Mini Review: I Hate Image by Skottie Young

I Hate Image by Skottie Young
Series: Free Comic Book Day 2017
Publisher:  Image Comics
Publication Date:  May 6, 2017

 

Format: Comic
Source: Free on Free Comic Book Day - May 2017

Rating:
 


 



Synopsis from FCBD Site: 

Gertrude has been stuck in Fairyland for decades when she finally hears of a secret passage that may be her way back home. But reaching it is easier said than done as she crosses the border into IMAGE where she'll have to chop her way through you favorite characters from Saga, The Walking Dead, Savage Dragon, Spawn, Descender, Black Science, Southern Bastards, and any other character I can add to make sure the original art for this issue sends my children to college! [MATURE]

Review: 
I love the I Hate Fairyland Series and so I was VERY excited to see one of these left when I arrived for Free Comic Book Day! (Like squee-worthy excited).

This comic follows Gertrude as she tries to make it to the Image offices to confront them about leaving her in Fairyland for so long. On the way she has to pass through a bunch of other Image Comics locations and meets some of the characters as well. There is a glimpse of Saga and The Walking Dead - the two I recognize, then a bunch of others. In Gertrude's own style there is mayhem as she passes through each zone/ level to move on to the next. 

Lots of death, lots of blood, lots of bad jokes and it is all wonderful. I thought this was a fun issue to release for comic day and I love that Gertrude is still peeved about her situation.

Recent Reads: Willie Out West by Rhond Walker

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

Willie Out West bu Rhonda Walker
Publisher:  WestBow Press
Publication Date:  June 1, 2013

 

Format: Ebook
Rating:


 



Goodreads Synopsis: 

Young Willie Walrus leaves his ice home to travel on an adventure to Big West, where the town's citizens desperately need help. Arriving to cheers, he quickly runs into Old Walter, the One-Eyed Whale. Colorful illustrations and action take readers to an old West town where the citizens expect Willie to save them. Can he?

Review:
Willie is a walrus who is frustrated having to do the same things all the time - swimming and playing, he wants to do something more exciting. One day after coming home from swimming and playing he is invited to save a town from a bossy whale. The story follows him as he figures out how to handle the problem and his return home. 

This was a very short story geared toward young readers. It had a bunch of different sea life animals in it and the story was a cute one. The pictures throughout were vibrant and his adventure was fun and exciting.  I think that because it was for younger readers there were bits of information left out of the story. For example, Willie gets home and is content in his life now and listens better but the book doesn't really talk about why or this thought process on that.  I also found it a bit frightening that the young boy decided to leave his home with a stranger on a whim... that was scary for me as a parent-age reader. I think there could have been a lesson there but it was not addressed at all.

Overall it was a good, fast, easy read.

Building the Book Pile #146

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

Hello Readers, Bloggers, and Awesome people! 

Morning All, I hope that everyone is having a great weekend. Here in the US many of us have a long weekend for Memorial Day.

We spent the weekend relaxing because next weekend we have family in town.

 

How was your week? Any book recommendations for me?

 

  Giveaways  on Cover2CoverBlog!

Coming up on the Blog

Recent Reads: Willie Out West by Rhonda Walker (Youth)
Mini Review: I Hate Image by Skottie Young (Comic)
Monthly Re-Cap: May 2017
TBR Pile : June 2017
Blog Blast w/ Giveaway!: Sputnik's Guide to Life on Earth by Frank Cottrell Boyce

Books Received this Week

     

  
Dark Triumph (His Fair Assassin #2) by Robin LaFevers - Bought on Audible.

Have you missed anything lately?

Week of May 21  - May 27

Blog Blast: Fractured Beauty by The Fairy Tale Five (YA) 
Mini Review: Rebirth Harley Quinn #18 by Jimmy Palmiotti and Amanda Conner (Comic) - 3 stars
Recent Reads: Yellow Owl Workshop's Make it Yours by Christine Schmidt (NonFiction/DIY/ Crafting) - 3 stars
Mini Review: Monstress #11 by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda (Comic) - 5 stars
Recent Reads: Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers (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: Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers

Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers
Series: His Fair Assassin #1
Publisher:  HMH Books for Young Readers
Publication Date:  April 3, 2012

 

Format:  Audiobook
Source: Own/Bought on Audible

Rating:


 

Goodreads Synopsis: 

Why be the sheep, when you can be the wolf?

