The Blue Fairy's Bookshelf

Thor: The Goddess of Thunder and Thor: Who Holds the Hammer? Jason Aaron, Russell Dauterman, Jorge Molina, 2015 Premise: The son of Odin is no longer worthy to wield Mjolnir, and the only one who can lift the hammer is an unknown woman who takes on the power and the responsibility of being Thor. Collects Thor #1-5 and Thor #6-8 and Annual. The nice thing about waiting and catching up on comic books later is that you tend to only read the good stuff. The less nice thing is that sometimes you know the ending. Happily, the fact that I went in knowing the reveal at the end of the second volume (the identity of the new Thor) did not diminish my enjoyment in this case. For me, these issues had just about the perfect balance of humor and drama. The art and writing take the larger-than-life characters and plot seriously, but it never gets too dour or bleak. It wouldn't be a perfect jumping-on point for someone who's not used to sprawling comic universes and stories that ...

My Boyfriend Barfed in My Handbag... and Other Things You Can't Ask Martha Jolie Kerr, 2014 Premise: Learn how to clean all your things, with a dollop of motivation and a side dose of humor. I wish I'd had this book years ago. As an aspiring Clean Person (to use the author's somewhat tongue-in-cheek terminology), I had to muddle through figuring out how, how often, and with what to clean various surfaces and appliances over my adult life. (Seriously, there was way more trial and error in those early days than there should have been.) I do okay these days, but I still found good tips and knowledge here. I especially like the balance between basics and exceptions. She features some of the wild questions she received as an advice columnist, but the solutions to most of them build on the fundamental advice about types of stains, types of methods, and types of cleansers. The book also features the same mix of gentle shame and funny encouragement that I loved in h...

Swordspoint Ellen Kushner, 1987 Premise: Richard St. Vier is a sword for hire, a skilled duelist who calls out nobles on request when the situation and the price are right. But the politics of the city is larger than any one man. I don't think I'd ever heard of this book until I saw some excitement about a new book that returns to this world. I can see why it is beloved by some and enjoyed by others. Unfortunately, it just didn't grab me. Today, the city of this type is a fantasy archetype - the scheming nobles on the hill contrasted with the fighters and thieves in the slums. I don't know how prevalent it was when this book was first written. The relatively unique thing about this book is that many or most of the male characters are bisexual. It's not commented on until near the very end, and it seems normal to most characters that St. Vier has taken up with Alec, a troubled scholar with a secret past. Having a gay couple at the center of the intr...

Princess Leia (Marvel Mini-Series) Mark Waid, Terry Dodson, Rachel Dodson, 2015 Premise: After the destruction of the first Death Star, Leia is at loose ends when she hears that the Empire is targeting Alderaan citizens on other planets. Collects Princess Leia #1-5. I have heard nothing but good things about most of the Marvel-branded Star Wars comics, and after some recent sales, I'm finally getting around to them. This one I found enjoyable, but not amazing. I really liked the premise. Leia sets out to collect and protect as many survivors from Alderaan as she can. She feels a personal responsibility, not just because she's their leader, but because she suspects Alderaan would not have been targeted if she hadn't been working with the Rebellion. I really liked the characters. Evaan is a brash Rebellion pilot who respects the royalty that Leia can claim but doubts her commitment. Tula is a girl they pick up early on who doesn't know her sister is workin...