The Last Pilot

author: Benjamin Johncock
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2015
rating: 5
read at: 2015/07/31
date added: 2015/07/31
shelves:
review:
'The Last Pilot' is the debut novel of Benjamin Johncock. It's historical fiction at it's finest. The writing is lean and the characters compelling.

Jim Harrison is a test pilot in the Mojave Desert along with Chuck Yeager. He spends his days flying and his nights at Pancho's Bar. He and his wife long for a child but are unable to conceive. When Jim's wife Grace finally does become pregnant, their lives are filled with their daughter Florence. Jim's status as an elite pilot puts him on track to be in the Gemini program, but he turns it down to be with his daughter. A tragic event comes between Jim and Grace. Jim finds himself joining the early days of the space program, but what has happened haunts him to the point where he might not be fit to fly.

This is all told against the backdrop of the years leading up to the space program. Real people are woven among the story, but not in a way that feels contrived or gimmicky. You might even think Jim Harrison was a real NASA astronaut, he's so convincingly realized. Grace is also not a stereotypical fictional wife. I loved many of the supporting characters, especially Pancho, the crusty owner of the bar, and a pilot herself.

The writing is concise in the best way. I found myself thinking initially that it would be like 'The Right Stuff' and for fans of the movie, it'll feel like familiar territory, but this is it's own story. I really enjoyed this novel and I look forward to what this writer does next.

I received a review copy of this ebook from MacMillan-Picador and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.


via Wayne's bookshelf: read http://ift.tt/1MYOo7m

Wrapped in Plastic: Twin Peaks

author: Andy Burns
name: Wayne
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2015
rating: 4
read at: 2015/07/29
date added: 2015/07/29
shelves: non-fiction
review:
'Wrapped in Plastic: Twin Peaks' by Andy Burns just continues my love of the Pop Classics series. So far I've read books on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Elvis Costello, and now Twin Peaks. In all cases the subjects have been enthusiastically and well written about.

This time around, it's quirky Twin Peaks. The show that lasted only two seasons, but managed to change so much. Modern shows like True Detective, The Following, and Hannibal owe quite a bit to this landmark, even if they don't overtly acknowledge it. The television landscape before and after are discussed as is the fact that the shows creator came from Hollywood in a time when that didn't really happen. We read about the episodes that worked, and the ones that didn't. The movie is discussed as well as the way the characters changed as they encountered the Red Lodge. The influence of the show and the many homages are talked about, some funny, some strange. The show was ahead of it's time, and, for a show that got cancelled, it's found a loyal fan base.

Andy Burns points out the offbeat humor that a lot of people didn't get. His fandom is very infectious, and the writing is very well done. I was a fan of the show the first season, and it kind of lost me during the second, but after reading this, I might have to go back and revisit this strange, dark town with it's delicious pie and coffee. Thank you Andy Burns for reintroducing me to this series, and thank you Pop Classics for another fun entry.

I received a review copy of this ebook from ECW Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.


via Wayne's bookshelf: read http://ift.tt/1I3jrxF

Half a King (Shattered Sea, #1)

author: Joe Abercrombie
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2014
rating: 5
read at: 2015/07/29
date added: 2015/07/29
shelves: young-adult
review:



via Wayne's bookshelf: read http://ift.tt/1I3fgSg

The Broken Sword

author: Poul Anderson
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.88
book published: 1954
rating: 5
read at: 2015/07/23
date added: 2015/07/23
shelves:
review:
'The Broken Sword' by Poul Anderson is a classic from the golden age of SF. I had always heard it was good, and I finally got a chance to read it. I wasn't disappointed.

When a human baby, Skafloc, is stolen by an elf and replaced with a changeling, it sets in motion the worst war the elves have seen. Skafloc grows up a joyous and happy child. He has an affinity for elf magic and he is a pretty mighty warrior. He falls in love, and everything seems to be going perfect. Then darkness falls, and it threatens everything in Skafloc's world. He seeks out a terrible weapon that may completely unmake him while helping him get the revenge he craves. Can Skafloc be saved from the cursed weapon? Can his people be saved? Will he ever laugh again?

It's a good tale with fabulous prose and epic battles full of all the bloodshed we want in epic fantasy. Skafloc's demeanor change sets the tone as the book grows darker. The characters were ok to me, but I kept reading for the writing. I recently read a book from this era for a book club, and I wish they had picked this book instead. This was a really great read, and I'm so happy that Open Road Media has seen fit to publish this as an ebook.

