Batgirl by Brenden Fletcher, Cameron Stewart and Babs Tarr

I've never been supper into comics. As a woman its not unusual to feel misrepresented or not represented at all in the comic book world but a few months ago I came across the artwork from Barbara (Babs) Tarr and everything changed. She is the illustrator behind the new improved Batgirl comics by DC. If you appreciate badass women holding their own and beautifully powerful imagery then this is something you need to check out. I found it difficult to get my hands on a physical copy of #35 so ended up downloading it through the comixology app on my iPhone. Turns out I think I prefer reading it on my phone for the convenience of being able to read it wile standing sardine style on the train. 

I've been following her on Instagram and I've become addicted to her tumblr. The work she's done with Sailor Moon its too good for words. She has an etsy store but nothing is available on it at the moment. I'm dying to get one of her prints on a tote bag or a T-shirt or something. Anything. 

Next month (June 17th) Brenden Fletcher will be collaborating with Annie Wu, who is the artist for the Hawkeye comics, to create the 2015 Black Canary. I'm looking forward to this one as well as I slowly grow my collection of kick-ass female comic book heroines. Babs Tarr has done a variant cover for this as well.

Review: The Heir #4 in The Selection Series by Kiera Cass

My Rating:  ✯✯✯✯✩  

Genre: YA, Dystopian, Romance 

Publication Date: May 05th, 2015

Quick Synopsis 

Set twenty years after the end of book three, the daughter of America Singer and Prince Maxon Schreave is ready for her own Selection. Princess Eadlyn doesn't have high expectations for the competition but as things unfold she finds that everyones happily ever after looks a little different. 

My Review 

I didn't know I was so invested in this series until I found out there was going to be a fourth and fifth book which naturally made me want them in my hands immediately. This one I preordered digitally as soon as it was made available to do so and I started refereshing pretty much straight after midnight in the wee hours of Tuesday morning. 

Something that sets this book apart from the previous three is the personality of the protagonist. Princess Eadlyn is bratty and spoilt which took a bit of getting used to after being so familiar with the perspective of America Singer. Once I eventually warmed up to her I ended up enjoying The Heir just as much as all the others in The Selection Series. 

All I can say is whatever it is that makes people watch particular realty TV shows religiously, this series has the book incarnation of that. 





The Epic Reads guys on YouTube put together some great interview videos for some of the Selection candidates that reminded me so much of watching the Batcheloret on TV.             Love. 

 

Review: Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

My Rating:  ✯✯✯✯✯  

Genre: YA, GLBT, Contemporary 

Publication Date: April 07th, 2015

This book is the 2015 Fangirl. Five out of five stars. Five out of Five everythings.

I don't read Contemporary that often but when I can be persuaded to do so thus far the feels have destroyed me and left me in a stunned mess.  There has been just as much hype about this one as Fangirl when it came out and for good reason.

The top 5 things I love about this book include: the acknowledgement of the sacred status of Orio Cookies,  a homosexual protagonist, abundant Harry Potter references, inclusive gender representation and a character that has my name.

Three hundred and twenty pages of comfort on a bad day, sarcastic melancholy, awkward romantic emails and social media blackmail set to a Rilo Kiley soundtrack. My honest hope for this book is that it lands itself with enough legitimacy and street cred in the literature world to be considered along side The Perks of Being a Wallflower for inclusion in school curriculum.

I'm not going to go into it too much because I think everyone needs to read this. Especially people that think they don't know anyone thats gay or anyone thats convinced themselves that they understand what being gay in high school or coming out would be like if they haven't lived it themselves. Parents and teachers need to read this, politicians and people with moral/religious opposition to homosexuality need to read this, people who think they understand what it means to be human need to read this.

If everyone you know has been telling you to read this just do it. Obtain a packet of Orios and lock yourself away for a few hours. You'll be glad you did.