Wednesday, July 27, 2016

Dr. Critchlore's School For Minions by Sheila Grau, 276 pages

What's a villain without a well-trained henchman or minion. This school is dedicated to training those young future minions.

The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani, 488 pages

I'd seen this reviewed elsewhere and it looked interesting. 2 girls taken from their village to train at the schools for good and evil, but both believe they're in the wrong school.

Batman: The Killing Joke by Alan Moore, 64 pages

I'd heard about this but had never actually read it. Very dark and creepy.

The Wondrous Wizard of Id by Brant Parker and Johnny Hart, 128 pages

Fun and light-hearted.

My Kingdom For A Horsie! by Brant Parker and Johnny Hart, 128 pages

A fun comic collection.

I Dig Freedom by Brant Parker & Johnny Hart, 128 pages

A comic collection.

The King is a Fink! by Brant Parker and Johnny Hart, 128 pages

A funny comic collection.

Remember the Golden Rule! by Brant Parker & Johnny Hart, 128 pages

I picked this up at a flea market over the weekend. An oldie but a goodie.

Friday, July 22, 2016

Murder Has Nine Lives by Laura Levine, 247 pages

Jaine Austen is such a fun character. I would like to see her have a more long term relationship, but that's because the author has created a character I've really come to care for. One of the best parts of these books is the emails from Jaine's parents. This is one series I'll definitely keep reading.

The King's Curse by Phillippa Gregory, 903 pages

The Tudor curse covered in historical fiction. Phillippa Gregory is the queen of bringing history alive in a way that engages the reader. Having read a ton about this time period, I knew what happened to the Countess of Salisbury, but I still found myself hoping for a different ending because the author had created such a vivid character.

Tuesday, July 19, 2016

Lumberjanes, Volume 4, Out of Time by Noelle Stevenson, Shannon Watters and Brooke Allen, 128 pages

More questions are raised than answered in this volume. Great graphic novel series.

Fables, Volume One: Legends in Exile by Bill Willingham & James Jean, 144 pages

I've read all 22 volumes in this series, but my Comics and Cocktails book club is reading this one. The difficulty will be in not talking about the next ones.

The Angel of Death by Alane Ferguson, 256 pages

When I picked this up I didn't realize it was the second in a teen forensics mystery series. There wasn't too much missing back story, I just didn't really bond with the main character.



Tuesday, July 12, 2016

The Shadow Cadets of Pennyroyal Academy by M. A. Larson, 358 pages

The sequel to Pennyroyal Academy. I can see why it's been optioned for a movie. I can't wait until the next one comes out.

Monday, July 11, 2016

Salt, A World History by Mark Kurlansky, 484 pages

This was a very informative and interesting read about salt. It's been used as money, a reason for war attacks, killed its collectors and brought one nation to its knee. I found myself telling tidbits from the book to family members and various acquaintances while reading it. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good nonfiction read.

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller, 224 pages

This is one of the seminal revamps in Batman, dating from the 1980s. I was very interested in reading this after having it mentioned in the nerd culture Batman book I'd just read. Very dark, very 1980s in the comics.

Saturday, July 9, 2016

Lady Killer by Joelle Jones & Jamie Rich, 136 pages

A fantastically fun graphic novel set in the 1960s featuring a housewife who's also an assassin. Great artwork, fun storyline, really hoping there will be more.

The Caped Crusade, Batman and the Rise of Nerd Culture by Glen Weldon, 324 pages

I'm a DC fan in a family of Marvel lovers, but my passion has always been Wonder Woman. I'm familiar with Batman because of the Adam West show, the animated cartoons and his appearances in comics I've read about Wonder Woman, but he's never been my main emphasis. After reading this book I have a better appreciation for him and have already picked up Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns and made my family watch the Michael Keaton's Batman.

Thursday, July 7, 2016

The Executioner's Daughter by Jane Hardstaff, 255 pages

An interesting juvenile fiction book set in the time period of Anne Boleyn with a supernatural twist.

Tuesday, July 5, 2016

Further Chronicles of Avonlea by L.M. Montgomery, 199 pages

A collection of short stories set in Avonlea, just wasn't as good.

Fortune's Children: The Fall of the House of Vanderbilt by Arthur Vanderbilt II, 496 pages

A look at the rise and fall of the Vanderbilts. I've read a lot of historical fiction that featured the Vanderbilts and was interested in learning more about this family. The amount of money they went through is just impossible for me to wrap my head around.

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes, 629 pages

My daughters wanted to see this and the rule is "Read the book before seeing the movie." I will not be seeing the movie because this one was too heartwrenching and emotional. It was an outstanding read, especially if you own stock in a kleenex company.