A Very Scalzi Christmas | John Scalzi

*Image and book provided via NetGalley for an honest review.

Summary:

 A collection of holiday themed stories, some new, some old, written by John Scalzi.

Review:

This book is a collection of Scalzi's writing. They have several formats including interviews, prayer, Top Ten lists and script notes. Each chapter is delightfully different from the others. All of the chapters show off Scalzi's talent. 

I'm always drawn to Scalzi's books because of his strong sense of humor, but I get invested in them because of his ability with the full range of emotions. This book is no exception. The cover, the title, they book evoke humorous responses. But the stories in here are not limited to laughs. There are still plenty of laughs, good laughs, that I really needed. But there are also some really, really good tears.

I also appreciate Scalzi's preface where he talks about how important Christmas is to him. I can empathize, and not just because it reminds me of the ending monologue in "Scrooged". Christmas has traditions that get us to think about others. Yeah, things suck, but Christmas is when we take the time to be more generous, more caring, and can make things better for someone else. Scalzi covers a lot of attitudes towards holidays in these chapters, but I love that the predominant emotion is hope.

This book made me laugh until I cried and it also just made me cry. I cannot recommend it enough (though if you do look for it, search via ebook. The print is $40, ebook is $6). I've already per-ordered the book and am looking to forward to sharing the joy of A Very Scalzi Christmas with loved ones. 5 hoots!

               Hoot!Hoot!

               Hoot! Hoot!

                    Hoot!

Girls and Ghosts | Anne Michaud

*Image and book provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Summary:

 

 Five stories of five very different girls and their very different experiences with very different ghosts. Michaud takes the reader on a journey with each story.

Review:

 

Holy Wah!!! I am not exaggerating when I say that all five stories in this book were a delight to read. Each story was its own world with depth and well thought-out characters. 

 

I sometimes have problems with collections of themed short stories because some of them end up being similar and with the same author for all of them, you'd think this would happen. Nope! Each story felt incredibly different. Each main character is their own person. Each story treats ghosts differently. Each story's world is very different. This collection was amazingly different from one story to the next. What you learned about ghosts in one story, wouldn't help you in the others.

Each story was a journey. The first story showed the interpretation of ghost sightings as mental illness. The second focused on generational ghost fighting to keep family safe. The third story (holy wah, I'd love an entire series based on this) was about the lengths people go to for the souls of their loved ones. The fourth was about how family isn't based on blood. The fifth story, that one was just, amazing and had me in tears (in a good way). And, at the core of each of these stories, you had strength, empathy and love. It was an amazing journey.

This was an amazing journey and I absolutely recommend picking up a copy. I'm going to be looking into more of Michaud's books because she is a very talented author. The ebook is only about $4 (price listed in £) and is very well worth the cost. I absolutely loved this book and cannot recommend it enough. I happily give 5 hoots!

               Hoot!Hoot!

               Hoot! Hoot!

                  Hoot!

How to Save Your Child | James Breakwell

Summary:

 

Author James Breakwell takes us through another series of parenting rules for extreme circumstances. This book focuses on keeping your child safe, even from themselves.

Review:

I'm a big fan of Breakwell's books. I've been pre-ordering them with the confidence that they'll be laugh out loud funny and well worth the cost.That being said, this one felt "just okay". It was still funny, no question of that. I'm still glad I bought it and I know people who would enjoy it.

The book has all the classic elements that make a Breakwell book fun. You've got the clipart comics emphasizing the points he's making in the text. You've got the ridiculous graphs showing your chances of survival in ridiculous situations. The book is even dedicated to cheese! Who doesn't love that?

It really isn't until the second half of the book, when situations start getting more and more ridiculous, that things really lose their charm. Like, how to survive if you and your child are suddenly in the world of Carrie or The Shawshank Redemption or the original Donkey Kong video game. It can't be that the more unrealistic stuff is less funny; the chapter on time travel was good. I guess, maybe, it feels like the later chapters were more just filling up the page counts. 

It's still an entertaining book, the latter half of it just feels lacking. I'm still glad I bought the book and will continue to by Breakwell's books. But this one is definitely not his best work. 3.5 hoots!

               Hoot! Hoot!

