WWW Wednesdays

What are you currently reading?
Devoted by Jennifer Mathieu
For as long as she can remember, Rachel's been preparing to become the perfect wife and mother. She dresses modestly, cares for her younger siblings, and attends church regularly. When a former member of their congregation returns to town, it starts Rachel questioning what she's always believed, especially when things at home take a darker turn.

This is one of those books that I feel like I can't really express an opinion until I've read it in it's entirety. More than a quarter of the way through, but it could still go several different ways.

What did you recently finish reading?
Sweet by Emmy Laybourne
Laurel's on her first ever cruise, courtesy of her best friend Vivica. Of course, this isn't just any cruise - it's the Cruise to Lose, the official launch of the revolutionary new sweetener/diet supplement Solu. At first, Laurel is only concerned with a series of embarrassing encounters with former child star Tom Forelli and her serious seasickness. As the days pass, though, she begins to suspect that something is wrong with Solu.

Reminiscent of an action/mild horror movie, Sweet is pretty action-packed. The plot is solidly structured. While a little predictable, it's still pretty exciting and has some decent messages behind it.

What do you think you'll read next?
Because You'll Never Meet Me by Leah Thomas
A story of two unusual boys, good friends who can never meet in person.

Book review - Powerless

Title: Powerless
Author: Tera Lynn Childs and Tracy Deebs
Genre: thriller/superhero
Similar books: Hero Worship by Christopher Long
                     V is for Villain by Peter Moore
Rating:

Who doesn't love super-heroes?

Summary: Kenna has always felt inferior, invisible. The only "normal" surrounded by superheroes and villains, she's always struggled to compete and prove herself, especially as those closest to her feel the need to protect her from everything. When villains break into her lab, Kenna is determined not to be a victim. To her surprise, though, one of the villains saves her life. Thrown into a rescue mission with the villains, Kenna's entire world view is about to change.

My Opinion: This is a relatively standard questioning of the classic hero/villain dynamic, the rejection of absolutes in favor of complexity. Its a superhero story, which many will find appealing, with the added dimension of being unpowered in a world built on powers. Personally, I'd have preferred to see a little more depth of character but this is the first in a series. Hopefully the characters will develop more complexity in future volumes. Also I found the big twist a little too well foreshadowed. It just wasn't all that surprising.
Advance Reader Copy provided by NetGalley.

These toys have been assimilated

I seem to have developed an obsession with altering toys. Some of this comes from the lack of good merchandising for some of my favorite fandoms. The rest of it is probably my inability to leave well enough alone. Today I have two toys I remade over the weekend, both into Cybermen.

I found this C-3PO bobble head in a box destined for Goodwill. While I consider myself something of a Star Wars fan, something about this little toy just begged to be remade into a Cyberman.

I cut the rockets off the side of his speeder and sanded off much of his brow ridge (I'd have liked to have done more but his head is hollow and I hit air partway through). Wire and hot glue make up the "handles" on the sides of his head. The rest of the details simply painted on.

I'm not really sure where this action figure came from, given that I've never been a fan of the Power Rangers, but his relatively flat face and semi-robotic appearance seemed perfect for a Cyberman. He had some train elements as well but those were easily removed with a screwdriver.

 As with the bobble head, a little wire and glue make up his "handles". I had considered sanding off some of the molded decorations but I decided they give him character.

Picture books for everyone

Weasels by Elys Dolan

I don't know about you, but it has never occurred to me to wonder what weasels do with their time. Yet, that is the concept of this book. Weasels plotting world domination. THe plot is fairly simple: the machine they built to take over the world has broken and they are trying to figure out how to fix it. Each page is packed with action. There are dozens of weasels carrying on conversations, carrying around huge drills, all kinds of things to discover. It's kind of like leafing through a Where's Waldo book and finding all of the little jokes inside. This makes it perhaps not the best pick for preschoolers but a fun read for elementary school kids.

WWW Wednesday

What are you currently reading?
Young Houdini: the Demon Curse by Simon Nicholson
Having just solved a mystery in New York, Harry and his friends expect life to return to some semblance of normal. This is not to be as they find themselves drugged and on a train to New Orleans, sent on a mission for the mysterious Order of the White Crow. In New Orleans they find the city in an uproar. The mayor is in a strange state and rumors abound of curses and demons. At the heart of it all is a small Haitian community, people well loved by Harry's good friend Billie. 

I was quite fond of the first Young Houdini book and this one is proving to be just as thrilling a read. A nice, largely historically accurate, kid's mystery.

What did you recently finish reading?
Monster Motors by Brian Lynch
Vic Frankenstein bought a garage and salvage yard in Transylvania, Kentucky in hopes of starting over. The problem? When he enters the garage, Vic releases a monstrous car known as Cadillacula which sucks gas from other vehicles and leaves them rusted out. The more Cadillacula drinks, the more powerful he becomes. With the help of his robot assistant, Vic creates a vehicle that just might be able to stop it: Frankenride.

Pretty much every classic movie monster you can think of makes an appearance in this graphic novel. The resulting vehicles are kind of cheesy but mostly fun. This is no great literature but entertaining enough and worth a chuckle or two.
 
What do you think you will read next?
Powerless by Tera Lynn Childs
An exploration of super powers, good, and evil. 

A little business

Last year I participated in the 48 Hour Book Challenge hosted by MotherReader. This is a challenge in which participants read as much as they can over a 48 hour period. It's tough but a lot of fun. I just signed up to be a part of it again this year. When I did it last year, I used it as a personal challenge. I just wanted to see how many books I could read. This year I'd like my reading to accomplish something. I'll be making a donation to RIF (Reading is Fundamental), an organization that provides books to underprivileged kids, based on how many hours I read.  This year's challenge runs from June 19th through the 21st. I'll be posting updates as I go.

About the 48 Hour Book Challenge

About RIF

A quick overview of my results from last year

Book review - Scarlett Undercover

Title: Scarlett Undercover
Author: Jennifer Latham
Genre: mystery/mild fantasy
Similar books: Jackaby by William Ritter
                     Down the Rabbit Hole by Peter Abrahams
Rating:

a solid mystery

Summary: After both of her parents died (her father murdered, her mother from cancer) genius Scarlett was headed for trouble. A kind police officer helped her to graduate early and get started as a private investigator. It's a role Scarlett was meant to fill. A young girl comes into her office one day asking for help with her brother who has been behaving very strangely, especially after his friend's suicide. As Scarlett investigates, she is drawn into a world of supernatural cults and curses which seems to be continuing to circle back to her own family secrets.

My opinion: This is a modern mystery with an almost noir feel. It deftly incorporates magical elements without ever becoming true fantasy, more the suggestion of magic than anything else. In fact, the plot becomes more about faith than magic. It addresses belief after tragedy, doubt, intellectual faith, and zealots. While the early chapters suffer somewhat from rather stiff narration and adherence to the traditional detective format and language, a little reading persistence pays off in a solid conclusion. 
Advance Reader Copy provided by NetGalley.