Early Reader Review: Lady Rawhide Volume 1 by Eric Trautmann

Lady Rawhide by Eric Trautmann
Series:Lady Rawhide Volume 1
Publisher: Diamond Book Distributors
Publication Date:  August 26, 2014

 

Format: ebook
Source:Netgalley and Diamond Book Distributors for Review

NOTE: This Graphic Novel contains violence and is not recommended for younger audiences.

Rating:


 


 
Goodreads Synopsis: 

Lady Rawhide, the masked heroine of the West, returns in an all-new adventure! This time, she faces not only the corrupt forces of the government - bent on cowing the populace through privation and cruelty - but also a new team of vigilantes: The Sisters of the White Rose. The Sisters, inspired by Lady Rawhide's actions, have taken up the struggle against tyranny. Although she supports the Sisters' aims, Lady Rawhide is forced to stand against their bloody methods!

 Review: 
I love graphic novels with female lead characters but sometimes it is hard to find female leads that aren't oversexualized as most are for the male reading audience. Lady Rawhide is just that, a woman wearing next to nothing to stand up for good - kind of like a female Robin Hood, but instead of tights she dons a Lycra/leather-thong bathing suit/corset....(yea that pretty much sums it up).

My first thoughts upon beginning this graphic was that the illustrations were very detailed and that was awesome, until about issue 4/5 in the volume, then it wasn't as detailed for some reason. So kudos for the good pictures up until that point, but it also brought to my attention how much that suit is up her butt...it cannot be comfortable to ride a horse with no clothing on you behind... it bothered me.

The plot was a decent one about fighting the tyranny of corrupt officials but it was all difficult to read as an ebook on my computer the type set was a little small and  I guess (and now I know) that westerns aren't my thing. I wasn't really digging it.

If you like scantily-clad females and western themed graphic novels I guess this would be for you.



 

Blog Tour: Review -- Fetch by Adam Glendon Sidwell

Tour Schedule

Fetch by Adam Glendon Sidwell

Publisher: Future House Publishing
Publication Date:  May 13h, 2014

Barnes & Noble

Format: ebook
Source: For review from the Author and I Am A Reader for Blog Tour.


About the Book: 
A story for anyone who has ever been loved by a dog or given one a home.

At least nine sunsets away, there is a place where dogs can do what they want. But they are not all the same, and when a special one has the courage to fly, he finds something unexpected beyond the tenth horizon.


Review/Rating: 

  

I am a dog lover, so when I saw Fetch and the blog tour I jumped at the chance to read it. I am so glad that I did. This book was absolutely adorable and wonderful in every way, it even brought a tear to my eye (in a good way). 

Fetch is about where dogs come from (not in the birds and bees sense but another world) and if you love them, they will love you back and stay with you. 

The illustrations and colors are beautiful and vibrant, I think any beginning reader/ listener will love these pages. And the doggies! They are so fun and filled with spirit on the pages I loved them! For a book that was mostly pictures I think this was a spectacular book.

Trailer:

 

$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash 

Ends 9/13/14 

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

 
About the Author

In between books, Adam Glendon Sidwell uses the power of computers to make monsters, robots and zombies come to life for blockbuster movies such as Pirates of the Caribbean, King Kong, Pacific Rim, Transformers and Tron. After spending countless hours in front of a keyboard meticulously adjusting tentacles, calibrating hydraulics, and brushing monkey fur, he is delighted at the prospect of modifying his creations with the flick of a few deftly placed adjectives. He really enjoyed writing 81,854 less words in his new picture book FETCH than he wrote in his first EVERTASTER novel, and hopes that you will like the ones he picked. Besides, FETCH has pictures.

Find the Author

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Pinterest * Instagram

Praise for the book:

“If you need & want a book for younger children that does not involve zombies, monsters, or overdone "superhero's", and just want a good old fashioned great story, perfect illustrations, and a captivating experience, then "Fetch" should be ordered quickly.”—Carol Anne Merrill Miller

“Simple, yet engaging, storyline appeals to readers of all ages and the illustrations glue your eyes to pages!” –Doodles

“The art work enchanted, enthralled, and grabbed me in ways paintings can and often do.” –Kindle Customer.

 

Early Reader Review: Courtney Crumrin: The Final Spell Volume 6 by Ted Naifeh

Courtney Crumrin: The Final Spell by Ted Naifeh
Series: Courtney Crumrin Volume 6
Publisher: Oni Press
Publication Date:  August 20, 2014

 

Format: ebook
Source: Oni Press for review. This in no way effects my opinion or review of the book.

