Gord’s Comments (group member since Apr 06, 2017)

Gord’s comments from the Vampires, Weres and Fae! group.

I'll be honest, the idea of retirement scares me in a way. Since I was late teens I've been working full time. Before that I was working for what I got through chores and just to make life easier since I could walk basically. The idea of not having work there just doesn't feel right for me. Sure I can take a week off or even a couple weeks here and there but I eventually start missing that organized structure of work. That feeling of doing something, accomplishing something, being challenged, and that human interaction aspect.

I don't have a lot to talk about this week again. This has been just one of those weeks where IRL was a bit hectic. I figured I'd get this posted before I settled in for some reading time.

Murder in G Major -3 Stars
This was a solid three star cozy mystery with a paranormal twist. The major flavor of this one was music and I've seen some criticism of the music aspect of things but I don't know enough about it to really say. Young women moves to small town Ireland after things go sideways in her career. She lands a job at the local school as a music teacher and moves into a house that just so happens to have a ghost. That ghost needs help solving a murder mystery, start the usual cozy shenanigans. Like I said this was a solid three star mystery. It didn't do anything really groundbreaking with the formula one would expect but it wasn't boring. The characters were interesting, the mystery was interesting, it was just a great little popcorn book.

Now for the manga

Before I get into the manga I finished this week I want to touch on a series I DNF'd this week. I was reading through Made in Abyss this year and I've been struggling lately with the series. It's a few different factors that I'll get into but after last weeks post I was going to finish up the next book that I was working on and I realized that I just had no interest in reading anymore in the series. Maybe it gets better in a couple books, maybe it doesn't, I just don't really care anymore. For the last few issues I've been struggling with the art and the story. Basically the story gets to a point in the dive where no one can ever return from and they had pushed through this barrier. After pushing through this barrier they had found a city and this is where things really went off the rails for me. The city speaks their own language of which little is actually translated for the reader so a good chunk of things are just gibberish. The city and its inhabitants are all deformed and twisted which is kind of interesting but with the muddled art style it really made it hard to understand just what you were looking at. There was another art decision that I'm not going to get into here. It was a decision that just didn't sit right with me though. All of these things just led to me losing interest. It's a bummer because I really do like the concept of the story and was curious about mysteries the story had in store for me but now I just don't care anymore.

xxxHOLiC Omnibus 5 -5 Stars
Originally my plan was to marathon the last three books in this series and I was on track to do just that until I read this one. Don't get me wrong, the story and everything in the book was great, hence the five star rating. I won't get into spoilers to much but there was a death in this volume and it hit me kind of hard. Combine that with the stuff going on in my life and it was just a bit to much emotionally for me at this moment. I'll be back to the last two books later (in the next couple weeks honestly) but for right now I just needed something not so emotionally damaging. Especially as I know that the next book will be dealing with the fallout of this characters passing and I need some time to brace myself for that.

Up next

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
This is my next audiobook and it showed up at some perfect timing. I just finished the above audiobook and was wondering what to read next when I happened to check my library account and this had finally shown up. The version I have is narrated by Jim Dale and so far it has been a great experience.

On the physical side of things I have a couple of manga to get done. I also have:
Dragon Ball (3-in-1 Edition), Vol. 4: Includes vols. 10, 11 & 12
The Saint's Magic Power Is Omnipotent (Light Novel) Vol. 4
Ghost Station

Time for one of my two Saturdays that I have to work each year. To no ones surprise I am not stoked at all about this. I just finished up all the movies that I have to return to the library today and I'm now ready to start reading. Instead I have to go outside and deal with people and do work things.

That is some massive good news for the inventory. This year they did something a little different and paired us up in advance. I got paired with my coworker which never happens as we are two of the veterans and they want us working with less experienced folks. This year I don't have to worry about figuring out someones ticks and what not. I can just roll into inventory with a guy I've been working side by side with for seven years and we are going to rip through stuff super fast.

Nope, taking time off this week is not really an option. I'm one of the lucky ones trusted with helping with precounts since I can count past ten without having to take off clothing to do so. I basically take care of anything that needs to be done in the shop during the week so my coworker can spearhead the counts in the warehouse. If I've got nothing going on I go out and count stuff as well.