               Hoot! Hoo

The Paranoid's Pocket Guide to Mental Disorders You Can Just Feel Coming On | Dennis DiClaudio | Mini-Review

*Image and book provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Review:

I saw the title of this book and knew I had to get it. As a former hypochondriac, for physical and mental issues, I knew I needed to read this book. Good news! I was able to tell myself, "Yeah, I don't have this" time and time again. This is likely due to how DiClaudio writes each section. Each disorder starts with a few questions for you, followed by an inner dialogue that someone with the disorder would have, and then the diagnostics and causes of each. That inner dialogue is a great help for paranoids to distance themselves from thinking they have this disorder or that. In the introduction, DiClaudio talks about wanting to present these things in a humorous fashion, while also being respectful to those with mental disorders. I have to say, I think he nailed it! His format made learning about these disorders engaging, without being overly sensitive or overly callous. This was a good read and I look forward to his other book, "The Hypochondriac's Pocket Guide to Horrible Diseases You Probably Already Have". 4 hoots!

               Hoot! Hoot!

               Hoot! Hoot!

Meet Me in the Future: Stories | Kameron Hurley

*Image and book provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Summary:

A collection of short stories written by Kameron Hurley. Some take place in other series she's written, some are standalone. All of them take place in the future. 

Review:

I haven't read as much of Hurley's work as I would like, so I was very happy to pick this book up. I highly recommend you do not skip the preface of the book. In the preface she describes what was behind each story, what inspired this or that story, and it's very informative of what you're about to read. It also helped me empathize with Hurley more, we both have chronic health issues that have shaped our world view. You really see how it bleeds into her stories.

These stories don't really paint a bright and happy picture of the future. There will always be war. There will always be those in power that must be ousted. There will always be those that use and manipulate those beneath them. This can easily be a very depressing read. But Hurley adds details to her worlds. Details that make sure the future is worth fighting for. From empathy between strangers, caring for a pet, finding your truest family. It can make even the darkest futures worth living. 

I admire Hurley's ability to combine telling a good story with asking important questions. She's able to do all of this without being preachy and, more importantly, can leave you with no answers and you're not disappointed. If anything, you find yourself driven to work harder for those answers. So, yes, there really aren't many happy futures in this book, but there is drive. 

This collection was entertaining, moving and insightful. I was happy to read it. 4 hoots!

               Hoot! Hoot!

               Hoot! Hoot!

Eff This! Meditation | Liza Kindred | Mini-Review

*Image and book provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Review:

I'll admit, there was noticeably less cussing in this book than I thought there would be. But, given that that's my biggest complaint, I can honestly say this was a good read. I've been learning and reading up on meditation and mindfulness to help with my anxiety and depression. A number of things in this book are pretty well-known, but there were a few things that were new to me. I appreciated that Kindred ordered these by time. The first batch are things you can do quickly, the last are ones that take half a day or longer. If you're just getting into meditation, this might be a good fit for you. If you're looking for an irreverent take on meditation and its practices, you'll want to look elsewhere. 3 hoots!

              Hoot!Hoot!

                  Hoot!

Science of the Magical | Matt Kaplan

Summary:

Matt Kaplan explores the science behind many mythological magics of our ancient history. From reading the livers of animals to the chemicals in love potions, even the physiology of sword swallowing. Kaplan covers a wide range of topics and the science that explains them.

Review: 

I absolutely loved Kaplan's book "The Science of Monsters" and had been eagerly looking for a copy of this book as well. I am happy to report, I was not disappointed! My feelings towards both of these books are actually summarized by Teller (of Penn & Teller) in the introduction:

"To any enlightened dweller of our century, knowing increases wonder. I don't just think this, I know it. If you believe, you oversimplify in the way a child might initially believe there is no complex evolution of life. That simplification in no way increases your sense of wonder. If, however, you know how life came to be on our planet, the wonder is immense!"

And that is the attitude that permeates all of these chapters in "Science of the Magical". Finding the truth behind the mysticism, knowing how the trick is done, just makes all of it so much more intriguing and amazing! Sometimes it's just coming to grips with how much our ancient ancestors actually knew, even if they didn't fully understand.

Kaplan does a wonderful job of making all of this science very accessible to readers of any background and interest. He also does a very good job of citing his sources. Because of this, I've increased my TBR list substantially, but Kaplan writes these things in such a way that I want to know more! I need to know more!

