Read, To Read, Want | Graphic Novels

Luke bloody loves graphic novels so he thought he'd run a few by you that he has either read, wants to read or wants to buy. What a kind young gentleman, eh?! Let us know what graphic novels you have in your collection in the comments below! 

READ: SWeet tooth by jeff lemire 

Sweet Tooth tells the story of Gus, a rare new breed of human / animal hybrid children, who has been raised in isolation following an inexplicable pandemic that struck a decade earlier. Now, following the death of his father, he's left to fend for himself...

I really liked Sweet Tooth, what with its unique protagonist and imaginative apocalyptic setting that does enough to set it aside from all the others out there. It's not that long but that's one of the things I liked about it, as I'm really not a big fan of graphic novels that choose to be massive tomes. It's nice to have something that isn't DC and Marvel orientated in my collection, so I'm definitely going to collect the other volumes in the Sweet Tooth series. 

TO READ: BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS BY FRANK MILLER 

Frank Miller completely reinvents the legend of Batman in his saga of a near-future Gotham City gone to rot, ten years after the Dark Knight's retirement. Crime runs rampant in the streets, and the man who was Batman is still tortured by the memories of his parents' murders. As civil society crumbles, Bruce Wayne's long-surpressed vigilante side finally breaks free of its self-imposed shackles. 

Whilst my graphic novel collection is fairly small, I have quite a few that centre around the man bat in his various interpretations and settings. One of my favourite graphic novels in my collection is The Long Halloween, and I also loved Batman: Year One too, so it only makes sense for me to move on to the The Dark Knight Returns. With it supposedly inspiring the upcoming Batman vs. Superman film, I've made sure its next on my 'to read' list and, thankfully, I've heard a lot of good things about it. 

WANT: WATCHMEN BY ALAN MOORE AND DAVE GIBBONS

This Hugo Award-winning graphic novel chronicles the fall from grace of a group of superheroes plagued by all-too-human failings. Along the way, the concept of the superhero is dissected as the heroes are stalked by an unknown assassin. 

The above is my brother's copy of Watchmen and, although I have been tempted to sneakily seize it for my own on many occasions, I've decided I'll get my own copy soon! As it rather smugly tells you in the top left hand corner of the graphic novel, it is one of Time magazines 100 best novels, and since so many other people heap praise on it I can't go wrong with this one right?! The first time I watched the film I didn't really like it, but then I watched it a second time and loved it because I learnt to appreciate it as a separate entity, away from the more conventional superhero tales. I'm guessing this will be very much the same for the graphic novel, and it'll be nice to see it from a panels-on-paper perspective.  

NOW THAT you've seen some of luke's graphic novels, tell us...

• Do you own any graphic novels?

• If so, what are they? 

Leave your answers in the comments below, or tweet us @tftcblog. We hope you've made the most of the sunshine! We'll see you on Sunday.

with regards, THE FINER THINGS CLUB.

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Currently Coveting | Wish List

crosley record player 

B: 

Mama and I desperately want a new vinyl player, as we've got a whole box of records in the cupboard under the stairs that we'd like to play again. I also want to get some of my favourite albums on vinyl. I saw this LP player on Lily's blog and thought it looked quite cute. Some people have said the sound isn't too loud but I've got a teeny tiny room so it'd probably be perfect, and I can always buy speakers for it in the future. 

instax mini 8

B: 

I used to have a mini Diana film camera but it mysteriously disappeared. Odd. I'd love an Instax mini. I think they're great fun and I think it'd encourage me to take more personal snaps! 

pale fire by vladimir nabokov

B: I read Nabokov's Lolita in February and fell in love with his writing style. I really want to read some more of Nabokov's works and I think I'd like to start with Pale Fire as it sounds fascinating. It's supposedly a 'darkly comic novel of suspense, literary idolatry, one-upmanship, and political intrigue'. Ooh! Have you read it? Let me know what you thought of it in the comments, if so. 

fables graphic novel

L: 

