Friday, January 31, 2014

Booknote: The X-Files, Season 10, Vol. 1

Joe Harris, et.al., The X-Files, Season 10, Vol. 1. San Diego, CA: IDW, 2013. ISBN: 9781613777510.


If you enjoyed the show when it was running, this is a nice trip back to the world of aliens and high conspiracies. Mulder and Scully have gone their separate way. Now, someone is after Scully, and it may be connected to a child she had previously. That's only the beginning. The strength of this comic is how well it captures the feel of the series. However, that can also be a weakness. If you did not follow the series consistently, there are things you will miss. Even if you did follow the series, which I did, if it has been a while, again, you may end up with questions of how we got from here to there. Still, the volume was a quick read with adequate art. I really liked it, so I am giving it 4 out of 5 stars.



Disclosure note: This is where I tell you that I read this as an e-book provided by the publisher via NetGalley for review purposes. The idea was for me to provide a fair and honest review. There has been no compensation. There, we keep The Man appeased once more.

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Booknote: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: New Animated Adventures, Vol. 1

Kenny Byerly, et.al., Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: New Animated Adventures, Vol. 1.  San Diego, CA: IDW, 2014. ISBN: 978-1613778562.



This is an all-ages comic based on the recent production from Nickelodeon, and I found it to be a fun read. Kids of all ages who enjoy the current television show will likely enjoy this as well. The book features four stories full of good humor and action as the Turtles and April take on various adversaries from the Foot Clan to zombies.

The art is good and colorful. This volume is not only fun to read, but the visuals are a pleasure to look over as well. As a bonus, the volume includes a small art gallery at the end so you get a bit more. This was a fun and easy reading that I think Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fans can enjoy. Public libraries will want to add this one to their graphic novel collections.

Overall, I am giving it 5 out of 5 stars as I think for fans of the show, this falls under amazing, good entertainment.

Friday, January 24, 2014

Booknote: Mara

Brian Wood and Ming Doyle, Mara. Berkely, CA: Image Comics, 2013. ISBN: 9781607068105.


The AV Club described this book "Akira, Hunger Games, and Superman collide." I would not go as far as that, but this comic does have elements that will appeal to fans of those works. It will likely hold strong appeal to fans of dystopian works in general. As for the comparison with Superman, this book shares common appeal with Superman: Secret Identity (link to my review of this here). A teen suddenly discovering he or she has superpowers and the government's desire to secretly use this person are common elements to both stories. The stories play out in different ways, but if you have read Secret Identity, then a big part of Mara's story will seem familiar.  

Mara is a quick and easy read that should satisfy readers of dystopian fiction that feature young female leads. While it is a good story with a nice feel like a fable, if you have read other dystopian works, you will see many of the common tropes here as well such as: ongoing war, youths taken away to train (whether to be soldiers or athletes or entertainers in some way), a central controlling government, a society mostly distracted by some entertainment (though not as bloody, the sports structure here was a bit reminiscent of stories like Rollerball), and corporatism. As a reader, you can pretty much do a checklist of dystopian elements, and Mara has them. In that regard, this is not terribly new ground. However, the comic does have a small heartwarming element along with the dystopian story to make it into a nice charming story worth reading. The book is one that libraries that already offer works in the dystopian genre, be they The Hunger Games or Brave New World, can offer to their readers asking for "what else you got?"

This compilation collects issues 1-6 of the comic Mara. In the end, I did like it quite a bit for its ease of read, good layouts on the comic, and a good story. It is enough for me to give it 4 out of 5 stars.


Disclosure note:this is where I tell you that I read this as an e-book via NetGalley provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. That way, we keep The Man happy.

Signs the Economy is Bad, January 24, 2014 edition

Welcome to another edition of "Signs the Economy is Bad" here at The Itinerant Librarian. This is the semi-regular (as in when I have time and/or feel like doing it) feature where I scour the Internet in search of the oh so subtle hints that the economy is bad. Sure, pundits may say things are getting better, but what do they know? And to show not all is bad, once in a while we look at how good the uber rich have it.  



Let's take a look at what we got this week:

  • Things are so bad people no longer move in order to get a higher wage or better working conditions. They just move to be able to get a job...any job. According to Timothy Noah, "When [Americans] do migrate it is typically no longer from places with low wages to places with higher wages. Rather, it’s the reverse. That helps explain why, since the 1970s, income inequality has gone up and upward mobility has (depending on who you ask) either stagnated or gone down." Get the details of the story via BillMoyers.com.
  • Things are bad for recent college graduates. It is not the first time we have mentioned this on the blog. This week we have a study that asks "Are Recent College Graduates Finding Good Jobs?" From the abstract, "Still, the percentage who are unemployed or 'underemployed'—working in a job that typically does not require a bachelor’s degree—has risen, particularly since the 2001 recession. Moreover, the quality of the jobs held by the underemployed has declined, with today’s recent graduates increasingly accepting low-wage jobs or working part-time." Story via Full Text Reports, which has a link to the study from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Now don't get me wrong. I think if you are suited for it, you should be able to get a good college education, but I am not one of those who says everyone automatically has to go. Having said that, studies like this do give ammunition to those who question the value of a higher education degree at all. 
  • And speaking of college students, how bad is their student debt you might ask. Here is a pretty scary chart to put it all in perspective. Via I Love Charts.
Now, the pickings this week were a little lean in terms of signs the economy is bad. However, we do have some items about how good the uber rich have it. Oh yea, from first world problems to how to spend your millions, we got something for those folks this week:

  • Want to look cool and smoke like your grandpa? You think those guys on Mad Men sucking on cancer sticks look hip? Well, Lucky Strikes is their brand, and it seems that thanks to the AMC show, the sales of Lucky Strikes are actually going up. At least one industry is doing well in the bad economy.  By the way, other brands have also gotten a boost from the show. Find out who else got a boost. Via Ivey Business Review
  • Got millions to burn, and you just don't know what else to spend them on? Here are "9 of the Most Pointlessly Expensive Items You Can Buy." You won't see me buying any of these, but I am sure some folks out there are proud to plunk down a hundred dollars or so on a plain white t-shirt. Via Mental Floss blog.
  • Finally for this week, as we all know, the rich only accept the very best. The best caviar. The best wine. The best food. So, naturally, they also demand the best toilet paper for their delicate tushes. The students at TCU (Texas Christian University) are a step below rising up in arms to demand the college provide them with better quality toilet paper. Because for these kids of privilege, one-ply toilet paper is just not good enough. To hear the students tell about it, being forced to use one-ply toilet paper is a horror and a hardship. “'I know a lot of people have gone out of their way to go to the store to get two ply,' said TCU student Tora Coursey." They may have to go to a local Walmart or convenience store. The humanity! Story via CBS News out of Fort Worth, Texas. 

