Well, that was delightful!

Young and naive Catherine Morland travels to Bath, a bigger town than she's used to, where she enters new social circles and learns about relationships, society, and herself. Jane Austen's tongue-in-cheek social satire captures the ridiculousness of some of Catherine's new companions, creating humor for the reader while Catherine remains oblivious. An avid reader of Gothic novels, Catherine expects hidden meanings in everything, and she is often let down by the simplicity of the world around her, where people act in certain ways only to achieve money or status. Through her relationships with Eleanor and Henry Tilney, Catherine begins to mature and find her place in society without losing her moral compass.

I really enjoyed this novel! It's a quick read, and I found myself laughing and smiling throughout. The biggest issue I had when I read [book:Pride and Prejudice|1885] was an expectation of romance (and I was let down, of course, because the objective is not at all romance but rather satire). Going into this novel, I knew what to expect, and that knowledge definitely allowed me to get more out of the reading experience.

Here's an issue I keep having with books from this time period and culture: I love them until I really can't stand them at all. Maybe the characters' constant drinking is somehow vicariously dulling my senses. Events and characters begin to blend together without making distinctive impressions. Nothing seems to matter to the characters, so nothing matters to me. The story concludes, and I think, well, that was fine.

The Thin Man is a hardboiled murder mystery starring Nick Charles, a wealthy retired detective, and his wealthy young wife, Nora. Nick's wealthy former client Clyde Wynant has disappeared, leaving a dead young mistress in his wake. Who killed her? A whole group of wealthy alcoholics are the primary suspects, and despite his desire to stay out of the whole ordeal, Nick keeps getting dragged into it.

I find that novels about the culture of opulence and alcoholism in the American 1920s-30s have a peculiar, singular feeling. Nick Charles' society has a quality of transience, a light ease that allows the characters to brush off infidelity, accusations, and even being shot. No one particularly cares about themselves or anyone else. I go into novels from this time period feeling excited to immerse myself in the lazy, uncaringly destructive lives of the rich, but I quickly tire of the culture, wishing someone would just please give a shit about SOMETHING. So despite the banter and creativity of this novel, I cannot say that I enjoyed it.

Ashton Archer is an ASSHOLE. He's a rich, narcissistic son of a bitch whose primary interests include cheating the system and screwing over women. When beautiful, busty Margaret Sheldon comes into his life, Ashton's tricks don't work on her. What's more, she ruins his machinations and leaves him entirely devoid of women's attention. Ashton must redeem himself in order to reassemble his life and find real happiness.

Redemption arcs only work if the character in question has likable qualities; Ashton has none. He's selfish, callous, and rude. He spends the majority of the volume looking for ways to avoid making any real growth. When he does finally begin to realize his wrongs, it's after he's already put out a literal hit on Margaret's life because he can't handle the idea of a woman rejecting him. The subsequent change in his thinking is so swift and dramatic that it's not at all believable. Instead of Ashton becoming a better person at the end, I wish he'd just been hit by a car (or a scooter, I guess). This man did not deserve a happy ending.

I received a digital review copy of this title from the publisher via Edelweiss.

Adam Osidis grew up far from the chaos of the war that devastated his world. After Adam's father Zeb stood up to the God of Whispers, a man who can worm his way into his followers' brains and use them as spies, Zeb had to flee or be killed. While he raised his children out of harm's way, the God of Whispers spread lies about the Osidis family, labeling Zeb and his kin as traitors.

When Adam is an adult with seven children of his own, the God's minion the Piper, who can summon otherworldly beings by playing his flute, discovers the Osidis family's place of refuge. The Piper kills Zeb and demands that Adam come forth to hear the God's offer: Adam's most desperate desire made real in exchange for access to his mind. To save his family, Adam embarks on a journey to the God's lair, unsure whether he will succumb to temptation or attempt to kill the God and thus risk his children's lives. Along the way, Adam joins up with a colorful party of magical beings, including a patchwork woman, a goddess with one eye, and a goblin, who all aim to dethrone the God and restore freedom to the people of their world.

At first, I found the intricacies of Seven to Eternity overwhelming and a bit confusing; Remender presents a great deal of information quickly and without much explanation. However, I soon settled into the almost cinematic experience of this volume. Opeña's absolutely gorgeous art powers the epic tale, allowing full immersion in a fantastic world.

