Saturday, January 27, 2018

This Week in Reading


BOOKS:
The Room in the Dragon Volant, by J. Sheridan Le Fanu, pages 1 – 72.
Origin, by Dan Brown, pages 232 –  320.
The Other Lands, by David Anthony Durham, COMPLETED.

COMICS:
1872 1 – 3
Betty & Veronica Summer Fun 3
Blood Syndicate 1
Foot Soldiers 1 – 4
Green Arrow 36
Kobalt 14              
Korvac Saga 3
Power Girl 1
Reed Gunther 3
Richie Rich Bank Books 29, 52 & 54
Star Trek: Assignment: Earth 1 – 5
Weird Western Tales 1 & 4
Wonder Woman 37 & 38

Saturday, January 20, 2018

This Week in Reading


BOOKS:
The 4:50 From Paddington, by Agatha Christie, COMPLETED.
Origin, by Dan Brown, pages 147 – 232.
The Other Lands, by David Anthony Durham, pages 331 – 406.


COMICS:
Checkmate 4
DC Retroactive The Flash 1970s
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? 5 – 16
Duck Avenger 0
Fables 150
Justice League New Frontier Special
Super Sons 11 & 12
Trinity 17
Weirdworld 1 – 5

Wednesday, January 17, 2018

My Podcast Awards 2017!

Since I (1) listen to a lot of podcasts, and (2) have a blog, I believe I am qualified to talk about my favorites podcasts of 2017.


Favorite Podcast That I Guested On In 2017
Runners-Up: Back to the Bins, Comic Reflections, DC Comics Presents Show, Deconstructing Comics, Fear the Walking Deadcast, Go Home Hollywood You're Drunk, Pop Culture Affidavit
Winner: Trentus Magnus Punches Reality!  His Magnus-ness had me on for three episodes, discussing the Christopher Nolan Batman movies. Very enjoyable and enlightening discussion.

Best Produced Podcast
Runners-Up: The Classic Tales Podcast, The Done-in-One Wonders Podcast Wonder Show, No Agenda, The Spirit Blade Underground.
Winner: The Sleeping at Last Podcast.  In this show, Ryan O'Neal (who makes music under the name "Sleeping at Last") discusses the process he goes through to create songs, layering in each piece. It's a fascinating show.

Off Into the Sunset Award, for a show that wrapped up its mission in 2017, and rode off victoriously into the sunset.
Runners-Up: Comics Reflections, Fantastic Fourcast, Pop Culture Affidavit Origin Story
Winner: From Kid to Flash. After 50 excellent episodes, Chris Ivey decided to retire this excellent Wally West podcast.

Where Have You Been All My Life? Award, for a show that started in or before 2016, but that I didn't start listening to (or even heard of, in some cases) until 2017.
Runners-Up: Bat-Books for Beginners, Comic Reflections, Comics & History, White Rocket Entertainment
Winner:  Pulp 2 Pixel Podcasts.

Podfaded But Not Forgotten Award, for a show that ended (or maybe seems to have ended) in 2017, and it's hard to know if or when it's coming back.
Runners-up: Heroes & Hops, King-Size Comics Giant-Size Fun, The Parliament of Rooks
Winner: Geeks On!  They won the "Back from the Dead Award" last year, but after releasing 7 episodes in 2016, they haven't released one since July of that year.

Back From The Dead Award, for shows that seemed to maybe have been dead, but released at least one episode in 2017!
Runners-up: Bookworm Banquet, I Hate/Love Remakes, Tom vs.
Winner: DJ Comics Cavalcade. After taking 5 years off, Thomas Deja returned to the world of comic-book podcasting with 4 episodes, covering issues of Daredevil & House of Mystery.


The Done-in-One Award, for shows that started & ended with ... one episode released.
Runner-Up The Sensational Adventures of Wonder Woman
Winner: The Bottom Shelf Podcast. Great idea, great hosts ... bring this one back, boys!