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Booknote: Nightwing, Vol. 3: Death of the Family

Kyle Higgins, Nightwing, Vol. 3: Death of the Family. New York: DC Comics, 2013. ISBN: 9781401244132. 


In this volume, we get the perspective of Nightwing regarding the Death of the Family events. This time we start right off with the "dinner scene." After that, the focus is on Dick Grayson/Nightwing and his efforts to resuscitate Haley's Circus and the Amusement Mile. However, things are never easy: Dick has a somewhat complicated relationship with the woman who works for the bank that holds the note on his project; Lady Shiva is in town, and the Joker is about to go after the Bat Family. The story also gives insight into Dick's character by exploring parts of his past and current life. Also, the mystery of why Lady Shiva is in town plus Dick's efforts to keep his project afloat all make for an engaging story.

I say that of the various volumes in this series this is one of the better ones. It is one that also leaves us with a cliffhanger, a mystery from the past. You will have to read it to find out. This is a solid entry in the series with a good plot, good action, good art. I really liked it, so I am giving it 4 out of 5 stars.


Disclosure note: this is where I tell you that I read this as an e-galley via NetGalley provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. That way, we keep The Man happy.

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Campus Event: Nontombi Naomi Tutu on "Our Shared Humanity"

This event is part of the campus Convocation Series. Nontombi Naomi Tutu, race and gender justice activist and daughter of Bishop Desmond Tutu, spoke on campus January 20, 2014 for the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day celebration. The following are my notes from the event. Any comments I make are in parenthesis:

  • Lecture title: "Our shared humanity: creating understanding through the principles of Martin Luther King, Jr." 
  •  For her, Berea College was a place where she found voice as well as friends for life. Ms. Tutu is a Berea College alumnus. 
  • Dr. King is not just an American hero, but a hero around the world in places like South Africa, which was suffering Apartheid in Dr. King's time. 
  • African proverb: "In time of floods, the wise build bridges. Fools build walls." Ms. Tutu learned many lessons via proverbs. In times of challenge and crisis, reach out and find allies in solidarity. 
    • Dr. King was a man who built bridges. 
    • Dr. King refused to see someone simply as an oppressor. Every human to him had the potential to be good and respectful. When he encountered the opposite of that belief, he did not let it make him bitter. 
  • Ms. Tutu tells a story of Dr. King and his brother-in-law driving at night after an event. As they drove, the brother, who was driving, noticed no other drivers would dim their high beams as they came on the opposite side of the road. The brother grew frustrated and said he would not dim his lights for the next guy who did not do so as well. Dr. King urged him to remain considerate and said, "we need someone to see in the road, even if it is not you."
  • Like Dr. King, Nelson Mandela also refused to dehumanize others. This is hard to do to others when you are the one being oppressed. 
    • There is empowerment in being the one to reach out and build bridges. 
  •   Ms. Tutu tells her story of being stopped at a roadside checkpoint in South Africa. She saw the humanity of the white guard in the five minutes or so of the moment, simply by making small talk the man whose job it was to check her car. 
    • She thus urges us, on this day, to see others as human beings. See others as someone like us, at core, human beings like us.
  • Be like children, but be careful with this proposition. Children DO see differences, and they query those differences. But they see difference as an opportunity to see the world and learn about the world, to see options, a chance to see a different way of doing things. 
    • It is NOT about having a color-blind society. Want a world that does recognize humanity, uniqueness, what each person brings to the table that no one else brings. THAT is the shared dream of humanity.  We come to each community with special gifts, challenges, stories, questions. 
    • In recognizing others, we build the bridges that will get us through crisis. 
    • What God might say: "after all the work I did to make you diverse, you dare say you are all the same?" 
    • We are called to be those who in time of flood build bridges of relations and care. We are called to recognize our shared humanity, to celebrate it.
From the Q&A time:

  •  What was most challenging to Ms. Tutu during the Apartheid regime? To accept her humanity and that of white South Africans. To learn it did not mean one had to dehumanize them. 
  • The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) in South Africa means that the Apartheid history cannot be denied or made to disappear. Yes, there was some imbalance, some favoring of the oppressors. In the end, we need to concentrate on how to bring more people into the economic system. Rural development may be one way. 
  • On being asked where South Africa would be had there not been a Nelson Mandela: Nelson Mandela was a singular human being who showed a path of reconciliation. However, he was not alone. Recognizing this does not take away from Mandela's role. 
  •  On giving love and receiving hate: Allow others to tell their stories. Strive to not just decide you know someone else's story. Hear other perspectives. 
    • A sample failure: in the talks of welfare reform in the United States, not involving or even listening to people who are actually on welfare. Society and legislators just decided they "know" those people's stories. 
    • Allow ourselves to suspend "the stories" we "know" about the others. Let them, allow them to tell their stories, listen and learn. 


Saturday, January 18, 2014

Let's read some nonfiction in 2014, a book reading challenge

As my four readers know, I do read a bit of nonfiction. One of the nonfiction genres I favor is that known as microhistories. Those are books that take one subject and go in deep to give us its history along with some broader lessons about history of the world. From my recent readings, Breakfast: A History would be an example of a microhistory. At any rate, I read enough nonfiction that I think I can complete this challenge without having to go out of my way. So, here we go.






The Basics:

  • The challenge runs from January 1 to December 31, 2014.
  • "The Challenge:  Read any non-fiction book(s), adult or young adult. That's it. You can choose anything. Memoirs? Yes. History? Yes. Travel? Yes. You get the idea? Absolutely anything that is classified as non-fiction counts for this challenge." [Yes, that easy.]
  •  I will have to remember to check to post my reviews over there as I read them. 
Yes, there are levels. For this level, I am keeping it easy for now:

Explorer: Read 6-10

I will upgrade the level if I read more. I will be adding the books to the list as I read them.

List of books read for this challenge:

  1.  Box Brown, Andre the Giant: Life and Legend (review)
  2. John Lewis, et.al., March, Book One (review). 
  3. Oz Clarke, Let Me Tell You About Wine (review).  
  4. Ashanti White, Not Your Ordinary Librarian (review). 
  5. Harry Fisch, The New Naked (review).
  6. Alberto Manguel, The Library at Night (review).
  7. Andrew Knapp, Finding Momo (review).
  8. Becky Siegel Spratford, The Reader's Advisory Guide to Horror, 2nd ed. (review). 
  9. Carol Leifer, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Crying (review).
  10. Russ Phillips, Canned! Artwork of the Modern American Beer Can (review). 
  11. Dwight Garner, Read Me: A Century of Classic American Book Advertisements (review). 
  12. William Stadiem, Jet Set (review). 
  13. Jessica Kerwin Jenkins, Encyclopedia of the Exquisite
  14. Zac Bissonnette, Good Advice from Bad People
  15. Michael Bemis, Library and Information Science: A Guide to Key Literature and Sources (review). 
  16. Daniel Yaffe, Drink More Whiskey!
  17. Andrew Walsh and Padma Inala, Active Learning Techniques for Librarians
  18. Tristan Taormino, 50 Shades of Kink: an Introduction to BDSM (review submitted to Cara Sutra). 
  19. Joanne O'Sullivan, Bizarre Weather
  20. Erinn Batykefer and Laura Damon-Moore, The Artist's Library: A Field Guide
  21. Donald Nausbaum, Cuba: Portrait of an Island
  22. Ruth Ashby, The Great American Documents: Volume 1: 1620-1830
  23. Robert Dawson, The Public Library: A Photographic Essay
  24. Rachel Maddow, Drift: the Unmooring of American Military Power.

