Recap for July 28 to September 7, 2019

We had a great time in Hong Kong, in spite of our last day there being pretty much wiped out by a typhoon warning that shut down much of the city. The weather wasn't that extreme, but there were heavy downpours all day and after one expedition out to try to do some shopping only to discover most businesses closed, we spent the day in the hotel room. The rest of the trip was awesome, though. Our day at Hong Kong Disneyland was the best time I've ever had at a Disney park. And our trip to Lantau Island to ride the cable car to Hong Kong's Big Buddha was amazing.

We also did a father/son day in Shanghai where we visited the Jewish Refugees Museum and the Great World Amusement Palace.

Then it was back to school. I'm off to a good start on the school year. Nice group of students this year, and I'm better organized. The Kiddo likes his new teacher, and he's doing soccer.

But the really big news is the new member of our family, a street kitten named Typhoon, who we rescued (named because Shanghai got hit with a typhoon the day after we found her, resulting in a bit of a wet adventure getting her to a vet).




















Typhoon is doing well after treatment for fleas and ringworm. Sadly her sibling was dead when we found them, but it looks like Typhoon will grow up strong and healthy.

Through all of this, reviews continue.

Comic Reviews on Comic A Day

Drama by Raina Telgemeier.

Sisters by Raina Telgemeier.

Ghosts by Raina Telgemeier.

Shanghai Red #1 from Image Comics.

Archie #600 from Archie Comics.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul by Jeff Kinney.

Sky Pirates of Valendor #4 from Free Lunch Comics.

The Warriors #1 from Dabel Brothers.

Sky Pirates of Valendor #5 from Free Lunch Comics.

Book Reviews on Goodreads

Tess of the Road by Rachel Hartman.

My Gal Sunday by Mary Higgins Clark.

Who Was Rachel Carson? by Sarah Fabiny.

Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future by Ashlee Vance.

Who Was Winston Churchill? by Ellen Labrecque.

Hypocrite in a Pouffy White Dress by Susan Jane Gilman.

Trickster's Queen by Tamora Pierce.

Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder.

The Obelisk Gate by NK Jemisin.

Stage Fright on a Summer Night by Mary Pope Osborne.

Who Was Harriet Tubman? by Yona Zeldis McDonough.

Thanksgiving on Thursday by Mary Pope Osborne.

Supporting
Supporting SF author and editor Mike Resnick, who is recovering from a life-threatening medical emergency.

Upcoming

There's a Marvel Studios exhibit at the local mall, which we've been meaning to get to, and next week's Friday holiday (China's mid-autumn festival) seems like a good time to check it out. There's also a music festival at the mall the same weekend.

We've bought our tickets for WWE's upcoming visit to Shanghai at the Mercedes Benz Arena on September 21. That day is also the Expat Expo in Shanghai, and it's my birthday and Kiddo's adoption day that weekend. My school is also having it's Back To School Bash on that Sunday, so it will be a busy weekend.

No travel plans yet for the upcoming breaks. We'll be making travel plans for Fall break soon, and we have something in the works for Christmas, but not concrete plans yet.

Connect/Follow

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ricksilvawriting on Dreamwidth and Blogger.
Rick Silva on Goodreads

Recap For May 12 To July 27, 2019

Long time between recaps, but we spent a fair chunk of it traveling. The school trip to Xi'an was great, and the remainder of the school year went smoothly, with the usual hectic rush of work. Then it was off on our summer trip to Taipei and Palau. Lots of photos on the Instagram link below. Some reviews and blog entries to follow.

Tomorrow it's the annual Father/Son (Rail) Road Trip! Taking the train to Hong Kong and spending three days there!

In the meantime, I've done some reviews.

Comic Reviews on Comic A Day

Giant-Size Thrills #0 from Red Giant Entertainment.

DC Retroactive Batman: The 1980s #1 from DC Comics.

The Vengeful Half by Jaclyn Dolamore

Avatar: The Last Airbender: Free Comic Book Day 2014 All Ages from Dark Horse Comics.

How I Became a Pirate #2 by TC McKenna.

Dark Red #1 by Lynn French.

Awakening Comics #1 by Steve Peters.

Dark Red #2 by Lynn French.

Tragedy at Farstation Prota by Jerel Dye.

Healed #4 by George O'Connor and S. Griffin of Homeless Comics.

Healed #5 by George O'Connor and S. Griffin of Homeless Comics.

Smile by Raina Telgemeier.

Book Reviews on Goodreads

Junie B., First Grader: Cheater Pants by Barbara Park.

Magic Tree House: Earthquake in the Early Morning by Mary Pope Osborne.

The Tale of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle by Beatrix Potter.

The Winged Girl of Knossos by Erick Berry.

Warriors: A Dangerous Path by Erin Hunter.

Over Sea, Under Stone by Susan Cooper.

Alvin Ho: Allergic to Girls, School, and Other Scary Things by Lenore Look.

The Crystal Cave by Mary Stewart.

History of Palau: Heritage of an Emerging Nation by Elizabeth D. Rechebei.

How To Speak Dragonese by Cressida Cowell.

Wizard's Hall by Jane Yolen.

Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding.

Who Was Steve Irwin? by Dina Anastasio.

Alvin Ho: Allergic To Camping, Hiking, and Other Natural Disasters by Lenore Look.

A Thousand Miles To Freedom: My Escape From North Korea by Eunsun Kim.

