I’ve been in a bit of a reading slump the last few months, but I’m slowly getting back into it.

April … May … June

Casino Royale by Ian Fleming

I’ve been meaning to read the James Bond series for ages, so I finally picked up the first book, and I have to say I really enjoyed it. Fleming’s Bond is a little more vulnerable and real than the movie Bonds, although the latest movie has taken a step towards trying to stay truer to the books. I’m looking forward to making my way through the rest of the series, eventually.

Squee’s Wonderful Big Giant Book of Unspeakable Horrors by Jhonen Vasquez

I read this graphic novel for the first time while in high school, at a friend’s house, I believe. I love it back then, and it was a lot of fun to revisit. It was interesting reading this after having watched Invader Zim a few years back. I knew he wrote both, but I hadn’t noticed just how much of that cartoon was pulled from this comic.

Long Way Down by Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman

I tore through the Long Way Round when it came out a few years ago, so I was really excited when I heard they had done another trip. This time it was from John o’ Groats, in northern Scotland, down to Cape Town, South Africa. It’s a fantastic trip, and while it didn’t capture my imagination quite as much as Long Way Round did, I still really enjoyed it. I’ve always wanted to travel through Africa, as I’m sure many people do, and reading this really strengthened my resolve to do that one day.

Can-cans, Cats & Cities of Ash by Mark Twain

Part of Penguin’s Great Journey’s collection, this is Twain’s account of his sailing travels through the Mediterranean, specifically Portugal, Morocco, France, and Italy. I love travelogues, and there’s something incredibly romantic about traveling before the time of Lonely Planet, audio-guided tour buses, and planes. Twain is hilarious, politically incorrect, and a joy to read.