The W00T list, 2015

2015 Woot List

[W00T: a expression of joy after a triumph or obvious victory]

Looking back, I now realize 2015 is truly the year I read ALL the manga/comics – but it was also the year that, while I enjoyed quite a lot of books, I found myself all too often held back from true woot territory by some niggling reservation or qualm. It was a year of perhaps more frustration that triumph in the regard, but here are the few and proud that, by whatever strange alchemy, did mange to unabashedly trigger my fangirl glee: 

Uprooted by Naomi Novik

Uprooted

Really I can only add another mound to the towering heap of praise – was there anyone who didn’t like this book? But this is a wonderful, magical tale, one I’ve already enjoyed re-reading several times. Because yes, it is just that good.

Yona of the Dawn (anime)

Yona of the Dawn

This anime (adapted from a manga) is a coming of age, girl learning to fight, Robin Hood and her band of misfits, kind of fantasy adventure – so needless to say, I fell completely in love with it. If you’ve still got an Avatar: The Last Airbender sized hole in your heart, definitely check this one out.

ALL the manga/comics

Manga 2015Comics 2015

Oh boy. I don’t know what was in the air this past year, but I managed to find SO MANY fantastic comics. Romance, horror, sci-fi, fantasy, you name it, I read it – like a one-woman locust swarm – and alarmingly I’m showing no signs of slowing down. So if you haven’t dipped a toe in these particular reading waters yet, trust me, now is a glorious time to start. But oh, my poor wallet…

(Above, from left to right: Say I Love You by Kanae Hazuki. Planetes by Makoto Yukimura. The Ancient Magus’ Bride by Kore Yamazaki. My Little Monster by Robico. Monstress by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda. Alex + Ada by Jonathan Luna and Sarah Vaughn. Lumberjanes by Noelle Stevenson, Grace Ellis, Brooke A. Allen, and Shannon Watters. Clean Room by Gail Simone and Jonathan Davis-Hunt.)

Nimona by Noelle Stevenson

Nimona

And speaking of comics, we can’t forget Nimona! I mean, a book where a girl of non-standard body type is allowed to be the hero – erm, villain? – of her own story, that’s simply an epic tale of win. Not to mention a ridiculously fun read.

Sense8

Sense8

And last but not least is Sense8, a show that told exactly the kind of story I’d been wanting to see, while showcasing a marvelously diverse cast. And honestly, I can’t remember the last time a show made me care this much about all the people in it.

So there you have it, my woots of 2015 – the precious few that amped me up, geeked me out, and just made me happy this past year. So what made your list?