The Boys Omnibus Vol. 1-6 by Garth Ennis

I watched the tv series and got curious and ended up reading the whole series in about 2 weeks. So good!! Very graphic but the story line is amazing. Essentially, The Boys are a group secretly funded by the CIA to keep tabs on superheroes and the company that made/sponsors them, Vought American.

The story is told mainly from the point of view of Hughie, who joined The Boys after his girlfriend was accidentally killed by a speedster "hero" who then showed no remorse and everything was swept under the rug. The other members are Billy Butcher, Mother's Milk (M.M.) Frenchie, and The Female, who all have their own stories of why they hate the supes.


Pages

• Vol. 1: 354
• Vol. 2: 376
• Vol. 3: 344
• Vol. 4: 328
• Vol. 5: 420
• Vol. 6: 358

Manners & Mutiny by Gail Carriger

Lessons in the art of espionage aboard Mademoiselle Geraldine's floating dirigible have become tedious without Sophronia's sweet sootie Soap nearby. She would much rather be using her skills to thwart the dastardly Picklemen, yet her concerns about their wicked intentions are ignored, and now she's not sure whom to trust. What does the brusque werewolf dewan know? On whose side is the ever-stylish vampire Lord Akeldama? Only one thing is certain: a large-scale plot is under way, and when it comes to fruition, Sophronia must be ready to save her friends, her school, and all of London from disaster--in decidedly dramatic fashion, of course.

By this point, we all know I enjoy these.  I have to admit, however, that this one is my least favorite of the four.  It does wrap everything up in a nice bow, but I just didn't feel as invested in the overall mystery.  

Overall thoughts - unique, fun series and good for all ages.  :)

4/5

337 pages

Waistcoats & Weaponry by Gail Carriger

Sophronia continues her second year at finishing school in style—with a steel-bladed fan secreted in the folds of her ball gown, of course. Such a fashionable choice of weapon comes in handy when Sophronia, her best friend Dimity, sweet sootie Soap, and the charming Lord Felix Mersey stowaway on a train to return their classmate Sidheag to her werewolf pack in Scotland. 

No one suspected what—or who—they would find aboard that suspiciously empty train. Sophronia uncovers a plot that threatens to throw all of London into chaos and she must decide where her loyalties lie, once and for all.

This is book three of the Finishing School Series.  I continue to enjoy these and have already started the fourth and final book.  So far, this is my favorite of the series as the characters are far enough along in their espionage training for some life-altering things to happen to them and around them.  I'm also amused by the techniques the ladies use (like vocal affectations and demure flirting) to manipulate and melt the men around them to learn their secrets.  Some things never change. :)

4/5

320 pages

A Colder War by Charles Cumming

A classic old-school espionage novel, with some intriguing plot twists.  Tom Kell, an out of favor British agent is sent to investigate the suspicious death of another British agent in Turkey.  Kell is tasked with searching out a potential mole in the British or American services in Turkey - and the plot begins its twists and turns.  Cumming is great at bringing us into the world of spies, where nothing can be accepted on its face.  382 pages