Review: Zodiac Starforce Volume 1: By the Power of Astra

Zodiac Starforce Volume 1: By the Power of Astra by Kevin Panetta
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this book! The characters were realistic and fun, and I appreciated the diversity of the cast. Think Rainbow Brite meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer in a modern-day teenage girl power story, where the students text instead of writing each other notes. :) I needed a fun fantasy story, and this volume gave me just that. It's another win for Dark Horse Comics, and I recommend it to anyone who loves comics and YA stories with empowered female protagonists. I already look forward to the next volume, as the epilogue has a nice twist to it. :)

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Review: Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Old Demons

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Old Demons by Christos Gage
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved this volume, and I think it goes deeper than some of the previous ones in terms of thematic content. Buffy and her friends have to fight a new Big Bad, the demon Archaeus, whose name literally denotes that he is old. The most dangerous thing about Archaeus is that he has a hold in Druscilla, Spike, and Angel alike. The Scoobies and friends have to fight old demons, both literally and figuratively. Angel's back in town to help, and he and Spike have to put their differences aside for the good of the cause. Also, Giles and the younger Scoobies alike have to deal with the good and bad consequences of getting older. Xander and Buffy both learn to better cope with their romantic relationship issues that reflect on getting hurt in the past. They truly are making the leap from adolescence to young adulthood, and as someone who is on the later end of my young adulthood journey, I can relate to some of what they are going through. Since I teach younger adolescents, I can't help but chuckle at middle school aged Giles's young boy struggles. The whole gang is growing up, in more ways than one, and it's entertaining to me to see how their interactions change with one another as a result.

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Review: Angel and Faith Season 10 Volume 5

Angel and Faith Season 10 Volume 5 by Various
My rating: 4 of 5 stars



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Review: Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Love Dares You

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Love Dares You by Christos Gage
My rating: 4 of 5 stars



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Review: Angel & Faith: A Little More Than Kin

Angel & Faith: A Little More Than Kin by Victor Gischler
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

For those who are also a fan of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer comics, this volume crosses over nicely with Season 10 Volume 4 of that series. Angel gets an SOS signal from his friends in California and has to go and fight a demon. Faith and Fred, the faithful women of Angel's life, therefore have to hold the fort in magic town, England. Their duties take them to an undercover assignment trying to find and stop vampires at a private high school, with Faith as a Gym Teacher (Those Who Can't Teach Teach Gym is an issue title) and Fred as a lunch lady. As someone who teaches at a private K12 school, I appreciated the prep school drama and the humorous aspects of school life, along with the frightening aspects of the adolescent years. The reader also gets a glimpse of what is happening to Buffy, Spike, Willow, and friends back in California, which is fun. Fred starts to get stronger in this issue and better able to fight her Illyria demons, which is encouraging to see.

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Review: Buffy the Vampire Slayer: I Wish

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: I Wish by Christos Gage
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

As a whole, I think Season 10 of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer has an edge to it that the others haven't had. I've always enjoyed the art work, but up to this point, I have felt that the writing, while enjoyable, fell a little bit short of the beloved television show. However, I haven't felt that way about the Season 10 comics. I think adding Nicholas Brendon to the writing team was a good move, as I feel that the humor from the television series has come back to life. Also, he really knows Xander and his relationships with the characters, and that comes through in the writing. Overall, I can't wait to keep reading these comics. They are a true delight. I'm even more excited knowing that Nicholas Brendon will be at DragonCon this year.

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Review: Dubliners

Dubliners by James Joyce
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was the perfect book for me to read soon after my sojourn to Dublin, Ireland, for a conference presentation combined with a mother-daughter vacation with my mom. I learned a lot about Irish culture, religion, and politics both from watching the play Ulysses at The Abbey Theatre and from reading these short stories. Believe it or not, I had not read or experienced Joyce's work in the past. But now, I am excited to read A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, which I know will be more of a challenge, but worthwhile, as I'll read it over a longer span of time. First of all, Ireland is very much worth experiencing as a country and as a culture. The people were very nice, and the country itself is beautiful. 99% of the people there speak English, and only 36% speak Irish, although many school districts are now requiring students to learn Irish. Between reading Joyce and Louise O'Neill this spring and summer, I feel that I have made a dent in Irish literature, although I realize there's so much more to experience. Dubliners is worth a read right now because it was written during an era of nationalism in Ireland, which is, I believe, what we are currently experiencing in the US.