I received a review copy of this ebook from Open Road Integrated Media and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.


via Wayne's bookshelf: read http://ift.tt/1fqCdVH

Returner's Wealth (Wyrmeweald, #1)

author: Paul Stewart
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.80
book published: 2010
rating: 4
read at: 2015/07/23
date added: 2015/07/23
shelves:
review:
'Returner's Wealth' by Paul Steward and Chris Riddell is the first book in the Wyrmeweald series. Even though we spend most of our time n the wilds of the wyrmeweald, it's some pretty decent worldbuilding of a strange and hostile land.

Young Micah wants to woo the heart of a girl who really has no interest in him. He's poor, so he does the desperate thing of taking off for the wyrmeweald to find his fortune. When he is almost killed by things he doesn't understand, he finds himself under the reluctant tutelage of Eli, a survivor of the wyrmeweald. Their adventures take them into strange landscapes and caverns where dangerous creatures dwell. It may turn out that the humans are the most dangerous species in the wyrmeweald. He meets the treasure seeking kith who are out to kill dragons for the prophet, and the kin, who bond with dragons and have strange ways of their own.

The book does end on a bit of a cliffhanger because it's part of a sequel. I liked the world that Paul Stewart has created with its savage harshness. I liked the art by Chris Riddell, from chapter embellishments to full page dragon art. All in all an interesting book, and I wouldn't mind reading more in this world.

I received a review copy of this ebook from Open Road Integraed Media and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.


via Wayne's bookshelf: read http://ift.tt/1IhNVc6

ODY-C, Vol. 1

author: Matt Fraction
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.47
book published: 2015
rating: 4
read at: 2015/07/20
date added: 2015/07/20
shelves: graphic-novels
review:
'Ody-C, Vol. 1' by writer Matt Fraction and illustrator Christian Ward seems to be a love/hate kind of thing so far if reviews are any indication. You can count me in the love column, but more like the strong like column.

It's the Odyssey, but in space. All the characters are female, and it's the future. Add in some art with eye-popping colors and visuals, and an almost stream of consciousness narrative that sort of follows the Odyssey, and you know it's not going to be a completely faithful remake, but it'll get close, hopefully. It does in spirit and maybe even a bit in tone, but I think I had to just "go with the flow" and let the words and images wash over me. There are a group of malicious beings (gods?) watching over Odyssia and her crew. She just wants to get home, but the beings are spiteful and want to interfere. We get the Cyclops, this time as a woman, in all it's terrifying, bone-crunching awesomeness. The story begins here, but doesn't end. We're given a glimpse of the home that Odyssia wants to get to, but that's about it.

It's got the feeling of some modern art pieces where the art is just splashed on the page. That is not a complaint by me. What gets displayed here is sometimes fluid instead of formed. I was sometimes reminded of a lava lamp the way that backgrounds seemed to sometimes bubble. The colors are intense and some of the color combinations clash in strange ways. The story won't make the purists happy, but it's definitely influenced by the original. I can accept that, but I can see how some might not. The art may be too ugly, the story too unfaithful, but I found myself drawn in and propelled on this journey.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Diamond Book Distributors, Image Comics, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.


via Wayne's bookshelf: read http://ift.tt/1GxA7Jx

East of West, Vol. 4: Who Wants War?

author: Jonathan Hickman
name: Wayne
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2015
rating: 4
read at: 2015/07/19
date added: 2015/07/19
shelves: graphic-novels
review:



via Wayne's bookshelf: read http://ift.tt/1Idw4JD

Write It Your Way: A workbook of reading, writing, and literature

author: Education.com
name: Wayne
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2015
rating: 4
read at: 2015/07/19
date added: 2015/07/19
shelves: children-s
review:
'Write It Your Way' by education.com is a workbook with some great guided exercises to improve writing skills. The book is aimed at probably 4th or 5th grade, but has things in it that I didn't start learning until later.

This workbook is divided up into 4 sections with an answer key at the end. Each section has a certificate of completion. The first section is called 'Reading Like a Writer, Writing Like a Reader' and has some guided paragraph reading and questions from the books 'Alice in Wonderland' and 'The Secret Garden.' The idea is to get writers to analyze what they read. The second section are a series of 'Journal Prompts for Kids' and there are fun sections like creating a menu item or a superhero or wishes that a genie grants. The third section is on 'Opinion Writing' and could be the most dry, but it is handled deftly and teaches good skills for term papers and future business writing. There are quite a few worksheets on identifying opinion versus narrative writing, and they increase in difficulty, but I found these to be really good. The final section titled 'Heroes and Villains: Story Writing' lays out some good framework for creating characters and laying out a story or novel.