Seventeen-year-old Ismae escapes from the brutality of an arranged marriage into the sanctuary of the convent of St. Mortain, where the sisters still serve the gods of old. Here she learns that the god of Death Himself has blessed her with dangerous gifts—and a violent destiny. If she chooses to stay at the convent, she will be trained as an assassin and serve as a handmaiden to Death. To claim her new life, she must destroy the lives of others.

Ismae’s most important assignment takes her straight into the high court of Brittany—where she finds herself woefully under prepared—not only for the deadly games of intrigue and treason, but for the impossible choices she must make. For how can she deliver Death’s vengeance upon a target who, against her will, has stolen her heart?

Review: 
So many politics in this book, wow! I have been meaning to read this book for SO long. I have even checked it out from the library about 3 times with all intention of reading it. Finally I decided reading it wasn't going to happen - that was, until I found it for sale on Audible :)

I downloaded the audiobook and I loved listening to it. It takes a little while to get into, but the overall story has a lot of depth and the world building is wonderful.
The audiobook much like the book, is pretty long, at about 14 hours, so it takes a while to listen to it all, but with dishes to go and lawns to mow, I was able to do other things while listening. 

This book follows Ismae as she is taken in by the convent of St. Mortain, trained in the arts of death, and then sent off onto a mission to serve the Duchess. There is violence, conspiracy, espionage, death, and many twists. Ismae is innocent yet determined to serve her god and she is an interesting character to follow on this journey. 

Ismae is tasked with reporting to the convent and providing death dealing as needed while watching and working with Duval. Their forced companionship slowly buds into romance and maybe more as the story processes. It is slow and that is a refreshing thing in a YA read where insta-love happens a bit too much. Overall the plot is long-winded, with a lot of tedious political intricacies but it is all admirable world-building.

I liked the main characters, I liked the plot - it wasn't too easy to see what was happening, I liked the slow moving romance, overall this was a great listen.



 

Mini Review: Monstress #11 by Marjorie Liu

Monstress #11 by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda
Publisher: Image Comics
Publication Date:  April 19, 2017

 

Format:  Comic
Source: Bought/ Own

Rating:


 



Goodreads Synopsis: 

Maika finally begins to learn her mother’s secrets…but the truth may be too terrible to bear…

Previous Reviews - Catch Up!

Comic #: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10

Mini Review: 
On the island, which Maika has learned is an exile and jail, she also begins to learn more about her mother and the strange situation she is in. This is the second arc of this story about to come to an end, Maika's search for information is almost done. Not only is she trying to understand all the past happenings now involving her blood, but the god inside of her is learning things too and is taking her into its memories of how they came to be. All the flashing in and out of memories is both interesting and makes for a wonderfully detailed story. 

Still loving everything about this comic series.

Recent Reads: Make it Yours by Christine Schmidt

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

Yellow Owl Workshop: Make it Yours by Christine Schmidt
Publisher:  Clarkson Potter
Publication Date:  March 28, 2017

 

Format:  Paperback

Rating:
 


 


Goodreads Synopsis: 

Transform everyday objects into handcrafted pieces to wear, share, and display.

In Yellow Owl’s Make It Yours, you’ll learn techniques for bringing personal touches to objects all around your home. Upgrade your plain scarf with a colorful abstract design. Turn a dresser into an eye-catching art deco showpiece. Whip up a desert-inspired quilt to enliven your living room. Expert printer and Yellow Owl Workshop founder, Christine Schmidt, shares her trade secrets for creating gorgeous projects using unexpected materials, from gold leaf to cake fondant. What’s best: the included Yellow Owl Workshop templates and techniques can be mixed and matched to create countless more projects! Featuring inventive ideas for every room, skill level, and time constraint, Yellow Owl’s Make It Yours will teach you to print, stamp, stencil, and dye your way to a personalized life.
Projects include:
   • Monogram Leather Clutch
   • Roll Stamp Table Linens
   • Fruit Shoji Blinds
   • Shibori Dyed Bed Linens
   • Plaid Tote
   • Upholstered Chair with Hand-Printed Fabric
   • DIY Delftware 

 Review: 
Make it Yours is about taking everyday things and doing just that - stamping, stenciling, drawing on things to make them more unique and like you/for you. This book had a lot of potential to be so much for various levels of DIYers and crafters. I think that the issue that I had was that none of the projects in this book really seemed like anything that would make things me.

I like that I now own a book that will teach me more about dyeing things but I probably won't use the suggested patterns/ prints included in the book. And the stamping could get very cool and intricate if I set my mind to it, but as it stands the book is just going to sit on the shelf for a little while.

