Now that I'm working full-time as a young adult librarian I haven't been posting nearly as much, but I wanted to at least do my end of the year lists! 1) Ms. Marvel: Generation Why by G. Willow Wilson I love this comic series overall, but this one so clearly nails a lot of the things I've heard from teens recently. Their annoyance at older generations misjudging and underestimating them, their ability to come together despite differences, and their genuine desire to make their worlds a better place. Kamala Khan is just a fabulous protagonist overall, relatably trying to juggle her friends, family, faith, education, and, oh yeah, newfound superpowers. Plus, the cameos. The cameos. So many familiar faces from the Marvel universe have appeared, which is especially fun because Kamala is such an unabashed fangirl. I really can't praise this series highly enough- just go check it out for yourself. 2) Lumberjanes by Noelle Stevenson Sensing a theme? 2015 was a huge year for ...
Hi, my name is Emily, and I'm a television addict (hi, Emily)
Really though, I love TV. And now that damn near all my shows are over, cancelled, or on summer hiatus, I'm going a little batty. What a perfect time to catch up on some critical essays!
Oh Firefly. Nothing will ever fill the broken, rusty hole you left in my heart. Luckily I'm not alone, as proven by this collection brought to your grabby Browncoat hands by contributors including crew members, fans, and even
(remember what I said about going a bit batty? Yeah, Space Madness has definitely set in)
Speaking of
This anthology is great- diverse, entertaining, and scholarly, while still being a celebration of the show. Have you ever noticed that Dean is kind of a soccer mom? Why do people write so much fanfiction, anyway? Read multiple essays on how awesome the Impala is, and trace the magnificently constructed arcs of the first 5 seasons. Decide how much of a crap father John was (my answer: very much, but maybe he did the best he could...?), and contemplate the differences between Sam and Dean. A great way to stave off hiatus angst (do we really have to wait until November??)
Chicks Dig Time Lords is, as the title implies, more a celebration of fandom than a book of insightful analyses about the show. The entries are short, and occasionally personal to the point of being of more interest to the authors than the readers. But still, many will resonate with fans from diverse backgrounds who all have different experiences with the show. I enjoyed the mix- long-time viewers, new converts, women who grew up watching the show who were then able to introduce it to their daughters, writers/readers of fic, costumers, congoers, authors and even an actress (India Fisher!!!). It's worth picking up solely for Carol Barrowman's (yes, THAT Barrowman) entry. There are two sequels: Chicks Unravel Time, which might fulfill my yen for more in-depth critiques, and Queers Dig Time Lords, an exploration of LGBT characters & themes in the show, and fans of all stripes who love it.
One might think that this, being the second anthology about the Firefly 'verse, might be a little thin. Fear not! It was written after Serenity
Reading these didn't just give me more insight into some of my favorite shows. Sure, they were often fun and funny, and I loved learning more about fans, creators, characters, sets and stories, but I also got to flex the part of my brain that has been languishing since I left my last English lit course. Watching tv is all well and good, but I'm not (just) in it for the pretty people, compelling baddies, striking sets and costumes. I'm in it for the stories, the connections, and I love finding out more about genre, the process of media production, and how tv can legitimately be called literature.
If any of that sounds interesting, or if you're looking for something tv-related to do in the long haul until the fall season, check out one of these books and let me know what you think!
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