Comics Wrap Up - If You Change Your Mind, You Know Where I Am

Graphic Novels

This week I reviewed the fantabulous, amazing, OH SO FREAKING AWESOME Monstress, Vol 1: The Awakening (UK - US)

IT'S A FANTASTIC BOOK!!!!!!

You can see my review for Monstress here.








Other Stuff

On Saturday, I reviewed the kids tie-in novel Thor: Dueling With Giants by Keith R A DeCandido (UK - US)

And you can see my review of that here.

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Jessica @ Rabid Reads also reviewed the awesome Monstress, Vol 1 - check out her review here.

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Kory Cerjak at Panels wrote a pretty decent list of 'The Best Comics of January-June 2016.'

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Allen Thomas, also at Panels, wrote an excellent post about the need to increase diversity in comics.

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In #GiveCaptainAmericaABoyfriend news:

You can vote for Stucky as the Ship of the Year for the MTV Fandom awards. I think that'd be an awesome way of showing Marvel where the heart of the fans is.

Unfortunately, the Civil War porn parody has decided to spam the hashtag with explicit pics.

As I've said before, I don't have a problem with porn as long as it's safe, sane, consensual, and non-exploitative, but as far as I'm concerned it doesn't have a place on this hashtag.

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The new Iron Man is a 15-year-old black girl!

While this rocks, (out loud!) it does beg the question, can we still keep calling her Iron Man?

Apparently so, but I agree with the fan who pointed out the missed opportunity to call her Iron Maiden. (In the tweets at the bottom of the linked article.) Because that's just great :)

Like this post? Try these:

• Review Time! - Thor: Dueling With Giants by Keith R A DeCandido
• Review! (Graphic Novel Edition!) - Monstress, Volume 1: Awakening
• Comics Wrap Up - What's That Coming Over The Hill?

Review Time! - Thor: Dueling With Giants by Keith R A DeCandido

Title: Thor: Dueling With Giants

Author: Keith R A DeCandido

Genre: Kids, Fantasy, Media Tie-In

Series: Tales of Asgard Trilogy (#1)

Amazon: UK - USA

A few starting notes:

I received a free digital review copy of this book via NetGalley. NetGalley provides review copies from publishers in exchange for fair and honest reviews.

This novel is a media tie-in to Marvel's Thor, but it's based more on the comics than on the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU.)

Now, that doesn't mean there's huge differences between the Thor of the film and the Thor we find here, but there are differences - it's widely accepted that Loki's adopted, and Frigga is not Thor's biological mother, to name a few.

Premise:

Loki is bored. Which of course spells mischief for Asgard and The Mighty Thor.

Prepare for frost-giants, trolls, and a bunch of fighting.

Best bits:

This is one of those books for when you just want some derring-do and stabby action.

(And who doesn't want some stabby action occasionally?)

Loki manages to steal the show (again!) and add just a dash of emotional heartache/feels parental-wise (again!)

This is a skill that Loki has.

This book may be handy for tempting the reluctant aged-9-or-10-plus reader (especially boys, given that it can often be a struggle to get them to read) into reading.

Because we all know that the little monsters angels like some stabby action adventure.

And 10 year old me was a stabby-books kinda gal. I would've loved this book as a kid.

LOOK AT HIS MAJESTIC PLASTIC COUNTENANCE MORTALS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Note to self: less coffee.)

Not so great bits:

In places, the level of language and vocabulary felt maybe a little advanced for the target audience.

I think maybe the author struggled with the balance between a formal Asgardian dialect, and the audience, and while it's largely OK, it does slip in places.

Also - the women in this book? Either saintly mothers, and a stand in for damsels-in-distress when needed, or Sif - who is essentially 'one of the boys' and resents any reference to her being, y'know, (*whispers*) female.

While I understand that Norse mythology (where all the Asgard Marvel stuff essentially stems from) isn't exactly resplendent with complex female characters, I would've liked gender stereotypes to be just a little less rigid here.

