TTRPG Showdown: D&D 5e “Starter Set” vs “Essentials Kit”
Picture this: you're new to the table-top roleplaying game (TTRPG) scene. The name you're most familiar with is Dungeons and Dragons. Through the ether, perhaps through a friend or a…
LGBTQ Double Feature: “The Wize Wize Beasts of the Wizarding Wizdoms” and “Our Dreams at Dusk: Shimanami Tasogare Vol. 1”
"The Wize Wize Beasts of the Wizarding Wizdoms," by Nagabe Here's the publisher's blurb: "Deep in the forest lies a mysterious school of magic: Wizdoms, an institution attended by beastmen…
Finish by Jon Acuff
I've struggled with a number of different personal and professional projects as of late, so I decided it was time to find some literary back-up. Enter Finish: Give Yourself the Gift…
One-Punch Man by ONE and Yusuke Murata (Illustrator): Vol. 1-5
One-Punch Man is written by ONE and illustrated by Yusuke Murata. The work stars Saitama, the titular, "One-Punch Man." After years of training, Saitama has become so powerful he can…
“Queer: A Graphic History” by Meg-John Barker and Julia Scheele (Illustrations)
First, let me start with the blurb the publisher used to pitch this book: "Activist-academic Meg-John Barker and cartoonist Julia Scheele illuminate the histories of queer thought and LGBTQ+ action…
LGBTQ Double Feature: “Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me” and “The Bride Was a Boy”
Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me by Mariko Tamaki and Rosemary Valero-O'Connell (Illustrations) Here's the basic summary: Freddy is in a new relationship with the eponymous Laura Dean. Though…
Zen Guitar by Philip Toshio Sudo
Zen Guitar is a mash-up of Zen and Music. While it is not a method book in the traditional sense, it does offer guidance on how to approach both one's instrument…
Audible Original Stinkers: “The Last Stair Into Darkness” and “Inside Jobs”
"The Last Stair Into Darkness," by Cliff Barlow Pros: It was free. Cons: The work is stuffed full of horror clichés ("voodoo," cannibals in the woods, the "deranged killer," etc)The…
“Little Fires Everywhere” by Celeste Ng
Little Fires Everywhere utilizes an ensemble cast to weave a tale that explores race, class, motherhood, and art. It is also a methodical, character-driven drama. The book is set in…
“The Witch Boy” (Vol 1-3) by Molly Knox Ostertag
The Witch Boy by Molly Ostertag follows Asher, a boy who wants to learn the ways of witchery even though he lives in a world where boys become shape-shifters and…