Supporting
Supporting Boston-area author James A Moore, who is undergoing treatment for cancer.

Upcoming

Trip to Hong Kong with the Kiddo tomorrow! Hong Kong Disneyland on Monday!

After that we've got about a week before I head back to school (two weeks until classes start). We may do a few last tourist things in Shanghai, and we're considering a day trip to Nanjing before it's back to the day job.

I seem to have gotten myself into a regular D&D campaign. Tonight will be my third weekly session. Enjoying it so far.

Looking forward to watching Summer Slam and NXT Takeover Toronto in a week or so, and then NXT Takeover Cardiff at the end of August.

No plans yet for any of the breaks during the school year, but we are working on some ideas.

Connect/Follow

@dandelionstudio on Twitter
@dandelionstudios on Instagram and @dailycomicreview on Instagram
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ricksilvawriting on Dreamwidth and Blogger.
Rick Silva on Goodreads

Recap: Catching Up From December 9 2018 To January 27 2019

I haven't done a recap of review since early December, so I'm going to mostly stick to just reviews in this post.

We had an amazing trip to the USA over the holidays, and we've had a busy month back in China. One week to go until we get another break over the Chinese New Year holiday. That one will be a staycation for us (as will out Spring break, but we are working on some big travel plans for the summer). We're looking forward to exploring more of Shanghai over the New Year break.

I've been doing a lot of comic reviews. I got some more unread comics out of storage to add to the Random Stack of Unread Comics, along with some new purchases. I've also got a new Instagram account specifically for my comics reviews. Check out @dailycomicreview.

This is part of a general overhaul of my social media accounts that I'm in the midst of. More on that in a future post.

On the prose reading front, I'm off to a good start on my 2019 reading goals.

Here are my reviews since my last update.

Comic Reviews on Comic A Day

The Blokes of Ball Point by Suzanne Baumann.

Dawn's Dictionary Drama #1 by John Bintz.

Knights of the Dinner Table Illustrated #30 by Kenzer and Company.

Ex Machina Volume 1: The First Hundred Days by Brian K. Vaughan, Tony Harris, Tom Feister, J.D. Mettler, and DC/Wildstorm Comics.

The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang.

Awkward by Svetlana Chmakova.

Shuri #1 by Nnedi Okorafor, Leonardo Romero, and Marvel Comics.

Doom Patrol #44 by Grant Morrison, Richard Case, Mark McKenna, and DC Comics.

Circadia #1 by Jennifer Dugan, Keezy Young, MJ Erickson, and 36 Plums.

Everest / Love Fights #1 FCBD 2004 by Andi Watson, Greg Rucka, Scott Morse, and Oni Press.

Circadia #2 by Jennifer Dugan, MJ Erickson, and 36 Plums.

Swamp Thing Halloween Horror Giant #1 by DC Comics.

Red Sonja #15 by Gail Simone, Walter Geovani, and Dynamite Entertainment.

Star Wars Forces of Destiny: Rose & Paige by Delilah S. Dawson, Nicoletta Baldari, and IDW.

Star Wars: Jedi Academy: Return of the Padawan by Jeffrey Brown.

Hot Tea, Cold Water #1 edited by Leann Leake.

Circadia #3 by Jennifer Dugan, Jey Pawlik, and 36 Plums.

The Walking Dead #175 by Robert Kirkman, Charlie Adlard, Stefano Gaudiano, and Image Comics.

Hermann Shepherd in "Gitmo Goofs" by Ian Harker, Randy Sinsel, John Carr, Ron Hoffman, and High Treason Comics.

Circadia #4 by Jennifer Dugan, Sarah Simes, and 36 Plums.

Steven Universe #14 by Grace Craft, Rii Abrego, Whitney Cogar, and Missy Pena.

Dog Man: Brawl of the Wild by Dav Pilkey.

Ultimate Spider-Man #42 by Brian Michael Bendis, Mark Bagley, Art Thibert, and Marvel Comics.

Book Reviews on Goodreads

Walking by Henry David Thoreau.

Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson.

Who Was Betsy Ross? by James Buckley Jr.

Zero History by William Gibson.

The Fifth Season by N.K. Jeminsin.

Junie B. Jones is a Beauty Shop Guy by Barbara Park.

Lady Knight by Tamora Pierce.

That catches me up on reviews! Hope to be back to these update posts on a weekly basis from here on. I've also got a last few 2018-in-review type posts on the way.

Connect/Follow

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Recap For November 18 - December 2 2018

Two big bits of news!

First of all, the Kiddo won first place for his grade in the science fair!

The other news is that I signed my contract renewal at the day job. That means that we will be here in Shanghai through the 2020-2021 school year! I really appreciate the vote of confidence from my school, and while it was not an easy decision from our point of view, we are excited for the chance to continue our experience living in China.

The rest of that week was devoted to Thanksgiving. School festivities included a potluck feast on Wednesday for the lower school, and then turkey and pumpkin pie in the Cafeteria on Thursday for everyone. That night was our family Thanksgiving celebration with roast chicken and veggies, followed by Christmas music and decorating the Christmas tree. 

On Friday (the school's official Thanksgiving holiday) I took the Kiddo to Shanghai Disneyland to meet up with some classmates. We had a great time, and relatively short lines for rides.

We have also done some various Christmas shopping expeditions in town, and the Kiddo and I played in two Magic: The Gathering drafts over the past few days. I went 6-0 in games in an Unstable draft!

