Hidden Universe Travel Guides: Star Trek: Vulcan

author: Dayton Ward
name: Wayne
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at: 2017/05/30
date added: 2017/05/30
shelves:
review:
'Hidden Universe Travel Guides: Star Trek: Vulcan' by Dayton Ward is a fictional travel guide to a most unusual world. It's a pretty good parody of travel guides with lots of winks and nods to the world of Star Trek.

The book begins with an overview of the planet Vulcan and includes etiquette, lodging tips and a history of the people. The book then talks about the different regions of the planet like Sikahr, Kir Province, T'Paal and Vulcan's Forge. Each section talks about the history of the area, how you can get around, and what there is to see and do in the region. Shopping, dining and lodging options are discussed. Throughout the book, various well known Vulcans (and other characters) from all the series show up with something to add.

When I was young, I remember a school project where we had to plan a fictional trip to a real place. I would have had a lot more fun planning a trip to Vulcan. The book is filled with gorgeous illustrations by Livio Ramondelli and Peter Markowski. The writing is light and fun and I had a great time reading this and finding all the sly references to Star Trek moments.

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


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Disney Stitch! Volume 1

author: Yumi Tsukirino
name: Wayne
average rating: 2.69
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2017/05/30
date added: 2017/05/30
shelves: graphic-novels, children-s
review:
'Disney Stitch! Volume 1' by Yumi Tsukirino is a manga version of Lilo and Stitch and Yuna and Stitch. It's a series of short funny stories involving the escaped experiment from space.

In the first part of the book, Stitch is living with Yuna and her grandmother on the Okinawan island of Izayoi. Familiar characters Dr. Jumba and Pleakley show up as well. In these stories, Yuna and stitch go fishing and do laundry and enter a costumer festival.

In the second part of the book, Stitch is with Lilo and her sister Nani. In these stories, Stitch makes art and a cake. He also makes it snow in Hawaii, and goes treasure hunting at the beach.

Each story is 7 or 8 pages long. While I prefer Lilo because she was in the movie, Yuna is a fun character too. I think I'd prefer these stories without so much Jumba and Pleakley, but that's just a personal preference. The art is pretty good too. These would be fun stories for younger readers.

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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Elephi: The Cat with the High IQ

author: Jean Stafford
name: Wayne
average rating: 4.50
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2017/05/29
date added: 2017/05/29
shelves: children-s
review:
'Elephi: The Cat with the High IQ' by Jean Stafford with illustrations by Erik Blegvad is about a clever, but lonely, cat and the lengths he will go to in order to find a friend.

Elephi Pelephi Well Known Cat Formerly Kitten lives with his people in a posh apartment in New York. He got his odd name, Elephi, from a trip his people went on to Greek. His life is fine, but a bit boring. He really would like a friend. He spies a white Fiat, named Whitey, outside his window in the snow and the scheming begins. Elephi is a clever cat, but it's possible he is too clever for his own good. Hilarious, outlandish events follow as Elephi finds a way to meet Whitey.

It's a very cute story. It's also from another decade, but I think it holds up really well. The illustrations enhance the story, but Elephi is such a clever cat that the story would hold it's own without drawings. I found myself smiling as I read about this scheming cat.

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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Everafter Vol 1: The Pandora Protocol

author: Lilah Sturges
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.58
book published: 2017
rating: 4
read at: 2017/05/29
date added: 2017/05/29
shelves: graphic-novels
review:
'Everafter Vol. 1: The Pandora Protocol' by Lilah Sturges and Dave Justus brings together the first 6 issues of Everafter: From the Pages of Fables. It's best to have an understanding of who these characters are before diving into this volume.

It's a post-Fables world, but some of Fables find themselves still around and working for the Shadow Players, kind of a James Bond type spy agency led by a guy named Feathertop. While Bo Peep, Peter Piper and Hansel are trying to get to St. Louis to capture/stop a new threat, something horrific happens. Meanwhile, Connor Wolf, shapeshifter and uncontrollable braggart, is introduced to Feathertop as a new agent. Will Connor be a help or a hindrance or will Peter Piper end up killing him first?

It does lack something that the original creator, Bill Willingham, brought to the series, but it still holds up as a concept. The new weird threat they are after is darn creepy, even if she reminded me of a character from The Twilight Zone. The art is solid. I liked this book and I'd like to read more in this new series.

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


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Billie Holiday

author: Carlos Sampayo
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.60
book published: 1989
rating: 4
read at: 2017/05/28
date added: 2017/05/28
shelves: graphic-novels
review:
'Billie Holiday' by Carlos Sampayo and José Muñoz is a graphic novel about the famous jazz singer. She didn't have a picturesque life, and this book doesn't flinch from that.

The book begins with an essay by Francis Marmande, a writer and journalist for Le Monde. The graphic novel has a framing story of a journalist doing a story on the 30th anniversary of Billie's death. What follows is not a complete story of her life, and it's certainly not a happy one. Billie had her own problems with drugs and men, and those are presented in an unflinching way. She was also discriminated against and faced racism in spite of her tremendous fame.

The book is drawn in stark black and white. The figures come across as caricatures with garishly drawn features. The incidents here are ugly and don't serve to put Billie Holiday in the best light. She had a hard life, and this book doesn't make any excuses for that. I appreciated the approach this graphic novel took.

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


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The Bridge of the Golden Wood: A Parable on How to Earn a Living

author: Karl Beckstrand
name: Wayne
average rating: 4.33
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2017/05/28
date added: 2017/05/28
shelves: children-s
review:
'The Bridge of the Golden Wood: A Parable on How to Earn a Living' by Karl Beckstrand with illustrations by Yaniv Cahoua is a story to spark imagination and innovation in young minds.

A child walking in the woods runs into some fish who are stuck. He finds a way to help the fish, and it turns into a chance to make some money.

The story gently teaches the story. The boy helps the fish, and ends up providing a service. There are additional activities in the back of the book to reinforce the lessons of the story.

It's a simply told story. The illustrations are rather nice. I liked the fact that the story wasn't so heavy-handed.

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


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Return to Augie Hobble

author: Lane Smith
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.06
book published: 2015
rating: 3
read at: 2017/05/27
date added: 2017/05/27
shelves: children-s
review:
'Return to Augie Hobble' by Lane Smith is a book that can't quite decide what it wants to be. Which is too bad, because I really like other things Lane Smith has done.

Augie Hobble has his father's strange amusement park to run around in. It's got names that sound familiar, but won't get his dad sued for swiping them. He's got a crush on a girl, a best friend, a bully that won't leave him alone, and a research paper that he can't decide what to do with.

As Augie wavers back and forth on what his project should be, it felt like exactly how this book got written. There are funny parts, and there are some tragic parts. Augie manages to grow through the process, but the tragic part feels really cheapened by it's lack of finality (or alternate finality, I suppose). There are a lot of things happening in this book, and some of them feel like they get shorted along the way, and that's too bad because I really wanted to like this one more.

I received a review copy of this ebook from Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, Roaring Brook Press, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.\


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