Recent Reads: Nothing Can Possibly Go Wrong by Prudence Shen

Nothing Can Possibly Go Wrong by Prudence Shen 

Publisher: FirstSecond
Publication Date:  May 7, 2013

 

Format: Paperback
Source: Borrow from the library

Rating:


Goodreads Synopsis: 

You wouldn't expect Nate and Charlie to be friends.

Charlie's the laid-back captain of the basketball team. Nate is the neurotic, scheming president of the robotics club. But they are friends, however unlikely--until Nate declares war on the cheerleaders and the cheerleaders retaliate by making Charlie their figurehead in the ugliest class election campaign the school has ever seen. At stake? Student group funding that will either cover a robotics competition or new cheerleading uniforms, but not both.

Bad sportsmanship? Sure. Chainsaws? Why not. Running away from home on Thanksgiving to illicitly enter a televised robot deathmatch? Let's do this!

Review: 

This graphic novel follows Nate and Charlie, a nerd and head of the robotics club and a jock basketball player. They are going up against each other for the role of student body president and their 'campaigns' have gotten out of hand. Charlie didn't even want to run, the cheerleaders are scary and put him into the running because he is so likable. Nate want the position to secure fund for the robotics team and the cheerleaders want it for new uniforms and so hilarity ensues. 

This was a funny graphic novel about unexpected friendhsips and working together. Nate and Charlie are an interesting pair of friends and help each other out more than people might expect and their friend groups converge after 'neither group gets the money' after campaigning goes wrong. I liked the characters a lot, they were realistic and fun and their problems seemed pretty real-world, all things considered. I think it was an interesting friendship and was glad that it wasn't the normal nerd-gets-bullied story, so that was very refreshing. 

If you are looking for a comical story about unlikely friends, where you can root for both sides, this would be a fun one to pick up.

Recent Reads: Passport by Sophia Glock

Passport by Sophia Glock 
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Publication Date:  November 30, 2021

 

Format: Paperback
Source: Borrowed from the library

Rating:

Goodreads Synopsis: 

An unforgettable graphic memoir by debut talent Sophia Glock reveals her discovery as a teenager that her parents are agents working for the CIA

Young Sophia has lived in so many different countries, she can barely keep count. Stationed now with her family in Central America because of her parents' work, Sophia feels displaced as an American living abroad, when she has hardly spent any of her life in America.

Everything changes when she reads a letter she was never meant to see and uncovers her parents' secret. They are not who they say they are. They are working for the CIA. As Sophia tries to make sense of this news, and the web of lies surrounding her, she begins to question everything. The impact that this has on Sophia's emerging sense of self and understanding of the world makes for a page-turning exploration of lies and double lives.

In the hands of this extraordinary graphic storyteller, this astonishing true story bursts to life.

Review: 

A graphic memoir about Sophia's life traveling and living around the world with her parents that are CIA. 

This is a very simplistically drawn graphic novel. It is minimal with little to no color, mostly black, white, grey and a light peach with pops of red here or there. The story is a coming-of-age tale about Sophia, too young and too naive, but wants to do more and also get back to the United States. Her parents tend to pull her out of schools and countries too quickly for her to form meaningful connections or keep up with them afterward because of their protection and secrecy. She wants a home but nowhere feels like home and this is hard for her, especially because of the parent politics that come into play. Sophia moves a lot and has not had a chance to find herself, so in this memior she starts to act out, trying to be a normal teen in a non-normal situation. She does her best to find herself adn understand her situation but it is still difficult. That being said, we don't move with her. This particular account is of one of the final locations right before she learns the truth about her parents. From the title, I think I expected more travel.

I wasn't a huge fan of how this all came together, I understand that as a memior there is only so much you can do if you are recounting your life, but it felt like maybe she never asked the right questions at the right times or that she was being too self-absorbed to realize what was happening around her. Most the time it seemed like she wasn't paying enough attention to her world and being too focused on what she thought should be happening. 

If you are looking for a realistic account of life as a CIA agents daugther, this might be helpful. It was a quick read but it wasn't super exciting nor did I find that it held my attention all that well. Overall, it was just ok. 

Recent Reads: Wonderland by Tommy Kovac

Wonderland by Tommy Kovac 

Publisher: Disney Press
Publication Date:  January 1, 2008

 

Format: Hardback
Source: Borrowed from the library.