There is lots of color. The exercises are mainly writing, but there are chances to draw. There is a link to a website for more worksheets. This could be the workbook that a young, struggling writer could use to boost school skills. I think the skill sets taught in this short book are invaluable for writing.

I received a review copy of this ebook from Dover Publications and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.



via Wayne's bookshelf: read http://ift.tt/1GuAIvi

Justice, Inc.

author: Michael Uslan
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.05
book published: 2015
rating: 2
read at: 2015/07/18
date added: 2015/07/18
shelves: graphic-novels
review:
'Justice, Inc' brings together three pulp heroes in one big crossover. I've read a few of these and some work better than others. This one didn't work all that well to me.

This time around The Shadow, Doc Savage and The Avenger are all teamed up. Doc Savage has created an invention that allows his future self to cross over into the past. There is also part of this invention that has bad guys interested. They are so interested that they decide to team up and fight against our three heroes. They do this before our heroes even realize they are a team. Along the way, we also get the origin story of The Avenger, a character I was less familiar with, but I remember seeing him on book covers. Does it sound like a mess? Because it kind of is. By the time it ended, I was tired of The Shadow being so grouchy. If he doesn't ever work well in teams, I don't know why it's interesting to keep trying to get him to team up. I was tired of jokes about Doc Savage's new haircut (which resembles the one I know from the books). I missed Doc's team, which is kind of brushed off, except we do see Monk and a couple others. I did like the in-joke of naming the bad guy Ernst Roberson, which is a combination of the names of the author pseudonyms for the writers of Doc and The Avenger.

It kind of was all over the place. Famous people show up, but then don't seem to have anything to do except act as show pieces. I get The Shadow as a loner, but he is so unlikeable that I don't know why anyone would agree to work with him. The plot gets elongated to the point where when we finally get back to it, I had lost interest. It's a shame too, because, like I said at the beginning of the review, I've seen some very successful crossovers with some of these characters or others of the era. This one left me wanting a lot more.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Diamond Book Distributors, Dynamite Entertainment, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.


via Wayne's bookshelf: read http://ift.tt/1MBc0P4

Live Life Sunny Side Up

author: Jeremy Ville
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.54
book published: 2015
rating: 4
read at: 2015/07/18
date added: 2015/07/18
shelves: graphic-novels
review:
'Live Life Sunny Side Up' by Jeremyville is a collection of that the artist would like to see as public service announcement posters around town.

First of all, I don't think the cover to this book does it justice. The art is colorful and cheerful and the messages are affirming. There are messages that chide, but in a bright, friendly way. We are encouraged to pay attention to today and spend more time with people and less time with our devices. We are encouraged to keep going, and to create by moonlight, and to imagine different tomorrows. This would be a fun book of perforated postcards that could be sent or tacked up. If it ever became a guerilla art movement, it would probably bring the kind of smiles that flash mobs did a few years back.

I think if someone had described the book to me I wouldn't have given it a shot, but I kind of stumbled into it and I really enjoyed it. I immediately recognized Jeremyville's style from some wallpaper I used and from some t-shirts on the Threadless.com site. His style is bright and a little weird, but completely fun. This would be a great gift book or something to leave out on a coffee table to look through when you're feeling down.

I received a review copy of this ebook from Andrews McMeel Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this really fun ebook.


via Wayne's bookshelf: read http://ift.tt/1ffimsx

Orc Warfare

author: Chris Pramas
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.40
book published: 2015
rating: 3
read at: 2015/07/18
date added: 2015/07/18
shelves:
review:
'Orc Warfare' by Chris Pramas is strategy guide written to understand orcs and how they fight. Sure they are fictional, but you never know when something like this might come in handy, right?

The book is broken into four sections. You'll learn about types of orcs, types of orc troops, orc strategies and tactics, and some sample orc victories. Orcs are not pretty, and neither are their tactics. They are dirty fighters and chaotic. They are also not afraid to eat their own. The description of orc types and troops rings true from fantasy books and movies, but I didn't see any kind of appendix or bibliography. It would be interesting to know if any of the battles listed were from books or just invented for the sake of the book. The art in the book is of orcs, so it is gloriously ugly.

It might make a good source-book for a game master or someone looking to write about orcs. It's a quick enough read, and I liked the fact that it completely played itself off with the gravity of non-fiction. It is funny that this fictional race that Tolkien created seems to continue to operate in a very similar manner all these years later.