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Review: You Think It, I'll Say It

You Think It, I'll Say It by Curtis Sittenfeld
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved this book of short stories! They were like the delicious chocolate chip pancakes with maple syrup that are both sweet and filling and that you, therefore, eat slowly and lick your lips along the way, so you can savor every bite. A part of me is sad to be done with this book because it was so good! But as someone who is at work on my own project with vignettes, I've learned some mad writing skills from reading this book that can apply to short stories, fan fiction, and creative nonfiction alike. I therefore thank Curtis Sittenfeld for teaching me to be a better writer, even though I know that wasn't her intent in writing this book. I also loved how she touched on feminist social issues and how both the first and the last story of this book dealt with the anger that so many women felt, including me, about the election in which a woman who, while not perfect, would have been competent ended up losing. I feel like Curtis Sittenfeld and Mindy Kaling are both my cool big sisters who write about women who are trailblazers for Xennial/Millennial cusp-age women like me. So thank you for being my writing cool big sister, and for writing stories that I could relate to and also enjoy.

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Review: Blind Spot: The Hidden Biases of Good People

Blind Spot: The Hidden Biases of Good People by Mahzarin Benaji
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I read this book for my work summer reading. It was hard to get into at first because it was denser than I anticipated. But I found it very enlightening and fascinating to read. There are a couple of quizzes you can take that make you more aware of your own biases, which I recommend doing. It gave me good food for thought in terms of how to approach social justice issues in classroom settings. I recommend this book to anyone, particularly educators and those who work closely with people.

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Review: Angel & Faith: Lost and Found

Angel & Faith: Lost and Found by Victor Gischler
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was among my favorites in the series so far. I enjoyed the return of Riley and Sam and could appreciate Faith's desire to make amends with Riley. Although I liked Angel and Faith as a team, I am also glad to see Faith going her own way and making her own mark. She was helpful to Angel early on, but it would have been disappointing to see her as a sidekick for the whole series.

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Review: Creative Confidence: Unleashing the Creative Potential Within Us All

Creative Confidence: Unleashing the Creative Potential Within Us All by Tom Kelley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I read this book for our work summer reading. It definitely gave me a better understanding of design thinking and the goals of the d.school at Stanford University, an institute that has goals similar to my school. It was accessible and interesting to read. I thought it got a little bit redundant at times, but overall, I found it an enjoyable and informative read.

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Review: Riverdale Vol. 2

Riverdale Vol. 2 by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Overall, this was an enjoyable read. I thought the first three volumes (focusing on Kevin Keller, Reggie Mantle, and Pop's restaurant) were stronger than the last two, which were about Doiley and the core four. After reading "We Need to Talk About Kevin" and "Mantle the Magificent," I had a better understanding of Kevin, Reggie, and Josie, all of whom are more minor characters on the show, but nonetheless very interesting. To me, very much like Angel and some of the follow-up comics in the BuffyVerse, this volume of comics was about making some of the more questionable characters more likable, or at least more relatable, namely Reggie and Veronica. I've always been more sold on Jughead and Betty's relationship than I have been on Archie and Veronica's. (In other words, I'm a big Bughead fan). The "Metropolitan" issue, while I think it could have been more developed, did beg the question of what could go awry in Betty and Jughead's relationship and what might help Archie and Veronica's survive. It'll be interesting to see, especially since I'm predicting that the CW will want the show to last beyond when the core characters graduate from high school. Will we have Riverdale goes to college, very much like we followed the Dawson's Creek characters to college at the turn of the century? I look forward to seeing how the fanfiction/Omnibus comics help me to learn more about the characters from this show I've grown to love so much more than I thought I would. Honestly, I watched it as a way of relating to my middle school students, and because I love comics and was interested in the Archie characters. But now, I realize that this show is for Generation Z what Dawson's Creek was for me. :) I am officially a Riverdale fangirl. In particular, it's interesting to see how Kevin's narrative is both similar to and different from Jack's story in Dawson's Creek.

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Review: Willow: Wonderland

Willow: Wonderland by Jeff Parker
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was an enjoyable read, as Willow is one of my favorite characters in the Buffyverse. I can relate to the internal struggles she experiences and the tug of war between wanting to please herself versus wanting to help others. I didn't think the plot energy or the art were as strong as in some of the Buffyverse comics. But Willow's character development was well done, and I appreciated the focus on female empowerment and girl magic! Overall, this was a worthwhile read, especially for Willow fans.

