Comics

Culture Consumption: January 2015

~ Shara ~ 2 Comments

Happy Super Bowl Sunday! Before the day gets super-crazy with our upcoming annual Super Bowl Party, I thought I’d go ahead and post my January stats for 2015. As always, if you want to discuss any of these, just say so in the comments.

Books

1) Low Midnight by Carrie Vaughn
2) The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
3) Acceptance by Jeff VanderMeer
4) My Real Children by Jo Walton

Short Fiction

None in January

Comics

25 individual issues read in January, but the TBR pile for comics is HUGE. There’s a lot I need to catch up on.

Annihilator #1
Annihilator #2
Annihilator #3
Annihilator #4
Coffin Hill #12
Coffin Hill #13
Coffin Hill #14
Copperhead #4
Gotham By Midnight #1
Lazarus #13
Low #3
Low #4
Low #5
Ody-C #1
Operation S.I.N. #1
Shadow Show #1
Sleepy Hollow #3
Supreme Blue Rose #4
Supreme Blue Rose #5
The Massive #30
The Walking Dead #135
Wolf Moon #1
Wytches #1
Wytches #2
Wytches #3

Movies

* = repeat viewing

Batman Begins*
Divergent
Draft Day
Into The Woods (In theaters)
The Dark Knight*
The Dark Knight Rises*

Television Shows

A note with television: these are the shows I completed in the month of January, not a list of everything on-going that I’m still watching.

American Horror Story: Freak Show
Boardwalk Empire, Season 5
Galavant, Season 1
Homeland, Season 4
Penny Dreadful, Season 1

That’s it from me! Also, feel free to share whatever 2015 stats you’ve got! How many books? How many movies? What were your favorites? Lay them on me!

Cheers!

I Feel Like October….

~ Shara ~ 2 Comments

It was an odd morning: I slept in, something I do less and less as I get older, and I was attempting to respond to a text message with my left hand (the right was pinned down by Storm Shadow, my 17 lbs cat who thinks I’m his personal body pillow), when my husband came in the bedroom and asked, “You wanna help me wash my car?”

My response, after the word, “No,” was, “Are you crazy? It’s January.”

But the weather is warm today, and it’s not supposed to rain until the afternoon, and my husband said his car is filthy, so I grudgingly disturbed the cat and got out of bed to help. Helping means hose-duty, so while my husband was scrubbing, I stared out at the neighborhood and thought how it felt like October. The air, the car-wash itself. All that was missing was the warm, bright patches of colors decorating the trees and the scent of fall in the air.

Of course, the trees were bare. It’s January, and I’m standing outside in a Tennessee Titans sweatshirt, a pair of cargo pants, and a headband covering my ears, holding a wet water-hose with my bare, slightly numb fingers while water drips and drops and soaks me from my rain galoshes up to the cuffs of my pants.

The things we do for love.

###

Currently Writing: Codename: Magic Twins
Last night’s word count: 675 words
Total word count: 2,254 words
Storm Shadow helped me write last night. And by help, I mean he lay on the floor, looking adorable, and at opportune times would stretch out on his side, revealing the glorious white, furry belly of DOOM. And by doom, I mean this: How to Pet a Kitty by The Oatmeal, item #4. I rarely resist. But I also distract him with his Angry Bird catnip toys first, just to be safe. He adores those things.

Currently Reading: Carrie Vaughn’s Low Midnight
I think I’ll be able to finish this today. As mentioned yesterday, I’m really enjoying it, and damn, I never visualized Cormac as hot, especially with whole mustache thing going on, but I keep looking at the cover and changing my mind. Yes, I’m shallow.

Next up: In terms of house work, I’ve got sheets and blankets in the wash. I’m also slowly working my way through my TBR comics pile, and I hope that once I catch up, I can stay caught up, and maybe talk about comics and series I enjoy with a little more frequency. There shall be football tonight as well, and the hubby and I are also going to continue the Christopher Nolan Batman marathon with The Dark Knight.  I’ll have thoughts on this trilogy when we’re done with the re-watch, but I’m keeping them to myself for now.

I’m so glad the weekend is here.

Culture Consumption: December 2014

~ Shara ~ 6 Comments

Ah, 2014 has finally ended, and with that, I say good riddance! At least the stuff I was reading and watching was thoroughly enjoyable, so let’s see where December ended up.

Books

My goal for 2014 was to read 50 books. If you don’t count the novellas/novelettes/short stories, then I fell just shy of that goal. However, if you include those (some of those novellas were pretty hefty!), then my total for the year was 95, which is more on course for what I was reading back in my book blogging days. Still short, but considering the kind of year this has been, quite respectable.

