Graphic Novel Spotlight - Brain Camp

Brain Camp by Susan Kim and Laurence Klavan

This is a very atmospheric book. The muted color palate suits the story’s tone, as does Faith Erin Hicks’ illustration style. Make no bones about it, this is an odd story, something along the lines of mild horror. It is a bit graphic in a few scenes with mild blood, but not terribly so. It’s solidly plotted and characterized with a nice, slightly open ending.

Book review - Doctor Who trio

Titles: Doctor Who System Wipe
          Doctor Who Death Riders
          Doctor Who Heart of Stone
Authors: Oli Smith
             Justin Richards
             Trevor Baxendale
Genre: sci-fi
Similar books: The Creeps by Chris Schweizer
                     Rust by Royden Lepp
Rating:

a great choice for fans

Summaries (provided by publisher): System Wipe - The Eleventh Doctor finds himself trapped in the virtual world of Parallife. As he tries to save the inhabitants from being destroyed by a deadly virus, Amy and Rory must fight to keep the Doctor's body in the real world safe from the mysterious entity known as Legacy. 
Heart of Stone -  The Eleventh Doctor, Amy and Rory are surprised to discover lumps of moon rock scattered around a farm. But things get even stranger when they find out where the moon rock is coming from - a Rock Man is turning everything he touches to stone! Can the Doctor and his friends find out what the creature wants before it's too late? 
Death Riders -  The Galactic Fair has arrived on the mining asteroid of Stanalan and anticipation is building around the construction of the fair's most popular attraction - the Death Ride! But there is something sinister going on behind all the fun of the fair; people are mysteriously dying in the Off-Limits tunnels. Join the Eleventh Doctor, Amy and Rory as they investigate . . . 

My opinion: While these are separate stories by separate authors they are worth talking about together. I’ve read a number of novels that were extensions of tv shows over the years with varying degrees of entertainment value. These three are all solid choices for Whovians. Funny, clever, and just the right levels of tension and absurdity. All three books read like an episode of the show. System Wipe takes us into outer space for a technological adventures. Death Riders is a more standard alien adventure. Heart of Stone takes place on earth and is also a good choice for those less familiar with the show. Not something I’d give to just any sci-fi fan but a great choice for a Whovian.

Advance Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Happy Thanksgiving!

Just a note to let you know I won't be posting this week due to the Thanksgiving holiday. Hope you and those you care about have a fantastic week.

 

Book review - Hello?

Title: Hello?
Author: Liza Wiemer
Genre: realistic fiction
Similar books:  Let’s Get Lost by Adi Alsaid
                      Love Letters to the Dead by Lauren Myracle

Rating:

a decent read

Summary (provided by publisher):Tricia: A girl struggling to find her way after her beloved grandma's death.

Emerson: A guy who lives his life to fulfill promises, real and hypothetical.

Angie: A girl with secrets she can only express through poetry.

Brenda: An actress and screenplay writer afraid to confront her past.

Brian: A potter who sets aside his life for Tricia, to the detriment of both.

Linked and transformed by one phone call, Hello? weaves together these five Wisconsin teens' stories into a compelling narrative of friendship and family, loss and love, heartbreak and healing, serendipity, and ultimately hope.

My opinion: I wasn’t sure about this one at first. It is kind of a slow start and I didn’t connect with the  characters very quickly. It gets stronger as you go, though, and becomes a solidly entertaining read. The various format styles helped considerably, keeping the character perspectives clear. It was interesting how their various traumas came to light and affected their choices. Somewhat predictable but still worth a read.

Advance Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Pick 6: Sports stories

While I’m not a fan of most things athletic myself, I must admit sports have great natural drama for stories. Competition reads well on the page and can provide other natural lessons on teamwork and fair play. Here are six sports themed books published in the last six months.

6 New Sports Stories
1. March Grand Prix by Kean Soo
2. A Whole New Ballgame by Phil Bildner
3. Breakaway by Kat Spears
4. First & Then by Emma Mills
5. Losers Take All by David Klass
6. The Edge by Roland Smith

Book review - The Anatomical Shape of a Heart

Title: The Anatomical Shape of a Heart
Author: Jenn Bennett
Genre: romance
Similar books: Has to Be Love by Jolene Perry
                     Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn
Rating:

A quick, fun read

Summary (provided by publisher): Artist Beatrix Adams knows exactly how she's spending the summer before her senior year. Determined to follow in Da Vinci's footsteps, she's ready to tackle the one thing that will give her an advantage in a museum-sponsored scholarship contest: drawing actual cadavers. But when she tries to sneak her way into the hospital's Willed Body program and misses the last metro train home, she meets a boy who turns her summer plans upside down.

Jack is charming, wildly attractive . . . and possibly one of San Francisco's most notorious graffiti artists. On midnight buses and city rooftops, Beatrix begins to see who Jack really is-and tries to uncover what he's hiding that leaves him so wounded. But will these secrets come back to haunt him? Or will the skeletons in Beatrix's own family's closet tear them apart?

My opinion: Bex and Jack are a great leading couple. Strong willed, fun loving, and flawed. While their relationship happens a little too easily and doesn’t enough bumps and trials to be realistic, the characters themselves are so likeable that it sort of makes up for the unbelievable love story. I like that the parents’ stories weren’t simple either. Their conflicts are complex and require understanding.

Advance Reader Copy provided by NetGalley

Book review - Evie Brooks is Marooned in Manhattan

Title: Evie Brooks is Marooned in Manhattan
Author: Sheila Agnew
Genre: realistic fiction
Similar books:  Piper Green and the Fairy Tree by Ellen Potter
                       Boy's Best Friend by Kate Banks
Rating:

funny, informative, and heartwarming

Summary (provided by publisher): New York City. Evie Brooks has seen it on the TV, but she never imagined herself living there. But when her mother dies, Evie finds herself leaving her home in Dublin and moving to Manhattan to visit with her American uncle for the summer. Never having owned a pet more substantial than a goldfish, twelve-year-old Evie is intrigued by Uncle Scott s veterinary practice, and before long is working as an assistant in the clinic. Soon she finds herself immersed in dogs galore, parrots, reptiles, and an assortment of other creatures and their eccentric owners. And she loves it. Manhattan would be just about perfect if it weren t for Uncle Scott s lawyer girlfriend, who has plans for him that do not involve Evie. Before the summer is over, Evie has an important decision to make: stay in New York and confront the problem of Scott s girlfriend or return to Ireland to live with her godmother."

My opinion: I’m a big fan of this one. Evie is a great protagonist - sweet, conflicted, sassy, and realistic. She skews a little young but not overly so. Agnew blends information about animals and veterinary medicine nicely with a plot about grief and unexpected family. The Leela storyline is a little over the top but the rest of the book and what it accomplishes balance that unreality out. A great book for young girls.

Advance Reader Copy provided by NetGalley