Book Review: Set on You by Amy Lea

Set on You by Amy Lea is a contemporary romance. Curvy fitness influencer Crystal Chen built her career shattering gym stereotypes and mostly ignoring the trolls. After her recent breakup, she has little stamina left for men, instead finding solace in the gym – her place of power and positivity. Enter firefighter Scott Ritchie, the smug new gym patron who routinely steals her favorite squat rack. Sparks fly as these ultra-competitive foes battle for gym domination. But after a series of escalating jabs, the last thing they expect is to run into each other at their grandparents' engagement party. In the lead up to their grandparents' wedding, Crystal discovers there’s a soft heart under Scott’s muscled exterior. Bonding over family, fitness, and cheesy pick-up lines, they just might have found her swolemate. But when a photo of them goes viral, savage internet trolls put their budding relationship to the ultimate test of strength.

Set on You is a read that does a great job about unpacking some of the self esteem and image issues that run rampant in some of our lives. I liked Crystal and her circle of friends, family, and clients. I thin the variety of approaches to liking and caring about yourself was very well done and will resonate with a variety of readers. I think the situation and aspects around social media and reactions of other people was on point, sadly. I enjoyed the journey with Crystal, and I think that many of us, including those that never got comfortable in the gym, can relate to many of her experiences and thoughts. I will say that as much as I understood and empathized with her I also had moments when I just wanted to shake her and give her some tough love- but I am also a person that tends to turn pain in to manic cleaning or side projects rather than cocooning. I also find Scott to be a little flat and maybe too close to perfect. Yes he had his own issues from the past, but I did not feel like I got as much growth and insight into him as Crystal- and the dual growth and change is something I really enjoy in a story. All of this is my personal preference, and nothing that is actually wrong with the book.. I van think of many people that would connect to this read more closely and deeply than I, and I have a few I will be recommending it to.

Set on You is an engaging and entertaining read. 

Early Book Review: 28 Dates (Crazy Love) by Stacy Lynn

28 Dates is the third book in the Crazy Love series by Stacy Lynn. It is currently scheduled for release on June 11 2019. Each of the books in this series can be read on its own, but returning characters make reading the books together even better. 

 

Caitlin Pappas is a lifelong commitment-phobe. The closest thing she’s had to a relationship in the last few years was a friends-with-benefits thing that fizzled out because the guy wanted more. So when she and her best friend design a new app that promises to find “the one”, Caitlin is the perfect guinea pig. Little does she know that she may have already met her match. Jonas Reeves has tried his best to move on after Caitlin didn’t want take things to the next level. Now they really are just friends, without benefits. Caitlin’s even a regular at his bar, The Dirty Martini. But when he learns that Caitlin plans to beta-test a new dating app on his home turf, Jonas senses a golden opportunity to win her heart. Even if he has to slide into her DMs to do it. 

28 Dates is a romance with lots of heart, and emotion but less heat than I have come to expect. This is not a bad thing, it works perfectly with this story. If there had been more heat I think it would have destroyed some of the character and story building that made the tension and story itself so poignant. Caitlin has little faith in love, after having a less than stellar history with family and support. However, great friends have lowered some of her walls- and lingering feelings for Jonas confuse and worry her. Jonas is confidant that real love exists, and he wants a future with Caitlin enough to risk everything. I love the conversations they have, and how hard they work to keep the other around even when they think friendship is all they will ever have. I really loved the secondary characters and how everything comes together for our couple, in spite of themselves. This was a feel good love story that often had me smiling as I read.

The only thing that bothered me has nothing to do with the writing, but with the cover. Caitlin's red hair is mentioned many, many times in the story- but the cover model clearly is not a redhead. I know the author does not always have say in the cover image, but I would hope that someone along the way would check character descriptions against cover images. Just saying.

28 Dates is another novel with heart from Lynn. I love the writing style and depth of character. I think all fans of the author will be thrilled with this offering, and be waiting for what ever she does next. 

