Reading: THE JOLLY REGINA (THE UNINTENTIONAL ADVENTURES OF THE BLAND SISTERS BOOK 1) - Kara LaReau (writer) & Jen Hill (illustrator)

Kale and Jaundice Bland are a pair of sisters who couldn't live up to their last name more. Since their parents disappeared some time ago on a mysterious errand, the girls have managed to make a living by repairing socks, and never leave the house; even their groceries are delivered in a basket left by the mailbox, and when the normal cheese they use for sandwiches is changed to a difference kind - well, for the Bland sisters this is as shocking as their young lives get.  That is, until a band of all-female pirates shows up at their front door, and the girls are kidnapped and forced to work swabbing the deck of the Jolly Regina, a pirate ship sailing the high seas on a quest to de-throne the current pirate queen ... and may also be a way for the sisters to find their parents again. I read the second book, The Uncanny Express, first and fell in love with author Kara LaReau's homage to Agatha Christie in that book. What showed through like a beacon here in book one is how much I've also come to care about and love Kale and Jaundice themselves - not to mention LaReau's dry wit and sarcastic humor that makes these books as much a joy for adults to read. Though never fear, for young ones there are wonderful messages here about friendship, being yourself, forgiveness, and how to never - ever - eat a stew made by a pirate cook if you don't know what's in it (OMG, seriously Ms. LaReau??). Jen Hill's endearing illustrations only enhance the mood of the story; I always find myself reading along hoping to get to the next one soon. And though I think I might like The Uncanny Express a touch more (maybe due to my lifelong Christie obsession), The Jolly Regina was a marvelous first adventure only solidifying my love for the series - one that culminated with the squeal of glee I couldn't contain upon learning books three, Flight of the Bluebird, releases in January.  4.5/5 stars 

Reading: MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET: A STORYBOOK EDITION OF THE CHRISTMAS CLASSIC - Valentine Davies Estate/Susanna Leonard Hill (writers) & James Newman Gray (illustrator)

From childhood, my favorite Christmas film has remained the original Miracle on 34th Street. For this reason alone, it was a surprise to learn that it took so many decades later for a picture book to come out retelling the story of a sensible little girl (and her even more-sensible mother) who learns to believe again when she meets a man who may - or may not - be the real Santa Claus. This book is a delight to just thumb through; James Newman Gray's illustrations greatly reflect the old-fashioned, peaceful beauty of Christmas so prevalent in the original film (only in bright, beautiful purely-Christmas colors here not found in the original film). And while the story has been, of course, greatly pared down to the very basics for a children's picture book, I still felt it a bit lacking especially in the character of Susan's mother - who, in fact, is only called Mother throughout, which for me made the story feel unbalanced, even awkward, when compared to the film I love so much. That said, this beautifully-presented book makes effective use of the small time and space it has to re-tell the story of how Kris Kringle taught a little girl that you must always have faith, even when common sense tells you not to.  3.5/5 stars

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

Watching: SKYSCRAPER

Year: 2018

Rated: PG-13

Writer/Director: Rawson Marshall Thurber

There is something so insanely stupid about Dwayne Johnson's Skyscraper, you have to applaud its sheer gall to exist. Like Die Hard mixed with The Towering Inferno with a dash of "Gilligan's Island" (because every time you think Johnson and/or his family is going to escape, something else happens) thrown in, Skyscraper is a brainless, fun, over-the-top live-action loony tune that - thankfully - keeps a toe-hold in reality thanks to the chill, effective performance of Neve Campbell (we've missed you, Neve!) as Mrs. Rock - er, Dwayne Johnson's wife. The plot is simple: Will Sawyer (Johnson) is a war vet and former FBI hostage rescuer who now helps companies big and small to assess/beef up their security systems, when he's all but handed the gig of a lifetime as he and his family are flown to Hong Kong to assist the billionaire creator of the world's tallest, safest skyscraper, rising 225 stories above the city. Will's there to help finalize the one-of-a-kind structure's security but alas, some stock company terrorists finesse access to the system first, the bulkier, more military-looking ones entering the building itself to start a fire on one of the upper floors - one floor away, of course, from where Will's family are staying, making them trapped. As if Will's day isn't going badly enough, the baddies also frame him for the crime, so with no help from the authorities and live news feeds painting him a criminal, how does a big, bulky ex-military hostage rescuer gain access to the building ... get all the way up to his family ... thwart the terrorists ... and find out what the hell's going on in the first place, so he can stop it? The film is merciless in what it puts Will Sawyer through in trying to save the day (and his wife and kids), the resulting action and suspense sequences so over-the-top nuts you can't help but sit back in awe, your brain safely tucked away in a desk drawer somewhere. The film most definitely has its moments, a little silly for me and I thought the ending too drawn out and anti-climactic, but for Rock fans seeking a more serious, Bruce Willis-y Rock than your usual smug, smiling slab of beefcake, Skyscraper makes for a suspenseful little rollercoaster ride.  6.5/10 stars