The back of the book includes a bunch of templates so if you are looking maybe for things/ crafts to share with friends or a younger audience this would be a great starting point - so maybe that is my issue - I am just already a 'crafter' and this seemed more like a 'starting out', beginning crafter kind of book.

BUT, uf you like funky geometric patterns, or crazy dyeing methods, and want to learn a lot about these techniques, is a very good book for that, just not for me right now.

Mini Review: Rebirth Harley Quinn #18 by Jimmy Palmiotti and Amanda Conner

Red Meat Part 2: Abduction Reduction
Series: Rebirth Harley Quinn #18
Publisher: DC Comics
Publication Date:  April 19, 2017

 

Format: Comic
Source: Bought/ Own

Rating:
 


 


Goodreads Synopsis: 

“Deadly Sin” part two! How can Harley protect somebody who’s vanished into witness protection? Unfortunately, Harley Sinn has a lead that she doesn’t! And in “Harley Loves Joker” part two, Harley tries to make it up to her puddin’ after her colossal blunder—but The Joker’s wrath is not easily soothed!

Mini Review: 
These synopses are still a bit messed up. We do get Part 2 of Harley Loves Joker but we are only at Part 2 of the Red Meat part of the story here - not much is happening with Harley Sinn right now, she is still off plotting. 

In this installment, Harley is abducted by the people taking the homeless and Red Tool goes after her. There is a lot of struggle but we are pretty much left with Quinn taken and locked in a room...

Then we again get the Harley Loves Joker bits, which is a good story and it is entertaining but I still feel like I am being ripped off in terms of the storyline I am in it to read... I could have had more than Harley locked in a room in these pages.

Blog Blast w/ Giveaway! Fractured Beauty

About the Book

Beauty and the Beast may be a tale as old as time, but in this collection by the Fairy Tale Five you’ll meet five newly imagined Belles and the Beasts they love.

Angela Brimhall’s beast is a terrifying sea monster cursed by a scorned gypsy. He must risk all to save the strong-willed princess before losing his last chance at love and redemption, becoming forever damned to the briny deep.

Lehua Parker’s Nani is trapped by Indian and Hawaiian traditions and a fiancé locked in stasis in a medi-mod. Cultures and expectations collide in this sci-fi futuristic world where nano-bot tattoos and dreams reveal the secret of Nani’s heart.

Angela Corbett’s Ledger is determined to find out more about the mysterious woman who saved him from certain death and uncover the secrets of Withering Woods, but some beasts are better left caged.

Adrienne Monson’s Arabella rushes to an enchanted castle to pay her father’s debt, but is met with a burly beast with a mysterious past. It’s a howling paranormal regency romp that will keep you turning pages well past your bedtime.

Angela Hartley’s Porta Bella discovers there’s more to Oregon life than taking care of her father when she finds herself rescued by Bigfoot. It’s up to Porta Bella to unravel the faery’s curse and discover who’s the real monster. 

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | KOBO

 Giveaway is open to International.

 Must be 13+ to Enter

 2 Winners will receive a $25 Gift Card of their choice 

(PayPal/Amazon/Barnes&Noble).

a Rafflecopter giveaway
 
About the Authors

LEHUA PARKER is the award-winning author of the MG/YA Pacific literature magic realism series, The Niuhi Shark Saga: One Boy, No Water; One Shark, No Swim; and One Truth, No Lie.

Originally from Hawaii and a graduate of The Kamehameha Schools, Lehua is an author, educator, and public speaker. Trained in literary criticism and an advocate of indigenous cultural narratives, Lehua is a frequent speaker at conferences and symposiums.

Now living in exile in the high desert mountains of Utah, during snowy winters she dreams about the beach.

Lehua is a pen name for Michelle C. Parker, a mediated message design and research professional. As Michelle she works as an editor, book consultant, and literary critic. In addition to her Lehua writings, she also publishes speculative fiction, short stories, personal essays, plays, and poetry.
TWITTER | FACEBOOK | GOODREADS | WEBSITE | PINTEREST

Adrienne Monson has always had a voracious appetite for books. When she became a stay at home mom, she finally listened to her muse and began writing.

She enjoys Zumba, kickboxing and weightlifting. She also loves delicious foods, which is why she has to work out so often.

Dissension and Defiance is available where books are sold. Deliverance, the final installment of the Blood Inheritance trilogy is slated for release April 2016.

Eyes of Persuasion is a mashup of paranormal and historical romance, found exclusively on Amazon.

