Reading: KITTY AND DRAGON VOL. 1 - Meika Hashimoto (author), Gillian Reid (illustrator)

Prose (Story): An early reader book for kids that combines three previously separate tales revolving around the unlikely friendship between a kitten and a dragon, who live and play and learn about the importance of friendship together. 

Don's (Review): A sweet, colorfully-illustrated charmer for early readers that opens with young Kitty seeking a calm, quite place to live away from the city, finding exactly that in the home of what appears to be a fearsome dragon - who's actually gentle and friendly and fine with opening up his cave to the tiny cat. Story two involves Dragon fussing over a sick Kitty in the hopes of getting Kitty well enough to go kite flying (so cute, and nicely shows their developing friendship). But it's chapter three, my personal favorite, where kids will see the value of not just friendship but accepting and loving people for who they are, as Kitty resorts to magic to try and cure Dragon's messy, slovenly ways around the cave. Gillian Reid's illustrations perfectly suit the funny, sweet-natured characters and story, and while parents will probably find this a favorite that their kids will want to pull down from the shelf to read time and time again, there's enough humor and heart here to appeal to even the jaded adult, too. Well done, and hope to see more of this dynamic duo!  4.5/5 stars

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

Reading: MIRKA ANDOLFO'S MERCY: THE FAIR LADY, THE FROST, AND THE FIEND - Mirka Andolfo

Prose (Story): Collecting the first six issues of the popular comic, this graphic novel opens in Woodsborough, Washington in the late nineteenth century, during the height of the Klondike Gold Rush, in which Woodsborough is anything but thriving. A few years prior a horrific accident causing the deaths of many locals - including its owner - closed the Swanson mine, and the city and its people have been trying, mostly without success, to bounce back since. Which makes it all the most puzzling when the beautiful, extremely wealthy, ivory-skinned beauty Lady Hellaine arrives in town with her faithful butler Goodwill, immediately settling into the impoverished city via one of the deserted mansions in town. Throwing a big party, Lady Hellaine becomes the envy of every woman and catches the eye of every man in town ... while at the same time arousing nothing but suspicion in Lady Swanson, widow of the deceased mine owner, who is a big supporter of the oppressed and downtrodden - and wonders from the start what Lady Hellaine's ultimate plans are. Underscorng everything else, there is a creature that is going around under cover of darkness, making the streets of Woodsborough run red with blood as it goes on a killing spree that seems to only worsen with the start of the falling snow. Who are the mysterious hunters stalking this creature? Could there be a connection with this creature and Lady Hellaine? And what does a wealthy woman of breeding want with a poverty-stricken town beset by a murderous creature like Woodsborough?

Don's (Review): Number one mention needs to go the striking, incredibly beautiful cover art of this graphic novel; truly, maybe the most amazing cover of everything I read this year. Thankfully, the interior illustrations are just as lush, the story more complex than expected, even starting as early as the rather ... odd hints of all that was going on when the accident happened at the mine, right up to the end of a story that touches on so many issues, from family and loyalty to love and death to the rights of the privileged compared to the rights of the poor. And while I felt the story lost its way just a little at the end, going a bit over-the-top, this visually stunning graphic novel is never dull, often violent/gory, and simply tells a great yarn. Highly recommended. (Available December 8) 4/5 stars 

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

Reading: NIGHT NIGHT, NORMAN - Marie Dimitrova (author), Romi Caron (illustrator)

Prose (Story): A lushly-illustrated children's picture book, perfect for bedtime reading, about a young girl - Ellie - and the horse she loves, dotes on, and cares for - Norman - and what happens when, one evening, Norman becomes curious enough about where Ellie goes and what she does at night, he works his way out of his stall to find out.

