I hate to tell you what these graphic novels are about, because it really takes away from the magic of reading the whole first volume. What I would like to say is that they’re creative, they’re brilliantly done, and if you’re easily disturbed I wouldn’t recommend reading the first one before bed. Whether you read graphic novels often, or this is your first one, this series is a great example of what graphic novels can be and I would definitely recommend giving it a try.

With that said! If you have read the series and are as geeked up about it as I am, you should know that…..

(If you don’t want to be spoiled about these books you shouldn’t read this list, you know.)

1) I cannot wait for the fifth volume and wish I’d started this sooner so that picking up individual comics would have been a bit easier. But still. I’m so excited! Volume four left off in such an amazing place.

2) There is a board game! And I want to beat you at it, and everyone else. I wish it came with keys.

3) There are keys! They’re cool looking and I want to wear the head key on a necklace.

4) Fox made a pilot for the show, but it didn’t get green lit, so it will probably never be. It’s okay though because if Fox had picked it up, they just would have cancelled it anyway, because they cancel everything I love. (Browncoats unite!) Anyhow, there is a trailer for the show that will never be! And I can’t stress how you’ll be spoiled if you watch it and haven’t read the books. I think it would have been a pretty cool show…. and it would have been a much cooler one on Showtime or HBO.

So, have you read Locke & Key? What’d you think? If you haven’t read it, will you check it out now because you trust my brilliant taste? And also, do you read graphic novels in general? It seems like a lot of people I know are interested in checking out graphic novels, but never know where to start.

Instead of telling you all about how awesome this book was, or all about how you should check out the Geek Girls Book Club that inspired me to read it in the first place, I’m going to shove some of my favorite things from the 80s at you in spirit of the book!

The sunglasses. These babies do not get mentioned enough, and is always one of the first things I think of when I think of the 80s. I have a deep appreciation for dorky sunglasses, and the 1980s really helps glorify that. The sunglasses from that time were so over the top I think they deserve a standing ovation. Three cheers for being this awesome! This bold! This in your face! (I also appreciate bad puns).

And we can’t talk about the 80s without talking about the glorious music. This is what singing in the car with your friends is made of, people! I wish it was easier to just post my spotify playlist here to try and force you to listen to it, but instead for the highlight reel I’m going to go with REO Speedwagon – Keep On Loving You, Men Without Hats – The Safety Dance, and Blondie – Heart of Glass. Seriously, if you haven’t sung these songs in the car with other people, you are missing out. Ridiculous sunglasses give you extra fun bonus points.

I don’t know how anyone talks about the 1980s without thinking of John Hughes movies. Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Some Kind of Wonderful, and Uncle Buck. But there are also those unforgettable fantasy flicks of the 80s that are really some of my favorites. We’ve got Labyrinth, The Neverending Story, and Ladyhawke (which holds a special place in Ready Player One), just to name a few.

What pops into your head when you think of the 1980s? And have you read Ready Player One?

* To be clear, this is in no way a ranking list of anything, just the things that first pop into my mind when I think of celebrating the culture of the 80s.

Breaking Twig. This is my first official book of 2012. It’s a story about growing up in the worst circumstances. It’s not the books events that have really stayed with me, though there’s always something happening, it’s the characters that made me really appreciate the book. They’re real, they’re interesting, they grow, and when the book was over I wanted to reach in and give them a hug for all we’ve been through together.

I think this book is only available in ebook formats, but if you’re good with that I recommend it.

Everyone Gets Scared Sometimes. I love reading short stories. Daily Science Fiction has a ton of great flash fiction that you can read if you think you just don’t have time to read. Some are better than others, and this is one that really stood out for me lately. Zombie apocalypse, post traumatic stress…. brilliant.

Looking For Alaska. I know that everyone is reading The Fault in Our Stars right now, but this is my first John Green experience. I’d seen a lot of people in love with this book, and now I know why. This book was laugh out loud funny. It’s one of those great gems that made me both laugh and cry, and another book with real characters I just wanted to hug. I feel like everyone should read this book.

Obviously, I need to read more John Green, and will really be doing this soon. Promise.

So, what have you read lately?

Most evenings I can be found lounging in bed with my husband. We both have a kindle in hand and we’re often accompanied by a few comic books, possibly some fruit, and hot chocolate. The only sounds you hear are the occasional laughs where we then stop, shake the other out of their book, and proceed to tell them all about what just happened. We often end up reading the same books (most recently Ready Player One) but we talk just as much about ones that only one of us has read. We always take our characters lives seriously and get upset when the others favorite character dies as if it were their close friend. These are the days of our lives.

I suppose I just always assumed that for the most part that if you are a reader then your partner was one too. I recently came across a forum post, fifty comments long, full of people talking about how their partners complained about their reading or how they’re mostly left alone while their partner watches television.

After reading through the thread I immediately went to my husband. “Do you know how lucky you are to be married to a geeky girl like me, Mister?” I can’t imagine how frustrated I would be if I couldn’t have all of those long conversations about books with Robert.

So, it has me curious. What about you? Does your partner read? Do they complain about your reading? Do you ever talk about books?

The Guild by Felicia Day Jim Rugg and Dan Jackson – I was so impressed with this. It really kept the feel of the series, both in terms of the voices of the characters and the flow of the show. And the artwork was really gorgeous-I kept pausing and staring at it. If you don’t know, this was a prequel to the series, telling the story of Cyd getting into the game. You also get a look at what the other characters were up to before they became a guild. I can’t wait to check out the one shots they’ve done for the characters. This is safe to read if you’ve seen the show or not, but I’m sure it’s more fun if you’re familiar with the show.

The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins – Yes, I read all three of these in under a week. I know there are a lot of “I told you sos!” owed to me out there on this one, I don’t know why I put off reading it for so long, but I’m so glad that I’ve read it now. I’m obsessed.

Each book in this series had such a different feel to it. The books get compared to Harry Potter and Twilight (even though those two series are very different themselves) and The Hunger Games is again, very different. This series is about war and the effects war has on children. It takes place in the future, which helps it also make a lot of comments on society today. It’s fast paced, exciting, interesting, and really sucked me in quickly.

Stone of Tears (Sword of Truth #2) by Terry Goodkind – I stopped halfway through this book back in January, and I just came back to it. Little did I know what I had stopped before that I was just a few minutes of reading away from where this book got good! There was still a LOT of rambling and I kept wanting to pull out a red pen and fix the writing in this book. Despite the repetive speeches, the second half of this book got really exciting and I’m looking forward to diving into the third one. Where hopefully there will be a lot more Gratch! Also, I feel obligated to tell you that Richard does not look anything in my mind like he does on this book cover.

Going Bovine by Libba Bray – I had no idea what this book was about when I started reading, which was for the best. It made it an even stranger read, if that’s possible. This book is not going to be for everyone, simply because it is such a strange ride, but I really loved it for that exact reason. Somehow, it manages to put you in these most ridiculous situations, which you’d think would make for fluffly light reading, but then it all has all this depth and things to think about mixed in. It’s a hard one to recommend to people because I’d hate to spoil it for you, but I will say it’s a journey about learning to live.

What have you read lately?