Early Book Review: Kickin' It (Red Card) by Rachel Van Dyken

Kickin' It is the second book in the Red Card series by Rachel Van Dyken. It is currently scheduled for release on June 11 2019. Each of the books can be read on its own, but there are returning characters so it is simply more fun to read as a series.

Successful, high-profile sports agent Matt Kingston thinks he can handle anything. Then soccer player Parker Speedman shows up at his door. She is young and gorgeous, has natural talent, and is looking for a team. She’s also a hothead with a punchy past who floored her last coach on live TV. Despite his misgivings, Matt agrees to be both her agent and her coach. Professional common sense says she’s off-limits. But what can he say about the raw attraction between them? Parker plays soccer with her heart and soul. But after the events of the last year, she’s shaken. She’s already seen what a powerful man can do to a female athlete’s career. And her beloved dream is in the hands of a sexy, gorgeous man with the uncanny ability to slip past her defense and into her heart. Now Matt and Parker are about to learn that when it comes to love, the only way to win is by breaking every rule they know. And by playing nice. Real nice.

Kickin' It has some great laughs, and some very hard moments, which balance the book. I love the banter and spark, not just between Parker and Matt, but with the entire group of friends and family that make up the main characters. I liked the set up, and simply love Willow and the way Jagger and Slade offer their own quips through the story. I think that the support offered to Parker through the entire book was fabulous, and I thought that her anxiety and self doubt were very realistic and sadly something that many will be able to relate to. I think her battle and strength will help readers that have been in similar situations embrace their own inner strength and stand up for themselves and others. More importantly, it might show someone who needs to know it that they are not alone, and that it is certainly not their fault no matter what. I enjoyed getting to know Matt and Parker's characters more, and getting to see them find happiness and peace. 

Kickin' It is the second book I have read from this author, but it will not be the last. She delivers contemporary romance with heart and tackles some tough topics.

Book Review: Catnapped (Sugar Shack) by Susan Golden

Catnapped is the first book in the Sugar Shack series by Susan Golden. Jennifer's discovery that a cat in her care has been snatched and is being held for a curious, but outwardly benign, ransom, sets the pair on a path of overcoming seemingly impossible obstacles and absurd situations to meet the odd demand. But everything may not be as it seems and the stakes may be much higher than freedom for one kitty. 

Catnapped is quirky in a way that reminded me of Lindsay Sands and Kate MacAlister's early books. The writing was very conversational, and the characters often went off on their own tangent, which made the read very fun but occasionally the non sequiturs got hard to follow. I liked Jennifer's character, how honest she is about herself and her quirks- and her self-doubt was realistic but felt a little overdone in certain moments. I like that while the mystery and romance bits were separate but found a way to be woven together. I really enjoyedt he conversations and odd characters that seem to invite themselves into Jen's life. I did find some of the time line jumping off putting- and there were important things that felt a little glossed over because of that. However, I am glad I picked this one up and enjoyed the read. I will be taking a look at future books from the author to see if the writing style grows into the potential I see in it. 

Catnapped is a fun and delightfully wacky book. It entertained me and I enjoyed the read.

Book Review: Magic For Nothing (InCryptid) by Seanan McGuire

Magic For Nothing is the sixth book in the InCryptid series by Seanan McGuire. I have listened to a few of this series on audiobook and loved them. The ones I have listened to are from Verity's or Alex's point of view, so It was nice to get another look at the Price family.

As the youngest of the three Price children, Antimony is used to people not expecting much from her. She’s been happy playing roller derby and hanging out with her cousins, leaving the globe-trotting to her older siblings while she stays at home and tries to decide what she wants to do with her life. She always knew that one day, things would have to change. She didn’t think they’d change so fast. Annie’s expectations keep getting shattered. She didn’t expect Verity to declare war on the Covenant of St. George on live television. She didn’t expect the Covenant to take her sister’s threat seriously. And she definitely didn’t expect to be packed off to London to infiltrate the Covenant from the inside…but as the only Price in her generation without a strong resemblance to the rest of the family, she’s the perfect choice to play spy. They need to know what’s coming. Their lives may depend on it. But Annie has some secrets of her own, like the fact that she’s started setting things on fire when she touches them, and has no idea how to control it. Now she’s headed halfway around the world, into the den of the enemy, where blowing her cover could get her killed. She’s pretty sure things can’t get much worse. Antimony Price is about to learn just how wrong it’s possible for one cryptozoologist to be.

