Warren the 13th and The All-Seeing Eye

author: Tania del Rio
name: Wayne
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2015
rating: 5
read at: 2016/07/31
date added: 2016/07/31
shelves: children-s
review:
'Warren the 13th and the All-Seeing Eye' by Tania del Rio with illustrations by Will Staehle is a fabulously upbeat kids book about a character who seems to be living what could be a pretty dreary existence.

Warren is the 13th Warren and his long line of ancestors who have owned and run a hotel. Warren is not old enough to run it by himself, so it is run by his perpetually lazy Uncle Rupert and Rupert's scheming wife Annaconda. In typical put upon fashion, Warren is made to do all the work, which he cheerfully does. He cleans the rooms, does the repairs and acts as a bellhop for guests. The hotel is mostly empty, but Warren has friends, like the chef in the kitchen who gives him food to eat besides the porridge that his Aunt insists he have for every meal. There is also a kindly old explorer who lives in the hotel's library.

When Annaconda learns that there may be a treasure in the hotel, she sets out to tear the place apart to find it. Word spreads and soon the hotel is full of mostly unpleasant guests seeking their fortune. Warren is kept busy, but also looks into the mystery. Along the way, he makes new friends like Captain Grayishwhiteish beard who is a suspiciously piratical sea captain, Sketchy, a tentacled creature living in the boiler room and Petula who seems to have some interesting secrets.

The book had just the right amount of gloom and despair, but Warren is the light at the heart of the story. He is not victim. He is a good-hearted soul and that makes him so likeable. I loved the story and the characters I met in it, especially Warren. I loved the illustrations and clever typeset. Recommended for fans of Lemony Snicket, like me.

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


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Time Trial #1 (The CHRONOS Files)

author: Rysa Walker
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.56
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2016/07/31
date added: 2016/07/31
shelves: graphic-novels
review:
'Time Trial #1' by Rysa Walker is a comic book from her CHRONOS Files world. I'm not familiar with the series, but I like time travel, so I thought I'd give it a try.

Clio Dunne lives with her parents and is very familiar with time travel. When she decides to go make a life for herself as an illustrator, her parents have the normal concerns of parents. She is given a code phrase to use in case she is found and off she goes. She finds herself in Chicago and working for a newspaper as a court illustrator on the case against Al Capone. She meets a young man who is interested in her, and notices another strange man among the jury. She wonders who he could be and what it might mean that he is there.

I received the first issue, and even though I was unfamiliar with the world, I had no trouble figuring things out. The characters are engaging, the art is pretty good, and I'd like to end up reading more.

I received a review copy of this digital comic from Amazon Publishing, Jet City Comics, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this comic book.


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Reading is for Idjits!

author: W.W. Rowe
name: Wayne
average rating: 1.67
book published:
rating: 1
read at: 2016/07/30
date added: 2016/07/30
shelves: children-s
review:
'Reading is for Idjits' by W.W. Rowe and Charles A. Filius is a cautionary tale about the dangers of not being able to read. Based on the illustrations, it's probably written for children, but I have a few problems with it.

Twins Marty and Morty, aka 'Smarty Marty' and 'Morton the Moron' (my first problem), look alike but they differ in one area. Marty loves to read and Morty thinks it's for idjits, as he calls them. This is disproved over the pages of the book as Morty misreads every sign, sometimes to the threat of his health and safety. He gets punished until he learns to read, then learns to love it. The end.

The pictures are not bad, but I've got some problems with the story. Making fun of those who can't read was certainly one of them. Calling Morty a moron was another one, and probably not what you want your kids calling each other. Certainly the book is written with good intentions, but the execution leaves me scratching my head. This book would make readers feel smug, but I'm not sure it would make non-readers comfortable, or even like they want to learn to read. I wasn't impressed.

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


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Faith, Vol 1: Hollywood & Vine

author: Jody Houser
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2016
rating: 3
read at: 2016/07/30
date added: 2016/07/30
shelves: graphic-novels
review:
I remember seeing the hype for 'Faith, Vol. 1: Hollywood and Vine' a few months ago at Emerald City Comic Con. The imagery alone seemed like an intriguing idea. A larger figured super hero to appeal to those with body image issues.

The character is a spin-off character from another series, so there is some pre-history before this issue starts. What you need to know is that Faith was once part of a team of "psiots," or super powered beings. She was once romantically linked to one of the members of that team, but he is now an ex. My review copy was the first two full issues and some pencilled panels from the third issue. Faith works as a reporter for a website that tries to get click-throughs for ad dollars, and works for a boss that doesn't like her (probably because of how she looks). Faith investigates an attack on other psiots, but at the same time, her boss wants her to do a smear campaign on her ex and his reality television show.