The one upside is I learned how to run a scissor lift this week. I'm not the fastest driver but I'll get there eventually.

This is not a fun week. With everything going on at home my sleep schedule has suffered a bit shall we say. Top that off with the fact that it is inventory week at work and I am done with things. It's only Wednesday morning and I am exhausted and I still have three more days of work, not counting today of course. I just want to stay home and sleep for a day or two.

Tim for that weekly wrap up once again and where does the time go?

Trailer Park Trickster -3 Stars
The second book in this trilogy and much like the first book it is another solid three star book. This book picks up almost immediately after the end of the first book with Adam rushing home to Guthrie. What we get in this book is a lot more info on Adam's family and growth with his immediate family. This was probably the best part of book in my opinion. After what came to light in the first book and the events in this book we see a lot of change in Bobbie and we see more sides to their mom. We get to see Sue's side of the family as well and just the messy history of the Binder family. On top of this we get the B plot which is Vic making his way to Adam in Guthrie with Argent. This detours into a lot of Elf politics and power plays which to some extent involves Adam just not directly at this point. I would have liked to have seen more Vic and Adam moments but I also understand that this was the book for Adam to work through his issues with his family and to address his own internal issues. The only other minor criticism I have is that there were moments towards the end where it felt like it dragged a wee bit. Nothing horrible or even all that extended but there were a couple moments that I just wanted the story to get moving again.

Now for the manga/comics
RWBY Official Manga Anthology Vol. 1: Red Like Roses -3 Stars
RWBY -3 Stars
These two are from the same franchise but they are not really connected though. I'm going to lump them together because I have essentially the same thing to say about the both of them. The first one is a collection of random short stories from the world of RWBY all told and illustrated by different talents. The second one is essentially a condensed back story for each of the MC's. Both of these weren't bad but I would not recommend these to anyone who has not watched the show. I've only watched the first season and maybe part of the second season and I found myself lost a lot while reading these. One thing it did achieve is that it made me want to go and watch the show. Not a lot to really say about this one. If you know the show you might like this, if you don't know the show I'd recommend you pass.

Spy x Family, Vol. 4 -4 Stars
After several months I am finally back to this series and man did it feel great to be back. This series is just so much fun to read. In this one Anya get a dog and the whole events are totally on brand for the series. There are spy shenanigans going on, the dog is more than it appears, Anya is being a cute gremlin, Yor is being fierce as usual. I'm also glad that the crazy wait times are over after this book. I already have book 5 from the library and I'm looking forward to it.

Kaiju Girl Caramelise Vol. 7 -4 Stars
Another series I haven't touched in a hot moment or two. That was because I was caught up and waiting for the next book to be published. It took me a few seconds to figure out what had last happened in this series but it didn't take long and then I was off and running. This book focuses less on the cute romance of the series and more on the backstory of the MC and just what she is. There was some interesting reveals with this one that really makes me wonder just how many more Kaiju there are in the world. This was just a fun popcorn read and something I needed this week.

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Part 3—Stardust Crusaders, Vol. 4 -4 Stars
Yet another book that was held in limbo because of a queue at the library. This was another fun series to get back to. The weird fights continue, the weird story continues, and we are still slowly making our way to Egypt and Dio. Just another fun read this week.

Now, what is next next?

Murder in G Major
Another cozy mystery for another challenge or challenges specifically. I'm halfway through this book and it's alright. It's a cozy mystery with a music and paranormal theme. If you've ever read a cozy mystery then you know what you are getting yourself into.

As for the manga side of things I'm reading some more Made in Abyss and then focusing on cleaning up the last three volumes of XXXholic.

My savings for the month was $597.76

That is pretty cool and something he will probably remember for a long time.

A lighter week for me and I waited until later than normal because there was a book that I wanted to finish before posting. I wanted to share my thoughts right away and not sit on this for a week.

Cardcaptor Sakura, Book 2 -4 Stars
More of my reread of this series and I'm really enjoying my time working through these. This was the big wrap up of the initial collection of cards and hints and what is to come next. It was full of all sorts of big moments and emotional reveals. Now for the hard part, finding the next book. The library has been rather spotty on these and I've been really lucky getting the first two.

Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, Vol. 10 -4 Stars
Why oh why was it this volume that I had to get caught up on series with. Don't get me wrong, this volume was solid and I loved every second of it. My problem is that I now have to wait until September for the next volume to be published, I then have to wait for the library to get a copy, and then I have to wait for the 15 people ahead of me to finish with it. With the way this volume ended making anyone wait that amount of time is cruel and unusual. About the book itself, this was the end of the bad guys back story, the start of the big fight, and our MC figuring out how to win the fight. It ends with our MC basically standing up, taking off her gloves, and stating she knows all the weaknesses of the bad guy but now I have to wait four months to see it actually happen.

Dragon Ball (3-in-1 Edition), Vol. 3: Includes vols. 7, 8 & 9 -4 Stars
I forgot how weird and goofy the original series was. This starts with Goku finishing off the Red Ribbon Army and then we get him tracking down the last Dragon Ball. This ends up with him fighting a vampire, an invisible man, a mummy, a devil, and then a ghost. I don't remember that weirdness at all but it was fun. Oh and something I missed the first time because I had no idea at the time. There is an entire section dedicated to the author's other popular work, Dr. Slump. There is an entire arc where Goku is in Penguin Village interacting with all these characters from a different series. That was also a bit wild.

Berserk Deluxe Edition Volume 14 -5 Stars
This is the book I wanted to finish before I posted my weekly thoughts. This is the final collection of Miura's work who passed in 2021. I have been eagerly looking forward to this volume since it was all new material for me but I was filled with a sense of sadness for what it represented. If you've been following my thoughts over the last few years you will know that I have a long history with this series. For those that are new, I've been reading this series since the early 2000's and have reread it many times. The book itself was great as I've come to expect and it had some massive moments. One moment was something fans have been waiting 20+ years for. Then there was the ending that was such a twist that I haven't even begun to unpack all that it implies. The artwork was stunning as usual and really highlights Miura's skill.

I think this marks the end of my latest reread of the Berserk series unless I want to hit the fan translations again but I think this marks a good spot to take a break. I don't know when I will be back but like so many times before I do know I will be back at some point in time.

Now, what is next.

Trailer Park Trickster
I'm half way through this book so far and it's pretty good. I'm really enjoying the exploration of Adam's family and just how realistic the family feels.

As for physical books I have even more manga that I am working through this week as usual.

I'm about halfway through this one and I'm enjoying it so far.

"Besides, I just need to relearn it. A century, that's all it takes. It's nothing to me."

Frieren: Beyond Journey's End V10
Kanehito Yamada

This is from an Elf called Serie and it's in regards to a spell that she gives to a human. Humans can never learn it due to how long it takes to learn it and it just highlights the absolute indifference that Elf's have towards time.

The mess aspect of it will be. What they are going to do about it backing up all the time is another matter.

I'm not ready for this long weekend to come to an end yet. I feel like I just started to relax and the weekend is drawing to a close. This week is probably going to be chaotic at work as well. My coworker is off for the next couple of days getting things ready for his big trip later this year. I'm not at the point where I am stupid busy yet but at the same time it won't take a whole lot more to get me there. That and there are some big changes happening at work now. I don't see it affecting the day to day stuff right now but there is some big organizational changes happening and a lot of it is centered around our department.

Happy Birthday!

Last week I didn't have a whole lot to talk about. This week I've made up for last time and I have a whole lot to talk about.

Mister Monday -2 Stars
I needed a challenge book with a day of the week in the title and I found this. I've read a Garth Nix book before and I know he is a well regarded author so I figured I'd be in safe hands. Well, that was not the case. I can't really say anything bad about this book but man was it boring. The prologue started out really interesting on the surface of a dying star at the end of time with automaton guards. Then the story started and I essentially clocked out for the rest of the book. I don't really know why but nothing about the story ever hooked me in. It was like a big bowl of plain oatmeal. There is nothing wrong with it but it's far from exciting. That's why it took me so long to get through this one.