Magic For Nothing is the in depth introduction to Antimony, after also seeing her through her family's eyes so far. She is just as capable as her siblings, but has her own troubles to face. She has to hide her identity to find out just what the Covenant knows, and what their plans are before there is more fall out from her sister's televised fight. Things get more and more complicated as she has to go further undercover and comes to care about the members of the show she was sent to observe. Readers get a much better understanding of Anne, and an even deeper look at the current state of the Covenant and the crypto world as it stand in the series. I loved watching Anne find her place in each of the new situations she finds herself in, and getting the explanations of how she feels with her family, and how that affected how they see her.  Combined with her skills and the dangers she has to faceb made me connect with Anne in ways I did not connect with Verity or Alex. The combination of character development and introduction with the adventure and danger was extremely well done, and I cannot wait to see where Anne's story goes from here. In fact, I already have the next book in my Audible queue. 

Magic For Nothing is another fantastic book from McGuire. I am eager to listen to the next book in this series, and her books are on my must read list. 

Book Review: Tap: A Love Story by Tracy Ewens

Tap: A Love Story by Tracy Ewens is a stand alone romance by Ewens. The books do build on each other and make for a more satisfying read when read together, but they stand beautifully together or alone. I greatly enjoyed the books I have read, and am going to go back and read some of the ones I have missed.

Cade McNaughton is the last man standing. His brothers have all found love. Despite his recent oh-so-revealing Instagram nightmare and his family’s subsequent disappointment, Cade is ready to fall for a woman who cares more about the last book he read and less about his body. But amid the buzz and banter of tending Foghorn Brewery’s bar, Cade is not exactly settle-down material. All that’s about to change, starting with buzzing off his fauxhawk and sporting a cardigan that has everyone talking. Sistine Branch has more bills than money, yet she’s fine eating barbecue chips for dinner if it means keeping her knitting shop open. But when her lights go out and the electrician puts a ten-thousand-dollar price tag on renovations, Sistine’s back is against an old and crumbling wall. For the past two years, she’s relied solely on herself, which makes selling out to the one woman from her past who can ruin everything the worst decision ever. Cade and Sistine are backgammon and end-of-the-bar friends. One rejection, a literal fall into Cade’s arms, and a dinner date with farm animals has them enmeshed in feelings neither thought possible. But, it only takes one lie, a literal fall from grace, and a date with the she-devil to unravel everything they’ve come to know. If they want a real shot, they’ll need to start from the beginning and realize that love is often a tangled mess, sometimes a funny T-shirt, but never perfect.

Tap: A Love Story is a contemporary romance with fun characters and fans of the love story books from Ewens will recognize most of the characters and enjoy seeing the continuation of the previous stories in the background of Cade and Sistine's story. I like both characters, and how they are both a little quirky and fun, while still being good hearted and sweet. The uses of social media and animals was very well done, although I think it might date the books a little in the long run, after Instagram runs it course, but maybe I am wrong there. I did think that Sistine's big secret was not as big of a deal as she thought it was- and that if she had just come out about it in the beginning it would not have even been an issue- and that it was a bigger problem even at that point that I thought it should have been. However, I did think the characters and complications that come with them were fantastic. I am hoping to see more about Sistine's family in future books by Ewens and plan on reading more in the future.

Tap: A Love Story is a delightful romance with quirky characters that made me smile. THere was only one aspect of the book I did not love, but the rest was on point and I think readers will enjoy the read as much as I did.