Update note at end of challenge (12/19/14):

And we come to the end of this reading challenge. I am closing the shop a bit earlier because, though I have read a few more books that could qualify, I know I will not have the reviews on the blog up in time by the end of the year. I can say that I read some interesting things in nonfiction this year. Not everything was great; there were one or two disappointments, but you live and read on.

The challenge was a success. I officially read and reviewed 24 nonfiction books. There was only one book I had listed that I removed because I did not review it on time, and that was Dinah Fried's Fictitious Dishes. I do have my written notes for it in my journal, so stay tuned to read that review down the road. Also, stay tuned to this blog as I will soon post my end of year reading review, where I list everything I read for 2014 and provide highlights on what was good and what I probably should have avoided.

The challenge, as a result of the final number, can be upgraded, so I finish the year at the following level:

Master--Read 16-20

This is the highest level offered, and I managed to beat it, officially by four books. Will I sign up for next year? If I hear they are doing it again, it is highly probable. If I do, you will see the post announcing it soon.

In the meantime, happy holidays and keep on reading.


Going for the 2014 NetGalley and Edelweiss Reading Challenge

Doing this just makes sense. I registered with NetGalley and Edelweiss last year, and I have done a significant amount of reading via those sources. Thus, I think I should be able to do this without having to go out of my way. The host asks, "Have you ever logged on to Edelweiss or Netgalley with the intention of 'Just Looking' and then logging off  having requested 5 new titles even though your TBR is a mile long?" Oh yes. I have certainly done that. So, without further ado:






Here are the basics (click on link above to see full host post):

  • This challenge will run from Jan 1, 2014 – Dec 31, 2014.
  • Any genre, release date, request date, length, etc. counts so long as it came from Edelweiss or Netgalley.
  • At the beginning of each month there will be a roundup post for you to add your reviews.[This means I will have to remember to check in once in a while. I always post my reviews for items from NetGalley and Edelweiss. Just need to remember to check in with the host then]
  • If you forget to link up one month it's not a problem just add your reviews next month. [ah, little leeway. Cool.]

There are six levels. For this challenge, I am keeping it safe and going with the following:

Silver: 25 books

The host does give the option to move up in levels, so I will do so if I read more than 25. I will be adding books to the list as I read them with links to the reviews.

List of books read for this challenge:

  1. Scott Lobdell, Red Hood and the Outlaws, Vol. 3: Death of the Family. (review)
  2. Kyle Higgins, NightWing, Vol. 3: Death of the Family. (review)
  3. Brian Wood, Mara. (review)
  4. Jim Butcher and Mark Powers, Jim Butcher's The Dresden Files: Ghoul Goblin (review)
  5. Kenny Byerly, et.al., Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: New Animated Adventures, Vol. 1. (review)
  6. Stephen Mooney, Half Past Danger. (review)
  7. Box Brown, Andre the Giant: Life and Legend (review)
  8. Mark Rahner, Dejah Thoris and the Green Men of Mars, Vol. 1 (review). 
  9. Cullen Bunn, Helheim, Vol. 1: The Witch War (review).   
  10. Sylvain Cordurie, Sherlock Holmes and the Vampires of London (review). 
  11. Gene Luen Yang, The Shadow Hero (review). 
  12. Chris Roberson, The Shadow, Vol. 3. (review
  13. Gail Simone, Red Sonja, Vol. 1: Queen of Plagues (review). 
  14. Oz Clarke, Let Me Tell You About Wine (review).  
  15. Harry Fisch, The New Naked (review).
  16. Mark Waid, Rocketeer/The Spirit: Pulp Friction (review). 
  17. Mac Walters, Mass Effect: Foundation, Vol. 1 (review). 
  18. Ed Brisson and Johnnie Christmas, Sheltered, Vol 1 (review). 
  19. Joe Brusha, Grimm Fairy Tales: Realm Knights (review). 
  20. Jai Nitz, Dream Thief, Vol. 1 (review). 
  21. Mike Richardson, 47 Ronin (review). 
  22. Simon Oliver, FBP: Federal Bureau of Physics, Vol. 1 (review). 
  23. Phil Jimenez, et.al., Transformers: Dark Cybertron, Vol. 1 (review). 
  24. Jamie S. Rich, Archer Coe (review). 
  25. Joe Schrieber, Star Wars: Maul: Lockdown (review).
  26. Michael Uslan, The Shadow/Green Hornet Vol. 1: Dark Nights (review). 
  27. Russ Phillips, Canned! Artwork of the Modern American Beer Can (review). 
  28. Ales Kot, Zero, Vol. 1: An Emergency (review). 
  29. Peter V. Brett, Red Sonja: Unchained (review). 
  30. Jeff Lemire, Green Arrow, Volume 4: The Kill Machine (review). 
  31. Scott Snyder, American Vampire, Vol. 6 (review). 
  32. William Stadiem, Jet Set (review).
  33. Scott Snyder, Batman Vol. 4: Zero Year-- Secret City (review). 
  34. James S.A. Corey, Star Wars: Honor Among Thieves (review). 
  35. Joe Brusha, Grimm Fairy Tales: Oz (review). 
  36. Josh Harris, The X-Files, Season 10, Volume 2 (review). 
  37. James Stokoe, Wonton Soup (review). 
  38. Greg Pak, et.al., Batman/Superman, Vol. 1: Cross World
  39. Paul Dini, Black Canary and Zatanna; Bloodspell
  40. Caitlin Kittredge and Inaki Miranda, Coffin Hill, Vol. 1: Forest of the Night
  41. Chris Roberson and Jonathan Lau, Codename: Action, Volume 1
  42. Kyle Higgins, Nightwing, Volume 4: Second City
  43. Peter Tomasi, et.al., Batman and Robin, Vol. 4: Requiem For Damian
  44. Jeff Kline, Indestructible, Volume 1
  45. Mike Mignola, Hellboy in Hell, Vol. 1: the Descent
  46. Sean Phillips, et.al., The Heart of the Beast
  47. Paul Allor, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Utrom Empire
  48. Marc Andreyko, The Illegitimates
  49. Grant Morrison, Damian: Son of Batman

Update note (12/19/2014) at end of the challenge:

I am wrapping up a bit early so I can do a few holiday season things before the year ends. Still, I think we did pretty well on this and the other three book reading challenges I did for 2014. I liked this one because it involved NetGalley and Edelweiss. I use NetGalley a lot more, and I often get one or two things extra that I may or not get to read because I run out of time (the one rub of electronic galleys is expiration dates). Still, the challenge helped me stay on my toes. This challenge was also one I could book cross, so to speak, which means I could use the titles in other challenges as well. In the end, I read more than 45 titles that came out of NetGalley or Edelweiss; the vast majority came out of NetGalley. These are then the 45 titles that I read and posted reviews for on the blog before the end of the year. I did not need to remove any item from the list. I simply did not add more in the interest of time.

