Early Book Review: Frizzy by Claribel A. Ortega, Rose Bousamra

Frizzy is a middle grade graphic novel by Claribel A. Ortega and Rose Bousamra that is currently scheduled for release on October 18 2022.  Marlene loves three things: books, her cool Tía Ruby and hanging out with her best friend Camila. But according to her mother, Paola, the only thing she needs to focus on is school and "growing up." That means straightening her hair every weekend so she could have "presentable", "good hair". But Marlene hates being in the salon and doesn't understand why her curls are not considered pretty by those around her. With a few hiccups, a dash of embarrassment, and the much-needed help of Camila and Tia Ruby—she slowly starts a journey to learn to appreciate and proudly wear her curly hair.

Frizzy is a wonderful graphic novel that had me fighting back tears more than once. While I have never been in Marlene's position regarding something so much a part of me as my hair, I have felt othered and looked down on by those that should have been my safe place. I could understand how she felt when her family made comments about being more lady like and trying harder to fit in. I think just about everyone can think of a time, particularly in our childhood and teen years, when we felt like the world was against us and everything is unfair, and every reader is likely to be able to relate to the story a bit.  I was glad to learn a bit more about how hard it is to take proper care of curly hair, and how it feels to have something that is a part of you have so many connotations and perceptions by just about everyone. I knew about fights about school and work dress codes in regards to hair styles, and I understood on some level about some of the thoughts and feelings surrounding hair, but I was glad to get such a better understanding of it.  I think that the story and art are paired perfectly and tell a highly engaging story. I hope some readers see themselves in this story and have the bravery and support to do what they feel best about in regards to their own self, the willingness to try new things, and the ability to find and have the courage talk to a trusted adult and friend about all the things going on in their heads and hearts. 

Frizzy is a great graphic novel about loving yourself, and being brave enough to make the changes you want. 

Book Review: The Christmas Sneak (Hope's Turn Holidays) by Marie Harte

The Christmas Sneak is the second book in the Hope's Turn Holidays series by Marie Harte. While returning readers will be far more invest in the characters, both primary and secondary, those new to the series will be able to catch up quickly and enjoy the story. 

Ex-NFL star Deacon Flashman had the perfect woman in the palm of his hands, and dropped the ball. Considering Deacon’s past performances, that isn’t news. An injury cut short his football career, and then he got taken for millions by a greedy ex-wife. But Deacon’s luck has changed. He’s got a great job, and he’s recently become an uncle again. With the holidays close, he’s getting a second chance. Nora Nielson, the woman who got away, is back. Now he needs to figure out a way to get into her good graces. A relationship with Nora is everything he wants, and everything that scares him. But to let the past go, he’ll have to go big or go home. And the stakes have never been higher

The Christmas Sneak is a fun read with good characters. I liked both Deacon and Nora. I liked their dynamic, their give and take of snark and sweet. I loved the secondary characters and the story of the bigger picture of family and friends around them. I just could not love the read, as much as I wanted to. I remember when I first read this author, I was heavily invested in every series, because she does the community, family, and town connections so very well. All of that was on point here as well. I just felt like the main couple had things a little too perfect. Yes, they each had issues to work out, and they had to get better at communication, but Deacon seem to be way too perfect- his issues kind of stemmed in part from being too nice a guy- and he just kept rolling in that direction. Their individual issues seemed to line up too well, and it felt like some never really got handle, just acknowledge as a reason for certain reactions or behaviors and then the moved it on along. Honestly, I did enjoy the book as I was reading it, there was just so much potential for it to be even better that I felt was missed.

The Christmas Sneak is a good romance, with good characters. It just did not grab me the way the first books I read from this author.  