I received a review copy of this ebook from Osprey Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.


via Wayne's bookshelf: read http://ift.tt/1fffQSY

Max The Brave

I got approved to read Max The Brave, a book coming out in September:

There was something so appealing about the cover (a cat in a cape) that I just had to request it.

My review will follow closer to the release date, so stay tuned!

Station Eleven

author: Emily St. John Mandel
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2014
rating: 3
read at: 2015/07/15
date added: 2015/07/15
shelves: sword-and-laser
review:
'Station Eleven' has been touted as a literary post-apocalyptic novel. It's received a lot of good press and reviews. I felt like it hit strong, then slowly trailed off. I enjoyed it, but I didn't love it. Maybe I was overhyped going in.

The book starts with the death of an actor, Arthur Leander, on stage during King Lear. Shortly afterward, a flu strain wipes out most of the people on the planet. We see the events, past and present through people connected to the actor. I liked that aspect of the book. While much of the book takes place in the future with a travelling orchestra/Shakespeare troupe, I found myself enjoying the flashbacks to the present. The apocalypse offered some beautiful glimpses of what was lost, but a lot of it kind of felt like things I've read before elsewhere. How many maniacal people will there really be in an apocalypse, where people are just trying to figure out how to survive? At this point, it feels a little overdone, even if it has an interesting, albeit obvious, reveal.

So, I would recommend any of the Margaret Atwood MaddAddam titles or The Handmaid's Tale. I would recommend David Brin's The Postman, which is a book that I need to reread soon for the 4th or 5th time. This was good, but I've read better, more affecting novels.


via Wayne's bookshelf: read http://ift.tt/1CIu2yK

Criminal, Vol. 5: The Sinners

author: Ed Brubaker
name: Wayne
average rating: 4.31
book published: 2010
rating: 5
read at: 2015/07/15
date added: 2015/07/15
shelves: graphic-novels
review:
'Criminal Volume 5: Sinners' by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips just continues the greatness that is the Criminal series.

Tracy Lawless is Hyde's hit man, but he's also a screw-up. Hyde sends him out on a strange job. Someone is killing off criminals, but the means and motives aren't obvious. Along the way, Tracy gets accused of sleeping with Hyde's daughter (he's actually sleeping with Hyde's wife). He's ex-military, but a military copy might have something to say about that. He's poking around in things that tend to make people very angry, so before too long, he finds himself on the wrong end of the wrong kind of people. Can Tracy figure out who's putting the hits out before he gets killed or captured by any number of people who want to see him gone?

If you like crime stories and you're not reading this series, you really should be. The writing is satisfyingly hard-boiled, the art is consistent and it's a pleasure to read these stories for the kind of literary pleasure I usually only get from books. I find this series a lot more satisfying than other similar series. I like the sad luck characters who find themselves fighting for their lives to just live another day. Highly recommended.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Diamond Book Distributors, Image Comics, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this great graphic novel.


via Wayne's bookshelf: read http://ift.tt/1K90L37

Flash Gordon Omnibus, Vol. 1

author: Jeff Parker
name: Wayne
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2015
rating: 3
read at: 2015/07/15
date added: 2015/07/15
shelves: graphic-novels
review:
'Flash Gordon Omnibus, Vol. 1' by Jeff Parker updates the pulp hero in a better way than the graphic novel 'Kingswatch' did for me last year. That graphic novel ties into this one, but this is a starring 8-issue Flash Gordon series.

Flash, Dale Arden, and Dr. Zarkov have helped save Earth from Ming the Merciless and now they are on the run. Dale has the crystal that Ming wants to reopen the portal and complete his conquest of Earth. Flash and crew find themselves in some strange territory in the worlds around them. They meet winged people and tree-dwelling people. They discover the origins of the fearsome Beastmen and Flash finds himself in an arena fighting some of them. Flash throws himself into any situation with an infectious gusto. Zarkov and Dale are left behind to shake their heads as he improvises, but Zarkov does have things to contribute to the story. Dale felt a littl shortchanged this time around.

My review copy was about two thirds of the complete volume, but I think it was enough of a flavor for me. I didn't mind this reboot this time around, maybe because Flash was not on Earth but in the environs of the planet Mongo. He's a likeable enough hero and doesn't feel dated. In the pages I got Dale seems superfluous, but maybe there is more for her to do later. All in all, a pretty good space romp with much to remind readers of the original serials and the cheesy 1980 film.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Diamond Book Distributors, Dynamite Comics, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.


via Wayne's bookshelf: read http://ift.tt/1K8DivS

Velvet, Vol. 2: The Secret Lives of Dead Men

author: Ed Brubaker
name: Wayne
average rating: 4.43
book published: 2015
rating: 5
read at: 2015/07/11
date added: 2015/07/11
shelves: graphic-novels
review:
'Velvet Volume 2: The Secret Lives of Dead Men' is nothing short of amazing. You have a great script by Ed Brubaker and some truly great art by Steve Epting. It's absorbing and fast-paced.