And, of course, some parents will never be OK with violence and battles and the like (though the kids will love it!)

Verdict:

I would've liked more Loki and less gender stereotypes, but I can't lie (unlike a certain trickster,): I enjoyed the hell out of this book!

(Yay stabby-ness!)

Buy Now UK – Buy Now USA – Goodreads – Author's Site

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• Comics Wrap Up - It's Much Better To Face These Kinds Of Things...

Month in Review(s) - June 2016

We're half-way through the year folks! Which is kind of rocking, really, because it means we're that much closer to Christmas.

(I love Christmas!)





Anyway, back to the summer-ish-ness of June, and I can honestly say I read a little bit of everything this month.

Plus it was a pretty fab month blog-wise: I reached over 750 Twitter followers, over 15k blog page-views (ARGH!!!!!) and over 30 Bloglovin followers.




AND JUNO DAWSON LIKED MY TWEET!!!!!!

(I'm a massive Juno Dawson fan - so this was kind of a fantabulously big deal to me.)

So catch up on all my reviews this month with this handy link-list (and I've added cover images, because I spoil you.)

Kids

Inkheart by Cornelia Funke - Fantasy

Young Adult

Say Her Name by Juno Dawson - Horror, Ghost Story

These Shallow Graves by Jennifer Donnelly - Historical Fiction, Crime

Adult

Life Blood by V M Black - Romance, Paranormal, Vampires, Novella

Landline by Rainbow Rowell - Contemporary, Chick Lit, Magic Realism, Romance* (*ish)

Graphic Novels

Codename Baboushka, Vol: The Conclave of Death - Spy, Gangster, Thriller, Crime

Klaw, The First Cycle - Young Adult, Fantasy, Superhero*, Paranormal* (*ish - there are shifters of various types and somewhat of a superhero origin story.)

Mini-Review! - Inkheart by Cornelia Funke

Title: Inkheart

Author: Cornelia Funke

Translator: Anthea Bell

Genre: Kids, Fantasy

Series: Inkworld #1

Amazon: UK - USA

Verdict:

You know all the books you loved as a kid? All the magic and wonder that seemed unique to places like Narnia, Hogwarts, and Neverland?

This book is that feeling. This book has that magic.

Inkheart is a book about magic, and a book about books.

It has a woven enchantment to the language that manages to shine through even in translation (props to Anthea Bell, the translator.)

Meggie, the 12-year-old daughter of a book-binder, is about to find out that her father has secrets, and that some people have such a talent for story-telling that they can actually bring the story to life.

I've wanted to read this one for a while, having seen the film (UK - US) starring Brendan Fraser more than once. (Because... Brendan Fraser! Man, I love him.)

I wonder now why I put off reading this book for so long - probably just slipped to the back of my mind. I'm glad I've read it now though: it's awesome! :)

If you have ever loved fantasy, or books in general, then read this.

Yes, it's a kids book (the author's website recommends ages 9+,) but who cares? You'll love it.

And if you don't absolutely adore Dustfinger, I'm not sure we can be friends any more (just kidding - but I'll totally pout and stamp my foot.)

I've already added the next book in the trilogy - Inkspell (UK - US) - to my TBR - seriously, this book rocks.

Buy Now UK – Buy Now USA – Goodreads – Author's Site

Liked this post? Try these:

• Mini-Review! - Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief
• Review Time! - Swan Boy by Nikki Sheehan

Comics Wrap Up - People Like Us, We Don't Need That Much

Graphic Novels

This week I read Malice in Ovenland, Vol 1 (UK - US) - a graphic novel due out in August 2016 from Rosarium Publishing.

Rosarium are a growing, and relatively new, publishers who focus on sci-fi, fantasy, graphic novels, etc., with an emphasis on multiculturalism.

Malice in Ovenland is semi Alice in Wonderland inspired... only there's magical world in Lily's oven. Yeah... just go with it.

It's target audience is clearly kids (which makes a change from the stuff I normally read) and it's pretty entertaining (and more than a little gross in the way that kids like.)

