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

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

And we are getting sent home for the day. Tomorrow is also a big question mark as well.

We are now seeing a brilliant plan blow up in real time and it's gross but hilarious. As some of you know we've had issues at work with the sewer backing up into our truck bay. There is a runoff trough down there and all the sewage pools in there. They decided to cap the lines into the trough and figured it would solve the problem. Well the sewer backed up again today and the plan worked. The sewer is not backing up into the trough. It's now coming out the floor drains, the sinks, the toilets, etc. I suspect we are going to be sent home soon.

My throat is a whole lot better this morning. Still not 100% but surprisingly better then it was yesterday. I'm actually kind of surprised how quickly this is improving.

My walking is talking a hit this month. I'm not trying to prove something this year so I'm not doing the whole "I will walk everyday even if there is a hurricane outside" kind of mentality. It's just not fun showing up to work cold, wet, and resembling something tossed through the sewer system. It has been raining off and on a lot lately and especially first thing in the morning so I've been getting a ride. I'm still walking 3-4 days a week but I just feel lazy as a result.

I'm an idiot. Not just a normal idiot but a next level kind of idiot. I went to bed last night with a bit of a sore throat. I was a bit concerned but didn't think anything of it. I woke up and it's still there and I start the mental doom scroll of possibilities. Cold? Strep throat? Basic sore throat? Something else? Kind of feels like when I had real bad reflux. Then I had my light bulb moment. When I was eating dinner one of the pieces of food I ate had the temperature like something from the surface of the sun. Instead of spitting it out I panicked and swallowed it. I immediately chugged a bunch of water to cool it down. There was no immediate pain so I just kind of forgot about me being dumb outside of the basic "carefully dummy, food from the oven is hot". Yup, I burnt the back of my throat. I recognize the feeling now. It's that feeling when you take to big of a sip of tea or other hot beverage and burn yourself.

I haven't heard of it before but it does sound like something I'd read. On to Mt TBR it goes.

This will be a short one this week as I haven't finished a couple things I was working on.

The Innkeeper Chronicles: Clean Sweep The Graphic Novel -3 Stars
If you have been following my ramblings for long enough you know that I love The Innkeeper series. The world building is just some of the most unique and interesting I've seen in a while. I knew that there was a webcomic being created for this series but with everything I have to read it just fell off the radar. While browsing the new comics at the library I saw the physical copy and decided to give it a whirl. Long story short, it was alright. I've tried dabbling in comics based on novels before (Mercy Thompson, Harry Dresden) and they all just come up a little short me. They just don't feel like they have the same depth as the source material and the art just never matches what I've already pictured in my head already. This comic basically had all those same issues. No disrespect to the art but I could instantly tell that this had been a webcomic. As I've said before I'm not that smart with art but I've just seen this style so many times in so many other webcomics. I just wasn't blown away by it and it just didn't match what I had already created for this series. For instance all the men seemed small. They were muscled sure but I seem to remember the book describing them as linebackers with armor on. I just pictured guys a lot more square and bulky. There was also the big Beast reveal and I was confused. It was nothing like I had picture. Then we get to the story. It's not horrible because it's pulling from a great source but it felt like a summary of important scenes then the actual story. Then there is also the biggest sin in my eyes. For a comic based on the first book it didn't actually give me the first book. It ended before the novel did and the rest is on Tapas behind a paywall which just frustrates me. I didn't hate this book but it was frustrating. The biggest thing it achieved was that it made me want to do another reread of the series.

XXXHolic, Omnibus 1 -5 Stars
xxxHOLiC Omnibus 2 -5 Stars
Now that I have the fourth volume I'm doing a massive reread to refresh my old rusty memory and because I love this series. I don't know what to say that I haven't said before. I love the weird art style, I love the supernatural/paranormal elements, I like a certain character called Yuuko. There will be more of this series next week as I'm trying to finish the first four books by next weekend.

That's it. Like I said it's not a lot this week but here is what I am working on.