Velvet is back and she wants answers to the death she's seen or been part of. She decides to head right into the heart of it by going back to London. We get most of the story from her perspective, but there is an issue devoted to Colt and one to Roberts, both men trying to find Velvet and possibly kill her. Velvet is smart and seemingly one step ahead of them. She plays the game well, and she's not someone you want to cross. She is willing to do whatever it takes to find her answers, but there is another player in this deadly game, so Velvet better take care.

The writing is as good as it gets. I think Ed Brubaker is my new favorite comics writer, so now I need to go find all the things he's written that I've missed. Tight, cinematic writing that just bullets along at high speed. The art by Steve Epting, along Elizabeth Breitweiser's colors, is just stunning. The painted covers to each issue are included and they beautifully set a tone for what's ahead. Believe the hype. This comic is that good.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Diamond Book Distributors, Image Comics, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this excellent graphic novel.


via Wayne's bookshelf: read http://ift.tt/1Hm0y6n

Twisted Dark, Volume 2

author: Neil Gibson
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.85
book published: 2012
rating: 4
read at: 2015/07/11
date added: 2015/07/11
shelves: graphic-novels
review:
'Twisted Dark Volume 2' by Neil Gibson brings us more tales from the dark hearts of people. For the most part the stories aren't as macabre as the first volume, but I thought the art was improved greatly. We all have darkness in our hearts and Neil Gibson knows this. Most of the stories have a decided twist onto their ending. Things don't always end well for the characters in the stories. Life has a dark side.

We meet an artist who wants a friend to help him decide what art that he creates is good, but his friend has motives of his own. We meet a young girl seduced by the smile of her teacher and her life takes turns she didn't anticipate. We meet a man so afraid of burglars breaking into his house, that he takes drastic measures. We learn that it's not good to make fun of nerds because their revenge can be ferocious. We find ourselves in a tribe where the ritual for manhood is rather terrifying. All of these and more. By the end, you may never trust anyone again.

The artists vary from story to story, but I thought the art was greatly improved from the first volume. The stories weren't quite as dark, but still pretty grim. They remind me a lot of the old CBS Radio Mystery Theater that I used to listen to late at night. There is nothing fantastical or supernatural here, and that may what makes the stories even scarier. These are all plausible things that could happen. I enjoyed this, and I look forward to Volume 3.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Diamond Book Distributors, TPub, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.


via Wayne's bookshelf: read http://ift.tt/1NXcKyr

The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches (Flavia de Luce, #6)

author: Alan Bradley
name: Wayne
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2014
rating: 4
read at: 2015/07/10
date added: 2015/07/10
shelves:
review:
'The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches' by Alan Bradley finds young Flavia de Luce sleuthing her heart out. To call her precocious is perhaps a bit too precious, but she is certainly a unique enough character.

In this book, we discover what happened to Flavia's mother Harriet. Upon Harriet's arrival by train, a stranger mouths the phrase "pheasant sandwiches" into Flavia's ear and then is found dead under the train a few minutes later. There is a reel of film that must be developed using Flavia's chemistry knowledge. There is some interesting backstory about Dogger. Flavia meets a younger cousin that may be brighter than even she is. She also finds an interesting connection to Winston Churchill himself. There are also bike rides and airplane rides. Ultimately, Flavia's life is changed in good and bad ways, and it will be interesting to see what comes next for her.

There is not so much a mystery here as general skulking about with some interesting characters. Not that the mystery is all that crucial. Threads of the story are tied up a bit, and the series is sent off into a new direction, which is probably a good thing. The writing is what hangs it all together so nicely, and the ever so bold Flavia. Willing to act like a grown up, even though she is lacking the life experience and some of the street smarts. The supporting characters are also interesting for the most part. I enjoyed it and look forward to reading more in the series.

I received a review copy of this ebook from Random House Publishing Group - Bantam Dell, Delacorte Press, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.


via Wayne's bookshelf: read http://ift.tt/1HUwEtV

The Hockey Saint (Forever Friends, #2)

author: Howard Shapiro
name: Wayne
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2014
rating: 4
read at: 2015/07/10
date added: 2015/07/10
shelves: graphic-novels
review:
'The Hockey Saint' by Howard Shapiro is the second graphic novel in a trilogy, but I read it as a standalone and didn't feel like I was missing anything.