Rating:


Goodreads Synopsis: 

Among the numerous curiosities that have gone unexplained in the classic tale Alice in Wonderland, perhaps the most perplexing might be who, exactly, is the "Maryann" that the White Rabbit mistakes Alice for at the beginning of the story? Lewis Carroll first made us ponder this and, years later, Walt Disney again made viewers wonder who Maryann might be in his classic feature length film based on Carroll's book.

Now, the amazingly talented folks at SLG Publishing, through a licensing deal with Disney, have finally answered this age-old question. In their beautifully executed comic book series Wonderland, readers experience Alice's fantastic world as they've never seen it before. Writer Tommy Kovac's Wonderland is missing Alice herself, but it's still populated by the other characters that make the world such a curiously exciting place. The Queen of Hearts is present, barking orders to lop off people's heads, as is the Cheshire Cat, the White Rabbit, the Mad Hatter and the rest of Wonderland's beloved cast. And there are some new faces, too, including the book's main protagonist, the mysterious Maryann herself. All are beautifully illustrated by Wonderland's artist, Sonny Liew.

The graphic novel will collect the six issues that comprised the Wonderland comic series in a beautiful, collectible, jacketed hardcover edition.

Review: 

This was such a fun take on the classic Alice in Wonderland story. We finally meet Maryann, the white rabbit's maid/helper that he mistakes Alice for when she is in his home. 

Wonderland follows Maryann after the 'monster' Alice has been in Wonderland. The Queen is still looking to chop Alice's head off by Maryann us just trying to keep things clean and in an accident makes the Queen more angry. 

The art of this graphic novel was fun, whimsical, and colorful adding to the overall wonderfland feel and I really liked learning who Maryann was. She was a strong and brave character that knew what she wanted although she didn't realize that she could have it for herself. I also liked that Alice does not appear at all in the graphic novel, she is mentioned throughout but Maryann takes the lead. 

Like Wonderland is supposed to be, it is all weird and silly. Cheshire cat is there being as non-helpful as ever and causing problems adding to the comical nature of graphic novel. That being said, because it is a bit wacky, it was confusing some times but that is part of the wonderland whimsical appeal. 

If you are looking for a fun semi- retelling/ follow up to Alice in Wonderland this was very entertaining and a quick read. 

Early Reader Review: Belittled Women by Amanda Sellet

Source: From the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This in no way alters my opinion or review.

Belittled Women by Amanda Sellet  

Publisher: Clarion Books
Publication Date:  November 29, 2022

 

Format: Ebook


Rating:


Goodreads Synopsis: 

Sharp and subversive, this delightfully messy YA rom-com offers a sly wink to the classic Little Women, as teenage Jo Porter rebels against living in the shadow of her literary namesake.

Lit's about to hit the fan. Jo Porter has had enough Little Women to last a lifetime. As if being named after the sappiest family in literature wasn't sufficiently humiliating, Jo's mom, ahem Marmee, leveled up her Alcott obsession by turning their rambling old house into a sad-sack tourist attraction.

Now Jo, along with her siblings, Meg and Bethamy (yes, that's two March sisters in one), spends all summer acting out sentimental moments at Little Women Live!, where she can feel her soul slowly dying.

So when a famed photojournalist arrives to document the show, Jo seizes on the glimpse of another life: artsy, worldly, and fast-paced. It doesn't hurt that the reporter's teenage son is also eager to get up close and personal with Jo--to the annoyance of her best friend, aka the boy next door (who is definitely not called Laurie). All Jo wants is for someone to see the person behind the prickliness and pinafores.

But when she gets a little too real about her frustration with the family biz, Jo will have to make peace with kitsch and kin before their livelihood suffers a fate worse than Beth.

Review: 

I think I need to disclaimer this review by noting that I have not read (or watched) any version of Little Women. I know the story but just have never found myself with the need to pick it up, nor an assignment that called for it. That being said, you don't really need it in order to read and understand this book because the family helps you throughout, referencing scenes etc. 

This was a weird read for me, I was torn between enjoying it, cringing a lot, and really just trying to push through to get it over with. The book is about a family that reenacts Little Women at their home. Three daughters and their mother put on the show with others from the community filling in for the other roles as needed, but it is very much a family business. However, not all the girls like their family obligation. 

