#BookReview

[librarycomic]

Bea Wolf written by Zach Weinersmith, art by Boulet. First Second, 2023. 9781250776297. With an extensive Afterword by Weinersmith (also illustrated by Boulet) about the poem, its history and translations, that even has a great explanation of kennings, which he uses extensively throughout this book. Plus some pages of Boulet's sketches. https://www.powells.com/book/-9781250776297?partnerid=34778&p_bt

This is a bizarre and beautiful thing. I listened to Weinersmith talk about it a bit at the American Library Association convention, where he appeared with his daughter Ada, which is cool since it's pretty clear she got him to keep writing and was the first reader and even had nice things to say about Boulet's art, which clearly buoyed Boulet's spirits (as he explains in the Acknowledgements in the end).

This is a 600-some line illustrated, epic poem based on Beowulf that owes something to Edward Gorey, Tim Burton, and Weinersmith's English teachers. I have never read anything like it before, and I don't think there's ever been anything like it before. It's about a gang of kids in a treehouse filled with toys and candy and fun that is attacked by a monster who does the most unspeakable thing possible -- he steals children's childhoods. And it's about the heroic girl who comes to face him. It is absolutely awesome, both silly and serious, and full of language that's fun to read aloud and illustrations that are fun to look at.

Some kids will enjoy it, and some adults will enjoy it, but I think far more adults and kids will enjoy it together. In fact, I'd read this with my daughter now if she'd let me. (She's in her early twenties, and after I tell her about it, or if she reads this review, I hope she might.)

[judeinthestars]

New sapphic book review: Dark Star by C. X. Myers (aka @calchexxis)

This is such a perfect sequel, I can't wait for book 3!!!!

[kaijukiki]

I happened upon this book much the way anyone would happen upon a body in the woods, a finger in the dirt, or fragment left where it lie shorn cut at the ankle or wrist…it surprised me. But for Alexa Hagerty, forensic anthropologist finding such evidence of “La violencia” was every bit intentional. And integral to the mystery and the justice of a people who’s story is brought to light, by hands in dirt. Shovels, spades, and toothbrushes. Following a carefully and responsibly constructed narrative that details the process of work that puts people together, but also shreds them to the core. Part linguistic a anthropological triumph and scientific data of accounts, Hagerty writes like a poet in the dirt but also a scientist in a field lab. Truly one of the most uncommon and moving #nonfictionNovember reads I couldn’t put down.

[mirandagoing4baroque]

I really don’t know why I’m here. At this point, more than five books into the Murderbot series, you’ve made a choice about whether you’re in or out. I love Murderbot with all my heart and soul, and if you’re a Murderbot stan, I promise that this new entry into the extended Murderbot universe will not disappoint you. And actually if you were more lukewarm on the latest Murderbot, this new novel (yes, novel, not novella--and there was much rejoicing) is a pretty direct sequel to Network Effect. It’s full of Murderbot doing Murderbot things--fun action, corporate skullduggery, and Murderbot feeling uncomfortable about emotions.

If somehow you’ve been living under a rock, and you aren’t familiar with our lord and savior Murderbot, let me give you a quick pitch for why you should be interested in this series. (But if you are, start at the beginning with All Systems Red, not here--this one will make no sense.)

Murderbot is a SecUnit (Half-human half-robot designed to provide security), living in a corporate dystopia. Murderbot has hacked its own governing module, and would like to be left alone to watch it’s trashy TV shows, but unfortunately self awareness also means Murderbot has emotions, and those are inconvenient. If you want to read about a cynical sassy android that is maybe the world’s most relatable robot--get you to Murderbot and you can thank me later.

I received a free Advance Reader Copy in exchange for this honest review.

[ninsiana0]

Read TRANSLATION STATE by Ann Leckie if you love mysteries, multiple narrators, space stations, artificial intelligence, coffee, strained treaties, scary aliens, childhood trauma, breaking the laws of physics, dumplings, questioning what it means to be human, and exiled pirates.

•I received an advance copy for review through NetGalley

•expected publication date is 6/6/23

[wanderingmanonreads]

@WanderingManonReads

[mytbrlistblog]

Obsessed with the fierce romance and steamy world-building of Rebecca Yarros' Iron Flame! Just created a fun little collage based on the book's aesthetic (check it out!) 🔥🫶🏼

[sublecturas]

"Anagramas", de Lorrie Moore en la #LíneaB.