And now on to the two most prestigious awards ...


Favorite New Podcast of 2017
Runners-Up: Beetlemania!, Coffee & Comics, The Collected Edition, The Creative Spirit Podcast, The Done-in-One Wonders Podcast Wonder Show, The Longbox of Darkness, Next Generation's First Generation, The Sleeping at Last Podcast, Thimblerig's Ark.

Winner:  Go Home Hollywood, You're Drunk!  Nathaniel Wayne and (usually) Jon Van Luling take a look at the prior week's events in Hollywood, and do so in an entertaining and informative way. Looking forward to the show's Spring return!

and ......

Favorite Overall Podcast of 2017

Runners-Up:  Back to the Bins, Men in Blazers, No Agenda, Required Reading.
Winner: The Tolkien Professor. Professor Corey Olsen and his team have two excellent series running in the same feed. In one, they are going through The Hobbit in exquisite detail, and in the other, they are working through the details that would be required to bring The Silmarillion to life on television. The shows in the feed are always smart, geeky, & entertaining.

Saturday, January 13, 2018

This Week in Reading

BOOKS:
The 4:50 From Paddington, by Agatha Christie, pages 1 – 78.
Origin, by Dan Brown, pages 55 – 147.
The Other Lands, by David Anthony Durham, pages 197 – 331.

COMICS:
Archie 75th Anniversary Digest 6
Batman 26 – 32
Captain Carrot & his Amazing Zoo Crew 1 – 5
Green Lanterns 37 & 38
The Hellblazer 17
Mystic Arcana: Magik
Mystic Arcana: Black Knight
Omega Men 1
Trinity 16
Wonder Woman 245
Xenozoic!, pages 281 – 301 (*)
3-D Three Stooges 3
3-D True Crime
3-D Zone 20

(*) covering “Two Cities,” the first story that was discussed by Ruth & Darrin Sutherland in episode 13 of their excellent Xenozoic Xenophiles podcast.



Saturday, January 6, 2018

This Week in Reading

BOOKS:
Origin, by Dan Brown, pages 1 – 55.
The Other Lands, by David Anthony Durham, pages 94 – 197.

COMICS:
Amazing Spider-Man Annual 9
Batgirl & the Birds of Prey 7 –  13
Batman 23 - 25
Dakota North 1
Lord Takeyama
The Mighty Crusaders 6 
Red Circle: The Hangman 1
Redlands 1 & 2
Strange Sports 4
Super Friends 45
Total Eclipse 1 & 2
Underdog (Whitman) #5                                      
Underdog (American Mythology) #1

Wild Wild West 2

Wednesday, January 3, 2018

2017 Reading Analysis

I have been keeping track of my annual reading for about 10 years now. In 2017, I read 56 books, which was up a bit from last year, when I read 49 books. This compares to 50 in 2015, 55 in 2014, 66 in 2013, 75 in 2012, 84 in 2011, 73 in 2010, 80 in 2009, 110 in 2008, and around 140-150 in the few years before that.

This decrease from the mid-2000s is because I listen to an absolute ton of podcasts, which cut into my reading time. I have also stopped counting graphic novels and comic book collections, after I started listed them weekly on this site, and preparing the monthly Comic Reading Journal episodes. I hope that I can again read 50 books in 2018. That seems an achievable goal.

I have always been a fan of audio, and 41 of the 56 books I consumed this year were via unabridged audio. 15 were traditional dead-tree books, and none were e-books.

The 45 novels I read break down as follows: (note that the total exceeds 45, as many books fit into more than one category)
Mystery/Thriller -- 18
Fantasy/SF -- 24
Comics / YA -- 9
Religious/Christian -- 6
Historical -- 4
Contemporary -- 2


The 11 non-fiction works I read break down as follows: (note that the total exceeds 10, as many books fit into more than one category)
Christian/Theology -- 7
Memoir/Biography -- 3
Business -- 2
Personal Management -- 1
Sports/Entertainment -- 1