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Review: The Sacrifice Box

The Sacrifice Box by Martin Stewart
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Another review is forthcoming. :)
I would give this 3.5 stars if I could. I really liked the main protagonist September, a.k.a. "Sep." He's a lot like I was in high school: nerdy and kind of awkward, but endearing and sweet. I personally think that the book would have bee more compelling if he had been the first person narrator. I could relate to some of what he went through, with trying to keep his grades up, wanting to make something of himself even though some people around him didn't care about school, and trying to care for his family amid challenging situations.
I thought the momentum of the book was a little slow to pick up, but it got more interesting about 1/3 of the way through. The suspense of the book was well done, and the description of the dark, creepy atmosphere was excellent. My only criticism is that I found myself not caring very much about the minor characters/friends of the book. I was invested in September and his Mom, but September's friends: not so much. I wanted to feel invested in them, but I didn't. Mario, September's adult boss, was an interesting character, though, as was the school principal.
Overall, I would give the book a B/B-. I realize, though, that I'm not the target audience. I do think high school teenagers who enjoy horror/suspense would really like the book, and I would recommend it for that age group. As an adult, though, I just happen to prefer books that are a little bit more character driven, in addition to having an intriguing plot.

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Review: Ms. Marvel, Vol. 8: Mecca

Ms. Marvel, Vol. 8: Mecca by G. Willow Wilson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Issues 19-23 were amazing and very timely during this political climate. They boldly touched upon issues regarding immigration, race, and not making assumptions about people. There are excerpts that I want to bring into classroom settings. I thought the momentum slowed down a little bit toward the end of the Volume, but overall, I really enjoyed this collection. I have mixed feelings about the arrival of Red Dagger, but hopefully, the writers will use his character as a way to bring in some gender social commentary. I hope to see more glimpses of Bruno's life in Wakanda, as he's always been one of my favorite characters. If you know of a spin-off series that he becomes a part of, I'd love to hear about it. :)

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Review: Buffy the Vampire Slayer: New Rules

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: New Rules by Christos Gage
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This has definitely been my favorite of the Buffy comics. The narrative arc of Xander and Dawn's relationship is moving to me, and I love seeing Giles in a new light. Although I have enjoyed reading the comics, up to this point, I have felt that they lacked some of the wit and punch of the television series. But this one had the same spark and humor, and I feel that the series has gotten momentum back. I can't wait to see what happens next. I also ordered the Willow and Spike comics that are a follow-up to Season 9 and tell more of the back story of what happens between Seasons 9 and 10, as Angel and Faith Season 9 did as well.

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Review: Angel

Angel by Stacey Abbott
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I've loved the horror genre since I was a late elementary school student who read RL Stine, Christopher Pike, and Fear Street stories. I came to the Buffyverse fandom later than some people, when I was a graduate student in my early thirties. It fit my emerging research interest of empowered female protagonists in speculative fiction. I loved Buffy because of the characters, and because it reminded me of my own teen years, since I was in high school/college at the same time as the central characters. I loved Angel because I could relate to what they were going through in early adulthood, and still can in some regards. Angel, I believe, is underrepresented in scholarship, so I was glad to see this book explore the show in more depth, especially since I'm so interested in Angel and Faith's relationship, as further explored in the comics. I have a better appreciation of the horror genre and film noir as a result of reading this book and look forward to exploring more of Abbott's work.

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Review: Failing Up: How to Take Risks, Aim Higher, and Never Stop Learning

Failing Up: How to Take Risks, Aim Higher, and Never Stop Learning by Leslie Odom, Jr.
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Oh my heart! It's so very fitting that this book survived me walking through a torrential rain downpour from Agnes Scott College all the way back to the Decatur public lot across from Java Monkey, and without an umbrella! The front cover is only very slightly crinkled, but it's in almost mint perfect condition. It's lucky that I wore a polyester shirt that day. :) But nonetheless, this book is about being a creative soul and a survivor of the harsh rejection that inevitably hits upon anyone who wants to do creative pursuits, whether that be singing, acting, visual arts, or writing. I loved Leslie's honesty about hitting thirty and what that meant for him, and as a thirtysomething myself who also fell in love with RENT as a teenager, I really connected to a lot of his messages.