I found it all about average. I get the appeal of the character, but I think I wanted more than what I saw in two issues. Maybe that happens in the later issues of this volume, but in two issues, there wasn't much to get me overly excited. Still, superheroes should come in all shapes and sizes (and everything else), so this is certainly a promising concept.

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


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Party of One: A Memoir in 21 Songs

author: Dave Holmes
name: Wayne
average rating: 4.41
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at: 2016/07/30
date added: 2016/07/30
shelves: non-fiction
review:
'Party of One: A Memoir in 21 Songs' by Dave Holmes is a hilarious and self-deprecating memoir from someone who was an MTV VJ. I confess to have long stopped watching MTV by the time Dave was on, but his memoir is funny and heartfelt.

The book starts with Dave's early life. Every chapter title is a fitting song from around the time of the chapter. There are hilarious interludes, like one short one of celebrities Dave has met, or a playlist for people who had their hearts broken in the 90s. In Dave's early life, he was the misfit artsy boy in a family full of boy athletes. He also was a gay kid in high school in college. Dave gained fame for being the runner up in an MTV's Wanna Be a VJ contest, which seems fitting with a life filled with so many ways of not fitting in. But Dave made it and tells hilarious stories of almost being recognized and the weirdness of being a tv celebrity (people talk about you in front of you for one).

The tone is funny and upbeat, but it could have been sad and the story of a victim. It certainly has sad moments, but through it all Dave seems to look life squarely in the face and find a way to laugh about things. Recommended for anyone who is a lonely music nerd, or just seems to have never fit in to the life they have. Encouraging and funny. I really enjoyed it.

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


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Shutter, Vol. 3: Quo Vadis

author: Joe Keatinge
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.76
book published: 2016
rating: 3
read at: 2016/07/30
date added: 2016/07/30
shelves: graphic-novels
review:
'Shutter, Vol. 3: Quo Vadis' by Joe Keatinge with gorgeous art by Leila del Duca is one weird head trip. It might have helped had I read Volume 2, but then again, I'm not certain.

Kate Kristopher is writing a journal in Venice, Italy, which is about as normal as scenes go in this volume. It's only later that we find out she has amnesia (or maybe knew if we had read the aforementioned Volume 2). We do get caught up on things during a peyote trip, which seems about par for this book and we end up on Leonis where things just seem to be going even further sideways.

With new characters being introduced and weird scenes, I think this is a book you either just go with or you walk away. I felt a bit adrift. It's so violent at times, but there are these walking cat alarm clocks and talking lions. The disparity of this environment with a darker story is good but feels a bit untethered, but perhaps that's exactly the point. I do like the art style quite a lot, and I am interested in reading more in this series.

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.


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Legenderry: Red Sonja

author: Marc Andreyko
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.33
book published: 2015
rating: 3
read at: 2016/07/27
date added: 2016/07/27
shelves: graphic-novels
review:
'Legenderry: Red Sonja' which is set in Bill Willingham's Legenderry universe takes Red Sonja and sets her firmly in the Victorian/Steampunk era. I expected to not like it, and I actually enjoyed it.

Red Sonja has a ship and a crew and she finds herself in port. When she chances into a local bar for some fun, she ends up getting involved in an adventure that will take her on an adventure weaving through some famous fictional characters of the era, including Victor Frankenstein and an army of his undead henchmen. The journey takes her to a fortress run by Frankenstein and she finds an interesting ally. When her ship is sunk, she is picked up by an unusual invention and meets another famous character of the era. Even with new allies, the fight against Victor seems hopeless, but this is Red Sonja, and she's not afraid of a good fight.

It's a bit odd to see this character in a different era, but I think the story stays mostly true to her nature. There's not a lot of down time for drinking and carousing, but that gets implied at the beginning, then the story rockets forward and never really lets up. There are some good twists and turns along the way .

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


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War Is Kind and Other Poems

author: Stephen Crane
name: Wayne
average rating: 4.10
book published: 1899
rating: 5
read at: 2016/07/24
date added: 2016/07/24
shelves: classics
review:
"'War is Kind' and Other Poems" by Stephen Crane is a rich collection of poetry by a person who was pretty prolific during a shortened life that ended at the age of 28. Although mainly known these days for writing 'The Red Badge of Courage,' his poetry is something I'm glad I was introduced to in this volume.

This volume includes two complete, albeit short, books of poems: 'The Black Riders and Other Lines,' and 'War is Kind.' There are also some uncollected poems included. Crane's work has been categorized as Naturalism, Impressionism and American realism. The works don't conform to rhyme or meter. Some don't even have titles.

The writing is strong and bold. The ideas seem more cerebral than emotional. There are arguments with God and even the universe itself. I was surprised at how the poetry had a feeling like it was 20 years ahead of it's time. I really enjoyed this volume of poetry and getting introduced to this side of Stephen Crane.