We follow Jo specifically throughout her want to leave this lifestyle behind but feeling the guilt of obligation. Jo is a runner for school and wants to focus on that aspect of her life, while her mother still wants her to focus on the show. Additionally, the business now has a reporter coming to do a story on them, so Jo needs to be there for her family. 

The drama of this story is multifaceted. There is some romance around Jo, there is the family drama both of Jo not wanting to act but also sibling issues with all the girls, and then there is the conflict of the reporter being around and what she is actually reporting on. 

I really liked this idea - a family reenacting a classic book, but I didn't really like the characters or how they handled themselves. I think that the mother was too self-centered and didn't realize that her family was imploding around her. The girls were all their own sorts of dramatic, Jo always complaining, Meg being the deviant or not there, and Amy being over the top into it all. While we followed Jo, she was annoying most of the time, complaining about her role in this whole thing and how horrible her family is, but she was just being horrible to them too. I liked her sarcasm, but it was thick and oftentimes too much. The romance elements were a little predictable, but they were ok. I found Hudson to be cringey from the beginning and was sad when she was interested in him. 

The best parts of this book were the life-lessons but it too so much slogging to get to them and the pace was very slow through the middle then ran for the end. Overall, if you like family drama, this is a good book, but be prepared for some weirdness and some romance as well. 

Recent Reads: Summer Spirit by Elizabeth Holleville

Summer Spirit by Elizabeth Holleville 
Publisher: Nobrow
Publication Date:  July 7, 2020

 

Format: Hardback
Source: Borrowed from the Library.

Rating:

Synopsis: 

A new YA graphic novel from French illustrator Elizabeth Holleville, Summer Spirit puts a fresh spin on the struggles of growing up as this coming-of-age story takes a supernatural and sinister turn.

Being a teenager is hard enough without finding out your new best friend is a 60 year old ghost...

Louise spends every summer at her grandmother's house with her older sister and their cousins. But this summer, Louise realises her relatives are fast growing up, without her. While they're concerned with boy drama, Louise is suddenly left alone. But then one day she meets Lisa, who will never, ever become a teenager...

Review: 

Another short graphic novel review...I was looking for some graphic novels at the library and came across this ones. I like ghost stories, especially in graphic novel form, so I grabbed it. Sadly it feel very flat for me. 

The story is a coming of age/ young girl to teen book about Louise. She is visiting with her grandmother for a while with her cousins and sister. Her grandmother has some memory loss issues happening and then on top of that her family is leaving her out and being mean because she is slightly younger than them and not interested in the same things they are yet, like boys and drugs, and sneaking out. While alone and lonely, Louise meets Lisa and they play together and hang out ...only Lisa is a ghost. Things start to take a shift when Lisa starts getting scary and mean and then it all abruptly ends when Louise goes home. 

Sadly Louise was a little annoying and needy, so I didn't feel for her too much, and then the ghost story got weird and the family interactions were also weird and it just didn't come together for me. It was kind of boring and I was hoping that something more would happen and it never did. The grandmother's issues were never really addressed, there are mean neighbors and they don't like the dogs, and nothing came of that, and there was a romance happening with the older girls that wasn't fleshed out at all either. There was so much here and I was just left feeling disappointed.

....they can't all be wins, I guess.

Recent Reads: Wires and Nerve by Marissa Meyer

Wires and Nerve by Marissa Meyer 

Series: Wires and Nerve #1, Lunar Chronicles #5
Publisher: Felwel Friends
Publication Date:   January 31, 2017

 

Format: Hardback
Source: Borrowed from Library

Rating:


Goodreads Synopsis: 

When rogue packs of wolf-hybrid soldiers threaten the tenuous peace alliance between Earth and Luna, Iko takes it upon herself to hunt down the soldiers' leader. She is soon working with a handsome royal guard who forces her to question everything she knows about love, loyalty, and her own humanity. With appearances by Cinder and the rest of the Rampion crew, this is a must-have for fans of the series.

Review: 

Giving this graphic novel a short review. I didn't finish the Lunar chronicles series, I only made it through Cinder. This installment is #5 in the overall Lunar Chronicles and takes place after the books, so if you have not read them, this is probably a spoiler so STOP READING.