By the way, I read 45 books officially, which means I did meet the silver goal of at least 25 books. I fell 5 short of the next level officially. Oh well. We did well overall, and maybe we can beat that next year (if I manage to get those reviews up sooner).

Will I sign up for it next year? It is very likely I will. I have become a book reviewer, whether I formally admit that or not, and NetGalley and Edelweiss are part of that blogging trade for me, so it makes sense to sign up for the challenge. But then it is one more thing to keep up. Anyhow, stay tuned because if I do sign up again, there will be a post for it.

Happy holidays, and keep on reading. 



  







    Oh look, another graphic novels and manga challenge for 2014

    This book reading challenge, which I understand is in its 7th year (how I missed it before is beyond me), seems to make good sense to me given that I enjoy reading graphic novels and mangas. It will go along well with the other challenge in this genre/format I am undertaking for 2014. So I am going for it.




    The basics (click on the link above for the full details):

    • Runs from January 1 to December 31, 2014. 
    • I do not see any restrictions on crossing challenges, so I figure I can count items on this challenge and the other one I am undertaking in this genre/format.
    • "What counts:  graphic novels, collected trade editions, manga, comic strip collections, comic books. In print or digital. Anything else you feel is suitable.  My criteria is if it has either frames OR speech bubbles it counts."
    There are three challenge levels. I am going to pick the second level, which given how I read, I believe is realistic. If I read more, I will upgrade accordingly.

    Bronze Age: read and review 24 books during the year (Can you handle 2 books a month?) [I think I can.]


    I will be adding books to the list as I go along rather than making a list ahead of time. As I said in the other challenge, I will try to add a few more mangas, but I will just take it a step at a time. 


    List of books read for this challenge: 

    1.  Scott Lobdell, Red Hood and the Outlaws, Vol. 3: Death of the Family. (review)
    2. Kyle Higgins, NightWing, Vol. 3: Death of the Family. (review)
    3. Brian Wood, Mara. (review)
    4. Jim Butcher and Mark Powers, Jim Butcher's The Dresden Files: Ghoul Goblin (review)
    5. Kenny Byerly, et.al., Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: New Animated Adventures, Vol. 1. (review)
    6. Stephen Mooney, Half Past Danger. (review)
    7. Box Brown, Andre the Giant: Life and Legend (review)
    8. Mark Rahner, Dejah Thoris and the Green Men of Mars, Vol. 1 (review). 
    9. Cullen Bunn, Helheim, Vol. 1: The Witch War (review).   
    10. Sylvain Cordurie, Sherlock Holmes and the Vampires of London (review). 
    11. Gene Luen Yang, The Shadow Hero (review). 
    12. Chris Roberson, The Shadow, Vol. 3 (review).  
    13. John Lewis, et.al., March, Book One. (review).
    14. Gail Simone, Red Sonja, Vol. 1: Queen of Plagues. (review).
    15. Robert Kirkman, The Walking Dead, Book 9 (hardcover)(review)
    16. Mark Waid, Rocketeer/The Spirit: Pulp Friction (review). 
    17. Mac Walters, Mass Effect: Foundation, Volume 1 (review). 
    18. Ed Brisson and John Christmas, Sheltered, Volume 1 (review). 
    19. Joe Brusha, Grimm Fairy Tales: Realm Knights (review). 
    20. Jai Nitz, Dream Thief, Volume 1 (review). 
    21. Mike Richardson, 47 Ronin (review). 
    22. Simon Oliver, FBP: Federal Bureau of Physics, Volume 1 (review). 
    23. Phil Jimenez, et.al., Transformers: Dark Cybertron, Volume 1 (review). 
    24. Dan Christensen, Archer Coe (review). 
    25. Michael Uslan, The Shadow/Green Hornet Volume 1: Dark Nights (review). 
    26. Ales Kot, Zero, Volume 1: An Emergency (review).
    27. Peter V. Brett, Red Sonja: Unchained (review). 
    28. Jeff Lemire, Green Arrow, Volume 4: The Kill Machine (review). 
    29. Peter David, Wolverine Classic, Volume 3 (review coming soon). 
    30. Scott Snyder, American Vampire, Volume 6 (review). 
    31. Matz, The Killer, Volume 4: Unfair Competition (review). 
    32. Scott Snyder, Batman, Volume 4: Zero Year- Secret City (review). 
    33. Joe Brusha, Grimm Fairy Tales: Oz (review). 
    34. Joe Harris, The X-Files, Season 10, Volume 2 (review). 
    35. Karl Bollers, et.al., Watson and Holmes: A Study in Black.
    36. James Stokoe, Wonton Soup (review). 
    37. Greg Pak, et.al., Batman/Superman, Vol. 1: Cross World
    38. Paul Dini, Black Canary and Zatanna; Bloodspell
    39. Caitlin Kittredge and Inaki Miranda, Coffin Hill, Vol. 1: Forest of the Night
    40. Chris Roberson and Jonathan Lau, Codename: Action, Volume 1
    41. Kyle Higgins, Nightwing, Volume 4: Second City
    42. Peter Tomasi, et.al., Batman and Robin, Vol. 4: Requiem For Damian
    43. Jeff Kline, Indestructible, Volume 1
    44. Scott Snyder, et.al., Joker: Death of the Family
    45. J. Michael Strackzynski, Superman: Earth One
    46. Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples, Saga, Volume 3.
    47. Max Brooks, The Harlem Hellfighters
    48. Mike Mignola, Hellboy in Hell, Vol. 1: the Descent
    49. Sean Phillips, et.al., The Heart of the Beast
    50. Eric Hobbs, Family Ties: An Alaskan Crime Drama
    51. Paul Allor, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Utrom Empire
    52. Ruth Ashby, The Great American Documents, Volume 1: 1620-1830
    53. Marc Andreyko, The Illegitimates
    54. Jeff Parker, et.al., Batman '66, Volume 1
    55. David Gerrold, et.al., Star Trek: the Manga Ultimate Edition
    56. Grant Morrison, Damian: Son of Batman

    Update note at end of challenge (12/19/14):

    We made it to the end. Well, the year is not quite over yet, but I am wrapping the challenges a bit early so I can do other writing as the year ends. This challenge crossed titles with the other challenge I undertook for this genre and format, so the result is fairly similar. I did read more for it than I listed, but I was not able to get the reviews written up for the blog on time. I will review the items I read but was not able to add to this list later, so stay tuned for that. Since I read and reviewed 53 items, it means I can also upgrade the challenge goal. So the new goal, which I have met is:


    Silver Age: read and review 52 books during the year (Are you up to a book a week!)