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.


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What Happened to Daddy's Body?: Explaining what happens after death in words very young children can understand

author: Elke Barber
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.75
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2016/07/24
date added: 2016/07/24
shelves: children-s, non-fiction
review:
'What Happened to Daddy's Body?: Explaining what happens after death in words very young children can understand' by Elke Barber and Alex Barber delivers well on it's very long subtitle.

Alex Barber lost his father when he was three years old. He wondered what happened to his father's body. This book is the process he and his younger sister went through and how his mother explained things. It's told in a very straightforward manner, and while the story is very specific, I can see how this would be helpful for other children.

I like that it's based on true events (though not that Alex lost his father). I really like that this sort of book exists for young children. I appreciate the work that Jessica Kingsley Publishers does in printing works like this. This is an excellent and accessible way to approach the subject with young children who have lost a parent.

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


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Sam and Emma

author: Donald Nelsen
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.60
book published: 1971
rating: 3
read at: 2016/07/24
date added: 2016/07/24
shelves: children-s
review:
'Sam and Emma' by Donald Nelsen caught my eye because the illustrations are by Edward Gorey. I ended up liking the message of the story.

Sam is a dog, and Emma is a cat. When they decide to travel one day, they meet a group of beavers building a dam. While Emma thinks they are ugly, Sam is already introducing himself. They join them for lunch and Emma sniffs at the food she is offered. Sam likes to meet new people and Emma is always critical of them. Through a couple more encounters we see this, but Emma starts to see things like Sam does. Every creature is different and wants to be that way.

The lesson of the book is still relevant today. Not too bad for a book written in 1971. The illustrations by Edward Gorey are so unlike what he is best known for, but they are cute and quite charming. The story is told in a sort of rhyming meter that just doesn't seem to rhyme most of the time. I'm glad I got to read this ebook.

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.


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Grumpy Cat's All About Miserable Me: A Doodle Journal for Everything Awful

author: Jimi Bonogofsky-Gronseth
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.83
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2016/07/23
date added: 2016/07/23
shelves: children-s
review:
'Grumpy Cat's All About Miserable Me: A Doodle Journal for Everything Awful' by Jimi Bonogofsky-Gronseth is an activiy cat featuring the famously grouchy cat.

It's a fun idea for an activity book. Grumpy Cat leads you through activities like making a list of grossest foods or drawing an ugly sweater or superhero costumes for Grumpy Cat and Pokey to wear (pokey is the perpetually upbeat kitten that hangs out with Grumpy Cat). You get to draw hats and musical instruments and gifts. Since grumpy cat basically hates everything, you can either draw ugly stuff or really nice stuff, it's really up to the person drawing.

At currently less than $5 on Amazon, this could be a fun activity book for a long car ride or for quiet time as an alternative to screens. As a kid, I loved this sort of thing, but we didn't have all the portable entertainment options for those long trips in the car. The book also features Grumpy Cat (and sometimes Pokey) on just about every page.

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.


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Monstress, Vol. 1: Awakening

author: Marjorie M. Liu
name: Wayne
average rating: 4.37
book published: 2016
rating: 5
read at: 2016/07/23
date added: 2016/07/23
shelves: graphic-novels
review:
'Monstress Volume 1: Awakening' by Marjorie M. Liu with art by Sana Takeda is at times beautiful and grotesque. I loved the worldbuilding, the art and the almost completely female cast.

In a strange, alternate Asia that has a sort of steampunk feel to it, there is a war going on between humans and a race of Arcanic beings which seem like human/animal hybrids. Maika Halfwolf finds herself in the middle of this. With only one good arm, and a strange eye tattoo on her chest she is taken into the fortress of a religious order called the Cumaea. She wreaks havoc on them when she discovers they only want the Arcanics to harvest something called Lilium, and she escapes with a partial mask. Now on the run with a talking cat called Master Ren and a small foxlike girl called Kippa, she also finds herself with a terrifying ally. They are on the run from everyone, but Maika seems either brave enough or indifferent enough to see things through.

At first glance, there are things about this that should have put me right off of it. Overly pretty art and talking animals for a start. Something intrigued me about it, and I'm really glad I gave it a chance. I loved the look and mood of this story. I liked Maika's "don't give a crap about anything" attitude. The beauty and grotesqueness was a good balance, and it's an interesting world in which gods and men live alongside each other, but not so peaceably. As a bonus, since the volume wasn't finished, I got to read the individual issues, which also included fan mail and fan art, and some really nice interactions between the creators and fans.

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.