Book Review: Sharky Malarkey: A Sketchbook Collection by Megan Nicole Dong

Sharky Malarkey: A Sketchbook Collection by Megan Nicole Dong follows the adventures of Bruce, a washed-up shark actor, and a colorful assortment of dysfunctional people, animals, and inanimate objects. Bruce is vain but insecure; hotheaded but cowardly; craves attention but fears intimacy—his over-the-top antics are all too human. Based on Megan Nicole Dong’s popular webcomic, Sketchshark, her debut print collection mines the absurd in everyday life. 

Sharky Malarkey: A Sketchbook Collection is not what I was expecting, but I have never seen the webcomic from the artist so I was coming in fresh. The description says the book is about Bruce, a Hollywood shark, with some moments about the artist. However, the book is the opposite- mostly about the artist and everyday life with just a sprinkle of Bruce.  There were plenty of relatable moments, but I was distracted by the art style which felt a little sloppy and undetailed. I think those that already are fans, and know they enjoy the artists work will want to take a look at the collection. Unfortunately it just did nothing for me.

Book Review: Rock Legend (Nothing But Trouble) by Tara Leigh

Rock Legend is the second book in the Nothing But Trouble series by Tara Leigh. I have not read the first book, but think other newcomers will be able to jump into the series as easily as I did. 

Most people know Landon as the drummer for Nothing but Trouble. Depending who you ask, he is also a playboy, a loner, the life of the party, a screw-up, or according to my fans, "The Sexiest Rock Star on the Planet." It's a reputation that has been earned behind my drum kit and behind closed doors. No one thought foster kid Landon Cox would become famous. Infamous, maybe. Notorious, probably. But successful? Never. No one except Piper Hastings. But he had to make a choice and picked fame and fortune over Piper, and spent every damn day since pretending there were no regrets. Now fate's dropped Piper back into his life and it could be a second chance. But while he is ready to give her a few great nights, he is not quite sure he can give Piper a future.

Rock Legend is a second chance romance and a redemption romance. Landon drinks too much, parties too much, and makes extra big mistakes. Leaving Piper when offered an opportunity with hs band was his biggest mistake- and neither him or Piper are sure they can ever go back now that they are thrown together.  I thought both characters were well written and complex, and I liked some of their interaction. I really like for Landon's issues were handled, never sweeping them under the rug or making them easily solved. He had his demons to face, and he had to make the chose to do so. I thought that was real and emotionally genuine. I liked Piper for the most past, particularly when she is on the job or with others. I do have to admit that I found her to be annoying on occasion, and I often felt that she needed to stick to her guns more in certain situations. While I enjoyed the book as a whole, I was a little let down with her character and she was really the only thing that I I did not consistently enjoy. 

Rock Legend is an entertaining and engaging read with plenty of emotion, growth, and action to keep readers turning pages. I will admit that at first glance I thought it was part of a different series, which is why I picked it up.

Book Review: Sparrow Hill Road by Seanan Mcguire

Sparrow Hill Road by Seanan Mcguire is the first book in a new series, set in the same world as the Incryptid series but with new characters and dealing with the more ghostly residents. 

Rose Marshall died in 1952 in Buckley Township, Michigan, run off the road by a man named Bobby Cross—a man who had sold his soul to live forever, and intended to use her death to pay the price of his immortality. Trouble was, he didn’t ask Rose what she thought of the idea. It’s been more than sixty years since that night, and she’s still sixteen, and she’s still running. They have names for her all over the country: the Girl in the Diner. The Phantom Prom Date. The Girl in the Green Silk Gown. Mostly she just goes by “Rose,” a hitchhiking ghost girl with her thumb out and her eyes fixed on the horizon, trying to outrace a man who never sleeps, never stops, and never gives up on the idea of claiming what’s his. She’s the angel of the overpass, she’s the darling of the truck stops, and she’s going to figure out a way to win her freedom. After all, it’s not like it can kill her. You can’t kill what’s already dead.

