Bibliocity

My Year Abroad by Chang-rae Lee My rating: 4 of 5 stars View all my reviews

Fables: The Deluxe Edition, Book One by Bill Willingham My rating: 4 of 5 stars If you enjoy comic books that engage in fantasy over superheroes, I bet you'll enjoy this mishmash of grown-up characters from Aesop to Mother Goose to Brothers Grimm. Willingham's Bigby (Big Bad Wolf) is my favorite character even if the inking seems wonky in some frames. Is this on purpose? I'm a huge Neil Gaiman fan--there are elements of American Gods in the way belief plays a big role in characters' longevity. Not surprised as Willingham did some Sandman Presents (Sandman spin-offs). If you watched ABC's Once Upon a Time, you might also see some parallels: ABC bought the rights to Fables in 2008, but instead of adapting it, took a page or two or three out of Willingham's series to branch off on their own (see Wikipedia article on Once Upon a Time and CBR.com article from Dec. 4, 2011). Reader Advisory: graphic violence against fairytale charac...

Fables: The Deluxe Edition, Book One by Bill Willingham My rating: 4 of 5 stars View all my reviews

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia My rating: 3 of 5 stars Hmm. Definitely liked the creepy setting, and shuddered at the freakiness of Virgil's advances, but did not stay terrified. Maybe it's that I just didn't find gold mushrooms that spooky. Reader advisory: mostly clean read--some pretty gross inter-relational, pure bloodline yuck, and Noemi the heroine has several dream/sleepwalking/waking episodes that feature Virgil's unhealthy appetites. View all my reviews

Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley My rating: 5 of 5 stars View all my reviews

Mae, Vol. 2 by Gene Ha My rating: 4 of 5 stars View all my reviews

Mae Volume 1 by Gene Ha My rating: 3 of 5 stars It's been a while since I got a chance to read comics. Glad I went to the library before spring break and picked some up! The art is wonderful, and although I personally found the story a bit confusing at first, I was able to pick up the crucial bits and enjoy the story. Reader Advisory: I'd rate this as a clean read -- there is violence but not a lot of gore. Ani/Abbie kicks butt. View all my reviews

Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert My rating: 3 of 5 stars View all my reviews

The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix My rating: 4 of 5 stars I thought the book was a terrifying horror story. I'm not a huge fan of this genre, but figured I'd branch out--maybe it won't be as terrifying to some of the rest of you... Comparison-wise, think Stranger Things meets Steel Magnolias meets Silence of the Lambs. Some very dark, dark humor. Applause for Hendrix's ability to weave the nightmare of a vampire loose in a "safe" neighborhood with the nightmare of husbands and friends who think you're crazy. SPOILER ALERT ****Am I weird for wondering why, if the vampire is taking blood from the femoral artery, Korey and Patricia removed all their clothes? I'm thinking removal of clothes=removal of boundaries, total surrender, exposure, that kind of thing? Also, why keep Francine's body? Anyway, those questions are still tugging at me.***** Reader Advisory: physical abuse of c...

Love & Olives by Jenna Evans Welch My rating: 4 of 5 stars When I saw that Ms. Evans Welch had a new book out, was looking forward to it. Love & Olives did not disappoint. As a matter of fact, I was pleased at the level of emotional depth Evans Welch was able to write into it. Reader Advisory: clean read; the romance is cute, but the heavy hitter for this one is the healing relationship between Olive and dad Nikos. View all my reviews

Super Fake Love Song by David Yoon My rating: 5 of 5 stars View all my reviews

A Rogue of One's Own by Evie Dunmore My rating: 4 of 5 stars View all my reviews

Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City by K.J. Parker My rating: 3 of 5 stars View all my reviews

Just Our Luck by Julia Walton My rating: 4 of 5 stars View all my reviews

The Other Side of the Sky by Amie Kaufman My rating: 3 of 5 stars View all my reviews

Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert My rating: 3 of 5 stars View all my reviews