versions of moving forward. Unfortunately, I never quite bought into Wallace as a cruel, horrid character despite the first few chapters because he doesn't seem to stick to that identity for long, which made it hard to buy into his character overall. #LGBTQ #Ghost

There were some shining hilarity or character development moments in this volume, including the return of Scary Terry, the great follow-through between two issues where an end gag ends up being the next major plot point, & a short at the end where Rick and Morty are traumatized more than usual. Overall, though, this volume didn't quite have the same feel as the show. Timing, jokes, & characters felt a little underdeveloped. #Comic #Adaptation

A pretty fun 1st volume! Two siblings who have always loved Final Fantasy games work their way onto the Square Enix team, only to find themselves in a fantasy world following an accident. The world building is fun, the art is beautiful, and the characters are interesting enough. A little problematic when a character dealing with grief is advised to smile because the dead party member would have wanted it. #manga #fantasy #FinalFantady #Adaptation

These comics have such random references in them 😆 I also momentarily forgot that Toystory had strong enough staying power that kids will probably still get this reference. But even so, these comics are often filled with references to older properties that I'm pretty sure are thrown in there for the older fan groups. #comic #reference

The audiobook of this picture book was part of the Hoopla bonus borrows this month. It was a really cool listen. I didn't know about this woman (there's even a connection with Colorado in her history). I'll have to read more about here soon! I'll also have to pick up this picture book sometime to see more of the story. #WomenInSTEM #NativeAmerican #PictureBook

It was fun getting a look into Gwen's story in this volume. The pacing was super off, though. I don't know if it's that there is a different best place to start than vol 0, or if the pacing was just wonky. That's actually one of the reasons I don't always enjoy superhero comics.#Comic #Superhero

This was a fun fake-dating book with delightful characters, questionable motives, and satisfying outcomes. It's a tough read because one of the girls has extremely toxic friends, there's some parental abandonment, biphobia, and because particular characters are horrifically racist, but otherwise it's a pretty chill read. #LGBTQ #Friendship #FakeDating

I love illustrations of food, and illustrations of art supplies, and this has both 😍

I also always appreciate a good fantasy with strong female characters who don‘t have to wear the skimpiest armor or wag their boobs all over (like they get to be women, not just breasts with bodies attached). #Manga

Lol Sharu used charm— it was super effective! 😆 #Manga

A pretty cute middle grade superhero comic! This feels perfect for the target age group, and the characters are engaging. I love the character designs. There were one or two spots where I rolled my eyes, but that‘s bound to happen when adults read kids books 😂 #Superhero #Comic #MiddleGrade

The problem I always run into with magnetic bookmarks is that I have a habit of reading a few pages of a new book and then getting distracted by books I‘m more excited about. Somehow, I always think it‘s a good idea to leave the bookmark in place (because I‘ll come back to this book, I swear!). Then the magnetic marks packaging becomes another record of all the books I‘ve started but haven‘t touched in a while 😆 #ToxicReadingHabits #Bookmark

Very cute! A girl who starts off with a homophobic rant against BL manga ends up finding out that her boy crush is actually a girl (which she decides isn‘t a dealbreaker for her). The characters and character design are fun, and the story is fairly fluffy and easy to follow. #Manga #LGBTQ #Sports

Saw this in an article called “AI envisions a futuristic sustainable city with air-purifying biophilic skyscrapers.” I keep clicking on these articles, so now my Google homepage thinks I always want to see them. This one I clicked on because it reminded me of the tagged book (which is a bit of a step in the opposite direction from the other recent book this type of AI art reminded me of).

I don‘t always enjoy superhero books, but this was a fun take on superhero tropes. I loved the way that natural powers, powers stolen from animals, and phoenixes all combined in this book. The characters were fun, and the pacing was good. Even the dramatic bits were well executed. I felt a little out of touch with the whole war dynamic for some reason. If you hate cliffhangers, not a good book for you. #LGBTQ #Phoenix #Roll100 #SuperHero

September‘s #Roll100 picks! I don‘t know if I‘ll be able to get some of them in time due to hold times. I just got Radio Silence from several months ago!

Saw an article about ai generated art that transformed architecture into living creatures and it reminded me of the tagged book!

As part of my birthday celebration the other day, my sweet husband took me to an anime store he found in Denver. While we were there, he found two manga and surprised them with me later ❤️ it‘s been a long time since I‘ve added manga to my collection! I can‘t wait to read these! #Manga

Very cute! A basic fluffy romance story about a goat who works at a bookstore even though he compulsively eats books. The art is adorable and the story is predictable but fun. I had some trouble with the magazine situation because none of the other things he eats have a physical effect on him, but the steamy result was entertaining. #LGBTQ #Manga #Bookstore #Anthropomorphic

I wasn‘t impressed with this book as a teen who just wanted more adventures with Howl and Sophie, but I enjoyed this reread. It was so fun waiting for my husband to discover the connection with Howl and Sophie, and I was not disappointed by his reaction! I also liked how this started out as an Aladin retelling, but then went off on its own adventure. #Fantasy #Djin

Giving this a pick because it‘s inclusive, examines LGBTQ and BIPOC fit in Jesus-following-religion life, captures the essence of backpacking, and is beautifully illustrated! Unfortunately, I thought we‘d get more resolution to the friendship development, some insight on the conclusions the characters reach on their spiritual/social journey, some confrontation of the ritual… a return to the crow or feather idea… but it just ends suddenly. #LGBTQ

This manga was pretty cute and basic. Somehow, I didn‘t like it as much as I thought I would. Some things felt underdeveloped, and there were a few spots where panel or speech bubble order made things confusing. I also didn‘t really feel the whole falling in gutter thing. #LGBTQ #Manga #Romance

I read this a few years ago for a literature course. I didn‘t get much out of it then other than that it‘s considered feminist because it detaches the characters from gender, and I read it with a queer reading. I thought I‘d get more out of a second reading, but I didn‘t. It‘s such a bizarre book with the time bending & focus on events I couldn‘t decide if were metaphorically happening or happening. Love the gender fluidity. #Classic #GenderFluid

Not a bad read! Pretty basic YA fantasy, but that‘s not bad if that genre is your jam. I liked the magic entities and magic users scattered throughout the world, and the flow of action kept things interesting. I‘m also always glad to see BIPOC main characters and strong female characters. Didn‘t like how significant things quickly lost significance for one or another reason. Content warnings for misogyny, abuse, torture, & others. #Fantasy #Magic

I haven‘t read the novel, but the graphic novel adaptation was pretty interesting. I loved the Diaper Gang and their dedication to helping their community by just taking care of babies for free. The storm scenes were interesting, and added some fun drama. The setting is well portrayed as well. Content warnings for abandonment and economic hardship. #Comic #Adaptation