Friday, February 27, 2015

Daomu

Daomu

author: Colin Johnson

name: Wayne

average rating: 3.42

book published: 2011

rating: 3

read at: 2015/02/27

date added: 2015/02/27

shelves: graphic-novels

review:

'Daomu' is a graphic novel of a whole genre of tomb-raiding books in China. The word Daomu actually means 'Tomb Robber.' So, if you think Indiana Jones and Lara Croft, you might nail this, but only if you add in a really healthy dose of the weird supernatural stuff.



Sean Wu finds out his estranged father had some strange secrets. Now Sean has found out about them and is joining an elite group of treasure hunters. His first mission, which about kills him, is a "simple" initiation test: steal a skull from a tomb. He finds himself on this mission with his Uncle Tsai, his dad's star pupil Pan and a strange warrior known as Kilan. There is a rival corporation named Coral Knight also out to make things more interesting. Along the way, more people join the team like Gordo (who is only on the team for laughs as far as I can tell), and Lyn, a woman who works for Coral. Will they find the skull and what they need for their next adventure (which is also in the book)? Will Sean find out what happened to his father?



It's the kind of story that's right in my zone. I love this kind of thing. Creepy tombs, traps, and strange treasures, and I did like it, but I didn't totally love it. For one, there are these odd gaps in the story's timeline. Action takes place between frames and the story seems a bit jarring because of this. The art is really good most of the time, but sometimes, it's uneven and I had a hard time figuring out which character I was viewing. My review copy also made it hard to read some text. In some of the scenes the text is almost opaque, to simulate whispered conversations or distant dialogue, and it was tough to read. And the female character Lyn, while a capable enough character, seems to only be in the book to show off way too much cleavage in what should be a functional wetsuit. I liked it, but I wanted it to be just a bit more than I got.



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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Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Outcast, Vol. 1: A Darkness Surrounds Him

Outcast, Vol. 1: A Darkness Surrounds Him

author: Robert Kirkman

name: Wayne

average rating: 3.75

book published: 2015

rating: 4

read at: 2015/02/24

date added: 2015/02/24

shelves: graphic-novels

review:

'Outcast Vol. 1: A Darkness Surrounds Him' will likely be compared to another famous work by Robert Kirkman, but it's really a different story. We get a pretty good setup, but we don't get all the answers. I think I'm okay with that for now.



Kyle Barnes is a guy that seems to be good at getting rid of demons. It's a good thing too, because it's starting to be a common thing around him. We see flashbacks of Kyle and his demon-possessed mother. He gets teamed up with a minister in his hometown who thinks Kyle could do some good. At Kyle's touch, the possessed are in pain. Can Kyle do any good while he battles his own past? And are the demon possessions in this book increasing or is it me?



Pretty good story. Even though we don't get all the answers, I felt satisfied with the story. It's a subtle start, but there is plenty of action here. The possessed have the creepiest smiles on their faces and I found it really unsettling. I do wish the minister were more devout and dependent on supernatural power, but that seems to be the way of these stories nowadays. Writing by Robert Kirkman is as good as we've come to expect. Art by Paul Azaceta and Elizabeth Breitweiser feels a bit washed and bleak, but it's perfect for the story. I'm interested to see where they go with this.



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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Hawk Quest

Hawk Quest

author: Robert Lyndon

name: Wayne

average rating: 3.93

book published: 2012

rating: 4

read at: 2015/02/24

date added: 2015/02/24

shelves:

review:

'Hawk Quest' by Robert Lyndon is the kind of huge historical fiction doorstop of a book I loved as a much younger reader. I was a big fan of Clavell and Michener, so you get a picture of the kind of massive, sprawling books I've read. This book fits in with those as well, sort of.



The Normans rule England and the Turks have a Norman hostage. A knight returning from captivity stumbles upon a young Greek and his ailing master. The ailing master wants to get the hostage released because he knows about a secret gospel and a letter from Prester John. The knight, Vallon, soon finds himself taking on this quest. And it's a huge one. The ransom is either an extraordinary sum of money or four of the purest white falcons, which can only be found in Greenland. The knight finds a company of loyal and less than loyal companions, and they take a very long voyage to capture the falcons and deliver them alive as a ransom. Not all who start the journey will finish it. Not even people that join up along the way.



