Chaos & Confetti

Since I joined Goodreads years ago, I have participated in their Reading Challenge, always setting my goal to fifty-two books in a year.  Fifty-two feels like a reasonable goal, averaging about a book a week.  I could definitely set it higher, since I tend to go well over fifty-two books (hitting 73 last year, and 68 the year before).  A higher aim would also push me into an actual challenge, reading more than usual, but I like to put enough pressure on myself to make sure I make reading, a hobby I love, a priority but not enough to make it a chore.

So far, I’m on a good pace for my goal with five books completed in January with a few more partially done which should make it into February’s post.  Go me!  I am also happy to say that I’ve read a decent amount of comics this year already.  Despite loving my comics, they often can fall by the wayside for other responsibilities.  I hope to do better this year, and I am at least off to a good start.

Finally, I want to try knocking out some of my started, but not finished books this year.  I often read several books at a time, switching off based on mood, convenience, or accessibility to a book. Sadly, I can sometimes put a good book down and not get back around to it for a while, adding up to days, weeks, or even months.  I plan to make a point of getting back to some of these books.  How to Sell a Haunted House is from my planned reading list from last October.  I am happy to say I can now say I finished it (and enjoyed it, but more about that in my official reviews).

As always, books will be rated on a 1 – 5 star scale with 1 being bad, 2 being meh, 3 being good, 4 being great, and 5 being absolutely excellent.  If you enjoy what you see and don’t want to wait until the next book post, please follow us on Goodreads.  We’ll stay consistently updated there before compiling our month’s reading and thoughts here.

The comics I have read will also be included at the end of the post.  Those will just be listed and not officially reviewed.  However, if you ever want to hear about any specific comic in particular or want my thoughts, don’t be afraid to ask.  I enjoy discussing everything I read. 

Let’s Go!

You Will Be Mine by Natasha Preston – 2/5 Stars

A group of college friends’ lives become a nightmare when a member of their group first receives a mysterious note, and then never comes home again.  The notes keep coming and the threats get all too real.  The group quickly realizes that an unknown person with motives beyond their understanding is out to hurt them.  How can they stay safe when they don’t know who to protect themselves from?

You Will Be Mine is decent but shallow thriller.  It works best when not prodded too much.  Natasha Preston sets up a solid premise and knows how to build a threat, but then doesn’t quite deliver.  A lot of the plot requires a decent amount of grace from the readers, as the murderer is able to do and get away with a lot, however, it must just causes eye-rolling.  

Also, almost every character from the main friend group to the investigators meant to protect them make constantly stupid decisions. The decisions are wrapped in thin excuses (we can’t let a murderer control us, [dead person] would still want us to go to the party, I have feelings about boys), but they are still bad decisions that no reasonable person would make.  In the vein of many horror movies, it’s almost like the cast of characters want to be killed and to let the murderer run free.  The main cast is constantly trying to get away from their police escorts and the police and regularly not paying attention to what is happening around them.

As a whole, You Will Be Mine is a light thriller that telegraphs its twist through out the story.  This story is best for those who don’t care how well their thriller are written and just want to dive into light thriller stuffed with feelings about family woes and crushes on a special boy.

Look Out for the Little Guy by Scott Lang – 2.5/5 Stars

The Avengers tasked Scott Lang (the one from the MCU movies) to write their story and explain what happened with Thanos.  Someone need to explain the occurrences around the blip that caused half the population to disappear for five years, and who better than the most relatable and down-to-Earth hero, Ant-Man?  Scott accepts the mission and writes his memoir, where he takes some time to talk a bit about the Avengers, but mostly focuses on his life story and the lessons he has learned along the way.

The simple existence of Look Out for the Little Guy is interesting since it’s a memoir from with-in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.  It’s “written” by Scott Lang, touching on his experiences from the movies he’s appeared in and on moments that happened off screen.  While this book does a great job of capturing Scott Lang’s character and voice, it is still forced to walk a strange line.  

While given some leeway, the book mostly has to stick to moments already shared though the movies, or on small anecdotes that will not affect the greater MCU universe.  This causes the “memoir” to often need to fall back on aphorisms and advice about being a better person to fill space.  A lot of the advice is good, but those looking for a new Ant-Man adventure or a big untold story will be left wanting.

