SUIT YOUR SELFIE: A PEARLS BEFORE SWINE COLLECTION - Stephan T. Pastis

Long a Pearls Before Swine fan (love Rat, Goat, Pig, Zebra, and the befuddled Crocodiles, especially when any of them interact with author Pastis's hand-drawn version of himself!), it was with eager anticipation that I started this super-sized (176 pages) collection of the sarcastic, punny, even quite witty comic (even politically aware) strip.  That said, as opposed to trying to breeze through the book in one marathon run - like ice cream, sometimes too much a good thing for me - Suit Your Selfie is the kind of collection you want to keep by your bedside, every night forgetting the more negative events of the day before going to bed by laughing (often out loud) at Rat's snarkasm, Pig's naivete, or the never-ending battle of Mr. Crocodile to catch and eat Mr. "Zeeba".  Like visiting old friends again, even the less-funny entries here will keep you entertained between the punches of laugh-out loud liberally interspersed throughout, and any fan of the original strip will be happily reminded, over and over, of the artwork, characterizations and humorous cynicism that made you a fan in the first place.  4/5 stars

Note: I received a free ARC of this title via NetGalley and the publisher, in exchange for an honest review.

TRINITY (2016-) VOL. 1: BETTER TOGETHER (REBIRTH) - Francis Manapul

Though by no means an expert on graphic novels or comics - my interest in them (other than childhood) has only, in fact, developed within the last couple years - I've been reviewing a number of both on this blog and elsewhere in recent months ... and have to say, Trinity Vol. 1: Better Together puts even the best of them to shame.  Part of DC's Rebirth series, writer/artist/genius Francis Manapul (working with other incredible artists) is behind the six issues compiled here of the Trinity storyline, in which Batman and Wonder Woman, along with an older and wiser Superman, must learn to trust each other and come together as a team if they are to defeat one of their most unique foes - one who burrows into the deepest secrets of their souls in order to utilize both their fears and weaknesses.  Everything about this series is stellar: the artwork, writing, characters, story arcs - engaging from first page to last, and first-class work worthy of arguably the three most iconic characters in comic history.  Superman, Wonder Woman, and Batman are all given equal star-status time here, each shown in his or her best light and with backstories that flesh them out as human - and humane - more than ever.  Add to all this a deeply satisfying and surprisingly poignant ending, and it all only serves to remind the reader of just how well-crafted this series is; afterward you're left with the sensation of not wanting to leave the characters, but instead follow them to their next adventure - something I'd only before experienced in my most favorite of novels.  Truly brilliant, and a must-read for fans of any of the characters involved - this is the kind of graphic novel that can turn a non-fan, one whose never even read a comic book, into a certified addict of the genre.  Kudos, DC and Mr. Manapul!  5/5 stars

Note: I received a free ARC of this title via NetGalley and the publisher, in exchange for an honest review.

SHAUN THE SHEEP: BLAST TO THE PAST (TALES FROM MOSSY BOTTOM FARM) - Martin Howard

Though I am on the other side of the pond (in America), I admit to both a love and fascination with the British animated antics of Shaun the Sheep since seeing the feature film a couple years ago.  This illustrated (beautifully, by Andy Janes) kid's book - my first time reading about the Flock and Bitzer and the Farmer, instead of watching them - is like visiting the characters on-screen all over again.  The story is simple: Shaun, rebuffed in his attempts to play with the cranky, tired Farmer, instead comes up with the idea of building a go-kart, The Mossy Bottom Flyer, that he and Bitzer and the Flock will blast down Roly-Poly Hill for an fun.  As expected, the kart's landing isn't smooth, and when Shaun and his mates dust themselves off, they look about to find that - ??! - their trip down the hill sent them back in time!  The dirty, stained tractor gleams like new ... a baby chick stands trying to crow on the gatepost, where only the rooster once stood ... and, the biggest shock of all, from around the corner of the house comes the Farmer - now a young man with a full head of red hair and a beard, carrying a book of instructions on farming!  Even the nasty pigs over in the sty are suddenly wearing baby bonnets and sucking on pacifiers!  When it becomes obvious the young, newbie Farmer is totally inept at his chosen vocation, Shaun and Bitzer - while the rest of the Flock works 'round the clock to fix the go-kart, so they can all go back to the future - find themselves doing everything they can to help the Farmer's inept efforts work, lest he give up and sell the farm, potentially erasing Shaun and company from the future!  It's a wonderful, funny story that actually had me (someone way above the targeted age group) chuckling out loud in several places, and even reading it on my Kindle all I wanted to do was color the wonderful cartoon illustrations that appear frequently throughout.  A charming, funny, kid-friendly tale with a positive message about friendship/helping others, all woven into a story that will keep kids entertained and still loving the characters.  5/5 stars

Note: I received a free ARC of this title via NetGalley and the publisher, in exchange for an honest review.

ÉCLAIR AND PRESENT DANGER - Laura Bradford

Though the cozy mystery genre is overrun with them (including some pretty awful ones), I love a good pun for a title - one of the biggest reasons why, when I spotted this first-in-a-series mystery, I wanted to give it a try.  The theme of a young female protagonist who loses her bakery but then inherits an old-fashioned ambulance she turns into an "Emergency Desert Squad" vehicle was pretty appealing, too.  Enter Winnie Johnson, a single midwestern suburbanite who, one morning, discovers the body of her friend and elderly neighbor, Bart Wagner, dead on his kitchen floor, smothered with a pillow just weeks after the death of his beloved wife.  With no confidence in the local police, Winnie - along with another pair of elderly neighbors she counts as her best friends - becomes determined to, along with building up her business, also put away a killer ... all while trying to deal with her ga-ga attraction to a local college professor.  Overall, this book was a huge disappointment that I sort of had to push myself to finish; it reads more like a romance with a secondary mystery side plot that, at times, feels almost forgotten.  There is virtually no police presence in the novel at all, making the book feel unrealistic, and Winnie's constant fluttering breath or sighs or racing heart whenever she thinks of or comes across the professor she meets makes her seem more like a middle-school student than a grown woman.  It's a point that's pushed way too hard in the book - how nervous and giddy the man's attention makes her - but the same can be said about the fact that Winnie lives on Serenity Lane, a street mostly inhabited by senior citizens, who also tend to be Winnie's best friends (it really seemed like the author felt the need to remind us, every so often, that Winnie hangs with seniors).  Also, the idea of building a business out of one ambulance driving one desert at a time across town comes across as an unbelievable business, as well.  When the dots are finally connected and the true motive/killer revealed, I sort of felt that - had all the panting and pining over the love interest and his potential competition been removed - the mystery would have been something Winnie could have solved a hundred pages earlier.  I almost feel guilty being so critical on so many points, but in reading this book it seemed like I was constantly coming across something that seemed silly or contrived, and it's definitely the most non-mystery-feeling mystery I've read in some time.  Sad, because I really, truly wanted to like it.  2/5 stars