REVIEW: Tall, Dark & Hungry by Lynsay Sands

Title: Tall, Dark & Hungry by Lynsay Sands
Series: The Argeneau Vampires
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Source: Audio Book from my local library
Published: November 1, 2009

(From Goodreads.com) Terri had flown from England to help plan her cousin's wedding, but paying for a New York hotel room was like giving blood But she had an alternative: the new in-laws were offering lodging.Of course, the Argeneaus were a certifiably odd bunch. There was the sometimes chipper, sometimes brooding Lucern ? a ?vampire romance? writer. There was the wacky stage actor, Vincent. She couldn?t imagine Broadway casting a more ravenous singing-and-dancing Dracula. And then there was Bastien. Of this unique cast of characters, he seemed the tallest, darkest and hungriest ? and his effect on Terri was decidedly delicious. Just looking into his eyes made her want to serve up her innocence on a silver platter. And she had a feeling the love feast was about to begin.

My Review



I'm very grateful that my library has most of Lynsay Sands' Argeneau series for digital download. It's generally a quicker way for me to get my hands on the books and, in the case of the audio books, I can get other work done while I'm listening.

I was at a slight loss when I started listening to Tall, Dark & Hungry. I had listened to the first two books, but I just couldn't get my hands on the third. Usually, I don't let that bother me, so I downloaded the audio book anyway. I don't think not know the details of the previous book prevented me from enjoying this one, but it did take me a little longer to get all the players straight in my mind.

Now on to the book itself. This book was FUN. It started as a comedy of errors, in which Terri's decision to come early in order to help her cousin, Kate, and her future husband, Lucern, plan their wedding happened to coincide with her cousin's need to fly out of town for her publishing job. Rather than stay at Kate's empty apartment, Terri is invited to stay at Bastien' (Lucern's brother) penthouse. But of course, Terri's not the only one staying there. With the wedding coming up, Bastien and Lucern's cousin, Vincent is crashing there. As is Kate's co-worker, Chris. Chris was supposed to be on the trip that Kate was called away on, but he broke his leg and couldn't really take care of himself so...

The attraction is obvious from the start for both Terri and Bastien, but they are both gun-shy. Add in frequent misunderstandings, Bastien's need to keep the fact that she's a vampire from her, and the craziness of the wedding, it's a wonder that the manage to get together at all! And it has one of the funniest sex scenes that I've ever read. It was difficult to keep my chuckles from my kids as I listened and cleaned.

Of all the books, this one was by far the most enjoyable of the series thus far. I loved listening to each chapter, finding out just what could go wrong next. I'd recommending picking up the other three first (A Quick Bite, Love Bites and Single White Vampire) but it will be worth the wait to get to this one.

Review: Girl vs Ghost

Girl vs Ghost by Kate McMurry

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Isabel Lindley has always followed her best friend, Tripp, whenever Tripp found a new interest. But when Tripp's interest in witchcraft ends up giving Isabel a ghost of her own, she just wants out. But it doesn't look like things are going to be too easy - until she, Tripp and the Ghost Boy can figure out who he is and then help him go to the Light. Or something.

This was a book that I won through the Goodreads First Reads giveaways and, thus far, it has become my favorite read of the almost 30 books I've received. (Ok, so it's only the third one that I've read, but I really enjoyed it.) The authors are able to mix just the right amount of humor, paranormal and teenaged-reality into the book that it had me not wanting to close the covers until I'd finished it.

Each of the four main characters (Isabel, Tripp, Marc - the "ghost boy" and Parker, Tripp's nemesis) are people I could easily imagine having been in my high school. They are a bit on the stereo-typical side - the weird girl with the wild hair, the serious, driven geek, the haughty rich boy and the gorgeous latino boy. But they characters seemed to work well together and made me anxious to read more. I could also have seen myself being friends with a couple of girls like Isabel and Tripp when I was in school.

