Confessions Of a Weird Reader #5: Me and Comic Books

Ever since I can remember I've had this big moments in my life as a reader. The first books I ever read were the Disney tie-in books that I absolutely adored. Then came the moment I discovered my love for fantasy. Then I discovered vampires, romance novels and contemporary books. Last year I discovered TV fanfiction and I have never been the same (because really, sometimes I need more scenes with my OTPs than I could ever get from the show itself). Aaand now I've gotten the comic book/graphic novel bug. 

The first time I was ever read a comic book was when I was around 9 I think, when my parents got me Asterix and Cleopatra. I remember looking at that book and noticing how pretty the drawings were (though Cleopatra did have a big nose in that book). But I also remember being utterly unable to wrap my mind around how to read it or how the dialogue bubbles made a story. It just never made sense to me. Then as I got older and I started reading more and more books, I didn't quite find a subject or story that made me want to delve into the world of comicss. Sure, I grew up watching Wonder Woman and Superman (the movies and the TV show), but I didn't exactly wanted to read more about them. And I know, it sounds strange when you think about it, especially since I'm the one who refuses to watch certain movies The Hunger Games before reading the books. Then earlier this year I decided to try one out, mostly because I was frustrated with the short and few scenes that Hawkeye got in the first Avengers movie. He needed more screen time.

Fast forward to this week and I now am exploring. Best way to explore? Free comic issues on comiXology and Amazon. I might have created a monster with this. But I've discovered a few things this week:

             -  I like colored comics more than black & white ones (although if I ever get to buy paperback versions of b&w comics, I could try to color them in... don't judge me!);
             - I do, in fact, want to read lesser-known graphic novels, not just those with the famous superheroes;
             - I might be willing to read an insane amount of movie/tv show tie-in comic books *cough*Buffy*cough*;
             - The most important discovery of all: comic books are fun to read!

I never thought I'd get to enjoy reading comic books as much as I am currently. I also caught myself searching for old issues at flea markets. Sadly, I don't think I'll ever have enough money for those. Shame, really.

Anyway, it's nice to spread my wings as a reader and discover new books. I feel proud of myself, to be honest.

So let's talk about comic books. Do you read them? How did you start?

PS.: If you happen to read comic books and know some good ones, do recommend me some. I am new to this and looking at the different story lines for the superheroes I have to admit, I'm a lot a bit scared. But don't limit yourselves to superheroes. Like I said, I'm willing to read other comics besides Marvel/DC books.

I'm baaaack!

Hey guys! So I finally can get back to blogging. I graduated last week and it feels amazing!

One of the perks of finally graduating is being able to read and binge watch TV shows. So that's what I've been doing for the past 6 days. Oh, and let's not forget sleep without dreaming of scary-as-hell scenarios in which I either don't graduate, forget to go to my final exam or even don't have my thesis ready to present. So that's good, right? Thought so too!

Now that I've graduated I can start blogging again. Which I've missed like crazy, to be honest. So be ready folks, because I've got stuff to talk about, books to review and covers to obsess over and I'll share it all with you :D

It is so good to be back!

Shelf Love: Perils of Book hoarding

The perils of book hoarding. Oh man. I am guilty of this. Especially when I visit thrift stores. Why, you ask? Because that is the moment when I realize that "OMG, I need this book in my life now". I've bought tons of books from thrift stores. Not because I'm cheap or anything, but because I find really good books there, books that I either can't find in bookstores or books that I never thought about buying. And usually the thrift stores from my town are associated with charities.

Another book hoarding habit that has been growing and growing and growing recently... Freebies. You know how we had that topic about where you get your freebies a while back? Well, bargains and freebies are so easy to hoard.

I, however, don't like to think of it as "hoarding". It's a slightly ugly word. I like to see it more as "building my own live-in library". See? Much better this way! There is one...problem here. I don't think I'd ever make enough money to buy a house big enough for all of the books I want to have to fit in. Which is why I thank every day for having an e-reader! Also, each new book means one step closer to a new visit to the furniture store for yet another book shelf.

So how about you? Do you hoard books?

Early Book Review: Breakaway by Kat Spears

Author: Kat Spears
Series: N/A
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Release Date: September 15th 2015
My Rating: 4 cups
Source:Netgalley
Blurb (from Goodreads):

From Kat Spears, author of Sway, comes a new novel that asks the question: when a group of four best friends begin to drift apart, what will it take to bring them back together?

When Jason Marshall's younger sister passes away, he knows he can count on his three best friends and soccer teammates—Mario, Jordie, and Chick—to be there for him. With a grief-crippled mother and a father who's not in the picture, he needs them more than ever. But when Mario starts hanging out with a rough group of friends and Jordie finally lands the girl of his dreams, Jason is left to fend for himself while maintaining a strained relationship with troubled and quiet Chick. Then Jason meets Raine, a girl he thinks is out of his league but who sees him for everything he wants to be, and he finds himself pulled between building a healthy and stable relationship with a girl he might be falling in love with, grieving for his sister, and trying to hold onto the friendships he has always relied on.

A witty and emotionally moving tale of friendship, first love, and loss, Breakaway is Kat Spears at her finest.

*Disclaimer: I received an e-ARC of this book from Netgalley and St. Martin's Griffin in exchange for an honest review

I was browsing Netgalley a few weeks ago and I saw this book. I have to say I'm quite glad that I gave this book a chance.

I liked Jason. I was sorry for him for a lot of reasons. His little sister died, his mom was clearly depressed. He had his best friends, but then life happened. I liked how mature he was at times. I also liked that although it seemed that some of his friends forgot about him, he didn't forget about them and he was there for his buddies when they needed him.

