THE UNCANNY EXPRESS (THE UNINTENTIONAL ADVENTURES OF THE BLAND SISTERS BOOK 2) - Kara LaReau (writer) & Jen Hill (illustrator)

Having missed out on the Bland Sisters' first adventure, when they were kidnapped by pirates (though I will be seeking it out and reading it, now), I nevertheless was familiar with author Kara LaReau's work, having read and enjoyed The Infamous Ratsos (as well as have an ARC of the Ratsos sequel I need to finish). Here, LaReau channels a really cool combination of Lemony Snicket-meets-Agatha Christie, as Jaundice and Kale Bland are sent a mysterious letter by their world-traveling parents, asking them to meet their "Aunt Shallot" (whom they didn't even know existed, prior to the letter) at the train station, as she will be staying with them for awhile. Now, the Bland sisters totally live up to their name, spending their days drinking tepid tea and eating tasteless cheese sandwiches while indulging their obsessions (for Kale it's cleaning, while Jaundice loves tying knots). In other words, the last thing the sisters want is another adventure, which is why their lives are thrown out of whack when they meet up with their flamboyant aunt at the train station ... only to be led, instead, onto a departing train instead, with a woman who is actually the famous female magician, Magique! Now stuck on the moving Uncanny Express, things get even more complicated when Magique, disappears, and a flamboyant detective on-board (a terrific homage to Hercule Poirot worth reading the book for alone) offers to lead the girls in finding her. I loved this "kids" book, it's charming and amusing, with a bit of snark for the adults, and a fun story that - even if you see the end coming - is nevertheless a great ride getting there. Jen Hill's illustrations, just like with the Ratsos books, only add to the upbeat, lighthearted tone of the novel - which, naturally, hints of a book three to come by its end, that also seems to promise more development of the sisters as well as secrets (at last) to be revealed!  5/5 stars

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

SUEE AND THE SHADOW - Ginger Ly (writer) & Molly Park (Illustrator)

Suee is a twelve-year-old goth girl-in-training; she dresses in black, has no friends, and seeks to keep it that way even after starting at a new school. A trip to an off-limits room in the school, however, leaves Suee hearing voices - and, eventually, seeing her shadow, which has not only come to life but seems to have truly sinister plans for both Suee and her classmates; perhaps even the entire school! This graphic novel for middle-graders is surprisingly dark and sinister, with a Tim Burton-like tone in the artwork and story, and though said story draws you in, for me I found things stretched out a bit, to the point where at times I found myself checking how many pages I had left to read before The End. That said, Suee is a sympathetic character with a couple lessons to learn whom readers will readily identify with, and for that reason alone is worth the read. A good, if not great, graphic novel with (at least in the ARC I was reading) mostly black-and-white artwork occasionally dappled with color.  3.5/5 stars

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

THE DICTIONARY OF DREAMS: EVERY MEANING INTERPRETED - Gustavus Hindman Miller

Have always been fascinated by the subject of dream interpretation - not sure I believe in it, but am up for keeping an open mind - so when I won this book from Goodreads Giveaways I was anxious to take a look through it. The book itself is impressive; a large-format,500+-page "flexibound' and with an elegant cover that makes it a perfect coffee table book. And true to the book's subtitle, "Every Meaning Interpreted" the list of possible people, places, things, or actions you could possibly dream about seem to be covered in this one book.

For me, disappointment came in the meanings themselves. I know the book would be three times as large if it went into great detail on each meaning, but even when a few or more potential meanings are listed under one category, each is still nothing more than a short blurb that gives you the briefest of idea of - again, potentially - what that component of your dream could mean.  I guess I was hoping for something more in-depth or detailed, and while the book is fine for what it is, and contains a ton of info, the short TV Guide-like blurbs were, for me, a letdown.

Again, a great-looking book that covers a ton of material, just maybe in too briefest of details for this reader! It just feels like a smaller font and a more effective use of all that white space, and the book could have included - been - so much more.  3/5 stars

I received a copy of this book from Goodreads Giveaways, in exchange for an honest review.

PERFECT PETS ORIGAMI - John Montroll

Not having had any experience working with origami in probably two decades or more, I wasn't familiar with Mr. Montroll's other work when discovering Perfect Pets Origami via a Goodreads Giveaway. Was surprised to win the book, and when it arrived I loved the large format, even if the book seemed on the thin side.

But then I opened it, and for a thin book could not believe the variety of intricate, beautifully-constructed origami animals the resided inside!  Pigs, snails, turtles, a huge variety of fish so you can even create your own aquarium - even when some of the extremely-detailed illustrations seemed almost in a foreign language to me (I have since tried a few designs - my favorite so far is the snail - and with focus the illustrations are actually a perfect guide, making things in fact pretty easy) I was getting more and more excited with each page I turned. Colorful, fun, and even illustrated with photos of what the finished product should look like, Perfect Pets Origami brought back some warm, terrific memories of childhood - and opened up a whole new world, for me, of a new hobby that is relaxing, satisfying, and in its way genuinely fascinating. Highly recommended.  5/5 stars

I received a copy of this book from Goodreads Giveaways, in exchange for an honest review.