Don's (Review): This is a very simple, no-frills, straightforward story, perfect to read little kids before bedtime, that should elicit conversations about what our pets do at night when we sleep. In this case, Norman the horse actually works his way into Ellie's house, and the shenanigans he gets up to once there should bring smiles to the faces of readers young and old, all while emphasizing the bond of a little girl and the horse she obviously and deeply cares for. Romi Caron's bold and vibrant illustrations are both comical and packed with color, and while for adults the story might be a little too basic/simplified, kids should eat up this sweet-natured, uplighting tale of pets and their young owners who love them. 3/5 stars

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

Reading: TOKYO GHOUL, VOL. 1 - Sui Ishida

Prose (Story): Ken Kaneki, a shy-to-the-point-of-introverted collge student in modern-day Tokyo, often hangs out with his more popular, outgoing best friend in a cafe frequented by a girl he's secretly had a crush on. When fate seems to itervene, the two of them officially talking, Kaneki finds out her name is Rize, and she seems as interested in him as he is in her. But this is a Tokyo where humans share the streets and neighborhoods with ghouls - creatures who look, sound and act just like humans ... except for their insatiable appetite for human flesh. When Kaneki decides to walk Rize home that night, a deadly attack results in emergency surgery for the college student, who wakes up in the hospital safe and whole - and the world's first human/zombie hybrid. Caught between two worlds - neither of which he feels he belongs in - volume one of this bestselling, hugely-popular manga series covers Kaneki's difficult adjustment to the "rules and regulations" of a ghoul's life ... including trying to fight off his ever-growing craving for human flesh.

Don's (Review): Having heard so, so much about this series - and it's subsequent films and anime TV series - for years, I was thrilled to get my hands on this volume, and am happy to say it lived up to (even surpassed) all my expectations. The stark black-and-white artwork is stunning, story replete with characters that breathe to life on the page, and Sui Ishida does an amazing job of making Ken Kaneki, in so short a time, one of the most endearing characters I've read in a while. You feel for this guy and the new, visceral and gory world he has to maneuver in, his deepest desire only to be human again even as you bleed for the guy because it's never going to happen. Supporting characters are just as strong (and surprsing), and I found myself glued to every panel throughout, to the point of being genuinely upset when I was done, and there was no more to read beause I didn't have volume two (especially given the teaser to it at the end of volume one). Terrific, scary, heartbreaking, darkly comic - and, I think (would have to look through  the list to be sure), my favorite manga/graphic novel read of 2020.  5/5 stars

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

Reading: ASH & THORN VOL. 1: RECIPE FOR DISASTER - Mariah McCourt (author), Soo Lee & Jill Thompson (illustrators)

Prose: Putting together issues 1-5 of the popular comic series, this is volume one of a graphic novel where the Apocalypse is at hand, and the world's only chance at a savior comes in the form of ... a crotchety old African-American gal with dreads named Lottie Thorn, who - along with her equally old trainer/mentor, Lady Peruvia Ashligton-Voss - drinks coffee and bakes a lot, in between Lottie honing her skills in kicking bad-ass creatures, preparation for the biggest of Big Bads to come.

Don's: Storywise, there's a lot to like here; I was originally drawn to reading it when I saw it compared to "The Golden Girls" meets "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" - and indeed, Lottie is built like Dorothy and has the same lack of tolerance for stupidity or baddies, while the chubby Lady Peruvia kind of feels like a Rose with more brains. The banter between these two is fun, as is the story, much of about Lottie's efforts to train even as she's already forced to fight monsters already seeping over into our world prior to the big invasion, as the graphic novel both plays up and pokes fun at various tropes of the genre. For me, though, the story just seemed a bit padded in the middle, to where I wasn't rushing to pick it up for some time, before finally getting to the final battle - and subsequent hint at a sequel - all of which, while fun reading it, afterward left me with wanting more. I'd also kind of fallen for the book's cover art, but to me inside the book the illustrations weren't up to the same style; darker, coarser, and with muted tones, the artwork is well-done and fits the mood of the dramatic part of the story, but for this reader didn't also reflect the wonderfully dry sense of humor sprinkled throughout, as well. Definitely worth a read, but will wait and see what volume two has in store before deciding to continue on with the series.  3/5 stars

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

Reading: MORIARTY THE PATRIOT, VOL. 1 - Ryosuke Takeuchi (author), Hikaru Miyoshi (illustrator)

Prose (Story): In 19th-century Britain class division has never been more pronounced, with nobles making money from and feeding off of the working class to maintain their lifestyle, while treating those who work to the death for them worse than animals. But for once, a noble is noticing the injustices of his class; first-born son Albert James Moriarty is disgusted with his nobility - even more with his own family's penchant for greed, and cruelty for the sake of fun - and when he talks his parents into adopting a pair of orphan brothers, noticing the more-than-unique level of intelligence of one of them who shares Albert's hatred of the rich and desire to level the playing field of the rich and the poor, a plan is set in motion. A plan that includes the destruction of Albert's own family ... and gives rise to the birth of the manipulative and highly-intelligent sociopath who would eventually become the arch-enemy of none other than the one and only Sherlock Holmes.