I love the time period, and there are many different European groups of this era represented. It's an epic journey, but I felt like there could have been less of the many different people in the company and more of the historical details of the era. I really enjoyed reading it and I felt like the author really managed a very large cast of characters well. It's got a bit of a 'Joss Whedon' effect, so don't get too attached to a character, or you may find them out of the story, but I think that kept such a huge book fresh. With a length of almost 700 pages, it's definitely longer than most books I tend to read. And I felt it got a little preachy toward the end with the discovery of a gnostic gospel, but overall, I enjoyed the journey.



I received a review copy of this ebook from Hachette Book Group, Redhook, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me review this epic ebook.





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Saturday, February 21, 2015

The Squidder

The Squidder

author: Ben Templesmith

name: Wayne

average rating: 3.25

book published: 2014

rating: 4

read at: 2015/02/21

date added: 2015/02/21

shelves: graphic-novels

review:

'The Squidder' is a strange work by Ben Templesmith, but when it was all finished I liked it quite a bit. I had a hard time reading some of the panels, but that might have been because I had a review copy.



The Squidder is genetically modified human designed to fight off an invasion of squid-like aliens from outer space. He's the last of his kind, and humans have won the war, sort of, so he spends his time hiring out for mercenary type jobs. He doesn't like a lot of the people he works for, but he's good at taking a tough job. He rescues a weird priestess that serves the squids and this is more than he can take since the squids killed his wife, but he sees a chance to rid the world of the squids once and for all. He finds strange allies and enemies in this fight before it's over.



The story was interesting. A strange futuristic story that felt like a throwback to a Western. I liked Ben Templesmith's art in '30 Days of Night' and the art is really interesting, but may not be to everyone's taste. It's kind of all over the place and less defined, but I think it's pretty cool. The cover will give you an idea of what the art inside looks like. It was different and I liked 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 bold graphic novel.





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Judas: The Last Days

Judas: The Last Days

author: W Maxwell Prince

name: Wayne

average rating: 3.30

book published: 2015

rating: 1

read at: 2015/02/21

date added: 2015/02/21

shelves: graphic-novels

review:

'Judas: The Last Days' started with an interesting premise: Judas is forced to live as an immortal on Earth to atone for his sin. It quickly devolved into something I found rather offensive.



It's the modern age and Judas still walks the Earth. At this point in time, he just wants out and wants to die. That doesn't seem possible, and he's not the only person walking around with an immortal life. So are all the rest of the disciples as well as Paul. We get some interesting flashbacks where Judas tries to start over, and mostly fails. And there are these strange gnome librarians intent on documenting events and keeping them from getting changed.



I was kind of okay with the Judas storyline, and the art was fine, but it got so weird and the mainline religious characters were so skewed and, frankly, offensive that I just didn't like it. James the Lesser is a disgusting glutton. Matthew is cross-dressing club owner who hangs out with weird demonic creatures. Paul is a power hungry politician with a serious agenda. Don't even get me started on what Jesus is like in this book. Others may find this book hilarious in it's rib-poking at Christianity, and I'm ok with good satire, but this just went too far 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.





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Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Stinky Cecil in Operation Pond Rescue

Stinky Cecil in Operation Pond Rescue

author: Paige Braddock

name: Wayne

average rating: 4.00

book published: 2015

rating: 4

read at: 2015/02/17

date added: 2015/02/17

shelves: children-s, graphic-novels

review:

'Stinky Cecil in Operation Pond Rescue' is a hilarious graphic novel for young readers featuring a pretty humorous cast of animals. I liked the story and I think young readers will too.



Stinky Cecil is a toad with a bunch of different animal friends like Jeremy, a worm, Rayray, a lizard, Reggie, a limited lifespan fly, and Jeff, a free-range hamster with his own remote controlled car. When the animals realize their home is in the path of bulldozers, they take an all stops out approach to saving their home. Almost all of the ideas are laugh out loud funny. Will they be able to save their pond? Will they be eaten by the shifty hawk flying overhead?



I loved the humor in this. I loved the hamster's radio controlled car and the worm hanging on for dear life. I loved the wary and serious hawk and Reggie who dies and it's no big deal because they no he'll be back because he always is. The writing doesn't pander, the art is humorous, and if there's a message here, it's subtle and not overbearing.



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 fun graphic novel.





