With the weather picking up a bit, we've had weekends away and stuff to do in the garden so I've not had that much time to read really. I'm still ahead of target for this year, I'll likely hit 30 books before Summer is over so I can afford the odd slow month.

Flake, Matthew Dooley

I bought this book from Matthew at Thought Bubble a couple of years ago. My first attempt back then didn't end well. I didn't get into it as much as I thought I would so it sat on my shelf for a good while. It's a lovely bit of (signed) shelf porn so I wasn't going to get rid of it so I figured I should give it another shot and I'm glad I did. I breezed past where I'd previously abandoned it and ended up really enjoying the book. Looking back now, I can't think what didn't grab me the first time as it's gone on my "to read again at some point" list.

The Marvel Art of Skottie Young, Jess Harrold

I've read this book a few times over the last couple of years and I still find it interesting tracking Skottie's career from it's start through to where he is today and it's an inspiring book to spend some time flicking through.

Steal Like an Artist, Austin Kleon

A classic for creative people of all kinds. This book is comprised of short essays relating to building a good creative practice and not letting things get in the way. I remember first hearing about this book when it was first launched and fell into the trap of thinking this book was encouraging people to steal other people's work. What the book actually talks about is we're all basically standing on the shoulders of giants, products of our influences.

I Hate Fairyland: Gert's inferno, Skottie Young & Brett Bean

Continuing my Skottie Young re-read, I picked up this collected edition of the first 5 issues of "series 2" of I Hate Fairyland. I have all the single issues but getting the trade paperback just makes it easier to flick through and re-read. I remember not being too enthralled by the idea of Young not taking the reins on the art side, given that was much of the draw to the series for me in the first place, but Brett Bean's style is a very good match for the story. It's got a familiarity without just blindly trying draw like Young, it's got its own flavour which really works.

Gasp! The first "Did not read"

Wuthering Heights, Emily Brontë

I'm sorry to any Brontë fans, I really tried to get into this book and after about 40 pages, I found the experience pretty draining. Perhaps I'll give it another go at some point in the future, I feel it's one of those classics I ought to have read, considering Haworth (the place where the Brontës wrote most (or possibly all) of their books) isn't all that far away from where I live.