My brother got this for Christmas so I've been eyeing it up for a while now, along with other highly praised graphic novels such as Maus and Watchmen. Fables seems to have drawn quite a lot of attention over the years, as the love it or hate it TV series GRIMM is loosely based on it. The mightily interesting The Wolf Among Us video game by TellTale Games, which I have yet to play, was also inspired by it. So yeah, another graphic novel to my small but slowly evolving collection.   

django unchained steelbook

L: 

Yet another film I need to get Bee to watch! The film itself was pretty awesome and it has an eye catching design, so it's one of the next blu-ray steelbooks I want to add to my collection. It's a little hard to find these days due to it being out of production, so it'll no doubt set me back a fair few gold coins. 

john snow and ghost funko pop figures

L:

Until a few weeks ago I had no idea what a Funko Pop figure was, then Bee got me one of Ace Ventura and unleashed what I fear could be the start of a very expensive collection. The two (you can't get one without the other when it comes to these two surely?!)  I plan to add to my collection next hail from one of my favourite fantasy creations, Game of Thrones. Eventually I'm hoping to build Marvel, DC and Walking Dead collections too, with my Funko Pop characters being physical representations of the digital TV and film collections that don't have any fancy box-art to acknowledge their existence.

NOW THAT WE'VE SHARED OUR current loves, TELL US...

• What is on your wish list? 

LEAVE US YOUR ANSWERS IN THE COMMENTS BELOW or tweet us using @tftcblog. If you enjoyed this post, feel free to subscribe through Bloglovin and check us out on Twitter. We'll see you on Wednesday! 

 

with regards, THE FINER THINGS CLUB.

 

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Luke's 6 Favourite SteelBooks | Collections

It's definitely no secret that Luke loves to talk about films, so he thought he'd sit down and share his favourite steelbooks from his collection with you. You lucky ducks! Steelbooks, if you're wondering, are essentially blu-ray discs in very fancy steel covers. They usually come with pretty awesome designs on the front, so they're perfect for decorating your shelves with, and they also make the most perfect gifts for avid film watchers. Let us know your favourite design in the comments below! 

point break
I love the design of this steelbook! Its got one of the most iconic elements of the film right on the front and, in my opinion, it looks a lot better than having a superimposed Keanu Reeves glancing at you with those judgmental eyes of his (looking at you Devil's Advocate!). I only got around to watching this film last year but I'm really glad I did. I think the last film I watched with surfing in was Surfs Up, which I can tell you with relative confidence was nothing like Point Break (which is probably for the best). What I'm trying to say, whilst trying to avoid going off on a tangent involving other animated films I forgot existed, is that Point Break is a classic. Bee and I really liked it and there's a good chance you could too! 

THE LITTLE MERMAID
This steelbook is probably the one with the best design in my collection. It has a lovely minimalist design, with no borders, slapped on quotes or stickers or notices.  Despite steelbooks generally holding a high price tag, I actually managed to get this one for under £10 brand new, along with The Jungle Book, which I'll be honest played a large part in my purchase. Saying that though the design, as I've said above, is awesome and I'm glad I bought it as I'm hoping to collect all of the Disney classic steelbooks. If you'd asked me to name my favourite Disney films off the top of my head, I would probably have left this one out and I really don't know why. Its got everything you could want from an animated adventure, and it is definitely wrestling with Nemo for the top spot under the sea. 



pulp fiction
Its design is that of the original movie poster and, whilst I guess it could be more unique, I love it. This was one of the first steelbooks I searched for on Ebay, as I wanted to make sure I had a healthy selection of highly rated and genuinely brilliant films in my collection. I've already talked a bit about Pulp Fiction, in our 10 Films Bee Needs to See post, but it is a modern classic, and Tarantino's best to date, so whether you rent, borrow or buy it, make sure you watch it! 

the rise of the planet of the apes
This steelbook looks very much like its fellow blu-ray and DVD counterparts, but again it removes the borders and ditches the plastic for shiny metallic goodness. This was actually pretty hard to get brand new as I'm sure, like a lot of steelbooks, it's out of print now. However, I really liked the film so I just had to have it in my collection. I'm really looking forward to the sequel of this film and that should indicate how much I liked the first one. It's one of those weird films where you can find yourself rooting against humans, and I love how they have re-imagined the source material. Rise of the Planet of the Apes was one of my favorite films of 2011, and if you missed it its certainly worth squeezing in this year. 

STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS
This is one of the more unique designs in my collection, and I think it looks awesome. It's all artwork, with no information on the back, but hey it's 2014, anything you want to know is on the discs themselves these days tucked just inside! Again, I guess this one has made it into my collection because I really like the film and I'm also a big fan of the whole sci-fi/ fantasy genre in general. The second of the new reboot films, Star Trek Into Darkness, in my opinion, is the better of the two. Although, I really like both! My only gripe so far though is that there's not enough deep space exploration and adventure to complement the great cast of characters, action and special effects.

skyfall
The one with the sort of vintage style minimalist design, Skyfall definitely stands out from the others. Similar to Star Trek Into Darkness, there isn't reels of information cluttering the front and back, just 007 and his lovely Aston Martin DB5. I'm hoping to add Away We Go and Road to Perdition to my collection as well, so I can have a mini set of Mendes films. I like collecting collections within collections! Sam Mendes has done really well pulling James Bond back to the dizzy heights of Casino Royale, and out of the dark precipice that was Quantum of Solace. It was no surprise to me either, because I consider him to be a very good director. Skyfall, for me, is one of the best James Bond films, embodying the old and the new to make it stand out among the rest.  

now that you've had a peek at luke's steelbook collection, TELL US...

• What do you collect? 

• What steelbooks should Luke purchase next? 

LEAVE US YOUR ANSWERS IN THE COMMENTS BELOW or tweet us using @tftcblog. If you enjoyed this post, feel free to subscribe through Bloglovin and check us out on Twitter. We'll see you on Wednesday! 

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£5 Charity Shop Challenge: Gift Edition | Challenge

b: I am a charity shop regular. My bookshelves are brimming with books, and my drawers are full of patterned jumpers and beaded tops that I've found tucked away at the back of my local charity shops. Luke, however, not so much. Whilst he was a charity shop volunteer, and once brought home Prison Break season 1 for £2 (!!), he rarely ventures into the vast array of shops on our local high street. With this in mind, I thought I would propose a little bit of a charity shop challenge to see whether it was possible to buy gifts for one another with just our loose change. The rules were simple: Luke and I had £5 each to spend on gifts for one another and we had free range of the 10 charity shops that grace the high street of my hometown. We managed to stumble across a lot of finer things but lets start with Luke's finds first!


watercolour painting, wooden jewellery box, CERAMIC CAT 

luke'S MUSINGS on his finds 
Now as Bee has already informed you, I didn't know what to expect when taking on this challenge. I was hoping to stumble upon a mysterious little shop, like the one out of Never Ending Story, and find a shop assistant who could give me some sound book recommendations, or at the very least offer me some free Frogurt. Aside from these adventurous aspirations, I also set off to find something that would catch my eye, and it didn't take long until something did. In the very first shop I went in, in the centre of the room, was a little CERAMIC CAT that looked just like Bee's tabby cat Charles (who I am constantly competing with to be the favourite!). I think that's one of the things that makes charity shops so brilliant. Even if you go in not having a clue, you can, more often that not, find unique yet personal gifts that you can be almost certain the recipient will love. The second gift I bought was found in the third shop on the route, a large hand painted WATERCOLOUR PAINTING in blues and purples of a sailboat on a lake. The painting caught my eye instantly, and I couldn't help but wonder as to who its creator may have been, and where they took their inspiration from. This, again, demonstrates the uniqueness of the charity shop experience. The third and final gift I bought Bee was a little WOODEN JEWELLERY BOX that had been very well made, and remained in very good condition bar a few small scratches. I saw the third gift as something Bee and I could refurbish together. The great thing about buying from charity shops, along with the donation to charity, is that you have a bit of money left over for customisation and refurbishment. Alas, that's another challenge for another day....

bee's musings on luke's finds
I was so impressed with Luke's finds, especially as he's not a regular! The first gift that I received was the beautiful WOODEN JEWELLERY BOX, and soon as I saw it I could see its massive potential. The dark wood and the neon yellow innards weren't going to deter me! We are going to sand it all down, give it a lick of paint, re-upholster it and then it'll be good as new. I'm going to paint it white so that it fits in with my other furniture, but I may do a little stenciling on the top. What do you think?! The CERAMIC CAT is absolutely gorgeous, and so thoughtful because it really is a deadringer for Charles. He has since taken pride of place on my bookshelf. Whilst it's quite large and not something I would normally gravitate towards, I actually think the WATERCOLOUR PAINTING is beautiful and a perfect fit for my wanderlust! I'm going to re-frame this piece because the current frame is a little dated but I've already been eyeing up a spot on my wall for this beauty. 