[iampaigeb]

Fuck. That......that was Fucking amazing. I don't give 5 stars easily but this book was beyond perfect. Fourth Wing feels like a hug wrapped in a fuzzy blanket by the fire with hot cocoa and marshmellows. Damn was this book ever good. People may say it lacks character development but those people are wrong. They don't see that its rich with character development right from the start. Character development doesn't have to be in your face detail. No instead in Fourth Wing it is subtle and quiet yet you feel you know the characters as a whole.

I fucking cried near the and and I literally screamed NO WAY at the end in the dead of night. I am sure my neighbors think I was crazy at that time of night. This book was so good and I am so invested that I instantly bought Iron Flame right after. How fitting to finish this on the same day as the Book 3 news.

[aworldinpages]

I'm Glad My Mom Died ~ Jennette McCurdy

In this both heartbreaking and hilarious memoir, McCurdy very candidly opens up about being thrust into fame from a very young age and the struggles she has dealt with since then. She also focuses on the very turbulent relationship she had with her overbearing mother growing up, who has since died from cancer, and how she managed to retake the reigns of her own life...

Click here to read my full review!

[librarycomic]

Eerie Tales from the School of Screams by Graham Annable. First Second, 2023. 9781250195036. 364pp. http://www.powells.com/book/-9781250195036?partnerid=34778&p_bt

A teacher writes the word "eerie" on the chalkboard in front of her class and then asks the young students to tell the class the eeriest story they have. Their stories are strange. Alvin tells the first, "The Village That Vanished…", about two men who follow a map to a field filled with sheep where they meet a strange dude who tells them what happened to the town of Wattersbug. It's not horribly graphic, but it's also not a story I'd expect a kid to tell, though his teacher seems excited. Alice's story, "The Face In The Forest…" features a girl named Luanne who's expected to do everything for her aunt and uncle, though they don't seem happy that she's so helpful. When she goes into the forest in search of wood she meets a sympathetic head. Will it help her, or does it mean her no good? It's hard to say at first though the head seems very friendly, and it says it wants her help.

More stories follow. They involve drones, ghosts, spaceships, aliens, grandparents, and demons. When you're reading the book, don't jump ahead -- it has a fun ending, but you have to read every page to really enjoy it.

This is my favorite spooky kids' graphic novel in a while. I know a few kids who would have enjoyed it in grade school, but it's probably got more appeal for older students and adults, it would make a great read-aloud.

bookreview #graphicnovel #graphicnovelreview #yagraphicnovel #school #horror

[judeinthestars]

These are the books that got my heart racing and my brain cells dancing in 2023! All the reviews are on my blog:

[bidotorg]

“I spent years looking for confident bi people to help me build my own confidence. But there’s no one way to come out, and no one way to be bi, and Ruby is a reminder that it’s okay if a label doesn’t feel perfect right away — or ever.”

[sastrasa]

Narasinopsis - Pasung Jiwa

Karya Okky Madasari

Sampul yang menarik, judul yang ciamik. Buku “Pasung Jiwa: Apa Itu Kebebasan?”  Sengaja kupilih untuk mengawali tahun 2024. Aku enggak menyangka kalau isi bukunya akan serumit dan seberat itu. Di awal, Sasana sebagai tokoh utama muncul sebagai sosok yang ‘lurus-lurus’ saja. Aku sempat berfikir, dimana letak konflik pada novel ini? Apakah kebebasan karena kekangan orang tua, atau apa? Jujur saja, di awal aku sempat berfikir “Ah, apa sih hal buruk yang mungkin terjadi dengan Sasana?” Dan BOOM! Seperti dihantam sekontainer beras oleh Hulk, aku mendapati kenyataan yang sangat mencengangkan. Hingga pertengahan bab, aku masih enggak menyangka (dan enggak terima) kalau Sasana berubah menjadi seperti itu! Kenyataan itu dibungkus secara implisit yang membuatku harus menerka-nerka sendiri, dan ternyata, Ah, jalan ceritanya memang seperti itu. Lalu, di saat yang sama, Sasana dipertemukan dengan Cak Jek, si Tokoh utama kedua, dimana Cak Jek dipertemukan dengan Sasana hanya untuk melahirkan sisi lain Sasana. Lalu tokoh-tokoh lain yang membuat cerita semakin kompleks tapi berkesinambungan. 