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Star Trek: Harlan Ellison's The City on the Edge of Forever: The Original Teleplay

Star Trek: Harlan Ellison's The City on the Edge of Forever: The Original Teleplay

author: Harlan Ellison

name: Wayne

average rating: 3.98

book published: 2015

rating: 5

read at: 2015/02/17

date added: 2015/02/17

shelves: graphic-novels

review:

'Star Trek: Harlan Ellison's The City on the Edge of Forever: The Original Teleplay' is a terrific way to present this screenplay. The art is great and it is only helped by being in a graphic novel format.



Anyone who vaguely knows the original Star Trek series has some familiarity with the episode 'The City on the Edge of Forever.' It's an iconic episode that ends in a heartbreaking choice by Kirk. That's all still here at the core, but the framing story is different.



In the original episode, McCoy goes crazy, ends up back in the 1930s and Kirk and Spock go back to stop him. This story has a completely different framing story involving a corrupt crewman, a crew of marauders attacking the Enterprise and a group of aliens known as the Guardians intent on preserving the pathways of time. Maybe the casting budget is what decided the changes, and when it's all said and done, the core story is the same, so it's more interesting just to see this as alternate take on a classic Trek episode.



The script adaptation is solid, and the art by J.K. Woodward is really top notch. My review copy didn't include anything but the comics, but I understand the full version includes an afterword by Harlan Ellison and also artist notes from J.K. Woodward on his process. Highly recommended for Trekkers like 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 excellent graphic novel.





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Sunday, February 15, 2015

Annihilation (Southern Reach, #1)

Annihilation (Southern Reach, #1)

author: Jeff VanderMeer

name: Wayne

average rating: 3.66

book published: 2014

rating: 4

read at: 2015/02/15

date added: 2015/02/15

shelves: sword-and-laser

review:

'Annihilation' by Jeff VanderMeer is the first book in a trilogy, but it does work as a standalone novel as long as you can live with a vague ending. With it's weird setting and unreliable narrator, it's certainly not a novel for everyone, but I kind of have a crush on it.



A mysterious government organization is heading up expeditions into Area X, a mysterious area of the planet where inexplicable things are observed. There have been 11 previous expeditions which have met with varying fates, and this book follows the 12th. The 12th expedition is comprised of women, but we aren't told why. We also only know the characters by their job function, so we have a psychologist, a biologist, etc. The story is told by the biologist who has secrets of her own.



It's part of a genre known as New Weird, and it is certainly weird and somewhat defies classification. It's part SF and part horror, but the horror aspect feels detached due to the way the story is told. That's not a complaint, at least not to me. I liked the vagueness, and the strange environs, and a narrator who is not sure if what she is seeing can be believed.







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Secret Origins Vol. 1 (The New 52)

Secret Origins Vol. 1 (The New 52)

author: Jeff Lemire

name: Wayne

average rating: 3.03

book published: 2015

rating: 3

read at: 2015/02/15

date added: 2015/02/15

shelves: graphic-novels

review:

'Secret Origins Vol. 1' takes a lot the origin stories from DC Comics New 52 reboot and puts them in one convenient volume. If you are expecting fresh original origins, you should probably look elsewhere. They are all very similar to their old origin stories.



Here you'll find the origin stories of many of the big hitters: Batman, Green Lantern, Superman, Supergirl, Aquaman and Green Arrow among others. If, like me, you are familiar with these origins, you won't find much new here. These are all pretty much the same. There are a few tweaks here and there, and I'm really not sure what I expected, but it was all pretty mediocre. The Harley Quinn story might have been the most interesting, but I was less familiar with it.



I see this collection as best for new fans who want these stories all in one collection. For older fans, there isn't much here that appends known history. The collection boasts a whole host of writers and artists, and I did like the art, especially the collection covers by Lee Bermejo. Those made the collection a win in my mind. I guess I wanted to be more wowed than I was.



I was given a review copy of this graphic novel by DC Entertainment and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.





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The H. A. Rey Treasury of Stories

The H. A. Rey Treasury of Stories

author: H.A. Rey

name: Wayne

average rating: 4.50

book published: 2015

rating: 4

read at: 2015/02/15

date added: 2015/02/15

shelves: children-s

review:

'The H.A. Rey Treasury of Stories' is a good introduction for people who only know his work from the Curious George series. The works included here are all fairly silly and I think young kids would love them.