I'll be writing a review nearer to the publishing date, so keep your eyes peeled.






Other Stuff


Two fans showed Chris Evans and Sebastian Stan (and the world,) what real heroes look like when they cosplayed Captain America and the Winter Soldier at the Wizard World Con in Philadelphia.

They brought #GiveCaptainAmericaABoyfriend (the social media campaign to do just that,) back into the limelight by kissing in front of Chris 'n' Seb.

Well done guys, you're true heroes.

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Marvel Super Heroes, What The--? rocks. Just... just watch the thing and all of the randomness. So very, very, random.

Like this post? Try these:

• Comics Wrap Up - Wonder If They'll Ever Know
• Comics Wrap Up - Calling Out Your Name

Month in Review(s) - May 2016

And so another month is well on its way to faffing off into the sunset.

I actually haven't reviewed any graphic novels this month (I know - who am, and what have I done with Cee?)

I'm probably making up for last month, which had graphic novels falling from the ever-loving rafters.

I've been on a bit of a contemporary YA binge lately - which led to me reviewing 3 contemporary YA titles this month.

'The Art of Being Normal' was beautiful, 'One' was unique, and 'Boy Meets Boy' was your favourite rom-com in book form.






My stand-out book this month, though? 'Swan Boy.' Wow. Just wow.





Kids




Swan Boy by Nikki Sheehan - Contemporary, Magic Realism








Young Adult

The Art of Being Normal by Lisa Williamson - Contemporary, LGBTQ+
One by Sarah Crossan - Contemporary, Poetry* (*novel in verse)
Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan - Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance (M/M)









Adult




alt. sherlock. holmes - Anthology, Novellas/Short Stories, Crime, Contemporary*, Historical Fiction*, LGBTQ+* M/M* (*one or more stories.)







Non-fiction




Reasons To Stay Alive by Matt Haig

Review Time! - Swan Boy by Nikki Sheehan

Title: Swan Boy

Author: Nikki Sheehan

Genre: Kids, Contemporary, Magic Realism

Amazon: UK - USA

A few starting notes:

I received a free review copy of this book from the publisher, Rock the Boat, in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I was offered an ARC of Swan Boy by the publishers (who are pretty nice people, all in all, but I'm not going to let that affect my review.)

It sounded interesting, so I decided to take them up on the offer.

uifhngionriondfkgnrnhtlg - I AM SO GLAD I AGREED TO READ AND REVIEW THIS BOOK!

Premise:

Johnny's dealing with a lot right now: new house, new school, looking after little brother Mojo, and trying to get over the death of his father.

So what Johnny doesn't need is a bully to contend with.

He also doesn't need all this stuff with swans to deal with right now.

But... swans... there's something about them... more specifically, there's something about them and Johnny. Together.

Things are going to get interesting.

Best bits:

OH MY GOD THIS BOOK!

Where do I start? Where do I even start?

Basically, I loved this book. It is excellent. The characters were fantastic and the plot was interesting (as well as pretty bizarre in places - and I like me some bizarre-ness.)

Little Mojo, Johnny's brother, damn near broke my heart at various points.

Somehow, Sheehan perfectly shows us this hurt and confused little boy, in the heart-wrenching way of a 5-year-old who's lost his father.

The magical aspects are beautiful. The weaving into the story of the swans and the music and the dancing worked so well.

But the main strength of this book? The writing.

Sheehan's writing is beautiful. Worthy of comparison to The Book Thief (UK - US,) in its lyricality, its beauty, and the strength of its sparse prose.

If you read this blog a lot you may have noticed me mention sparse prose.

If you don't have a clue what I'm on about, let me explain: some writers are capable of using the words they don't say without over-burdening the words that they do.

Simple sentences that carry the world in the white spaces. That's what I mean by 'sparse prose.'

Not many people can carry it off: Markus Zusak does it, Joe Hill does it, and, weirdly, James Franco does it (although in verse not prose.)