This book is such a treasure and would be enjoyable to pretty much anyone with any interest in the science behind all things mystical. Instead of "killing the joke" by over-explaining it, it's like the cool science experiment that changes your world view. This book was a great read, I couldn't put it down! 5 hoots!

               Hoot!Hoot!

               Hoot! Hoot!

                    Hoot!

Click-Bait Books! | Readathon Mini-Challenge

We live in a world full of clickbait. It's so pervasive, we even continually joke and meta joke about it. So how about we have a little fun of our own? Let's make books clickbait!

 

But let's not go with just any book. This challenge of mine isn't as original as I had initially thought, and there are many sites about classic books as clickbait. So, what I would like you to do is comment on this post and tell me your current or most recent read's title, author and their clickbait title!

You don't have to post pictures of the cover design. Just tell me your book and how you could turn it into clickbait. If you're having trouble coming up with ideas, click on the images in this post and they'll take you to a couple sites that give really funny examples!



The one who gets me "to click" will win a $5 Amazon gift card!

Conversations with RBG | Jeffrey Rosen

*Image and book provided via NetGalley for an honest review.

Summary:

A collection of interviews with Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Each interview is preceded by context from the author.

Review:

Like many people, I only really started paying attention to politics in the past few years. I knew that Ruth Bader Ginsburg (RBG) was an important figure, but never really looked further into it. When she needed surgery and people were clamoring to offer their blood and organs, whatever she needed, I figured I should read up on her. Fortunately this book became available and I took the opportunity to educate myself. I'm very glad I did. 

This is neither a full biography nor a full case list. This has biographical elements but focuses on major past cases and how they influence current cases. It's also a lot of RBG discussing her hopes for the future. Honestly, the fact that she still has hope for the future does wonders for my overall anxiety about the world. She has an amazing approach to equal gender rights that she modeled off Thurgood Marshall's approach to equal rights for minorities. Incremental, showing those in power how these rules hurt them, and genuinely going for equality. 

At first I was surprised to find someone who had promoted equality was subject to scorn from feminist groups. I took every chapter, every interview question on that, as a lesson in reading past the headlines. I think that should be the message with almost every Supreme Court Justice. It's so very easy to get caught up in the headlines and following the rage. But in this day and age, we need to do ourselves a favor and read more, get the full story, and reserve our torches and pitchforks for the truly important things. She criticized Roe v Wade because it was, essentially, a legislation forced to walk around on stilts with no training. She was correct in predicting this would lead to all of the many, many, many challenges it has received since. This was quite the legislative history lesson for me. I'll never go back.

RBG is truly an interesting character and her relationship with the other Justices is a wonderful example for disagreeing without it coming to blows. I thoroughly enjoyed this read and will be picking up more books about the Justices. 4 hoots!

Hoot!Hoot!

Hoot!Hoot!

Burnout in Healthcare | Rajeev Kurapati | Mini-Review

*Image and book provided via NetGalley for an honest review.

Review:

Before 2018, I don't think I'd ever heard of the term "Burnout" at least not as much as I have since. But it is a problem around the nation. As I was reading this book, even though it's meant for healthcare professionals, I was really able to identify and link signs and symptoms with other people in my life. Honestly, I feel like it's a good read for patients as well as doctors, nurses, etc. As patients, we don't really get to see all of the work that goes into what our healthcare professionals do (for good reason). It came as a surprise to me that the digitization of records took up so much time for doctors and only added to their stress levels. I'm hoping it'll help me be more patient when my blood test results don't show up electronically right away. And while this is healthcare focused, there's still some good advice for everyone in there. This book is a pretty short read, but that's because it's no frills, straight to the point, and understandable. I give 3.5 hoots!

Hoot!Hoot!

Hoot!Hoo

10 Women Who Changed Science and the World | Catherine Whitlock & Rhodri Evans | Mini-Review

*Image and book provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Review:

This book is an engaging collection of mini-biographies of 10 women who made significant contributions to science. Not only does it talk about them, it also gives a lot of context for their work and situations. This means we also get a lot of information about the world at the time as well as the science they were doing and how it fits into our understanding of science today. I genuinely appreciate how deeply these mini-biographies went into the science. Most of the stories are pretty well balanced between the history, biography and scientific information. Henrietta Leavitt's section focused mainly on the works of others but a lot of that could be because there was so little information about her available. It's a good collection overall, definitely of interest to those who are interested in the actual science that these women did. 4 hoots!