    Actually, I may not have always read one book a week, but I would read two graphic novels a week or more, then not read any in a week. So in the end things were in balance.  As in the other challenge, a lot of the titles here came via NetGalley. I did also get a few from my local public library.

    As I have done before, this is the list of books that I wanted to have for the challenge, but I was not able to review. I do have notes on them in my journal, so you will find posts on them in my blog down the road:

    • Jonathan Hickman, East of West, Volume 1: The Promise
    • Jacques Lob, Snowpiercer, Volume 1: The Escape
    • Scott Snyder, et.al., American Vampire, Volume 4
    • Osamu Tezuka, Adolf, Volume 1: A Tale of the Twentieth Century
    • Osamu Tezuka, Adolf, Volume 2: An Exile in Japan
    • Osamu Tezuka, Adolf, Volume 3: The Half-Aryan
    • Jim Davis, Garfield Gets in a Pickle
    • Ed Pinskor, Hip Hop Family Tree (Volume 1). 

    These will all be listed in my end of year reading post, so stay tuned for that one. This challenge has been issued for 2015, and you can rest assured I will be signing up for it. Details coming soon as well.

    Happy reading!

    Joining the Manga/Graphic Novel/Video Game Novel Challenge 2014

    Just because I did not do very well in my book challenge undertaking in 2013, it does not mean I am stopping. I am trying again with a new challenge:


    I figure this will work for me because I read a lot of graphic novels as well as some mangas. I have read a video game (or just game) novel now and then. The challenge hosts do allow Warhammer books, which do include Warhammer 40,000, so I am hoping I can get some of those counted on the challenge as well. So, here we go.

    Basic details from the challenge to keep in mind:

    • "This challenge will run from January 1, 2014 to December 31, 2014. You can sign up at any time."
    • "Any book counts as long as it fits into one of the 3 chosen categories: Manga (all types of comic books are acceptable), Graphic Novels, Video Game Based Novels (Such as books based off of Warhammer, World of Warcraft, HALO, Mass Effect, Dungeons and Dragons, etc)."
    •  "If you are participating in more than one challenge, books are allowed to cross over into this challenge." [Good, because I need all the help I can get]
    • "You can list your books in advance or list them as you read them, the choice is yours." [I will be listing as I go]
     Last year, I read 98 graphic novels. That was a good year. So, to keep it safe, I am setting the following initial goal:

    Level 3 Warcraft – Hardcore Player
    Read a total of 25 – 35 books. 

    The challenge does allow you to level up, so if I get more than 35 books, I will note it accordingly. I may try to add a few more mangas into the mix. I do have a few on my TBR shelf I need to get through.


    List of books read for this challenge: 
    1. Scott Lobdell, Red Hood and the Outlaws, Vol. 3: Death of the Family. (review)
    2. Kyle Higgins, NightWing, Vol. 3: Death of the Family. (review)
    3. Brian Wood, Mara. (review)
    4. Jim Butcher and Mark Powers, Jim Butcher's The Dresden Files: Ghoul Goblin (review)
    5. Kenny Byerly, et.al., Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: New Animated Adventures, Vol. 1. (review)
    6. Stephen Mooney, Half Past Danger. (review)
    7. Box Brown, Andre the Giant: Life and Legend (review)
    8. Mark Rahner, Dejah Thoris and the Green Men of Mars, Vol. 1 (review). 
    9. Cullen Bunn, Helheim, Vol. 1: The Witch War (review).  
    10. Graham McNeill, Mechanicum. (The Horus Heresy, Book 9; review
    11. Sylvain Cordurie, Sherlock Holmes and the Vampires of London. (review)
    12. Gene Luen Yang, The Shadow Hero. (review)
    13. Chris Roberson, The Shadow, Vol. 3 (review). 
    14. John Lewis, et.al., March, Book One (review).
    15. Gail Simone, Red Sonja, Vol.1: Queen of Plagues (review).
    16. Robert Kirkman, The Walking Dead, Book 9 (Hardcover)(review). 
    17. Joe Harris, et.al., The X-Files, Season 10, Vol. 1 (review).
    18. Neil Gaiman, Signal to Noise (review).
    19. James Swallow, Hammer and Anvil (Sisters of Battle, Book 2; Warhammer 40,000) (review).
    20. Mike Richardson, 47 Ronin (review). 
    21. Mark Waid, The Rocketeer/The Spirit: Pulp Friction (review). 
    22. Simon Oliver, FBP: Federal Bureau of Physics, Vol. 1 (review). 
    23.  Ed Brisson and Johnie Christmas, Sheltered: A Pre-Apocalyptic Tale, Vol. 1 (review). 
    24. Mac Walters, Mass Effect: Foundation, Vol. 1 (review). 
    25. Jai Nitz, Dream Thief, Vol. 1 (review coming soon).
    26. Phil Jimenez, et.al., Transformers: Dark Cybertron, Vol. 1 (review). 
    27. Dan Christensen, Archer Coe (review). 
    28. Michael Uslan, The Shadow/Green Hornet: Dark Knights (review). 
    29. Pat Shand, et.al., Realm Knights (review).
    30. Ales Kot, Zero, Volume 1: An Emergency (review). 
    31. Scott Snyder, American Vampire, Volume 6 (review).
    32. Peter V. Brett, Red Sonja: Unchained (review). 
    33. James Stokoe, Wonton Soup (review). 
    34. Greg Pak, et.al., Batman/Superman, Vol. 1: Cross World (review). 
    35. Paul Dini, Black Canary and Zatanna; Bloodspell
    36. Caitlin Kittredge and Inaki Miranda, Coffin Hill, Vol. 1: Forest of the Night
    37. Chris Roberson and Jonathan Lau, Codename: Action, Volume 1
    38. Kyle Higgins, Nightwing, Volume 4: Second City
    39. Peter Tomasi, et.al., Batman and Robin, Vol. 4: Requiem For Damian
    40. Jeff Kline, Indestructible, Volume 1
    41. Scott Snyder, et.al., Joker: Death of the Family
    42. J. Michael Strackzynski, Superman: Earth One
    43. Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples, Saga, Volume 3.
    44. Max Brooks, The Harlem Hellfighters
    45. Mike Mignola, Hellboy in Hell, Vol. 1: the Descent
    46. Sean Phillips, et.al., The Heart of the Beast
    47. Eric Hobbs, Family Ties: An Alaskan Crime Drama
    48. Paul Allor, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Utrom Empire
    49. Ruth Ashby, The Great American Documents, Volume 1: 1620-1830
    50. Marc Andreyko, The Illegitimates
    51. Jeff Parker, et.al., Batman '66, Volume 1
    52. David Gerrold, et.al., Star Trek: the Manga Ultimate Edition
    53. Grant Morrison, Damian: Son of Batman

    Update note at end of the challenge (12/19/2014):

    As readers can see above, I completed the original challenge goal comfortably. In fact, I read more books that would fit in the challenge than the ones listed. A challenge for me was not so much reading books for this challenge. It was getting the reviews up in a timely fashion. In fact, this was a common theme for other book reading challenges I undertook this year. They often wanted not just a book count; they would also want you to post reviews (or at least a note) online as proof I guess. My reviewing pace online can vary depending on what I am reading, life happening, so on. Still, we can happily say this was a success. In fact,  I can upgrade the challenge level to the highest level offered:

    Level 5 HALO Style – Legendary Player 
    Read a total of 45 – 55 books.