I loved the sniping between Marc and Isabel throughout, with them only realizing at the end that maybe they don't want to be separated from one another. And then wondering if it was too late.

The story kept a good pace through-out, none of it seeming to drag anywhere. The authors brought the reader along, teasing out bits and pieces of what happened to Marc and why and, in the end, slammed them with something they probably hadn't seen coming (at least, I didn't). I'll admit that I was having flashbacks to the Charmed episode, "Dead Man Dating", thinking that Isabel was going to fall in love with a ghost that would have to leave her. Instead, I was very satisfied to read the ending.

The paranormal portions weren't too spooky, though the things on the backs of the students at the school were a bit freaky (basically, ghosts that hadn't crossed over but instead stayed and became bitter, bringing out the worst in the people they latch on to). I'm far from an expert in witchcraft (much of what I know is media based) but things seemed plausible. And the reason for Parker and Tripp's spellings messing each other up seemed like a wonderful way to draw everyone into this sticky wicket.

The authors included the first chapter of the next book, Witch vs Wizard in the back of this one, and it's got me jonsing for the next one to come out. It will be out at some point this year, though I'm not sure when. This is one that, if I can't manage to get a copy through winning it, I will definitely buy. Because I can't wait to see what happens with these four next.



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Review: Level Up

Level Up by Gene Luen Yang

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Do you follow your dream or your family's? That is the question that Dennis Ouyang is asking himself as he debates his future. His father had wanted him to be a doctor - specifically, a gastroenterologist. But Dennis has a love, and a talent, for video games. At a major crossroads in his life, four angels come into his life to guide him along the straight and narrow. Sometimes sweet, sometimes terrifying, they want to make sure that Dennis fulfills his destiny.

This is not Gene Luen Yang and Thien Pham's first graphic novel. They gained critical acclaim with their previous graphic novel, American Born Chinese (which is on my TBR list). But it is definitely a fantastic look at balancing the desires of our families with the desires of ourselves.

I'll admit that this gave me a glimpse into a life that is incredibly foreign to me. My parents had always wanted me to do what made me happy, and I've found myself doing the same with my boys. So to have a parent basically mapping out the future of their child seems wrong. It always had. But reading through this, seeing the bits of the why's behind the push by Dennis' father for his son to be a doctor. This book was more than just entertainment for me. It was also an enlightening book.

The artwork is much cruder than anything I find within the pages of a DC comic, but it fit well with the story of a kid obsessed with video games. For all that the black line artwork isn't masterful, it tells the story that it needs to. It made the story feel more like a boy telling his story rather than a piece of fiction. And I liked that.

The story itself was a wonderful journey, from the first moment Dennis saw a Pac-Man machine until the last panel where he showed what he can do. My heart broke when Dennis gave away his gaming systems. I wanted to smack him up along side the head when he was clueless. And the angels... they scared me pretty bad sometimes as well.

This is definitely one of the best non-super hero graphic novels I've read in a long time. While not a favorite of the level of Neil Gaiman's Sandman series, it's still a wonderful read and a must for any geek grappling between what they should do and what they want to do.

*Note: This book was won in the Goodreads.com First Reads Giveaway. I received a copy of this book without requirement of reviewing it, but I'm glad to be able to do so anyway.



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Review: The Case of the Diamond Dog Collar: A First Kids Mystery

The Case of the Diamond Dog Collar: A First Kids Mystery by Martha Freeman

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



When First Kids Cammie and Tessa receive a diamond dog collar for the First Dog, Holligan, they know the huge diamonds can't be real? Can they? When one diamond, then the whole collar disappears, the girls think something may be up. Especially when it comes on the heals of the disappearance of a large diamond from the nation that the collar was originally sent from. That's when they put on their detecting hats and search the White House grounds to find out the truth behind Holligan's new collar.

The Case of the Diamond Dog Collar was actually the first book I won through Goodreads' First Reads giveaway program. Since I love books of all shapes and sizes, I was excited to receive it. Originally, I planned on reading it to the boys, but as the holidays got more hectic and Teddy wanted me to start reading The 39 Clues, I decided that it was time to read it on my own.