44) Symbiont by Mira Grant
45) Authority by Jeff VanderMeer
46) The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison

Short Fiction

45) The Ninety-Ninth Bride by Catherine F. King
46) The Astronomer Who Met the North Wind by Kate Hall
47) The Awakened Kingdom by N.K. Jemisin
48) Snakes and Ladders by Seanan McGuire
49) White As a Raven’s Wing by Seanan McGuire

Comics

It utterly amazes me at the number of comics I read every year. Seriously, I added it up, and I read a total of 283 individual issues this year. There’s definitely down from previous years, but the way the issues have piled up is overwhelming, and I still have a very large TBR comic pile. There’s some series that are ending, which is good, and some series I’m pretty close to quitting. That said, I’d like to be more judicious and selective in the my titles for 2015, and keep it to the stuff I’m really into.

Individual Issues:

Batgirl #37
Black Widow #12
Black Widow #13
Ms. Marvel #10
Sex Criminals #8
Sex Criminals #9
Sleepy Hollow #2
The Massive #29

Movies

My husband and I had an epic Harry Potter marathon in December, which was a helluva lot of fun, because it’s been a while since I’ve seen these and it was a lot of fun to go back to the start, knowing how the series ends, and see all the little clues I missed the first time around. I look forward to do the same with the books, but that’s a marathon for a much later time.

Total movies seen this year? 14 total in theaters, and 61 in the comfort of my own home.

In December, we watched the following:

A Christmas Story
Elf
Guardians of the Galaxy
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part One
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part Two
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
Home Alone
Palo Alto
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (in theaters)
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay: Part 1 (in theaters)
Total Recall (1990)

Television Shows

We didn’t finish and seasons this month, but we completed a total of 46 seasons of stuff. Damn, that’s a lot of television, but when you consider a nice portion of those to be marathons of Mad Men, Breaking Bad, and Friday Night Lights, it takes up a good portion, and most of the television we watch is during the fall to summer season, so it’s an episode a week for a limited number of shows. Still, those seasons do add up, don’t they?

That’s it from me! Also, feel free to share whatever 2014 stats you’ve got! How many books? How many movies? What were your favorites? Lay them on me!

Cheers!

Culture Consumption: November 2014

~ Shara ~ 3 Comments

Pretty good November for entertainment, all things considering. I guess my brain was good for something after all! If you’re interested in talking about any of the following, just comment and I’ll be happy to engage!

Books

40) Menial: Skilled Labor in Science Fiction edited by Kelly Jennings and Shay Darrach
41) Ticker by Lisa Mantchev
42) The Martian by Andy Weir
43) Midwinterblood by Marcus Sedgwick

Short Fiction

43) Mrs. Yaga by Michal Wojcik
44) The Mussel Eater by Octavia Cade

Comics

Graphic Novel:

Chew: The Omnivore Edition: Volume 4 by John Layman

Individual Issues:

Batgirl #36
Copperhead #3
Fairest #29
Lazarus #12
Saga Chapter 23
Saga Chapter 24
Supreme Blue Rose #3
The Massive #28
The Walking Dead #134

Movies

Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure
Dumb & Dumber
Grumpy Cat’s Worst Christmas Ever
Interstellar (theater)
John Wick (theater)
Only Lovers Left Alive
Planes, Trains, and Automobiles
The Awakening
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (Extended Edition)
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (Extended Edition)
The One I Love
To Be Takei

That’s it from me! Also, feel free to share whatever 2014 stats you’ve got! How many books? How many movies? What were your favorites? Lay them on me!

Cheers!

Culture Consumption: October 2014

~ Shara ~ 10 Comments

September’s list might have been late, but I’m making sure October is RIGHT ON TIME.

Books

34) Perdition by Ann Aguirre
35) Let’s Explore Diabetes with Owls by David Sedaris
36) Motherless Child by Glen Hirshberg
37) Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris
38) Unexpected Stories by Octavia E. Butler
39) Zombie Baseball Beatdown by Paolo Bacigalupi

Short Fiction

39) Hunting Monsters by S.L. Huang
40) In Her Head, In Her Eyes by Yukimi Ogawa
41) Midway Relics and Dying Breeds by Seanan McGuire
42) The Curious Case of the Werewolf That Wasn’t, The Mummy That Was, and the Cat in the Jar by Gail Carriger

Comics

Individual Issues:

American Vampire: Second Cycle #5
Batgirl #35
Black Widow #11
Caliban #7
Coffin Hill #11
Copperhead #2
Lazarus #11
Ms. Marvel #9
Sleepy Hollow #1
The Massive #27
Thor #1
Unwritten: Apocalypse #9
The Walking Dead #132
The Walking Dead #133

Movies

Gone Girl
Occulus

That’s it from me! Also, feel free to share whatever 2014 stats you’ve got! How many books? How many movies? What were your favorites? Lay them on me!

