The Twilight Man: Rod Serling and the Birth of Television

author: Koren Shadmi
name: Wayne
average rating: 4.26
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2019/10/31
date added: 2019/10/31
shelves: non-fiction, graphic-novels
review:
'The Twilight Man: Rod Serling and the Birth of Television' with words and art by Koren Shadmi is a biography about one of the creative folks in early television.

The framing story has Rod Serling on a flight sitting next to an attractive young woman. She is curious about his life, so he talks about his time in World War II. Then he talks about writing scripts for early television. He was successful as an early writer, but there were setbacks along the way as well. Eventually, that led him to creating The Twilight Zone.

I liked this non-fiction story. The art was really good and the way the story unfolded was also. There are some nice touches that are reminiscent of The Twilight Zone along the way.

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


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The Jungle Book: Manga Classics

author: Crystal S. Chan
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.00
book published: 2017
rating: 3
read at: 2018/10/07
date added: 2019/10/30
shelves: graphic-novels, classics
review:
'The Jungle Book' from Manga Classics is 329 pages of Rudyard Kipling adapted in to manga form. If you only know the Mowgli stories from the Jungle Book, those are here and more.

The seven books of the Jungle Book are adapted here. Some get longer adaptations than others. Also included are the poems in unabridged form that accompany the stories.

Along with the Mowgli stories, there is the story of the White Seal, Toomai of the Elephants, and my favorite, Rikki-Tikki-Tavi. The poems fit in to the stories where they do in the books.

The adaptation by Crystal S. Chan is spot on, per usual. This time out the art is by Julien Choy and it's a good job. At 327 pages, there is a lot here, but I enjoyed revisiting these characters.

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


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The Life and Death of Toyo Harada

author: Joshua Dysart
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.90
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2019/10/27
date added: 2019/10/27
shelves: graphic-novels
review:
'The Life and Death of Toyo Harada' by Joshua Dysart with art by Cafu and a variety of guest artists for various flashbacks is a 6 issue limited series following events in the Valiant Universe.

Toyo Harada is a psiot, which is kind of like a mutant in the Marvel universe. He is out to protect other psiots, so that puts him at odds with humans. This story shows his origin and follows a battle between Harada's team and those who would take him down. It's a story of sympathy and betrayal, but it's probably better if you are familiar with the characters in stories before this.

It was a pretty wordy story at times, but the art was fantastic. A brief foreword catching readers up on events might have been nice because this just jumps right in to the middle of a battle. I did like it.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Valiant Entertainment, 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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Apollo Expeditions to the Moon: The NASA History 50th Anniversary Edition

author: Edgar M. Cortright
name: Wayne
average rating: 4.83
book published: 1975
rating: 5
read at: 2019/06/12
date added: 2019/10/26
shelves: non-fiction
review:
'Apollo Expeditions' by Edgar M. Cortright with contributions by many involved in the program is a reprint of a book originally published in the 1970s, but with the upcoming 50th anniversary of landing on the moon, the timing is perfect.

The 15 chapters of this amazing book are written by different people with different aspects of the Apollo program. So, one chapter is about the Saturn rocket and it's written by WernHer von Braun. One is about the huge hangar built for rockets. One is about the scouting missions made before man went to the moon. Chris Kraft talks about mission control. Michael Collins and Buzz Aldrin talk about landing on the moon.

Along with the text, there are tons of photos and drawings. I loved reading this book from the perspective of those that lived it. There is a small amount of repetition, but I attribute that to different perspectives of the same event. Timely and breathtaking.

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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Lucky Luke - Saddles Up (Lucky Luke Saddles Up)

author: Mawil
name: Wayne
average rating: 2.60
book published:
rating: 2
read at: 2019/10/23
date added: 2019/10/23
shelves: graphic-novels
review:
'Lucky Luke Saddles Up' with art and script by Mawil finds our iconic and comedic Western hero in possession of a new form of travel.

When Lucky Luke takes a train ride, he meets Albert Overman who has invented a new type of bicycle that he is taking to the 1st Columbia San Francisco Bicycle Race. Lucky Luke is curious about the contraption and saves it from a couple thugs out to take it. Luke finds himself on a madcap dash across the West, much to the detriment of his beloved horse.

Lucky Luke has been around a while and the stories are filled with lots of stereotypes. Some of those start to feel a bit cringeworthy here. It's a fun story, but I miss the more classic looking Lucky Luke artwork.