I wish I hadn't let so much time pass, because I was doing myself a disservice. Being a relatively short chapter book, it was a quick read for me. But it was a read full of humor and surprise. I found the enthusiasm of impulsive fashionista Tessa infectious. I loved the more sensible approach that Cammie had toward the whole thing. Seeing the girls' reaction to their grandmother's budding love affair made me smile. And I loved the fact that it isn't their dad that's the president, but their mom. Seeing the father as the stay-at-home parent (or kind of close to it) was a nice change of pace for most of the kids books that I read.

The characters weren't quite as fleshed out as you would have seen in a more adult book, but it didn't bother me too much. Even without the depth that I expect from the longer novels I read, these characters definitely had some depth, character and personality. There are some of the adults that get short-shrift (the girls' parents, their Aunt Jen) but since the story centers around the girls, their dog and their cousin, Nick, they were the ones that should have had more weight to them.

The character that stole the book, though, was Hooligan. I love reading about animals that are big, fun, play-piles. And that's what Hooligan is. He's got a bunch of enthusiasm and love and is the kind of dog I'd love to see running around the White House lawns.

I also enjoyed the inside look at the Private White House. I don't know for certain if that is how life is in the White House, but it's something that I could easily imagine it being. The map that Ms Freeman included at the back of the book, detailing the White House grounds, and the afterword that she included talking about the White House, was a nice bit of educational inclusion that I love to find in books to share with my kids.

All in all, the flaws I found in this book were minor and it's a book that I look forward to sharing with my boys as they get older.



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Review: People Who Don't Know Me Think I'm Somebody

People Who Don't Know Me Think I'm Somebody by Mike Parish

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



People Who Don't Know Me Think I'm Somebody is another win from GoodReads First reads. By the title, I wasn't sure what to expect of it - depression poetry? Existentialism? Randomness? Well, it was a bit closer to the last.

But what it wasn't, at least by my definition, was poetry. Instead, it seemed more like random thoughts, posts to Twitter or Facebook, brief glimpses into the mind of the reader. As I read the thoughts written, I had the feeling that I was reading the thoughts of teenager, dealing with the crap that becoming an adult throws at him every day.

While it hit far of the mark of what I was expecting, it was an interesting read for what it was. I like to look into the thoughts of others and these brief, sentence or two bits, gave me a nice view into Parish's head at the time he wrote them. It had very much a sense of immediacy, as some of the portions talked about his desire to publish these bits of "poetry".

I also must applaud Mr Parish for the way he sent this. Like a few other reviewers have commented, he used the booklet (white paper, saddle-stitched) itself as the envelope. My address was written clearly on the back and the pages were held closed with a clear sticker. While some may have received theirs damaged because of this, mine came in pristine condition.

In closing, I'd say that if you were looking for poetry, look for something else. But if you like to glance into the mind of someone else in small bites at a time, check it out.



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Review: for she, who kept the other alphabet

for she, who kept the other alphabet by Pablo D'Stair

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



The title of this folio is what caught my attention. I'd never heard of the author or of his poetry, but this title was intriguing. So I entered to win a copy and did, here on GoodReads.

I received the folio yesterday. As advertised, it was a small booklet with each stanza of the poem on a new page. The paper it was printed on was a darker cream and the overall booklet was very stark.

The poetry itself is free verse and very meta. It's not one that I "got" on a first read through, but one that I suspect will take on more meaning the more I read it. It's one, I think, that needs to be chewed over slowly rather than taken in a large bite and gobbled down whole.

I hope to give it a more thorough review in a week or so when I read it again with fresh eyes.



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Review: Little Shoes

Little Shoes by Amy Sansome

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Two shoes, Finn and Maya, live inside a dark box at a shoe store. Their whole world is that box until one day, a little girl comes and opens the lid. Then they find a whole new world outside, with different sensations and different experiences. Oh, how their lives will change.