Watching: HALLOWEEN

Year: 2018

Rated: R

Director: David Gordon Green

For those of you (aka most of us) who feel the story of Michael Meyers jumped the shark with anything after Halloween II, never fear; this sequel to John Carpenter's classic masterpiece Halloween changes the game and picks up four decades after the events in the first film, ignoring everything else. The fortieth anniversary of "The night HE came home" is coming up, and Michael Meyers remains institutionalized, not uttering a word since committing his crimes. Meanwhile, Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis, wonderful as a broken warrior) has confined herself to her own private hell; twice-divorced and estranged from her daughter Karen (Judy Greer), Laurie lives outside town in an isolated part of the woods, where she's spent decades honing her own fighting and killing skills in preparation for the day when Michael comes for her again, while simultaneous trying to keep a fragile relationship with her teenage granddaughter, Allyson (Andi Matichak). When a former student of the late Dr. Sam Loomis, Dr. Sartain (Haluk Bilginer), arranges a transfer for Michael and some other patients to another facility - on Halloween night, no less (cue creepy music) - Michael escapes (duh!) and the killing starts again as he cuts a path toward Haddonfield and The One Who Got Away all those years ago. First off, I have to say this film has one KICK-ASS ending I didn't see coming, and for that alone I recommend it. That said, Curtis is fantastic as always, wholly believable as a recluse just waiting to take down the devil. But one thing that made the original Halloween work so perfectly is that Michael Meyers was "The Shape" - an evil, omnipotent, almost supernatural presence who was just ... there; forever after you, and not stopping until it gets you. Here he's sadly been reduced to a standard slasher flick killer, that essence of pure, incarnate evil somehow lost in translation. The fact that director Green also has much of the killing happen off-screen removes some of the mystique from Michael as well, not to mention weakening the most suspenseful scenes when they are suddenly cut short of watching the victim actually buying it (NOTE: John Carpenter's death scenes, in the original, were shocking and terrifying without the gore; the same could equally have been done here). Good but not great, this Halloween (without giving spoilers) still feels like a fitting wrap up chronicling Laurie Strode's dance with the devil; closure of some kind, at last, for that poor, awkward babysitter who just wanted to carve a pumpkin, get a date for the dance, and watch The Thing all those years ago.  7/10 stars

Watching: I STILL SEE YOU

Year: 2018
Rated: PG-13
Director: Scott Speer
It's been a decade since an "apocalyptic event" killed off millions from the world's population  - though "killed off" might not be a wholly accurate phrase, as ghost-like versions of many remained behind - remnants - repeating the same actions over and over every day before evaporating, as if waiting for permission to fully cross to the other side. Ask high school student Veronica (Bella Thorne), who goes downstairs every morning to still see her see-through father reading the paper, until he evaporates in a wisp of smoke, like vapor, at the same moment every morning. It's just another day for the goth-like teen ... until a young, handsome "rem" actually makes physical contact with Veronica - a phenomenon that's never happened before - and she has to team up with her school's social outcast (Richard Harmon), whose been tracking these spectral entities for his own purposes, to try and find out who is after her from beyond the grave. A decent script but wholly predictable story - right up until the supposed "surprise" ending that any fan of thrillers will see coming miles away - should have made this film worse than it actually is, but I Still See You held my attention throughout with a few edge-of-your-seat moments of suspense that (along with the somewhat original premise, and a finale that plays out on an icy lake at night) turned it into a genuine guilty pleasure for me.  Thorne is good as the put-upon Veronica, Harmon even better as the misfit Kirk, with Dermot Mulroney effectively rounding out the headlining trio as a concerned teacher.  7/10 stars

