Hello Everyone! Happy Monday. It is so cold out today. The wind is making it much more unpleasant. But the sun is shining so all is really well.

I thought I would start 2016 off with some fun posts. I was recently reflecting on my books I read last year, when it occured to me that I have a lot of other things I spend my time on that I rarely discuss. I call them my guilty pleasures because sometimes I feel like a kid hiding when I am caught indulging in these activities.

For example, this past year has been the union of my oldest son and comic books. I have always been a big reading advocate in our home with weekly library visits, trips to Barnes and Noble to name a few things I do to continue to fuel their love of books. So when my oldest, started reading comics, I had to put my ego in check. I didn’t want to stifle his interests but I didn’t want comics to replace all of the book reading he had been doing. Then I realized that he could love both and then I relaxed. When I did, I decided I would join him on this reading adventure to stay connected.  So when we make our visits to our local comic book store, I searched for one that I might enjoy.  That is how I began reading, “Gotham Academy” which is published by DC Comics, created by Becky Cloonan and Brenden Fletcher with artist Karl Kerschi. Fun fact: In 2012 Becky Cloonan became the first female to draw the main Batman for DC Comics.

Gotham Academy

The series follows Olive Silverlock, a teenage girl attending the prestigious Gotham Academy. After distancing herself from her friends and breaking up with her boyfriend over the summer, Olive attends a new school year at the academy after a run-in with Batman. She finds herself bullied at the start of the semester due to word spreading that her mother was instated at Arkham Asylum. At the behest of her friend Mia “Maps” Mizoguchi (who is also her ex-boyfriend’s little sister), the two begin exploring the archaic halls of the academy…

I even bought a package of comic book sleeves to store our comics inside for safe keeping. I store them in a basket next to my comfy chair in my reading nook. So I can easily sit back and take in the beautiful artwork. I take my time reading each issue to experience both artwork and story. They are definitely on my list of guilty pleasures but I have no regrets.

Now when we go to the Comic Bookstore, I look for my comic and I know that I am connected to this experience with Nicholas. It’s priceless.

What’s one of your guilty pleasures? For I know I am not alone!!

Have a blessed day friends.

Belinda