Reading: THE WOLF IN UNDERPANTS AT FULL SPEED - Wilfrid Lupano (author), Mayana Itoïz & Paul Cauuet (illustrators), Nathan Sacks (translator)

1st Line: "The Big Race: THE FAST AND THE FEATHERIEST!"

Prose (Story): Everyone in the forest has been preparing for months for The Big Race - until suddenly, throughout the forest, posters for the events are showing up vandalized! Now on friendly terms with the wise wolf in underpants, the other animals enlist his aid in finding the culprit, the wolf's investigation turning up a tiny little chickadee with a very big attitude. Learning the reason behind the chip on the bird's shoulder, the wolf - aided by his trademark underpants, no less - finds a way to again bring peace to the forest in time for the big event, in book three of the popular series.

Don's (Review): This is my second Wolf in Underpants book (still have to read the debut, but The Wolf in Underpants Freezes His Buns Off was terrific), and while the same themes of making friends of supposed enemies and working together for the greater good still make for a great story here - and while I loved the chickadee and hope to see her in future volumes - I would rate this book just a tiny bit behind the previous one, as for me the previous story of the wolf being more at odds with his fellow forest creatures, his attitude more cantankerous, made for better conflict. It's a mild quip, though, as the characters and story here are as fresh as ever - and really, who couldn't love a wolf in striped underpants, under any circumstances?  4/5 stars

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

January Wrap-Up: Books & Movies & Books About Movies; A Decent Mix

Would have liked more variety in the reading for January, but already taking steps for just that (two blog tour posts coming up soon, plus participating in the BookTube Spin Challenge, as you can read in a recent post) - though am happy to get the film wagon back on track with eight films for the month, and my first 5-star read of 2021 was ironically a book about a film: Grease: The Director's Notebook by Randal Kleiser. If you like the film at all, you will LOVE his behind-the-scenes look at the making of the hit musical. A genuine must-have.

George Takei's graphic memoir about the years he and his family spent in Japanese internment camps (here in the States) during WWII was also amazing and heartbreaking - make sure to get the Expanded Edition when reading it - and OMG finishing book three in Barry Hutchison "Teddy" series, Invasion of the Living Ted, was a joy; it's easily as brilliant as its two predecessors! Whether you're eight or eighty, this (so far) trilogy deserves a place on your shelves!

Film-wise, it was nice to finally catch up on the shenanigans of Peter Parker, aka Spider-Man, and watching Soul was a wondrous experience that made me laugh, get misty-eyed, and even look into my own soul a bit. Dear Ex, better than even I expected, also had me grabbing for tissues between laughs.

Reviews to come (big surprise: am behind, as always). Meanwhile ... February. The weather has gotten so cold here it's making my knees ache, so guess even a better reason to cover up, grab a mug of chai tea, and crack open a good book or stream something on-screen. Hope you are all warm and fuzzy wherever you are, and here's to an early Spring thaw!