Little Shoes was another book that I picked up for free on Kindle. As much as my Kindle is mineallmine, I do want to share some books with my boys on it. So I went looking for freebies. And this was the first one I came across.

It wasn't the best children's book I've read to my boys, nor was it the worst. But it's one that I don't think my boys are going to be asking for more regularly. It doesn't seem to flow as well as many of the other books do, and some of the images that it brought to my mind, at least, were disturbing (the feeling of someone's foot sliding into Finn... shudder). I was also slightly annoyed at the author for having it be natural for Maya to recognize a mirror and then preen in it, all because she was a little girl.

Still, it did have a few redeeming qualities. It was a good look at change in your environment and trying to figure out the answers (though I'm still not sure how the shoes came up with some of the answers they did). I did enjoy the last line as well - "And Finn added, "Yes, and it's our new home." - because it feels... comfortable, I guess. The thought of a new home for anyone is just a warm-fuzzy.

The artwork was cute, with very big eyes and round faces. The colors are bright and vibrant. In eBook format, though, it doesn't seem to mesh too well. There will be a page or two of text, then a single page of a picture. It wasn't bad, but sometimes it threw off the rhythm of the story. Still, they were enjoyable to look at.

As I said above, it's not a bad book, but it's not phenomenal either. At free, I'd suggest checking it out yourself and see what you think.



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Review: Dragonsaurus

Dragonsaurus by Sharlene Alexander

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



When a little egg rolls down from the mountain, an unusual creature emerges at the bottom. Is it a fish, like the first creature he sees? Or a snake like the second? The problems the creature has moving like either points toward no. But when an eagle flies by and tells the creature to follow him, it is only then that she finds where she belongs.

I picked this up as an eBook freebie through my Kindle, thinking to have something new to read to my kids. Pete is dinosaur crazy, so reading anything involving dinosaurs would be a big hit. But I didn't know just how much I would enjoy the story.

Yes, I had to suspend my disbelief a little to think that a dragon and a T-Rex would mate, but if I can believe in a T-Rex living with a family of pteronadons (Dinosaur Train), then pairing a dragon and a dinosaur wasn't too much of a stretch.

Peter stayed engrossed through every sentence, curious about this little creature and what it would be. He pointed out various things he saw in the pictures with excitement. And, even better, when we were finished, he wanted to hear it again.

Being a children's book, it is an incredibly quick read. And while I would have liked to have seen some parts of it go into a little more depth (such as the creature following a few more animals in it's search for who it was), I could understand that being a side-point to the story rather than the main part.

The illustrations were nicely done - not too childish, yet not too elaborate for young minds and attention spans either. It's also not an illustration heavy book, so each one has the job of telling a bit more, and it does that beautifully.

There is also an important lesson in here - whether the writer intended it or not. You are who you are, and that is very special. Your parents don't have to be the same (in the "real" world, they don't both have to be the same race, the same religion or - dare I say it - the same sex) to love you and think you're special. And if you try to be someone that you aren't, something will always get in the way of making it feel "right".

If you have little ones that love dinosaurs or dragons, I highly recommend picking this one up and reading it to them. Because I think it's a story they'll enjoy.



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Review: The Morning Star: In Which the Extraordinary Correspondence of Griffin & Sabine is Illuminated

The Morning Star: In Which the Extraordinary Correspondence of Griffin & Sabine is Illuminated by Nick Bantock

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



(Note: This review covers all three books in the series - The Gryphon, Alexandria and The Morning Star.)