In 'Tit For Tat' we get a lesson in doing unto others as we'd have them do to us. We see things like a carriage driver and a horse change places on Uncle Appleface's TURN-A-VISION SET. We also see other humans and animals changing places like storks and humans or dogs walking humans.



In 'Elizabite' we meet an adorable little carnivorous plant that soon grows up to be a little more than her owner and a hapless burglar can handle.



In 'Billy's Picture' all Billy Bunny wants to do is draw a picture of himself, but all his animal friends come along and add their particular "improvements" to the picture to a very comical to us and distressing to Billy effect.



'Zebrology' shows one way that zebras may have gotten their stripes in a wordless story. Adults will get some of the humor that will go over most kid's heads.



The art is very familiar looking to those who love Curious George. The pictures are colorful with lots of use of the primary tones. The drawings are playful and friendly and downright silly at times, and I think the book would get lots of giggles from young readers. I enjoyed reading 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 fun ebook.





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The Big Snow and Other Stories: A Treasury of Caldecott Award-Winning Tales

The Big Snow and Other Stories: A Treasury of Caldecott Award-Winning Tales

author: Berta and Elmer Hader

name: Wayne

average rating: 4.00

book published: 2015

rating: 4

read at: 2015/02/15

date added: 2015/02/15

shelves: children-s

review:







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Saturday, February 14, 2015

Hack/Slash: Son of Samhain Volume 1

Hack/Slash: Son of Samhain Volume 1

author: Emilio Laiso

name: Wayne

average rating: 3.33

book published: 2015

rating: 4

read at: 2015/02/14

date added: 2015/02/14

shelves: graphic-novels

review:

'Hack/Slash: Son of Samhain Volume 1' introduced me to a pretty awesome monster fighter. Even though I hadn't read earlier stories, I had no trouble following what was going on.



Cassie Hack is a kind of cross between Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Tank Girl. She kills monsters, and she's quite good at it. When this volume starts, she's in semi-retirement until her fellow monster hunter Delroy comes looking for her. Before long, they also have a young boy names October Bourne who has a questionable past along, but the more the merrier. This time they take on a demon named Morinto and his horrifying horde, and things build to a pretty intense battle. Cassie takes October under her wing, and he turns out to be a pretty good fighter himself.



I like a good monster bashing book, and this filled the bill pretty good. I like Cassie's irreverence behavior towards everything as well as her weapon of choice, a nail-studded baseball bat. The art is grotesque and disturbing at times, but I liked the art by Emilio Laiso, and the story by Michael Moreci and Steve Seeley.



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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Henshin

Henshin

author: Ken Niimura

name: Wayne

average rating: 3.53

book published: 2014

rating: 4

read at: 2015/02/14

date added: 2015/02/14

shelves: graphic-novels

review:

'Henshin' is the Japanese word for transformation, and Ken Nimura gives us 13 stories of various kinds of transformations. Some are more subtle than others, and quite a few are interwoven.



We meet a man who wants a mysterious cat that lives near him in spite of the stinky "gifts" the cat leaves behind. We meet a young quiet girl living with her uncle, and a salaryman who gets stranded when he misses the last train, and a couple young boys with strange powers. There are bullies, and aspiring writers prone to only creating existing ideas, and a group of strangers having a picnic in the woods while a watermelon cools in a stream nearby.



The stories are a bit weird to my Western sensibilities, but I still liked most of them. There is a bit too much focus on cat poop for my taste. The art feels a bit loose and sketchy, but I liked it quite a bit. I especially loved the cats with their sleek, fluid movements as they slink around. It's a nice collection of strange stories, and I like how they somewhat interconnect. Recommended if you're looking for something different.



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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Wednesday, February 11, 2015

Love Volume 1: The Tiger

Love Volume 1: The Tiger

author: Frédéric Brrémaud

name: Wayne

average rating: 4.09

book published: 2011

rating: 4

read at: 2015/02/11

date added: 2015/02/11

shelves: graphic-novels

review:

'Love Volume 1: The Tiger' is a strangely named title for a book about a tiger stalking it's prey (and being stalked). I'm actually not sure where the title comes from based on this book. Still, the glorious illustrations kept me completely glued to the pages.



It's a completely wordless book. We only have the pictures to guide us along the story. We see a tiger stalking his prey. The prey is able to vanish by falling into a river. The tiger attempts to catch the critter and finds himself in a fight with a crocodile while hungry piranha swim greedily closer.