Book Review: Mind Games: 10 Fun Optical Illusions and Perception Projects by Scientific American Editors

Mind Games: 10 Fun Optical Illusions and Perception Projects by Scientific American Editors is a children's nonfiction book. What concepts are behind the creation of cartoons and the ability to seemingly make a dot on a page disappear? Readers will learn the answers through the ten hands-on activities featured in this intriguing title. Each optical illusion is broken down using step-by-step instructions paired with helpful illustrations. Accessible text reveals the important scientific ideas behind each activity, such as the principles of human vision, perception, and light.

Mind Games is a well organized and accessible book that would be a good classroom, homeschooling, and public library addition.  I thought the book is well formatted, with well written text that explains the concept and related experiment well. I thought the extended information to help formulate a science fair project or further experimentation was a nice touch. The tools and items needed for the experiments were all things most likely already in the home, which makes the experiments so much more doable, and repeatable as desired. I also liked that an explanation of the scientific method was included, for those that might think they know what it is but need a bit more detail to be able to apply or explain it themselves. I also liked that a glossary and resources for further research were included as well. 

Early Book Review: His Christmas Guardian by Cindy Dees

His Christmas Guardian by Cindy Dees is a romantic suspense novel currently scheduled for release on October 25 2022. CIA Agent Alex Creed’s mission is to take down a deadly criminal before Christmas and only Nick Kane stands in his way. After the same target, and trained to be enemies, do they dare become more? The black ops agent claims he’s after the same target and that working together is the best plan. Never before has Alex been so attracted to someone he shouldn’t trust. Especially knowing Nick has a bit of a death wish, while Alex envisions a future together. 

His Christmas Guardian has a good premise, and I thought that Alex and Nick were good characters. I did feel like there were moments that they were just a little too perfect, but for the most part I found that they each had some realistic issues that would need to be overcome for them in the future beyond this book. I did like the alternative points of view, and thought that gave me a better understanding of where everyone stood, and what their concerns were even before they could express them.  However, I did feel like this was part of a larger series. That some of the characters mentioned in passing and some of the situations discussed could be found elsewhere. None of this made the read less enjoyable, in fact I think that those that really like it will be out hunting for those other books, but I felt like it was not mentioned in the blurb or on the cover that it was part of a series, which bothered me a little. I felt like I was only getting a small part of a much bigger story, and that more could have been done even just with Nick and Alex to make it all feel a little less easy. 

His Christmas Guardian is a good romance with a decent amount of suspense and action.

Book Review: Wait Till Helen Comes by Mary Downing Hahn

Wait Till Helen Comes by Mary Downing Hahn is a graphic novel adaptation by Scott Peterson, Meredith Laxton, and Russ Bedgett of what is often considered Mary Downing Hahn's spookiest and most popular tale. Two siblings must save their stepsister from the clutches of a vengeful ghost. When their mom remarries, Molly and her brother, Michael, try to make friends with their new stepsister, Heather. But Heather only wants to make trouble for them. She lies and tattles and misbehaves, and somehow they always get the blame. They know she’s trying to drive a wedge between her father and their mother so she can have her father all to herself—and it seems to be working. Then, Heather starts playing in the graveyard behind their new house. She claims she can talk to a ghost named Helen, and her behavior gets even stranger. Michael doesn't believe in ghosts and thinks their new little sister is just looking for more attention. But Molly isn't so certain, especially when Heather threatens that Helen is going to come for them and make them sorry. It seems as though things can’t get any worse—but they do. When Helen comes.

Wait Till Helen Comes is a graphic novel with some great art, and a faithful retelling of a classic children's horror story. I have never been a big horror fan, but Hahn was one exception even when I was in the target audience, because of the amount of real feelings ands character development that she packed into each story. I could easily put myself in Molly's shoes the first time I read this story, and even now as a parent I could still see pieces of myself in the story. The scary moments are well done, with a nice build up and culmination of action. I also love the way the conclusion includes a wrap up for family dynamics and some look at how things played out in the aftermath. The story is compelling and complete with a satisfying conclusion. 

Wait Till Helen Comes is a great adaptation of the novel, with a great balance of creepy and character development.

