I’ve done book reviews on here before, but right when I starting feeling the flow of doing them regularly is when #Twingmaggedon started. Our boys spent the first 7 months of their lives sleeping in our room, first bassinets then cribs, so my prime reading time was eliminated because reading lamps wake babies.

But now…

Now, they’re sleeping in their nursery at night, and I have that freedom back.

I’ve finished 4 books in the last 3 weeks, so I’m going to quickly talk about them today since I’m back on a solid reading schedule (more on that later). First things first, each of these books offered me a masterclass in how voice dictates how a story is told, guiding them and making them unique. Each of them is worth checking out if that kind of thing is important to you. So, let’s go!

John Dies At The End by David Wong

I read this on Kindle, hence why it’s not in the featured image, and it’s the one I’ve been reading the longest (since May, I think), but I finally finished it in the beginning of August.

David Wong sees strange things in his small, midwest town. Unfortunately, he’s got a shift at the video store to get covered before he goes to the abandoned mall wish his best friend, John, and a bunch of guns to deal with the problem.

Wong’s writing is on point, as always, as anyone familiar with his internet, non-fiction writing can say. Sentences run on in hilarious fashions, leading to a horrifying, hilarious finish. That’s the balance Wong leads. Terrifying you to the point of laughter.

The Consuming Fire by John Scalzi

This is the second Scalzi book I’ve read, and the second in this series about the collapse of an interstellar spaceway connecting the planets in a kingdom. While it’d be easy to describe this series as “Space Game of Thrones in Space with Space,” including houses, betrayals, and a countdown clock of its own, this does something a little cleaner than GoT:

Characters say what they feel, and the narrator only tells us what they think. That’s it. Fast, direct, and to the point, this book alone would have been 800 more pages in a less capable author’s hands.

Batman Vol. 5: Rules of Engagement (written) by Tom King

Batman and Catwoman are getting married, but first, they need to make sure everyone knows, including exes and best friends.

First off, I’m now in love Joelle Jones art. It’s always nice to become a new fan of an artist. Second, King’s writing isn’t for everyone (as the internet will tell you). But, it is for ENOUGH people, as this has been a consistently high-selling book with amazing visuals and a story that moves along at a brisk pace, even though, on reflection, not much actually happens.

Batman Vol. 6: Bride or Burglar (written) by Tom King

Second book, same as the first.

If I were to tell you what exactly happens in this book, it wouldn’t be much. I probably couldn’t fill up a review as long as this blog post if I wrote a detailed summary, but that’s not the point of King’s writing.

King’s writing reveals character, on every page, with every line, you get a sense of who these already well-established characters are on a much deeper level. It’s beautiful in its simplicity, really.

Batman and Catwoman are getting married. Turns out, it’s a long way down the aisle.

As for what’s coming up? Well…

Talk soon.

Thanks for reading,

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