It continues on in this vein. We see all manner of creatures (to tell you more might spoil your delight), and the reader is left to make their own interpretations of the tiger's motivations. Is he hungry or frustrated. He is clearly not exhibiting anything that looks like love, and neither are most of the other animals.



The art by Federico Bertolucci is stunningly gorgeous. The animals can have a cartoonish look to them at times with some facial expressions, but I didn't feel it detracted from what felt like a nature documentary. It's also being marketed as a children's book, and the book is rather violent. Maybe if your kids like those true nature films where animals eat other animals they might like this, but some children might find the demise of critters to be disturbing. As is the final scene. But for certain kids, and animal loving grownups, this is a can't miss.



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 gorgeous graphic novel.





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The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

author: Robert Louis Stevenson

name: Wayne

average rating: 3.77

book published: 1886

rating: 4

read at: 2015/02/11

date added: 2015/02/11

shelves: classics

review:

'The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde' feels a bit anticlimactic if you know the big 'spoiler' of the novel. Through much of the book, I knew what the big reveal was going to be.



And yet, I found the final section to be gripping and effective. A friend discovers the strange mystery, and a man of science goes too far and reaps the horrific consequences. It's a short, little read, but I enjoyed it.



It even serves as a decent warning to modern day experimentation, and you see it's echoes in modern fiction from the Incredible Hulk to Jurassic Park. I enjoyed it, and I'm glad I took the time to read it.





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Super Secret Crisis War! Volume 1

Super Secret Crisis War! Volume 1

author: Louise Simonson

name: Wayne

average rating: 2.91

book published: 2015

rating: 3

read at: 2015/02/11

date added: 2015/02/11

shelves: graphic-novels

review:

'Super Secret Crisis War! Volume 1' takes a bunch of Cartoon Network heroes and villains and pits them into a mega-war reminiscent of the ones done by Marvel and DC. Kind of.



When evil Abu creates a League of Extraordinary Villains, they formulate a plan to capture all the good guys, emulate their powers in robot form and take over the world (insert maniacal laugh). And just in case that doesn't work, they have an overly complicated machine to destroy each world the heroes come from, because in this comic each set of heroes and villains comes from a different planet (hence the Crisis on Infinite Earths nod). So, we have The Powerpuff Girls, Samurai Jack, Dexter's Laboratory, Ben 10 and, strangely, Ed, Edd and Eddy all thrown together to save the world.



It's as crazy as it sounds. It's harmless enough, but over 140 pages, it's hard to see any distinct things happening except with the Ed group. Also, there are a lot of sprawling double panels, which would work great in print, but kind of stink in digital form because you have to keep scrolling back and forth on a page to read the panels sequentially. It's a minor gripe and I had a lot of fun reading it. Derek Charm's art is chaotic and epic and fits the story. Script by Louise Simonson has a throw it all at the wall and see what sticks feel, and I was hoping for a little more humor instead of all those fight scenes, but it's still great for kids and fans of these shows.



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 fun graphic novel.





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Monday, February 9, 2015

Battlestar Galactica Volume 2: The Adama Gambit

Battlestar Galactica Volume 2: The Adama Gambit

author: Deitrich Smith

name: Wayne

average rating: 3.30

book published: 2015

rating: 3

read at: 2015/02/09

date added: 2015/02/09

shelves: graphic-novels

review:

'Battlestar Galactica Volume 2: The Adama Gambit' takes us back to the setting and characters of the 1970s show and I think it does a pretty good job of telling stories from that series.



When the Galactica finds an area of space that looks like a strange storm, they have to decide to head into it or into a direction that may be full of Cylons. They send scouting parties in both directions and it becomes apparent that they'll have to choose. The scouting party that checks out the storm brings back something that soon has people onboard having visions or hallucinations of the fabled lost 13th colony. When Adama is infected, the whole fleet may be in danger.



There is also a backup story dealing with the origin of Baltar.



The story was good and so was the art. I liked the collection of stories that were here and it took me back to watching the show on TV.



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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Sunday, February 8, 2015

Alone Forever: The Singles Collection

Alone Forever: The Singles Collection

author: Liz Prince

name: Wayne

average rating: 3.97

book published: 2011

rating: 4

read at: 2015/02/08

date added: 2015/02/08

shelves: graphic-novels

review:

'Alone Forever: The Singles Collection' is a showcase of the webcomics of Liz Prince. The comics are pretty funny and very self-deprecating.