Hoot!Hoot!

Hoot!Hoot!

Zed | Joanna Kavenna | Mini-Review

*Image and book provided via NetGalley for an honest review.

Review:

 

This book was promoted as a sci-fi dystopian where everyone's lives are dictated by algorithms, with a strong philosophical and dark comedy bent. I'll be honest, I get why it's listed as science fiction, but it's really more of a drama than anything. I will give Kavenna full credit, this is the first time I've read a book about a dystopian society falling apart from the perspective of those running the dystopia. That was a very nice change of pace and I greatly appreciated that. A lot of the book focuses on the philosophy/ethics of monopolies. Things like people can always choose to not opt into the algorithms. Of course, if they don't, they'll never get into college, will never get employed anywhere and will have to live in squalor, but it's still their choice. The fact that dissenters get drowned out or have some minor criminal activity brought to light is purely coincidence. And, honestly, to me that covers about 80% of the book. It was an okay read, a nice little stretch into the philosophical and, at times, the absurd. 3.5 hoots!

Differently Morphous | Yahtzee Crowshaw | Audiobook

Summary:

Alison has just had her heart broken. She's been told she doesn't have a magical ability and was admitted to the magic school by mistake. The reason for the mistake is that she has an eidetic memory and her perfect standardized test scores indicated a magical ability. Instead of sending her home she's brought in to work for the Ministry of Magic, specifically as an assistant the...unique character of Diablerie. Soon after she joins, a magical serial killer is on the loose and she must discover, is Diablerie the villain or just a madman?

Review:

I read the ebook version of this before I bought the audiobook. Since then, I've listened to the audiobook the full way through at least twice. That's how hilarious and well written the book is. I also love Croshaw's narration and his ability for voices is amazing. I'm very glad to have listened to the audio because otherwise I never would've known how to pronounce a lot of the character names.

This is a very well written story with interesting characters. Each person has their own take on the "political correctness storm" that comes in when the Fluidics enter our dimension seeking asylum. From the "social justice warriors" to the "Shoggoths are dangerous" the entire spectrum is well represented. And as much flack as Dr. Pavani gets for thinking that people possessed by the Ancients should be referred to as "Dual Consciousness" I give her full credit for putting her all into what she does. She never backs down and even confronts a lot of fears that those around her do not. At the same time, I love the character of Mike Badger, a former freelance bounty hunter for the Ministry who regularly killed Fluidics. He honestly goes with the flow pretty well and, when he learns that Shoggoths are sentient and protected creatures, he finds other things to do to earn money. You get quite a range here and I love how these characters play off of each other. A lot of them are, essentially, good people who just want to do their best. Some just play better by the rules while others break/create the rules.

The Fluidics/Shoggoths are absolutely adorable. Croshaw plays the reaction to them just right. Because they are so utterly inhuman and talk with a cute lisp ("We would wike to wequest asywum") humanity utterly adores them and goes out of their way to chastise any who would endanger them. Meanwhile, the possessed humans get a lot less sympathy because they are so very human in appearance. The "YouTube video comments" sections of the book are so spot on. From the public feeling that Dual-Consciousness are spoiled kids to people who "identify as Fluidic-kin". You get a lot of almost too real reactions.

The murder mystery itself is a delight! It's another case of Croshaw leaving all the clues there for you to see but you (or at least I) don't notice them or put them together quite right until the reveal. There were no gaps or leaps in the conclusion. There were no "what did I miss?" moments. It's all right there but Croshaw's story is so engaging, you don't notice the little things so easily. So when the killer is revealed, you are surprised in a good way and never feel cheated.

I absolutely loved this book. I've read/listened to it many times now and it still makes me laugh. Some of the humor is a bit dry, but holy wah, the story and characters are so engaging. I'm really hoping Croshaw writes a sequel to this one, he left more than enough to go on. I happily give 5 hoots and encourage you to pick up a copy.

Hoot!Hoot!

Hoot!Hoot!

Hoot!

The Imaginary Corpse | Tyler Hayes

*Image and book provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Summary:

 

Detective Tippy is a Friend in the StillReal. That means he's an Idea, created by a real Person, that was loved enough to become Real himself, but then was rejected by his Person. Every Friend and Idea in the StillReal has their own reasons for being there. Some were TV show ideas that never got green-lighted. Some were forcibly rejected by their Person because they became connected with bad memories. It happens. But there's one Friend the citizens of the StillReal can turn to when they need help and that's the triceratops detective himself, Detective Tippy. What started as a simple case of a lost nightmare Friend needing a home becomes the most dangerous, taxing, world-breaking case of Tippy's career and could mean the end of the StillReal.