Turns out, Nikki Sheehan can do it too.

Not so great bits:

Bad points about this book...

Umm...

Well, there are some issues which could upset people: bullying, isolation, bereavement, and a dash of violence.

The swan poo bit on the first page kind of grossed me out.

Some people may disagree with the way Johnny deals with the bullying, I suppose.

Other than that? I honestly can't think of anything else. I actually wish that I could so that I could pad this section out a bit more...

Verdict:

READ THE BOOK.

(Really, what else is there to say? It was that good.)

It's probably appropriate for ages 11+

Buy Now UK – Buy Now USA – Goodreads – Author's Site

Liked this post? Try these:

• Review Time! - Midnight by Jacqueline Wilson
• Review Time! (Yay!) - After Tomorrow by Gillian Cross

Month in Review(s) - April 2016

Lots more reviews this month! Especially of graphic novels.

There've been some truly rocking graphic novels out this month - my faves are probably Blood Stain and I Hate Fairyland.

Check out all the lovely reviews! :)

Kids

Eliza Rose by Lucy Worsley - historical fiction



New Adult

Growing Up by Tricia Sol - contemporary, LGBTQ+, short stories, romance (m/m)



Adult

Play Hard by J T Fox - LGBTQ+, romance (m/m,) short stories, contemporary
Salem Falls by Jodi Picoult - contemporary, crime*, witches*, magic realism* (*ish)



Graphic Novels

Golem by Lorenzo Coccetti - dystopian, sci-fi, manga
Paper Girls, Vol 1 by Brian K Vaughan - sci-fi
Blood Stain, Vol 1 by Linda Šejić
Echoes by Joshua Hale Fialkov - horror, crime
I Hate Fairyland, Vol 1: Madly Ever After by Skottie Young - fantasy, fairies/fae, humour

Review Time! - Eliza Rose by Lucy Worsley

Title: Eliza Rose

Author: Lucy Worsley

Genre: Kids, Historical Fiction

Release Date: 7 April 2016

Amazon: UK - USA

A few starting notes:

I received a free digital review copy of this book from the publishers, Bloomsbury Children's/Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, via NetGalley. NetGalley provides review copies from publishers in exchange for fair and honest reviews.

A children's book, written by uber-awesome presenter and historian, Lucy Worsley?

I heard about it and I was there! I was metaphorically standing at the front with a banner reading 'I heart Lucy,' and jumping up and down, squealing.

So, we have a Tudor-set book, written by one of the most passionate and engaging historians on TV. Bring it on.

Premise:

Eliza Rose Camperdowne is her father's only child. It's up to her then, to save her family's fortunes.

But the world of Henry VIII's court is not all Eliza had hoped it would be, and she is forced to walk the tightrope of court life, sticking close to her cousin, an ambitious girl named Katherine Howard...

Best bits:

You know what's awesome? When authors know their stuff. And Lucy Worsley knows her stuff. With bells on.

She's able to create a sound Tudor setting without sticking your face in all the detail 'til you're sick to death of it. And she clearly loves history, loves writing in the setting, loves the period.

Worsley's passion is the life-and-soul of this book, complimented by the lovely silhouette-style illustrations at the beginning of each chapter. Sometimes the little things bring a smile to your face ;)

What I also liked is that she doesn't write-down to kids - there's no condescension here, just the story Worsley came to tell.

Also missing is insta-love (thank God!) Instead we have slow-burn and icky-sticky missteps. More realistic, and far more interesting in my view of things.

Not so great bits:

This isn't a quick read - the chapters are bite-sized, but I tended to take breaks between them to allow my whirring brain to take things in a bit; there's a lot going on here!

And it's not one for very young readers, for sure, but ages 12-13+ (dependent on the maturity levels of the kids involved,) should be able to cope with the violence and facts-of-life/sex references.

Not all parents will be happy with the honest approach Worsley employs. There are references which the prudish will not want little Jimmy or Jenny to read.

I personally would also have loved just a chapter or two more at the end to round things off.