Watching: INCREDIBLES 2

Year: 2018
Rated: PG
Director: Brad Bird
While Marvel and DC consistently try to one-up each other with special effects, explosions, and dissolving superheroes, Pixar snuck in and created as close to perfect a superhero film as mere mortals are likely to get. Incredibles 2, coming along fourteen years after its predecessor, starts off with a bang as Bob and Helen Parr - aka Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl - manage, along with their three children, to defeat the Underminer ... but are then are arrested for doing so, as superheroes are still illegal. Enter the brother/sister team of Winston and Evelyn Deavor, richer-than-rich siblings behind the multi-billion dollar company Devtech who are determined to rebuild the public brand of superheroes, with the ultimate goal of making them legal again. When the siblings choose Helen to work with over Bob (Elastigirl, who tends to save people without destroying public or personal property, has the better image), Mr. Incredible suddenly finds himself the stay-at-home dad - just in time for the baby, Jack-Jack, to start developing (and showing off) a variety of potentially destructive powers of his own. But sinister plots abound, and when a new supervillain - Screenslaver - threatens to not only destroy the world but all the superheroes, it will take the entire Parr family to don the red suits one more time and - along with Frozone and a slew of new heroes of wannabes and veterans - give their everything to save the world from a menace hidden under their very noses. Though I guessed the Big Reveal early on, everything about Incredibles 2 - the story, humor, fight scenes, visuals, social messages, family dynamic - it all worked for me, without a sour note in the entire film. Exhilarating, thrilling and funny as heck right up until the end, it was my favorite film of 2019 - and will remain a favorite film of mine for a long, long time.  9.5/10 stars

Reading: SUPER CHILL: A YEAR OF LIVING ANXIOUSLY - Adam Ellis

Embarrassed as I am to admit it, this collection was my introduction to cartoonist Adam Ellis - but hopefully it makes up for my tardiness that I was hooked immediately going in, becoming an instant fan (I have since found him on social media/seen much more of his work).  Pretty much anyone who lives the kind of life where dumb things go wrong daily (aka the human race) can relate to Ellis, who in his crisp/animation-level artwork (seriously, Adam the oft-put-upon character would make for a great animated TV series) shows his one-of-a-kind level of snark in the saga of a young man who, regardless of what life deals him (healing through crystals? a disturbing breakdown from "Anceztry.com"?), tries to keep things positive. Funny and relatable, my only critique: at 120 pages the collection is just too short, reading very fast until I didn't realize it was over until it was - and was left wanting more.  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: LEARN TO DRAW MICKEY MOUSE & FRIENDS THROUGHOUT THE DECADES - Disney Storybook Artists

Far more than just the how-to-draw manual it may first appear, this retrospective of the world's most famous mouse and his friends covers how Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Daisy Duck, Goofy and Pluto evolved over the decades from simple line drawings to characters that remain fresh today. Not only are detailed step-by-step illustrations provided, so aspiring artists can learn the subtle differences of drawing each iconic character as he or she traveled from the 20's through WWII, the 60's and 70's to the new century, the book is also filled with entertaining, informative information about what was going on in those times to influence any changes made to each character, as well as vintage illustrations of comics, film posters and other character artwork of the period. Kids will enjoy being able to recreate their favorite Disney characters themselves, but it's the adults who will want to make this gem a permanent addition to their shelves as an anecdotal history of some of the world's most beloved animated characters, and how they came to grow with the times and remain fresh today.  5/5 stars   

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

Watching: HOTEL ARTEMIS

(2018) Jodie Foster, in one of her best performances in years, stars in this odd, totally intriguing film as The Nurse, who overseas the Hotel Artemis somewhere near or in downtown Los Angeles. Basically a members-only private hospital occupying the penthouse floor of an otherwise abandoned hotel, the Hotel Artemis caters to stitching up and saving criminals - the film taking place in 2028 on what proves to be the busiest night of the Artemis's 20+-year history. Los Angeles has fallen to riots, see, because water is now available only to those who can pay for it outright, and as the city burns and falls - the rioters making their way to the corporate offices that hold the water rights (a building only blocks away from The Nurse and her establishment) in the dark - not only does The Nurse have to contend with a full house of patients (a couple of whom with questionable motives for being there), she also learns that possibly the most powerful criminal figure in all of Los Angeles is wounded ... and on his way to the hotel to have her save his life.  The film is dark, gritty, set in a near-future dystopian L.A. but feeling more like a contemporary gritty crime drama with occasional touches of humor. Foster is brilliant, Dave Bautista perfect as her one and only nurse/protector, and though for me Charlie Day overacted a bit and became annoying, Sterling K. Brown as a thief trying for one last job with his brother is a standout, as well as the amazing Sofia Boutella as a take-no-prisoners kick-ass assassin who won't stop until her job is done. The Hotel Artemis has but three rules: No guns. No cops. No Killing the Other Patients. For the first time this night all of these will be tested - some broken - in a film that gets under your skin, leaving you days later still thinking about what the heck you watched. (rated R)  8.5/10 stars