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


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Think Smart, Be Fearless: A Biography of Bill Gates

author: Sharon Mentyka
name: Wayne
average rating: 4.12
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2019/10/22
date added: 2019/10/22
shelves: childrens, non-fiction
review:
'Think Smart, Be Fearless: A Biography of Bill Gates' by Sharon Mentyka with illustrations by Vivien Mildenberger is a child-size biography of a man who isn't afraid to take on problems that seem unsolvable.

When Bill Gates was born, his grandmother nicknamed him Trey. His family liked to play games and learn to compete. His mother taught him to be compassionate. His innate curiosity and the birth of computing were a perfect fit for someone who liked a challenge. His path to fame and the friends he made along the way are here as well as the start of the foundation he runs to this day.

I really liked this kid friendly look at the life of Bill Gates. I really liked the way the illustrations around Bill would just be endless thoughts or computer code. His story is an inspiring one.

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


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Batman: Nightwalker

author: Stuart Moore
name: Wayne
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2019/10/22
date added: 2019/10/22
shelves: graphic-novels, young-adult
review:
'Batman: Nightwalker' by Marie Lu with adaptation by Stuart Moore and art by Chris Wildgoose is a graphic novel and it's part of the DC Ink line.

In this story, Bruce Wayne is just turning 18 and isn't quite Batman yet. A group of criminals called Nightwalkers has started causing problems in Gotham City. Bruce makes a bad choice and ends up getting probation by cleaning Arkham Asylum. While he is there, he meets a young girl named Madeleine that is part of the Nightwalkers. Bruce tries to help, but should he?

Batman doesn't show up in costume in this story, but his shadow is all over it, from Bruce's friendship with Harvey Dent to his relationship with Lucius Fox. There are other foreshadows as well. The art was really good, and like other DC Ink books, the colors are muted except for an accent color that has to do with the story. I consider these DC Ink stories to be sort of alternate universe stories and this one was pretty satisfying.

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


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Survivors of the Holocaust

author: Kath Shackleton
name: Wayne
average rating: 4.38
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2019/10/22
date added: 2019/10/22
shelves: non-fiction, childrens, graphic-novels
review:
'Survivors of the Holocaust' by Kath Shackleton with illustrations by Zane Whittingham is a graphic novel that tells the true stories of six children during the holocaust.

Heinz, Trude, Ruth, Martin, Suzanne and Arek were just normal kids who had their lives upended by the nazis. All from different backgrounds, they ended up in England in the same area. The stories are sad, and that the fact that these people lived to tell their stories is amazing.

The book ends with a brief recap of what happened to all of these people. The art is quite good. This is a good read for younger readers, and it's an important thing for none of us to forget.

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


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Tramp - Volume 1 - The Trap

author: Jean-Charles Kraehn
name: Wayne
average rating: 1.75
book published: 1993
rating: 1
read at: 2019/07/13
date added: 2019/10/22
shelves: graphic-novels
review:
'Tramp: 1. The Trap' by Jean-Charles Kraehn with art by Patrick Jusseaume is a graphic novel about treachery.

A man dying of cancer with a seemingly unhealthy relationship towards his own daughter buys an old liberty ship. His plan is to file a big insurance claim and pay some former nazis to help him sink it. He hires an inexperienced captain, but the captain may be a bit smarter than he lets on.

This is only the first part of the story and by the end, the ship hasn't sailed yet. I didn't like how the dying ship owner's relationship with his daughter was described. The only other woman in the book suffers a bad death. The art is fine, but I didn't like this title.

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


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The Pear Tree

author: Luli Gray
name: Wayne
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2019/10/21
date added: 2019/10/21
shelves: childrens
review:
'The Pear Tree' by Luli Gray with illustrations by Madelyn Goodnight is a retelling of a famous fable about a crafty old woman.

Esperanza has a pear tree she is proud of. When she only has one pear left, she gives it to a beggar. In return, the beggar blesses Esperanza with the power to trap anyone in her tree. When death comes for Esperanza, she tricks him in to the tree. Now know one can die. But is that a good thing?

I really liked this update on this fairy tale. Especially the way the ending is changed with a different name. I loved the beautiful illustrations that go along with the story. This a classic picture book.

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


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There's Room for Everyone

author: Anahita Teymorian
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.93
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2019/10/20
date added: 2019/10/20
shelves: childrens
review:
'There's Room for Everyone' with words and pictures by Anahita Teymorian is a picture book with a message that there really is enough room in the world, and we shouldn't be fighting or worried about it.

