Sponsored by Avon Books.
Alexander Woodroe has it all, including a starring role as Cupid on TV’s biggest show, Gods of the Gates. But the showrunners have wrecked his character, he’s dogged by old demons, and his post-show future remains uncertain. When all that reckless emotion explodes, the tabloids and public agree: his star is falling. Enter Lauren Clegg, the former ER therapist hired to keep him in line. But the more time they spend together, the harder it gets to keep her professional remove and her heart intact, especially when she discovers the reasons behind Alex’s recklessness…not to mention his Cupid fanfiction habit.
Welcome to Read This Book, a newsletter where I recommend one book that should absolutely be put at the top of your TBR pile. Recommended books will vary across genre and age category and include shiny new books, older books you may have missed, and some classics I suggest finally getting around to. Make space for another pile of books on your floor because here we go!
Today’s pick is a comic that has made me laugh more than any other comic I’ve ever read.
Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, Volume 1: Squirrel Power by Ryan North, Erica Henderson, and Rico Renzi
The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl aka Doreen Green is a hero who has both the powers of squirrel and girl. I’m going to say something that may be controversial: Squirrel Girl is the best and brightest star in the Marvel Universe. This comic reminds me on every page about why I love comics so much. While the character debuted in 1991, I recommend starting with the 2015 run and specifically Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, Volume 1: Squirrel Power.
Doreen Green is a first-year computer science student. She lives in the dorms with a roommate, Nancy Whitehead. Nancy doesn’t technically have any superpowers but she certainly has the power of sass and a cat about whom she writes fanfiction. This volume is really about getting to know Squirrel Girl and her friends (as well as her sidekick, a squirrel named Tippy-Toe). Squirrel Girl is super strong and likes to eat nuts and kick butts but rarely if ever does she defeat villains by using only physical force. She’s incredibly clever and often either defeats villains by using her smarts or she just uses the power of friendship. Yes these are all-ages comics and yes, a superhero using the power of friendship might not really sound appealing but I promise you, it is so fabulously excellent. Warning: these comics are full of puns and I am endlessly impressed with the number of puns they are able to squeeze into these pages.
The wonderful and maybe sad news is that this run of The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl is complete. There are twelve volumes of trades available as well as some accompanying books and a graphic novel titled The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl Beats Up the Marvel Universe. If you’re the kind of person that doesn’t like to read comics until they’re all available, then this is great! But I warn you, you’re going to fall in love with Doreen and all her friends and you’ll never want it to end.
That’s it for now, book-lovers!
Patricia
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