Books, Comics & Other Novels

[ShiraNoMai]

We all know we're a bunch of filthy weebs in this joint. But how about the more classic types of western physical media? Any good fiction you picked up lately at a recommendation? Perhaps a comic series really struck your fancy?

I haven't read anything of the sort in a hot minute, aside from reading up on Japanese in the workbooks I've purchased. The only work of fiction I've been reading as of late are of the fan variety, if you catch my drift

[Karo]

Oh dude one thing I really enjoyed doing when I lived near Barnes and Nobles was just chilling and reading the comic books and I have picked up a few I picked up a few issues of Ms Marvel (The Kamala Khan one I do believe the other Ms Marvel has a new name ) and I also read a few mangs and been reading a lot of different manga lately, but I haven't touched much western comics for a while I really should get back into them.

[Moonface]

The only comics I read in my younger years were the Tomb Raider comics, a copy of Terminator vs. Alien vs. Predator, and The Simpsons comics. I wish I hadn't really got hooked into buying Simpsons comics just because it was one of those weekly things so the amount of money that went into that is just stupid in hindsight. At least I never got hooked into buying manga though.

[ShiraNoMai]

Dude Barnes and Noble and reading are so nostalgic to me. Would love just spending hours in there just reading either by myself or with friends. Usually manga, but there are times I sought out real books. Usually art books or art theory.

Thinking on it, I loved seeing what cool design books I could dive into. Feeling the different textures in the prints, seeing the unique page layouts and designs...fuck I miss doing this. Stupid 'rona  

[Karo]

You should try getting into them Moony they can be really fun and there is something nice about going to a bookstore to just chill and read definitely recommend you go with Nikki one Corona is safely contained.

[Moonface]

I never got onto the bookstore with friends thing because I didn't really have anyone to go there with growing up (plus any book store was outside of town and I have never travelled outside of town to a shopping area with friends in the later half of secondary school) and I usually spent time in the gaming and toy stores instead if I was shopping with my mum and she was going to a store I wasn't interested in.

Although, no book store I've been to in England is as encouraging about staying in there and reading stuff compared to Barnes & Noble. For one thing, there are no food outlets and I don't think you're even allowed to bring food and drink inside the stores. It surprises me how the books in B&N aren't in an absolutely greasy state since you can read and eat in there.

[Karo]

I feel like the Barnes & Nobles I went too was pretty alright I bet the books were probably a bit more used than normal, but I really don't mind and I definitely purchased a few comic books, art books, and the likes while reading there.

The one I went at had a little cafe type store that sold starbucks type things and some snack food so it wasn't like mcdonalds or anything super greasy or anything.

[Moonface]

The one I went at had a little cafe type store that sold starbucks type things and some snack food so it wasn't like mcdonalds or anything super greasy or anything.

Yeah the cafes I've seen at B&N have been that sort of thing too, but I don't think even that would be liked in British book stores. Drinks would especially be a hard pass because of the issue of spilling them. I think the best option would be that only the first book is able to be read by anyone, and the other copies are locked or something like games are in Target or Wal-Mart so that those stay pristine and just the one copy is the one being used.

Did anyone here ever read/collect magazines of any kind?

[ShiraNoMai]

I've never seen that become an actual issue, even if the concern is valid. Though I'm sure the case would be if you ruin it, you buy it.

I started collecting Nintendo Power magazines around the start of the GameCube era. Subscribed for at least a year before my mom ended it. Kept a good chunk of them, as well.
I also have Shonen Jump from 2008-2012 (the end of physical serialization), though for some unknown reason, Shonen Jump refused to issue me one random month of each year. It frustrates me to no end that I'm missing one month out of every year I've been a subscriber. >_<

[Moonface]

I started collecting Nintendo Power magazines around the start of the GameCube era. Subscribed for at least a year before my mom ended it. Kept a good chunk of them, as well.

I collected a lot of gaming magazines back before I discovered I could get it all online for free and at the time the stories actually broke. Normally it was just OPSM and Play but sometimes I got others if the cover story was one I really wanted to read or it just had a really cool cover of a game I liked. I remember using them to share news back on the forum in 2007 or so.

[ShiraNoMai]

Yeah I mostly.got them for the covers as well. Goes to show how a good cover can really sell a magazine. Well, if those tabloids at the front of cash registers weren't any indication of that, at the very least

[Moonface]

I don't remember what book it was but @ShiraNoMai was surprised when I told her I hadn't read a particular book, but she had read it because it was required reading for school. The book that I had to read as a requirement for school was Lord of the Flies.

I remember not being impressed about having to read a whole book I didn't choose, but it was actually a really good book. I won't lie and admit the violent parts were my favorite and the most memorable to me.

What book were you required to read at school, or did you not have a requirement?

[Nightingale]

I had several required books during elementary and secondary school, like "Los Árboles Mueren de Pie", "El Lazarillo de Tormes" and "Der Kleine Vampir", which was my favorite and actually turned me into the reader I'm today.

[ShiraNoMai]

I remember not being impressed about having to read a whole book I didn't choose, but it was actually a really good book. I won't lie and admit the violent parts were my favorite and the most memorable to me.

What book were you required to read at school, or did you not have a requirement?

Honestly a lot of the books I read for school I wound up finding interesting. The only ones I tended to not like as much were ones that were put into textbooks (usually excerpts or long poems). I've read things like The Great Gatsby, To Kill A Mockingbird, The Scarlett Letter, Of Mice and Men, Animal Farm, The Crucible, The Hobbit, The Pigman, Holes, Esperanza Rising, Where The Red Fern Grows. One I remember not caring about was The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe. It was 3rd grade and I wasn't into reading at that stage of my life. The next year I read Holes and loved that. The movie also came out that year.

[Mr EliteL]

The only ones I remember reading at school were Of Mice and Men and Animal Farm. Likely others but forgot what they were, possibly Holes but only remember getting to watch the film over one or two lessons, which if a book had a film it was normally my preferred way to...digest the story. Did get to watch Of Mice and Men and Animal Farm too.