Speaking of his friends... Mario was the one guy who I didn't see drifting apart from Jason. Jordie, yes. It made sense, because he always gave me the impression that he was very controlled in a way by what other people thought about him. Mario, however, got into a bad crowd and made bad decisions. Although it was sad, especially since you can actually see since the very start of the book that he and Jason were really good friends. The type of friendship that you find once in a lifetime if you're lucky. Chick broke my heart a lot. He just broke me. I was so sad for him, especially knowing that he was having some really serious problems. In all of this, I felt like he was the innocent one and also the one who suffered the most.

Raine is the type of girl one can easily misjudge. I was glad she wasn't the cliche rich, but shallow girl. She was a good influence on Jason. Unlike the girls that suddenly started paying attention to Jason just because his sister died, she gave me the idea that she wasn't with him because of that.

The story, in my opinion, is about friendship and how sometimes, even the best of friends can drift apart. How sometimes a word can make or break a person, how it's easy to be mean to others. There's no happy ending in this book. Actually, the book is open-ended. I was left with some questions, some worries. I'd like to think that in the end, although some things can't be changed, things get better and the characters find a way to be happy.

Sunday Book Soundtrack: Somebody Up There Hates You by Hollis Seamon

Sunday Book Soundtrack is a weekly feature at Ruby's Books, where I share some of my bookish soundtracks. Since I discovered my passion for reading years ago, I've discovered that more and more of the songs I loved remind me of certain books. So I thought I'd share my playlists with you. If you want to listen to the songs, I'll post a link to a Youtube videos for each and every title. No copyright infringement intended! I'll try to find the official videos for each song. There's no set number for each playlist, sometimes I might have 10, sometimes 5, sometimes if I'm one of my moods I'll have 15. If you want to read more about this feature, click the "show more" button below. 

I read with music. If there's no music, I can't read. And not just read, but almost anything, like studying of cooking or doing chores around the house. The only time I don't have music is when I sleep. And during exams, but that's a different story.

Sometimes it happens that a certain song and a book or a scene from the book I'm reading sort of... click. It's like they were made for each other. At least for me. And so I will almost always think of that particular book when hearing that song. I thought I'd share my book soundtracks with you.

Keep in mind that I have a very... weird taste in music. You'll find mostly rock music, country or the 80s-early 90s music in these lists. I might use some "contemporary" songs from now and then, but don't bet on it being something other than those particular genres. Also, not always the songs will be in English. If I have a link to a translation for the lyrics, I'll post it. If you like a song I'm using, that's fine. If not, that's fine too, just don't say I didn't warn you.

The songs aren't always on a book's playlist for their lyrics. Sometimes they're there for an instrument or for a feeling I get when hearing them. Also, I won't always mention what scene I used them for. If it's not a spoiler, I'll share the scene, if it is a spoiler, I'll let you guess.

Anyway, I hope you like my playlists :)

This week's book soundtrack is Somebody Up There Hates You by Hollis Seamon. (read my review here)

1. Song For Someone - U2 - I think this song fits Richard and Sylvie perfectly. The entire story actually could be represented by this song.
2. Lou Reed - Walk On The Wild Side 
3. Birdy - Skinny Love
4. Elton John - Your Song

Liked this list? Want more? Click here for previous Sunday Book Soundtrack posts.

Release Blitz: Breakout by Ann Aguirre

We are absolutely thrilled to bring you the Release Week Blitz for Ann Aguirre's BREAKOUT! BREAKOUT is an Adult Romantic Science Fiction novel set in the Jax Universe and is a part of Ann Aguirre’s Dred Chronicles, published through Ace. Grab your copy of BREAKOUT today!

Amazon ** Barnes and Noble ** BAM ** Indiebound ** Vroman’s ** Book Depository ** iBooks

BREAKOUT Synopsis:  

All hell is breaking loose in the edge-of-your-seat follow-up to Havoc and Perdition from New York Times bestselling author Ann Aguirre…

The prison ship Perdition has become a post-battle charnel house with only a handful of Dred’s soldiers still standing and now being hunted by Silence’s trained tongueless assassins. Forging an uneasy alliance with mercenary commander Vost—who is their only chance at escape—the Dread Queen will do whatever it takes to end her life sentence on Perdition and keep the survivors alive long enough to cobble together a transport capable of getting them off station.

If Dred and her crew can win the deadly game of cat and mouse, the payoff is not only life but freedom—a prize sweeter than their wildest dreams. Yet the sadistic Silence would rather destroy Perdition than let a single soul slip from her grasp…  

Praise for the Dred Chronicles: "There's so much action, so much adventure, and more than that, it's great writing."—USA Today

"Sirantha Jax fans may be intrigued to see what befell Jael after his ill-considered actions there, and new lead Dred is a strong linchpin for a promising new series."—Publishers Weekly

"Spectacularly and spell-bindingly perfect with high octane action that keeps you on the edge of your seat and a romance that is surprisingly sweet and tender in a harsh and unforgiving setting...This is honestly one of the best SF romance series I have read." —Book Pushers  

And don’t miss the previous books in the Dred Chronicles!
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About Ann Aguirre:

Ann Aguirre is a New York Times & USA Today bestselling author and RITA winner with a degree in English Literature; before she began writing full time, she was a clown, a clerk, a voice actress, and a savior of stray kittens, not necessarily in that order. She grew up in a yellow house across from a cornfield, but now she lives in sunny Mexico with her husband, children, and various pets. Ann likes books, emo music, action movies, and she writes all kinds of genre fiction for adults and teens, published with Harlequin, Macmillan, and Penguin, among others.      
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