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Fowl Language: Welcome to Parenting

author: Brian Gordon
name: Wayne
average rating: 4.30
book published: 2016
rating: 5
read at: 2016/07/23
date added: 2016/07/23
shelves: graphic-novels
review:
'Fowl Language: Welcome to Parenting' by Brian Gordon is by a cartoonist in the trenches of raising little kids. While the cartoons look kid-friendly, the occasional bad words make it something for the grown-ups. Besides, the kids wouldn't get most of the humor anyway.

The book starts with a hilarious introduction by the author that should let most parents breathe a sigh of relief. We meet parents who seem to have their act together but we all know, like Brian Gordon, that they are "big fat liars" and we are all just making it up as we go along.

The cartoons that follow show how kids can make us crazy, and how they can make us love them like crazy. The unending questions, the questionable wardrobe choices of a toddler, and how they never need a glass of water or a bathroom until it's extremely inconvenient are just a few of the topics. I laughed out loud many times while reading this book. This is a book about the funny moments of parenting from a guy who gets it.

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 ebook.


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Double D Book One

author: Eddie Argos
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.18
book published: 2015
rating: 2
read at: 2016/07/23
date added: 2016/07/23
shelves: graphic-novels
review:
'Double D Book One' by Eddie Argos with art by Steven Horry tells a possibly more realistic story of what might happen to a teenager who unexpectedly gets super powers. It does it with the kind of juvenile snark you'd expect, too.

Overweight Danny Carter (cruelly nicknamed Double D) is having the worst day ever. Picked on by bullies. Splitting his pants. Humiliated by girls at school. When he is forced to run in PE, something weird happens. He finds himself running faster and getting skinnier. The skinniness doesn't last, but he finds himself strong enough to lift cars over his head. He doesn't run out and use these powers to fight evil. Instead, he uses his new strength to show off and get back at the bullies who picked on him. He also confides in a teacher to try to find out what happened, but that may not have been such a smart thing to do. Without Danny knowing it, there are people watching him and larger issues at stake that may involve him as his story progresses.

It's a bit hard to feel anything for our protagonist. He is picked on and bullied, but it turns out he is kind of a jerk. The art style is about average, but seems lacking in details. Everything feels a bit flat. The subplots may turn into something interesting, but their isn't a lot there yet.

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.


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Elgin Park: Visual Memories of Midcentury America at 1/24th scale

author: Michael Paul Smith
name: Wayne
average rating: 4.33
book published: 2015
rating: 5
read at: 2016/07/21
date added: 2016/07/21
shelves: non-fiction
review:
In 'Elgin Park: Visual Memories of Midcentury America at 1/24th scale' by Michael Paul Smith and Gail K. Ellison, we meet a man who is a master at a hobby and how that has spawned a tremendous online following.

Elgin Park started as Michael Paul Smith's hobby. He has an extensive collection of diecast metal cars and he decided to photograph them. What he does with his photographs is what is remarkable. He takes the models outdoors and using the tricks of perspective, he shoots the cars as if they are on a street, or parked by a river. Adding to the illusion is his remarkable ability at making miniature structures. Some are facades and some are full buildings. He even made a model of his boyhood home. Along with this, he has created a narrative of a fictional town from long ago. The amazing trickery of his photography and the pure nostalgia are what draw people in the millions to his Flickr site from all over the world.

Along with the photos are pictures of his behind the scenes shots and some of comments by visitors to the site. It's amazing what he does with a cardboard table and no photoshop. And most of the perspective is done by him eyeballing the shot. His miniature skills are incredible and include details that often don't even show in the photos. The book concludes with an interview that has been pieced together from other interview sources.

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


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Shaft: A Complicated Man

author: David F. Walker
name: Wayne
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2015
rating: 5
read at: 2016/07/21
date added: 2016/07/21
shelves: graphic-novels
review:
'Shaft: A Complicated Man' by David F. Walkder gives Shaft an origin story, and it's a darn good one. There is also a really good introduction by Shawn Taylor talking about the myhos of Shaft at this point in time.

When we first meet Shaft, he is freshly back from Vietnam and working as a boxer. He's already pretty angry with the way things are. When he's asked to throw a fight, he winds up in the kind of trouble he doesn't want to be in. On the outs from Harlem, he finds himself working as security for a department store, where he meets a beautiful woman. Alas, things can't last, and she is being hunted for information she has. Shaft intervenes, as only Shaft can, but he learns some lessons along the way. He finds himself seemingly over his head, but right in the comfort zone we know for Shaft.

I really liked this story. I also like that they didn't make Shaft necessarily look like Richard Roundtree (not that I have anything against Mr. Roundtree), but it gave the book a really fresh approach and didn't make the story feel like an homage. Along with the story, there are character notes, rough drafts and a gallery of alternate covers.