Finding herself single, our character decides to try dating. This involves a series of missteps with online dating among other things. She seems to be attracted to boys with beards who are in to punk rock, which isn't a problem until she goes on a blind date and can't pick the right bearded guy out of a room. Her online dating escapades end in different hilarious failures, but to be fair, sometimes the problem is her. Her cats remain constant companions and sympathetic.



The art is cute, but the language and themes can be a bit rough at times, so it's not for kids or the easily offended. The characters are cute. The humor is pretty good and strikes the right tone without feeling pitiable or overly snarky.



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





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Cosmocopia

Cosmocopia

author: Paul Di Filippo

name: Wayne

average rating: 3.50

book published: 2008

rating: 4

read at: 2014/10/16

date added: 2015/02/08

shelves:

review:

'Cosmocopia' falls squarely into the genre of weird SF. Strange like Philip Jose Farmer, which is a compliment in this case.



When aging artist Frank Lazorg is sent a new ingredient to use as pigment, it leads to strange new things when he starts ingesting it as a drug. This leads him to commit an unforgiveable act and he ends up accidentally escaping to another world. The inhabitants of this new world are unusual, but Frank finds himself able to understand them. He is taken in and learns their ways, but he is not content to just exist, and he yearns to create again, but can his notion of art be accepted in a world so strange?



It's strange and reminded me of the psychedelic era of SF in the early 1970s. I like the way Paul DiFilippo spins a story. I felt like the ending was a bit rushed, but I liked it overall.



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.





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Saturday, February 7, 2015

Dave Dorman's Wasted Lands Hc

Dave Dorman's Wasted Lands Hc

author: Dave Dorman

name: Wayne

average rating: 2.62

book published: 2014

rating: 3

read at: 2015/02/07

date added: 2015/02/07

shelves: graphic-novels

review:

'Dave Dorman's Wasted Lands HC' is a strange sort of scrapbook of ideas he's had around the Wasted Lands concept. I like the world, but I wanted more comics instead of some mediocre prose stories.



The Wasted Lands is a sort of futuristic world where technology has gone backwards in some ways. It's sort of post-apocalyptic meets steampunk. There are some main characters that make their ways through these stories that are both good and evil. Edge is a sort of ranger who lives on the outskirts of things. Iguana is a tough fighter who owns a business in the heart of the city and has a major vendetta against the Doctor. The Doctor is maniacal mad genius creating bizarre new creatures who used to be human. Scar is the Doctor's main henchman and he gets his name from self-inflicted scarring.



There are a couple shorter comic stories, and some commissioned full pieces of art to illustrate stories. The comic bits work the best. The prose stories are a bit uneven. Some work better than others. My favorite of thes has Iguana locked in a building fighting off one of the Doctor's creations with limited ammunition and seriously overpowered. I definitely wanted to like this more than I ultimately did. This is something I should totally love, but the collection proves a bit uneven. Dave Dorman's art is great, and his world-building seems interesting enough, but it feels pretty confined, and maybe that's the problem.



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





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Friday, February 6, 2015

The Emperor, His Bride and The Dragon Robe

The Emperor, His Bride and The Dragon Robe

author: Lisa Sankar-Zhu

name: Wayne

average rating: 4.50

book published: 2011

rating: 4

read at: 2015/02/06

date added: 2015/02/06

shelves: children-s

review:

'The Emperor, His Bride and The Dragon Robe' by Lisa Sankar-Zhu is a fairytale sent in ancient China. I don't think it's authentic, but that doesn't make it any less enchanting.



When a young emperor comes to power, he is given a robe covered in dragons that seem to come to life and come to his aid. Sometime after this, he decides he needs an empress. He chooses two women, one from the East and one from the West (of China). They are both outwardly beautiful, but one of them is quite a bit less lovely on the inside. It all comes down to a confrontation that leads to an epic fight.



It's a great read aloud story and the illustrations are just fabulous. The dragon robe gets introduced early and seems important, but then takes a backseat for awhile. The lessons of kindness and true beauty are loud and strong and readers will be cheering for the right future empress to win. It feels like a very classic Grimm fairytale and I really enjoyed reading it.