This is a little book, but it really packs a punch and made a big impact on my soul and my heart. Leslie reminded me to minimize distractions, such as social media, and not to give up. He had a way of writing these messages with an inspiring quote and personal anecdotes with each chapter and in ways that were not hackneyed and cliché. This book made me cry twice, especially the last chapter. Leslie reminded me to be brave, to keep pushing for diverse representation, to keep writing, to let my voice be heard, and in short, to be who I am in a world that I sometimes feel tries to push me to conform and to walk the line more than I really want to. I haven't hit Leslie's RENT moment yet, and I don't think I have met my "person" yet, but he makes me believe that both of these things are still to come for me, and that in the meantime, I should push myself to grow creatively, intellectually, and in terms of character. Thank you, Leslie! I have a feeling that if we got to know each other, we'd be friends. <3 Thanks to you, I'm planning to take a Facebook Hiatus this June and part of July, while I work on my own writing. I need to turn off the noice and the distractions, in order to let my creative voice soar.

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Review: The Wendy

The Wendy by Erin Michelle Sky
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Reviews to follow in both JoLLE and School Library Journal, but...for now I will say that I loved this book! Wendy is a sixteen-year-old sassy, smart, and strong sixteen-year-old young woman in the late 1700s in England in this version of the story. She wants to be a sea captain, but she's told that as a woman, this route is not an option for her. So she does the next best thing...work for a military fleet. In her new position, she meets Peter Pan himself and has to report to the revered Captain Hook. Over time, Wendy realizes that the line between good guys and bad guys isn't always black and white and that Peter Pan might be more complex than the criminal that Hook makes him out to be. For anyone who loves fairy tale retellings and YA fantasy book, especially with empowered female protagonists, I would highly recommend this book and can't wait for the next installment. :)

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Review: Afrofuturism: The World of Black Sci-Fi and Fantasy Culture

Afrofuturism: The World of Black Sci-Fi and Fantasy Culture by Ytasha L. Womack
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book truly was fascinating, and it was one of the best nonfiction books I've read in a while. Womack does an excellent job explaining Afrofuturism to the reader in a way that is accessible and easy to follow. I liked the book so much that I ordered her fiction novel Rayla 2212, along with the first Akata Witch series book by Nnedi Okorafor.
I've done research and writing about empowered and diverse female protagonists in speculative fiction, and I completely agree with the book's ideas on how speculative fiction can promote and encourage a better future. I loved how, at the end of the book, the author provided examples of putting this idea into action and improving communities. Also, I appreciated the explanation of how Afrofuturism has influenced hip hop music, in addition to literature and art. Some hip hop artists that I listen to, such as Outkast, Lupe Fiasco, and Erykah Badu, have elements of Afrofuturism in their music and videos, and I now have a new appreciation for them. I also value the spiritual element of Afrofuturism and its emphasis on community.
I have a strong desire to learn more about this concept and continue to do more reading about it, both in terms of scholarship and fiction work. I love how the author talked about her involvement with the fandom community and with popular culture conventions, places that I see moving the future forward in positive ways. Well done, Ms. Womack.

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Review: Nadya Skylung and the Cloudship Rescue

Nadya Skylung and the Cloudship Rescue by Jeff Seymour
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I have a more detailed review forthcoming in School Library Journal, as I obtained an ARC. This book was basically Serenity/Firefly for middle grades students. I loved the fantasy elements and the world building. Nadya is a really neat and creative female fantasy character, and readers of all ages will love her. I found myself wanting to know more about some of the minor characters, but this book definitely lends itself to a sequel and/or series. I would definitely read the next installment. I would recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys middle grades fantasy.

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Review: Angel & Faith: Death and Consequences

Angel & Faith: Death and Consequences by Christos Gage
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

So far, Volume 3 Family Reunion has been my favorite of this series, but I enjoyed Volume 4 as well. It was interesting to get a taste of Giles's past life as "The Ripper" and only wish I could have learned more about his early years. I definitely appreciated the chemistry between Spike and Faith as shown in this Volume. I've always been Team Angel, but Spike has grown on me during the course of reading the Buffyverse comics. Angel and Faith both have narratives of redemption, so I think they make a great duo. I can't wait to see where the series takes me next.

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Review: Black Panther: World of Wakanda

Black Panther: World of Wakanda by Roxane Gay
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I absolutely love Roxanne Gay's writing, and this book was no exception. The writers are all so witty and brilliant; the interactions between Ayo and Aneka were so powerful. The art work really took me to the World of Wakanda, and I enjoyed getting the female perspective on Black Panther events. I was sorry to hear that the series got cancelled and am convince that it would have kept going had it been released about now. This book definitely is full of feminist power, and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good love story, empowered female protagonists, and futuristic societies.