Review:

 

This book ran me through the full gamut of emotions. For a while I thought it might be like "Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends" but for adults. Nope. Don't get me wrong, it's not for kids, but it's also not NSFW levels of "for adults". Hayes does an incredible job of blending all the different levels of depth that go into the Ideas and making it possible for the reader to seamlessly go from Playtime Land to Big Business without any real disorientation. Probably because Tippy, the narrator, is so used to this stuff by now and does a wonderful job of describing the process.

 

You still get a lot of stuff that's just flat out adorable. Tippy's drink of choice is root beer because his Person, who watched all the detective shows as a kid, thought that's what beer was. And Tippy's favorite way to relax? Going for a spin in the dryer! And the Friends that were created by kids have a lot of kid-like qualities. Even a nightmare like Spindleman talks like a little kid and it's freaking cute as heck! But it's also that reasoning and mentality that can really pull at your heartstrings. And Hayes does not hold back. 

 

There were times when I was in tears because, yes, this isn't a book for kids. The primary villain of the story is so monstrous and able to break so many rules of the StillReal, (and I gotta be careful here because I don't want to give any spoilers) because he is based on a real world monster. He's faster, stronger and more dangerous than any Friend has ever thought possible. He's genuinely very, very scary! Especially when you get glimpses into what he is in the real world. It's heartbreaking. 

 

I felt everything a book could ever put me through. Fear, laughter, horror, intrigue, anxiety, relief, and then-some. This book was such a full experience.  I've been out of blogging for a couple of months now because I just couldn't really bring myself to write more. Then I read this book and I HAVE to share it with the world. I HAVE to spread the word about this book. The world, the characters, the emotions, the storytelling, it's all so engaging and amazing. This book is worth 5 hoots and all the love. I'm looking forward to more from Hayes.

 

 

Hoot!Hoot!

Hoot!Hoot!

Hoot!

 

Ash Kickers | Sean Grigsby

*Image and book provided via NetGalley for an honest review.

Summary:
In this sequel to Smoke Eaters, Tamerica Williams is bored with how things have changed. Instead of slaying dragons, the Smoke Eaters are just capturing them so their blood can be used as medicine. Unfortunately, her wish for "action" gets granted and she learns to be careful what you wish for. Now Tamerica has to deal with a never-before-seen phoenix that burns hotter than any dragon. Not to mention the legal trouble and civil unrest that she now has to incorporate into her daily WTF List.

Review:

I was a beta reader for this book so I was very curious to see what changes, if any had been made. I can't tell you what changed from that read to this one, but I can say, both readings put me through the emotional wringer, and I mean that in the best possible way. I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed this book, especially after the second reading.

Though this is a sequel, I don't think you have to have read the first one to understand what's going on. It would certainly help, but this book almost feels like a world of its own. Almost all of the main characters we meet are ones from the last book so it would explain some of the relationships and stories.

My favorite part about this book is that we get to see so many new types of dragons and hear about so many more. Grigsby gets really creative with his dragons and their abilities. They range in size from a few feet to two-stories tall and everything in between. They range in their elements as well. We get to see an ice, water, fire, acid, flammable oil and more. Each one presents their own challenges and I loved finding out there's so many types!

Grigsby also does a nice job of incorporating contemporary concerns into this book set in the future. Since the dragonblood curate, Pantheon City's been getting an influx of people hoping for access to it for themselves and their families. Rather than embrace these fellow Americans, fellow humans, the PC First people decide to call them "rats" and demand they be removed from the city. They are very easy to hate and Grigsby does a wonderful job of making sure they are unsympathetic in every way and that every character we like knows that PC First are Nazi wannabes.

Then there's Tamerica (T), herself. She is an amazing character who goes through so much in such a short amount of time. She not only goes through the sudden responsibility of managing her own team, but she also has to take care of parents. On top of that, she endures the emotional pain of Survivor's Guilt while also enduring repeated physical pains of literally being burned by the hottest fire she's ever experienced. I was actually grateful when we got to see her break down once in a while because it really helped to empathize with her. She is human, an incredibly strong human, and Grigsby writes her as such.