1984 by george orwell (978-0-141-19120-1), the incredible hulk comic (dec 1995), the maze runner by james dashner (978-1-906427-50-4), wolf hall by hilary mantel (978-0-00-723020-4), the children of hurin by j. r. r. tolkein (978-0-00-725226-8)

BEE'S MUSINGS ON her FINDS
I thought I'd find this challenge a lot trickier than I actually did but, thankfully, the charity shops did me proud! The first purchase I made was the vintage INCREDIBLE HULK COMIC. This little beauty is a '95 edition and I think it looks awesome. Luke collects graphic novels, and loves superheroes, so I think I did quite well with this one - even though the Hulk isn't one of his favourites! The rest of my finds were, surprise surprise, books. Luke wants to read more widely this year so I picked out some books that I thought he'd really enjoy, as well as ones that may challenge him a little. He loves Tolkien's other works so THE CHILDREN OF HURIN was a pretty good find! I also knew that he wanted to read some modern classics this year, particularly those in the science fiction genre, so I grabbed 1984 when I saw it loitering at the back of the RSPCA shop for a mere 50p. I'd heard quite a lot about WOLF HALL, as it won the Man Booker prize, and Luke quite likes historical fiction, so I was pretty chuffed to find it in brand new condition. Lastly, I picked up THE MAZE RUNNER because Luke enjoys popular YA series', like The Hunger Games. What do you think of my choices?

luke'S MUSINGS on bee's finds 
I guess I should say to begin with that I wasn't surprised to see Bee had got me a number of papery goods from her charity shop adventure, as I am so used to seeing her bookcase overflow with her finds. Nevertheless, I was really impressed by the books Bee bought me. THE CHILDREN OF HURIN will be such a fascinating read, what with me being such a fan of Tolkein's other work! Similarly, I can't wait to start reading 1984 as it's pretty much a pillar of the modern science fiction genre. Sadly my novel reading pales in comparisons to my film watching, something I really want to change in 2014 as I think reading can enhance the viewing experience. For example, watching Game of Thrones on television after reading the book series makes them both all the more awesome (but, sadly, still horrifically depressing at times - SPOILER: poor Ned!). WOLF HALL is another novel I plan on reading this year but I have to admit I wasn't too familiar with it, but hey I guess that could be a good thing and I'll just have to trust Bee's judgement (and those of the Man Booker Prize people, of course!). It was nice to see THE MAZE RUNNER make it onto my bookshelf too, as it's probably a book I would have been likely to overlook myself. Admittedly, I have left THE INCREDIBLE HULK COMIC till last because its the one that surprised me the most. Although I'm not the greatest fan of the Hulk, despite him being such an approachable and relateable character...I really did not expect Bee to go out and find vintage comic books but, then again, why not?! Can anyone really say what you can or can't find in all the charity shops you find scattered up and down the land? I say no, and that's why you should go and explore them, especially if you loved the goody bags that you got from birthday parties as a kid. They're pretty much like them but for everyone! 

now that we've shared our finds, TELL US...

• Would you consider buying gifts in charity shops?

• What are the best things you have bought from a charity shop? 
• Do you like our picks? Who did best? ;) 

LEAVE US YOUR ANSWERS IN THE COMMENTS BELOW or tweet us using @tftcblog. If you enjoyed this post, feel free to subscribe through Bloglovin and check us out on Twitter. We'll see you on Sunday! 

with regards, THE FINER THINGS CLUB.

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER: @TFTCBLOG | FOLLOW US ON BLOGLOVIN

EMAIL US AT: THEFINERTHINGSCLUBBLOG@GMAIL.COM