Tom Leonard is a college sophomore and idolizes hockey player Jeremiah Jacobson. Tom's had it rough since his parents died, and when he gets a chance to hang out with his idol, he takes it. Jeremiah has some good qualities, and some bad ones. He shows Tom that he's only human. When a rival team hires a private eye to dig up dirt on Jeremiah, Tom is caught in the middle. He is pressured to give out secrets of his new friendship and even offered money to give up the dirt. Eventually, this leads to a conflict between Tom and Jeremiah, especially when Tom sees something in Jeremiah's life that will eventually hurt him.

The art is not awesome, but the story isn't bad at all. It feels like an after school special (except one where smoking and drinking is okay). I like the fact that Tom is not so starstruck that he doesn't want to help Jeremiah out. The supporting characters are pretty good for the most part. The main characters are only a few years apart, but I felt like Tom was a lot younger for some reason. The story has some good things to say about stardom and friendship.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Animal Media Group and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.


via Wayne's bookshelf: read http://ift.tt/1CuXx7m

Eden Volume 1

author: Bash
name: Wayne
average rating: 1.84
book published: 2015
rating: 2
read at: 2015/07/09
date added: 2015/07/09
shelves: graphic-novels
review:
'Eden Volume 1' by Bash seems like it has the makings of an interesting story, but I found myself so confused while I was reading it, that I keep thinking something was lost in translation.

The art style was fine. I was a little confused by the way the pages were presented, and there was no explanation up front. You read the pages like a normal Western comic, but you read the panels like a manga (right to left). There isn't a lot of text on the pages, so it took me a few pages to realize that I was getting the context wrong. I couldn't tell if a character was a shapeshifter that became a dog, or an angel that became a man.

The gist of the story is a war between humans and angels (I think). Caught in the middle is a boy named Touru who lives in a village that seems to exist outside of time and space. The story doesn't quite conclude, and I've got volume 2, so I hope it's a bit clearer. I wanted to like this, but it was just confusing to try to figure out what was going on. It's hard to recommend this.

I received a review copy of this manga from Diamond Book Distributors and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this manga.



via Wayne's bookshelf: read http://ift.tt/1Tpb9oE

Creature Cops: Special Varmint Unit

author: Rob Anderson
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.54
book published: 2015
rating: 3
read at: 2015/07/09
date added: 2015/07/09
shelves: graphic-novels
review:
'Creature Cops: Special Varmint Unit' by Rob Anderson is the kind of strange story that could probably works best in the medium of the graphic novel.

In the near future, animals are being spliced together to form other animals, like a panda-dog or a gator-snake. In order to keep these creatures at bay you need a special kind of handler, and that's where the Creature Cops come in. One cop in particular, Kaminski, is a grizzled veteran who has seen his fair share of action. He looks soft, but is tough where it counts. He and is rookie partner discover a murdered beast alongside a human. They may have stumbled on to something bigger. It turns out to be a group creating illegal hybrids and something even darker and more sinister.

It's a police procedural mixed with the bizarre. The characters are all here: the down on his luck veteran, the wide-eyed rookie, the tough captain. The animals are not portrayed as menacing, for the most part. I liked it well enough. The animals are strangely drawn, and I did like the sinister twist, but the cop stuff all felt perhaps a bit too cliche for me.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Diamond Book Distributors, IDW Publishing, and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.


via Wayne's bookshelf: read http://ift.tt/1LZhUfO

Elvis Is King: Costello's My Aim Is True

author: Richard Crouse
name: Wayne
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2015
rating: 4
read at: 2015/07/06
date added: 2015/07/06
shelves: non-fiction
review:
'Elvis is King: Costello's My Aim Is True' by Richard Crouse is a true fan account of the early days of Elvis Costello. When I say early, I mean just until a little after the release of his first record My Aim Is True.

We get the early days of Declan P. McManus, including his early work in pub bands, and the influence his parents played. We find the lucky confluence of an angry young office drone and a spunky recording label called Stiff Records. Declan transforms to Elvis and finds fame even though no one can quite corner the genre of music he plays. It's not really new wave, and it's not really punk either. It is a backlash to the kind of corporate over-produced rock of the mid to late 1970s. One chapter analyzes each track on the album. Another talks about the strange tour Elvis finds himself on and how he ends up sharing headlining duties. It finishes with him coming to North America and subsequently getting banned for 10 years on Saturday Night Live.