Reading: IT'S YOUR PARTY, DIE IF YOU WANT TO - Vickie Fee

Having fallen for the characters and sure-footed writing (especially for a debut novel) of the first adventure of party planner Liv McKay and her best friend Di, part two of this well-plotted, humorous cozy mystery series finds Liv with her hands full not only prepping for a riverboat-themed wedding ... but also the town-wide Halloween fundraiser taking place in her hometown of Dixie, Tennessee, which involves a hayride/bonfire, murder mystery dinner, and keeping the little ones occupied while the adults enjoy themselves, as well. Which is why a local businesswoman's retreat seems the best break from the stress, especially when Liv learns the event is drawing back to town a former Dixie resident who has now made a name for herself on television as a ghost hunter. This special guest, Lucinda Grable, is courtesy of Morgan Robinson, daughter of one of the big-shot families in town who is chairing the event. But even money and power can't change Morgan's man-crazy past - or present, it seems, when the affluent bank executive is poisoned at the event and a local herbalist appears to have been framed for her murder. With her own plate already full - beyond work, Liv is also helping Di play matchmaker for their favorite town deputy, while trying to figure out if she can help with what seems a rocky patch in Di's own relationship with the sheriff - but circumstances and ghost hunter/diva Lucinda somehow keep reeling Liv back into the case, through which readers get even more access to some of Dixie's colorful, quirky yet very real residents, the mystery building to a climax that could potentially turn the fundraising murder mystery dinner into the real thing. It was such a pleasure visiting Liv and Di again, and the book's insights into how party planners operate was informative and fun. But what really sets up a great cozy series are characters you love and well-plotted mysteries, and book two of the adventures of Liv and Di keeps you debating on the killer until the end - with, most importantly, the whole story set in a world that feels refreshingly and comfortably real. Onto book three!  4.5/5 stars

Book-to-Screen: "A Discovery of Witches"

TV series debuting in the UK ... and even if here in the States, this behind-in-his-TBR-Mountain boy can't watch it until I finally get to the book first. But WOW!

Reading: LOUCA, VOL. #1: KICKOFF - Bruno Dequier

Louca, a high school student, seemingly has nothing going for him. He's failing his classes, has no real friends, and can't gain the attention of his long-term crush Julie, who seems to have a thing for jocks instead. His only shining light - a younger brother who worships him - is also a source of guilt and shame for Louca, who feels he could never live up to his kid brother's image of him. With upcoming final exams spelling the potential finale for Louca's school career, Louca suddenly meets a handsome, athletic, intelligent, funny and good-natured jock at school named Nathan, who offers to help Louca get over his awkwardness by turning the gangly, clumsy teen into a soccer legend. The only issue? Nathan is a ghost, and neither he nor Louca know why he's there - why Louca is the only one who can see him - or what happened to Nathan in the first place (though a group photo at school seems to hint at possibilities). Volume 1 of this well-written, energetic and sweetly-drawn comic ends with Louca's first game, and while giving away no spoilers all I can say is that I wish I had known the volume ended when it did because I anxiously turned the pages waiting for more ... when there was no more to come. Bruno Dequier, in Louca, has created a lovable, can't-get-out-of-his-own-way nerd whom anyone with an awkward high school life in their background will identify with, and a plotline that ends, cliffhanger-style, with readers wanting more. A charming debut.  4/5 stars