Sparrow Hill Road was not what I expected, but in the very best ways. I was expecting something very much like the books I have already read from Mcguire, and while the skill and style were definitely on par the characters and legends felt fresh and new. Rose is a small town girl, turned ghost, dealing with her new 'life' as a hitchhiking ghost and her new obligations. I enjoyed getting to know Rose. While she honestly wants to help and do the right thing, she is not perfect. She has a temper, sometimes makes mistakes, and is sometimes too soft a touch. All of these traits come together to make her a wonderfully real character. The use of urban legends and well known ghost stories was wonderfully done, I have always been fascinated on how legends both ancient and more modern change and grow, so this was right up my alley. The action is paced well, giving nail biting moments interspersed with backstory and important character development. The secondary characters are not flat, while not quite as developed as Rose they are well layers and complex. Even the characters we only see for one interaction are not stereotypes or simple, they feel real and dynamic. Mcguire is wonderful at making characters that I feel like I know, and whose stories I just want more of after the book is over.

Sparrow Hill Road starts what i hope is another long and highly entertain series from Mcguire. In fact, I already have the next book, The Girl in the Green Silk Gown waiting for me on my kindle and I am looking forward to the read.

As a side note- if you prefer audio books I highly recommend giving this book a listen as well as her other books. I have listened to several books from her other series and while she does have a couple different narrators they are all wonderful. 

Book Review: The Money Pit (Barkside of the Moon) by Renee George

The Money Pit is the second book in the Barkside of the Moon series by Renee George. I had not read the first book, but George did such a great job of dropping in important information about the first book that I felt like I had. 

Cougar-shifter Lily Mason is trying hard to live as a human in Moonrise, Missouri. But renting a garage apartment from Parker Knowles, her boss at the Pit Bull Rescue Shelter, is making it difficult to keep her secret. Lily makes an offer on a “fixer-upper” with a checkered past and begins work on getting the place ready for her and her dog Smooshie. The sweet pitbull proves primed for demolition when she scratches a hole in a wall and yanks out a human bone. The investigation brings Lily unwanted attention from the local police chief who has an ax to grind and a murderer desperate to keep the past in the past. Lily needs Smooshie and Parker more than ever if she wants to keep her secret and prevent another killing! 

The Money Pit is a charming mystery with great characters. I enjoyed Lily's character, she is smart and strong with secrets she needs to keep, and innate skills that lead to her knowing other people's secrets. I loved the animals, Smooshie and Elvis were special characters all their own. I think the mystery was well formed and kept me guessing through the book. I was certainly surprised with a couple twists, but in a good way. I greatly enjoyed the read, and will be checking out the other books from George as time allows. The writing style and character development made me happy, and the other authors mentioned in the acknowledgements are some of my favorite in the genre, so that could be part of the feel. 

The Money Pit is a fun, fast paced cozy mystery for dog lovers and mystery fans alike. Rich characters and a unique small town come together for a highly entertaining read. In fact, I bought and downloaded the first book after reading this one, not because I needed the background information, but because I loved the characters so much I wanted more.

Book Review: The Sound of the World By Heart by Giacomo Bevilacqua

The Sound of the World By Heart by Giacomo Bevilacqua is a illustrated journey originally published in Italian, and recently translated to English. An experiment in social isolation turns into a journey of self-discovery as a photojournalist commits to chronicle 60 days in New York city without talking to a single person. More than just an exercise in observation and self-control, he's hoping to forget a troubled past and mend a broken heart. But the city has a sneaky way of throwing the best laid plans and noble efforts to waste revealing secrets that lie right in front of him. All he has to do is open his eyes.

The Sound of the World By Heart is a visually stunning graphic novel that starts with a simple idea. I found that the artwork and the intent made the book a much more emotionally engaging book than I expected, although it did verge on pretentious. Samuel Page is our main character, and I will admit that I found the text hard to read on occasion, but I think that was a combination of font and my digital copy rather than something that will be an issue in a paper copy. I loved this look at contemporary New York City- and think that the visual really saved the book when the narration begins to meander a bit. I thought the love story and emotional journey was interesting, but I think the book wanted to be more philosophical that I was interested in reading, and that diminished my enjoyment a little. 

