May 30 2021

Wonder Woman Rebirth volume 2, by Greg Rucka

Wonder Woman

Wonder Woman Deluxe edition, volume 2.

Title: Wonder Woman Rebirth, Deluxe edition, vol 2
Author: Greg Rucka
Genre/ issues: Science fiction. Super heroes.

Shop local where you can: For Australian readers, you can find this book on Booktopia, or support your local independent bookstore. US readers, check out Bookshop.org.

Volume 1 of Wonder Woman Rebirth was one of my favourite reads last year, and started me on my obsession with @ruckawriter’s work, so I’ve loved finally getting to read volume 2 today after a serious hunt to track it down! This one collects Wonder Woman Rebirth 15-25, Annual 1 and the 2017 Holiday Special, and follows Diana’s continuing search for the truth about Themyscira, the mysterious Godwatch that are meddling with Steve Trevor and his team, and the gods that she has trusted her whole life. Stunning artwork and compelling stories – can’t wait to get stuck into volume 3!

#TamaraReads #2021readingchallenge 66/2021

Happy reading,

Tamara

 

 

May 29 2021

Imposter, by Scott Westerfeld

Imposter

Imposter, by Scott Westerfeld

Title: Imposter
Author: Scott Westerfeld
Genre/ issues: YA. Science fiction. Dystopia.

Shop local where you can: For Australian readers, you can find this book on Booktopia, or support your local independent bookstore. US readers, check out Bookshop.org.

I have loved @scott_westerfeld’s Uglies series since I read it back when I first started teaching, and I have been loving revisiting it in this incredible follow-up YA dystopian series 20 years after Tally Youngblood led a revolution to change the world. In Imposter we met Frey and Rafi, twin daughters of the ruler of Shreve. Whilst Rafi is nurtured by her father to be a beloved diplomat and figurehead, Frey is a secret – a highly trained but disposable body double, wirh expert combat skills and only valuable in her role of keeping her sister alive and safe. In Mirror’s Edge, book 3 in this thrilling saga, Rafi is gathering a rebel army outside the city, whilst Frey ventures back into Shreve on a secret rescue mission, which necessitates a disguise – and after going through camp-surge to change her face and identity, she not only has to deal with the dangers surrounding her if she is discovered, but also has to come to terms with what it means to no longer be her sister’s mirror image.
This is another cracker of a book, with some really interesting reflections (no pun intended!) on notions of power, authority, individuality and freedom. I’m very much looking forward to the final book in the series – at which point I will hopefully have made a decision about what to do about these damned mismatching covers! I really do love publishers and authors, but when they decide to redesign the covers of a series partway through publication, I swear …. sigh. Thanks for the shelf is dilemma, Allen and Unwin!

#TamaraReads #2021readingchallenge 65/2021

Happy reading,

Tamara

 

 

May 23 2021

Evelyn Evelyn, by Amanda Palmer and Jason Webley

Evelyn Evelyn

Evelyn Evelyn, by Amanda Palmer

Title: Evelyn Evelyn
Author: Amanda Palmer and Jason Webley
Genre/ issues: Graphic novel. Fantasy.

Shop local where you can: For Australian readers, you can find this book on Booktopia, or support your local independent bookstore. US readers, check out Bookshop.org.

“There are people who think that things that happen in fiction do not really happen. Those people are wrong.” @neilhimself
Evelyn Evelyn is the dark and disturbing story of conjoined twins, from their tragic birth during which both their parents and their doctor die, and through numerous dysfunctional “homes”, for want of a better word. The backstory of the musical act of Evelyn Evelyn, who bear a striking resemblance to @amandapalmer and Jason Webley, this graphic novel in 2 parts is illustrated in a beautifully dark gothic/ comic style by @cynthiavonbuhler, and is a compelling and beautiful read, if not an easy one. Trigger warnings: religious fanaticism, child pornography and trafficking, animal cruelty

#TamaraReads #2021readingchallenge 64/2021

Happy reading,

Tamara

 

 

May 21 2021

Jo: An adaptation of Little Women (sort of), by Kathleen Gros

Jo: An adaptation of Little Women (sort of)

Jo: An adaptation of Little Women (sort of), by Kathleen Gros

Title: Jo: An adaptation of Little Women (sort of)
Author: Kathleen Gros
Genre/ issues: Graphic novel. Middle grade. Little Women adaptation. Queer fiction.

