Books, comics, and manga criticism, news and views at Sketchy Details
I’m a wealth of book reviews this week. This is the third Georgina Kincaid book I’ve read for Cannonball Read and it had a lot to chew on for such a fast read. Richelle Mead knows how to write good characters and isn’t afraid to let a monster from folklore or mythology actually be a monster.
Dream a Little Dream (A Robert CBR6 Review)
My 4th review is up for Cannonball Read 6. I looked at John Scalzi’s Old Man’s War and didn’t hate it. Really. The review focuses on the negative stuff because I could address it without spoiling the whole novel. It’s good. A little tepid, but good. Easy to read hard sci-fi like this is hard to find.
Larry Stu and the Deadly Space War (A Robert CBR6 Review)
The third review for Cannonball Read 6 is up. I really struggled to get through Lavie Tidhar’s The Violent Century. There’s a point where style actually starts to hurt the content and Tidhar reaches critical mass on the first page of his alternate history superhero novel.
The Violent Century by Lavie Tidhar Review
After 31ish days of recognizing the best entertainment media of 2013, it’s time to abandon medium specific honors and cross the streams. Artists of the Year is the top prize at The Sketchys. This is a recognition for the best media creators of the year. It is not a ranked list, but a celebration of artists to remind us all of the bar the new year has to climb.
A new year in media is not an excuse to accept inferior work. These artists prove that passionate creators can produce extraordinary work at any budget. Let’s look back one more time to propel us into a brand new year of media.
My second review for Cannonball Read 6 is up. I’m a big Joe Hill fan. He’s a more aggressive writer than his father, Stephen King. The big difference is that Joe Hill lets people edit his work. My big issue with NOS4A2 is the concept itself. I’m not big on child abduction stories in fiction and this one especially brutal.
That Looks Nothing Like Nosferatu, Mr. Hill (A Robert CBR6 Review)
Cannonball Read 6 is up and running. This is Pajiba’s annual readathon to support the fight against cancer. It originated when beloved Pajiba member AlabamaPink was diagnosed with cancer and is now a huge charity event in her memory.
My first review is up. It’s The Waking that Kills by Stephen Gregory, aka the best novel of 2013.
Of Swifts and Gin: A CBR6 Review
Comics can be a hard field to evaluate. A lot of serialized comics take a little time to warm up and become something truly outstanding. Others grab you right from the start and never gain enough audience share to continue to that next level.
Just to make things a little easier, for the first year of Sketchys for Comics, I’m not going to include continuing series. We’re limiting it to the calendar year 2013 even if it means excluding great series like Saga and MIND MGMT that really blew up after their first few issues. Webcomics and graphic novels will also be rewarded here.
I didn’t write as much about books as I intended to in 2013. I did read a lot, though, and would like to recognize a few of the best books I encountered this year.
Best New Fiction: The Waking that Kills by Stephen Gregory