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


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Orphan Black: Helsinki

author: Graeme Manson
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.63
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at: 2016/07/19
date added: 2016/07/19
shelves: graphic-novels
review:
'Orphan Black: Helsinki' by Graeme Manson and John Fawcett tells a story from the universe of the tv show. I'm not that familiar with the show, but I had no trouble following what was happening.

A young girl named Veera is a recluse. She has a scar on her face and lives with who she supposes to be her uncle. She discovers things about this man that lead her to flee. She also goes in search of other girls like her, and finds out they are more like her than she thought. A large group of look alike girls that can only be clones. Meanwhile, a shady organization is on the lookout for these girls. Even when face to face with each other, some of the girls refuse to believe there is anything going on.

I've wanted to see the show, and this made me more intrigued to check it out. It apparently takes place from a reference in the third season. As far as TV tie ins, I've read a lot worse.

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.


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The Lion (Love, #3)

author: Frédéric Brrémaud
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.76
book published: 2014
rating: 4
read at: 2016/07/17
date added: 2016/07/17
shelves: graphic-novels
review:
'Love: The Lion' is the third book in the confusingly titled Love series. Each has followed a particular animal (first a fox, then a tiger) over the course of a day. All are told without words. Only the pictures given guide the reader through the story.

This wordlessness makes for a title that can be enjoyed internationally. Also, the focus is strictly on the art to convey what is happening. In all three books, there have been points where I've found this confusing, and that is perhaps moreso here since in the previous volumes, the action is on a solitary type of animal and this time there is a pride of lions. The main lion is distinguished by a different mane, but the action shifts away from him more than in previous stories.

We see animals gather at a watering hole with lions looking on hungrily. The crocodiles get first dibs on the water buffalo and zebra, then the lions. It's a cruel world for prey and the books take an unflinching look at this (which is why I'm confused at calling these books Love and have been from the start).

The art is stunning and it's why they should be read. There is a lot of story told with only expression and nuance and that makes the storytelling brilliant.

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


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Luna the Vampire, Volume 1: Grumpy Space

author: Yasmin Sheikh
name: Wayne
average rating: 2.76
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2016/07/16
date added: 2016/07/16
shelves: graphic-novels
review:
It's best to approach 'Luna the Vampire, Volume 1: Grumpy Space' as a graphic novel for older readers. In spite of it's childlike Cartoon Network look, it's not something I'd recommend for children.

Luna is a vampire who lives in space. Her delivery people are zombies and her friend is a witch. The book is a series of shorter adventures with a little bit of linking between them. Luna gets a new pet, a space worm, that is kind of a difficult choice in pets and not nearly as cute as the Bat Cat that she misses seeing. She is also criticized about her weight and loses a lot just in time for the trend to change. She has travails in her job in retail and goes to comic con.

The art is garish and ugly, but that is not an insult. I quite like it. It reminds me of the work of Peter Bagge. It does look like something a child would gravitate toward, but the humor is definitely for late teens and older. I found the weight loss/gain story kind of disturbing and not very funny. I'm not sure why these stories took place in space or even necessarily featured monsters. I liked it, but didn't really love it.

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.


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You Had One Job!

author: Beverly L. Jenkins
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.41
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2016/07/16
date added: 2016/07/16
shelves:
review:
'You Had One Job' by Beverly Jenkins is a collection of photographic proof that we all screw up, but sometimes it's a lot more visible than other times.

It's a book of photos of mistakes. There are a lot of misspelled signs. There are construction projects where the electrical sockets are covered up or sinks are installed sideways or toilet doors don't have enough clearance. There are signs in pieces that are in the wrong order and products like an inflatable monkey with the tail on the wrong side.

It's a pretty humorous collection. It's a quick read, so it's probably a better gift book or coffee table book. The book made me laugh out loud quite a few times.

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 ebook.


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White Sand, Volume 1 (White Sand, #1)

author: Brandon Sanderson
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.63
book published: 2016
rating: 3
read at: 2016/07/16
date added: 2016/07/16
shelves: graphic-novels
review:
'Brandon Sanderson's White Sand, Volume 1' is an adaptation of an earlier Brandon Sanderson work that had remained unpublished. This is explained in the foreward by Brandon Sanderson. The comic book adaptation is by Rik Hoskins with art by Julius M. Gopez.

The planet Taldain has a dark side and a light side. On the light side are deserts and living in them are the Sand Masters, people capable of magically controlling the sand in ribbons. Kenton wants to be a Sand Master, but his ability is different and his father stands in his way. When a tragedy strikes Kenton's tribe, he finds himself in the company of Khriss, who lives on the dark side. His ways are tribal and nomadic, hers are more sophisticated. There are other characters introduced, but there stories look like they will be continued in the next volume.

