May You Have Delicious Meals by Junko Takase Review

“May you live in interesting times” - apocryphal “Chinese curse”

A woman begins making rich home-made treats for her office - much to the quiet indignation of her secret co-worker boyfriend, whose culinary tastes run to the more basic side.

Rejection by Tony Tulathimutte Review

A male feminist pushed too far. A couple of friends hook-up, destroying one of the friend’s lives. A closeted man represses his very strange fantasies from everyone - until he doesn’t. A hyper-driven type A personality’s bizarre life goal clashes with his girlfriend’s. An identity-obsessed individual changes the internet. And presiding over all of it is Tony Tulathimutte (hereafter referred to as TT), a writer and potential character/s in the novel Rejection.

84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff Review

In 1949, aspiring New York playwright Helene Hanff saw an advertisement for an antiquarian bookseller in London that shipped books internationally. A fan of obscure and old books, she reached out to them with a list of books she’s looking for, thus beginning a 20 year correspondence between herself and the principal bookseller at Marks and Co, Frank Doel, based at 84 Charing Cross Road.

The Power Fantasy, Volume 1: The Superpowers Review (Kieron Gillen, Caspar Wijngaard)

You know how a lot of people think Superman is a boring character because he’s overpowered - nothing really hurts him besides the green rock and he can do whatever, whenever, however, effortlessly. Because he’s Superman. But it’s too much and makes it really hard to get people invested in a character so wildly unrelatable. Now imagine the entire cast of a series were ALL Superman. That’s The Power Fantasy.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Volume 1: Return to New York Review (Jason Aaron, Chris Burnham)

The Turtles are broken up and scattered across the world: Donnie is enslaved and forced to fight cage matches against mutant-haters; Mikey’s starring in a hit Japanese TV show about his life; Raph’s in prison; Leo’s in India, meditating with non-mutant flesh-eating turtles. Meanwhile in New York City, a brutal new mayoral candidate seeks to consolidate his populist anti-mutant platform with the help of the Foot Clan.

Headshot by Rita Bullwinkel Review

The Daughters of America finals boxing tournament in Reno takes place over a couple of days where female teenage fighters gather to see who’s the best boxer in their class.

The Proof of My Innocence by Jonathan Coe Review

Political blogger Christopher Swann attends a conservative conference, uncovers secrets and gets killed - but whodunit? The answer lies somehow in an obscure 1980s novel called My Innocence, the last book by conservative writer Peter Cockerill - or more precisely, an early proof copy of that book…

The Sequel by Jean Hanff Korelitz Review

Literary widow Anna Williams-Bonner decides to write her own bestseller, and wouldn’t you know it, it’s just that easy to write an acclaimed commercial novel, even when you’ve never written a word of fiction in your life, and soon she’s as famous and wealthy as her late husband! But oh no someone knows her secret - what’s she gonna dooo…

Cat Person and Other Stories by Kristen Roupenian Review

This short story collection was originally entitled You Know You Want This but quickly got changed to Cat Person and Other Stories because Cat Person became a hit online, got optioned and then made into a movie, and is by far the best story in this collection. It’d be amazing if the other 11 stories were even half as good as Cat Person but, alas, there’s only one other good story here - Look At Your Game Girl - and a middling one - The Mirror, The Bucket, and The Old Thigh Bone. The rest is cat litter.

Lester of the Lesser Gods Review (Eric Powell, Lucky Yates)

Back in the ‘80s, Lester’s drunken slob mother hooked up with Norse God Odin and produced Lester. Now he’s fat, ungainfully employed and in his 30s - and it’s the apocalypse for no reason. So Lester decides to prove his worthiness to his deadbeat dad. Hold onto your sides - this one’s going for big yuks!

Fishflies Review (Jeff Lemire, Shawn Kuruneru)

Franny is a lonely schoolgirl with a permanently runny nose who befriends a convenience store robber that transforms into a giant bug for shooting a kid during his botched robbery. The two become unlikely friends and go on the lam. A giant bug… what??!

Come Closer by Sara Gran Review

Amanda and Ed’s lives are going great until, wouldn’t ya know it, she goes and gets possessed by a demon! Now their marriage is going to pot and it’s all the demon’s fault! Time for some magic shampoo to save the day - but is it too late?!/1,

Get Fury Review (Garth Ennis, Jacen Burrows)

It’s the height of the Vietnam war and Nick Fury has gotten himself captured by the Vietcong. Fury being Fury, he knows all about the CIA’s massive drug-smuggling operation and they can’t afford for that knowledge to potentially leak. The CIA needs a mindless, efficient killing machine to take him out, just in case - who else but Frank Castle? Time for him to… Get Fury!

A New Jerusalem by Benjamin Dickson Review

With Germany’s surrender in May 1945, the war was over for some of the Allied soldiers in Europe who returned home. Like Ralph’s dad, who was physically maimed in a flamethrower attack, but also mentally broken - what we call Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder today and was called shell shock at the time. And though the family unit is restored, the experiences of war have changed Ralph’s dad - forever.