Review: Goldie Vance, Vol.2

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Title: Goldie Vance, Vol. 2
Author: Hope Larson, Brittany Williams, Sarah Stern
Genre: Graphic Novel
Publisher: BOOM! Box
Source: Library
Release Date: May 9, 2017
Rating: ★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

Nancy who? Goldie Vance is on the case! The adventures of the teen sleuth continue in this second volume of the hit comic book series.

The adventures of Goldie Vance, teen super sleuth, continue in the second volume of this hit comic adventure. Collects issues #5-8 of the series.

Sixteen-year-old Marigold “Goldie” Vance lives at a Florida resort with her dad, who manages the place. Her mom, who divorced her dad years ago, works as a live mermaid at a club downtown. Goldie has an insatiable curiosity, which explains her dream to one day become the hotel’s in-house detective. When Charles, the current detective, encounters a case he can’t crack, he agrees to mentor Goldie in exchange for her help solving the mystery.

Eisner Award-winning writer Hope Larson (A Wrinkle in Time: The Graphic Novel) and artist Brittney Williams (Patsy Walker, A.K.A Hellcat!) present the newest gal sleuth on the block with Goldie Vance, an exciting, whodunnit adventure.

Review:

This is the second book in the Goldie Vance series.

I didn’t like this book as much as the first one. The mystery that Goldie had to solve was anticlimactic. She investigated a girl who washed up on the beach in an astronaut suit. The story started off exciting with the discovery of the astronaut, but I didn’t really understand the ending.

Goldie’s friend, Cheryl, wants to be an astronaut, so she was very excited when she saw the astronaut girl. One thing I didn’t understand was the connection that Goldie found between Cheryl and the mystery girl. They both competed in beauty pageants. I’m not sure why this storyline seemed to disappear by the end of the story, because it was an interesting clue, but it didn’t seem to lead anywhere.

I hope the mystery is better in the next volume.

What to read next:

  • Goldie Vance, Vol. 3 by Hope Larson, Brittany Williams, and Sarah Stern

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  • Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys: The Big Lie by Anthony Del Col

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Have you read Goldie Vance, Vol. 2? What did you think of it?

 

TBR Thursday – September 20

TBR Thursday is a weekly meme hosted by Kimberly Faye Reads, where you post a title from your shelf or e-reader and find out what others think about it.

My pick this week is Tales of the Peculiar by Ransom Riggs.

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Goodreads Synopsis:

Before Miss Peregrine gave them a home, the story of peculiars was written in the Tales.

Wealthy cannibals who dine on the discarded limbs of peculiars. A fork-tongued princess. The origins of the first ymbryne. These are but a few of the truly brilliant stories in Tales of the Peculiar—known to hide information about the peculiar world—first introduced by Ransom Riggs in his Miss Peregrine’s Peculiar Children series.

Riggs now invites you to share his secrets of peculiar history, with a collection of original stories, as collected and annotated by Millard Nullings, ward of Miss Peregrine and scholar of all things peculiar.

Have you read this book? What did you think of it?

Review: Pickled Watermelon

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Title: Pickled Watermelon
Author: Esty Schachter
Genre: Middle Grade
Publisher: Kar-Ben Publishing
Source: Thomas Allen & Son (book distributor)
Release Date: August 1, 2018
Rating: ★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

It’s the summer of 1986, and eleven-year-old Molly just wants to spend the summer with her friends at camp. Instead, she reluctantly heads to Israel to visit family she barely knows! With a less-than-basic knowledge of Hebrew that she picked up in Hebrew school, Molly wonders how she will be able to communicate and have fun in a country that is new and foreign to her. Luckily, surprises are in store.

Review:

I enjoyed this story about a girl who travels to Israel with her family.

I learned a lot about Israeli culture from this book. I have never read a book set in Israel before, so it was new to me. Molly was also discovering new aspects of her culture, because her mother’s family lived differently from her father’s family in the United States.

I’m curious as to why the story was set in 1986, rather than today. Perhaps this reflects a real trip that the author took. This setting put the characters in a unique position in time. Molly’s parents lived through the after effects of World War II, and her grandparents lived through it. That close relationship to WWII wouldn’t have been apparent if the young girl was living in today’s world.

This is a great story for middle grade readers.

What to read next:

  • Be Prepared by Vera Brosgol

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  • Anya’s Echoes by Esty Schachter

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Have you read Pickled Watermelon? What did you think of it?

