March Books!

Since I'm still on wrist-rest, and not allowed to computerize it up, I'm cheating and just going to tell you about the books I read in March! I am including graphic novel trade paperbacks, because I love comic books. You may count them as real books or not as you see fit!

The Saga of the Volsungs
A must read, in my opinion, for anyone interested in Norse mythology and sagas. I have other posts about my feelings regarding parts of the Saga of the Volsungs here and here. The narrative can be a little bit confusing if you don't read attentively, and there are definitely a lot of names to keep track of, but I think the story, especially the relationship between Sigurd and Brynhild is compelling-- and it certainly left me wanting to explore it in greater depth myself as a writer.

The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley
I love this book. It's one of my favorites-- I've read it at least a half dozen times. There's a richness in this book and the world it is set within that is really beautiful and easy to fall into. I wish that there had been more development of certain character relationships, but I still enjoy it, regardless!

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
I reread this one because the first time I read through it, I was rushing through it as if my life depended on finishing. This is definitely a hard book to put down, and the historical elements are really fascinating to me. I love the time travel elements, and I think that the first two books in this series are hands down the best.

Ultimatum
Ultimatum: Requiem
I'm putting these two graphic novel trades together because they're part of the same arc, really. And it was entirely disappointing. When all was said and done, I felt as though I had gotten a cliffs notes version of something that might have been interesting if the proper time had been taken to tell the story. Everything after Ultimates 2 just kind of went down hill. Ultimatum is no exception, though they did have to go some to surpass the terribleness that was Ultimates 3. Somehow, they managed.

Thor vol. 3
I'll be writing an in depth review of this for GeekaChicas one of these days, but for now, I was not entirely disappointed, but it did not live up to the level of the first volume of the series, either. I felt, at the end, that I had more questions than answers, and there was altogether not enough Thor for my satisfaction. Also, I'm really not sure how I feel about Marvel's Sif, when it comes down to it.

Superman: Red Son
My review for this can be found on GeekaChicas, here! Long story short, I LOVED it.

Superman: For Tomorrow (vols 1 and 2)
I will write up an in depth review of this trade soon, also. It was amazing. I thought it was beautifully written and beautifully illustrated, and I thought that the agony of Superman and his "sins" of ego and heartbreak were really well done. It addresses to some extent the question of what happens when Superman loses the links that really tie him to humanity and the world, though I think it could have gone even further and deeper into that, but it was a great taste. It reminded me of why I love Superman so much, and sent me on a Superman kick.

Supergirl: Who is Superwoman?
This trade I picked up mostly just because it involved the New Krypton EVENT which I've been trying to read only somewhat successfully. I loved Supergirl's introduction in the Superman/Batman title, but as usual, her character has gone into kind of a downward spiral. Supergirl is one of my favorite characters, though, so I can't quite stop myself from trying to love her when I read her books. This one was only a marginal success for me. It wasn't awful, but I find the New Krypton story to be really interesting, so she didn't have to be all that awesome for me to be interested in the book, I guess.

The King Must Die by Mary Renault
I have so much to say about this book, all of it good. Mary Renault explores Theseus's life as a youth into adulthood, and she does it quite well. There were some bits of history I wasn't entirely sure about, but as far as characterizing Theseus goes, I think she did an amazing job with him. The most interesting part of reading this was seeing the similarities and differences between her interpretation of Theseus and my own--and the way that ultimately, the myths guide us both to the same kind of place. Theseus is honorable and compassionate and heroic, while still being a troublesome teenager trying to find his own identity. It got me all hyped up and ready to dive into writing my Helen book! I'm chomping at the bit. In the meantime, this is another Must Read, in my opinion!

So there you go. Lots of reading in March! I would kill to get my hands on the second Mary Renault Theseus book, and I would also love to get my hands on more Superman. They will both have to wait a bit though! I've got more Sagas to read and lots of Icelandic to study!