Rating:

 


 


Goodreads Synopsis: 

On the run from the Coven with her former teacher Calpurnia, Courtney Crumrin is quickly learning just how sinister the witches and warlocks of Hillsborough can be - but she never thought she'd see the day when Uncle Aloysius turned on her as well. It's a lot harder to fight a battle when the only family you care about is against you, and Courtney's only salvation may lie in the Twilight Kingdom - and away from the mortal world. But Aloysius won't give up his niece so easily, even if he has to fight the night creatures to do it!

 Review: 

I am so sad to see this series come to an end. Courtney is a strong girl who has been through so much in these volumes, she is sarcastic and macabre and I love that about her character. In Volume 6, we follow Courtney while she flees to save herself from the council, her uncle’s slow departure, and her powers as a witch growing.

This was a wonderful ending to the series, most of the touched on ties were cleared up and the ending was both surprising and very well done. I don’t want to go into too much detail, since you may not know what has happened up until this point but I think that everything ended well for all parties.

I love the special edition covers and extras, which included the covers from all the single issues as well as a bonus comic. The art is just as good as all the other issues dark, fun, and full of those small details that I have come to love in comics and graphic novels. What can I say, I just really love this series.  

Other Books in the Series

         

~~ Read My Reviews Here ~~

Courtney Crumrin and the Night Things Volume 1

Courtney Crumrin and the Coven of Mystics Volume 2
Courtney Crumrin and the Twilight Kingdom Volume 3 
Courtney Crumrin and the Monstrous Holiday Volume 4

Courtney Crumrin and the Witch Next Door Volume 5 

 

Recent Reads: Bats in the Band by Brian Lies

Bats in the Band by Brian Lies
Publisher: HMH for Young Readers
Publication Date:  August 5, 2014
Grades: Pre-K- 3, Ages: 4-8 

 

Format: Hardback ARC
Source: HMH for Young Readers for Review. Receiving this book in no way effects my opinion or review of the book.


Rating:

Goodreads Synopsis: 

A late-spring night sky fills with bats flocking to a theater, already echoing and booming with delightful sounds of music. Bat music—plunky banjoes, bat-a-tat drums, improvised instruments, country ballads, and the sweet cries of a bat with the blues. Join this one-of-a-kind music festival as the bats celebrate the rhythm of the night, and the positive power of music. Brian Lies’s newest celebration of bats and their dazzling, dizzying world will lift everyone’s spirits with joyous noise and cheer!

 Review: 
This was an adorable book and I wish I had a youngin' to read it to. I love bats, I think they are fascinating and I think this is a great book about them. The bats in this book are cute and fun, playing instruments and whizzing through the skies. 

The pictures throughout where incredible and I think reading with to/with your kids would be a lot of fun. The book is a wonderful ode to music and the excitement and emotions that it can produce (even in these bats). Brian Lies has a few other books in the Bats series as well, including Bats at the Beach, Bats at the Ballgame, and Bats at the Library all of which are teaching young readers about fun times and things.

A wonderful book!

Brian Lies Website

Brian Lies/ Bat Activities

HMH for Young Readers Purchase Link

Many Thanks to HMH for Young Readers for this book!

 

Building the Book Pile #104

Welcome to Building the Book Pile!  A Weekly meme inspired by Stacking the Shelves

Hello Readers, Bloggers, and Awesome people! 

What's Happening?! 

Nothing too exciting. We have made more progress this weekend on the patio outside, the garden is doing great - loads of squash and cucumber are ready to eat, tomatoes are still green but there are loads of them.

We visited my family on Saturday evening and had dinner and played games. It was a lot of fun. Other than that, it was a busy work week so I spent a lot of the weekend just vegging out. 

Events Happening Now!
    
How was your week ? Let me know in the comments.

 

Coming up on the Blog... 

