My First September Reading Update

The Great Presidential Sharpie Crisis

Well, here it is, September already. Labour Day weekend is past, the kids are back at school,  baseball season is winding down and it's a warmish day outside this afternoon. Just finished watching Deadline: White House and waiting for the evening's TV. The new series Pennyworth starts tonight and Janet King is on later on. Plus I will keep an eye on the Blue Jays to see if they might be able to play a bit of a spoiler role in the play off race.

Regarding books, I received two I had on order in the mail this week. I've finished three books this week. Actually they were graphic novels as in one of my reading groups the graphic novel is the genre of the month. It's been kind of nice refreshing myself with some of my favorites. I've started one other book as well since my end month update. I'll update all of that and if this doesn't take too long I'll continue with another entry in my Mystery genre entries.

So without further ado, here we go.

Whatcha doing Dad? You have big feet, you know!

New Books

1. Death of a Stray Cat by Jean Potts. I've read one of Jean Potts' mysteries before and enjoyed it. She had a unique style. I'm hoping this one is as good.











"She started a hoarse scream, turned it into a whimper as the fingers twisted and dug into her arm. There was no one to hear, anyway. From over by the fireplace came the sprightly chirp of a cricket. No other sound, except their panting, hers and his.

"No. Please. No," she whispered.

"Why did you have to come?" he asked again, "I can't stand it. Don't you see? I have to." The fingers moved up her two arms, encircled, almost tenderly, her long, pulsing throat..."

2. The Python Project by Victor Canning (Rex Carver #3).











"Private investigator Rex Carver accepts a mundane commission to recover a gold python arm bracelet and steps right into a spider's web of intrigue involving the secret services. As the plot ricochets between Paris, Italy, Libya, Tunisia and Ibiza, with Carver dodging bullets from all sides, Canning justifies his reputation as one of the finest thriller writers in the world."

Just Finished

1. Tank Girl: Carioca by Alan Martin.












"Tank Girl: Carioca #3 was my first exposure to this graphic novel series by Alan C. Martin. I remember watching the movie when it came out and thinking it was very strange. This graphic novel also would fit that category, but at the same time, it was very entertaining.

This story finds Tank Girl and her friends, Booga, and the others trying to change the course of their lives by practicing Carioca, a kind of peaceful Buddhism philosophy. However, they are attacked by a team of hit men, hired by U-Leen Happy as she wants to exact revenge on Tank Girl for the killing of her husband. Tank Girl and her friends decide they need to take out U-Leen. On their way to U-Leen's beer factory, they discover Jet Girl's burned out jet and think she is dead. In fact, the body belongs to Jet's butler.

OK, there's the story but I wouldn't take it too seriously. This is a wild, fun, frisky adventure. The story is filled with songs and fun and fighting. That's all you really need to know. It's quirky and entertaining and I liked the drawings and ink work. I will have to get the rest of the Carioca story as re-reading this has piqued my interest in this series. (3 stars)"

2. Tank Girl: Bad Moon Rising by Alan Martin.












"Tank Girl: Bad Wind Rising is an entertaining graphic novel by Alan C. Martin. This is the 2nd of this series that I've enjoyed.

Tank Girl and her friend, kangaroo Booga, have had devices planted in their bodies, to monitor their whereabouts and also to affect their nervous systems and cause them to fight and argue with each other. While the gang is resting and relaxing, Booga is sent to get some treats. Because he doesn't have sufficient money, he decides to rob the post office but an alarm is set and brings the police. Tank Girl brings the tank to rescue Booga. This sets off a chain of events, a fight and split between Booga and Tank Girl. Tank Girl leaves with another of her group, Jet Girl and they go to visit Green Norman, while Booga and Barn, help two other folks take part in the robbery of a truck full of weapons.

Unfortunately it turns out that the truck is full of boxes of underwear and is driven by members of Booga's old gang of Kangaroos. Tank Girl and Jet Girl try to discover who has placed the tracker in Tank Girl and get involved with a mad scientist.

So there you go, the gist of the story. Make sense? :0)  All in all, as per the other graphic novel I read featuring Tank Girl, it's a fun, entertaining, wild ride. The artwork is excellent and the story is excellent, totally wild and fun. Don't expect anything deep and profound, but you will be entertained. I do want to read more of this series. (3.5 stars)"

3. The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Black Dossier by Alan Moore.











"Alan Moore is a prolific writer. His League of Extraordinary Gentlemen comic book series encompassed 2 Volumes of six issues each as well as his graphic novel, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Black Dossier. The novel is written in both comic book and novel form. It tells the story of Mina Harker and Alan Quartermain, both part of the original League, which has been long-disbanded, now in the 1950s. They seek and find and try to escape with the Black Dossier, a legendary document that purportedly details all known facts of the League.

Their adventures as they try to escape England and its spies, led by M, now one Harry Lime, are told in comic book form. But as they rest and take respite, they read the Dossier, in a more novelish form complete with drawings and photos. The stories that make up the Dossier cover the history of the League, its varied break-ups, its reformations, its battles. It's fascinating reading, in many different styles as the stories progress through the ages. We have Orlando, whose gender changes from man to woman and back over the course of his life. We hear the continued adventures of Fanny Hill as she travels the world (this section has a large number of erotic drawings). We find out how Mina Harker recruited Captain Nemo, the first member of the League besides her. We even have a beatnik story from the US in which Mina and Alan are involved.

The novel contains so many characters, fictional and fantastical. References are borrowed from the works of H.P. Lovecraft, from Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels (Gulliver being a character in this novel and also an original member of the very early League). I referenced previously the amorous adventures of Fanny Hill (One of the chapters of the Dossier is written by John Cleland who wrote the book of Fanny Hill's adventures. This chapter provides new information about her further adventures). Just a few examples of what is sampled in this rich, interesting graphic novel.

I've read many of Alan Moore's works and enjoy his unique story-telling and his ability to stretch the boundaries of comic / graphic novel telling. This was no exception. (4 stars)"

Currently Reading
I'm enjoying the books I've currently got on the go and am looking forward to starting this next one as well.

1. Gideon's Week by J.J. Marric (Inspector Gideon #2).









"Gideon’s week…was long, and getting longer! It had all started when battered wife Ruby Benson set up her wanted-killer husband Sid for capture by the cops, hoping he’d be spending the rest of his worthless life in jail. But Benson had other plans. The brutal madman had escaped. And now he was back on the streets with only one thought in mind…revenge! And it looked like it was up to Commander George Gideon of Scotland Yard to save Ruby from her sadistic spouse’s blood vendetta…or die trying!"

Well, there you go. I won't do a Mystery genre post today but will definitely try to do so in my next entry. Have a great weekend and read a good book.

Have a great weekend! Woof!