TWITTER | FACEBOOK | GOODREADS | WEBSITE

Angela Corbett graduated from Westminster College with a double major in communication and sociology. She started working as a reporter for her local newspaper when she was sixteen and won awards for feature, news, and editorial writing. She has also done freelance writing. In addition to being an author, she works as a director of communications and marketing. She loves classic cars, traveling, and listening to U2. She lives in Utah with her extremely supportive husband and their five-pound Pomeranian, Pippin, whose following of fangirls could rival Justin Bieber's.

TWITTER | FACEBOOK | GOODREADS | WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM

Angela Hartley spent much of her childhood being shuffled from house to house with only a book for companionship. The magic she found in the written word saved her in many ways, transporting her into worlds far happier than the one she resided in. Literature became her passion and the idea of someday writing carried her through years of uncertainty.

Long ago, Angela left the disease of poverty behind. Through all of life’s ups and downs, her desire to make her own magic never waned. With a strong support system, she set out to create worlds, and publish books. Along with perusing her lifetime goal, she’s built and managed several writing organizations, been a life coach, and project manager. She has also entertained and educated at schools, symposiums, and conventions. In her down time, she studies religion theory, psychic abilities, and psychology to gain a better understanding of the human condition.

TWITTER | GOODREADS | WEBSITE

Angela Brimhall grew up trying to decide whether she liked romance or horror novels best. She graduated college with a BS degree in health, but decided she'd much rather experience the drama of life through her characters. She received an MFA in English and creative writing from Southern New Hampshire University and is a member of the Sigma Tau Delta English Honors Society, Romance Writers of America and Horror Writers Association. She lives in the heart of a city between two mountains with her husband, son and four dogs where spired castles dot every hill and fairy tales really do come true.

GOODREADS | FACEBOOK

Photo Credits:

Adrienne Monson: Brett Monson

Angela Corbett: Heather Zahn Gardner

Lehua Parker: Kevin Parker

Angela Brimhall: Photo Content from Angela Brimhall
Angela Hartley: Photo Content from Angela Hartley

Building the Book Pile #145

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

Hello Readers, Bloggers, and Awesome people! 

Another week come and gone, wow this year is flying by! Can you believe we are already more than half way though May!? I can't believe it. 

This week was a great week, there were work lunches on the patio, cooking out on the grill, we actually had to mow the lawn (thus beginning the never-ending madness that is lawn upkeep), I painted our BBQ barn deck (Home Depot Memorial day sales guys! - $10 rebates on gallons of paint - SO worth it), and lots of beautiful days.

The only down side is the trees are all in bloom so my allergies are HORRIBLE, I take a daytime allergy med but if you have any home remedy advice - let me know, because this is no fun.

As far as reading goes, I am doing pretty good, but I am being a bit ADD in my reading, I have a physical book going, some ebooks on my computer, and I am listing to 2 audiobooks. I need to hunker down, choose one, and finish it! Hopefully this week will bring more finished books! Here's hoping! 

 

How was your week? Any book recommendations for me?

 

  Giveaways  on Cover2CoverBlog!

Coming up on the Blog

Blog Blast: Fractured Beauty by The Fairy Tale Five (YA)
Mini Review: Rebirth Harley Quinn #18 by Jimmy Palmiotti and Amanda Conner (Comic)
Recent Reads: Yellow Owl Workshop's Make it Yours by Christine Schmidt (NonFiction/DIY/ Crafting) 
Mini Review: Monstress #11 by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda (Comic)
Recent Reads: Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers (YA)

Books Received this Week

   

  
Hello Stars (Lena in the Spotlight #1) by Alena Pitts w. Wynter Pitts from BookLook Bloggers for review.

When Will Fall Arrive by Sanne Mittenburg from Netgalley and Clavis for review.

The Girl Who Saved Christmas by Matt Haig from Netgalley and Random House for review. (I read A Boy Called Christmas last year and loved it- here is a link to that review.)

Have you missed anything lately?

Week of May 14 - May 20
It was almost 5 stars all week... I guess when I am planning posts I should think about that huh..? 

Early Reader Review: Stitched by Mariah McCourt (GN/MG)- 4 stars
Mini Review: Monstress #10 by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda (Comic) - 5 stars
Recent Reads: Scrappy Little Nobody by Anna Kendrick (Audio, Nonfiction)- 5 stars
 Let's Compare: Recent Read/ TV Show: The Miserable Mill (ASOUE #4) by Lemony Snickett (MG)- 5 stars
Recent Reads: The Poet's Dog by Patricia MacLachlan (MG)- 5 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!