A young child grows, and notices that even though the house is small, it can hold the child and their toys. The night sky has room for all the stars. The sky has room for birds. If there is room, why are people fighting for space?

It's a simple, if simplistic book, but it won me over with it's message of being kind toward others. I liked the drawings that accompany this book. They are lively and fun.

I received a review copy of this ebook from Tiny Owl Publishing, Myrick Marketing & Media, LLC, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.


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Charlie Brown: All Tied Up (PEANUTS AMP Series Book 13): A PEANUTS Collection

author: Charles M. Schulz
name: Wayne
average rating: 4.40
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2019/10/20
date added: 2019/10/20
shelves: graphic-novels, childrens
review:
'Charlie Brown: All Tied Up' by Charles M. Schulz is the 13th book in the Peanuts AMP series.

You can't ever go wrong with a Charlie Brown collection of comic strips. This time around Peppermint Patty finds herself charmed by Pig-Pen, Lucy can't seem to pay attention to the game in the outfield, and Schroeder finds himself on a really cut rate airline run by Marcie and Snoopy. There are plenty of other fun strips to go along with these too.

Reading a collection like this always takes me back to my childhood. Reading it on a dreary, rainy October day just sealed it. But these are gags that work for any age. Introduce a youngster in your life to this great series.

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 ebook.


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Unplugged and Unpopular

author: Mat Heagerty
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.56
book published: 2019
rating: 3
read at: 2019/10/19
date added: 2019/10/19
shelves: childrens, graphic-novels
review:
'Unplugged and Unpopular' by Mat Heagerty with illustrations by Tintin Pantoja and Mike Amante is a graphic novel aimed at tweens showing how staring at screens might be evil.

Erin Song lives in a very connected world. She wants to be popular, so she makes a bad choice. That leads her parents to ban her from devices, but she discovers something insidious happening around her. When she tries to tell her friends and family, they won't believe her. Who can she get to help stop this plot?

I like the idea of this story, but I felt disappointed in the execution. The plot deals with our addiction to devices, but the people who are not addicted seem to be weird and build kind of dumb solutions. The art worked ok for the story and I liked it quite a bit.

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


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Verax: A Graphic History of Electronic Surveillance

author: Pratap Chatterjee
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.85
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2019/10/19
date added: 2019/10/19
shelves: graphic-novels, non-fiction
review:
'Verax: A Graphic History of Electronic Surveillance' by Pratap Chatterjee with illustrations by Khalil Bendib is a non-fiction graphic novel that talks about recent whistleblowing of government surveillance.

Verax was one of Edward Snowden's code names so it's an apt name for this graphic novel. The book mainly has to do with the things he revealed. Discussions of unwarranted surveillance as well as the inaccuracy of U.S. drone strikes are discussed. Interviews with key people are illustrated.

It's part of the same story, but I found the first half more interesting. Deep packet inspection as well as tracking what people do with Stingrays and data mining was a lot more interesting. The drone stuff is also good, but when it moved to that, it felt like the story I was more interested in got derailed. I realize that's how the story developed, so it's just my preference.

The art is a caricature style which gives most figures kind of a garish look. It wasn't my favorite, but it was easy to distinguish among all the individuals and to recognize the more famous ones.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Metropolitan Books, Henry Holt& Company, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.


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The Secret Spiral of Swamp Kid

author: Kirk Scroggs
name: Wayne
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2019/10/19
date added: 2019/10/19
shelves: childrens, graphic-novels
review:
'The Secret Spiral of Swamp Kid' by Kirk Scroggs is a graphic novel in the DC Zoom line of books for younger readers.

Middle school is tough enough, what with social pressure and mysterious food being served in the cafeteria. When you're Russell Weinwright, and half boy, half swamp creature, it's worse. With one arm longer than the other, and a carrot for a finger, his life is strange at best. When he starts having visions of the Swamp Thing, he's not sure what to do, but there is something mysterious going on.

I had fun reading this ebook. It's in the form of a diary with drawings, like other similar middle school books that are popular. There are some inside jokes to the Swamp Thing series and movie. I liked the drawings and I think this would be a fun read for middle grade readers.

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


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Bloodlust & Bonnets

author: Emily McGovern
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.89
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2019/10/19
date added: 2019/10/19
shelves: graphic-novels
review:
'Bloodlust & Bonnets' written and drawn by Emily McGovern is a graphic novel that is a send up of classic Romantic literature. And vampires!