We started yesterday with Breakfast With Santa at the Geneva restaurant, which was lovely, even if it did cause me to lose "Whamageddon" on the first day of December (in China! It wasn't even December in much of the USA at that time!).

Speaking of losing, I fell well short on Nanowrimo, as I figured I probably would with everything else going on.

And I have been doing some reading and reviewing.

Comic Reviews on Comic A Day

Satisfactory Comics #8 by Isaac Cates and Mike Wenthe.

Amulet Book Six: Escape From Lucien by Kazu Kibuishi.

Dog Man: Lord of the Fleas by Dav Pilkey.

Ultimate Spider-Man #52 from Marvel Comics.


Book Reviews on Goodreads

The Adventures of Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra.

The Story of Mount Desert Island by Samuel Eliot Morison.

Supporting

Supporting Massachusetts Audubon Society for Giving Tuesday. I gave to the sanctuary (Ashumet Holly) where Gynn used to do fieldwork on spadefoot toads.

Upcoming

It looks like we're doing our day trip to Suzhou next Sunday. On Saturday we have a makeup school day followed by the upper school's holiday concert and then the staff Christmas party. So this will be a busy week. Kiddo's lower school concert is on Wednesday.

The following week is exams, and then we're on break. We'll watch WWE TLC here in Shanghai, and I may do one more shopping day in Qibao or elsewhere in the city before we depart for the USA on Wednesday December 19.

Connect/Follow

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ricksilvawriting on Dreamwidth and Blogger.
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Recap For November 4-11 2018

Appreciative of the military service of my Dad and both of my Grandfathers on Veterans Day.

We just finished a short week at school, and today is the first of two makeup days after the unexpected school closure due to the China International Imports Expo and President Xi Jinping's visit to my neighborhood. The closest I got to the expo was seeing some of the attendees heading to dinner at Paradise Walk Mall, and walking through a display on international businesses in China that was set up on the mall's ground floor. Today is a work-from-home makeup day for students and teachers, and it has gone smoothly so far. We do a Saturday school day in early December to make up the other missed day.

It was also progress reports time at the day job, so things were busy during the three-day week. And next week is another busy week, with science fair happening.

I was generally happy with the election results in the US, especially Question #3 passing in Boston to reaffirm transgender civil rights. Frustrated that this was even put to a vote, but relieved at the results.

We went back to Minhang Sports Park yesterday for a nice walk, and then had a quick stroll through Qibao Old Street. I also headed in to Pudong for a bit of exploring and picture-taking, although the park really supplied the best photo opportunities of the day.

I've seen the first few store Christmas decorations of the season. China does decorate for Christmas a bit, but they mostly wait until December. Which I really like better anyway.

One thing I forgot to mention last week: The book Jedi Academy, which I finished and reviewed the week before last, was the 70th book I read in 2018, which was my reading goal for the year. You can see the full list here. I'm going to push for more. Still have about 150 pages to go on 900+ pages of Don Quixote!

I've got some words written on Nanowrimo, but I'm nowhere near quota, which is okay. I'm not pushing it this year.

And I've also managed to do some comic reviews.

Comic Reviews on Comic A Day

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story #6 from Marvel Comics.

Tall Tails: Thieves' Quest #1 by Jose Calderon and Daphne Lage of Vision Comics.

Amulet Book 4: The Last Council by Kazu Kibuishi.

Happy Valentines Day #1, edited by Jim Main of Main Enterprises.

Swamp Thing #43 from DC Comics.

Laird MacGuffin's Treasury by E.J. Barnes.

Supporting
I'm supporting comic book writer Mark Waid's legal defense against Comicsgate trolls.

Upcoming

Science fair next week at the day job.

It's looking like I'll be heading to Shanghai Disneyland with the Kiddo on our Thanksgiving Friday holiday in two weeks. There's also a possible Magic tourney happening that weekend that I might be playing in.

Looking forward to WWE Survivor Series coming up in a couple weeks, and then TLC in December before things quiet down somewhat until Royal Rumble.

We're looking at a day trip to Suzhou at the beginning of December and maybe some other touristy stuff in the Shanghai area between now and the holidays.

Then we're heading to the USA (staying in New Hampshire and Massachusetts) from December 19 to January 2. Looking forward to coming home for the holidays!

Connect/Follow
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Recap For October 29 - November 3 2018

After all of the vaguebooking about upcoming travel plans, I can now announce: We're traveling to the US for our winter break! This will be our first time coming home for the holiday season in over five years! Looking forward to a nice New England Christmas with friends and family!

This week was Halloween, which is a big event at my school. The Kiddo became a two-time champion, winning the "Most Original" prize for his reptilian politician costume! (He won "Best Makeup" last year as WWE's Finn Balor/The Demon).








In other news, I do a set of daily goals for writing, language practice, diet and exercise, and blogging. I set a reward goal for 50 points for a week, which is pretty hard to achieve. I started the points system at the beginning of the school year, and the week before last was my first 50-point week. So last night I headed into town to a geeky mall near People's Square that I'd heard about and rewarded myself with some Magic: The Gathering purchases.

I really enjoyed WWE Evolution. Great show! I will not be watching Crown Jewel.

It is now into November, and I have not started Nanowrimo, although I am planning to participate. This year my plan is to write the second draft of The Lady of Three Faces, which was my Nano project last year until I tripped and broke two fingers a few days into last November. I'm not going to sweat wordcount this year, but hopefully Nano season will give me some motivation to make some writing happen.