I received a review copy of this ebook from Lisa Sankar-Zhu and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this enchanting ebook.





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Vox Gn

Vox Gn

author: Matteo De Longis

name: Wayne

average rating: 3.65

book published: 2014

rating: 3

read at: 2015/02/06

date added: 2015/02/06

shelves: graphic-novels

review:

'Vox' by Matteo De Longis is a showcase of his talent. But it's an art book with no narrative or text, so it's a little hard to review. Still, the imagery is striking and interesting.



The book combines a kind of girly art with rock and roll and occasionally weapons of some kind. There are larger than life models splayed across cityscapes, or lying in a harbor alongside a submarine. Guitars as guns. Musical paraphenalia woven in hair, or among flowers. Everything seems to theme together almost like a concept album. It doesn't seem to make sense on it's own, but it all makes a kind of sense together. Music is a weapon, or the power of rock, or something.



The art is all in a sort of blander color palette, but that just helps the whole thing blend together. The art is interesting, but perhaps obectifying towards women. Women seem to be objects of desire, like guns and cars and guitars. I liked it overall.



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





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The Shadow Now

The Shadow Now

author: David Liss

name: Wayne

average rating: 3.15

book published: 2014

rating: 4

read at: 2015/02/06

date added: 2015/02/06

shelves: graphic-novels

review:

'The Shadow Now' attempts to bring the noir hero forward into the future, and if you squint your eyes a bit and look over a couple things, it works and isn't too bad at all.



After being away for decades in the mystical east learning how not to age, Lamont Cranston returns to New York in a modern age. He attempts to set up a network like he once had using the grandchildren of his former crimefighting partners, including the granddaughter of Margo Lane. This has varying degrees of success. He also runs afoul of one of his old enemies who also has a grandchild in their employ.



Much of the book seems to have the Shadow fumbling around with our modern ways, and seeming to be out of touch and defeatable, but is he really? He's also not a very terrifying Shadow. At least not compared to how he has been in other books. But there is some good setup and doublecrossing in store and I liked it all by the time it was done.



It's written by David Liss with great covers by Tim Bradstreet (among others). The digital art by Colton Worely is something I'm not sure about. It's almost like the painted work of folks like Alex Ross, but there is something about it that feels a little less lifelike at times. Still, I liked the story and I felt like this attempt to bring an older character into the present worked, for the most part.



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 fun graphic novel.





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Thinkers 50 Leadership: Organizational Success Through Leadership

Thinkers 50 Leadership: Organizational Success Through Leadership

author: Stuart Crainer

name: Wayne

average rating: 3.75

book published: 2013

rating: 3

read at: 2015/02/06

date added: 2015/02/06

shelves: non-fiction-business

review:

'Thinkers 50 Leadership: Organizational Success Through Leadership' is a survey of business wisdom from the past 40 or so years. I recently read the Thinkers 50 on innovation, and I liked that one a bit better, maybe because the information seemed to be fresher.



The book begins with a chapter titled How We Got Here which examines why we have come to need thought leadership on the subject. Discussed in further chapters are the subjects of Level 5 leadership, authentic leadership, charisma and followership, and other topics. Throughout the book there are interviews with Jim Collins, Warren Bennis and others.



There is a lot packed into 206 pages, and maybe that's the problem here. while innovation is a newer topic for business books, leadership has been around for quite a while. It's not that these aren't good and valuable insights. They are, and the people interviewed and lauded are thought leaders. I just felt a bit underwhelmed when it was all said and done.



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





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Thursday, February 5, 2015

Suffrajitsu: Mrs Pankhurst's Amazons (Issue 1: Votes for Women)

Suffrajitsu: Mrs Pankhurst's Amazons (Issue 1: Votes for Women)

author: Tony Wolf

name: Wayne

average rating: 4.20

book published: 2015

rating: 3

read at: 2015/02/05

date added: 2015/02/05

shelves: graphic-novels

review:

'Suffrajitsu: Mrs. Pankhurst's Amazons' takes a stab at an alternate history that seems to work. My review copy was only the very first issue, so at 24 pages, there's only the very beginnings of a story to consider.



It's 1914 in London and women are being oppressed. They can't seem to convince men to allow them to vote, so rather than shrink away, they decide to fight back. Literally. They have an elite secret society of Amazons trained in the martial arts, and they are not taking no for an answer.