The plot follows Lucy, an unusual debutante in her quest to be her own person. She is joined by others. Sham, a bounty-hunter, wants to find a vampire and kill it. Lord Byron just wants to drink and party. Lucy wants to find the vampire and join her cool cult of vampires. There is also a large psychic (and French thinking) bird, and a talking castle that is particular about when it talks.

I laughed many times reading this story. The humor is literate and amazing. I laughed at Lucy constantly getting large bloodstains on anything she wore. I laughed at the antics of the bird and the castle. There are lots of funny surprises all over this story.

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 ebook.


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Drawing: Flowers with William F. Powell: Learn to draw step by step

author: William F. Powell
name: Wayne
average rating: 4.48
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2019/10/18
date added: 2019/10/18
shelves: non-fiction
review:
'Drawing: Flowers with Willam F. Powell: Learn to draw step by step' by William F. Powell is an approachable guide from the Walter Foster series.

After an opening section on tools and basic shading techniques, the book heads in to flowers. Basic shapes start the lesson, then each chapter is devoted to different flowers like the tulip, daffodil, or English Wallflower. It feels like the flowers get more complex to match growing skill level.

I have read a few books in this series, and I understand why they are classic staples sold in art supply stores. The approaches to teaching are simple to follow. I enjoyed getting to read this ebook.

I received a review copy of this ebook from Quarto Publishing Group - Walter Foster, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.


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Zen Pencils--Inspirational Quotes for Kids

author: Gavin Aung Than
name: Wayne
average rating: 4.35
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2019/10/14
date added: 2019/10/14
shelves: non-fiction
review:
'Zen Pencils: Inspirational Quotes for Kids' by Gavin Aung Than is a collection of famous quotes that have been illustrated.

As in the other Zen Pencils collection, the artist takes famous sayings and illustrates them in interesting ways. So for the armed forces motto, we see a warrior training for battle, then heading in the mountains to fight a monster. Theodore Roosevelt's quote is about a man watching tv, and the man he's watching actually climbing a mountain.

These are some good quotes, but kids might be a bit young of a description as some of these quotes would probably be a bit beyond an 8 or 9 year old. Regardless, this is an inspiring collection of quotes, and I really like how this artist transforms these sayings.

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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The Circus Comes to the Village

author: Yutaka Kobayashi
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2009
rating: 3
read at: 2019/10/12
date added: 2019/10/12
shelves: childrens
review:
'The Circus Comes to the Village' with words and pictures by Yutaka Kobayashi is a look at a circus in another culture.

Young friends Yamo and Mirado are excited that the circus is coming to his home of Paghman village. His brother and father are off fighting the war, so the circus is a good distraction, but first, he must do his chores. The circus has a wooden ferris wheel and treats like sweet rice pudding and barley cookies. Like the other Yamo's village book I've read, this one ends with an abrubt and sad last page.

I liked this book. The illustrations are really nice, and I think it's good for children to see how other children in the world live and play. Things are different, but still the same. The abrupt ending, like the first book, is rather harsh, even it it is realistic. Readers should decide if further discussion is warranted.

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


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Kobane Calling

author: Zerocalcare
name: Wayne
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at: 2019/10/12
date added: 2019/10/12
shelves: graphic-novels, non-fiction
review:
'Kobane Calling' written and drawn by Zerocalcare is a autobiographical memoir about a trip to the Rojava region of Syria.

Zerocalcare is a fictitious name of an Italian cartoonist. When he learns about what is happening in Rojava, he volunteers with a group of others. From dangerous border crossings to fear of Daesh, Zerocalcare finds himself learning about the struggles of the Kurdish people and meets the all-female Kurdish volunteer Women's Defense Units.

To balance the seriousness of the story, there is humor about always having lentils for breakfast and a chai addiction. Sometimes the people he draws are anonymized in to blocks of cheese and olives. There is gravity too, as this is a struggle that we only hear about in soundbites. It's also good to get a different perspective than my American one. I like the art and style as well as the writing.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Lion Forge, 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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Rock (Ken Games, #1)

author: José Robledo
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2009
rating: 4
read at: 2019/02/09
date added: 2019/10/12
shelves: graphic-novels
review:
'Ken Games #1: Rock' by Jose Manuel Robledo with art by Marcial Toledano is the first in a series about three characters who are all friends.

Peter Fermat, aka Rock, is a boxer who uses math to calculate how to beat his opponents. In the underground fight world, he is known as The Mathematician. He has a friend named T.J., aka Paper, who has a new girlfriend named Anne. Peter, T.J., and Anne all have secrets they are hiding from each other. Thus begins the web of deception between these three people.

