Early Book Review: The World’s Greatest Collection of Dad Jokes

The World's Greatest Collection of Dad Jokes is, as the name suggests, a collection of jokes that range from one line puns to dad like stories that just beg for a groan. There are more than 500 dad joke organized in topics—Silly Kids, Action/Reaction, All Puns All the Time, Love & Marriage, One-Liners, Faith—so dads (and fans of dad jokes) can find the right joke for every occasion.

The World's Greatest Collection of Dad Jokes is a solid collection, but I did not find the jokes to be new, or increadably funny. I thought some were good, and did induce a grin or a grin. However, I was hoping for new jokes to use with my pun and silly joke loving son. This collection is well organized and fun, but did not offer me the number and quality of jokes that I was really looking for. It was good enough for a coffee table book or bathroom reading- but not something that I would keep handy for when I need a good joke to add to my arsenal. It was not horrible, I just had high hopes for the book and was a little let down. 

Early Book Review: Monster Heroes by Blake Hoena, Dave Bardin

Monster Heroes written by Blake Hoena and illustrated by Dave Bardin is a transitional chapter book. This book collects four shorter stories by the author and illustrator pair: Ghost Trap, Zombies and Meatballs, Vampires and Veggies, and Witch's Brew.   It is currently scheduled for release on June 1 2017. A zombie, a ghost, a vampire, and a witch make up one unique group of monster friends who don't exactly fit in with the other monsters. While their friends and family are busy scaring humans and doing general scary stuff, our four monster friends are using their skills for the greater good.

Monster Heroes is a series of stories with an idea and artwork that I liked. Ghosts, monsters, and ghoulies that want to help people rather than eat or scare them. The artwork is bright, and sometimes silly, which I think was perfect for the book. The stories were a little fun with good intentioned monsters trying to help and protect people. Even though the book is an easy read, and intended to be, I found it to be a little too simplified. I do not think that is quite the right word, but it is the one that keeps swirling through my mind. I felt like there could have been something more, but I cannot quite put my finger on what. Even with a simple vocabulary big ideas and humor can be abundant.  I have read a lot of easy readers and transitional chapterbooks- and while they are easy readers the best ones have something that help the reader connect with the characters and I could not find the connection here. I wanted to love the book, but I just did not.

Monster Heroes is a transitional chapter book with many playful and bright illustrations. Readers that like Casper and similar stories about creatures that should be scary being nice will enjoy the read. I found it to be a little too simplified and stiff- but I do think there are many readers out there that will enjoy the story.

Book Review: The House of Months and Years by Emma Trevayne

The House of Months and Years by Emma Trevayne is a middle grade novel with a Gothic or horror feel. When her distant aunt and uncle die, Amelia Howling is forced to move into their home when they leave her parents in charge of their children. Her parents assure her that it will be like having a grand adventure with three new siblings, but Amelia is not convinced. Luckily, the house is large, filled with nooks and crannies perfect for hiding from her cousins. But even with all the nooks and crannies, the rumbling and crumbling rooms are more sinister than they seem. The house was built years ago by a creature named Horatio, and he’s been waiting for the perfect human inhabitant: Amelia. Horatio has the power to travel through time and memories, and lures Amelia into his world. The memories of children, he told her, were the best, and Amelia agreed—her cousins were full of good memories. Until she noticed that once she and Horatio visited a memory, it was gone forever. And she had been stealing the good memories of her cousins and their parents without even noticing! Horrified and scared, Amelia lets her cousins in on her secret, and asks them for help. Together, they must race through time to recover their minds and break the perfect clockwork of the evil Calendar House.

The House of Months and Years is an eerie adventure with a Gothic atmosphere that comes alive. The writing style is lyrical, with significant metaphors and descriptions that paint the picture of the moods of the characters and the atmosphere of the house. I liked Amelia’s character, who has to make some big changes and knows that what she is feeling towards her now larger family is not fair to them, but cannot change those feelings. The concept of the Boogeyman stealing good memories and the steps Amelia and her cousins had to take together make for a compelling story. I could find no fault with the story, but I never really felt enthralled by the story even though it was exactly what I normally like. Good characters, a creepy atmosphere and big bad, and coming to terms with relationships and life were all there. I think the volume of descriptive text was what

The House of Months and Years had all the things that usually make me love a book, but for some reason I just never got completely drawn in. The story had suspense, character development, and some good creepy moments. I am not sure why the book and I never connected, but I think it will be a favorite for many readers.