In the meantime, I've written a couple of reviews.

Comic Reviews on Comic A Day

Star Wars: Jedi Academy by Jeffrey Brown.

Amulet Book 3: The Cloud Searchers by Kazu Kibuishi

Upcoming

Science fair is happening in a couple of weeks. Kiddo has been working on evaporating his water samples to measure salinity.

I may be going to Disney Shanghai with the Kiddo for a classmate's birthday party around Thanksgiving. We're also looking at a possible day trip to a nearby city on that weekend on one of the non-Disney days. Actual Thanksgiving festivities will probably be low-key. Maybe a baked chicken with potatoes and veggies and a bottle of wine on Thursday night. We get Friday off for Thanksgiving, but not Thursday. The school usually serves turkey and pumpkin pie for school lunch that day.

Busy season in WWE is beginning to wind down. Survivor Series and NXT Wargames in a few weeks, and then TLC, which will also include the finals of Mixed Match Challenge. I haven't heard any plans for Tribute to the Troops, but that usually occurs around this time of year too. They're also doing a Starcade show, but last year's was not televised. Not sure if there are any plans to put this one on WWE Network.

I bought some Magic cards, but the timing of events over the next few weeks doesn't work well for me. Hopefully I can get into at least one or two more drafts here in Shanghai before we leave for our trip to the US. I'll try to get to a couple of events in the US when we're there.

As mentioned above, we're going to the US for Christmas. We'll be in New Hampshire for most of our visit, with some time spent on Cape Cod and in Boston. Very excited about that trip.

As a result of the splurge on the Christmas trip home, we'll probably be spending Chinese New Year here in Shanghai. We have some general ideas for travel plans looking further ahead, and some major decisions to make about long term plans. I'll tell more when we know more.

Connect/Follow

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Recap For October 7 To October 13 2018

The week started with the Kiddo and I exploring Minhang Sports Park, which is a short bus ride from where we live in Shanghai. Unfortunately, between a 24-hour stomach bug that started on Monday, and a "crunch-time" week at the day job, it was not a good week for my creative side.

I did finally get to play in a Guilds of Ravnica draft today (Kiddo played too! His second Magic: The Gathering draft!). And I also did manage to read a few books/comics this week.

Here are my recent reviews:

Comic Reviews on Comic A Day

Goodbye Kitty: A minicomic by Ryan Dow

The Amazing Spider-Man #1: Behind the Scenes Edition by Marvel Comics.

Watch the Skies V. 8.10 by Camp Hill/Harrisburg Scifi & Fantasy Reading Group.

Batman and Robin #1 from DC Comics.
|
Amulet Biook 1: The stonekeeper.Kazu Kibuishi.

Supporting

I'm backing Alan Evans' awesome pro wrestling comic, Rival Angels, on Kickstarter, as it heads to its grand finale.

Upcoming

We've started discussing destinations for trips on Thanksgiving break and Christmas break. Right now, what we're considering is back to Suzhou in Novemeber and Guilin in December, but that is still very much up in the air. We're still in a busy WWE month, with Evolution as the next ppv on the horizon.

Follow Me

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Hope everyone has a great week

Recap For September 24 - October 6 2018

We just got back from an amazing trip to Xi'an, China. We stayed at a youth hostel in the Muslim Quarter, saw the Terracotta Warriors and the Xi'an Great Mosque, and the Kiddo and I rode a tandem bike around the city wall. We also ate lots of delicious street food in the Muslim Quarter. Xi'an has immediately jumped to the top of my list of great cities for street food.

We're now in the last couple of days of Fall Break, catching up on homework and resting. School starts back up on Monday.

Here are my recent reviews:

Book Reviews on Goodreads

Tigers at Twilight from Mary Pope Osborne's Magic Tree House series.

Junie B.: First Grader: Aloha-Ha-Ha by Barbara Park

Comic Reviews on Comic A Day

The Amazing Spider-Man #800 from Marvel Comics.

Tree Rats! Or, the Crepuscular Hobbyhorse by EJ Barnes.

Captain Spectacular #2 from Gumshoe Comics.

Amulet Book 2: The Stonekeeper's Curse by Kazu Kibuishi.

Explorer: The Lost Islands, edited by Kazu Kibuishi.

Supporting

I'm supporting Michael and Brooke Freeman's trip to help schools in South Africa and Zimbabwe.

Upcoming

We're into October, and my school does Halloween in a big way. Decorations should be up when we return to school. We're working on getting a costume together for the Kiddo.

My school gets one day off for Thanksgiving (the Friday, so we get a long weekend), and we're considering a short trip to one of the nearby cities. We're also looking into travel destinations within China for Christmas break.

I missed the Guilds of Ravnica prerelease completely with our trip to Xi'an. I'm hoping to catch a draft or two in the coming weeks. D&D has been on hold since June but there has been some talk of starting it back up again.

Looking forward to lots of WWE action in the coming weeks with a packed schedule including Super Showdown, Evolution, Crown Jewel, Takeover: Wargames, and Survivor Series, plus the ongoing Mae Young Classic and Mixed Match Challenge.

Follow Me

@dandelionstudios on Instagram

Hope everyone has a great week!