This book works best for those who are already fans of the MCU, especially Ant-Man, and want a chance to reminisce about what they already experienced in the movies.  There is plenty to smile and laugh at, but there probably won’t be enough meat for most reads to really enjoy.  

Disciplines of a Godly Man by R. Kent Hughes – 3/5 Stars

R. Kent Hughes aims to pinpoint what makes a Godly man.  He lays out a guide to what men should aspire to and the habits that will help them get there.  Hughes also addresses the struggles and vices many men face, and provides wisdom on how to overcome those Earthly hurdles.

At the core of Disciplines of a Godly Man is a lot of solid, biblical wisdom that is further built upon by Hughes’ obvious heart towards building Godly men.  The reminders and emphasis on some importance of aspects of a Christian life such as prayer, discipline, accountability,  and friendship are great, even if a lot of the best wisdom feels like it’s been shared before elsewhere.

Hughes covers a lot of different ideas in his book.  He does so in a well organized and bite-sized manner that is easy to read.  However, this also means the depth of his writing can only go so far, and at times this causes him to rely more on his opinions and preferences instead of simply biblical understanding.

This is a book that I would recommend reading with a discerning eye or with another to help find the valuable bits together.  A lot of Hughes’ writing comes off as a bit dated, especially in its view of stereotypical men and gender roles.  For example, Hughes seems to make the assumption that all men are sports fanatics.  There are also examples that can feel a bit off-putting such as godly men avoiding television and movies, or truly godly Christians needing to be dressed up for church as if that is a measure of their spiritual maturity.  There is plenty of good here, it just needs to be carefully picked from some of the distractions.

How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix – 4/5 Stars

Louise’s parents have died in an accident and now she must travel across the country to deal with their final affairs, including what to do with their creepy house.  This is the house that is filled with so many of Louise’s childhood memories and an endless number of dolls and puppets.  There is definitely something wrong with the house, but it’s hard to focus on that when Louise also has to deal with her estranged brother and his wishes for their parents’ estate.

Grady Hendrix creates a story that wonderfully melds together the story of a family dealing with grief and its history of trauma with a tale of supernatural terror.  The character must deal with the mortal and personal perils of their journeys.  Can they stay alive, can they sell a haunted house to fix their own lives, and can their sibling relationship survive all their issues?  Hendrix gives readers characters to actually care about at any point in the book, but especially when they are put in danger.  They may not be great people themselves, but at least they’re trying.

The beginning of the novel is a bit slower paced as Hendrix introduces the characters and sets up the stakes and premise.  Once everything is defined and set though (which sadly takes about a third of the novel), it’s full speed ahead.  The action and haunts get pretty wild.  

An interesting part of Hendrix’s writing is that he tends to mix humor into his horror.  While it mostly land and is never too distracting from the actual scares, some readers may find the dual tone a bit off putting.  Personally, I enjoy it.

I would recommend How to Sell a Haunted House to those who enjoy humorous horror and like their characters to have stakes beyond just will they live or die.  I warn again against the slower start, but for those who can push though, the rest of the book is pretty great.

Starter Villain by John Scalzi – 4/5 Stars

Charlie lives the life most people would pity: divorced, living in a home that isn’t technically his, friendless, and working an unfulfilling, low-paying job.  At least he has his cats. Charlie’s life changes drastically though when he inherits his uncle’s supervillain business.  Thrust into a world he never imagined and put into constant danger, Charlie must go through the most intense on the job training possible as he confronts a web of other villains hoping to see his downfall.

Starter Villain reads like a good Summer blockbuster.  The pace is fast, the action is fun, and the premise keeps readers engaged.  Top that with a healthy dash of humorous moments and readers are in for a pleasing time.    

Yes, the major messages are right on the surface and some of the plot wears thin if questioned too much, but the novel’s constantly moving story should keep readers from overthinking any one aspect too long (at least on a first reading).  The book also does a good job introducing supervillain gadgets and concepts that are both interesting and entertaining.

As a whole, there is a lot to like about Starter Villain, though the ending may leaving a few disappointed.  I would recommend Starter Villain for those who love fast-paced, quirky, and fun books. 

Comics:

• Defenders Beyond by Al Ewing
• Edge of Spider-Verse by Dan Slott
• She-Hulk vol. 3: Girl Can’t Help It by Rainbow Rowell
• Spider-Man: The Lost Hunt by J.M. DeMatteis
• Wasp: Small Worlds by Al Ewing