The Morning Star Trilogy is the second trilogy of books regarding Griffin and Sabine. But this time, Griffin and Sabine are in the background, guiding another pair of lovers together in an effort to stop Frolatti from some horrible plot. In the forefront of this story are Matthew Sedon, a young archaeologist in Alexandria with a connection to Sabine (she helped deliver him) and Isabella de Reims, a student in Paris and Matthew's lover. Isabella often has waking dreams, views into the psyche of the world. The letters are primarily between Matthew and Isabella, though Sabine does contact Matthew on occasion and Griffin keeps in contact with Isabella. There are shades of the beginnings of Griffin and Sabine's romance within these correspondence - primarily with Matthew's doubts regarding Sabine.

Unlike the previous trilogy, there is more of a sense of menace with this trilogy. There is active evil in the unseen Frilotti and his cohorts. But getting Matthew to understand the seriousness of what is happening (within the first book) is a large part of the first book.

I'll be honest. The second trilogy fell flat with me. It still had the beautiful artwork of the first trilogy, but the magic wasn't quite there. I think the addition of "the next generation" just didn't work as well. My husband, of course, thinks I'm crazy as he loved them as much as the first trilogy. But for me, Griffin and Sabine had a simplicity beneath the complications of their circumstance. Something primal about the connection and the love they shared. But adding Matthew and Isabella complicated that. And it just didn't sit as right with me.

The series was ok... worth reading at least once. But it didn't, in my mind, live up to the magic of the first trilogy.



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Review: Alexandria: In Which the Extraordinary Correspondence of Griffin & Sabine Unfolds

Alexandria: In Which the Extraordinary Correspondence of Griffin & Sabine Unfolds by Nick Bantock

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



(Note: This review covers all three books in the series - The Gryphon, Alexandria and The Morning Star.)

The Morning Star Trilogy is the second trilogy of books regarding Griffin and Sabine. But this time, Griffin and Sabine are in the background, guiding another pair of lovers together in an effort to stop Frolatti from some horrible plot. In the forefront of this story are Matthew Sedon, a young archaeologist in Alexandria with a connection to Sabine (she helped deliver him) and Isabella de Reims, a student in Paris and Matthew's lover. Isabella often has waking dreams, views into the psyche of the world. The letters are primarily between Matthew and Isabella, though Sabine does contact Matthew on occasion and Griffin keeps in contact with Isabella. There are shades of the beginnings of Griffin and Sabine's romance within these correspondence - primarily with Matthew's doubts regarding Sabine.

Unlike the previous trilogy, there is more of a sense of menace with this trilogy. There is active evil in the unseen Frilotti and his cohorts. But getting Matthew to understand the seriousness of what is happening (within the first book) is a large part of the first book.

I'll be honest. The second trilogy fell flat with me. It still had the beautiful artwork of the first trilogy, but the magic wasn't quite there. I think the addition of "the next generation" just didn't work as well. My husband, of course, thinks I'm crazy as he loved them as much as the first trilogy. But for me, Griffin and Sabine had a simplicity beneath the complications of their circumstance. Something primal about the connection and the love they shared. But adding Matthew and Isabella complicated that. And it just didn't sit as right with me.

The series was ok... worth reading at least once. But it didn't, in my mind, live up to the magic of the first trilogy.



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Review: The Gryphon: In Which the Extraordinary Correspondence of Griffin & Sabine Is Rediscovered

The Gryphon: In Which the Extraordinary Correspondence of Griffin & Sabine Is Rediscovered by Nick Bantock

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



(Note: This review covers all three books in the series - The Gryphon, Alexandria and The Morning Star.)

The Morning Star Trilogy is the second trilogy of books regarding Griffin and Sabine. But this time, Griffin and Sabine are in the background, guiding another pair of lovers together in an effort to stop Frolatti from some horrible plot. In the forefront of this story are Matthew Sedon, a young archaeologist in Alexandria with a connection to Sabine (she helped deliver him) and Isabella de Reims, a student in Paris and Matthew's lover. Isabella often has waking dreams, views into the psyche of the world. The letters are primarily between Matthew and Isabella, though Sabine does contact Matthew on occasion and Griffin keeps in contact with Isabella. There are shades of the beginnings of Griffin and Sabine's romance within these correspondence - primarily with Matthew's doubts regarding Sabine.

