Recent Reads

32. Hera: The Goddess and her Glory (Olympians, #3)
This graphic novel is the third volume in the Olympians series for kids.

So Hera. Jealous. Bitchy. Well, she certainly had reason to be. I mean she was married to Zeus. Womanizer Zeus. I was looking forward to reading about Hera, and while there is a little bit about her, this book is more about Heracles. Don't get me wrong, he is an interesting character, and my childhood crush Jason - he of the Golden Fleece - has a cameo, but I wanted more Hera and less boys. You know what I mean? This is a fun read with wonderful illustrations. Rating: 3 stars.

33. Hades: Lord of the Dead(Olympians, #4)
This graphic novel is the fourth volume in the Olympians series for kids.

Talk about a destination vacation. The book starts with a tour of the Underworld after death, but it turns out that this is really a story about Demeter and Persephone. This mother daughter story has long been a favorite of mine, and I do quite like the twist the author gave the relationship between Persephone and Hades. A fun read with wonderful illustrations. Rating: 3 stars.

34. Relish: My Life in the Kitchen
This is a foodie graphic memoir. The author's parents are foodies, and raised their daughter on things you would not normally see a kid eat. She might have been raised a gourmand, but watch out when she is exposed to salt, sugar and fat. Is there room for both? 

While I found this a fun read, it read like a short story collection which is not my fave writing form. The art while simple, is colorful and cheery, and I think reflects the theme of this book well. I especially liked the illustrated recipes at the end of each chapter. Rating: 3 stars

35. No Excuses Art Journaling: Making Time for Creativity
From the blurb: Using a day planner as your art journal, you'll find daily, weekly and monthly prompts that you can adapt to fit your real-life, busy schedule. Along the way, you'll learn fun and convenient techniques to add sketching, watercolor painting, collage and more into your journal, all while setting goals, creating art and chronicling your unique life.

This book is probably really good for the absolute beginner to art journaling. If you have never done it before, this book has simple instructions, prompts, and colorful examples to get you inspired. It is a little too contrived for my tastes, but I did enjoy seeing how various guest artists interpreted the prompts.  Rating: 2 stars.

36. The Walking Dead, Vol. 01: Days Gone Bye
Volume 1 contains issues 1-6.

The story starts with Officer Rick Grimes getting shot in the line of duty. When he wakes up in the hospital several weeks later, the world is not the same. Zombies! Are there any humans left? Will he find his wife and son?

I watched Season 1 of the TV series, so I knew what was going to happen. This is a fun, if grizzly read, and the black and white illustrations work really well. I plan on reading the rest of these books, though I gave up on the TV series. Rating: 3 stars.