Recap for September 15-23

So, I turned 50 yesterday, and spent most of the day... working. My school had its annual Back to School Bash, which is an outdoor carnival of sorts. It's a fun day, but it is a long day of work on a Saturday. After the event, we made our way to Hub Mall and caught Canadian country/rock artist Nicole Rayy and her band playing the World Music Asia Shanghai series which was a lot of fun.

Today we're doing most of the birthday festivities. Heading in town to visit the Shanghai Jewish Refugees Museum, then eating at an American BBQ restaurant and maybe checking out some more World Music Asia Shanghai musical acts. I do have Monday off, which I'm hoping to spend wandering downtown alone with my camera to finish up the birthday weekend.

Then four days of work and we're on Fall break and traveling again!

Here's what I've read/reviewed this week.

Book Reviews on Goodreads

The 39 Story Treehouse by Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton

Tigers at Twilight from Mary Pope Osborne's Magic Tree House series.

Comic Reviews on Comic A Day
The Course by Alex Ferree.

The Amazing Spider-Man #800 from Marvel Comics.

Supporting

This week I'm supporting this Facebook fundraiser for expenses related to medical issues for my good friends Laura and Aus Cushing.

Looking Ahead

Our next adventure is coming up soon. We depart by train for Xi'an, China on Saturday. We have a street food tour booked, and we're looking forward to seeing the famous Terracotta Army.

Not much planned beyond that. I have to get my passport renewed (I'm out of visa pages! Achievement unlocked!). Once that happens, we'll start making plans for Christmas break, which will probably involve more travel within China, but we are open to any and all possibilities.

Summer Review Recap

Once again, things got busy and I dropped out of the habit of doing these weekly recap blogs.

Here is a quick recap of reviews I wrote over the summer.

We had a great summer trip to the USA, half of our vacation in New Hampshire, and half on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, with a Father/Son Road Trip to Maine. Plenty of summer photos have been posted on Flickr and Instagram.

I also joined Bookcrossing. You can find me here.

And I did a lot of reading and wrote a lot of reviews.

Comic Reviews on Comic A Day

Avengers: Age of Ultron Prelude from Marvel Comics.

Princeless Book 4: Be Yourself #1 from Action Lab Entertainment.

Batwoman #7 from DC Comics.

Doodles Vol. 1 from Kaiser Studio.

Dark Sights from Against Studios.

Lumberjanes Vol. 3: A Terrible Plan from Boom! Studios

Daredevil Noir from Marvel Comics.

Batman '66 Meets Steed and Mrs. Peel #1 from DC Comics and Boom! Studios

The Heavenly Bride Book 2 by Katrina Joyner.

Geraniums and Bacon #5 by Cathy Leamy.

Coelacanthid #5 by Michael Connor.

Robin Red and the Lutins #1 from ACE.

Darth Vader #1 from Marvel Comics.

The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl Volume 1: Squirrel Power from Marvel Comics.

Marvel Fanfare #2 from Marvel Comics.

DC Nation #0 from DC Comics.

Captain Phasma #1 from Marvel Comics.

Metamo Kiss Vol. 1 by Sora Omote.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi #1 from Marvel Comics.

The 13-Story Treehouse by Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton

I Kill Giants by Joe Kelly and Ken Niimura from Image Comics.

Eensy Weensy Monster Vol. 1 by Masami Tsuda

The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl Vol. 2: Squirrel You Know It's True from Marvel Comics

Magic: The Gathering #4 from IDW.

Dog Man by Dav Pilkey.

Dog Man: A Tale of Two Kitties by Dav Pilkey

Axis Powers Hetalia Artbook Artestella Piccolo by Hidekaz Himaruya

Errand of Mercy: The Irish Potato Blight And The Good Ship Jamestown by J.L. Bell and Olivia Li

Warriors: Graystripe's Adventure by Erin Hunter, Dan Jolley, and James L. Barry.

A Prelude To Penemue by Sara M. Harvey.

Batwoman #6 from DC Comics.

Steal This Comic.com Presents: The Punchlines by Carlisle Devonish

This is a Sampler! by Aya Rothwell.

Batwoman #8 from DC Comics.

Rival Angels: Damsels of Destruction: Wrestling Maneuvers And Techniques Volume 1 by Rival Angels

Infinity Countdown: Black Widow #1 from DC Comics.

Red Sonja / Tarzan #1 from Dynamite.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi #3 from Marvel Comics.

Red Sonja / Tarzan #2 from Dynamite.

Steven Universe #17 from Kaboom!.

Action Comics #1000 from DC Comics.

Captain Spectacular #1 from Gumshoe Comics.

Batman: Prelude to the Wedding: Red Hood vs. Anarky #1 from DC Comics.

Book Reviews on Goodreads

Exit, Pursued by a Bear by Greer Gilman.

The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan.

Inherit the Wind by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee.

The Fault in our Stars by John Green.

Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator by Roald Dahl.

The Swiss Family Robinson by Johann David Wyss.

One Morning in Maine by Robert McCloskey.

Roald Dahl's Revolting Rhymes by Roald Dahl.

A Little Book of Campfire Songs by Brian Denington.

How to be a Pirate by Cressida Cowell.

Bozo the Clone by Dan Greenburg.

Alvin Ho: Allergic to the Great Wall, the Forbidden Palace, and Other Tourist Attractions by Lenore Look.

Paul Revere's Ride by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger.

A Glory of Unicorns edited by Bruce Coville.