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

Reading: EXIT STAGE LEFT: THE SNAGGLEPUSS CHRONICLES - Mark Russell

Having previously read the first graphic novel volume from Mark Russell giving an entirely new (and wonderfully grounded) face to my favorite animated series as a child - "The Flintstones" - I was prepared for anything upon finding out he was tackling another Hanna-Barbera idol from my youth, Snagglepuss. Comprising of volumes 1-6 of the comics, this heavy-in-tone graphic novel re-imagines our stagestruck hero as a Tennessee Williams-ish playwright in the early 1950's, a southern gentleman and closeted gay male with a wife who has become a legitimate Broadway star and mentor ... and what happens when he and his friends are targeted as potential communists during the Blacklist era, when McCarthyism took the American population's fear of Russia and the bomb and used it to silence/destroy anyone they deemed unworthy. Even at his height Snagglepuss was never a laugh-riot on TV, exactly; here he's not only a model for the lives and careers ruined in the name of hate - but thanks to the incredible writing skills of Mr. Russell, also an all-too-familiar reminder of what this country is dangerously close to turning into again. Exit Stage Left, with one foot in today's world as surely as it's grounded in 1950's America, is a touching, heartbreaking, important warning against history's repeating itself. It's also, especially the last half, a damned riveting read, worthy of a tear or two, even.  4.5/5

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

Reading: COUNT DRAWCULA'S CARTOON FUN - Frank Rodgers

Frank Rodgers's charming, old-world illustrations drip ghoulish fun for kids wanting to learn not only how to draw their favorite monster (vampire, Frankenstein's monster, mummy, werewolf), but also any other manner of bat, bug or creepy-crawly - with even trolls, witches, goblins and the like getting their due. Illustrations are super-easy for kids to trace or follow, not to mention colorful enough to even make just a read-through fun. And for those of us adults old enough to remember the days or Rankin-Bass and Mad magazine, Rodgers illustrations lends more toward the quirky, messy-edges cartoon characters from Saturday morning TV of yore than the clean, polished-looking computerized characters of today. Nostalgic for adults and spooky (without being scary, even for the young ones) fun for the kids, Count Drawcula's Cartoon Fun is a quick, entertaining introduction to learning to draw your favorite creature of the night.  4/5 stars

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

Watching: DUNKIRK

(2017) Christopher Nolan's epic depiction of the evacuation of Dunkirk - when 400,000 soldiers from England, France, and Belgium were surrounded by the German army during WWII and herded to the open beaches of Dunkirk, France to be picked off - is a curiously bloodless war film that, by far, concentrates more on the war through the eyes of the young, inexperienced soldiers who lived (or didn't live) to tell about it. Fionn Whitehead is ideal in the lead role of Tommy, an idealistic and wide-eyed young British soldier losing more of his innocence every day, but in truth the film's strength lies in its exceptional ensemble cast: from Mark Rylance and Tom Glynn-Carney as a father-son duo hauling their asses - and small civilian cruiser - to Dunkirk to help with the evacuation; to Tom Hardy and Jack Lowden as RAF pilots heading to Dunkirk to keep the German Luftwaffe from picking off Allied soldiers, but find problems of their own on the way; to Kenneth Branagh and James D'Arcy as officers stuck in the middle of it all, having to make impossible decisions that will both save and cost lives - the screen is awash in top-tier talent sharing the screen with equally gifted newcomers who match them stride for stride. Even knowing how things turn out (if you know your history), and a lack of blood and guts normally found in war pictures, doesn't harm the emotional or visual impact of Nolan's vision on the viewer; in fact, quite the contrary. Somehow, again, the one-of-a-kind writer/director has tossed a bunch of balls in the air, juggling them with ease while creating a symphony of sight, sound and story on-screen - and never drops even one. (rated PG-13)  9.5/10 stars

Watching: LION

(2016) In a small village in central India, five-year-old Saroo (a remarkable Sunny Pawar) happily lives with his mother and sister, whom he loves, as well as his older brother Guddu (Abhishek Bharate), whom he idolizes and wants to be like. Wide-eyed and innocent, Saroo can also be stubborn, pushing his brother to take him along to his overnight job ... and soon Saroo is separated from his brother and lost, trapped on an empty express train traveling thousand of miles across the country. Scared and alone, the boy ends up on the urban streets of Calcutta, surviving hunger and kidnappers and worse, until finally drawing the attention of a kindly female social worker who, when her efforts to find his family fail (illiterate and too young, Saroo doesn't know his mother's real name or family surname, and can only pronounce his village's name phonetically), sets up an adoption - and soon Saroo is whisked off to Tasmania where his new mother Sue (Nicole Kidman) and father John (David Wenham) await. But two decades later, the college-aged Saroo (Dev Patel) is haunted by memories of his home, his mother, and the brother who meant the world to him. Family he knows must still be haunted, as well, wondering what happened to him; if he is still even alive. So what starts as an online search becomes a years-long obsession, the adult Saroo giving up the present to find his past - to see his brother and beloved mother again - at all cost. To go home. Based on a true story, Lion was the best film I saw in 2017; a compassionate, heart-tugging, brilliantly (and beautifully) told story of finding where you belong in this world, no matter the odds. With a universally spot-on cast, A-listers like Kidman and Patel step aside to give young Sunny Pawar the film's spotlight all the way; he is the heart of the film, and one look at that kid's soulful gaze will both mend and break your heart, every time. Have tissues handy, lots of them, for this beautifully-rendered masterpiece. (rated PG-13)  10/10 stars