Richard Crouse is the regular film critic for a few programs on CTV, but I can tell he would argue with anyone who disagrees that My Aim Is True is a true genius of an album. I don't disagree. The book quotes from a lot of other sources and interviews, but it really shines when the author's rabid fandom comes through (and I say that as a complete compliment). I didn't know much about the early days of Stiff Records, but it seems like the kind of madcap setup that we don't see anymore, and more's the pity. Costello is a legend, and this peak into his early days was interesting.

I received a review copy of this ebook from ECW Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.


via Wayne's bookshelf: read http://ift.tt/1eAGcOY

Star Trek: New Visions Volume 2

author: John Byrne
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.08
book published: 2015
rating: 3
read at: 2015/07/05
date added: 2015/07/05
shelves: graphic-novels
review:
'Star Trek: New Visions Volume 2' by John Byrne brings us new tales of the original series. That's good. It does it in a "unique" photomontage style that takes some gettin used to. That might be bad.

This volume collects 3 longer stories, and a short one. in the first story, Kirk is found sneaking around Starfleet and arrested, but it turns out that it might not be Kirk at all. When Harry Mudd shows up and another old nemesis, it might even lead to a showdown with the Klingons.

The second story is my favorite because it interposes the Captain Pike crew and the Captain Kirk one. A mysterious vessel shows up and crew members are disappearing. Scotty and Spock have seen this before, but can they stop it again?

The third longer story is a kind of spin off of the Norman Spinrad story (and episode) called 'The Doomsday Machine.' The events take place shortly after the events on the show. A new force shows up that threatens the Enterprise and her crew and they have to find a way to disable it.

The stories were pretty good and I enjoyed them all. The photomontage takes some getting used to. The stories are a combination of cut and pasted photos from the original series on digital backgrounds. Sometimes it works better than other times. Sometimes it seems like a bad Photoshop job. There were photomontage books at the time of the original series, and I remember them, so I appreciate what was done here, but it did take some getting used to.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Diamond Book Distributors, IDW Publishing, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.


via Wayne's bookshelf: read http://ift.tt/1M5EGQ9

Monster Motors

author: Brian Lynch
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.78
book published: 2014
rating: 3
read at: 2015/07/04
date added: 2015/07/04
shelves: graphic-novels
review:
When I was a kid, monsters were big. There were tv shows like The Munsters and these cool bubblegum trading cards called Odd Rods. They featured cars with monsters driving them. I even remember a few old Hot Wheel cars that took to the theme. 'Monster Motors' takes that concept a step further and actually makes the monster and the car all one item. With cars like Cadillacula, Frankenride and Minivan Helsing, you can get the idea that this series has it's tongue firmly in cheek.

When hotshot mechanic Vic Frankenstein buys a garage/junkyard in Transylvania, Kentucky, he thinks he will set up shop and show the locals what he can do. The strange warning he gets not to tear down the ominous looking fence doesn't warn him off like it probably should. Before long, he has unleashed Cadillacula who is going around destroying cars. When Vic's truck is destroyed, he rebuilds it as Frankenride and sets out to save the town. Except the book then seems to get sidetracked with the arrival of a Van Helsing relative and her cadre of monster vehicles.

I liked it ok, but maybe I'm not the prime audience. I get all the monster puns (and some are pretty groanworthy), but it felt like two thirds of the book was the forming of a team to then fight off a horde of zombie cars (called "zoombies" which wasn't the best pun, in my opinion). Nick Roche's art is not bad. It just felt like a good concept that ran a bit on the thin side.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Diamond Book Distributors, IDW Publishing, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.


via Wayne's bookshelf: read http://ift.tt/1HE4ao6

Twisted Dark, Volume 1

author: Neil Gibson
name: Wayne
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2010
rating: 3
read at: 2015/07/04
date added: 2015/07/04
shelves: graphic-novels
review:
'Twisted Dark, Volume 1' by Neil Gibson is a series of 12 stories. They all deliver on the title, and many of them are interwoven. The writing was good, but I wasn't as crazy about some of the art.

The stories all have a sort of twist to them. There is one about someone contemplating suicide, or a man who invented a new window technology. There is a man in India working in appalling conditions that fights for a change. There is a family with a sick child. There is a man in the South American drug trade, and a man in a mental hospital that thinks he's part of some strange reality TV show. Some of these people become victims of their choices, but others have dark motives, like the Pushman who works on a Tokyo train platform and uses his job to get his revenge.