 

‘Waiting on’ Wednesday – September 19

This is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine. In this post we highlight a book that’s highly anticipated.

The book that I’m waiting on this Wednesday is What If It’s Us by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera.

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Goodreads Synopsis:

Arthur is only in New York for the summer, but if Broadway has taught him anything, it’s that the universe can deliver a showstopping romance when you least expect it.

Ben thinks the universe needs to mind its business. If the universe had his back, he wouldn’t be on his way to the post office carrying a box of his ex-boyfriend’s things.

But when Arthur and Ben meet-cute at the post office, what exactly does the universe have in store for them?

Maybe nothing. After all, they get separated.

Maybe everything. After all, they get reunited.

But what if they can’t quite nail a first date . . . or a second first date . . . or a third?

What if Arthur tries too hard to make it work . . . and Ben doesn’t try hard enough?

What if life really isn’t like a Broadway play?

But what if it is?

What books are you waiting on this week?

Review: Kens

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Title: Kens
Author: Raziel Reid
Genre: Young Adult
Publisher: Penguin Random House Canada
Source: Publisher
Release Date: September 18, 2018
Rating: ★★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

Heterosexuality is so last season: Kens is the gay Heathers meets Mean Girls, a shocking parody for a whole new generation.

Every high school has the archetypical Queen B and her minions. In Kens, the high school hierarchy has been reimagined. Willows High is led by Ken Hilton, and he makes Regina George from Mean Girls look like a saint. Ken Hilton rules Willows High with his carbon-copies, Ken Roberts and Ken Carson, standing next to his throne. It can be hard to tell the Kens apart. There are minor differences in each edition, but all Kens are created from the same mold, straight out of Satan’s doll factory. Soul sold separately.

Tommy Rawlins can’t help but compare himself to these shimmering images of perfection that glide through the halls. He’s desperate to fit in, but in a school where the Kens are queens who are treated like Queens, Tommy is the uncool gay kid. A once-in-a-lifetime chance at becoming a Ken changes everything for Tommy, just as his eye is caught by the tall, dark, handsome new boy, Blaine. Has Blaine arrived in time to save him from the Kens? Tommy has high hopes for their future together, but when their shared desire to overthrow Ken Hilton takes a shocking turn, Tommy must decide how willing he is to reinvent himself — inside and out. Is this new version of Tommy everything he’s always wanted to be, or has he become an unknowing and submissive puppet in a sadistic plan?

Review:

I loved this satire. It has the subject matter of Mean Girls, with the satirical style of Animal Farm.

The popular boys at school are called the Kens. Many of the characters are named after characters in the Barbie world, including Ken, Barbie, Tutti, Todd, and Tommy. I loved this throwback to the dolls of my childhood!

In this world, the Kens are the most popular kids in school, so everyone wants to be them. The three Kens had plastic surgery to look exactly the same, and they all changed their names to Ken. The Kens are also gay, so everyone wants to be gay too. There is even one boy who pretends to be gay, but he is secretly heterosexual.

I loved the satire aspects of the story. It starts out very much like the story of the movie Mean Girls. Tommy wants to be just like the Kens, and one day he gets his wish. However, everything goes wrong when one person in the school dies. The power of the Kens becomes apparent, and it isn’t necessarily a good thing.

This is a great story! I loved it!

What to read next:

  • When Everything Feels Like the Movies by Raziel Reid

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  • Mean Girls by Micol Ostow

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Have you read Kens? What did you think of it?

 

Top Ten Tuesday – Books On My Fall 2018 TBR

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish and it is now hosted by The Artsy Reader Girl. This week’s theme is Books On My Fall 2018 TBR. There are so many good books coming out this year, it’s hard to pick just 10! Here’s my list:

1. What If It’s Us by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera

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2. Vengeful by V.E. Schwab

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3. The Light Between Worlds by Laura E. Weymouth

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4. A Very Large Expanse of Sea by Tahereh Mafi

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5. The Devil’s Thief (The Last Magician #2) by Lisa Maxwell

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6. The Darkest Star by Jennifer L. Armentrout

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7. Wildcard by Marie Lu

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8. A Map of Days by Ransom Riggs

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9. Damsel by Elana K. Arnold

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10. Pride by Ibi Zoboi

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(All photos taken from Goodreads)