Mister Monday
This is my current audiobook and I am dragging myself through it to complete a challenge or two. I don't think it's horrid but I just don't really care. I'm not engaged in the book, I'm not engaged in the plot, the characters, etc. I'm just trudging for the end. More thoughts to follow.

Bad as I Wanna Be
This is me not just stepping out of my comfort zone, this is me leaping out of it. Yup, a sports biography. Why? I saw it a the library, remembered seeing this guy in movies as a teen, remembered him being chaotic, so I decided to check it out. I'm fourish chapters in and it's a lot of sports talk which is not really my thing but alright. It definitely feels like he has a bit of a chip on his shoulder though.

Outside of that I have two more omnibus volumes of XXXHolic that I need to get done.

They're closed until Monday but I was thinking of giving them a call just to give them a heads up.

I was downstairs doing laundry this morning and found something totally not suspicious. The door had been propped open with a rock and when I got rid of that I noticed that the door still didn't close properly. I'm not sure if it had been tampered with or not but the latch didn't release until I jiggled it. It could be something innocent but if I'm being honest it's probably some scheme by the local homeless population. It feels like a constant battle now that things have warmed up and they have spread out of the downtown core.

Hopefully it well.

I'd be so tempted to eat something while doing that.

Time for that weekly update and it has been an interesting week of reading. I finished my first 100 books of the year this week. I've also decided to embrace the fact that this is going to be a year heavy on manga and comics. I wasn't planning this but the way things are coming in from the library and with all the interesting series I have on the go currently I'm just leaning into things. Maybe that will peter out a bit later this year, who knows. Any way, on to the books.

Borrower of the Night -3 Stars
I snagged this audiobook for a challenge and I was a bit excited as this was from the same author who wrote the Amelia Peabody series which I enjoy. This book just didn't click with me and I think there are a few different reasons for that. Basically this book is about two historians who find clues to a previously unknown statue from the 1500's and place a wager as to who kind find it first. There are elements of a cozy mystery to it but it also has elements of a treasure hunt. That leads me to my first issue of sorts. This book just felt dated. I can't sit here and tell you what elements of this story felt dated or anything but this just felt like a book I would have read in my teens. The main characters are supposed to be historians and while they certainly had the smarts there was a lot of times where they just didn't act like it. For instance suggesting that they pop the jewels out of a 400 year old artifact because you could get more money for them. Or just smashing their way into a 400 year old crypt with common word working tools. This felt more like Indiana Jones style of archeology. Speaking of the characters I was also not a massive fan of the MC, Vicky. She was constantly comparing herself to more "slim and attractive" women while calling herself a cow. Then there was her bragging about her intelligence being higher then everyone else. She's not a horrible character but she is abrasive and not someone I'd actively root for. Overall it was an alright book and I might keep this series in my back pocket for other challenges as there is some globe trotting.

Now for the manga/comics
The Curie Society -4 Stars
The Curie Society: Eris Eternal -4 Stars
The second book just recently came out so I figured a reread of the first book was called for. This series is the weird mixture of promoting women in science and secret agents. Yes, you read that correctly. The Curie Society was originally created by Marie Curie to help women get a foothold and to study science. Over time that society has continued that endeavor while stopping people from abusing science for nefarious goals. It's this interesting blend of different ideas combined with some likeable MC's and you have this comic series that just works for me.

One Piece, Volume 1: Romance Dawn -4 Stars
I mentioned last week that I was starting a slow read through of Case Closed. This is another series that I am going to be taking the same approach to and oddly enough about he same length as Case Closed. This is far from my first foray with this series as I've started reading the manga two or three times and the anime at least a couple of times. I've basically got up to the time skip a few times and stopped there. I'm now wanting to push past that point so expect a whole of updates in the future on One Piece. As for this book it's fun to revisit this first book. Seeing the character introductions, seeing some very early clues for later things, and just starting this adventure once again.

I Got Caught Up In a Hero Summons, but the Other World was at Peace! Vol. 5 -3 Stars
I Got Caught Up In a Hero Summons, but the Other World was at Peace! Vol. 6 -3 Stars
Some more from this series and some more build up of this mysterious force behind things. Not a lot to really say with this one as it kind of feels like more of what I've read so far but not in a bad way.