Bad as I Wanna Be -3 Stars
This book is not something I would normally read and I was rather surprised that I liked it all. I'm not the biggest fans of nonfiction let alone autobiographies and I'm definitely not a sports fan. I saw this book pop up in my libraries queue of new books coming in and I remembered Rodman from when I was teen and was curious. Now this is the first of his biographies and only covers his time up until he joined the Bulls. After reading this I realized that there is a lot more to Rodman then I ever knew. There are times in this book where he really does come off as a bitter man who feels the world is working against him but at the same time he presents some very valid points and criticisms about the NBA. The other big thing I was surprised about was his views on masculinity. This book came out in 1996 and he really challenged the idea of masculinity. He wasn't afraid to get his nails painted, or to wear women's clothing. Not for any fetish reasons but just because he wanted to. This kind of questioning of masculinity was something that really started happening in a more mainstream way until several years later. Now this book did have it's issues from a technical perspective. The first few chapters were a bit repetitive and rambling. For no real reason certain sentences would be in bold and in larger text then other sentences. Overall though it was an interesting read and rather an unexpected one as well.

The Saint's Magic Power is Omnipotent (Light Novel) Vol. 2 -4 Stars
Another book in this series and I don't really have a whole lot to say about this one that I haven't said before. In this one Sei figures out how to unlock her powers as well as some new alchemical techniques. Just a fun read and I can't wait for the next one.

The Scourge Between Stars -3 Stars
This was a quick little audiobook from my TBR to fill a challenge and it was fun. It's about a starship full of colonist who discover they have "guests" on board. Not very friendly guests either. Basically this was Alien and I don't really care. It was a simple fun read that I could turn my brain off and enjoy. If you're looking for a simple space horror this isn't a bad choice.

Now for the manga

xxxHOLiC Omnibus 3 -5 Stars
xxxHOLiC Omnibus 4 -5 stars
Yeah....... I've been in a mood lately and have been devouring these books. Doesn't help that I couldn't renew the fourth one as there was a queue waiting for these books. I've come to the realization while reading the fourth book that my memories of this series are from the anime and the early volumes of the manga. The fourth volume was basically new content and I can see why it was never in the anime. This series is closely tied with Tsubasa Reservoir and the fourth volume had a character from Tsubasa for a good chunk of it. The latter half of the fourth volume really got existential and had a real sad feel to it. I am super curious about where things are going next. To the point that I've already requested the last three books in the series. I am also getting really curious about Tsubasa Reservoir as well.

A Cat from Our World and the Forgotten Witch Vol. 1 -5 Stars
This was another random snag from the library as I thought it looked cute. I was not prepared for this book and the emotional ride that it took me on. Yes, this is another isekai but it feels very different from everything I've ever read in the genre. Basically we have an old lady living out the forest by herself who summons a "beast". The creature that comes through is a cat from our world that died. The cat though is not a normal cat size though. For whatever reason this cat came through the portal the size of a bus which is awesome. All the normal antics of a cat in a bus sized package. Now for the emotional stuff. Both characters have a lot of unresolved pain in their past and while they don't know it now they are what the other needs to help heal I think. It also set up a lot of plot points that have made me very curious about things. Of course this is a brand new series and I'm already caught up and waiting for the next book.

What am I reading next?

Trailer Park Trickster
This is the next audiobook on the docket. It's part of a buddy read and I'm interested to see where it will go.

For physical books I have some Cardcaptor Sakura, some Frieren, and some Dragonball lined up for this week.

Update:

Things have been cleaned up physically but I'm sure there is a bunch of stuff still going on behind the scenes. Of course while we were away things got busy.

Technically it is. Your place of work has to have working toilets and potable water. Maybe a sanitation crew was brought in yesterday afternoon, maybe not. This could all be theatrics to say we attempted to work but the building was unsafe. I'll find out in about 30 minutes or so.

Don't know, we'll find that out this morning.

We've been told to come in this morning and I am not looking forward to things today. It's more than just "Friday before a long weekend" kind of thing as well. When we left they weren't even sure what was causing the problem let alone fixing it. I question if anyone was able to get a sanitation crew in on such short notice as well. Our area shouldn't be affect as we are on the opposite side of the building from all the washrooms and our floor drains were covered a long time ago. We had no smell and nothing coming up in area but still, I just don't want to be in a building where the main area smells like a porta potty at a summer concert event.