Unlike the previous trilogy, there is more of a sense of menace with this trilogy. There is active evil in the unseen Frilotti and his cohorts. But getting Matthew to understand the seriousness of what is happening (within the first book) is a large part of the first book.

I'll be honest. The second trilogy fell flat with me. It still had the beautiful artwork of the first trilogy, but the magic wasn't quite there. I think the addition of "the next generation" just didn't work as well. My husband, of course, thinks I'm crazy as he loved them as much as the first trilogy. But for me, Griffin and Sabine had a simplicity beneath the complications of their circumstance. Something primal about the connection and the love they shared. But adding Matthew and Isabella complicated that. And it just didn't sit as right with me.

The series was ok... worth reading at least once. But it didn't, in my mind, live up to the magic of the first trilogy.



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Review: The Golden Mean: In Which the Extraordinary Correspondence of Griffin & Sabine Concludes

The Golden Mean: In Which the Extraordinary Correspondence of Griffin & Sabine Concludes by Nick Bantock

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Griffin is once again in London and Sabine is once again on Katie. They believe in one another, but the strangeness around their inability to meet has them desperate to find a way to do so. Each correspondence draws them closer to a possibility, while also exposing them to dangers that are stalking them.

Personally, I didn't care for The Golden Mean as much as I did for the previous two. Don't get me wrong... it was a good book and one that I'm glad to have read. But it just didn't seem to have the magic that the previous ones did. The introduction of Frolatti actually detracted from the story for me, though it did give the pair an extra impetus to find a way to get together. And it sets things up for the second trilogy.

The one constant through the series, however, is the artwork. There is nothing plain or uninspiring about any of the envelopes or postcards contained withing the pages of these books.



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Review: Sabine's Notebook: In Which the Extraordinary Correspondence of Griffin & Sabine Continues

Sabine's Notebook: In Which the Extraordinary Correspondence of Griffin & Sabine Continues by Nick Bantock

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



The second book in the Griffin and Sabine trilogy (that eventually spawned a second trilogy) sees Sabine come to London, only to find that Griffin has fled. The letters between them continue, Sabine being the supportive friend and love as Griffin tries to figure himself out. Of all of the books in this series, this is the one that explores change and acceptance more than any of the others.

As with the first book, Sabine's Notebook has beautiful, sometimes disturbing artwork that only adds to the postcard and letters that have been written between the pair. I could spend hours just looking at the artwork, finding something new with each glance. It's that wonderful.

Bantock also proved, once again, that he is a master at leaving the reader shocked and anxious to read the next book. I don't want to talk about the ending here... it would be too much of a spoiler. But prepare yourself for things not being quite what they seem.

In many ways, I enjoyed this book even more than the first. It brought the relationship of Griffin and Sabine to deeper levels, taught the reader more about each of them as individuals and the pair as a couple, without either having met the other. It takes a long time to digest everything in it.

Most series, I don't worry about reading in order. But this series... You really do need to read them in order. You need to take the journey along with Griffin and Sabine because you'll lose so much if you don't.



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Review: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Jacob grew up on his grandfather's unusual stories of his youth. As a young child, he believed everything his grandfather said was true. But as he got older, that belief waned. Still, his grandfather's tales never altered and he continued to insist that the peculiar children he lived with during the war existed. When his grandfather is killed, and Jacob is convinced that he sees one of the creatures from his grandfather's stories in the woods, he starts to rethink his disbelief. He and his father head to the small island off of Wales where his grandfather claimed this unusual orphanage existed. Here, Jacob will find out the truth regarding the stories his grandfather told... and the truth of who he is.

I'd seen this book on many friends' read lists and each time, they'd reviewed it favorably. Being a book with fantastic elements was something I knew would be right up my alley. And with so many people recommending it, I knew I'd need to read for myself what the fuss was about. And I'm very glad that I did.