SAKAMOTO DAYS 11 -4 Stars
More amazing action from this series. Again, not a lot to really say that I haven't already said before. The one thing I will reiterate though is I would really love to see this series animated. There are just some really amazing and creative fight scenes in this series and in the hands of the right animation studio it would be amazing.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The IDW Collection, Volume 14 -4 Stars
At long last I finally got my hands on the next volume of this series and I was a little hesitant heading into this one. Up to this point the series was in the hands of the original creator, Kevin Eastman, and with this one he was stepping back. The reigns was handed over to a new person and I wasn't sure where things were going to go. After reading this volume I am very intrigued to see what comes next. This was a giant step back from all the action and over the top story lines and more of a subtle exploration into the characters. After the events of the last book the Turtles were split up and out of the spotlight. This was about them coming back together, finding their bonds, and exploring their new place in a new social setting. It allowed for a new side of the Turtles to be explored and I'm on board with that.

As for what is next it's going to much like last week. I have no real idea at this point in time. I want to start working on some stalled challenges and see if I can't get them finished up. As for physical books my library has dumped nine omnibus editions of manga on me plus several other books so I am a very busy guy trying to get through all that.

Total morning person but the kind of weird morning person that almost loops back around to night owl. I'm awake anywhere from 2-5 in the morning. Depends on how messed up my sleep schedule is that day.

The weather has been very confused the last couple of days. It has been hovering around the freezing mark with wet stuff falling from the sky. Sometimes it will rain, sometimes it will snow, sometimes it will be something in between. It's just wet and cold right now.

This is my spicy take on current events I'm seeing in the US from an outsiders perspective. The protests going on at the universities/colleges right now feels like things are escalating pretty rapidly and I'm kind of wondering if we are heading into another summer of protests like the protests after the George Floyd incident. It just kind of this weird same feeling to me. Escalating tensions, massive police presence, election year, etc, etc, etc.

In now way is this an educated thing and I could be talking out my ass but that it's this vibe I'm getting right now.

Hopefully they got all the cancer and she can start to mend.

At least for Light Novels (which become manga) there is a reason. There is such a market saturation of these books that the publishers can't rely on the synopsis to hook people in. It needs to be faster so the description becomes the title.

Cee wrote: "After almost a year, I'm finally reading #6 in the Rivers of London series: The Hanging Tree. It is such a shame none of the libraries have it on audiobook :( which is why it has ta..."

I just downloaded The Hanging Tree as well. I really wanted to continue on with the audiobooks but my library had nothing past #5. When I was looking the other day they now have everything but #6 so I decide to just read it and continue on with the audiobooks afterwards.

I didn't get as much reading done this week and that is mostly because I was super focused on getting my audiobook done. Alright, focused is one word for it, enraptured, hooked, etc are also good words.

The Fellowship of the Ring -5 Stars
This is it, this is the audiobook that had me hooked this week. I am actually kind of impressed with myself. I was a bit worried heading into this one, not because of the book itself, but because of the run time. This audiobook is 20 hours long and normally I have about an hour to an hour and a half each day that I set aside for listening. Basically, my morning walk to work. I finished this book in about a week which is a crazy pace for me. I didn't speed it up or anything like that. I just let myself get pulled into the world and enjoyed the ride. This is not my first time reading the book but it is my first time listening to it. I know the one I have posted says that it's the Andy Serkis version but the one I listened to was the Rob Inglis version and it was simply amazing. I could get lost so easily in this book. There was the one morning where I was listening to this book while playing Powerwash Simulator and before I knew it an hour had gone by. I didn't want to stop as I was totally hooked. The crazy thing is that what I was listening to was essentially Frodo and Gandalf taking about current events and world history. Probably the most boring subjects out there but it was engaging for some reason.

