Jeff, Author at Full of Words

Color of Life: In by Will McPhail

January 22, 2021November 7, 2020 by Jeff

I think I experienced a bit of synesthesia while reading In by Will McPhail.

The book is largely done in sketch-like black and white, the characters little more than outlines on a white background, except for moments when Nick, the main character, experiences real human connection. As soon as he makes that connection, the pages burst into fully painted, dynamic scenes, and I oftentimes felt like I could hear the sounds of crashing waves or the swell of some imaginary film score in my head. It made the whole thing quite extraordinary.

Not Much There: Fangs by Sarah Anderson

October 7, 2020 by Jeff

Sarah Anderson is best known for her Sarah’s Scribbles web comics, where a big-eyed, spiky-haired version of herself deals with introversion, anxiety, and the vagaries of modern life in a humorous, relatable way. Those strips are the exact sort of thing that people love to share on social media.

When I heard about her new book, Fangs, I was intrigued because it sounded so different from her oftentimes silly work in Sarah’s Scribbles.

Misfits and Outcasts were Everywhere in my June 2020 Reading

October 3, 2020 by Jeff

I did most of my reading via audiobooks in June, but I did also finish a recent hardcover book, so I still felt like I was starting to get back into the swing of things. The number of books I finished this month was comparatively low, and two of them were short stories in audio form, but Shorefall was a bit of an epic listen, so that balances things out.

Turtles and Cats in the City at Night: The Intergalactic Interloper by Delas Heras

October 3, 2020October 2, 2020 by Jeff

When I read about Delas Heras’ debut, The Intergalactic Interloper, it sounded like a perfect change of pace from the world outside.

It’s a short book, humorous if not laugh-out-loud funny, and charming in a gentle, nostalgic way.

The action begins in the distant past of New York City 1995, a place and time that feels comforting purely because it is a quarter of a century and thousands of miles away from where I am right now.

At Least I Finished a Few Books in May 2020

August 30, 2020 by Jeff

To stick with the theme from March and April, my reading didn’t pick up much in May, but I did manage to finish two books that I’d been working on for a few months. That made me feel a little more accomplished.

Spies, Re-Reads and Romance in April 2020

August 16, 2020 by Jeff

April was another very slow month for reading. I spent way too much time doom-scrolling and feeling horrible about the state of the world. The best decision I made all month was re-reading The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. That book is a classic, and was exactly what I needed to improve my mood.

I Didn’t Read Much in March 2020

August 15, 2020 by Jeff

March is the month when the Coronavirus pandemic became real for the United States. Even before California locked down on March 19th, I was finishing books at a slower rate, and I didn’t finish anything in the latter half of the month.

Five-Star Horrors of February 2020

August 15, 2020August 9, 2020 by Jeff

In February, I listened to two audiobooks that ended up being very timely and appropriate: Wanderers by Chuck Wendig, which is a sprawling epic about a pandemic, and The Shining by Stephen King, which is about going crazy while locked inside for months. I loved them both, even if I was oftentimes unsettled by the news out of China while I listened to Wanderers…

I Read Mostly Manga and Comix in January 2020

August 8, 2020August 8, 2020 by Jeff

I’ve had a version of this post sitting in my drafts for months as I write this intro in August. Originally I was just being lazy, but come March, we all know what happened. After the LA stay-at-home order on March 13th, my reading slowed to a crawl for a number of reasons. I couldn’t focus on books, I wasn’t listening to audiobooks during my commute, and I was spending way too much time doom-scrolling on Twitter.

My Month in Reading, December 2019

February 3, 2020January 2, 2020 by Jeff

In the first week of December, we went to Hawaii for a week.

I was so tired on the plane that I mostly watched movies and TV shows, but I had plenty of downtime during the week to sit outside on a balcony and read.

I also finished a Laini Taylor novella collection while visiting my family for Christmas.

I didn’t read anything too heavy this month, and it was a nice way to wrap up the year.

My Month in Reading, November 2019

January 2, 2020December 10, 2019 by Jeff

We moved to a new apartment at the start of November, and that meant a longer commute for me and of course a whole lot more time for listening to audiobooks while I drive. Almost all of my reading in November was done via audiobook.

My Month in Reading, October 2019

January 2, 2020November 11, 2019 by Jeff

My October reading was bookended with a few really great horror stories, which is as it should be. I also read the newest standalone novel by Kate Atkinson and finally finished a disappointing sci-fi novel by Amber Royer.

My Month in Reading, September 2019

November 10, 2019 by Jeff

In September, I read three more InCryptid books by Seanan McGuire, and finished out the series so far. Other than that, I read a few graphic novels and listened to a short sci-fi novella.

My Month in Reading, August 2019

January 2, 2020September 3, 2019 by Jeff

Seanan McGuire’s Incryptid series dominated my audiobook listening in the month of August. Every time I finished one book in the series, I bought the next! I also read more Karen Russell, a few comics, and a disappointing young adult novel about witchy babysitters.