Watching: LOEV

(2015) Sahil (Dhruv Ganesh) is a gay music producer living with his handsome but immature slacker boyfriend Alex (Siddharth Menon) - whom Sahil treats rather more like his child than his partner - when he gets word that his old friend Jai (Shiv Pandit), now a big-shot Wall Street success living in New York, is coming to Mumbai on business. Dropping everything to spend time with his long-term buddy, Sahil takes Jai out to the country for a relaxing get-back to nature, prior to Jai's meetings, and it soon becomes apparent that, in the time they've been apart, an electricity - an attraction - between the two exists that is hard to ignore (and comes off very palpable on-screen). Jai knows Sahil is gay - has even met and knows Alex - but it's particularly obvious his teasings have turned to flirtations, and as the two spend time hiking and enjoy the beautiful countryside the tension builds with the question many of us have asked ourselves over time: can long-term friends turn that corner and become more? Should they? And if so, what might it cost the friendship? Loev answers the question slowly, building up the relationship of these two long-term best friends who know and care for each other, but also know how to push each other's buttons until an explosive, impetuous act changes things forever. Ganesh (who, tragically, died at age 29 just prior to the film's release) and Pandit are perfectly cast and have brilliant chemistry on-screen, in a love story that depicts "loev" very much as it is in real life: messy, imperfect, unpredictable - sometimes even devastating. (not rated)  8/10 stars

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.

THE INFAMOUS RATSOS - Kara LaReau (writer) & Matt Myers (illustrator)

A fun, funny, and beautifully illustrated (as well as written) children's book, The Infamous Ratsos is a  (deservedly) 2017 Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Book about a pair of brothers who want nothing more than to prove to their father, Big Lou, that they are just as tough - even as their ages - as he is.  To that end, when left on their own while Big Lou works, the boys contrive to get into as much trouble as possible, causing havoc and showing off to the neighbors how bad they are ... yet somehow, with every naughty deed older brother Louie comes up with, aided by younger brother Ralphie, somehow the boys end up doing quite good deeds instead, proving nothing to their neighbors but what fine, upstanding young boys they are!  Fearful that Big Lou will hear of this, Louis and Ralphie plot each scheme bigger than the last to prove their toughness ... in what, in the end, is an extremely well-done and very endearing charmer of a chapter-book, again beautifully-illustrated, that even adults can enjoy.  4.5/5 stars

CLARENCE: CHICKEN PHANTOM - Derek Fridolfs (writer) & JJ Harrison (illustrator)

Cartoon Network's popular good-guy hero Clarence goes away to camp with best friends Jeff and Sumo in this graphic novel, and immediately finds himself obsessed with excelling as a Chicken Scout, earning enough badges to be the first to go from Egg to Chicken Hawk even as Jeff and Sumo struggle in their own endeavors at group leadership.  Add to the mix a search for a buried treasure and the devious Chicken Phantom, who terrorizes the young campers, and you have a silly but affectionate tribute to childhood sleepaway camp ... that, unfortunately, never really comes together.  Reading the book, I could easily see a young reader growing bored with both the static, crudely-drawn illustrations (which, though very like the original animated characters, never leap off the page like the characters do on-screen) and unoriginal storyline quite quickly; as an adult, for me the story seemed a collection of cliches from many books that even I read as a child (many - okay, many - years ago).  Just "okay" and maybe for stalwart fans of the series; otherwise best to find Clarence and company on TV, instead.  2/5 stars