Book Review: Shadowed Souls edited by Jim Butcher and Kerrie L. Hughes

Shadowed Souls, edited by Jim Butcher and Kerrie L. Hughes, is a collection of urban fantasy featuring short stories from Jim Butcher, Seanan McGuire, Kevin J. Anderson, and Rob Thurman. These stories offer nothing is as simple as black and white, light and dark, good and evil. Unfortunately, that is exactly what makes it so easy for the characters in these tales to cross the line. In Jim Butcher's Cold Case, Molly Carpenter—Harry Dresden's apprentice-turned-Winter Lady—must collect a tribute from a remote Fae colony and discovers that even if you're a good girl, sometimes you have to be bad. In Seanan McGuire's Sleepover finds half-succubus Elsie Harrington kidnapped by a group of desperate teenage boys. Not for anything “weird.” They just need her to rescue a little girl from the boogeyman, no biggie. In Kevin J. Anderson's Eye of Newt, Zombie P.I. Dan Shamble's latest client is a panicky lizard missing an eye who thinks someone wants him dead. But the truth is that someone only wants him for a very special dinner. In Rob Thurman's infernally heroic Caliban Leandros takes a trip down memory lane as he deals with some overdue—and nightmarish—vengeance involving some quite nasty Impossible Monsters. There are also stories from genre favorites Tanya Huff, Kat Richardson, Jim C. Hines, Anton Strout, Lucy A. Snyder, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, and Erik Scott de Bie.

Shadowed Souls is a fine collection of short stories connected by characters forced to venture into the shades of gray in the process of trying to do the right thing, or what needs to be done. I really enjoyed the look into Molly Carpenter's mind, as I am a long standing fan of Jim Butcher. I also particularly enjoyed the contributions of Lucy A. Snyder, Kat Richardson, Seanan McGuire, and Tanya Huff. None of the stories stuck me a badly written, but some I just did not connect with as easily as I did others. In some cases it was because I had not read the books set in the same world as the short story, and some it was merely a matter of my personal preferences. However, I think collections like this are a great sampler for those looking to explore new authors without committing to an entire book or series.

Shadowed Souls is a nice collection for fans of the urban fantasy genre, and a nice way to visit the worlds of favorite authors as we wait for the continuation of their next book, and a fun way to explore the writing style of other authors that just might become new favorites. As with any collection, there were some stories that I enjoyed more than others. However, I think this is a great collection for anyone that enjoys reading about characters discovering how far into the dark side they might be willing to go for the greater good, or the good of those they care for most.

Early Book Review: All Birds Have Anxiety by Kathy Hoopman

All Birds Have Anxiety by Kathy Hoopman is a children’s nonfiction book currently scheduled for release on March 21 2017. Life as a bird can be stressful! From worrying about airplanes, windows, and getting enough worms to eat, it is clear that birds can be anxious beings. Through a light-touch, quizzical depiction of bird behavior, this book uses colourful images and astute explanations to explore with gentle humor what it means to live with anxiety day-to-day, and how to begin to deal with it.

All Birds Have Anxiety is a book that deals with anxiety, and how to cope with it. I like that the book pairs images of real birds with the explanations of anxiety- what it is, what it feels like, and how to mitigate its effects on your life.  This makes the book a great tool for children dealing with anxiety themselves, or for those that have seen it in others and want to understand. Even adults reading this with their children or a classroom might find little phrases from the book that bring home something they might have missed in understanding anxiety. I really like that the book offers the simple information, like how anxiety can make  you feel, as well as resources for those that need more tools to handle their own anxiety. I am thrilled that the book points out that everyone feels anxiety, but that some of us have more than others- and it is not fun but it is not something to feel ashamed or more anxious about. The tools and resources the book offers are very useful and I think the book offers humor and face in a package that can encourage understanding and empathy.

All Birds Have Anxiety validates the experiences of anxiety, provides understanding of the many symptoms associated with anxiety, and offers compassionate suggestions for change. The combination of humor, understanding, and resources make this a valuable introduction to anxiety disorder for those diagnosed with this condition, their family and friends and those generally interested in understanding anxiety.