Along with the story, there are character design pages and panel breakdowns. The problem with adapting a novel is that it can feel overly descriptive, and that's how the story starts out. The review copy I was provided gave scaled down quality for the art, but it looks to be fine in some "real" pictures I've seen. The problem I have is that the panels on every page are created in oblique shards. This is fine for a bit but it started being something I noticed and I wish they had done more interesting things with the panels than just geometric shapes. The story kind of bogs as more characters are introduced and they feel like they just suddenly appear with no introduction or reason given for them to be in the story. These stories begin to be known as the volume ends, so perhaps the next one will settle in. I like Brandon Sanderson's writing and the trademarks are here. I'm just not sure a graphic novel was the best way to present this one.

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.


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Penric's Demon (World of the Five Gods, #1.5)

author: Lois McMaster Bujold
name: Wayne
average rating: 4.27
book published: 2015
rating: 4
read at: 2016/07/16
date added: 2016/07/16
shelves:
review:
'Penric's Demon' by Lois McMaster Bujold is a novella set in her World of the Five Gods series. She is a prolific writer and I have always loved the tone of her stories. This is no different.

Young Lord Penric is on his way to become engaged when he happens upon an accident. As an outcome of the accident, he finds himself by a Temple divine and a series of hosts that she has had previously. He has no experience with being this sort of host and he finds the series of women who now live in his body to be strange, but they find Penric charming. He finds himself the target of people who want the demon removed from him and transferred somewhere else. Will his wits, and the help of his new internal friends, be enough to keep him alive?

There is adventure and humor and everything else I love in Bujold's writing. I'm more familiar with her space opera series, but she is a capable fantasy writer as well. I found Penric a bumbling protagonist caught in a situation that is over his head, but able to improvise his way through the situation. The charm of Bujold's characters are the way they triumph in spite of their flaws.

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


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The Adventures of Basil and Moebius, Volume 3: Secret of the Ancients

author: Magnetic Press Inc
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.33
book published: 2015
rating: 3
read at: 2016/07/11
date added: 2016/07/11
shelves: graphic-novels
review:
In 'The Adventures of Basil and Moebius, Volume 3: Secret of the Ancients' our two adventurers are still scoundrels. They are also still politically correct like 1970s men's adventure novels.

This time around, they've managed to find a stone disc that may help them decipher the strange tattoos that their demonic master, the Collector, has given them. The problem is that groups of hooded people with poison knives and sharp swords are also interested in retrieving these items as well. While Basil and Moebius find themselves on the run, the Collector finds himself under attack, but it's nothing his tentacles and sharp teeth can't dispatch with. They guys end up finding out more of the mystery behind the Collector and where he came from. With some crazy inventions, including the Spring Heel Jack suit from a previous issue, they avoid death on more than one occasion.

I read the first volume when it came out and I really didn't like it. When this volume came up for review, I decided to give it another try. It's still overly Brit-slangy. It's also sexist, but many comic books are. I did like that this issue was more one cohesive story instead of a few of them. The whole thing still feels a bit dated in ways, but it's growing on me. The action is ludicrous like James Bond movies are, and our protagonists are luckier than they should be.

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


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Hinges Book Two: Paper Tigers

author: Meredith McClaren
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.09
book published: 2015
rating: 4
read at: 2016/07/10
date added: 2016/07/10
shelves: graphic-novels
review:



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RIME

author: Tim Lebbon
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.20
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2016/07/10
date added: 2016/07/10
shelves:
review:
'Rime' by Tim Lebbon is about a man on board a generation ship. I might have been a bit jaded coming in to this story because I just finished a similar story that I thought was better.

The main character is a man on board a generation ship with 17 million people. When the ship has an encounter with alien beings, the tech has to make a decision. The fallout of that decision ends up being disastrous, including losing someone he loves. He then has to stand trial for his actions.

The book shifts back and forth from the present to the past. The main character has a mind that seems to wander. It's a short read and I did like it. Initially, I was bothered by the ending, but after thinking it over, I ended up liking it.

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


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Under a Graveyard Sky (Black Tide Rising, #1)

author: John Ringo
name: Wayne
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2013
rating: 3
read at: 2016/07/09
date added: 2016/07/09
shelves:
review:
'Under a Graveyard Sky' by John Ringo is the first book in a series about a family that survives during the zompie apocalypse and it's got some pretty good characters.

When an airborne virus is released, it unleashes a zombie plague. The Smith family is caught in the middle, but thanks to dad, Steven, they are prepared. In the beginning, it would almost seem that they are overprepared, but that turns out not to be the case. With the world falling apart around them, they eventually take to the sea. Since no land is safe, and they need fuel and food to survive, they start salvaging other boats they find. This means clearing out the zombies and helping any survivors they find. With an ever growing fleet of ships, they set out to rescue more people and kill more zombies.