Don's (Review): A beautifully-illustrated manga tracing the rise of a young orphan with a hatred for nobles and desire for equality for all, who would become a professor while still in his teens and a Crime Consultant not above murder (execution?) of members of the piggish upper class as a means to an end. Just the start of a new series, readers are treated to Professor Moriarty as a young boy, manipulating a young noble tired of his life into aiding in the slaughter of his entire family, only to claim the orphaned Moriarty and his brother as his own blood to authorities afterward, securing their futures. It's only the beginning of the now-Moriarty brothers rise to destroying the rich and elevating the poor, and while this volume feels as if it only gives readers a bare-bones beginner's view of what our young professor is capable of doing - in terms of serving his country and making a better future, no matter how - the underlying genesis of the mad genius he would become before coming across Sherlock Holmes is there. Side characters and other villains - including Sebastian Moran - add dimension to the story, and by the end as a reader you really have a flavor for just how creepy one skinny like blond guy can be - and why he commands respect and fear from those who serve him. Wonderfully done, darkly funny at times, violent and edgy, and a delicious treat for anyone who ever wanted to see the one-percenters get what they deserve - even in 19th-century England. 4.5/5 stars

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

Reading: MARY: THE ADVENTURES OF MARY SHELLEY'S GREAT-GREAT-GREAT-GREAT-GREAT GRANDDAUGHTER - Brea Grant (author), Yishan Li (illustrator)

Prose (Story): Mary Shelley is a typical modern-day teen, if maybe a bit on the dark side. If she is dark, though, she had a reason: the overbearing legacy of being the great-times-5 granddaughter of none other than the Mary Shelley, the woman who became a legend by shocking society when she penned the iconic horror novel Frankenstein. Teen Mary is feeling the pressure of her lineage - for generations the female descendants of Mary Shelley have all proven themselves ambitious, successful novelists or writers - but somehow that bloodline seems to have run out in Mary, who doesn't want to be anything as much as she just wants to be. But when out late one night on the streets of her hometown in the rain, Mary come across a handsome young man limping her way. And when she finds out he's limping because he's holding his own severed foot in his hand - and has come to Mary asking her to re-attach it - the former goth-girl who spent so much time rejecting her heritage discovers that maybe she does have her own special talent, after all. Not to mention an affinity for attracting monsters.

Don's (Review): An interesting premise that, after a slightly slow start in building its world, blooms nicely into an original graphic novel about a young girl who believes she's pretty much coasting through life - not to mention trying to keep her pushy mother, aunt, and grandmother from driving her crazy by telling her she must be wonderful, somehow - who learns, with the help of a cute and possibly-dead boy, a Harpy, and a stuff bunny possessed by the spirit of Shirley Jackson, that her special gifts, indeed, might be the most important of all - not to mention save the monser community from extinction. The premise is great and mostly works, artwork suitably dark with shades of black and blue and purple, the writing especially strong in letting readers feel Mary's angst as a teen. If anything, I just wished for things to go on after the generally fulfilling Big Finale ... so much so that, if anything, I'm hoping at some point for a sequel. Oh yeah, and I seriously want my own Shirley Jackson-possessed bunny! Some toy manufacturer should seriously jump on this! 4/5 stars

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

Reading: TEEN TITANS GO! ROLL WITH IT - Heather Nuhfer & P.C. Morissey (authors), Agnes Garbowska & Sandy Jarrell (illustrators)

Prose (Story): Robin corrals the rest of the Teen Titans together for a rousing game of Basements & Basilisks, a D&D-style role-playing game with (naturally) Robin as the Basement Boss. But when Robin goes (naturally) goes overboard, drunk with power, and makes the game so difficult it's pretty much impossible to win, the rest of the Titans rebel, finding in a new Basement Boss who gives them a much easier time in the game ... so much so, Robin begins to realize that the other Titans are so into their fantasy world now - led on by a new BB who may not have the best of intentions - that his friends may just stay in there forever, ignoring their duties as crimefighters in Jump City.   