Early Book Review: How to do Homework Without Throwing Up by Trevor Romain

How to do Homework Without Throwing Up by Trevor Romain is a children’s non fiction book that is currently scheduled for release on April 1 2017. Homework isn’t going anywhere, and kids need to learn to do it. This updated classic provides specific tips for starting, doing, and finishing homework—and maybe even laughing while they learn. Kids will also learn how to make a homework schedule, when to do the hardest homework (first!), the benefits of doing homework, and more—serious suggestions delivered with wit and humor because laughter makes learning fun. Refreshed to address modern distractions like the Internet and electronic devices, this updated classic (with hilarious full-color illustrations) helps kids see that they can handle their homework and emphasizes how terrific it feels when they finish.

How to do Homework Without Throwing Up is a simply written book that tries to get young readers to understand that while doing homework is not fun, it is necessary and fighting it only makes things worse. The ideas, suggestions, and tools that the book offers are all pretty simple to implement- setting up a routine and having a snack being among my personal favorites. The illustrations are fun and emphasizes the ideas that the text is trying to get across. This could be helpful for families struggling with big homework battles. However, I found that the text includes things that would only be relevant to older students, while seeming to be aimed at a younger audience. It felt a bit like those skits that school kids are forced to sit through in school assemblies- where the points being made are good but the delivery is a little to corny to really stick with the target audience.

Book Review: Highland Chieftain by Hannah Howell

Highland Chieftain is the twenty first book in the Murrays series by Hannah Howell. Each of these books can be read on their own, however having read at least one of the books in the series will give readers a feel for some of the surprises that the book is likely to offer. 

Responsible for protecting her younger siblings from their abusive father, Bethoc Matheson is in no position to rescue another soul in Scotland. Yet when she sees a bleeding man on the verge of drowning, that's exactly what she does, securing him safely in a cave where she can return day after day to tend to his wounds. Sir Callum MacMillan can scarcely believe such a slight lass as Bethoc could save him from the grasp of death. But he knows the telltale marks of an angry fist on her skin, and he knows she has the soul of a fighter within her feminine frame. Raised to be a protector of the weak by his Murray clansmen, Callum would prefer to be the one saving her—and save her, he will. If he can first survive the treacherous attack that led him into her irresistible arms.

Highland Chieftain is a return to a series that I feel like I have not read in a long time. While only vaguely connected to the books I had read, I still knew what to expect. Both Bethoc and Callum have been through horrible things, and are fighting their way through another round of trouble. However, even after facing abusive beginnings and having the issues that that can cause, they are both people bent on helping and protecting others. I love that Bethoc is willing to trust others, though not in a way that puts her more at risk. Granted she is a lucky Murray family member with a special gift that helps with that. Callum's history is more brutal, and described in less detail, but his fears and issues are so real for those that have experienced such abuse. While so much of the relationship could be solved early on with talk and working through their issues, I found the resolution and the people they interact with on the way to be an enjoyable part of the story- while it normally makes me antsy to get to the conclusion. It offered me exactly what I was expecting- a wonderful weekend read that I was able to escape into.

Highland Chieftain was a nice return to the story of the extended Murray family and Howell's writing style. I know I missed a few books from this series, but this is a nice comfort read for me. Yes, bad things happen- but love, understanding, and family win out and true love is the victor. Howell offers another enjoyable, quick read that I enjoyed.

Book Review: Even Ninjas have Nightmares by J.C. Rouses

Even Ninjas have Nightmares is a picturebook by J.C. Rouses.When a young ninja is confronted by a monster that hides under his bed, the boy must battle his own fears in order to understand that even the strongest people can get scared sometimes. He denies his fears, and wakes the house in his fierce denial even as he wakes up with nightmares and scares. Finally our ninja admits those fears and realizes that not only is he not alone, but he can still be a brave ninja even if he has nightmares.

Even Ninjas have Nightmares is a picturebook that takes the common fears, and attempted denial of them, and shows young readers that it is okay to be afraid. It is the admission of fear and facing them, and helping others face their fears, that makes you brave. I love the illustrations and the repeated awakens of the young ninja. The artwork is a perfect pairing to the story and offer extra bits of humor and details to the larger story. I think my favorite part was the end when the ninja comforts and helps his little sister face her own fears and nightmares. I think that added a special value to the lesson and might help young readers with understanding and empathy if they do not have nightmare problems of their own.