Review: Mortals and Immortals of Greek Mythology

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Title: Mortals and Immortals of Greek Mythology
Author: Françoise Rachnuhl, Charlotte Gastaut
Genre: Children’s, Mythology
Publisher: Lion Forge
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Release Date: September 18, 2018
Rating: ★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

In Greek myths, extraordinary men and women are distinguished from other mortals: they are the heroes. Sometimes helped by the gods and sometimes hindered, they perform extraordinary exploits of strength, bravery, or intelligence. Jason, Theseus, Helen, Achilles, and Atalanta are among these mythical figures. The stories of the Greek mortals and immortals, and their legendary exploits, tower as tall now as they have for thousands of years! Alternately rivals or allies, Hera, Poseidon, Demeter, Athena, Ares, Aphrodite, Hephaestus, Hermes, Artemis, Apollo, and Dionysus form a restless family, which Zeus sometimes has trouble appeasing. But the king of the gods is far from irreproachable himself! Join these twelve gods at the top of Olympus, where they will give you all their secrets, even the most incredible ones. Never have these classic stories of Greek gods and goddesses, heroes and heroines, been so sumptuously illustrated. All your favorites are here, but this beautiful art and design will make you want to learn their stories all over again.

Review:

I love Greek mythology. I would have loved this book when I was a kid. My first introduction to Greek mythology was reading the book series Dolphin Diaries, where the dolphin was named after Apollo.

This book was filled with short origin stories of the Greek gods. They were each just a few pages long and told the most exciting stories about them. There were also some important mortals included at the end of the book including Jason, Achilles, Theseus, Helen and Atalanta.

I loved the way the stories were simplified for children to read. I found it funny when the male gods were described as having “adventures” which ended in them having children. It was a euphemism for when they would assume a mortal form and seduce a woman, but I found it funny to call them adventures.

I enjoyed this book. It’s a great guide to Greek mythology for young kids.

What to read next:

  • Treasury of Greek Mythology: Classic Stories of Gods, Goddesses, Heroes & Monsters by Donna Jo Napoli
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  • The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #1) by Rick Riordan

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Have you read Mortals and Immortals of Greek Mythology? What did you think of it?

It’s Monday, What Are You Reading? – September 17

This blog meme is hosted by Book Date. It is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week.  It’s a great post to organize yourself. It’s an opportunity to visit and comment, and er… add to that ever growing TBR pile!

What I just finished:

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This weekend I finished Kens by Raziel Reid.

What I’m currently reading:

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I’m currently reading Pickled Watermelon by Esty Schachter.

What I’m reading next:

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Next I will be reading The Iron Flower (The Black Witch Chronicles #2) by Laurie Forest.

What are you guys reading this week? Have you read any of these books?

Jill’s Weekly Wrap-Up – September 16

Here’s my weekly wrap up!

Here are my reviews for the week with my ratings:

I did 7 weekly blogging memes:

How was your week? What did you guys read?

Sundays in Bed With… Kens

The meme that dares to ask what book has been in your bed this morning? Come share what book you’ve spent time curled up reading in bed, or which book you wish you had time to read today! This meme is hosted by Midnight Book Girl.

This Sunday I reading Kens by Raziel Reid.

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Goodreads Synopsis:

Heterosexuality is so last season: Kens is the gay Heathers meets Mean Girls, a shocking parody for a whole new generation.

Every high school has the archetypical Queen B and her minions. In Kens, the high school hierarchy has been reimagined. Willows High is led by Ken Hilton, and he makes Regina George from Mean Girls look like a saint. Ken Hilton rules Willows High with his carbon-copies, Ken Roberts and Ken Carson, standing next to his throne. It can be hard to tell the Kens apart. There are minor differences in each edition, but all Kens are created from the same mold, straight out of Satan’s doll factory. Soul sold separately.

Tommy Rawlins can’t help but compare himself to these shimmering images of perfection that glide through the halls. He’s desperate to fit in, but in a school where the Kens are queens who are treated like Queens, Tommy is the uncool gay kid. A once-in-a-lifetime chance at becoming a Ken changes everything for Tommy, just as his eye is caught by the tall, dark, handsome new boy, Blaine. Has Blaine arrived in time to save him from the Kens? Tommy has high hopes for their future together, but when their shared desire to overthrow Ken Hilton takes a shocking turn, Tommy must decide how willing he is to reinvent himself — inside and out. Is this new version of Tommy everything he’s always wanted to be, or has he become an unknowing and submissive puppet in a sadistic plan?

What book are you in bed with today?