Early Reader Review: Courtney Crumrin and the Final Spell (Volume 6) by Ted Naifeh (Graphic Novel)

Blog Tour: Review -- Fetch by Adam Glendon Sidwell (Youth)

Early Reader Review: Lady Rawhide (Volume 1) by Eric Trautmann (Adult Graphic Novel)

 

Books This Week - SO MANY :/

Physical Books

Dangerous Deceptions (Palace of Spies #2) by Sarah Zettel - From HMH for review consideration

Vivian Apple at the End of the World (Vivian Apple #1) by Katie Coyle - From HMH for review consideration

Unmade (Entangled #2) by Amy Rose Capetta - From HMH for review consideration

Dearest (Woodcutter Sisters #3) by Alethea Konis - From HMH for review consideration

Bats in the Band by Brian Lies - From HMH for review consideration

Blue and the Deep Dark Night by Jon Davis - From HMH for review consideration

Food Trucks! by Mark Todd - From HMH for review consideration

Rose and the Magician's Mask (Rose #3) by Holly Webb - From Sourcebooks Inc. for September Blog Tour 

E-Books

Atlantia by Ally Condie - From Penguin First to Read Program for review 

Paws in the Piazza by Jerilyn McIntyre - From the author for review

Links go to Goodreads

 

Have you missed anything lately?

• ARC August Update #1

• Early Reader Review: Mortal Danger by Ann Aguire (YA) - 2 stars

• Recent Reads: The Stern and Wild Ones by Reece Evhans (YA)- 4 stars

 

  Comment and leave me a link to your Round-up/ STS/ Weekly...anything post and I will happily stop by and say hello!

 Happy Reading!

Recent Reads: The Stern and Wild Ones by Reece Evhans

The Stern and Wild Ones by Reece Evhans
Series: Seeker Series #1
Publisher: CreateSpace
Publication Date:  July 23, 2014

 

Format: ebook
Source:From the author for review. This in no way effects the below review or my opinion of the book.

Rating:
 





Goodreads Synopsis: 

16 year-old Ally has always known about things—things she shouldn’t really be able to know. Suddenly, she starts having terrifying visions about a former friend who is in desperate trouble. As her powers begin to develop, the adults in her life think she and her psychic abilities might hold the key to unraveling an ancient mystery.

Although she’s psychic, she still a normal girl with normal problems, including her attraction to a mysterious boy with a troubled past. Jack may have been in trouble with the law, but Ally sees something in him worth fighting for.

Can this unlikely couple work together to find the answers to Ally’s visions before someone gets killed? Can they possibly find love along the way?

 Review:
The Stern and Wild Ones is a book about a girl who is becoming a Seer. Ally’s family is a line of Seers of various types, some can find things, others have enhanced intuition and in Ally’s case she can see visions, only these are not common in her lineage and she is having a hard time figuring out how to control them.

This was a very good read. There was romance and some conflict, but mostly it was just well paced. There was no super huge climax, which I think most people will have a hard time with but the overall story is put together very well.

Ally’s character is so normal, except for the visions thing; she is kind of nerdy and not necessarily popular. She is kind hearted and trying to do the right thing and she gets embarrassed which is a great quality in a character. So many are just stubborn or forceful but she is a refreshing lead to follow.

The story is told from her point of view and she intersperses her thoughts and emotions with the actions that take place. It was a little strange to have her break the wall between character and reader but it worked well, and more often than not it led to funny happenings.

The romance of the story was very good as well, not that normal YA instalove but a relationship that is drawn out over months of the happenings in the book. Yes, the characters hit it off very well in the first chapter, but they are friends and it leads to more, which is also a nice change for a YA book.

Overall this was a great story. I feel like the characters grew and I liked the plot and romance that went along with it. I cannot wait for the next book in the series, this was a pleasant surprise.
 

Early Reader Review: Mortal Danger by Ann Aguirre

Mortal Danger by Ann Aguirre
Series: Immortal Game #1
Publisher: Feiwel and Friends
Publication Date:  August 5, 2014

 

Format: ebook
Source: Netgalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for review. receiving this book in no way effects the below review or my opinion of the book.


Rating:

Goodreads Synopsis: 

Revenge is a dish best served cold.

Edie Kramer has a score to settle with the beautiful people at Blackbriar Academy. Their cruelty drove her to the brink of despair, and four months ago, she couldn't imagine being strong enough to face her senior year. But thanks to a Faustian compact with the enigmatic Kian, she has the power to make the bullies pay. She's not supposed to think about Kian once the deal is done, but devastating pain burns behind his unearthly beauty, and he's impossible to forget.

In one short summer, her entire life changes, and she sweeps through Blackbriar, prepped to take the beautiful people down from the inside. A whisper here, a look there, and suddenly... bad things are happening. It's a heady rush, seeing her tormentors get what they deserve, but things that seem too good to be true usually are, and soon, the pranks and payback turns from delicious to deadly. Edie is alone in a world teeming with secrets and fiends lurking in the shadows. In this murky morass of devil's bargains, she isn't sure who—or what--she can trust. Not even her own mind...