Early Book Review: Star Scouts by Mike Lawrence

Star Scouts is a children's graphic novel by Mike Lawrence, and is currently scheduled for release on March 21 2017. Avani is the new kid in town, and she’s not happy about it. Everyone in school thinks she’s weird, especially the girls in her Flower Scouts troop. Is it so weird to think scouting should be about fun and adventure, not about makeovers and boys, boys, boys? But everything changes when Avani is “accidentally” abducted by a spunky alien named Mabel. Mabel is a scout too, a Star Scout. Collecting alien specimens (like Avani) goes with the territory, along with teleportation and jetpack racing. Avani might be weird, but in the Star Scouts she fits right in. If she can just survive Camp Andromeda, and keep her dad from discovering that she’s left planet Earth, she’s in for the adventure of a lifetime.

Star Scouts is a wonderful graphic novel about a young girl named Avani. She is not into boys and the popular music, she is different and stuck in the rut of wallowing in her unhappiness, so much so that she does not notice other peoples unhappiness. Then she meets Mabel and her group of Star Scouts she finds a great group of friends, and a fellow outsider in Mabel. They face challenges, including the classic battle with a bully in a fresh form, and find out a lot about themselves and friendship on the way. I think readers of all ages can empathize with Avani and Mabel, with the way they feel left out or not good enough. Even adults still face these feelings, and seeing others going through it in books and movies helps us all feel a little less odd. I also enjoyed the artwork very much. I think readers that will identify with the characters, and even those that feel more confident and comfortable in their own skin, can get a lot out of that part of the story. Oh, the adventure and danger portions of the story was awesome to, but I just identified so much with the emotional aspect that it is what stayed with me the longest. It was bright and colorful, and very detailed. 

Star Scouts is a well drawn comic about adventure, finding yourself, and friendship. I really enjoyed the book and think that it will hit the sweet spot with many readers. 

Book Review: Renegade Dragon by Lolita Lopez

Renegade Dragon is the fourth book in the Dragon Heat series by Lolita Lopez. I have read two of the three previous books, but think newcomers could enjoy the read without the full back story, but as always knowing a bit more of the mythology and about the main players always helps. The previous books are Dead Sexy Dragon, Red Hot Dragon, and Wicked Dark Dragon. 

When her best friend goes missing during Spring Break, bio-engineering student Eris Jones refuses to believe Ivy is dead and follows the trail of clues to a mysterious, secluded estate. Locked away in the lair beneath his home, dragon shifter Niko Drakon suffers terribly from a massive overdose of a synthetic drug that forces his body into the mating heat. When her sweet, alluring scent hits him, Niko's dragon overtakes him and he breaks free from his bonds. Captured by the snarling, winged creature, Eris thinks she must be hallucinating when her touch transforms him into a human male-a dangerously sexy and highly seductive male. After one taste of Eris, Niko realizes a single week will never be enough. He wants her forever by his side and in his bed. But convincing the human to take a chance on a dragon won't be easy and suddenly Niko is faced with the hardest choice in his centuries of life.

Renegade Dragon is a high action, and entertaining read. I like that Eris an independent, smart woman. I did not like her immediate acceptance to Nico and all the weird that goes along with having eaten a mythical apple and being chased down by a dragon slash man after having broken into his house in search of her missing best friend. Yes, mates and pheromones, and mystical whatever, but there was no real adjustment or freaking out, or anything. she just kind of goes with it even after all hell breaks loose. That always bothers me. Not that I want a woman (or man for that matter) to freak out and get hysterical, but some actual concerns or safety attempts might be a better option than sleeping with the random dragon guy. Just saying. Niko is a good guy, a bit one dimensional but it has been so long since I have read anything from the series that I have forgotten any previous knowledge of his character and why he had himself locked in a dungeon while pumped full of a synthetic drug that strengthened his urge to mate- which strikes me as a really bad idea-  but I am reasonably certain there must have been a reason. Once you get past logic and desire to survive, the story is a lot of fun. It is high action, with some high drama moments. The inclusion of a bit of mythology was fun, and I liked the touch of science as well. A good read for staying warm on a snow day, which is when I read it.

Renegade Dragon is a good paranormal romance, but the insta-love and acceptance that is so important in getting mates together her, and the shrugging off all the weird is what makes the series less than perfect for me. Great for a hot weekend read, but not a series that I would hunt down or re read.