Recent Reads

78. Saga, Volume 3
This volume collects Saga issues #13-18.

I know that most new parents worry about simply keeping their wee ones alive, but poor Marko and Alana have actual bad guys trying to kill not just the wee one, but want them dead too. This continues to be a smart, adult story with fabulous art, and while I did not love this one as much as the first volume, the story moves along on various fronts. Oh, and turns out this volume was not the final in a trilogy as I expected. There is more coming, though am not sure when. 

If the last comic book you read was when you still wearing knee socks, give this series a try and see how far the genre as come.

PS. If you know where I can get me a lying cat, please PM me. Rating: 3 stars.

79. The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves, and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History
War is hell, and there are many wonderful books that describe that hell really well. This non-fiction book looks at World War 2 from a different perspective: the preservation of art and culture during times of war. 

There is so much I did not know about the men and women who helped preserve historic buildings and great art during WW2. On my travels through Europe, it never even occurred to me to wonder how all the marvels I was looking at survived wartime. I found this book educational, informative, moving and inspiring, and am so grateful for the courageous men and women who did this work.

The audiobook is wonderfully narrated by Jeremy Davidson, but I think this book would work better in print or ebook. The action takes place on several fronts, and there are letters, memos, diary entries, etc, and the audio also has no maps, which would better help set the scene. If you are a history or WW2 buff, or even interested in art, I would highly recommend you give this book a try. Rating: 4 stars.

80. Locke & Key, Vol. 1: Welcome to Lovecraft
I'm the kind of person who watches scary/horror movies with my hands over my eyes, peeking every now and then to see if the scary part is over. Turns out that is kinda hard to do while reading. 

This fantastic graphic novel is the first in a series that I found creepy and scary and delicious all at the same time. You can tell that the apple does not fall from the tree: Joe Hill is as creepy and awesome a writer as daddy Stephen King. This story of a family that moves into a creepy mansion with doors that open into worlds not on this plane, is classic King-like scary. And while the writing is really good, let me just say that the artwork by Gabriel Rodríguez is amazing. I've got the next book in the series on my nightstand, and if you enjoy creepily good yarns, check this one out. Rating: 4 stars.