Here we go for DC!

1. Black Canary: Kicking and Screaming.   I didn't buy some of this, like how no one knew Dinah was Black Canary.   Even with its faults, though, it's a fun read and a little bit of a girl group/girl power read.   Fun times, with Dinah as the lead singer in a  girl band.   Surprise Hero, Grrrl Power, and Newsworthy would all fit this series. 

2. Deadshot: Bulletproof.   Fascinating look at one of the Suicide Squad members in a solo jaunt.   Awful things happen to children, though, so if that makes you squeamish...  Family Ties, Surprise Hero, Parental Issues, Dead Parents, and Not Dead Anymore would all work for this volume. 

3. Batgirl: The Batgirl of Burnside.   Fun, fun take on Batgirl, despite her hipster costume that could be so much more effective if it was more armored.   Complications with school life and balancing that with Batgirl become issues in Babs' life.   Grrrl Power, School, City Boy, Diversity and and Family Ties are all appropriate squares here. 

4. Wonder Woman: Gods and Mortals.  Nuanced reboot of Wonder Woman.  I couldn't stop reading this volume, and I was cheering Diana on as she adjusted to Man's World.   Grrl Power, School, Newsworthy, Parental Issues, and Not Dead Anymore would all be appropriate squares for this volume.   You could argue Kink with her, y'know, tying people up and forcing them to tell her the truth...

5. Justice League of America: The Tornado's Path.   A focus on one of my favorite characters, the JLA's resident android.   Family Ties, Not Dead Anymore, and even Kink would work here. If you're me.   Human/robot relationships are my thing, although I take them more seriously than Kink.

6. Batman: Hush.   An epic mindfuck of a story.   I don't want to give too much away, but, yes, this?  You should read it if you can get your hands on it.   Glasses Confuse Everyone, City Boy or Evil Genius are the squares I'd use for this volume. 

7. Batman: A Death in the Family.   Epic tale of how everyone voted for Robin to die, and then they killed him off in the most brutal way possible.   Teens, Insanity, City Boy and Family Ties would all work for this square.    And of course, Batman is always Dead Parents.   

8. Suicide Squad: Trial By Fire.   Villains do good to get less prison time, and so they don't get parts blown off.   it's pretty epic watching them get corralled into this and having to try to figure out how to work together.   Surprise Hero, Insanity, and Romance Gone Wrong would all work, since there is not only therapy but also a therapist falling for her patient.   And all before Harley Quinn, I believe!

9. Batman: Killing Joke.   The Joker tries to prove one bad day can send anyone to the nuthouse.   Insanity, Evil Genius and Family Ties would work here.   

10. Batman: Under the Red Hood.  Is Jason Todd really dead?  (Joker killed him in Death in the Family.)  Or is it more mindfuckery?  Family Ties, Parental Issues, and Not Dead Anymore could be used for this volume.   And of course, Batman still has Dead Parents.  

I'm hitting the beach.   I'll do general comics later tonight or even tomorrow.      

The Joker believes that one bad day is what separates him - and even Batman, who he argues is slightly off as well - from the rest of the world.   Well, just to prove his point, he's going to give Commissioner Gordon the day from hell and see how he comes out. 

The concept may sound simple, but there's a lot here: the conversation Batman has at the beginning comes round full circle when he has to have it again.   There's a lot to the way that Joker shows his twisted grasp of reality, or how he's so chillingly cruel.   There's more to this than a simple one or two lines to explain the plot. 

It startled me with how much was told in this slim volume, it startled me with it's ugliness and how it showed one doesn't have to break and bend when things go south.   It's all about humanity, and we have both the best and worst on display here for comparison.   (And, no, I'm not talking Batman.   It's Gordon who is the best of the best here for me, the true spotlight, the true hero, in that he takes everything Joker has to throw at him and retains his morals and dignity despite the harrowing situations that could have broken his spirit.)

One half-star off for the Higgins coloring edition.   I don't think I've seen Bolland's coloring, but I can see why he was so unhappy with this: it's a bit too garish and showy.   Dark, and more subtle colors, would have suited this story far, far better.    And yes, I was younger, and I read this as part of a massive reading about characters who were mad for my college thesis.  I got this used, unaware that there was another, superior edition.  Or maybe there wasn't at the time that I got it.   Regardless, I have the inferior edition.   It doesn't make much an impact on the brilliant writing, and the art is just as genius.   It's just, yeah, honestly, I don't feel like this is a five star read given the colors and me being aware of it, and moaning about it to myself this time. 

Spoilers, so page break, because the ending always confuses me. 