This book was an incredible read into an ever expanding world. This series has been a wonderful adventure full of endearing characters that you want to see win the day. I happily give 5 hoots and encourage you to pick up a copy!

Hoot!Hoot!

Hoot!Hoot!

Hoot!

Radioactive Evolution | Richard Hummel

*Image and book provided by Publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Summary:

Jared is a wanderer in the wastelands and, while not desperate for survival, he ain't living as easily as the rich people in the Floating Cities, high above the fallout. This changes when he finds an honest-to-god dragon and bonds with its baby. In bonding with the dragon, Scarlet, he uncovers a long lost plot from the cities, furthering the divide between those in the clouds and those on the ground. Between Scarlet's growing size and abilities and Jared's newfound powers, they have the means to bring justice for the long-lost dragon races as well as the civilians on the ground.

Review:

This was certainly an entertaining read. There was a lot of adventure, a lot of quick-thinking as well as strategy fights. There is a nice blend of action, comedy and even horror, and I'm not talking about the number to times Jared had to find new clothes because his were covered in giant rat guts.

If you're a fan of gaming, you'd probably enjoy several aspects of this book. If you're a Fallout fan, you'll definitely get some fun with this, as well as some of the horror. It gives some actual mechanics to a character's level-up and not needing to eat. It was actually pretty clever how Hummel set that up.

Unfortunately the editing appears incomplete. The telepathic conversations between Scarlet and Jared are identified with her voice in bold and his voice in italics. Throughout the book, or at least my copy of it, there were a lot of mishaps with this. The pacing of the book felt a little disjointed, but that could be Jared's need to sleep through his "power ups". The video game references and comparisons, while occasionally fun, did end up making it feel less genuine.

So, if you're a gamer looking for a foray into books or know of a gamer who's interested in trying some science fiction, this wouldn't be a bad book to start them out with. As for me, it was a nice book but I probably won't be picking up the sequel. 3 hoots!

              Hoot!Hoot!

                   Hoot!

Immortal | Nick Lloyd

*Book provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Summary:

The aliens have come, and they weren't subtle about it. Worldwide, every telecommunications device displays the same message: We are 'Aliens' You must obey us in full to survive A Gamma Ray Burst will arrive in 164 Earth days. Humans have no way of verifying the danger or the intent, but they can verify the signal is somewhere past Neptune. The next several months are spent following instructions from the aliens, while still trying to determine their true motives. 

Review:

This book hit on a lot of my own personal worries and unreasonable phobias. We get to read about the risks of trading your personal data for free services, even if some of them are life-saving. And we get visited by aliens who are far superior to us in terms of technological capabilities. Yeah, this one hit a few of my fear sectors. 

 Almost the entire time I was secretly hoping it would end up being an elaborate hoax led by the characters MacDonald (an billionaire with a strong survival instinct) and his right-hand man, Charlie (a programmer who created code that makes NPCs in games capable of independent thought). Not much of a spoiler but, no, the aliens are real. Very real. And they've stationed hundreds of A-Gravs (think Space Storage Container) design to help humanity accomplish the goals of saving Earth.

Then we get the stories of Tim and Sam who developed a program called MIDAS that is capable of disseminating, analyzing and correlating data, in this case, personal data, right down to their DNA. Because she had been a victim of identity theft after her disabling car accident, Sam is very strict about making sure the data is anonymized (even if she never thinks it'll be enough). She even makes sure to set flags in place in case that anonymization is compromised. At the same time, they need to balance this out with MacDonald's demands. Tim keeps pushing Sam to 'play nice' so they can get paid the big bucks. She knows he wants that payout so she can get a surgery to give her back full control of her legs, but she's not willing to risk others going through what she did with the identity theft. It makes for a very interesting back-and-forth. 

I absolutely loved Sam, and not just because she's a gamer girl and we get to see advances in gaming. In this world, virtual headsets are commonplace, and NPCs are way more advanced (I love Skyrim NPCs, but dang they're dumb!). Sam and her team, called "Bruised and Broken Bitches" because they're an all female, all wheelchair bound team, are highly competitive in tournaments. They're even a top tier team. She also gets to show us about the ways disabled people are treated. Some see her in a wheelchair and immediately look for a leg cast, others treat her only with pity, others argue that if she's able to get around on crutches (even if for just a short time) she's not really disabled. And that, coupled with Sam's "screw you, I've got this" mentality makes her, in my opinion, the strongest character in this book. And that's even compared to Colonel Martel who is not someone to screw around with. 

