Alrightreads: Book I

L. Frank Baum, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

1900 / Audiobook / 260 pages / USA

****

The film is still definitive, but there's more of it in the book than I would have credited, which is a more violent and twisted take in general. Probably not one for bedtime stories.

Alan Moore, Chris Sprouse, Art Adams, Jerry Ordway, Dave Gibbons and Gary Frank, Tom Strong: Collected Edition, Book 1

1999-2000 (collected 2000) / Ecomics / 160 pages / UK

***

Moore's pulp parodies are some of the funniest things I've ever read, so it's a shame when he calibrates to affectionate pastiche.

Tony Hawks, Round Ireland with a Fridge

1998 / Ebook / 256 pages / UK

****

A slow start led to me abandoning this as a teenager, which was hardly in the spirit. Once it finally got underway, I was along for the stupid ride, having listened to enough Unbelievable Truth to hear the audiobook in my head.

John Bellairs, The House with a Clock in Its Walls

1973 / Audiobook / 179 pages / USA

***

Better than Harry Potter, at least.

Alex Raymond, Flash Gordon, Volume One: "Mongo, the Planet of Doom"

1934-35 (collected 1990) / Ebook / 110 pages / USA

****

Reading this serialised stream-of-consciousness out of context and seeing our tireless hero vanquish monsters, racist stereotypes and other relentless perils in his pants was hilarious, then eventually tedious.