Shop local where you can: For Australian readers, you can find this book on Booktopia, or support your local independent bookstore. US readers, check out Bookshop.org.

Little Women was one of my favourite stories growing up, and I always wanted to be Jo. In her I saw a feminist icon with a passion for stories, long before I understood what it meant to be a feminist. I read the book, I spent countless hours watching the 1949 movie version with my grandparents, and I’ve held this story close to my heart for as long as I can remember. Today, I fell in love with another adaptation of it. Jo: An adaptation of Little Women (sort of), by @kagcomix, is a joyful middle grade graphic novel that portrays the March girls as contemporary school kids, finding their own way in the world and celebrating each other’s strengths and interests. Jo joins the school paper, and meets Freddie – and things get complicated when Jo’s best friend Laurie tells her he likes her. But Jo doesn’t have the same feelings for him – or for any boy. In fact, she thinks she might have a crush on Freddie.
This is as sweet and wholesome as you’d expect an adaptation of Little Women to be. I was thankful that it’s a loose adaptation, so whilst there is reference to Beth having been sick in the past, and having follow-up treatments to ensure she stays well, we don’t get to see her any tragic ending for her in this retelling. A sweet, lovely, and heartwarming introduction to younger readers not familiar with Alcott’s classic tale, and for those hard-core fans alike.

#TamaraReads #2021readingchallenge 63/2021

Happy reading,

Tamara

 

 

May 19 2021

Give me some space!, by Philip Bunting

National Simultaneous Storytime

Give me some space!, by Philip Bunting

Title: Give me some space!
Author: Philip Bunting
Genre/ issues: Picture books. Space.

Shop local where you can: For Australian readers, you can find this book on Booktopia, or support your local independent bookstore. US readers, check out Bookshop.org.

I love @alianational’s National Simultaneous Storytime, and it was extra exciting this year to be able to tune in to Storytime from Space! As well as the #1MillionKidsReading in schools and libraries around Australia, NASA astronaut Shannon Walker read @philip.bunting’s Give Me Some Space from the @iss. It’s a thrill to add this to my #2021readingchallenge tally. If you missed it, it’s not too late – check out the recording on YouTube!

#TamaraReads #2021readingchallenge 62/2021

Happy reading,

Tamara

 

 

May 19 2021

The Neil Gaiman at the end of the Universe, by Arvind Ethan David

The Neil Gaiman at the end of the Universe

The Neil Gaiman at the end of the Universe, by Arvind Ethan David

Title: The Neil Gaiman at the end of the Universe
Author: Arvind Ethan David
Genre/ issues: Audiobook. Sci-fi. Short stories.

Shop local where you can: For Australian readers, you can find this book on Booktopia, or support your local independent bookstore. US readers, check out Bookshop.org.

An audiobook short story today – with a title like “The Neil Gaiman at the end of the Universe”, how could I not? Written by Arvind Ethan David, and narrated by @neilhimself, this is a funny, clever and surprisingly deep tale. I can’t give away much, because spoilers – but if you’re after a great quick listen read by my second favourite narrator and most favourite author, you could do much worse than this little gem!

#TamaraReads #2021readingchallenge 61/2021

Happy reading,

Tamara

 

 

May 17 2021

Check Please! Book 2, Sticks and Scones, by Ngozi Ukazu

Check Please! Book 2, Sticks and Scones

Check Please! Book 2, Sticks and Scones, by Ngozi Ukazu

Title: Check Please!
Author: Ngozi Ukazu
Genre/ issues: Graphic novels. Hockey. Queer fiction.

Shop local where you can: For Australian readers, you can find this book on Booktopia, or support your local independent bookstore. US readers, check out Bookshop.org.

A perfect book to finish reading on #idahobit – Check Please! Book 2, Sticks and Scones by @ngoziu. Whilst book 1 was about Eric Bittle finding himself, book 2 is firmly about him announcing himself. Figuring out how to navigate the complexities of his new relationship that isn’t yet open to the world – or his parents. Dealing with what happens when a celebratory kiss makes a splash in the media. And, thankfully, discovering that sometimes, people will surprise you … Bitty’s mum DOES get upset when he finally confesses something to her, but it’s not what you think …
a delightful book, featuring authentic jock characters with a refreshing diversity of interests and opinions. I’m so glad I finally got to read this series!
Also, this hammock hotel is legit awesome.