To make things even more interesting and realistic, Lloyd gives us the multiple attitudes towards the aliens that we would expect. There are the people who believe that their arrival heralds a new religious movement. There are people who immediately think that the aliens are there to destroy everyone. He even breaks down the middle group into cautious pessimists and cautious optimists. It really helped to make everything feel more real. 

This book was a very nice read. A very human story in a book about alien arrival. I happily give 4 hoots and encourage you to pick up a copy!

              Hoot!Hoot!

              Hoot!Hoot!

Mensch Marks | Joshua Hammerman

*Image and book provided via NetGalley for an honest review.

Summary:

A collection of essays reprinted and updated where needed about Rabbi Hammerman's career and life trying to be a mensch, a good person. These essays are also his attempt to bring mensch into the common vernacular, much like chutzpah and schmuck. These essays cover a range of topics from personal failing and forgiveness to interfaith support to importance of just being human in today's seemingly inhuman world.

Review:

I'm buying this book. I'm not Jewish, I don't go to any church, but I am buying this book. It's a great help for anyone who just wants to try to do some good in the world but doesn't know where to begin. This book really helped me out when I was going through a really tough time. I'm buying this book.

It doesn't take much to be a good person and this book takes you through several steps towards becoming a real mensch. Hammerman repeatedly discusses why such things are needed in today's world. Yes, it can be difficult but it can also be very rewarding. Hammerman doesn't just discuss the times he succeeded. He owns up to his failures but, most importantly, he discusses the lessons learned from these failures.

Hammerman also delves into his past throughout the book. The essays don't follow a particular timeline, opting for a thematic organization. We see how Hammerman has dealt with the consequences of being the son of clergy to trying to help his own children keep from living the "life in a fishbowl" he had to. We see his own physical, spiritual and mental struggles from the beginning and middle of his career as a Rabbi. Most importantly, we see how human he is and how being human is important to our everyday lives.

I was very happy to read this book. I look forward to its release when I can purchase it. You don't even have to be spiritual to enjoy this book. Yes, there are a lot of Biblical and Talmudic references, but Hammerman's book is about how you can be both human and a mensch at the same time. I highly recommend this book for those who are tired of all the hate but don't know where to begin on changing that hate. 5 hoots!

Hoot!Hoot!

Hoot!Hoot!

Hoot!

The Field Guide to Dumb Birds of North America | Matt Kracht | Mini-Review

*Image and book provided via NetGalley for an honest review.

Review:

This book was a laugh that I've been needing. There were times when I laughed so hard my stomach hurt. And, at the same time, it's genuinely informative! Kracht does a wonderful job of letting the humor and the facts shine through and it is a winning combination. There is a lot of strong language, so it's probably not a good book to share with your kids. However, if you or someone you know seems to have a vendetta against birds, this is a great book for them. If you're looking for a good place to start adding bird watching to your hobbies, this is a great book for that. It not only identifies common North American birds but Kracht also gives some genuinely good advice on starting your own bird watching journal, how to do bird watching in the different seasons, and even what kinds of bird feeders work best. I really enjoyed this book and am happy to give it four hoots!

              Hoot!Hoot!

              Hoot!Hoot!

Book of Ill Deeds | Phaedra Weldon

Summary:

Ginger Blackstone comes from a family of witches. She'd tried to do something else with her life, but ended up back home with her grandmother, Mama D, just in time for Mama D to be arrested on suspicion of murder. Over the next week or so, Ginger works to clear her grandmother and sister's names while trying to get a hold on the crush she has for the new doctor in town, and learning about this new black cat trying to become her familiar. 

Review:

This book was a lot of fun to read. It's got a lot of laughs. It's a short book so everything is straight to the point. Any and all history or world building is built into the plot. The reveal of who the murderer is isn't much of a surprise, but it was still a fun trip to follow.

I absolutely loved Ginger. She is a delightful main character whom I identified with on a few levels. I enjoyed the fact that she didn't have a full handle on her life but still knew how to be a competent adult. And Mama D! What a wonderful character to have in the mix! She is probably one of my favorite witch characters ever just because she is so good at what she does. David, the love interest, was a good guy, though his character presented a few more questions than answered. That being said, the chemistry between all the characters made for a fun read.