I liked parts of it and parts of it were a bit tough to swallow. Steven is very survivor minded, and so are his family, to the point where his teenage girls are amazing zombie killers. Also, they find a magic bullet along the way that keeps them from getting the infection. So, with protagonists who can't miss their targets and can't be turned into zombies, apparently, there is only so much dramatic tension you can have. This tension comes in the form of people who aren't as prepared, or the few remaining military people out there. And the problem is Steven is right, and everyone else is wrong, even when someone has concerns about him sending his teenage daughter into deadly combat day after day after day. I liked it, but I didn't love it.

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


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Finland at War: the Winter War 1939-40

author: Vesa Nenye
name: Wayne
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2015
rating: 5
read at: 2016/07/09
date added: 2016/07/09
shelves: non-fiction
review:
'Finland at War: The Winter War 1939-40' byVesa Nenye, Peter Munter and Toni Wirtanen was a fascinating read about a conflict I knew little about.

The history of Finland in the 20th Century, preceding the Winter War, is told. The Jäger movement and training in Germany of Finnish troops, which was done as a measure to stop Russia from taking over Finland. There was also a civil war in Finland. Along with all this, there is growing interest from Russia in taking over Finland. It should have been a pretty easy takeover because Finland was outnumbered and outgunned. The Russians didn't count on the tenacity of the Finnish soldiers. Using tactics like "motti," which is named after a unit of measure of firewood, the Finnish would systematically surround a smaller group of attackers and deal with them the way a predator separates out the weak members of a herd. Also, the Russians were terrified of Finnish soldiers and there ability to ski out of nowhere with guns and death.

There are quite a few photos as well as insets featuring many of the leaders from both sides of the war. There are maps and an extensive bibliography. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and learning about this conflict. It was very interesting.

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.


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Judge Dredd: Mega-City Zero, Volume 1

author: Ulises Farinas
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.00
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2016/07/07
date added: 2016/07/07
shelves: graphic-novels
review:
'Judge Dredd: Mega-City Zero, Volume 1' starts with Judge Dredd outside in a green field and just gets stranger from there.

Mega-City One is gone in some distant future and Judge Dredd finds himself outside of it with limited ammo and a need to find out what happened to his city. He helps three young kids who and they become kind of like his tribe. Not that Dredd requires a tribe, but these feral kids kind of get to him. When he finds the answers to his mystery, it's stranger than he thinks. He also ends up having to save his new "friends" from a kidnapper in this new twisted reality.

It's not really a well hidden mystery to us, except why things are this way, which is never explained. We also don't know how Dredd ended up wherever it is that he's at and how he gets back to where he's needed. Maybe that's not the point, but it felt a bit off to me. Dredd, but not Dredd, but I still liked it and the art by Dan McDaid.

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.


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Updraft (Bone Universe, #1)

author: Fran Wilde
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.61
book published: 2015
rating: 3
read at: 2016/07/06
date added: 2016/07/06
shelves: sword-and-laser, young-adult
review:
'Updraft' by Fran Wilde features an interesting world along with an all too familiar YA plotline.

Kirit Densira lives in a tower made of living bone. She wants to earn her wings and get a trade like her mother, but it all goes awry when she and her friend Nat have an encounter with creatures called Skymouths that are like flying worms with nothing but teeth. Kirit also along the way uncovers some truths about her past and some things that endanger her present.

In the tradition of a lot of these stories, Kirit is the chosen one. Only she can do the thing that needs to be done and she learns the skills faster than anyone else. It's a pasted on plot from any number of current YA novels.

The worldbuilding is good, but I wanted more. Perhaps we'll get that in the sequels to come. There were some interesting things with the environments, but I wanted more about these weird bone towers than about the protagonists.


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Re*pro*duct Volume 1

author: Austin Wilson
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.33
book published: 2016
rating: 3
read at: 2016/07/06
date added: 2016/07/06
shelves: graphic-novels
review:
'Re*pro*duct Volume 1" by Austin Wilson with art by Logan Faerber is a minimalist color graphic novel that takes place in a future where robots walk among us.

Robots do walk among us, and they may have an edge over us, but the sometimes act just as dumb as humans. We meet a group of robots out on the town for the night. They act a bit like drunken frat boys until one of them, Reflex Carbon, decides to head home. From here the main story follows him. With a phone in his head, he makes annoying out loud phone calls everywhere, and ignores them from friends. He is going to school and finds out one of his fellow robots is in trouble, but, at least in this volume, this isn't resolved. He is interested in a human girl, and they end up going out.

It has a free-form style with the art and lettering that I'm not sure if I ended up liking. The thread of conversation seems to start at the speakers mouths and twist and wind out from there. It took a few pages to catch on to how it was being done and I did kind of like it. The art felt a bit too close to sketch work for me. I would have liked a more finished look to the art, but I did like the way they only used two or three colors to tell the story. It's not a bad world and seems to have things to say about ours, but I felt like the story, like the art, wasn't quite finished.