 Review: 
Mortal Danger was one of those books that the cover and synopsis really pulled me in, I was so excited to be approved for a review copy of it. From the above synopsis is sounds dark and creepy and like a wonderful read... only I feel like I only got some of that and most of it wasn't until the end of the book.

Edie is going through some stuff, enough that she is going to commit suicide. Instead, she is offered three favors, they can be anything, and after those requests are fulfilled she will be required to do something for the people that are offering her the favors. As it seems this was very much like the 'sold soul to the devil' type story and I would have loved that, but it got weirder. 

The sorry follows Edie through transformations in her appearance, attitude, and even personality due to some crazy things that are happening around her. I am sad to say that I was really liking the Edie that I first met at the beginning of the story and then it took off into this drawn out showcase of her becoming the type of person she hated and that drove her to suicide in the first place. Ok, she did withhold some of herself, but really not much.

SLIGHT SPOILER >> I was really upset when in the first favor she asked to change herself, like making herself pretty was the solution to so many of her problems... and in the plot of the book, IT DID! So is being pretty really that important? In terms of this book, yes, so it seems. It kind of turned me off for a bit.

The other major issue I had was the pacing of the plot. It just kept dragging... Edie and Kain were cute together and their interactions were interesting, Edie and her friends interactions were interesting, but what about all that dark creepy stuff I was expecting? Well it happened in little tiny pieces throughout and some of the times they were just brushed off my the main character and when that happened I brushed them aside too, but I was really looking to feel creeped out.

There was a lot of this books I enjoyed, some of the creepy moments were very well done and the mystery of the 'game' was pretty well done too, but it just took so long getting to those points that I almost gave up on it multiple times.

I think that some readers will really love the style of this book, it just wasn't for me and I found the ending slightly predictable...

ARC August: Update #1

So we are about half way through the month of August and I am slacking!!!

Here is my progress so far:

Finished:

 

Making Progress With:

Mortal Danger by Ann Aguirre - at 74% and going to finish today (hopefully)

Started- The Case of the Stolen Sixpence by Holly Webb - 45% read.

 

 

I hope to finish both of these this week to get back on track and start and finish the other 2 books on my list :/ We shall see.

Do you have an update? If so, please share :)

Planning Post Link

Building the Book Pile #103

Welcome to Building the Book Pile!  A Weekly meme inspired by Stacking the Shelves

Hello Readers, Bloggers, and Awesome people! 

What's Happening?! 

Another wonderful week of summer is past us. I cannot believe how this year is flying by so quickly. Anywho... I had a great week. There wasn't really too much reading happening but I got a bunch of my September posts prepped and some reviews written with the help of The Book Monsters Pick-Your-Thon.

Over the weekend we had a blast, we went on a trip to Burlington, VT to see a concert - The Vandals, Pennywise, Bad Religion, and The Offspring played at the Maritime Festival and it was a great show :D
(Point of Note: Bad Religion is a band, and their logo is what it is, I enjoy their music. I apologize if it offends anyone in advance.)
  
 
We also came home and did a lot on Sunday - we fixed a sink, a crapped out door handle, I did all the dishes that needed to be done (since our sink was broken all week) and I weeded the garden (it needed it SO bad). All in all a great week/weekend. How was yours?


Events Happening Now!
    
How was your week ? Let me know in the comments.

Giveaways Going on NOW!  

None :( 

  Still Active: Save 20% at Gone Reading! with this code C2C20  

Click pic/link to be taken to the giveaway!

Others may be linked on the right sidebar :) check them out!

 

Coming up on the Blog... 

Early Reader Review: Mortal Danger by Ann Aguire (YA) - sorry, didn't finish this book/review last week.

Recent Reads: The Stern and Wild Ones by Reece Evhans (YA)

 

Books This Week

    
The Hazards of Sex on the Beach (Hazards #3) by Alyssa Ivy Rose, bought
 
Fetch by Adam Glendon Sidwell for Review for Blog Tour

The Island (The Island #1) by Jen Minkman, Amazon Kindle Freebie (Still free when I checked this morning but if you are purchasing, please check the price)
 


Covers go to Goodreads

Have you missed anything lately?

• Review-a-thon Planning/ Tracking Post

• Recent Reads: Viminy Crowe's Comic Book by Marthe Jocelyn and Richard Scrimger (MG)- 3 stars

 

  Comment and leave me a link to your Round-up/ STS/ Weekly...anything post and I will happily stop by and say hello!

 Happy Reading!