------

 

The graphic novel begins after the war and this is what happened next. Iko is a robot warrior helpong queen Cinder to collect the wolf/men from Earth following the war. The plot of the book was well paced and if you have not read the series you can pick up on what is going on and characters are explained well. Iko was an interesting character to follow for this story and I liked that all the others made appearences. The story is a mix of adventure and battle with these wolfmen and also has a conspiracy built in. I am not sure if I will grab book 2 since the library doesn't have it, but I liked Iko a lot.  

Iko, while, a robot is trying so hard to be human, in as many ways as she can, however others do no see her as such and don't really accept her as a human with her own personality. It added to the plot quite a bit and made it more dynamic. 

As for the art/story. I think there as more text than there needed to be. I think graphic novels should always do what they can to let the images explain a bit more, but overall it was a good story and I liked the characters working together for the greater good. 

Spotlight: Excerpt - The Harvard Curse by Martin Chevreau

Hello Book Lovers,

It is a Spotlight Day!! Today I bring you The Harvard Curse by Martin Chevreau! This is "a cosy mysterty in an intimate, university campus setting" and is "three disappearences, one mystery."  Below you will find a link to the Amazon preview/ excerpt and book details!

💜,

Steph

The Harvard Curse by Martin Chevreau 

Publisher: Book Guild Publishing
Publication Date: August 28, 2021

ISBN: 9781913913250 

Page count: 260

 

About the Book: 

Clementine Miller, Eveline Macdonald and Adrien Renard all disappear at the end of the 2019 fall term at Harvard University. The press dubs it ‘The Harvard Curse’ – but what has really happened? To solve this mystery, we must follow Clementine and Adrien in the months before they vanish – as the pair meet and run into a world of trouble together. Through the complicity of new and old friends alike, they disappear leaving a trail of evidence that will change how readers judge the events, decide who is to blame and what The Harvard Curse is really about. Lovers of mysteries will lose themselves in the changing seasons of a New England university campus as the secrets slowly reveal themselves.

Read the first pages over on Amazon

About the Author:

Martin Chevreau has worked in Spain, Brussels and the United Kingdom, and has a passion for traveling, not only to different corners of the world, but also through books. With The Harvard Curse, he combines his research skills with his love of travel to transport the reader through the seasons at Harvard University’s campus. Martin is currently finishing his degree in Politics and Spanish at the University of Surrey and lives in Ealing.

 

Building the Book Pile #414

Welcome to Building the Book Pile!

Hello Readers, Bloggers, and Awesome people! 

How is it November.... how did this happen?! Where has this year gone!?

I have been reading like crazy to get through my review pile, hoping to get to my want to read TBR pile but the review books keep popping up (I know it is a first world problem and that I have put myself in this situation) there are just too many good books for me to focus.

Anywho, little rant over. I am doing well, how are you? It has been a whirlwind of a month (October), which it normally is. We went to a Halloween party and at work we had pumpkin painting and a kids trick-or-treat parade through the building which was fun, and now we get to start thinking about Thanksgiving and all that delicious food. I just can't get over how this year is moving so quickly, and yet the weeks/days feel like they are taking forever.

 What have you been up to and have you read anything fun lately? 

If you are interested in supporting my ability to stay awake and read please consider dontating - Coffee  is appreciated ... Ko-fi

 

Coming up on the Blog

Spotlight: Excerpt - The Harvard Curse by Martin Chevreau (Adult)

Recent Reads: Summer Spirit by Elizabeth Holleville (GN, YA)

Recent Reads: Wires and Nerve by Marissa Myer (GN, YA)

Recent Reads: Belittled Women by Amanda Sellet (YA)

Books Received Recently...   

 

  

 

A Touch of Ruin by Scarlett St. Clair (Hades X Persephone #2) - Bought ebook

Bright Winter Night by Alli Brydon and Ashling Lindsay - Amazon Prime Free read Offering

Have you missed anything lately?

Early Reader Review: The First to Die at the End by Adam Silvera (YA) - 4 stars

Recent Reads: The Way Back Home by Courtney Peppernell (Adult) - 4 stars

Recent Reads: Haven: A Small Cat's Big Adventure by Megan Wagner Lloyd (MG) - 3 stars

Recent Reads: Night Lunch by Eric Fan and Illustrated by Dena Seiferling (Youth) - 5 stars

Recent Reads: Monster Club by Darren Aronofsky and Ari Handel (MG) - 4 stars

Recent Reads: Dark Room Etiquette by Robin Roe (YA) - 5 stars

Monthly TBR (Nov 22) and Re-Cap (Oct 22)

Early Reader Review: The Last Huntress by Lenore Borja (YA) - 3 stars

Comment or leave me a link and I will see you online again soon.