Kak Okky Madasari selalu sukses membuatku penasaran dalam tiap kalimatnya. Sepanjang membaca, selalu ada saja hal yang membuatku menganga, merana, bahkan menangis. Seringkali aku harus menarik nafas untuk kembali melanjutkan membaca. Ceritanya terlampau seru untuk kubaca lambat-lambat, dan terlalu memusingkan kalau aku baca cepat-cepat. Makna kebebasan yang dituang dalam 332 halaman yang rasanya sayang jika terlewatkan sedikit saja sebab ada banyak hal yang baru kusadari bahwa manusia terlampau sering dipenjara, terpenjara, dan memenjarakan dirinya dalam hal tertentu. Akhir cerita yang membuatku harus kembali menerka mereka akan kemana, tapi nyatanya cukup menerbitkan rasa lega. Dan buku ini membuatku ingin membaca kembali buku-buku mbah Sigmund Freud.

- Sastrasa

[bookishfreedom]

This is easily my favorite book I've reviewed through NetGalley and one I have every intention of buying my own copy of!!

Someday We'll Find It tells the story of Bliss, a teenage girl living with her aunt and uncle in rural Illinois, after her mother left her behind to pursue her modeling career. Bliss has it all figured out: she's dating the popular boy, River, and she works doubly hard not to let her aunt and uncle see her as a burden. But then she meets Blake, a boy who seems to see her like no one else does, and then, her Mama returns. Bliss is swept up in all the change, and has to figure out what's best for her: the life she worked so hard to prepare for herself, and the life she's always wanted.

I will say that this story probably won't be for everyone, but the reasons many people won't enjoy this book are exactly what made me love it. Bliss's voice is so strong; she really felt like a living breathing person, and so did every person around her. But the strength of her voice made the story start a bit slow, as you get a feel for what the world looks like through Bliss's eyes. (But once I got sucked in, there was no turning back!) She talks the way I would expect a teenager from a small town who had limited education growing up to talk, so if you can't handle intentionally bad grammar, you probably shouldn't pick up this book. Personally, I thought it made her feel even more real.

I would also consider Bliss to be an unreliable narrator (which again, not for everyone, but I love.) We are seeing the world and the people in it through her lens and have to make our own judgments. The people in Bliss's life, and even Bliss herself, are deeply flawed. Even the smallest side characters were lively and flawed and entirely real. I felt every range of emotions reading this book: happy, sad, and absolutely furious. If you have to like the characters in a book to enjoy the book, this one is not for you. But if you like seeing an honest look at family, at the ways people can be terrible to one another even with the best of intentions, or if you like characters that live in gray areas, and watch them figure things out anyway? Pick this one up ASAP

I felt like I was really on this journey with Bliss, and even when she made the wrong call, I was rooting for her every step of the way. (And did I mention this is a debut??? Can't wait to see what Jennifer Wilson comes up with next.)

TW: discussions of SA, domestic violence, abandonment

Many thanks to HarperTeen and NetGalley for the free review copy❤️

[nrhartauthor]

Dangerous Love 🔥 “I want to get under your skin and stay there.” Twin Flame Love , a summer season @n.r.hart © 2022 #specialrequest #fridaynight 🔥 • Twin Flame Love out now! Link in my stories to order 🛍 ♥️♥️♥️ We don’t always understand it as it is happening or we can’t put a name to it at the time, but the reasons become apparent later on. 📖🔥 Twin Flame Love by N.R.Hart “You will find new and old soulmate / twin flame poems in this collection. Maybe I have been writing this story all along. Maybe this journey is your journey. If you somehow see yourself in my words, find yourself in my words , feel yourself in my words then maybe my story… is your story.” Twin Flame Love © 2022 @n.r.hart #twinflamelove #bookreview #poetry #bookstagram #newrelease • Love Poems to No One , Beauty and her Beast, The Last of the Romantics 👑 beautiful rose floral hard covers in black including all my original black & white posters inside divided into the four seasons Winter Spring Summer Autumn. These books are a trilogy series. Pick up your copy today. You will want the set! 👉🏻 If you have pictures of my books please tag me. I love seeing where my books end up around the world 🌎 Love, N.R.Hart ❤️ All my books are available @amazon @barnesandnoble Worldwide link : • https://www.amazon.com/Twin-Flame-Love-Soulmate-Poetry/dp/B0BND3GH3W/ https://www.amazon.com/Love-Poems-No-One-Romantic/dp/0578451166/ https://www.amazon.com/Beauty-Her-Beast-Romantic-Poetry/dp/0578616440/ https://www.amazon.com/Last-Romantics-Romantic-Poetry/dp/0692168591/ • #nrhart #poetryandpearls #lovepoemstonoone #beautyandherbeast #copyright #mondaycreekpublishing (at London, United Kingdom) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cmy1gaoO_h5/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=