    So for this challenge, definitely it was a good year. A lot of the reading I did for it came from NetGalley titles. I also read some titles from my local public library. Though the challenge did include manga and some fiction (what the host called video game-based novels), I did not read as much of those, but did get a few in.  I think the main reason is that getting graphic novels and comics via NetGalley was pretty convenient for me in terms of reading. In fact, at times I did have too much too read (something I will discuss in another post).

    For the record, I did have some more titles listed originally that I removed from the final list because I did not get the reviews up on time for this update note. For those who may be curious, here are the items that would have gone on the list had I written their reviews on time for this update. To be honest, I have notes on the books in my personal journal, but I have not gotten around to writing them into blog posts:

    • Jimmy Palmiotti, et.al., All Star Western, Volume 1: Guns and Gotham
    • Jimmy Palmiotti, et.al., All Star Western, Volume 2: The War of Lords and Owls
    • Scott Snyder et.al., American Vampire, Volume 4.
    • Osamu Tezuka, Adolf, Volume 1: a Tale of the Twentieth Century
    • Osamu Tezuka, Adolf, Volume 2: an Exile in Japan
    • Osamu Tezuka, Adolf, Volume 3: The Half-Aryan
    I will post reviews on these down the road on the blog, so stay tuned. Also, the above and other titles that did not make it into the challenge will be listed in my end of year reading review, so stay tuned to that as well. If the host does the challenge again for 2015, I will certainly join in.

    Happy reading. 


    Reckoning the Mount TBR Challenge 2013

    Well, I did not make it up the mountain. Last year, I decided to give the Mount TBR Book Challenge a try. I signed up for the Mount Blanc level (24 books) because I figured, hey, how hard could it be? I have a bunch of books waiting to be read, and a lot of them are not hard reads. This should be a piece of cake. So, naturally, the deity of choice laughed, and I made it a little bit past the base camp. I read 9 books that were on the TBR pile in 2013; I needed 12 for their lowest level, Pike's Peak.



    List of books read for the challenge (that met the parameters):

    • Frank Milller, 300. (review)
    • Shouji Sato, Triage X, Vol. 1 (review)
    • QuinRose, Alice in the Country of Clover: Cheshire Cat Waltz, Vol. 1 (review)
    • Robert Lanham,  The Sinner's Guide to the Evangelical Right (review here)
    • Stuart Moore, Wolverine Noir (review here
    • Michael Ashley, The Mammoth Book of Jules Verne Adventures.(review)
    • Tom Taylor, Star Wars: Blood Ties-- A Tale of Jango and Boba Fett
    • Michael A Stackpole, Star Wars: X-Wing Rogue Squadron-- Blood and Honor.
    • John Ostrander, Star Wars: Darkness.
    In the end, what did me in was my serendipitous way of reading. I tend to read what I like, when I like. I also tend to be a strong library user (both my library and my local public library). 2013 was also the year I began actively reviewing books via NetGalley and, to some extent, Edelweiss. Overall, there were a few shiny objects along the way.

    However, I am not one to give up, so I will probably try the 2014 version. What I may try also is find a challenge (or set myself one up) that more closely matches the way I read. So stay tuned, we may yet ride again.

    Friday, January 17, 2014

    Signs the Economy is Bad, January 17, 2014 edition

    Welcome to another edition of "Signs the Economy is Bad" here at The Itinerant Librarian. This is the semi-regular (as in when I have time and/or feel like doing it) feature where I scour the Internet in search of the oh so subtle hints that the economy is bad. Sure, pundits may say things are getting better, but what do they know? And to show not all is bad, once in a while we look at how good the uber rich have it.  



    It feels like the week has been a bit lean this week in terms of stories, but I still have some things for my four readers:

    • The crisis in higher education is already well-known. Very much like the employment issues in librarianship, there is a glut of graduates, and it seems less jobs for them as time goes on. Getting a PhD nowadays is a very shaky proposition. It seems we are making "a Generation of Jobless PhDs." Story found at Big Think
    • The housing bubble left a lot of wreckage, and understandably so for many, those who went through it no longer see home ownership as a path for good financial footing. I can't say I blame them. Personally, I do not see myself owning a home anytime soon between the bad economy and the college loans. Then, there is this: "In an economy where people often have to move to get a job, many homeowners will be forced to sell their homes much earlier than they expected." I have moved for jobs three times already, and while I am hoping this time it's the charm, one never knows. So for now I am keeping the options open. Story via Center for Economic and Policy Research.
    • And the stories continue to pile on. As that wise man once told me, "there but for the grace of [insert your deity of choice], go I." In addition to a bad economy, a serious medical catastrophe often wipes someone out. You can have a good middle class job and STILL end up on food stamps. Story found at AlterNet
    • This story falls under outrageous item of the week. As if school teachers in this country were not screwed enough, a credit union in Nevada has found a way to screw them further AND rub salt on the wound. Public school teachers often suffer from low pay and the fact that they have to buy school supplies for their own classrooms because heaven forbid people pay enough taxes to actually provide the public schools with the supplies the students need. Oh no, that would make sense. So, to add to the humiliation of teachers, this credit union in Nevada is offering loans to teachers so they can buy school supplies for their own classrooms. Yes, you did read that right. This is beyond the pale, pure and simple. So not only do teachers have to spend what little they earn to supply their own classrooms (which is what the parents of the community should be doing in the first place), now they can also go into debt to do so. But hey, at least taxes are kept down, which is what most whiny asshats pay attention to anyhow. A hat tip to Juanita Jean.
    • Apparently, the U.S. Government does not know how to negotiate prices when it comes to health products and medicines (this is not really news, but we do not have time to look over those politics now). In the ridiculous item for today, it seems Uncle Sam is spending way to much on penis pumps for seniors. According to the source article, "Penis pumps cost the U.S. government’s Medicare program $172 million between 2006 and 2011, about twice as much as the consumer would have paid at the retail level, according to a government watchdog’s report released on Monday." In other words, if Uncle Sam could have just walked over to his local sex shop, he could have paid less. And let's not even go into the fuss that paying for this is OK but contraceptives is not (according to some religious and Right Wing asshats at least). Story via Juanita Jean. 