As for the book itself, what is there that I can say that hasn't been said by countless other people? That's why I think I'll share some thoughts about just general things but won't get to far into the weeds. It's been about a decade plus since I last read this book and in that time I've read a lot and learned a few things along the way. Coming back to this book as a more seasoned reader just makes me appreciate it so much more. Especially when it comes down to the world building. Tolkien put so much effort into his world building that I can't help but be a bit overwhelmed at times. It also makes me laugh when I reflect on books where the world building is "this book takes place in The Town which is near The Woods which are dark and scary". Yes, the book is slow paced and for the first half of the book or so there is not a whole lot that happens but I don't really mind that so much. It gives a chance for that that world building to happen and I like the escalation of things. Where it starts out as a simple adventure with very little threat to actively being hunted at every turn by the end of the book. I'll always appreciate this book and the influence it has had on the genre of fantasy. That's about it I guess, I loved it, will probably always love it, and can't wait for the next one.

Now for the manga because the above book basically consumed my entire week.

Case Closed, Vol. 1 -3 Stars
I'm finally getting around to this series. I've been wanting to read this series for a while but have been procrastinating a lot. A lot of the earlier books have a long wait list at the library and the series is nearly 100 books currently and still being published. It has been going since the mid 90's and has become a juggernaut in its own right. While not as popular here in the west as say something like One Piece or Naruto this series does have a pretty dedicated fan base. As for the book it's about a young boy detective, 16 years old, who crosses a shadowy organization that tries to poison him with an experimental drug. The drug fails to poison him but it does shrink his body down to that of a six year old. From there he continues to solve cases while looking for this shadowy organization. The plot is kind of irrelevant after that honestly. The overarching story never really progresses and it's merely a series of cases that he solves by using the adults around him. It's a fun mystery series and it's interesting to see him solve the cases using his observations and deductions. It's a series that I'm not in a massive rush to read. I'm just going to take my time working my way through the books so I don't get burnt out.

The Great Cleric (Manga) Vol. 8 -4 Stars
This is the latest edition that has been released in English and the story took a turn that I wasn't expecting. The last book ended with a book clue for the next big story plot point was supposed to take place. Instead of following that story line it did a bunch of administration work and then returned to the starting location for the series. I'm not really complaining though as it is wrapping up some unresolved story stuff from there and starting something new. I'm really curious where things will be going from here.

Mimi's Tales of Terror -4 Stars
This is an odd one. As you can probably tell from the cover this is another Junji Ito collection of short stories but it's not an original collection. This is Ito taking a favorite book that was a collection of urban myths and putting his on Ito spin on it in a manga form. One big difference is that every story in this collection shares the same MC which raises some questions. The main character and her boyfriend see some really weird, and spooky, things which makes it utterly baffling latter in the book when the boyfriend says he doesn't believe in all that paranormal junk. How? After everything you have been through up to this point and you still don't believe. Is your trauma that strong that you are just straight up in denial? Overall I liked this one and the stories were spooky especially with the usual Ito flair to help out.

Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou: Deluxe Edition 4 -4 Stars
I really don't know what to say about this series anymore. It just doesn't really feel much like anything else I've read including other slice of life series. It's almost like a photo album catching these brief moments in this world. Some moments are sad, some moments are thoughtful, some moments are weird and spooky. It's more of an emotional vibe when reading this book. I know this ramble isn't the most helpful but I really don't know how to describe it.

As for what is next, I don't know. I wasn't expecting to be done LotR so soon so I don't have an audiobook picked out yet. I've got to take a look this afternoon and see what I can find for a challenge that is available for immediate download. As for physical books I just went and got a giant stack from the library so I have a lot of options currently.

I've either read or at least tried a good chunk of those series. I started out pretty shaky until the middle part though.

Update one the whole Fellowship of the Ring audiobook experience. Long story short, I'm loving it. Rob Inglis is a great narrator and I've loving the experience. I knew I was on board when I essentially spent an hour listening to Frodo and Gandalf talk about world history and current events with no issue. I also always seem to forget just how much extra content there was at the beginning of this book. The Hobbits didn't just leave The Shire and arrive at Bree. There was a lot of stuff in between those events.