BookTube-A-Thon 2015 is over and I had a fantastic time! I love the BookTube community and I'm so grateful I got to take part. Although I had a busy week, I managed to get through a ton of reading and complete all of the challenges. I have to say I'm very proud of myself, although the books I read differed to what was originally on my TBR. You'll probably be seeing some full reviews soon. Here's the when, what & how I read over the 7 days.

DAY 1: 

The DUFF: Designated Ugly Fat Friend by Kody Keplinger

Challenge Completed: Read the last book you acquired

Pages read: 140

I actually started this the night before, and I found myself getting sucked in. This is not the kind of book I would usually read but I gave it a go and while I had a lot of problems with it, I actually enjoyed it. The writing flowed very nicely and the main character was a great narrator. The story was a bit underwhelming but I wouldn't expect much more from it. Overall I flew through it, and I would recommend if you like contemporary high school romances. (Although, If someone had said that to me, I never would have picked this up. I'm not really sure how to describe it. Perhaps I'll try to get my thoughts together for a full review.)

My Rating: 3.5 stars

Doctor Who: The Twelfth Doctor, Vol. 1 by Robbie Morrison, Dave Taylor, Alice X. Zhang

Challenge Completed: Read a book by an author who shares the same first letter of your last name

Pages Read: 128

I enjoyed the artwork, and I found they really captured Capaldi's Doctor quite well. However I found the two stories here to be somewhat underwhelming and unmemorable. Plus, the inclusion of Clara Oswald - who is my least favourite companion on the show, and I'm sorry but quite possibly one of my most disliked fictional characters of all time.

My Rating: 2.5 stars

DAY 2:

Variant by Robison Wells

Challenge Completed: Read a book with blue on the cover

Pages Read: 373

This was a reread for me, yet I found I didn't remember most of the details. I enjoyed it but I think if I had read this for the first time now, I probably wouldn't have enjoyed it as much. I realized how bland the characters, how unsatisfying the ending is. Still, I had a lot of fun reading it.

Rating: 4 stars

DAY 3:

Claymore, Vol. 11: Kindred of Paradise by Norihiro Yagi

Challenge Completed: nothing! oh well.

Pages Read: 200

On day 3 I got sick. It was awful, but I managed to get through this volume of Claymore, which was good, but I definitely would have liked it better if my head hadn't been spinning and my eyes blurring.

My Rating: 4 stars

DAY 4:

Batman: The Killing Joke by Alan Moore, Brian Bolland, Tim Sale 

Challenge Completed: Finish a book without letting go of it

Pages Read: 48

The artwork in this was absolutely superb, so beautiful and captivating. I found the story lacking in substance however, which was very disappointing. I would definitely recommend this to any DC fan, even if only for the artwork.

Rating: 3 stars

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

Challenge Completed: Read someone else's favourite book

Pages Read: 254

I read the first half of this novel months ago, but because I read an eBook on my phone, I read bits and pieces at different times. I never got into the story. And,f or some reason, I was very doubtful that I would like it. I think because of the hype - especially on BookTube - I was worried I wouldn't enjoy it. But Sarah J. Maas is a fantastic author, and she really proved that to me in A Court of Thorns and Roses. I was up reading until 4:30am! (Note: I actually had a lot of problems with this book, despite my love for it. But you can definitely expect a review of this coming soon.)

Rating: 5 stars

DAY 5:

Star Wars: Darth Bane: Rule of Two by Drew Karpyshyn

Challenge Completed: nope. 

Pages Read: 218

Listened on audio. This was not only a fantastic sequel, but a fantastic novel overall. I loved Zannah, and once again the narrator did an excellent job. The Star Wars music and sound effects just really add to it and make it feel very much like it's set in the Star Wars universe. Highly Recommend. 

My Rating: 4 stars

DAY 6:

Claymore, Vol. 12: The Souls of the Fallen by Norihiro Yagi

Challenge Completed: nothing.

Pages Read: 200

Another strong volume.

My Rating: 4 stars

Claymore, Vol. 13: The Defiant Ones by Norihiro Yagi

Challenge Completed: nah

Pages Read: 192

This series is going really well. 

My Rating: 4 stars

DAY 7:

Check Mate by Malorie Blackman

Challenge Completed: Read a book you really want to read

Pages Read: 528

This is the third book in the Noughts & Crosses series and it continues to be fantastic, although my least favourite so far. The only thing is, how did I ever think it was a good idea to read 500 page book on the last day! *face palm* At least I succeeded! 

My Rating: 4 stars

So, in total, I read 10 books. 10 BOOKS!!! And now to add up the pages I read...

2,281 total pages

Hey, that's pretty good considering how short most of the books were! I had the best experience, and I'd like to say a big thank you to everyone who made it happen, and to everyone who participated alongside me. I can't wait to see what next year will bring!

Happy reading!