#TamaraReads #2021readingchallenge 60/2021

Happy reading,

Tamara

 

 

May 14 2021

Check Please! Book 1 #hockey, by Ngozi Ukazu

Check Please! Book 1 #hockey

Check Please! Book 1 #hockey, by Ngozi Ukazu

Title: Check Please! Book 1 #hockey
Author: Ngozi Ukazu
Genre/ issues: Graphic novel. Hockey. Queer fiction.

Shop local where you can: For Australian readers, you can find this book on Booktopia, or support your local independent bookstore. US readers, check out Bookshop.org.

Whilst my go-to place to hang out on any university campus is always the library, the TL Robertson Library at Curtin is under renovations, and with half of the floor space being out of action, what’s left is quite rightly focused on study spaces. So, on a cool Friday afternoon, I parked myself in one of these sun lounges out the front of the library, and finished this gem of a graphic novel, which I gave to @thegeekymonkey for Christmas and then they kindly let me borrow to read. Check, Please! Book 1: #hockey, by @ngoziu, is narrated by Bittle, a sweet southern ice skater turned hockey player (yay athletic scholarships!) who vlogs and tweets his way through his first couple of years at Samwell University. He’s an adorable sweet queer blogger, tweeter and baker, whose teammates all adopt him as their little brother and supplier of pies. Of course, there’s romance – and a crush on the star of the team.
Ukazu presents a beautiful message of acceptance, in a queer love story revolving around sportsing that’s mercifully free of homophobia. A much-needed heartwarming read today!

#TamaraReads #2021readingchallenge 59/2021

Happy reading,

Tamara

 

 

May 13 2021

School For Extraterrestrial Girls: Girl on Fire, by Jeremy Whitley and Jamie Noguchi

School For Extraterrestrial Girls: Girl on Fire

School For Extraterrestrial Girls: Girl on Fire, by Jeremy Whitley and Jamie Noguchi

Title: School For Extraterrestrial Girls: Girl on Fire
Author: Jeremy Whitley
Illustrator: Jamie Noguchi
Genre/ issues: Graphic novel. Sci-fi.

Shop local where you can: For Australian readers, you can find this book on Booktopia, or support your local independent bookstore. US readers, check out Bookshop.org.

A great read, and a great set of steps! School For Extraterrestrial Girls: Girl on Fire is the first in a middle grade graphic novel series by @jrome58 and @jamienoguchi about a boarding school for alien teenagers who have found themselves living on Earth. Tara has always wanted to be extraordinary – but spontaneously combusting in the middle of math class probably wasn’t what she had in mind! After the shock discovery that she is, in fact, an alien, she has the choice to be deported to a far off planet, or to attend the School for Extraterrestrial Girls, where she still leans maths and science, but also galaxy civics and controlling (and accepting!) her powers. This is a super-fun graphic novel – the highlight for me is definitely Kat, the feline alien who lives for snuggles and drama, and who wears a Jellicle AF sweater. Gold!

#TamaraReads #2021readingchallenge 58/2021

Happy reading,

Tamara

 

 

May 11 2021

The She Book, by Tanya Markul

The She Book

The She Book, by Tanya Markul

Title: The She Book
Author: Tanya Markul
Genre/ issues: Poetry. Feminism.

Shop local where you can: For Australian readers, you can find this book on Booktopia, or support your local independent bookstore. US readers, check out Bookshop.org.

I read The She Book by @tanyamarkul this afternoon whilst waiting to present at an online meeting (which I almost missed because technical difficulties of course kick in at the most inconvenient times!) I don’t quite remember how I came to get this – I know I added it to a recent online order because someone had recommended it somewhere. Maybe in my Feminist Bookclub group? I’m not sure. I’m also not sure that reading this in one sitting was the ideal way to consume it, because it feels like a “read a page at a time and ponder on what it means for your life” kind of book. Affirmations. Prayers. Reassurances that you’re broken, but your brokenness is completely ok. Some of them moved me deeply. Some of them didn’t hit home for Today Tamara, but I know that Past Tamara would have appreciated reading them, or Future Tamara may need to. Regardless, it felt like a lovely way to end a day where I read poetry by the wonderful @kirli.saunders and the inimitable Maya Angelou. Women, huh?

#TamaraReads #2021readingchallenge 57/2021

Happy reading,

Tamara