Expecting this year to be another one filled with more free time that I'll waste with my face buried in a book, I decided to start my reading list early instead of writing it all out once every three months like I've been doing. And if you saw through that lie and know I'm writing this now because I haven't finished either of the two now three new stories that I started writing for my recurring goal of weekly posting (the reason I always have multiple notebooks) then stop ruining the illusion that I'm a somewhat competent writer for everyone else (nobody should believe that anyways). Back to a more professional introduction, here's two books and three comics that I read so far. I know it says January in the title, but technically I finished the last one on February 5th. I'm a slow writer, so I'm going to count it.
Monster Hunter Vendetta by Larry Correia
"We had three members of Monster Hunter International hiding in the brush, one in the decoy car, two more on the rapidly approaching attack helicopter, carefully positioned claymores along the roadside, piles of guns, thousands of rounds of ammo, state of the art night-vision and thermal-imaging equipment, a lot of attitude, and a general dislike of evil beasties.
I keyed my microphone.
"Execute."
My name is Owen Zastava Pitt and I kill monsters of a living."
Business is good for Owen Pitt and the rest of Monster Hunter International, hunting down monster bounties for world governments and private contractors. Unfortunately for Pitt, the Old Ones that he held off from invading the Earth last year have not forgotten about him, and Pitt finds a bounty placed on his own head. With a necromancer and his cult pursing him as well as a traitor within Monster Hunter International, can Pitt and his team survive long enough to put a stop to the end of life on Earth, again?
This is book number two of the Monster Hunter International (I think I read the first book two years ago). Anyone who watches monster movies and says to themselves, "Oh, they should've done this instead" or "They should've used these weapons instead" should really look into this series. Also, if you don't care too much for the fantastical elements and prefer your monsters put down through real-world means, because that's how Monster Hunter International does business: Find monster, fill with holes. Plus, all the weapons (so far at least) are real world weapons: sub-machine guns, Saiga shotguns, Spyderco knives, etc - things that add a sense of reality to the story. The books are a little on the longer side. Typically it would've taken me all month, but, you know, free-time, I got through in a couple of weeks. It's an easy read with plenty of action to keep the story moving along. It basically reads like an action movie and I'd love to see it get adapted in some way for tv or movies.
The Umbrella Academy: Apocalypse Suite by Gerard Way and Gabriel Ba
Sir Reginald Hargreeves adopted seven children all born mysteriously on the same day at the exact same time to women who weren't pregnant the day before. When asked why, he just responded, "To save the world." The children developed superpowers and formed The Umbrella Academy. This story takes place thirty years later, after the team fell apart and went their separate ways. The children have reunited to mourn the death of their adoptive father, and now face a threat from one of their own.
The first collected volume (issues 1-6) of the Umbrella Academy series. I'm still not sure how I found out about this series all those years ago. Did I see it in the comic book store, pick it up, and then figure out who the writer was? Or did I find out that Way was writing a comic book and, listening to a lot of My Chemical Romance back in the day, decide to buy the book? In case you're wondering, I did finish the first two seasons of The Umbrella Academy on Netflix last month. I meant to re-read the comics first but never found the time. I'm glad I didn't so I could enjoy the tv show for what it was without comparing it to the comic like I did in the beginning when watching The Magicians on Syfy. The comic books read much more like a comic book should: battles against killer robots, zombie architects, and a deranged symphony. Also, yes, I know it is a comic book and I should comment on the artwork in someway, but I'm not good at art so my opinion on the matter is worthless. That said, the drawings aren't as ... crap what's a good word ... "clean" maybe? I'll go with that. It isn't as clean as your standard Marvel or DC comics (or at least the ones that I've read), but I like it, the way that it's drawn appeals to me, it's different in an exciting way. Also, as a side note that has nothing to do with the comic: I've been reading these comics only at home because I'm reading a more serious book (which I'll get to) during my lunch breaks and these provide a lighter relief from the subject when I'm home. Plus I'd rather not explain comic books to my coworkers (I got enough questions about Kpop when they saw my Twice calendar).
The Umbrella Academy: Dallas by Gerard Way and Gabriel Ba
Each member of The Umbrella Academy is coping with the aftermath of the previous events in their own way when Number Five ("The Boy") finds himself hunted by, basically, the time police. More is revealed about how The Boy got back to the present day after jumping himself into the future, three of the brothers spend time in Vietnam, and the team prevents the end of the world.