I didn't especially love the voice of the main character, Adam, who seemed whiny and selfish in comparison to some of the other characters. I did think that his perspective, as a dying man and a loving father, had a lot of potential to be compelling, but it faltered due to the swift pacing of the volume. I felt like some of the historical and emotional content would have been better suited to a long-form medium like a novel. Of course, the beautiful artwork makes the the experience worth some minor confusion.

One small issue that I noticed continually throughout the volume was the derogatory way women interacted with one another. The three leading women call each other "whore" and other terms of that nature, and I found this not only irritating but also unnatural within the context of the story.

In general, though, I really enjoyed this book! I'm looking forward to the next volume!

I received a digital review copy of this title from the publisher via Edelweiss.

Cordelia Gray takes over the Pryde Detective Agency after her partner Bernie dies, feeling the need to prove to everyone that although private investigation may be an unsuitable job for a woman, she's perfectly capable of doing it. Her first solo case involves uncovering the reasons why a young man, the son of a renowned microbiologist, killed himself several months ago.

This book had a dated quality despite its relatively recent release- it definitely didn't feel very 1970s to me. I thought the plot was interesting, but it was inconsistently paced and I didn't find the characters' emotions and motivations particularly convincing. Ultimately, this book is fine but not a standout for me.

I'm not sure how this classic managed to escape me all throughout middle and high school. When I did finally decide to read it on my own time, Orwell's story hit me swiftly and powerfully, making me understand why it has proliferated across United States classrooms for over fifty years.

Here's the basic plot of Animal Farm for those whose schools, like mine, decided not to dedicate any time to it in class. A group of farm animals rebel against their keepers, claiming their barns for themselves. They establish a new society, one in which they will treat one another as equals. Quickly, this rule devolves as some animals take advantage of the relaxed distribution of power, as well as their own intelligence, in order to secure more authority for themselves. Essentially, this novel satirizes the political setup of the Soviet Union, depicting the ease with which a theoretically perfect society can become the opposite in practice.

So much about this work is unadorned: the characters, the writing, the plot. This simplicity does not diminish the quality of the novel, though; rather, it amplifies the core ideas. I think that Animal Farm is important because it teaches that utopia cannot be reached simply. There will always be someone seeking more power, and no one can afford to be naive about that reality. We should strive for an equal society, but do so in a way that accounts for human flaws.

Mark Waid and Fiona Staples took on an American cultural behemoth in this reimagining of a classic comic series, and the resulting first volume does not disappoint. Here is the sweet, innocent town of Riverdale as we know it, updated for a modern audience and replete with the most gorgeous illustrations. I love Fiona Staples' work on the Saga series by Brian Vaughan, and she brings that talent to Archie, animating familiar faces in new ways. Unfortunately, Staples does not provide the art throughout the whole volume, but the other illustrators pull it off as well.

This volume introduces the central characters (and that one never-ending love triangle) and allows them to carry the story. First we meet Archie and Betty, Riverdale High sweethearts who have been tragically broken up by an embarrassing misunderstanding. Archie won't be single for long, though; pulling up in her daddy's expensive car is the gorgeous, unparalleled Veronica Lodge. Other important castmates include perpetually-hungry Jughead, sly Reggie, and even a potential new love interest for Betty!

As this is the first volume only, the majority of the plot is predictable, especially for those familiar with the Archie canon. However, Waid imbues the characters with more complex personalities (we see Betty's strength, Veronica's vulnerability, and a hint of Jughead's painful past) that will surely lead to interesting developments as the series progresses.

Volume 5 functions as an experimental continuation of the Hawkeye series following Matt Fraction and David Aja’s magnificent (albeit infuriatingly slowly-released) run. Whereas Fraction and Aja focused on the humor and dynamic between Clint and Kate, Lemire and Pérez integrate the characters’ backstories via haunting, beautifully-illustrated flashbacks.

All-New Hawkeye features two major plotlines: the childhood experiences of Clint and his brother Barney, and Clint and Kate’s present-day rescue of three disfigured, powered children from a Hydra base. Differentiated by their art, the two stories intertwine to create a narrative in which the Hawkeyes’ personal justifications for their actions are laid out for the reader in the form of their individual histories.

In general, though, I found this volume to be a satisfying continuation of the Hawkeye story. To dedicated Hawkeye fans: try Lemire’s run. To new Hawkeye readers: start with Fraction’s run. It’s incredible.