The Giver by Lois Lowry.

Who Is Stan Lee? by Geoff Edgers.

Feet of Clay by Terry Pratchett.

Shanghai Bund Architecture by Michelle Qiao.

Sarah Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan.

Wild Fairies: Daisy's Decorating Dilemma by Brandi Dougherty.

The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien.

Who Was Rosa Parks? by Yona Zeldis McDonough.

Succeeding With Inquiry in Science and Math Classrooms by Jeff C. Marshall.

Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke.

Angels and Demons by Dan Brown.

Bad Gurus: Fiction From a Near Future by Jay O'Connell.

Phineas and Ferb: Wild Surprise by Helena Mayer.

Upcoming

We are heading to Xi'an by train the first week in October. I'm excited for the chance to photograph this historic city.

Weekly Recap For April 15-28 2018

The school year is beginning to wind down. Summer plans are starting to fall into place. We have a four-day weekend right now for International Labor Day, and we did a bit of sightseeing today at Qibao Old Street, which is the closest of the several "canal town" historical districts around Shanghai. I had been there previously with the Kiddo, but it was nice to go on a less crowded day (our previous visit was during the Chinese New Year holidays) and to show Gynn around.

This weekend was also WWE's Greatest Royal Rumble event, which we watched last night and today. Lots of spectacle, and some fun moments, but the matches could have been better.

For most of the rest of the world, this weekend is the opening of Avengers: Infinity War, but we have to wait until May 11 in China. (So no spoilers, please!).

I also started playing in the D&D group I was invited to join, and the first session was great. We play again tomorrow. I also attended a Magic: The Gathering Prerelease tourney here in Shanghai. Didn't have much success in terms of wins and losses, but had fun playing the new cards (in Chinese!).

While all of this has been going on, I've posted a few book reviews:

Book Reviews on Goodreads

Jax Starlight Volume 1 by Jenn Nixon. (5*).

The Complete Plays by Christopher Marlowe. (3*).

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany. (4*).

Star Wars: What Makes a Monster? by Adam Bray. (3*).

Trickster's Choice by Tamora Pierce. (4*).

Supporting

I'm Supporting Daniel Hurd, my wife's cousin, who is riding in the Great Cycle Challenge to raise money for the fight against children's cancer.

Upcoming

In the immediate future: D&D tomorrow, and then two days off, which will be spent reorganizing a bunch of paperwork around the house.

All sorts of end-of-school things are happening in the coming weeks. We're planning on heading for one more visit to one of the canal towns before the school year ends, and we may have some other random sightseeing around Shanghai.

It looks like we will be in Merrimack NH from June 20 to July 8, and then splitting our time between Dedham MA and Cape Cod MA from July 9 to August 2. I'll be taking the Kiddo to Maine for the annual father/son road trip during our time in NH. More specific arrangements should be coming together in the next week or so.

Weekly Recap For February 11-17 2018

Happy Year of the Dog!

Chinese New Year was quiet for us in Shanghai. We got to see the lanterns at Yuyuan Bazaar and we walked around one of the old canal neighborhoods last weekend, but the week was busy for me at work up until vacation started at the end of school Wednesday. Since then, most of our efforts have been spent on cleaning the apartment and getting ready for the arrival of visitors tomorrow.

I've also been doing some reading and reviewing.

Comic Reviews On Comic A Day

Xenoglyphs Volume 1 by Omar Spahi and PJ Catacutan from OSSM Comics. (7.5/10).

Confessions of an American Ling Master Preview #0 by EJ Barnes and Al Ackerman. (7/10).

Superman #10 by John Byrne and Karl Kesel from DC Comics in 1987. (6/10).

Book Reviews On Goodreads

Burmese Days by George Orwell. (3*).

The Thief of Always by Clive Barker. (5*).

Supporting

I am supporting my friend Jim Henderson's request for help with debts.

Looking Ahead

This will be a big week for us, hosting our first visitors in quite a while and giving them the grand tour of Shanghai. We'll figure out the agenda once they arrive, but plans are likely to include the Oriental Pearl Tower, the Bund, the New Years lanterns at Yuyuan (after dark this time!), the Natural History Museum, and lots of local food. Expect lots of pictures on Instagram.

As February comes to an end, we'll need to make a decision about Spring break plans. We've also got the annual Summer trip home to plan for June/July. We're excited about going to see Black Panther (not released here until March), and I'm looking forward to the release of Magic: The Gathering: Dominaria in the Spring, as well as the arrival of Wrestlemania season.

Weekly Recap for January 14-20 2018

This was our first five-day week of school in 2018, and was fairly busy with work-related stuff. I did manage to get in some time for some reading and reviews.

Comic Reviews on Comic A Day

They Eye of Aya by Aya Rothwell. (8/10).

Book Reviews on Goodreads

Captain Underpants and the Attack of the Talking Toilets by Dav Pilkey. (4*).

Night Watch by Terry Pratchett. (4*).

Supporting

I'm supporting NYC Books Through Bars, which sends donated books to incarcerated persons in New York and around the USA.

Looking Ahead

Lunar New Year break in February will have us hosting friends we met in Vietnam. We're excited to get to show them around Shanghai!

I'm looking forward to an eventful couple of weeks on WWE with Mixed Match Challenge, Raw's 25th anniversary show, NXT Takeover Philadelphia, and Royal Rumble.

The Kiddo is getting organized for his science fair project this weekend. The science fair is at the beginning of March.