    However, not all is bad news.  I have a couple of items to cheer you up a bit:

    • It turns out Pizza Hut is selling more pizza to gamers. How are they doing this? Well, there is software in game consoles like the XBox 360 than enable to order pizza while you play your game. So now gamers don't even have to take a break to get a phone to order out. Just pause your Call of Duty or Halo and order some pizza. And things have been going well. According to this story, gamers have ordered up to $1 million dollars in pizza through their gaming consoles. I will let someone else make the mandatory jokes about this.Story via FoodBeast.
    • And here is one for the uber rich. It turns out that rich women have better sex than the rest of the ladies. Maybe I wonder about this because I am a guy, but it would not be because "easier to devote time and energy to your sex life when you’re not working two jobs or worrying about how you’re going to pay the bills" would it? Story via Nerve.com. 

    Photo credit: Editorial cartoon. Found at Juanita Jean's, who also shared a couple of other editorial cartoons related to the West Virginia water contamination by Freedom Industries. 

    Booknote: Jim Butcher's Dresden Files: Ghoul Goblin

    Jim Butcher and Mark Powers, Jim Butcher's Dresden Files: Ghoul Goblin.  Mt. Laurel, NJ: Dynamite Comics, 2013. ISBN: 9781606904381.


    This is the second Harry Dresden story I have read in graphic novel format; I read The Dresden Files: Welcome to the Jungle (link to my review posted at BookLikes) previously. I have to say these works make me want to seek out the novels. I did enjoy this one better than the previous one, but they are both good works. I found Ghoul Goblin to be an easy read and very accessible; you don't need to have read the novels in order to enjoy this. It stands on its own just fine.

    This time, Harry leaves Chicago to help out a sheriff's deputy in a small rural Missouri town. They need to solve a grisly murder that may or not have a supernatural element. Harry also tries to help a family with a curse. The book presents the politics and territorial issues of a small town, obstacles that Harry has to deal with and can be just as challenging as any supernatural being he might confront. Additionally, small towns often have secrets they would rather keep buried, and this town is no exception.

    The book offers a good pace. It incorporates the private detective dynamic with the supernatural well, which is the trademark of the series. We get good action and mystery. The art is colorful and well suited to the series.

    I really liked this one, so I am giving it 4 out of 5 stars.


    Disclosure note: This is where I tell you that I read this as an e-book provided by the publisher via NetGalley for review purposes. The idea was for me to provide a fair and honest review. There has been no compensation. There, we keep The Man appeased once more.

    Wednesday, January 15, 2014

    Booknote: Red Hood and the Outlaws Vol. 3: Death of the Family

    Scott Lobdell, Red Hood and the Outlaws, Vol. 3: Death of the Family. New York: DC Comics, 2013. ISBN: 9781401244125. 


    I continue reading volumes from The New 52 series of Batman: Death of the Family. This time I finished reading Red Hood and the Outlaws, Vol. 3: Death of the Family. I found this volume to be similar in terms of style to the Batman and Robin volume (link to my review of that). The Red Hood volume begins going over Red Hood's  youth and origin. From there, it moves to the well known (if you have been following this series) "dinner scene" featured in Snyder's Batman volume (link to my review of that here). Afterwards, we get the aftermath of Red Hood and the Outlaws, and a cliffhanger you'll have to read to find out.

    I found Red Hood's story interesting because we see it from two perspectives. One, we get Jason Todd's own telling of the story. Two, we get Joker's telling where the Clown Prince sees Red Hood as his creation. This presentation certainly adds some depth to the story.

    In terms of art, a detail I liked is the use of a theater poster style in the opening page of each of Lobdell's segments. The colorful, playful element goes well with a tale featuring the Joker. You should probably read this volume along with the Teen Titans volume (link to my review).

    Overall, I really liked it, so I am giving it 4 out of 5 stars.


    Disclosure note: This is where I tell you that I read this as an e-galley provided by the publisher via NetGalley for review purposes. The idea was for me to provide a fair and honest review. There has been no compensation. There, we keep The Man appeased once more. 

    Saturday, January 11, 2014

    Holiday Post 2013: What the Heck Happened in 2013?

    A lot happened in 2013. I have to say that this year tested me. In many cases, just when I thought some people could not get any more stupid, they went right ahead and showed me that yes, they could get even more stupid. In spite of that, there were still some amusing things here and there. As my four readers know, we don't just do a "summary" here. We try to look at a few more things to get a better picture of what the heck happened last year.

    The News

    For this section, I am avoiding the usual big summaries of the year. You can look those up on any major news source. Here, I am more interested in things that may not have gotten the coverage they deserved or curious and odd things (well, curious and odd to me at least). 
    • Items from BillMoyers.com:
      • The media in the U.S. is not generally known for the best coverage of news. Much of it is infotainment at best. Many things do slip under the radar. Lucky for us, Moyers and Company give us a listing of "Most Underreported Stories of 2013." Among the topics that probably needed more coverage we have the U.S. military moving into Africa, climate change, war on youth, and transgender people of color. 
      • You can also check out BillMoyers.com most popular segments for 2013. The essay "On the Sabotage of Democracy" certainly is worth watching and/or reading the transcript. For folks in Berea College, Bill Moyers sat down with Vandana Shiva to discuss problems with genetically modified seeds. Folks at the college will recall Ms. Shiva's convocation back in February.
      • And it seems that progressive causes were taking serious hits this year. However, there were at least "15 Wins for the Progressive Movement in 2013." 
    • Items from The Advocate:
      • For the LGBTQ community, and for the rest of us, many folks chose to come out this year. Here is "2013: The Year in Coming Out." Celebrities, athletes and many others chose to share their stories and experience with us. I live for the day when something like this is no longer a big deal, but in the meantime, I wish them well and hope others do well when they make that choice as well.
      • For the transgendered, there were some important moments in transgender rights as well.
      • Not everyone had a good year in the LGBTQ community. There were some people fired in 2013 for being LGBTQ. Personally, this is something I do not get. What the heck difference does someone's sexual orientation make to their work? I noticed that many of these were teachers, good teachers let go for no other reason than who they love. That's not right.
      • Finally, here is their list of big ideas for 2013.
    • The Center for Public Integrity does some good work. Here are their top investigations in politics (for example, guess who is paying for a lot of judges to attend seminars), national security, and finance (for instance, think the subprime mess is over? Think again. Those crooks are back in business).
    • Pro Publica also does some good journalistic work. Here are some of their top muckreads of 2013. Among other topics, that whole NSA excessive surveillance was a big deal. 
    • Equal Voice for Families has a 2013 Year in Review. Topics include the constant Congressional bickering, domestic worker advocacy, and work to change harsh school discipline practices.
    • Have an interest in economic stories? Well, the Brookings Institution has their top economic stories for 2013
    • Interested in science? A few things happened in the world of science in 2013. 
      • Wired magazine has the top scientific discoveries of 2013. Among other things, Voyager 1 has gone interstellar, and back here on Earth, we found a new carnivorous mammal. I remember as a kid the excitement when Voyager 1 was launched. Back then, NASA still had some hopes and excitement, far cry from the defunded and now fairly toothless and aimless agency it is now. Sad.
      • Chattah Box highlights another list of science's top breakthroughs. There were some successes in cancer immunotherapy, new solar cells, and vaccine design among other things.
    • I lived in Texas for 8 very long years. Some of it was good, a large part of it not so much. I still follow news for the state, in part because I still have family and friends there. So, for my Texan friends and readers, here are some top Texas news via The Texas Tribune
    • Not all is serious news. Some seriously weird shit did happen in 2013, and Miss Cellania brings it to us, via the Mental Floss blog. Among other things, a giant purple chicken was stolen, and a snake burned a house down.
    • And finally for this news section of my post, some stuff happened in the world of libraries and librarianship. Go check it out via LISNews. A couple of things are covered elsewhere better, such as the spying and surveillance scandals (well, they should be scandals, but the average Joe and Jane were probably more interested in the Duck Dynasty saga or some other reality show than their civil rights) and a few hip(ster) kind of things that I pretty much just sort of glance over and move on. But I would not be a good librarian if I did not at least mention something about libraries and librarianship here.