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Review: Black Panther #1

Black Panther #1 by Ta-Nehisi Coates
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I literally read this book in one sitting! The art work of this book is amazing, and I really enjoyed the world building of Wakanda. Since I am new to the Black Panther narrative, it took me a while to sort out the characters. But I loved the story, and in particular, T'Challa's relationship with his mother resonated with me. I now look forward to reading more about Afrofuturism and to seeing the new movie! Diverse representation is so important, and I believe this comic series and the movie will be game changers. Also, I am now going to put this book on my classroom shelf in hopes that my students will fall in love with it too. I have some seventh graders who love comics, and this story is so compelling!

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Review: Angel & Faith: Family Reunion

Angel & Faith: Family Reunion by Christos Gage
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved this volume, and it's been my favorite of this series so far. Willow is my favorite female character from Buffy, so I was glad to see her reappear, even if only for a short while. Faith's complicated thought process gets a glimpse, although she's clearly changed. I know not all fans feel this way, but I've always loved Connor as a character, so I loved the interaction between Father and Son. A part of me wishes they could be closer, but I know that Angel wants to keep Connor safe and to give him a chance to live a relatively normal, fulfilling life. This volume had some great extended metaphors about revisiting the demons of our past, both literal and metaphorical. I am not sure how I feel about Angel's quest, but apparently, the next volume will teach us more about Giles, so I am excited about it. I loved the bonus material in this volume because it gave more backstory behind Angel as Twilight and his history with Whistler. Definitely a worthwhile read!

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Review: Riverdale Vol. 1

Riverdale Vol. 1 by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This read like fanfiction for the television show Riverdale, and in a good way! I learned more of the backstory of the characters the summer before the show starts, and the other incidents are ones that could have happened during the course of the show. I'm a huge fan of both Jughead and Betty, so it was nice to see appearances by both of them. The art work was enjoyable to view.

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Review: Pride and Joy

Pride and Joy by Brian K. Vaughan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This volume was enjoyable to read for comics book club. It has a diverse cast and a narrative that I tend to enjoy, adolescents who are trying to create their own "family" amid a friend group and separate themselves from their parents in terms of life choices and values. The subversive aspect of this book is that their parents are super villains rather than superheroes, and they literally have to run away for safety sake. I look forward to continuing with this series and to learning more about the powers that the kids have. I can already tell there's sexual tension in the group, and I like that because it keeps the story interesting. There are moments in the story that are a bit farfetched, but since it's in a superhero universe and in LA, I was able to go with it. Brian K. Vaughan is a very witty writer, and the artwork grows and evolves with each issue.

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Review: Bash Bash Revolution

Bash Bash Revolution by Douglas Lain
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A more detailed review for School Library Journal is forthcoming! This turned out to be an engaging "Snow Day January 2018" read for me. It was kind of a strange story, and the beginning was a little bit slow, but once I got into it, I found it interesting. It was a bit dark, and it struck me as a cautionary tale about what could happen if we get too invested in technology, and if aspects of the USA political climate does not change. It reminded me a little bit of Feed by MT Anderson. I am not into gaming culture, but I do think gamers in particular will resonate with the protagonist. Overall, this was a solid read for those who appreciate YA speculative fiction and nerd culture. I would recommend it for age 16 and up.

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Review: An Enchantment of Ravens

An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book felt like Lord of the Rings for teenagers and young women! I really enjoyed reading it, and the world building was stupendous. Plot wise, it took me a little while to get into it at first, but it was worth it during the second 2/3 of the book, when I started to see how all of the puzzle pieces fit together. The love story between Rook and Isobel resonated with me, and it has my head spinning about why seemingly ordinary, but very talented mortal females tend to fall in love with older men (even though the older men physically appear young) from other worlds. Is it because the other worlds offer them a place where they can be treated as power figures, which our current world sometimes doesn't?
I also loved the emphasis on Isobel wanting to develop her artistic craft. As a writer, I could relate. As a teacher, I loved the idea that emotions bring strength, even though society teaches us that emotions make us weak. The book also brought up issues about morality and aging that I'll continue to think about. Overall, I loved it, and I hope many others will read this novel as well.

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