Travel plans are still pretty vague at this point. We expect to be heading to New England USA during the summer, and we're hoping to do some traveling within China on our Spring break in April.

Weekly Recap For January 7-13, 2018

I fell out of the habit of doing these about halfway through 2017. Trying to get back on track.

This week we were back to school following winter break. We did a "staycation" here in Shanghai, and got to see lots of sights around the city. From here we've got five and a half weeks of school to our next break, Lunar New Year, where we will be hosting friends visiting from Vietnam.

Here are my reviews for the week

Comic Reviews On Comic A Day

The Sleeplessness: 2015 Special by Jay Kennedy and Fat Cat Funnies (8.5/10)

Book Reviews On Goodreads

Magic Tree House: Civil War on Sunday by Mary Pope Osborne (4*)

Supporting

I'm supporting Frank Huminski's request for help with medical expenses.

I'm also supporting my former student Antonia Liu, who just published her debut book, Hack College Like An Entrepreneur.

Looking Ahead

I'm looking forward to Mixed Match Challenge, NXT Takeover Philadelphia, and Royal Rumble from WWE in the coming weeks. Looking forward to seeing Black Panther, when it gets released here in China (we had to wait about an extra month for Star Wars: The Force Awakens). And tomorrow, I'm heading to the Magic: The Gathering: Rivals of Ixalan prerelease tournament... with cards in Chinese! That should add an extra bit of challenge to it. And, as mentioned above, Lunar New Year break in February and getting to show visitors around Shanghai.

Review Recap For April 3-22, 2017

The trip north was amazing! I'm way behind on posting photos (and even further behind on travel blog entries!), but I will be posting those in the coming weeks.

Between the trip, and then getting back to the day job, things have been busy. Here are the reviews I've written.

On Goodreads

Samurai by Louie Stowell, illustrated by Jason Engle: A history of the warriors of feudal Japan for young readers.

On Comic A Day

Mighty Archie Players #1: Some classic movie plots performed by classic Archie Comics characters in this Free Comic Book Day giveaway.

Scott Pilgrim Volume 4: Scott Pilgrim Gets It Together: The fourth book in the epic series by Bryan Lee O'Malley.

Fist of Justice Vol. 1 #1: A Free Comic Book Day giveaway from Digital Webbing.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw: The third book in Jeff Kinney's Wimpy Kid series.

Venus Needs Sharks: A minicomic collection of gag strips by Matt Finley.

Scott Pilgrim Volume 5: Scott Pilgrim vs. the Universe: The penultimate book in Bryan Lee O'Malley's epic tale.

Little Archie: The House That Wouldn't Move: A promotional ashcan from Archie Comics in 2007.

Also This Week

I supported Elise Warshaver, who ran the Boston Marathon for UMass Boston's scholarship fund in memory of Boston Marathon bombing victim Krystle Campbell. She was successful in her marathon run; it it is still possible to donate.

I have joined Dreamwidth! These review recaps will be posted at ricksilvawriting.dreamwidth.org from here on. I'm not abandoning this blog, but I will be closing my LJ account in the next couple of weeks.

Upcoming

Heading to the USA on June 16. Leaving for Shanghai on July 27.

Review Recap For March 21 - April 2, 2017

I'm a bit late with this recap as we were closing in on the end of a marking period at the day job. But we're now on Spring Break, and I'm traveling tomorrow.

In the meantime, I got several new reviews posted over the last two weeks. All are posted on my Comic A Day blog, and several of those are cross-posted on Goodreads and Amazon.


On Comic A Day

Heavenly Bride Book 1: A supernatural romance manga by Katrina Joyner.

Avengers/Invaders Sketchbook: Promotional book for the Avengers/Invaders crossover from Marvel Comics.

Mr. Emergency Special Edition: Promotional minicomic by Wade L. Busby.

Catch A Dragon By The Tail: Minicomic fairy tale by Roxanne Larson.

Lontar #1: Journal of Southeast Asian speculative fiction.

Scott Pilgrim Volume 3: Scott Pilgrim and the Infinite Sadness: Third volume of Bryan Lee O'Malley's epic tale of musicians, slackers, and evil ex-boyfriends.

The Diary of Amos Lee: I Sit, I Write, I Flush: Graphic novel of middle school life in Singapore.

The Avengers: Free Comic Book Day 2009: Aftermath of Marvel's Civil War from 2009.

Also This Week

Boston's Walk for Hunger is an event I have supported over the years. I have walked in the event several times, starting in high school. This year I am supporting my friend Mary Perez, who will be participating in the event this year and raising money to help feed the hungry in the Boston area.

I'm also supporting author Peter David, who has reached out for help with his financial difficulties. I've read many of Mr. David's comics over the years, as well as a couple of my favorite Star Trek stories that he wrote, Rock and a Hard Place and Q-In-Law.

I've also been catching up on posting photos from recent travels. I have posted new photo sets from Kep, Cambodia, and Rabbit Island, Cambodia. And I've posted a set of photos taken on the road, traveling around Cambodia.

Upcoming

Leaving tomorrow for Hanoi, Halong Bay, and Sapa, in northern Vietnam.

Heading home to the US June 16th, and then off to new adventures in Shanghai, China, at the end of July.

Review Recap For February 6-14, 2017

This past weekend was the AISMUN Model United Nations Conference, hosted by my school, American International School of Vietnam. My photos from the event are here.