Happy Reading!

Early Reader Review: The Last Huntress by Lenore Borja

Source: From the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This in no way alters my opinion or review.

The Last Huntress by Lenore Borja 

Series: Mirror Realm #1
Publisher: Sparkpress
Publication Date:  November 1, 2022

 

Format: Paperback ARC

Rating:


Goodreads Synopsis: 

Alice Daniels has a problem. Her reflection keeps misbehaving when she looks in the mirror--and the longer she ignores it, the harder it tries to get her attention. On her eighteenth birthday, she learns why: she is a huntress, someone gifted with the power to enter mirrors and the magical world that exists beyond. But with this power comes immense responsibility, for in the Mirror Realm lurks an evil that has infected the human race for centuries: demons. It is up to her and her three huntress sisters--with the help of one handsome and overbearing protector--to hunt and banish this evil one demon at a time, thereby keeping the chaos in check. But when an ancient god pays Alice a visit that turns deadly, it is clear the Mirror Realm is more than it seems, and she soon finds herself in a race against time to save the life--and soul--of the one man the gods are determined to never let her have.

The Last Huntress is a story of redemption and sacrifice, the bonds of true sisterhood, and the impossible, sometimes frightening, things we'll do for love.

Review: 

Alice is the last huntress, a gift given to her by a Greek deity to help rid the world of demons that invade people's bodies. Normally, there are only three at a time, but Alice is now the 4th, and she has been gifted more than her cohort. 

This was such an interesting premise. I really liked this idea of a girl fighting evil through mirrors and the sisterhood that she would form with the other hunters, however some of this fell a little short. It was like a weird mix of Greek mythology and Alice in Wonderland mashed together. It was trippy at times and very spellbinding merge of these concepts. I am not sure if that was the authors intention, but it was cool nonetheless.

I really enjoyed the characters; the group of girls was interesting and fun, and Alice was a good main character who adapted well to her situation. I think that the lore and Greek mythology was handling wonderfully, you can tell research was done to pull it all together. I also really liked the descriptions and time they spent in the mirror realm and the descriptions of how it came to be. 

That being said, there were a few instances that rubbed me the wrong way, the biggest being that the story felt slightly disjointed because of the time jumps and changes throughout. I also felt like it was not clear what were dreams and what was real for some of those transitions, and it made it difficult to follow. I also was not a big fan of the romance in this story. Alice and Colin are soulmates, and it is portrayed as insta-love, which can be done well, but I feel like it wasn't given enough lore/explanation to tie it all together that wasn't just cringey to me. ...and then Colin gets super possessive and scary and I hated that, no matter the love and soulmate thing - it was not cool. 

Overall, I really liked the premise of this story and the world that was created, but I wanted more world build, and I wanted more fleshing out of the characters. 

Monthly TBR (Nov 22) and Re-cap (Oct 22)

Hello Readers, Bloggers, and Awesome people! 

I realized that I never posted my plans for October... but I made them and did ok. 

Here is the progress from October

~~Books I Read in October 2022~~  

   

  

  

~~Links to Some Reviews~~

Others will come later.

1. Dark Room Etiquette by Robin Roe (YA) - 5 stars
2. Monster Club by Darren Aronofsky and Ari Handel (MG) - 4 stars
3. Night Lunch by Eric Fan and Illustrated by Dena Seiferling (Youth) - 5 stars
4. Haven: A Small Cat's Big Adventure by Megan Wagner Lloyd (MG) - 3 stars
5. The Way Back Home by Courtney Peppernell (Adult) - 4 stars
6.  The First to Die at the End by Adam Silvera (YA) - 4 stars
7. Drawing Outside the Lines: A Julia Morgan Novel by Susan Austin (MG, YA) - 4 stars
   
   

1. 

 TBR for November

1. Finishing - The Last Huntress by Lenore Borja
2. Escape to Witch City by E. Latimer
3. I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
4. The Urban Boys: Discovery of the Five Senses by KN Smith
5. Belittled Women by Amanda Sellet
6. Other Birds by Sarah Addison Allen

How was your October/ Spooky season reading? 

Feel free to share it in the comments below! I would love to know what you are reading!