It's an interesting story, and I like how it starts to play out here. There is enough left wide open to make me want to continue the story. The art is pretty solid too.

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


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Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas: Zero's Journey Book Three

author: D.J. Milky
name: Wayne
average rating: 4.15
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2019/10/09
date added: 2019/10/09
shelves: graphic-novels
review:
'Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas: Zero's Journey Book Three' by D.J. Milky is a collection of the ongoing manga series about Jack Skellington's pet.

Zero is in Christmas Town and wants to get back home before he is discovered. Along with him are the three troublemakers Lock, Shock and Barrel. Things are going ok until a large bossy elf shows up and starts ordering everyone around. Zero and company are saved by a dinner invitation by Santa himself.

I loved the art and the fact that it was in full color. I think this works better in a full story arc than in reading this as a stand alone volume. It's nice to see these characters continue in adventures that seem to ring true to the original film.

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


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Zaha Hadid

author: Mª Isabel Sánchez Vegara
name: Wayne
average rating: 4.33
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2019/10/06
date added: 2019/10/06
shelves: childrens, non-fiction
review:
'Zaha Hadid' by Ma Isabel Sanchez Vegara with illustrations by Asun Amar is part of the Little People, Big Dreams series.

Zaha Hadid grew up in Bagdad. She was interested in art and design from an early age. She later studied at the University of Beirut and had unusual ideas about architectural design. She imagined some of the most unusual buildings in the modern world.

I love this series and read all of them that I'm offered. The brief bios are well done and some times I even learn something new. I certainly did this time around. I loved Asun Amar's colorful, contrasting illustration style. It made the story vibrant and interesting.

I received a review copy of this ebook from Quarto Publishing Group - Frances Lincoln Childrens, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.


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Mary Shelley

author: Mª Isabel Sánchez Vegara
name: Wayne
average rating: 4.38
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2019/10/06
date added: 2019/10/06
shelves: childrens, non-fiction
review:
'Mary Shelley' by Ma Isabel Sanchez Vegara with illustrations by Julie Morstad is part of the Little People, Big Dreams series.

Mary Shelley was born curious with parents that encouraged that. After losing her mother and getting a new stepmother, Mary spent a lot of quiet time writing. When she grew up, her interest in science informed her most famous work: Frankenstein.

I love this series and read all of them that I'm offered. The brief bios are well done and some times I even learn something new. The illustration style this time around has a darker color palette and it felt like the figures were all leaning to one side, but I liked the style.

I received a review copy of this ebook from Quarto Publishing Group - Frances Lincoln Childrens, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.


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Nancy's Genius Plan

author: Olivia Jaimes
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.89
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2019/10/06
date added: 2019/10/06
shelves: childrens
review:
'Nancy's Genius Plan' by Olivia Jaimes takes the classic characters from Ernie Bushmiller and creates a fun board book for toddlers.

Aunt Fritzi has made cornbread and Nancy has a plan to take it, but she will need the help of her friends and you, the reader. Your part is to knock on the front door and distract Aunt Mitzy. You will also need to turn the book upside down and other things. Once Nancy has the cornbread, she realizes that it's no fun to have no one to share it with.

I've been a fan of these characters for a long time, and it's nice to see them back. The drawings work well for a toddler-aged book, and the activities to do while reading would make for a fun reading experience. This book made me smile.

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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Brave with Beauty: A Story of Afghanistan

author: Maxine Rose Schur
name: Wayne
average rating: 4.38
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2019/10/06
date added: 2019/10/06
shelves: childrens
review:
'Brave with Beauty: A Story of Afghanistan' by Maxine Rose Schur with illustrations by Patricia Grush, Robin DeWitt, and Golsa Yaghoobi is a picture book based on a real person and how she took it as her mission to bring beauty to the world.

Taking place in the 15th century in Herat in western Afghanistan, we meet Queen Goharshad when she was just a small girl. She liked art and poetry, but her brothers preferred fighting. When Goharshad is married, she hires musicians to play music in the palace, but also the city. She builds a mosque that bears her name. She builds a university and a library. She was a poet and architect.

The book is filled with beautiful pictures and poems. The art in the books layout is inspired by that of the period of the Timurids. There is a nice afterword, as well as a reading list for further study.

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


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Trail of Lightning (The Sixth World, #1)

author: Rebecca Roanhorse
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2018
rating: 4
read at: 2019/10/06
date added: 2019/10/06
shelves: sword-and-laser
review:
'Trail of Lightning' by Rebecca Roanhorse is the first book in a series called The Sixth World, and it was the September pick for my book club.