I'm getting back into the day-job routine while working on paperwork for the move the Shanghai. Not much as far as comics read in the past week, but I did post a couple of book reviews.

On Goodreads

Never Let Me (The Complete Melissa Allen Trilogy) by Jennifer Brozek. Young adult SF/horror compilation.

Hurry Up Houdini by Mary Pope Osborne: Number 50 in the Magic Tree House series.

Also This Week

I'm supporting Senator Elizabeth Warren's reelection campaign. She was warned. She was given an explanation. And yet, she persisted.

Upcoming

Tentative trip to northern Vietnam in early April. Heading back to the US in late June, then to Shanghai in late July.

Review Recap For January 23-30, 2017

Well, the uncertainty of the last few months has finally come to an end. I am very happy to report that I have signed a contract for a new job for the next school year, in one of the biggest and fastest-growing cities on the planet!

We will be moving to Shanghai, China!

The new job is on a similar calendar to my current gig, so that means that we'll be visiting the US from late June until we head to China in late July.

Up until then, we'll be trying to make the most of our remaining time in Vietnam. We just celebrated Tet, and welcomed the Year of the Rooster, and I've got the rest of this week off from work. I've been getting things reorganized now that I'm out of job search mode, and I've had time to write some new reviews.

On Goodreads

How To Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell: The amusing book that was the (admittedly loose) basis for the hit film.

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte: The classic English romance. I read a lovely Grosset & Dunlap illustrated hardcover edition.

Manak: The Silent Predator by Adam Blade: My favorite of the Adam Blade books that I've read with the Kiddo so far.

On Comic A Day

Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #14: From Marvel's Unmasked storyline in 2007.

Fantasy Theater #18: Featuring two adventures of Lady Spectra & Sparky.

Also This Week

The fundraiser I was supporting this week has ended, so I'm going to repost links to fundraisers for two people battling cancer that could still use more support.

Sabrina Chick, a friend of a family member of mine.

Duane Nelson, the husband of a friend.


Upcoming


I have a big backlog of photos to process and upload from recent travels as well as Tet festivities around Ho Chi Minh City.


In early April, we're looking at a possible trip to Sapa/Hanoi/Ha Long Bay in northern Vietnam.


We leave for about a month in the US in late June, and then on to Shanghai in late July! No travel plans beyond that, but as of right now, my expectation is that most traveling we do in the 2017-2018 school year will probably be within China. It's a big country with a lot to see!

Review Recap For January 15-22, 2017

And after two weeks of day-job work, I find myself one vacation once again. This is our Tet break. No travel plans, although we'll visit the Tet festivities happening around Saigon. Mostly focusing on job search and writing/editing over these two weeks, with some time devoted to cleaning/organizing, and getting some day-job prep work done. I have two scheduled interviews so far during these two weeks, and one more being arranged.

Expect more output from me in terms of book and comic reviews over the next two weeks as well.

For now, I have a couple of new reviews.

On Comic A Day

Fisso's World In Cambodia: Living in a Kingdom of Wonders: Collection of cartoons I bought on our recent trip to Cambodia.

Blackest Night #0: The Free Comic Book Day intro for 2009's huge DC Universe crossover event.

Wish Me Luck: A minicomic from Boston Comics Roundtable.

Also This Week

I'm supporting three people battling cancer.

Sabrina Chick, a friend of a family member of mine.

Duane Nelson, the husband of a friend.

Friend and longtime SF convention attendee, Hugh Casey, who has a benefit convention being held next Sunday (Jan 29) in Philadelphia PA USA to fundraise for his expenses.

Upcoming

Tet happenings around Ho Chi Minh City over the next two weeks. We're also looking into the possibility of a trip to northern Vietnam in early April.

Review Recap For December 25 2016 To January 14 2017

Most of late December and early January was spent traveling.

We had an overland trip to Cambodia to finish up 2016, and then immediately started 2017 by adding a new countries to our list of nations visited with our trip to Bangkok, Thailand. I was there for the International Schools Services Job Fair, and got 8 interviews, but have not yet received a job offer. Several places I interviewed with are still considering candidates, so I may still hear from them, and I've had another interview over Skype since the fair.

We also managed some sightseeing in Bangkok, and there will be pictures and reviews from both trips coming soon.

Not many new reviews since the last recap, as we've been busy with travel and recovery-from-travel.

On Goodreads

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood: Atwood's dystopian classic.

The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling: I read this fairy tale collection from the Harry Potter universe to the Kiddo.

On Comic A Day

Fisso's World in Cambodia: Living in a Kingdom of Wonders by Sophie Lizeray: A collection of cartoons that I bought in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. (Also reviewed on Goodreads).

Also This Week

I'm supporting the Alzheimers Association's efforts to combat a disease that has affected my family among so many others.

I am also supporting the efforts to raise money in support of SCAdian Duane Nelson's medical treatment and expenses.

Over on Comic A Day, I posted two more quick entries today: A 2016 recap, and a quick look at a couple of Thai language graphic novels I picked up in Bangkok.

Upcoming

I've added a goal of reviewing 150 comics in 2017 to my other goals for the year.

No immediate travel plans on the horizon. We are hoping to get to the north of Vietnam in the Spring, but nothing definite has been planned. At the moment, we're planning to stay in Saigon during the Tet break, but we might possibly book a last-minute trip somewhere if finances work out.