The story was a perfect melding of prose and unusual, sometimes impossible seeming photographs. As the story was told and a photograph was mentioned, you would see it on the next page. And being able to see what Jacob was talking about as he described the picture just added to it.

The story itself was incredibly engaging, to the point that I wanted to stay up all night reading it. I wanted to know how Jacob's life was going to change and how the children that he meets at Miss Peregrine's would react to him. I was carried along and, at the end, very anxious to hear the rest of the story. I can't wait until the second book comes out. It'll be on my reading list close to immediately.





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Review: Justice League of America (Volume 2): The Lightning Saga

Justice League of America (Volume 2): The Lightning Saga by Brad Meltzer

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I heard about this book at the end of JSA: The Next Age, purporting to be the next part of the story. And it was, though it was combining three different super teams - the JSA, including their newest members, the JLA, and the Legion of Super-Heroes (a group from the 31st Century). Seven members of the League had come back for some reason they refused to tell their earlier counterparts about. The first part of the book involves reuniting the members of the League, as they've been thrown back and have been immobilized in some way (eg. Starman has lost much of his memory and his schizophrenia is at the forefront, Wildfire is frozen as a statue in the Fortress of Solitude). Once they've all been found, however, they start using subterfuge and misdirection to keep the JSA and JLA from finding out what they are doing - using lightning power to bring back someone from the dead. The lightning should kill one of those trying to call it and they are afraid of being stopped because of that danger. In the end, the JSA and JLA figure it out, but they are too late to stop it. The person is brought back.

It was a pretty good book, but I think it suffered from too many characters. Between all the members of the JLA, the JSA and the League, the pages were always filled with characters. For all of that, the story was pretty good. I liked finding out more about characters I'd seen in future story lines (primarily Final Crisis), as well as finding out a little about Superman's past that I hadn't known previously. There were also a few stand-alone stories after the main narrative. My favorite was "Walls", in which Red Arrow and Vixen are trapped within a building that has collapsed and is slipping into the water. They need to find a way to get out, and it isn't definite that they will do so. It was very moving and very suspenseful. As much as I enjoyed the other two stories ("Monitor Duty", which involves various JLA members both monitoring from their base and being monitored by Martian Manhunter and Aquaman, and "Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow", which is a combination origin story of the JLA/view of the changing friendships between Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman), "Walls" was far and away the best. If you read it for no other reason, read it for that story.



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Review: Griffin and Sabine: An Extraordinary Correspondence

Griffin and Sabine: An Extraordinary Correspondence by Nick Bantock

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



I'd originally read this wonderful book about 10 years ago and was impressed with it then. It had been in the back of my mind all this time and came to the forefront when I was reading through Book Lust for reading suggestions. I requested it and all it's sequels from the library. I picked them up yesterday and am glad to sink back into it.

This book will be a quick read, and you'll spend as much time looking at the artwork as you will reading it. The book is a series of postcards and letters between Griffin Moss and Sabine Strohem, initiated by Sabine when she recognizes a piece of artwork that Griffin had created for his card business as something she'd seen in her imaginings. Thus begins a conversation between the two that is defies description. With each postcard, and then letter (which are written as pieces of paper you can remove from envelopes on the page), you learn more about both Griffin and Sabine and a hint at what connects them.

This is truly one of the most fascinating books I've ever read, both in concept and in story. It's one that, when Pete's a bit older and not into destroying everything he touches, I'd love to own just so I can reread it whenever I need a little magic in my life. Because that's what this book feels like to me - magic within the pages of a book.



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Review: Justice Society of America: The Next Age

Justice Society of America: The Next Age by Geoff Johns

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



While the old guard is busy recruiting new members for the JSA, someone is killing this younger generation. This is one of the earlier books from the reboot of the JSA and it's a place where we get introduced to some of the newer members like Damage and Cyclone and see their beginnings in this super team.