Cheers!

Culture Consumption: September 2014

~ Shara ~ 7 Comments

Well, this is late. Due to the lateness, and the fact that frankly, September was a great reading month, I’m not going to post reactions to anything I read or watched; however, if you have questions, I’m happy to discuss in the comments.

Books

27) Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
28) Maplecroft by Cherie Priest
29) If I Stay by Gayle Forman
30) Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer
31) WWW: Wake by Robert Sawyer (DNF)
32) House of Leaves by Mark C. Danielewski (DNF)
33) A Stranger in Olondaria by Sofia Samatar (DNF)

I should note: these DNF titles were simply because other books grabbed my interest and by time I thought about going back to the titles I’d set aside, I was no longer in the mood. The Danielewski is one I’ll have to start over anyway, and I’ll need a new plan of attack for reading it. I also see myself giving the Samatar another go at a later time. I should also note that the DNF titles are ones that have been waiting patiently for months and months, but September was when I finally threw in the towel. 🙂

Comics

Individual Issues:

Batgirl: Future’s End #1
Batman #34
Batman Eternal #20
Batman Eternal #21
Batman Eternal #22
Batman Eternal #23
Batwoman #34
Black Widow #10
Caliban #6
Coffin Hill #9
Coffin Hill #10
Copperhead #1
Fairest #28
Low #2
Ms. Marvel #8
Papa Midnite #1
Papa Midnite #2
Papa Midnite #3
Papa Midnite #4
Papa Midnite #5
Saga #22
Sex Criminals #7
Supreme Blue Rose #2
The Fade Out #1
The Manhattan Projects #23
The Massive #26
The Unwritten: Apocalypse #7
The Unwritten: Apocalypse #8
The Walking Dead #131

Movies

Killer Legends
Room in Rome

Television Shows

Homeland: seasons 2 & 3

That’s it from me! Also, feel free to share whatever 2014 stats you’ve got! How many books? How many movies? What were your favorites? Lay them on me!

Cheers!

Culture Consumption: August 2014

~ Shara ~ 8 Comments

It’s that time again! Amazing how fast the time flies, but once more, it’s time for another Culture Consumption. As always, I’ll post a list of what I’ve read/watched over the past month, and in some cases, provide some commentary. If there’s anything you’re interested in or curious about, don’t hesitate to ask me in the comments, and I’ll be happy to talk further!

August was actually quite productive. Some of it is due to vacation, and the time I spent in the airport and on the plane reading, but I also spent a few weekends where I said f*** it to the dishes and sat down and read like a fiend. Also, good shows too!

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Culture Consumption: July 2014

~ Shara ~ 8 Comments

I know, I know! THIS IS SO LATE! But here it is, better late than never! As always, I’ll post a list of what I’ve read/watched over the past month, and in some cases, provide some commentary. If there’s anything you’re interested in or curious about, don’t hesitate to ask me in the comments, and I’ll be happy to talk further!

July wasn’t very ambitious reading-wise, sadly. My comic pile is suffering too, and I’m reading at Sunday driver levels of speed. But hey, I’m catching up on some great television, and also, some great movies.

Continue reading →

Culture Consumption: June 2014

~ Shara ~ 13 Comments

It’s that time again! Amazing how fast the time flies, but once more, it’s time for another Culture Consumption. As always, I’ll post a list of what I’ve read/watched over the past month, and in some cases, provide some commentary. If there’s anything you’re interested in or curious about, don’t hesitate to ask me in the comments, and I’ll be happy to talk further!

June was a strange reading month, thanks to the Hugos. Comics were neglected, and I only read one actual novel-length work. Crazy! But I ended up reading a lot of short fiction and finished a television show I’ve been wanting to complete for a long time. So let’s see what June held in store, shall we?

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Culture Consumption: May 2014

~ Shara ~ 14 Comments

It’s that time again! Amazing how fast the time flies, but once more, it’s time for another Culture Consumption. As always, I’ll post a list of what I’ve read/watched over the past month, and in some cases, provide some commentary. If there’s anything you’re interested in or curious about, don’t hesitate to ask me in the comments, and I’ll be happy to talk further!

May was a better month than April, when it comes to reading. Granted, it still sucks in comparison to my old productivity, but given all the stuff on my plate, I’ll take it. A head’s up: June will likely be filled with a lot of Hugo-nominated works, as the Hugo Voter’s Packet is now available and given how slowly I’m getting around to things lately, I’m gonna have to get some reading done. 🙂 But I’m happy enough for May’s results, especially on the television side of things, I finally finished watching Breaking Bad and True Detective, so let’s dig in!

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