Audiobook Review: Thinking 101: How to Reason Better to Live Better by Woo-kyoung Ahn, Narrated by Lessa Lamb

Thinking 101: How to Reason Better to Live Better was written by Woo-kyoung Ahn, and the audiobook is narrated by Lessa Lamb. Psychologist Woo-kyoung Ahn devised a course at Yale called “Thinking” to help students examine the biases that cause so many problems in their daily lives. It quickly became one of the university’s most popular courses. Now, for the first time, Ahn presents key insights from her years of teaching and research in a book for everyone. She shows how “thinking problems” stand behind a wide range of challenges, from common, self-inflicted daily aggravations to our most pressing societal issues and inequities. Throughout, Ahn draws on decades of research from other cognitive psychologists, as well as from her own groundbreaking studies. And she presents it all in a compellingly accessible style that uses fun examples from pop culture, anecdotes from her own life, and illuminating stories from history and the headlines. 

Thinking 101 is a engaging and well written book that gets readers, or listeners, to think about how they think and why it makes a difference in our lives. Simple thought processes, like giving more weight to a negative than a positive and our reliance on cognitive biases even when we think we are better than that have a huge effect on so many of our choices, big and small.  I found the information to be accessible, and the connections to the authors life and various scientific studies brought everything together and made it more concrete and easier to relate to. I think any reader looking to improve how they think about and interact with the world will be able to get a great deal out of the read. I think owning a printed or digital copy of the text would be great, because there are definitely parts of the book that I know I could stand to revisit and be reminded of on occasion. 

Early Book Review: Buzzkill: A Wild Wander Through the Weird and Threatened World of Bugs by Brenna Maloney

Buzzkill: A Wild Wander Through the Weird and Threatened World of Bugs, written by Brenna Maloney and illustrated by Dave Mottram, is currently scheduled for release on October 11 2022.  The praying mantis is the only animal on Earth with one ear, and it’s in the middle of its chest. Aphids are born pregnant. Moths can’t fly during an earthquake. If you didn’t know these things, you soon will. Packed full of jaw-dropping facts, Buzzkill presents the big picture on bugs. You might think ew, gross. Insects are icky. Or scary. Or dangerous. They can be. But there’s so much more you need to know. Insects play a critical role on our planet, from sustenance to pollination to medicines and more. Brenna Maloney tackles both the wacky and weird, as well as threats to insects and their habitats, their possible extinction, and ways that everyday people, like you, can prevent their decline.

Buzzkill is very well written. The author has a conversational tone, with some sardonic humor through out the book, to keep readers engaged and interested. I do think that this book would be best suited for the middle school and older crowd, but younger readers that are interested in the topic will likely enjoy the read as well. I have read up a bit on creepy crawlies, and I have to admit that even though some of the facts in the book were things I knew, I still learned a great deal of information, and more importantly was able to put what I already knew and what I just learned into a larger context for a bigger picture. I loved the occasional illustrations in the book, and I thought they were charming and fun. I only wish that some of the more unusual insects had illustrations as well rather than suggestions to go Google them on my own. Some readers will not have a phone or computer handy to do that while they are reading for a variety of reasons. That being said, I greatly enjoyed the read and think a number of children, teens, and yes adults will find an education and entertainment from this read.  

Buzzkill is an entertaining and informative read that will teach every reader a little something about insects.

Book Review: A Call to Needles: Acts of Craftivism and Crafted Kindness in the Age of Trump by Dee Ann Eisner

A Call to Needles: Acts of Craftivism and Crafted Kindness in the Age of Trump by Dee Ann Eisner is a comprehensive look at how our needlework became a tool for change, especially in the Age of Trump. Needleworkers have a particular set of skills, and this blending of craft and activism is often referred to as craftivism. This book pays homage to craftivists and needleworkers reacting to challenging times. The ideas, the design and development of patterns, the teams that have been built around these ideas, and the outreach to other needleworkers to support and sustain these efforts deserve more attention. Eisner builds on her backstory, calling on readers to feel their own Call to Needles, whether they participate in an existing project or create a new phenomenon. Writing this book began as the author's coping mechanism while watching the slow chipping away at democracy, both in the US and around the world. It quickly became a passion project. The moment came that, even knowing there was more to discover, the writing simply had to stop. The story will continue, with updates on those in the book and new endeavors at www.acalltoneedles.com.

