Armando鈥檚 Year in Books

What did you read this year?

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2024

53,687

pages read

188

books read

Armando

Scott Pilgrim Vol. 3 (of 6) by Bryan Lee O'Malley

Shortest Book

pages

Berserk Deluxe Edition, Volume 5 by Kentaro Miura

Longest Book

720

pages

Average book length in 2024

285

pages

Most Shelved

5,713,510

people also shelved

How to Read European Armor by Donald Larocca

Least Shelved

182

people also shelved

Armando鈥檚 average rating for 2024

4.0

Berserk Deluxe Edition, Volume 4 by Kentaro Miura

Highest Rated on 欧宝娱乐

4.84 average

The Princess and the Grilled Cheese Sandwich by Deya Muniz

Armando鈥檚 first review of the year

really liked it

[Book Club Nomination]

Absolutely supercharged on charm and cuteness and coziness, The Princess And The Grilled Cheese Sandwich is a cutsy love story about two people who are meant to be together but cannot due to outside circumstances. What seems like a light and fluffy story is actually stuffed with social commentary and themes, and even plays around with a few of them as well. I was surprised to be so gobsmacked when turning the page to see ju [Book Club Nomination]

Absolutely supercharged on charm and cuteness and coziness, The Princess And The Grilled Cheese Sandwich is a cutsy love story about two people who are meant to be together but cannot due to outside circumstances. What seems like a light and fluffy story is actually stuffed with social commentary and themes, and even plays around with a few of them as well. I was surprised to be so gobsmacked when turning the page to see just how real this novel can get. Which going by the title seems ridiculous.

This graphic novel is essentially a love letter to the artists wife, and an attempt to recreate their 'cheesy love' story into a story involving fantasy. It is very loving, very charming and goofy, and absolutely had that feeling of being created for a loved one.

On a larger scale, this novel also deals with important social economic issues and large problems with culture as well. Like any good princess story, this novel deals with the social and legal norms of who and who you cannot marry. One protagonist has to hide her identity, or at least her gender, in order to inherit her father's estate and not be left penniless. Her struggle is not only to find lobe, but also to survive in a world that doesn't embrace who she really is, again both morally and legally. This conflict serves up drama for both protagonists as they struggle to get whst they really desire.

One issue I have with the cast primarily being royalty is that, well, I don't think there's any real world goodness that comes from monarchy. The cast is a cast of upper class socialites who essentially are trying to 'rebrand' what it means to be royalty, when in reality, wouldn't the best thing be to just tear it down? Find some other form of government that doesn't create such a large gap between classes? (Hints at a brutal regime are given throughout this novel before Princess Brie's time).

Now, maybe I'm thinking too hard or too deeply about the settings and themes of a novel with this title and one that is so unabashedly goofy and silly. But like I said, there are some profound themes of working class, gender inequality, and women's rights, thst are explored deeply here.

But I will say, thst this novel also seems to use its settings as a mere fantasy not just for storytelling, but also for the author to explore different concepts and themes. It is absolutely escapism fantasy when you take a regime or form of government that was used to suppress so many, and try in a way to reclaim it. In doing so it does overlook the negatives in favor of the good stuff (or so called good stuff), but I think it is doing so in a playful and unharmful way. This kingdom here is obviously a dream, one that can be escaped to to explore themes and concepts safely.

Maybe I am thinking too much into it, but like I said I was gobsmacked by some of the profound statements and realizations of the novels narrative and characters so I think its fair to look deeper into other themes and criticisms as well. Overall though, this eas an absolutely charming and hilarious novel that had me entrenched in its narrative. Absolutely lovely and adorable. ...more

础搁惭础狈顿翱鈥橲 2024 BOOKS

it was amazing

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles by Kevin Eastman

Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls

Record of Ragnarok, Vol. 3 by Shinya Umemura

it was amazing

Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life by Bryan Lee O'Malley

Scott Pilgrim Vol. 2 (of 6) by Bryan Lee O'Malley

Record of Ragnarok, Vol. 5 by Shinya Umemura

Record of Ragnarok, Vol. 7 by Shinya Umemura

it was amazing

Berserk Deluxe Edition, Vol. 1 by Kentaro Miura

it was amazing

Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain

Drawing the Head and Figure by Jack Hamm

Berserk Deluxe Edition, Vol. 2 by Kentaro Miura

it was amazing

Berserk Deluxe Edition, Volume 3 by Kentaro Miura

The Feast of Fiction Kitchen by Jimmy Wong

Castaways of the Flying Dutchman by Brian Jacques

To Be Taught, If Fortunate by Becky Chambers

Scott Pilgrim, Volume 4 by Bryan Lee O'Malley

it was amazing

The Lost City of the Monkey God by Douglas Preston

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

Berserk Deluxe Edition, Volume 6 by Kentaro Miura

Firekeeper鈥檚 Daughter by Angeline Boulley

My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George

Berserk Deluxe Edition, Volume 7 by Kentaro Miura

it was amazing

When My Name Was Keoko by Linda Sue Park

My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry by Fredrik Backman

Berserk Deluxe Edition, Volume 8 by Kentaro Miura

Berserk Deluxe Edition, Volume 9 by Kentaro Miura

really liked it

Howl鈥檚 Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

it was amazing

She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan

Berserk Deluxe Edition, Volume 10 by Kentaro Miura

Berserk Deluxe Edition Volume 11 by Kentaro Miura

The Summer We Crossed Europe in the Rain by Kazuo Ishiguro

Berserk Deluxe Edition Volume 12 by Kentaro Miura

Unincorporated Persons in the Late Honda Dynasty by Tony Hoagland

Scott Pilgrim, Volume 5 by Bryan Lee O'Malley

True History of the Kelly Gang by Peter Carey

it was amazing

Scott Pilgrim, Volume 6 by Bryan Lee O'Malley

South of the Border, West of the Sun by Haruki Murakami

Berserk Deluxe Edition Volume 13 by Kentaro Miura

Berserk Deluxe Edition Volume 14 by Kentaro Miura

Whatever You Do, Don't Run by Peter Allison

it was amazing

A Man and His Cat, Vol. 1 by Umi Sakurai

The Complete ElfQuest, Volume One by Wendy Pini

Justice League, Vol. 1 by Brian Michael Bendis

Armando鈥檚 last review of the year

really liked it

Around the Globe in 52 Books
[Prompt: An Epistolary Where at One Point, Two Characters are in Two Different Continents]

Its hard to rate a book like this because on one hand I think this is a very professionally done collection that no doubt required a lot of hard work and is perfect for a certain audience, while on the other hand I am just not that audience.

As Always, Julia captures the blossoming friendship between soon to be renowned cook Julia ...more

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