Maggie Hoskie is a dangerous monster hunter, but she's also pretty emotionally damaged. When she gets a new partner to help her, she's not sure if she needs him around. There are things both of them aren't telling each other. There is also a weird mystery with someone creating monsters.

I liked this urban fantasy and the characters that populate the world. I like the setting, even though there are things that get set up that don't seem to have much to do with the story yet. This is a really strong debut novel and based on the award nominations, I'm not the only one who feels that way. I recommend it.


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Bakemonogatari, Volume 1 (Bakemonogatari: Monster Tale Manga, #1)

author: NisiOisiN
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.55
book published: 2018
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2019/10/06
shelves: graphic-novels
review:
'Bakemonogatari, Vol. 1' by NisOisiN with art by Oh! Great is a manga about the monsters all around us and the weird ways they manifest.

This book had a somewhat confusing start, but it's basically about a guy named Koyomi Araragi trying to help a girl named Hitagi Senjougahara. Her problem is that she weighs hardly anything and her weight has been stolen by a monster crab. Koyomi has a strange friend that is good at helping, so he is taking Hitagi to him for help.

This story had some coherence problems. I like the idea of this, but things jumped around to other stories and things were not explained. I don't know why it's important that Koyomi is a virgin. I don't know why the class president storyline is even in this book.

What I did really like is the art. I really liked the style of art and the way panels were laid out. From an art and design standpoint, this was great.

I received a review copy of this manga from Vertical Comics, Kodansha Comics, and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.


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Bezkamp

author: Samuel Sattin
name: Wayne
average rating: 4.00
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2019/10/05
date added: 2019/10/05
shelves: graphic-novels
review:
'Bezkamp' by Samuel Sattin with art by Jen Hickman is a graphic novel with an interesting SF story at its heart.

Nem is a disappointment to his father Migal. They live in a village called BezKamp and are at war with creatures on the planet. Nem would rather try to dig for old artifacts to try to figure out the past. In a world where reading and writing are banned, his choices make him unpopular. Migal is determined to make his son a warrior and teache him about "Creejun" which is used to terraform.

I liked this story, but it took a while to get used to the odd way the characters speak. A hint for readers might be to sound things out. The language is a derivation of English (as might happen without writing or literature). The art wasn't initially my favorite, but it also grew on me. By the end, I did enjoy this.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Lion Forge, 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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Animation 1: Learn to Animate Cartoons Step by Step (Cartooning, Book 1)

author: Preston J. Blair
name: Wayne
average rating: 4.50
book published: 2003
rating: 4
read at: 2019/10/04
date added: 2019/10/04
shelves: non-fiction
review:
'Cartooning: Animation 1 with Preston Blair' from Walter Foster is a kind of classic from a company that puts out excellent art instruction books.

Preston Blair was an animator in the classic days of animation and worked for the major animation studios like Disney and MGM. Here he shows the steps to creating loveable characters, starting with how to construct the head, then moving on to facial expression. Squash and stretch and line of motion are covered as well as movement.

It's called Animation 1, but I think the reader should know that this dives in pretty quickly. I think figure drawing could be learned from this book, but some rudimentary figure and shape drawing is probably a precursor. His example characters have a familiarity, and I understand that his early versions of this book included likenesses from the studios until he was told not to use them. It's a solid instructional book and I'm glad I got to read it.

I received a review copy of this ebook from Quarto Publishing Group - Walter Foster, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.


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Forbidden Harbor

author: Teresa Radice
name: Wayne
average rating: 4.86
book published: 2015
rating: 4
read at: 2019/10/04
date added: 2019/10/04
shelves: graphic-novels
review:
'Forbidden Harbor' with story by Teresa Radice and art by Stefano Turconi is a story I got to read the first half of earlier this year. The story is now complete in this edition.

A young man is found shipwrecked on an island. He has no memory of who he is or how he got there. It turns out he is quite adept at the ship trade, so he finds himself a cabin boy and a favorite among the officers. He finds himself drawn in to help the daughters of a captain Stevenson, and begins to unravel the mystery behind what happened. On a new boat with a new captain, he finds himself back where he was found.

Filled with poetry and a good sense of naval history, this graphic novel feels literate as well as bittersweet. I just wish the art had a more finished look to it. The art feels like the pencils that inkers get to finish. Perhaps someday this will happen. For now, this is a pretty good story and I'm glad I was able to finish this story.

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


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