The stories are good, and there are some interesting connections to be found between the stories for the astute reader. I also liked that the stories took place all over the globe. There are a variety of artists, and I felt like the art was a bit hit or miss for me. I liked some better than others. Not a bad collection for those who like their stories dark. I'm looking forward to reading the next two volumes.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Diamond Book Distributors, TPub, and NetGalley in exchagne for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.


via Wayne's bookshelf: read http://ift.tt/1KD0DXT

Earth & Sky: A workbook of science facts and math practice

author: Education.com
name: Wayne
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2015
rating: 3
read at: 2015/07/03
date added: 2015/07/03
shelves: children-s
review:
'Earth & Sky' by Education.com is a workbook full of science and math practice sheets. There is a lot of information packed into a scant 112 pages.

The book is broken up into 4 sections and an answer key. The sections answer basic and some not so basic science questions, like why the sky and ocean are blue or why people blush. You'll learn how honey is made and how a pearl is formed. Potential and kinetic energy is covered as well as the six different forms of energy. Land forms are covered including the rock cycle and weathering. The final section before the answer key is about geography math. It's a bit different from the rest of the book, so it was initially confusing. You are given a series of questions that are based on tables, but the tables are near the back of the section.

The pages have colorful illustrations and a good layout. There are items to fill out on just about every page. The information is concise, but accessible. Every section has a certificate of achievement that can be filled out. It's clearly aimed at 3rd graders on the front cover, and I was pretty impressed with the broad level of information that is given in such a book.

I received a review copy of this ebook from Dover Publications and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.


via Wayne's bookshelf: read http://ift.tt/1LNQ6Lj

Parker: The Hunter by Richard Stark with Illustrations by Darwyn Cooke

author: Richard Stark
name: Wayne
average rating: 4.34
book published: 1962
rating: 5
read at: 2015/07/03
date added: 2015/07/03
shelves:
review:
'Parker: The Hunter' is by Richard Stark. This edition has illustrations and an introducton by Darwyn Cooke, who has been doing graphic novel treatments of the Parker novels.

Parker is not a nice guy. Especially when he's been double-crossed and sent to prison. Especially when his wife is untrue, and someone has stolen a bunch of money. Now he's out of prison and he wants to set things right. He is on the hunt and no one will stand in his way. Not his ex-wife. Not the guy who did this to him. Maybe not even the mafia.

This book was written in 1962, and while elements may feel a bit dated (I prefer the terms classic and nostalgic), the character feels like something out of a Liam Neeson movie. This is the character that gave birth to a lot of the modern anti-heroes we cheer on in fiction and film.

Darwyn Cooke's occasional illustrations are a direct homage to the story and era. They are full color and full page and I really loved them.

The introduction won't give any new information to true fans, but for the casual or new Westlake reader, you'll learn that this was almost a singular novel, but thanks to a publisher, it spawned a series of great novels. This is a great edition if you've never read anything in the Parker series. If you like a story about a man with a relentless thirst for revenge, you should love Parker.

I received a review copy of this ebook from Diamond Book Distributors, IDW Publishing, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.



via Wayne's bookshelf: read http://ift.tt/1eqT0HL

Talk to Me

author: Sonia Ellis
name: Wayne
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2014
rating: 4
read at: 2015/07/03
date added: 2015/07/03
shelves: children-s
review:
'Talk to Me' by Sonia Ellis is a pretty decent young person novel. I liked it enough if I don't think too hard about it.

Sadina has a younger sister named Maddie who is selective with who she talks to. Maddie will talk with her parents, her older sister, and her robotic cat, Bella. Maddie discovers an intruder in her house one night and now she won't even talk to her family. The intruder stole an invention that Bella and Sadina's mom is working on, and now mom is about to be arrested by her company. Sadina decides to turn to her smart friends to see if they can find a way to get Bella to talk. The problem is one of her friends has a secret that is causing Sadina trust issues. So, with her family in turmoil and a friend acting suspicious, can Sadina find a solution?

Some of the elements of the story seem a little science fictional (talking cat, cell phone battery technology), but the story seems to take place in the present. Maddie's condition is a real one, and I like how it's presented in the story. Sadina tells the story, but Maddie has a few chapters, so we get a glimpse into how she sees the world. The book included some illustrations that were a bit hard to view on an e-reader, and I wasn't crazy about them. They detracted from the story for me, but I can see how they might be necessary in a story for younger readers. I'd say the age range for the book is pre-teen readers probably in the 10-12 age range.

I received a review copy of this ebook from FastPencil, Wavecrest, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.


via Wayne's bookshelf: read http://ift.tt/1JEbDFU