But that's me - I just would've liked to bask in the ending a bit more!

Verdict:

This is a great book.

This book is perfect for any fan of Tudor-period drama, and any fan of historical intrigue told through the eyes of an ordinary girl in an extraordinary situation.

I think you'll enjoy this, I did!

Buy Now UK – Buy Now USA - Goodreads – Author's Site

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• Review! - The True and Splendid History of the Harristown Sisters by Michelle Lovric
• Review (Yay!) - Hetty Feather by Jacqueline Wilson

The Month In Review(s) - March 2016

Ahhh, spring and March and books and reviews :)

Check out all the books I've reviewed this month:

Kids

Midnight by Jacqueline Wilson - contemporary, chick lit
After Tomorrow by Gillian Cross - dystopian

Young Adult

Carry On by Rainbow Rowell - fantasy, paranormal, LGBTQ+ (M/M)

Adult

Mr Mercedes by Stephen King - crime, thriller
Orlando by Virginia Woolf - classics, historical fiction, LGBT*Q+
The True and Splendid History of the Harristown Sisters by Michelle Lovric - historical fiction
The Zoo Father by Pascale Petit - poetry

Graphic Novels

Adulthood is a Myth: A Sarah's Scribbles Collection by Sarah Andersen - humour
The Beauty, Volume 1 - dystopian, horror, sci-fi

Non-fiction

Everyday Sexism by Laura Bates

Review Time! (Yay!) - After Tomorrow by Gillian Cross

Title: After Tomorrow

Author: Gillian Cross

Genre: Kids, Dystopian

Amazon: UK - USA

A few starting notes:

I wanted to read this because the premise seemed so relevant at the moment given the mass migration problems, and the amount of refugees coming into Europe right now.

I thought it would be interesting to see how the topic was handled - particularly in a kids' book - and I can remember reading a few Gillian Cross books when I was a kid, and finding them different to a lot of other stuff that's out there.

She's usually not afraid to look at things from a different angle - and we all need that every now and then.

Premise:

Matthew and his little brother, Taco, make the dangerous journey across the channel to France, and a life away from the starvation and violent raids of the UK.

France, though? Not quite the new start they were hoping for.

Instead, they have the camp of Les Mondieux (or Lemon Dough, as it's known by the Brits,) and a whole new set of challenges to face.

Best bits:

The worrying thing about this book is that it's the location (leaving the UK,) that makes it dystopia: otherwise it would be contemporary.

This sort of thing is happening - right now, in Calais, people are living in The Jungle migrant camp, and hoping to find passage to the UK. People who, through no fault of their own, have had to leave their homes and everything they've ever known.

So the fantastic thing about this book is that we get to see the proverbial shoe on the other foot - these are British kids making the same desperate journey that thousands of kids are trying to make every single day.

This book is a great way of re-packaging a problem which no-one seems to want to own - making it more relatable and (hopefully) fostering more empathy and understanding.

I also appreciated that the parents didn't just sit there and do nothing - although they did have moments of uselessness, it was all pretty understandable within context. It's refreshing to see any kids book which allows parents to be parents and do their best for their kids.

Not so great bits:

Matthew - the character whose point of view we follow - is quite a blank character.

In some ways, this is good, because it allows the reader to react more naturally to the situations Matt finds himself in, and to imagine themselves and their own feelings in that situation. But I personally would've liked just a touch more depth to the character.

The plot was perhaps a little slow in places - but not really to any hugely noticeable degree.

I also found the dénouement (check me out with my fancy words! :P ) a bit less dramatic than I was expecting given the uber-dramatic build-up. 

Verdict:

A thought-provoking book shining light on a subject that needs to be talked about, in a way which is accessible to kids and adults alike.

It's probably suitable for kids around the age of 10+.

Buy Now UK – Buy Now USA – Goodreads – Author's Site

Liked this post? Try these:

• Reviewing the Evidence - Angelfall by Susan Ee
• Review Time! - Midnight by Jacqueline Wilson