The Sound of the World By Heart is a beautiful graphic novel, with a good intent but a tendency to veer off toward pretentious. However, it is worth looking through for the artwork alone. 

Book Review: Wraithborn Volume 1 by Marcia Chen, Joe Benitez

Wraithborn Volume 1 collects the six issues of the Redux edition of the Wraithborn story. It was written by Marcia Chen and Joe Benitez.Valin, the apprentice warrior, was next in line to receive "the Wraithborn", but Melanie got in the way of the transfer and ended up gifted with that mystical power.  Together only they can stop an ancient evil from rising and enslaving all humankind.

Wraithborn Volume 1 is a well drawn and visually entertaining graphic novel. I enjoyed the artwork and the story, but think the use of the shy, hapless teenage girl suddenly receiving mystical powers and needing a guy around to explain and save her is more than a little over done. I did like that there were a number of strong female characters tossed in the mix, and that hints of Melanie becoming a strong fighter at some point were there. However, the shy dutiful girl unable or willing to stand up for herself or others is not my idea of a hero, no matter what kind of strength her magical powers will give her. As a fairly withdrawn person myself, I think the writers need to meet a few people more like the character they are writing. Most of the people I know that are willing to let themselves by abused, will fight tooth and nail to keep the same from happening to others- including locker room teasing and such. Aside from Melanie's character flaws, I liked the story, but I was not overly thrilled with it overall.

Book Review: Big Mushy Happy Lump by Sarah Anderson

Big Mushy Happy Lump by Sarah Anderson is a collection of artwork from Sarah's Scribbles along with biographical material including her struggles with anxiety. Swimsuit season is coming up! Better get beach-body ready! Work on those abs! Lift those butts! Or how about never mind to all that and just be a lump, a happy lump. The comics, and the book, are for those of us who boast bookstore-ready bodies and Netflix-ready hair, who are always down for all-night reading-in-bed parties and extremely exclusive after-hour one-person music festivals. 

Big Mushy Happy Lump is a fun bunch of comics that I can relate to. However, it is a lot more than that. Sarah uses the book to share some very personal experience and struggles that she has had with anxiety, depression, and so much more. I think that since I could see myself so clearly in parts of the book, that others will see at least a little of themselves, or someone they love, in the book as well. It helps those of us struggling with life in general because we can see that we are not alone. In fact, I think we make up the majority- if only we could interact enough with each other to share that information. I laughed at moments, and tears threatened at others. I think this is a nice balance of memoir and humor, and that the honest and uplifting tone of the book will resonate with a wide variety of 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.

Book Review: It’s All Absolutely Fine by Ruby Elliot

It’s All Absolutely Fine by Ruby Elliot explores the highs and lows of modern life through the sharp, dark wit of Ruby Elliot—creator of the massively popular Tumblr account, Rubyetc, which has over 210k followers and growing. Ruby’s simple drawings of not-so-simple issues capture the humor and melancholy of everyday life. Her comics appeal to both new adults who are beginning to explore these subjects and to battle-tested veterans of the daily struggles of life with mental illness. It’s All Absolutely Fine is an honest and unapologetic account of day-to-day life as a groaning, crying, laughing sentient potato being for whom things are often absolutely not fine. Through simple, humorous drawings and a few short narratives, the book encompasses everything from mood disorders, anxiety, and issues with body image through to existential conversations with dogs and some unusually articulate birds. Through the drawings, the reader is shown that it is okay to struggle, and that it is okay to talk about struggling, to not undermine oneself by yelling ‘it’s fine’ when it isn’t, and while all this is going on to know that it is absolutely possible to hold on to hope, and of course humor. 

It’s All Absolutely Fine is a collection of art and words that can shown readers that they are not alone. Anyone dealing with anxiety, feeling lost or alone, or battling any mental illness can find bits of their struggle on these pages while offering support and encouragement to keep on moving forward. I found the read made me smile, cry, and feel more empowered in dealing with the world around me and moving toward the future. Fans of Rubyetc's huge online presence will find more of what they love here, and I think the book will foster new fans as well.

