August – October Book Haul: Comics Palooza Edition
Hello again and welcome to another book haul! This recent roundup is a bit behind schedule because I’ve been busy but it’s finally here! This is the “Comics Palooza” edition because it includes many gems that I picked up on Free Comic Book Day (which got moved to August this year). So more comic/graphic novel buying than normal.
I still think I did pretty well book buying-wise since this haul has been lighter than others this year. I’ve been back at the library more and trying to read more of my books. I feel like I’m slowly working my way through my backlist of e-books but need to focus more on my physical bookshelves. I’m also feeling like I’ll meet my Goodreads goal for this year too! Yay for reading goals!
Not too much to chat about beforehand for this haul, so let’s get onto the new books.
Bought
50 Trailblazers of the 50 States by Howard Megdal (writer) and Abbey Lossing (illustrator) – I love books about historical figures. This was a bargain buy, plus the illustrations were gorgeous so I picked up a copy.
Lin Tang and The Pirate Queen by Tamara Ross – I really enjoy stories about the high seas. This novel is about an appealing crew of a pirate ship that battles intrigue and deadly monsters in an action-filled fantasy adventure. I can’t wait to read it.
The Tea Dragon Society by Katie O’ Nell – I am a fan of this illustrator’s work and always hear good things about this book so I picked it up.
Chicken With Plums by Marjane Satrapi – Ever since I read Persepolis, back in the day, I wanted to read Satrapi’s back catalog of works. I found this graphic novel at such a good price.
The Comic Book History of Animation by Fred Van Lente – Since I’m such a huge animation fan, it’s no wonder I would be intrigued by this book. I found it on a whim at a local comic store. Animation history is so intriguing.
Goosebumps: Creepy Crawly Comics by Denton J Tipton, Jen Vaughn, and Jeremy Lambert – A purely nostalgic pick. I was interested to see how this graphic novel reboot of the series would be. Goosebumps was my favorite horror series growing up.
Big Mushy Happy Lump and Herding Cats by Sarah Andersen – Sarah’s Scribbles is one of my current favorite webcomics. I own the first book in the collection so I decided to pick up these two books in the series as well.
My Pathetic Vampire Life Vol. 1 by Ishikawa Rose – This series looked like a lot of fun so I bought volume one at Books-A-Million. It’s an ongoing manga series about a teenage boy who was turned into a vampire at the age of sixteen and has to repeat high school over and over again.
Cutie and The Beast Vol. 2 by Yuhi Azumi – I was charmed by the first volume in this series which I reviewed on the blog previously so I decided to read volume two and keep collecting this series.
Mamo Issues #1-2 by Sas Milledge – I didn’t know much about this series when I saw it on the shelves but the artwork pulled me in. The story follows Orla O’Reilly, the youngest in a long line of hedge witches, who is compelled to return home after the death of her grandmother.
Alice & Zoroku Vol. 1-4 by Tetsuya Imai – Another bargain buy. This is a magical girl-themed series (I think?) about Sana, a girl with the power to ignore the very laws of physics and what happens when she crosses paths with a stubborn old man named Zoroku.
School Memories by Sharean Morishita – I have chatted about S-Morishita’s works before on the blog and wanted to pick up a copy of this one-short story. It’s an all-ages comic about the importance of communication and compassion.
Generation Witch Vol. 1-3 by Isaki Uta – These covers immediately gave me Sabrina the Teenage Witch vibes. It’s a series about the lives of several young witches as they struggle with the dual challenges of wielding magic and teenage angst.
Snotgirl: California Screaming Vol.2 by Bryan Lee O’Malley and Leslie Hung – I really enjoyed volume one of this series so I decided to get volume two! The artwork is amazing and the story had me hooked.
Aggretsuko #1 – I’m a huge fan of the show and saw this while shopping. It was an impulse buy.
Norroway: Black Bull of Norroway by Kit & Cat Seaton – Don’t know too much about this comic but it looks intriguing. The synopsis reads “Sibylla always wanted adventure, but she didn’t know it would come in the form of a giant, magical bull. Is he a man or a monster? And who knew a prophecy could be so literal?”
Over the Garden Wall: Soulful Symphonies #1 by Birdie Willis – I love this show to pieces so I picked up this comic purely for the cover.
The Nightmare Before Christmas by Tim Burton – A golden book version of one of my favorite films of all time!
I won’t be going into detail for these, but here are all the comics I picked up for Free Comic Book Day (FCBD)!
Free Comic Book Day Roundup #1
Free Comic Book Day Roundup #2
Free Comic Book Day Roundup #3
Over The Garden Wall: Hollow Town #1-3 by Celia Lowenthal – Loved the artwork so I also picked up these Over The Garden Wall comic gems.
ARCs/Review Copies
Eighteen by Jenny Jaeckel – A novel that is intimate coming-of-age exploration. Review to come soon! I’ve read a few of Jaeckel’s novels before and reviewed them on the blog so I can’t wait!
The Unforgettable Logan Foster by Shawn Peters – The Unforgettable Logan Foster takes us through the journey of Logan who is a fun brilliant kid with an eidetic memory and loves to read stories about superheroes. When Logan finally gets the opportunity of new foster parents they seem loving but very strange. What could be their secret?! (Review)
The Bounce Back by Addie Woolridge – The Bounce Back follows the story of Neale, an aspiring artist who has her life unravel and then her relationship soon after. She works on transitioning to a 9-to-5 job all while navigating new relationships and dealing with her own. But when the opportunity strikes for her to go back to the art world, will she take a chance? (Review)
Christmas in Rose Bend by Naima Simone – Reading Christmas In Rose Bend instantly gave me all the holiday feels from the beginning of the story. The reader will feel as if they’ve been transported into a Hallmark movie as Rose Bend is a quaint little town full of festive vibes. It is a place where the magic of Christmas shines with its numerous decorations and fun holiday-themed activities for the town to celebrate. (Review)
So Many Beginnings: A Little Women Remix by Bethany C. Morrow – What I really enjoyed about this version of Little Women is how it uses small bits and pieces of the original work but makes it into a novel that stands on its own. Morrow’s retelling also focuses on a point the horrors of slavery and the difficulties of colonies during and after the Civil War and the changes it brought. While it is a novel about sisters and their close relationship it paints a vivid portrait of how we try to cover up things from the past. (Review)
That concludes my August- October book haul! What books did you buy these past months? What books have you recently added to your TBR? Tell me in the comment section below.
Wow, so many graphic novels / comics! I’m not very good at these as I tend to rush through the words and not look at the images enough. We had to buy one for my husband’s god-daughter for Christmas but fortunately had full instructions on what to get!
I also rush through manga on the first read. When I go back for re-reads I take my time and enjoy the artork. I tend to binge read manga a lot, lol.
I love Sarah Andersen’s comics, of course (you probably could have predicted that)! I think she has another one now? Or it’s coming soon?
It feels like forever since I’ve been to one of the comic events in the city. A couple of years anyway, I guess. But hopefully soon. Meanwhile, nice to browse vicariously through your haul!
Hmmm, I think she has another comic, but it’s separate from the Sarah Scribbles books. It should be out now. I miss comic events too. Some local shops have events but it’s nothing too major.
Didn’t know Viz released stuff for Free Comic Book Day.
Not usually, but in more recent years I’ve seen them add more titles to the FCBD line up.