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

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

SUPER SIKH #1 - Eileen Kaur Alden & Supreet Singh Manchanda

Requested this soon as I saw it on NetGalley, stoked about the idea - especially in the climate of intolerance festering in the U.S. today - of a Sikh secret agent.  Upon starting the short (26 pages) first issue of the very well-made comic (Amit Tayal's artwork is crisp and sleek; it's a beautiful book), it was easy to immediately like Deep Singh; he busts his butt fighting for the little guy, is obsessed with Elvis, has made enemies in the Taliban, and still has a mom and dad who take care of/dote on him when he comes home exhausted and sore after a successful mission.  Issue One is barely an introduction to the character, with little plotline as Deep gets approval for a much-needed vacation (to Graceland, no less!) ... but ends up on a flight that - surprise! - also ends up being highjacked by terrorists mid-air.  From here the comic lost me a bit, taking the much-lauded opportunity to become a sounding board for exactly how vocal the bigots in this country have become (Singh ends up saving the day, but by passengers and crew alike is presumed to be one of the terrorists - even though they're Mexican).  It's a message I am in total agreement with, I myself have never been more ashamed to be an American than I have been since January, but stereotypes are distasteful to me across the board - and while I agreed with the comic's message, I wasn't too comfortable with every white character on the plane, and in any form of airline or law enforcement that Singh comes across afterward, coming across as some brain-dead trailer-trash rube who automatically sees dark skin and a turban and cries terrorist.  Still a good enough book to warrant a look at number two; hopefully there will just be some good white people in that one.  3/5 stars

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

BREAKDOWN - Jonathan Kellerman

Breakdown, though 31st in the Alex Delaware series, was my first time finally reading Jonathan Kellerman - one of those authors we all have on our list, whom we've wanted to try but never yet got around to.  I was intrigued by the synopsis of this one - Los Angeles psychologist Alex Delaware trying to track down the whereabouts of a child he once interviewed whose mother, a minor Hollywood starlet, has lost her grip on reality and ends up alone and on the streets - but found the book very, very slow-going in the beginning, with nothing much happening until a death (an accident, or murder?) occurs, and the plot not only picks up but gets pleasantly complex by comparison.  Delaware is a likable fellow, very conscientious and moral (if a bit dull), but many of the minor and supporting characters here feel a little out of Central Casting, not coming off particularly real or likable themselves.  While I totally understood the need for background to establish the starlet Zelda's character and issues with her worsening mental condition, the book's first third or so feels overly ponderous with information and exposition compared to the rest of the novel's actual storyline, where the mysterious goings-on finally come to light and Alex and his cop buddy Milo's investigations kick into gear.  Not bad but not great, though I am glad Breakdown picked way up with its second half especially; just wish the first third or so had been nearly as compelling.  3/5 stars

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

THE LONE RANGER/GREEN HORNET: CHAMPIONS OF JUSTICE - Michael Uslan & Giovanni Timpano

Though never a huge fan of "The Lone Ranger" on TV, growing up, I was ga-ga over "The Green Hornet" series with Van Williams and Bruce Lee - and the idea of a mash-up of these two such different and diverse "champions of justice" in a graphic novel was intriguing.  Combining the first several issues of the comic book series, we learn here that the Lone Ranger is actually the great uncle of the Green Hornet!  Known as "Uncle Joe" to Britt Reid, the storyline here - set mostly in late-1930's America on the eve of WWII, but with so many flashbacks and flash-forwards things become a bit jumbled (even annoying) - really kicks off when Elliot Ness (yes, that Elliot Ness) comes to Chicago to ask for the help of the Ranger, Reid and the Daily Sentinel to dismantle Hitler sympathizers and their plot to build the atom bomb already in place in the U.S., even as Uncle Joe pushes Britt to pick up the mantle of justice by becoming a modern-day Lone Ranger.  The book is packed with historical events of the various time periods covered, some of it fairly fascinating (I had no idea about the Jesse Owens/Olympics/Hitler story) and perfectly furthering the plot, though I admit the book also feels almost overstuffed with a bevy of cameo appearances by what feels like more historical figures (on both sides of the law) than your average middle school social studies class covers in a year.  I also found Giovanni Timpano's artwork, while extremely good overall, sometimes distracting - when some faces in a crowded scene, for example, were indiscernible from each other.  The negatives of this book are actually minor, however, when compared to its forward-moving storyline that - though a bit slow-going early on - more than makes up for things with a rousing finale.  And in these days, when the U.S. has put an orange devil into power who seems to think of himself more as fuhrer than world leader, this Lone Ranger/Green Hornet crossover is at heart a rousing example of how hate, bigotry, and evil against humanity itself can be squashed in the name of truth, justice and the truly American way.  3.5/5 stars

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