If you're familiar with the Netflix show, this would be the second season when they all get stuck in the past. Obviously there are differences as there are things that you can draw in comics that you can't quite bring to life for the tv screen, such as a crazed Abraham Lincoln monument coming to life only to be assassinated by an equally enormous John Wilkes Booth. Hazel and Cha-Cha more deranged killers than efficient, middle-level assassins portrayed in the show. Usually I'm not a fan of time-travel stories because time-travel typically implies that you can always go back and fix everything to your liking. I found this story to be a relief from those types in that, yes, everything does end up the same way it is supposed to happen in history, but the journey to make sure everything does end up that way, that really was the best part of it all. Spoiler: It doesn't happen like the show.
Umbrella Academy: Hotel Oblivion by Gerard Way and Gabriel Ba
The Umbrella Academy uncovers the pocket dimension their father, Sir Reginald Hargreeves, used to imprison some of their most dangerous enemies. Unfortunately, the Hotel Oblivion has been breached and the villains are on the loose. It's up to the Umbrella Academy to unite once again and stop the villains. At the same time, Vanya is on her own storyline, coming to terms not only with what she did but also with who she is and her place within the Academy.
This was my favorite volume of the three! It had everything I expect from superhero comics: action, mysteries, crazy superpowers but with Way and Ba's crazy twists to them. The art is as good as ever, and after reading some of the behind the scenes notes, it's amazing what Ba did in regards to both Way's specific vision and on the parts he improvised. Way doesn't disappoint in the writing, not only with the story of Hotel Oblivion but with the cast of characters too (both main characters and especially the side/ background characters). The ending (if you've watched the Netflix show, it's what I think what this is in the last scene) sets this up for more issues and I can't wait to read them.
Draft No. 4 On the Writing Process by John McPhee
"You are working on a first draft and small wonder you're unhappy. If you lack confidence in setting one word after another and sense that you are stuck in a place from which you will never be set free, if you feel sure that you will never make it and were not cut out to do this, if your prose seems stillborn and you completely lack confidence, you must be a writer. If you say you see things differently and describe your efforts positively, if you tell people that you "just love to write," you may be delusional."
A collection of eight essays written by John McPhee on different stages of the writing process. McPhee is a staff writer for "The New Yorker" as well as teaches (taught) a class on writing at Princeton University. Essays include information on how to build the structure of your story so that the pieces flow just the way you want it; his relationship with editors and publishers throughout his career; how to get people to tell you things they wouldn't otherwise in an interview; and, my favorite, the trials that come with writing the first draft vs the joy of fixing that fourth draft.
Another book I'm not sure how I found. It's been sitting in my pile of books to read for years and I after an almost full year of lockdown and attempting (and failing) to spend that time writing more, I decided to look into it for inspiration. I'm still not sure what original prompted me to buy it, probably just on the title alone without doing any research into what this book actually was or who is John McPhee, and what kind of stories does he write. Apparently, McPhee is a non-fiction writer, submitting articles to "The New Yorker" and previously other publications, and teaches a writing class at Princeton University. When I first opened the book and got into the first essay, I almost stopped reading as it didn't seem to be thing for me, not what I expected at all. It was about connecting interviews to build pieces/profiles on the subject you're writing, I think. Like I said, I almost gave up during that chapter. It was the next chapter on structure (how to build a story using the pieces you've collected) that hooked me, made me think that even though McPhee spent his life doing a different kind of writing than the fiction writing I'm trying to do, these essays still have much in common and there's still lessons here that can be applied to my own writing. It was the essay "Draft No. 4" that was my favorite: Here McPhee talks about the drafting process, on how the first draft is the daunting task that actually takes up most of your time, how revision is spotting those minor details that take your story from good to great. I also enjoyed "Editors & Publisher" where McPhee talks about the relationships he's forged with the various editors and publisher he's worked with to get his stories published. And I know, I've said it many, many times: I still don't like to purchase hardcover books: they're heavier to carry around, they take up more room, they're more expensive. In this case, I'm glad that I got it in hardcover (I'm not even sure if it was published in paperback). It's a smaller, thinner book (not even 200 pages) so it doesn't take up as much room as other hardcovers I've bought, and, with as much as I hoped I learned from reading it, it just feels right that it's in hardcover when I hold it in my hands. I know, that's a weird thing to say, but it just feels more authentic when I open it up, than say with a flimsy paperback book.
Anyways, that's the books from the past month and 5 days. Maybe I'll do it again for February if I do the same amount of reading, or maybe I'll stop bothering people so much and go back to once every three months again.
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