diverse reads | Ad Librum Aeternam

Hello, lovelies!

I'm sorry I'm a bit late, but here's my Draw in the LuckyDraw app for the month of February. Just to remind you, I am doing a book draw challenge where I use an app to pick a number I wrote on one of six books, and I need to read that book for the month. I'm soon to be reviewing Teach the Torches to Burn by Caleb Roehrig, which was my random pick for January. So stay tuned for my book review!

Now, however, since it's a new month, it needs a new book… So, what did the LuckyDraw app pick as a number?

Here we go!

As you can see, it picked number 5. MAMBO NUMBER 5! No? Okay, sorry.

What is it, what is it?! Drum rolls

And we've got…

La casa de los espíritus by Isabel Allende! GREAT! 😀 Remember, I'd mentioned in the first Draw Challenge article that not all of my books would be in English and I'd added this one to the pile of the Draw Challenge since I do speak Spanish. 🙂 I think it does wonders for diversifying my reading and just keeping in touch with the language and culture, it's lovely. Also, if you'd like, you can watch my unwrapping video on Instagram.

Now, I got a funny story for you: I did read half of this book years ago when I was in university in my Spanish courses. And I thought it was a beautiful story! However, I never finished it… And I vowed to myself that whenever I'd find a copy in Spanish in Canada (I had it on my Kindle, and finding a physical Spanish book isn't easy here), then I'd buy it instantly and read it. So, one day before my surgery a few months earlier, I was at Renaud-Bray with my mother, just browsing the bookshelves aisles and having fun, when I stumbled upon the small but full Spanish section. My joy when I saw La casa de los espíritus!! I simply grabbed it and kept it close to my chest, and I ended up leaving with it. What luck! Spanish novels are so hard to come by here… Wow!

So, I'm ready to start reading it again and up till the end this time around. I've already started it and it's as touching as it was the first time, if not even more now that I'm older and can comprehend some nuances better as well as the language itself.

I can't wait to let you know my thoughts about La casa de los espíritus next month!

See you in March with my new draw and book review, lovelies!

A Horror Comic Anthology: Texas Horror

Now, finally, another great comic book arrived.

Now, let me just…

Comic Book GIFs | Tenor

Yes, let me just read it please.

So, I was fortunate enough to get an insider's look at Texas Horror by David Doub and Halo Toons (writers), and several artists such as Dominic Racho (art), Daniel Chan (letters), Terry Parr (art), Diego Garza (art), and Miguel Ángel Hernández (art).

This comic anthology has everything: diversity, LGBTQA+, horror, gore, humour… Name it! The drawing styles are different from story to story, which renews your attention, and there's one you'll like for sure.

As we all know, the pandemic makes it hard on everyone. However, conventions are an important part of making a comic book for creators; they help sell copies, spread the word about them, and generally get the connections and funds required–but where are the conventions now?

Exactly, none (or very few) is happening lately. So, ingenious creators turned to crowdfunding. After all, the public gets to read those comics, so a little contribution to the artists and writers can go a long way. If you want (and can) to help publish Texas Horror, please visit their Kickstarter page and make a contribution to receive benefits such as a copy of the comic book upon release: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/demonsinthedarkness/texas-horror

Read below for my review of the insider's look I was offered.

Thank you for reading and helping, loves! Please share and boost as any help will be useful. 😉

The first story I decided to read was Demons in the Dark, written by David Doub, art by Dominic Racho, and letters by Daniel Chan.

I really enjoyed this story. It was dark, gruesome, poignant, and emotional. I understand what these kids are going through; been there, suffered that. There's a lot of diversity, whether in regards to ethnicity and sexuality! Kudos for that, champs! Also, I rather enjoyed the moral of the story, it was touching. A bit too on the nose, maybe. But the characters are right: Anger hurts yourself, not the others. Plus, I thought the comic was too short. That’s a compliment.

On the negative side, sometimes the story felt rushed or cramped… again, I’d have preferred it to be longer. But it’s because it was good! Lastly, the drawings are detailed but the characters are supposed to be teenagers… Honestly, I thought for a few pages they were adults, or teachers, and then I debated the fact. Until it was made clear by their playing cards at the cafeteria they were teenagers…

The second story was Mask it or Casket, written by David Doub and art by Miguel Ángel Hernández:

That one was… hilarious, honestly. The names and the cynical & weirdo humour are perfect! I laughed a lot in the preview. But this comic can also be poignant as there’s a difficult family situation in the story, and the topic is about “masking”, something that is very current. Also, the drawings are both cute and pop with colours. They seem “light”, if drawings can have weight… it’s like you could cut them out and move them around like paper toys. That nice! They remind me of the latest Archie Comics, the newest issues. A different style, but that’s the vibe I get from this story. Finally, the horror looks to be ramped up… dangerous. Awesome!

The third story was Aerobicide Blockbuster, written by David Doub and art by Terry Parr:

The most beautiful and colourful of the stories! It’s so bright it pops, and I love the matte effect of the main character, blue-haired Sheri Ken (nice name there…, like a Shuriken!) This story was undoubtedly SO WEIRD, so upside down, with hints and allusions to old horror movies! So confusing, but so funny, and entertaining. I loved the nods to the classics, seriously! Honestly, I want to read the rest! Trust me, you’ll be surprised, too.

As for the other comics, the drawings look gorgeous to me, and they’re quite detailed (End World Escape, Luna Vino) and very cute (Kitchen Witches)! The stories sound very intriguing, and I wish the creators the best to publish Texas Horror Comic with YOUR help through their crowdfunding campaign.

Don’t forget to support them here to get a copy and bonuses: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/demonsinthedarkness/texas-horror

Please share this post, and talk about it on social media. Every bit helps!

Thank you, loves.

I hope this comic entertains you as much as it did me.

Love,

Catherine