Don's (Review): While I have never played D&D or ever got into that gaming world, I still enjoyed watching Robin's ego leap out of control yet on cue - as well as watch the little guy try to reign it in again long enough to save his friends, especially as he caused the problem in the first place! The story is pretty standard - Robin as BB means an impossible-to-defeat game, the new BB making the game so ridiculously easy, the Titans get addicted - but for me, the real meat of the story is when the new BB's true identity is revealed, and the stakes ratchet up high for what might happen to Jump City if the Titans are lost in her world for good. I love a strong villain going up against the Titans, the more nefarious the better as it brings out Robin's crazier antics, and though I thought the second half of this graphic novel moved must faster than the first, time with the Titans is always well-spent; those kids are crazy! (Available November 10) 3.5/5 stars

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

Reading: KILLER KUNG PAO - Vivien Chien

Prose (Story): Book 6 in Vivien Chien's wonderful Noodle Shop cozy mystery series takes crime closer to home when, during Lana Lee's hair coloring appointment at the Asian Accents salon just down the way from her own family-owned Ho-Lee Noodle House in the Asia Village shopping plaza, a fellow salon customer - the notorious Mildred "Millie" Mao, known for frivolous lawsuits and stirring up trouble wherever she goes - is electrocuted via her foot bath. When it's learned that the only woman disliked more in Asia Village than Millie Mao - June Yi, co-owner of Yi's Tea and Bakery, who'd just gotten into a minor traffic accident with Millie the day before, and made no pretense of how much she hated the woman - was also a customer in the salon that morning, seen nearby Millie just before her death, the case seems cut-and-dried even for Lana's cop boyfriend, Adam Trudeau ... until June's sister comes begging Lana for help in clearing her sister of murder, the put-upon restaurant manager grudgingly taking on another case.  

Don's (Review): How I love this series, and couldn't be happier finding the bulk of this one takes place on Lana's home turf at Asia Village, so we can spend even more time with the Mahjong Matrons, Lana's family, and the other residents and business owners inhabiting the amateur sleuth's world. Author Vivien Chien impresses upfront with the deliciously original method of murder, and throughout the rest of the book as well, as we - along with Lana - go back and forth on trying to decide whether the hateful, mean-spirited June Yi actually is guilty of murder, or not. Red herrings, potential side motives, and recurring characters from past books in the series all rev up to a denouement this reader found both very suspenseful, surprising, and hugely satisfying. Perhaps my favorite in the series so far, Killer Kung Pao is another winner for both author Chien, and the always likable Lana Lee. 4.5/5 stars

NOTE: I received an ARC of this title from NetGalley and the publisher, in exchange for an honest review.

September Wrap-Up: Escaping Into Fall

Ever seen the demolition of a building? The way they place the charges so that boom-boom-boom, one after the other down the line the explosions go off one by one, slowly dropping the building from one end to the other until the entire structure's collapsed in thick clouds of dust and grit?

Such was my September. But with the end justifying the means, I've finally moved. Not an ideal situation, but good for now I think. But as the air turns cold with fall, body aches and bad knees are reminding me how long it's been since I've lived in a cold climate - and winter isn't even here yet!

The good news: some really good books have kept me warm. A light month, in a way, it also found me reading maybe my favorite picture book of all time (The Barnabus Project - a must-have for any kid's library), another wonderful cozy mystery in V.M. Burns's Dog Club mystery series, a pair of even-better-than-the-original kid sequels (Ollie's Haffiness and the especially wonderful Revenge of the Living Ted), a cocktail book based on the popular "Peaky Blinders" TV series that had me salivating - and winding up with a brilliant new children's series opener (Skunk and Badger) as well as a pair of graphic novels, one of which became an instant favorite when I finished it in one sitting! Even better? The reviews for all but two of these September titles - as well as an actual film review from one of the two films I watched in September (#Alive and Forgotten, both Korean films) are already up, so hope you enjoy! And if in the mood for some terrific Halloween-style laughs, hunt down the TV series "Los Espookys"; am two episodes in of the six encompassing season one, and already find it outright hilarious at times!

I normally love fall. The brisk air, leaves changing color and crunching under your feet when you walk. My birthday is also in October. But wondering how the elections next month will go - not to mention COVID Christmas 2020 - has me more than ever realizing what a grand and glorious escape books are. Films, too. So here's to more escaping, for us all, for the rest of 2020!