Book Review: Scooby Apocalypse Vol. 1 by Keith Griffen, Jim Lee, Howard Potter

Scooby Apocalypse Vol. 1 collects issues 1-6 of a graphic novel by Keith Griffen, Jim Lee, and Howard Potter.  Fred. Daphne. Velma. Shaggy. Scooby-Doo. Roaming the globe in their lime-green Mystery Machine, they've solved countless crimes and debunked dozens of sketchy supernatural shenanigans. But what if the horror was real? Something terrible has transformed our world, turning millions of people into mindless zombie hordes. And only five people well, four people and one mangy mutt have the smarts, the skills and the sheer crazy courage to stare down doomsday.  Can these pesky kids and their canine companion using every incredible contraption in their arsenal defeat the evil that has overwhelmed planet Earth? 

Scooby Apocalypse is a complete new look and origin story for the Scooby gang. I have seen so many different takes, that I was fine with that. I liked that the story started completely fresh, and that it is much more complex than what most expect from Scooby and friends. I liked the use of Daphne's television show and connection with Fred, which has been a tool in previous incarnations- but not to this degree, and not without the rest of the crew already connecting. I liked the twists on Shaggy and Scooby as well, making them more than the comic relief that they often get used for. Shaggy is a much more complicated and compassionate character than I was used to, and not nearly as goofy. Velma is also much more defined in this story, I do not think I ever got more of a backstory for her than her being very smart and isolated- here readers get a multidimensional look at her. The action and story lines are unique and very well done. I will admit that it took me a bit to get used to the gangs new look, and I still wonder why Daphne and Fred still insist on wearing those scarves. I think that the harsh lines and dramatic look are very suited to the story, even if it is not my normal preference.

I will definitely be looking for the second volume of Scooby Apocalypse. I am honestly intrigued and want to see where this is going. I have a feeling that I will be buying the full run and saving it for my son. He is a huge Scooby fan, but is not quite ready for this version. However, he is really close so I am pretty sure that when the run is complete he will be ready for dive on in.

Book Review: Deja Who (Insighter) by MaryJanice Davidson

Deja Who is the first book in the Insighter series by MaryJanice Davidson. Leah Nazir is an Insighter. Reincarnation is her business. But while her clients' pasts are a mess, Leah's is nothing short of tragedy. She's been murdered. A lot. If left to that bitch, destiny, it'll happen again. Leah wants to know who's been following her through time, and who's been stalking her in the present. P.I. Archer Drake has been hired by Leah's mother to keep an eye on her. But the more time he spends watching, the more he finds himself infatuated. Before long, he even finds himself agreeing to help find the person who wants her dead. Now going full-on "rewind," Leah hopes it can stave off the inevitable. After all, she's grown fond of this life, and even fonder of nerdy Archer. But changing her pattern means finding out who her killer is today. And that could be anyone she has come to know and trust. Anyone.

Deja Who has a little bit of everything. There is some worldbuilding, to understand the importance of past lives, and Leah's job to see and explain how those lives could be effecting the daily lives of her clients. The characters are all more than a little quirky, but self- aware of their flaws and idiosyncrasies, which made their conversations, thoughts, and expositions that much more interesting and strange. Leah, Cat, and Archer are all odd people, but in a way that makes them enjoyable to read- most of the time. I have to admit that on occasion it got to be too much and their quirks crossed the line between fun and cute to hit weird and annoying. I found that the mystery part of the book got off to a slow start, because of the world and character building that was necessary to get readers to care about our main players. However, once the mystery got going it was unstoppable and moved very quickly toward the resolution. I liked returning to the quirky writing of Davidson, but am not sure if I will keep following the series. I think that will depend on the blurb for the next book.

Deja Who is full of wacky characters, with a solid mystery interwoven through the insanity. Fans of Davisdon's Queen Betsy series, and other quirky characters she has written, will enjoy this book as well.