    Entertainment

    Here we have movies, television, music, so on, the stuff you usually think about that falls under entertainment. However, I have added a couple of extras I found interesting. 

    • Movies? Yea, there were some of those in 2013. My four readers know I do not do movie theaters. If I want a movie, I wait til it makes it to DVD so I can watch it at home in peace. I am also pretty picky about the kinds of movies I like to watch. However, since often you can't really avoid talking about movies, I do try to read enough about films and movies so I at least know what some current movie is about and talk about it passably. Anyhow, AlterNet offers their list of "10 Best Movies of 2013." In addition to the ten, they do mention some others. Personally, I did not find film terribly interesting this year. The one movie someone recommended was 12 Years a Slave, and it was my mother-in-law who recommended, which is is usually a warning sign to run away in the opposite direction (this is the woman who thinks A Christmas Story is a great American classic). From what I have seen about it, seems to be sort of the new The Passion of the Christ for the slavery experience in 19th century United States (in the sense that people go to the theater and come out "converted"); I have read enough slave narratives I can probably do without.  I am sure other folks may have other lists, but this is the one I am going with for now.
    •  Some albums came out in the world of music. The Morning News has their list of "The Top Albums of 2013."
    • If you are into TV, especially the trashy side, well, Fox News (of all places) has "the most-talked about television moments."To be perfectly blunt, a lot of these moments I missed, and I could not care less. But maybe one of my four readers out there wants to reminisce about Honey Boo Boo or Paula Deen. The one moment on the list I did witness and did find amazing? Nik Wallenda crossing the Grand Canyon. That I watched nervously, especially since I have memories of Karl Wallenda when he fell off a high wire in Puerto Rico. Oh, and I did watch Sharknado, though not with as much wonder as I watched Wallenda. That was just plain trashy bad movie moment. It was bad, and I dont mean it's so bad it's good kind of bad.
    • A few other things happened in 2013. You may have missed them. Via COED magazine, here are "20 Things You Didn't Know About 2013." Some, you probably did notice, barely, like the Chinese moving on ahead with space exploration. On the other hand, recall what was the worst selling car in America or the fact Madonna had a new album (it was a flop, which is probably why not many heard about it). This list is mostly light humor. 
    • There are always the mandatory lists and tributes to people who died during the year. You can probably look up the usual big shots who died on your favorite search engine. Mental Floss blog has "12 Other People We Lost in 2013."One of the 12 is a sad one for Dr. Who fans: the designer of the Daleks died in 2013. Read to learn about him and others. 
    • Here is a books item. For my friends and readers who read in Spanish, Papeles Perdidos offers their lists of best novels, short stories, essays, poetry, biographies and graphic novels as voted by their readers. This list can give you a good sense of what is good in Spanish language literature. 
    • Comic books continue to do well overall. Comics and graphic novels for me are a favorite reading staple. Via The Advocate, here are "The Year's Top 10 LGBT Moments in Comics." I have missed a lot of these, so I will have to go back and look them up.
    • You know things are bad when The Onion is often a better news source than the actual "news sources." BuzzFeed provides "35 Reasons 'The Onion' Won 2013."
    • For those interested in porn and adult entertainment, some porn numbers and stats to give a sense of porn 2013 were reported by Porhub.com (Story via Nerve.com. The Nerve story is pretty safe. Pornhub.com definitely NSFW). This kind of gives a picture of what folks who enjoy that seem to be doing online (at least according to one major porn site). In addition to that, a few other things related to porn did happen in 2013, and the article mentions them as well.
    • And finally for this entertainment segment, a little bonus. Epiphora, a very good sex toy reviewer and sex blogger, gives her best and worst when it comes to sex toys in 2013. Find out what is good and what you should avoid.



    Assorted Stupidity

    Holy mother of pearl. There was a lot of stupidity this past year, and I mean a lot.

    • Once again, TFN Insider does their compilations of the year in quotes highlighting serious stupidity, especially in the U.S. among Right Wing fundamentalists who are often less than bright. There are so many you may be better off going here to their "year in quotes" blog tag.
    • AlterNet offers their "Top 10 Right Wing Jaw-Droppers of the Year." Did you know the Bible is not conservative enough, so some conservatives are rewriting it? Read about that and more. 
    • The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund was busy this past year, among other things, highlighting stories and defending against challenges to comics and graphic novels from asshats. Here are their top 10 stories for 2013.
    • Cops were not exactly behaving in ways that protect and serve this year. Via VICE, here his the year in bad cops 
    • There were also crooks and other assorted criminals and deadbeats. Via The Smoking Gun, here are their 2013 mug shots of the year.
    • Dr. P.Z. Myers is concerned his wife may be in for a shock. He tells us that, according to Fox News, that fine news source, marriage died in 2013. I may need to be concerned too. I am not sure how the Better Half would take the news that marriages died this past year. 
    • And finally, back to Texas where Progress Texas compiled a list of 10 Worst Texans. However, Juanita Jean points out the list is far from perfect, and I concur. How the hell Progress Texas missed someone like Louie "Terror Babies" Gohmert (my former Congressman, yet another reason I was glad to get the hell out of East Texas) is beyond me. 
    And there you have it folks, that was 2013. With this, I end my series of holiday posts for 2013. Stay tuned for my 2013 reading report later this month to see what I read during 2013 and other assorted thoughts on my reading experience.

    Let us hope that 2014 offers some better things. I hope that everyone out there has a happy and safe new year.