The backstories for the new characters flowed seamlessly with the narrative as a whole. I'm finding that I really like Cyclone a lot. She's bubbly and excited, yet even when faced with death on her first day, decides that this really is what she wants to do.

It was also interesting meeting Wildcat's son, Tom. I'd seen bits and pieces of him in some of the other trade paperbacks that I'd read, but I didn't know too much about him. I like the fact that he's generally a pacifist, but can (and will) kick butt if necessary. He too, I think, will become a favorite of mine.

All in all, it was a very good read and one that I was glad to have picked up. I've got the next one on order from the library so I can see where things go from here.



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Review: JLA Classified Vol. 3: New Maps of Hell

JLA Classified Vol. 3: New Maps of Hell by Warren Ellis

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



When people connected to LexCorp start committing suicide, it intrigues Lois Lane and Clark Kent enough to do some research. What they find out leads them to something that can only be handled by the JLA - and a lot more deaths to come. Because the JLA is going to be tested by a being that is brought here through a code map. And none of the outcomes are good.

This was a fairly quick read for me, finishing it in about an hour. While not one of the better JLA stories I've read, it's still a solid book. I enjoyed seeing the various pieces of the puzzle come together, as well as, for once, Luthor being involved but not being at the bottom of it. It was an interesting dynamic for me.





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Review: Sin City, Vol. 1: The Hard Goodbye

Sin City, Vol. 1: The Hard Goodbye by Frank Miller

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



I've heard a lot of things about Frank Miller's Sin City. It's a dark, gritty graphic novel that doesn't pull any punches. It had been on me To Read list for awhile, but passively rather than aggressively. So when I saw the first volume in the library, I knew the time was right for me to read it. I wasn't 100% sure what to expect, but it wasn't what I got.

What I got blew me away. The artwork is purely black and white, but very intricately drawn. The contrasts that Miller shows between light and dark in each panel is breath-taking. There are times when the artwork is incredibly disturbing, more because of what your mind fills in than what Miller has drawn.

And the story was riveting. From Marv meeting Goldie in a bar, through her death and his search for her killer, all the way to his final end, I did not want to put it down. I was incredibly invested in this story, worrying about Marv, saddened by some of the deaths, disgusted once Marv finally tracks down the killer... I felt every emotion that, I'm sure, I was intended to feel.

I'm not sure if this is one I'd want to own and only maybe read again. It was a wonderful, fantastic, terrific book. But it's also not a world I can see myself wanting to dive back into regularly.



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Review: Alterant

Alterant by Sherrilyn Kenyon

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Alterant is the second book in Sherrilyn Kenyon & Dianna Love's Belador series. It takes place directly after the first book with Evalle having to face a tribunal of three gods. They are to decide whether Evalle they need to lock up Evalle because she is a female Alterant. Along with the other problems, there have been a large number of Alterants shifting into their beast form, attacking and killing humans. Three have escaped from their confinement. With the backing of the Belador leader, Brida, Evalle proposes to show her loyalty by finding and recapturing the escaped Alternats. But, she informs them, she then wants them to have a chance to plead their case before the Tribunal. They agree but tell her she cannot get help from her friends, Tzader and Quinn. She has to go it alone. They don't leave her completely without help, though. They give her three all-powerful wishes. The only stipulation is that she cannot repeat wishes. And then they send her to the prison of the last Alterant she sent back into captivity.

I'd been looking forward to this book, loving the previous works of Kenyon and Love and having really enjoyed the first book of the series. But for some reason, I had a difficult time getting into it. It could just have been the mood I was in, but I couldn't make myself get emotionally involved in the story. And for me, that's a big deal. It didn't seem quite as cohesive as the previous books. And reading it felt like watching actors who are technically good but not involving their emotions. Like I said, it's possible (even probable) that I was just not in the mood for this kind of story right now.

I will, however, read the next book in the series. The plot is an interesting one and the world is rich. I may even try giving this a reread in a few weeks to see if it was me or the book.



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