Review – Horrorstör by Grady Hendrix

Horrorstör
By: Grady Hendrix
Website: http://www.gradyhendrix.com/
Release Date: September 23, 2014
Publisher: Quirk
Award: Goodreads Choice Nominee for Horror (2014)
Rating:


The more I think about it, the more I like this book. Horrorstör by Grady Hendrix is a traditional haunted house story turned on its head. Familiar themes are explored, changed, and discarded while remaining happily familiar and easily readable.

Review: Siege and Storm (The Grisha, #2)

Seige and Storm (The Grisha, #2)
By: Leigh Bardugo
Website: http://www.leighbardugo.com/index1.html
Release Date: June 4th, 2013
Publisher: Henry Holt and Company
Series: The Grisha Series
Rating:


I returned to the Grisha series with high hopes and while I liked book two more than book one it was only barely more. Siege and Storm offers a lot to the series but still it was one of those books I liked, not loved. Nonetheless, as I always do, I will finish the series and pick up book three sometime soon and I’m hoping all of my little issues with the story are solved by then because I love this premise and these characters but something, I don’t know what is lacking here for me. Hopefully my brain can sort it out.

Review – Saga, Vol. 1 by Brian K. Vaughn

Saga, Vol 1
By: Brian K. Vaughn (writer); Fiona Staples (artist)
Release Date: October 23, 2012
Publisher: Image Comics
Series: Saga #1
Award: Hugo Award for Best Graphic Story (2013); Harvey Award for Best Continuing or Limited Series (2013); Harvey Award for Best New Series (2013); Harvey Award for Best Single Issue or Story (2013); Harvey Award for Best Writer (2013); Harvey Award for Best Artist (2013); Harvey Award for Best Colorist (2013); Harvey Award Nominee for Best Cover Artist (2013); Will Eisner Comic Industry Award for Best New Series (2013); Will Eisner Comic Industry Award for Best Continuing Series (2013); Will Eisner Comic Industry Award for Best Writer (2013)
Rating:


If you read blogs, follow booktube, or are a fan of graphic novels, chances are pretty good that you’ve heard of Saga, Vol 1 by Brian K. Vaughn. I first heard of the series quite a long time ago, probably near the first volume’s original release date way back in 2012. I debated and debated, and eventually bought something else. But the cover stuck with me even if the plot didn’t. Recently it seems that everyone’s been talking about Saga and, when I saw a copy for sale at Book Con, I finally picked it up.

Review – Letter 44, Vol. 1: Escape Velocity by Charles Soule

Letter 44, Vol. 1
By: Charles Soule
Release Date: July 30, 2014
Publisher: Oni Press
Series: Letter 44 #1
Rating:


I often find myself reading manga. It’s a genre I love. Truth be told, I should read more graphic novels and comics than I currently do. I’ve had Letter 44, Vol. 1: Escape Velocity by Charles Soule on my radar for quite some time and, finally, I picked it up. This is a graphic novel promising political intrigue and alien encounters deep in the asteroid belt. With action both on and off planet this is graphic novel sure to please fans of both thriller-esque political intrigue and fans of standard sci-fi.

Review: Damned

Damned
By: Chuck Palahniuk
Website: http://chuckpalahniuk.net/
Release Date: October 18th, 2011
Publisher: Doubleday Canada
Rating:


When you think of Chuck Palahniuk I’m sure most people think of perhaps his most well known work, Fight Club, which I understand, given how well written it is and what a hit the move became. But, let’s look at another work of his that is just as sharp and witty to read as Fight Club. I might not have loved it as much, and it seems many fans agree, but still the book is worth the read if you can get into it.

Review – Revolutionary Girl Utena Vol. 1 by Chiho Saito

Revolutionary Girl Utena Vol. 1
By: Chiho Saito
Release Date: March 23, 2017
Publisher: VIZ Media; Shojo Beat
Series: Revolutionary Girl Utena #1
Rating:


Sometimes there’s a book I just need. The gorgeous boxed set of Revolutionary Girl Utena was exactly that. I’ll be honest. I’m low-key obsessed with the anime of the same name. I watch it from start to finish a few times a year. Despite this, I never read the manga. Well, now’s my chance! This is the first volume in a two volume boxed set by Be-Papas, the creative collective behind Revolutionary Girl Utena, and Chiho Saito, the mangaka.

And who can resist a beautiful hardcover edition of a manga?

Review: 45 Pounds (More or Less)

45 Pounds (More or Less)
By: K.A. Barson
Release Date: July 11, 2013
Publisher: Viking Juvenile
Rating:


Fat. It sounds like a dirty word, doesn’t it? It’s something you shouldn’t call someone or, heaven forbid, even say in front of someone who isn’t the societal norm of the perfect weight. In this book we see how one teenager takes on this word, her own body and, most importantly, her view of herself, to become the person she feels she needs to be.

Review – Scythe by Neal Shusterman

Scythe
By: Neal Shusterman
Website: http://www.storyman.com/
Release Date: November 22, 2016
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Series: Arc of a Scythe #1
Award: Michael L. Printz Honor (2017)
Rating:


Here’s a book that I’ve had on my shelf for some time. Now that I think about it, I’ve had this almost since its release date way back in November of 2016. Ah, the bane of the to-read shelf, or shelves, as the case may be. (Yeah, I know. I’m not proud of my book binge buying and not reading habits). Scythe by Neal Shusterman is a young adult dystopian novel about two apprentice scythes, people who ‘glean’ (see: murder) others as a means of population control in a futuristic, utopic world.

Review – Binti by Nnedi Okorafor

Binti
By: Nnedi Okorafor
Website: http://www.nnedi.com/
Release Date: September 22, 2015
Publisher: Tor.com
Series: Binti #1
Award: Hugo Award for Best Novella (2016); Nebula Award for Best Novella (2015); Locus Award Nominee for Best Novella (2016)
Rating:


I was pretty excited when I finally got my copy in this book. Binti by Nnedi Okorafor is a beautifully written, captivating novella that has won both the Nebula and Hugo awards. It’s been on my radar for quite some time, and, finally, I’ve gotten a chance to read it.

You’ve probably heard of this book, but what’s it about, exactly?

Review – Phoenix by S. F. Said

Phoenix
By: S. F. Said
Release Date: (Original) August 1, 2013; (US Release) October 11, 2016
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Award: Carnegie Medal Nominee (2014)
Rating:


Phoenix by S. F. Said is a book which, apparently, has been on my to-read shelf on Goodreads since its original release in 2013. I discovered it at the library, bright orange cover leaping off the shelf, as bright orange covers tend to do. I truly loved this book. Really. Honestly. It was a sit down after dinner and finish it in one go sort of a book, the sort you find only rarely. Surprisingly, this isn’t a book I’ve heard very much about. So, here I am, singing its praises from the proverbial rooftop.

But first, what exactly is this book about?