Fall Wrap-Up

Haha, well, I might be a little late on this one, since fall has long since passed at this point.  I wanted to continue the tradition of seasonal wrap-ups, though, and talk about my favorite reads from the last few months.  So, without, further ado, here are my favorite reads since this summer:

Horimiya Vol. 1

This is probably the only manga that's managed to catch me within the first few pages.  Thanks to my friend, M, who recommended it to me (and a few seconds later I ordered it) and got me hooked.  Absolutely adorable romance about two high schoolers with secrets.  I really recommend you pick this up.  Plus, volume two comes out in only a few weeks (I'm so excited!).

Cress

This was my favorite installment so far.  It totally blew me away, and just

rocked my world completely.  I recommend reading my review if you want to see me get all nostalgic for it.

Shadow and Bone

This one took me far to long to get to.  I loved it (though I didn't give it five stars) and am so glad that I finally picked it up.  Only holding off on buying the next book because of funds.

Hawkeye: Rio Bravo

Mind blowing amazing conclusion to an already amazing series.  I don't think anything else will be able to top this ending for quite some time.

You may notice that this is a rather short list, and while I read a ton of books that I liked, I haven't read that many that I absolutely loved and blew me away.  Which is a shame, and something I hope changes by the next time I do a wrap up.

5 Star Graphic Novel Review: Rio Bravo (Hawkeye Vol 4)

Writer: Matt Fraction

Artist: David Aja

Edition: Paperback

Buy Links: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Book Depository

Goodreads Link

Rating: 5 Stars

Related Reviews: Little Hits | Hawkeye v Deadpool | LA Woman

Hawkeye is one of the best graphic novels you will ever read.  Not only is the art gorgeous and the story compelling, but the issues are unique and experimental, including, in this volume, one told via sign-language.  Somehow, Fraction and Aja have gotten it to work, and I'm so sad to be saying goodbye to this phenomenal run.

To avoid spoilers I'm keeping this review short.  Here's what you most need to know:

This volume is the most serious of all of them.  It takes the story up a notch and onto a level it hadn't touched before.  It also managed to wrap up the current storyline, and, borrowing from Kate's adventures in LA, sets up the next one.

Clint's relationship with his brother and the women in his life is expanded upon, and our hero finally realizes what it means to really lean on someone, and he finally accepts it, though he still has a lot of work to do in that department.  He also discovers what it means to be a hero- at least for him- and rises to the title.  There are also flashback scenes that give an in-depth view of his family and history.

Since Kate's a bit busy for the majority of this story, she's not around very much.  While I did miss her presence, new characters filled the gap nicely.

Overall, this was an amazing end to an amazing series.  I can't wait to see where the character goes and plan to pick up volume five sometime in the near future.