And let us not forget the familiars. Ginger starts out as a witch who's never had a familiar but through her initial interactions with Max and through Mama D's interactions with Bert, we learn a lot of what it is a familiar can do and does for their witch. And the importance of having a witch is something I've never thought of before but Max is very adamant about.

I think I may have to admit, I like Chick Lit. Specifically I seem to like Chick Lit with supernatural characters and a strong sense of humor. This is probably the third or fourth book I've read with the whole modern witch thing and I've enjoyed them all. So, yes. This is the book that gets me to admit, I like Chick Lit. As someone who regularly gives 5/5 ratings to books with giant robots and that are action heavy, hopefully that'll give you a good idea of how good this book is.

The world of Castle Falls is a very interesting one and, I'll admit, I'm interested in the other books in this series. As of writing this review the book itself is free on Kindle. The next book is $3 but I'm still very tempted. I happily give 4 hoots and encourage you to pick up a copy.

Hoot!Hoot!

Hoot!Hoot!

Animal Lore and Legend | Ruth Binney | Mini-Review

*Image and book received via NetGalley for an honest review.

Review:

This book had a lot of what I expected: Old Wive's Tales about animals, animal roles in mythology, how some beliefs about animals may have formed. I'll admit, I wasn't expecting the information on the mythological animals (though I should've guessed from the unicorn on the cover). I did learn several things from this book that I didn't know before. Unfortunately, it was kinda boring and was very Western Culture oriented. There were references to Japanese and Chinese mythology and an entire chapter dedicated to the Chinese Astrology, but they weren't very informative. The entire Chinese Astrology chapter was almost painfully basic. I got more from the Western Astrology chapter. Ultimately, it was an okay book but there's a lot of room for improvement.

               Hoot!Hoot!

                    Hoot!

Batman: No Man's Land | Greg Rucka

Summary:

The novelization of the graphic novel story line by the same name, Batman: No Man's Land takes us through Gotham's fall and attempted survival. After a massive earthquake leaves Gotham in shambles, the United States Government decides Gotham isn't worth the many millions, if not billions, of dollars it would take to restore it. They officially cut off Gotham from all government aide and declare it No Man's Land. The only people left are those who are either forced to stay, due to economic situations, or who choose to stay for the sake of power, chaos or to try to help those left behind. But when Batman is a no show for three months, people begin to think he, too, has abandoned them.

Review:

I was introduced to this book because I expressed a love of novelizations of comic books (seriously, Hellboy novels are the best!!!) I am happy to say that this book did not disappoint. I'm not much of a DC fan, I'm more of a Dark Horse Comics person, but Batman is almost always the exception. And, in this case, I am happy to have made that exception and give this book a try. 

Because it's a Batman book, one shouldn't be surprised at how much death, blood, fighting, etc. there is. It isn't gory, by any means, but it's definitely not meant for a younger or particularly squeamish audience. Rucka does a wonderful job of keeping the darkness and grit of a true Batman story without going into extensive, unnecessary levels of detail. 

As someone who only occasionally reads Batman, there were a lot of characters I didn't know. That being said, I had no problems getting into the story. There were occasions when I wanted to look up characters, some of which I ended up remembering from the cartoon series, but for the most part, it's very easy to "get" the characters. You learn who they are through their interactions with others and when the story is told from their viewpoint. You don't have to be an avid Batman reader to enjoy the story or understand the characters' motivations. 

And there are a LOT of characters in this book. So many classic Batman villains, a character or two from another comic series (no spoilers beyond that), as well as the multiple iterations of Batgirl and Robin, and the Gotham City Police Department too. Because the novelization is based on an already written comic story, I'm not sure how much credit goes to Rucka for balancing the characters and how much goes to Jordan B. Gorfinkel, who wrote the original story. I may have to end up reading the comics to find out. As it is, though, we get several view points from several characters, but it never feels disjointed or convoluted.

I really did enjoy this book and was happy I picked it up. It's a dark and gritty tale that is fitting of a Batman story. If you're more of a fan of thrillers, this might be a good crossover book to get you interested in comics. If you're a comic fan, this might be a good book to get you interested in novels. Overall, I happily give 3.5 hoots.

              Hoot!Hoot!

               Hoot!Hoo