It's a clever premise, but it didn't completely blow me away like I thought it might. It's possible that as the story advances it might grow on me, so I'll check back in on it.



Writing by Tony Wolf is promising, and I liked the art by Joao Vieira. I can't wait to see where this ends up going.



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





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Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Henni

Henni

author: Miss Lasko-Gross

name: Wayne

average rating: 3.52

book published: 2015

rating: 3

read at: 2015/02/03

date added: 2015/02/03

shelves: graphic-novels

review:

'Henni' is a strange story of anthropomorphic cat-like creatures living in a world of dominant religion and power. I liked the story initially, but it was so continuously heavy-handed that it wore on me.



Henni is a young girl (cat?) living in a village with her family. When her father questions things, he has his ears clipped off and he is banished. As Henni heads towards the day when her husband is chosen for her, she begins to question her society more and more. Eventually she runs away.



She finds herself in a new city, with a new set of rules that are about as strict as the city she comes from. She is equally as questioning here. Eventually, she attempts to escape from this city. Will she be successful, and will she ever find happiness?



I get that there are severely oppressive societies on our planet, and I get that you might not want to point fingers so you would substitute a race or religion for an animal character. This was done incredibly effectively in Art Spiegelman's 'Maus' graphic novels. The art here is completely gorgeous, but the story is so harsh that I found myself in a weird place. Enjoying the art, but hating the circumstances the character was in. The book also ends in a thoughtful place which felt a bit dissatisfying, but the overall message is so heavy and oppressive that I felt a bit like Henni might have with all those elders and wise people pointing fingers and shouting at her. So this gets a 4 for art, but a 2 for story.



I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Diamond Book Distributors, Z2 Comics and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.





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Borderlands: The Fall of Fyrestone Volume 1

Borderlands: The Fall of Fyrestone Volume 1

author: Mikey Neumann

name: Wayne

average rating: 3.33

book published: 2015

rating: 4

read at: 2015/02/03

date added: 2015/02/03

shelves: graphic-novels

review:

'Borderlands: The Fall of Fyrestone Volume 1' reminds me if the characters are this great in the game, I need to play it. I laughed out loud on multiple occasions while reading this, and that's a good thing.



The book opens with a friendly robot welcoming our heroes to the city of Fyrestone, home of the vault. Roland, Mordecai (and his bird), Lilith and Brick arrive on the bus to explore the vault and claim their treasure.



If only it were that easy. Of course they need a vehicle and weapons. Which means they need to help out with a couple chores in town. First up is a nasty beast that killed a man's wife and maimed him. Help him out and they get a car. After that, they need to take out Nine Toes who guards the vault with his vicious minions.



Some of the characters are loopy. They humor is off the wall, and I loved it. This is a team of people who don't want to be a team, but don't mind helping out. It's a good follow up to 'Borderlands: Origins' which gave each of these characters their own story. Story by Mikey Neumann is crisp and fast. Art by Agustin Padilla is pitch perfect. Time to install this game from my Steam library and give it a whirl.



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 great graphic novel.





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Monday, February 2, 2015

Ricky Ricotta's Mighty Robot

Ricky Ricotta's Mighty Robot

author: Dav Pilkey

name: Wayne

average rating: 4.10

book published: 2000

rating: 4

read at: 2014/05/17

date added: 2015/02/02

shelves: children-s

review:

'Ricky Ricotta's Mighty Robot' is a reissue of an older series with new art and some pages of paneled comics. They story is by kid favorite Dav Pilkey and the new art is by Dan Santat.



Poor little Ricky Ricotta. He doesn't have a friend, and he has a bully problem. When evil Dr. Stinky's plans go awry, Ricky finds himself with a giant new friend. Will this solve his bully problems and make him more popular in school? I wish I'd had a giant robot to take to school!



The text is the same and the other 4 books in the series will reissue with the new art, with a planned additional two new books. The new art is colorful and jumps off the pages. Dav Pilkey has been a favorite in our house since my kids were quite a bit younger and he's a good go-to for those reluctant younger readers.



I was given a review copy of this ebook by Scholastic and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this fun ebook.





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Dune (Dune Chronicles, #1)

Dune (Dune Chronicles, #1)

author: Frank Herbert

name: Wayne

average rating: 4.12

book published: 1963

rating: 5

read at:

date added: 2015/02/02

shelves:

review:







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