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


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Ghostbusters International (Ghostbusters International, #1)

author: Erik Burnham
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.37
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2016/07/03
date added: 2016/07/03
shelves: graphic-novels
review:
'Ghostbusters International' by Erik Burnham with art by Dan Schoening finds the team on an international trip to hunt ghosts around the globe.

Success is a good thing, but it can be too much of a good thing. When the team is sought out with an attractive buy out offer, the city steps in and agrees to take all the profits, leaving some of the team a bit disgruntled. The new deal sends the team internationally to Venice, then to Paris (my review copy only had the Venice portion of the story). The hope is that ghosts can be cleared out of valuable property, then resold for profit, but there seems to be more going on than meets the eye. The team finds a bunch of non-malevolent spirits lurking about Venice and then they find a ghostly plague doctor haunting an old building that used to serve as a prison and a mental hospital.

My copy was only the first half of the story, but I know they head off to Paris next. It's an okay story, but it only seems to serve to get the team out of town and into other locations like old tv shows would do. I don't have a sense of how this fits into a larger story, but it's the Ghostbusters and there are ghosts to be trapped, so it's good enough.

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.


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Ringside, Volume 1

author: Joe Keatinge
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.46
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at: 2016/07/02
date added: 2016/07/02
shelves: graphic-novels
review:
'Ringside, Volume 1' by Joe Keatinge and Nick Barber takes place inside the world of professional wrestling and gives it a bit of a noir twist.

In this volume there are three different stories that interweave and share the world of wrestling. In one plotline, an older wrestler takes a younger one under him and shows him how things work. A second, and somewhat minor in this volume, story involves management of the wrestlers and a new writer who has come on board. In one, an aging wrestler who went by the name of Dan Knossos,aka, The Minotaur, has been living in Japan. When one of his friends gets in trouble, he returns stateside to see if he can help. He doesn't have the skill set for the kind of rough work involved so he enlists a friend that works as a bounty hunter for a bail bonds company. He ends up in the kind of real world trouble that his career couldn't have prepared him for.

It's a good look at the world of wrestling entertainment and the kind of people who become wrestlers and what happens to them when their career is over. It's also not a bad crime comic. I liked the writing. i'm still not sure if I'm crazy about the art. At times, I really liked it, but then it lost some definition in some panels and seemed a bit too formless. It's a good read and I look forward to reading more.

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.


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Star Trek: Manifest Destiny

author: Mike Johnson
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at: 2016/07/02
date added: 2016/07/02
shelves: graphic-novels
review:
'Star Trek: Manifest Destiny' by Mike Johnson and Ryan Parrott with art by Angel Hernandez starts off interesting, but I can't tell you much about it because I was given only a portion of it for review.

The story starts right off in action mode, with the Klingons doing what they do best. They conquer a planet, and when the USS Enterprise shows up to help, an away team is sent to the planet. Traps about as the away team is unable to help and the ship and it's crew are also caught in what seems to be a clever trap. The preview I got ends on an exciting cliffhanger.

This is the J.J. reboot crew. I liked the art, even with the artist putting in lens flares like in the movies (although they aren't nearly as distracting here). I liked McCoy having to fight using his medical technology and his usually grouchy attitude. It's a really good set up for an exciting story. I see that as a bonus, this graphic novel includes issue one in the Klingon language, which would be fun. I liked what I got to read, and I would seek out the rest to read.

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


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Snoopy: Party Animal

author: Charles M. Schulz
name: Wayne
average rating: 4.45
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at: 2016/06/28
date added: 2016/07/01
shelves: graphic-novels, children-s
review:
'Snoopy: Party Animal' by Charles M. Schulz is a collection of classic Peanuts strips mostly featuring Snoopy.

The main thing we learn is that Snoopy likes his supper. And he doesn't mind hosting the occasional gathering of birds at his place. Frieda decides to get her own pet because she thinks Snoopy is too smug, so she gets a cat. There are cartoons featuring all teh seasons, but the Fall ones might be my favorite, with the Great Pumpkin and Charlie Brown trying to kick the football that Lucy is holding for him. Snoopy is a vulture and a fierce mountain lion, and after Linus' blanket.

These are reprints of classic strips and they've be colorized. I don't mind these being in color, but they've made Charlie Brown's shirt red! It's always been yellow, so I'm not sure what they were thinking. Also, Frieda's cat is one color, then in another strip, it's a completely different color. So, consistency in the color would have been nice and also referencing colors from other sources. But this is a collection for kids, not particularly enthusiasts or collectors, and it's a fun one for old and new readers alike.

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


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