Graphic Novel: Anya's Ghost

Anya's Ghost: "...brilliantly illustrated in a way which makes it impossible not to connect with the characters."

Anya's Ghost by Vera Brosgol

Anya's Ghost tells the story of Anya Borzakovskaya, a Russian girl growing up in America.  Her life takes a twist one day when she falls down a well and meets a ghost called Emily, and after an initial tentative start they then go on to become friends.

The theme of ghosts in fiction is hardly a new idea and yet the concept behind Anya's Ghost manages to come across as fresh and unique.  It's also a creatively concocted story, with lots of cool ideas and twists.  I have to admit that when the main twist arrived it took the plot in a direction away from the storyline I expected and hoped for, but within a few pages I was drawn into the story even more and the unexpected developments definitely crank up the intrigue and drama.

The author, Vera Brosgol's, own life mirrors the basic outline behind Anya* in that she was born in Russia but grew up in the US, so that probably helps explain why some of the emotions Anya describes about growing up as a Russian in America and feeling like an outsider, feel so genuine and believable.

* Apart from the bit about the ghost, presumably.

TV: Impractical Jokers

"Warning: The following program contains scenes of graphic stupidity among four lifelong friends who compete to embarrass each other."

Whichever Joker gets the most fails is that week's loser
and has to suffer the end of show punishment.

That's the cautionary note that precedes every episode of Impractical Jokers and at its most basic level that's what the show is all about; four friends trying to embarrass each other.  What the warning doesn't mention though, is just how funny Impractical Jokers is.

I got into Impractical Jokers more and more as the first season progressed and I think it definitely helps the humour once you get to know the personalities of the four jokers.  Once I was hooked, some of the episodes had me absolutely crying my eyes out with laughter and in fact on one occasion I was literally laughing so much that I had a sore throat.

Animated Short: Spacebound

"Everyone but the most hard-hearted of viewers will enjoy Spacebound."

Spacebound is a touching animated short movie which tells the story of an astronaut and his cute space dog who are stranded in space with their oxygen supplies running dangerously low.  The movie reveals how the dude and his dog spend their last few minutes and in a way Spacebound is basically an animated version of the saying, "Stop and smell the flowers."

You can watch it below...

Android App: Time Of Exploration

Time Of Exploration: Its simplicity makes it instantly appealing.

Time Of Exploration: A game of statistics.

Time Of Exploration by Androdan Games certainly won't be for everyone's tastes, but for a spell when I first began playing it I found myself constantly and eagerly checking at regular intervals throughout the day to see how my settlement was getting on.

The game follows a simple format; your buildings produce resources which you can then use to construct additional buildings, and as the production of resources accrues in real time, it therefore makes Time Of Exploration the perfect game to dip in and out of for a brief spell a few times each day.

The object of Time Of Exploration is to expand your settlement, and in this modern day of flashy graphics and all action gameplay it's perhaps hard to explain just why I found it so addictive.  If you were to show someone a few screenshots of the game, they might perhaps be puzzled as to how a few menus full of statistics (which is all Time Of Exploration basically is) could combine to produce such an addictive game.  However, despite the games basic nature, there's nevertheless something strangely satisfying about unlocking new building options and watching your settlement develop.

Music: Finally We Are No One by Mum

Finally We Are No One: Lullabies For Adults

Finally We Are No One by Mum

The first time I discovered Mum was when another Icelandic band, Sigur Ros, posted a link with a glowing recommendation on their facebook page.  As a big Sigur Ros fan, I was immediately intrigued, and after checking out the link I was instantly hooked.  In some ways Mum remind me of Sigur Ros, as both bands are experts at creating beautifully atmospheric and emotional music.

Finally We Are No-One was the first album by Mum I listened to and right from the first listen it was an album which had me excited to have belatedly discovered such a cool and creative band.  The whole album is hauntingly beautiful and after a stressful day at work it's the perfect album to put on to help you switch off from the stresses of the world and drift off into a calming inner peace.

Comics: The Li'l Depressed Boy

The Li'l Depressed Boy: A Uniquely Appealing Comic

The Li'l Depressed Boy: "A comic with a lot of charm."

When I first discovered The Li’l Depressed Boy, I was immediately curious about the title, but at the same time it was a title which also almost put me off reading it.  I wondered if maybe this was a downbeat depressing comic where the main character just mopes about feeling sorry for himself.  Thankfully, I was wrong and The Li'l Depressed Boy is just a regular dude who likes doing regular things, trying to deal with regular life.

It’s hard to really describe why I enjoyed the opening issue so much, as all that happens is that the Li’l Depressed Boy meets a girl and does ordinary stuff like going to gigs (and playing laser quest!).  Whatever the reason though, the opening issue left me feeling excited at having discovered a cool new comic, but also confused as to why exactly I had enjoyed this comic so much.

Maybe part of the appeal is the fact that writer S. Steven Struble has created story-lines about everyday real-life, rather than fantastical adventures, and therefore many readers will find it easy to relate to.  And without doubt another of the reasons why I instantly made a connection with this comic is the cool stylised way in which The Li’l Depressed Boy is depicted.

TV: Celebrity Bedlam

Celebrity Bedlam: It's got celebrities in it and it's bedlam.

Lee Kern, the presenter and creator of Celebrity Bedlam.

In the words of Lee Kern, "Celebrity Bedlam is the show where we explore the hot topics of the day by playing pranks on fame-hungry celebs and getting them to take part in fake TV shows."  In reality there’s very little exploration of hot topics going on and the focus of the show is pretty much entirely based around ridiculing celebrities through crazy and sometimes bizarre jokes and tricks.

Each episode of Celebrity Bedlam features sketches and pranks of a similar general theme, such as the environment, travel and adventure, or health and lifestyle, but in truth it’s all just a big excuse to have a laugh at celebrities’ expense.