A Call to Needles taught me a bit about the history of crafting in the activism lens, and I feel like I learned a great deal in that regard. I had no idea about some of the craft related protests and projects, both in our relatively distant history and much more recently. While I knew about the pussyhats and the penguin sweaters, many of the other projects and movements were things I had never heard about and things I very easily could have taken part in. The book has made me more interested in getting involved, and looking more at what I can do locally and globally with my resources and skill sets. I thought the book was informative and inspiring, with a great deal of information and resources to help readers further research the things that interest them and to do some self assessment to understand our own motivation and not only how we can help, but the most effective, efficiently, and ecologically friendly way we can do so. Time to put me privilege, skills, and inability not to have at least two works in progress to better use. 

Book Review: Final Heir (Jane Yellowrock) by Faith Hunter

Final Heir is the fifteenth book in the Jane Yellowrock series by Faith Hunter. You do need to have read most, if not all, of the books in the series to appreciate and understand all of the references and moving parts that come together in this book. 

Jane Yellowrock is the queen of the vampires, and that makes her a target as she fights to maintain control and keep peace in the city of New Orleans. She has enemies at every turn, because vampires live forever, and they keep their grudges alive with them. That includes the Heir, the vampire sire of the Pellissier bloodline, which gave rise to Leo Pellissier himself—Jane’s old boss and the former master of the city. With the Heir and all the forces of darkness he can muster arrayed against her, Jane will need all the help she can get. She’ll find it in her city, her friends, her found family, and, of course, the Beast inside of her.

Final Heir is exactly what I was looking for this far into the series. I feel like so many moments and loose ends were brought back together, and I will admit that even though I have kept up with this series, read most of the short stories related to it, and the spin offs, there were still moments when I had to stop and think about when or how something mentioned came about and how it might come into play here. There were so many characters and connections that Hunter manage to weave into this story, while still keeping character and plot development moving ahead. 

Final Heir is the culmination of a fairly long series, and I think it hits on everything fans want and need to see to make them happy. This is a must read for fans of the series. 

Early Book Review: Operation Pangolin: Saving the World's Only Scaled Mammal by Suzi Eszterhas

Operation Pangolin: Saving the World's Only Scaled Mammal by Suzi Eszterhas is currently scheduled for release on October 4 2022. Prized for their hard scales, pangolins are one of the most poached animals on the planet. They are also highly endangered. Yet scientists know very little about them. Pangolin rescuers and researchers such as Thai Nguyen have the difficult task of saving pangolins, changing local laws to prevent poaching, educating local communities, and learning more about these mysterious creatures. Join author and photographer Suzi Eszterhas in this exploration of the jungles of Vietnam where Thai works with the Save Vietnam's Wildlife organization to save endangered pangolins.

Operation Pangolin: Saving the World's Only Scaled Mammal is a well written and researched book to introduce young readers to pangolins and the threats they face. I first heard about pangolins about five years ago and have been taken by their cuteness. Someone called them (I wish I remember who) "the most endangered animal you've never heard of". and I think that holds true today for most people. I do think awareness has risen- google pangolin memes and you will be thrilled- but even having read about this adorable creatures previously I learned a great deal about them and their habitats in this book. I was goad to see how hard some people are working to preserve these creatures, and hope that this book inspires more people to help however they can, even if it is just sharing the fact that these amazing animals exist and promoting World Pangolin Day (which is is February). 

Operation Pangolin: Saving the World's Only Scaled Mammal  is a great read for those that have never heard of the pangolin and those that want to know more about them.