Early Book Review: Squire & Knight by Scott Chantler

Squire & Knight by Scott Chantler is a middle grade graphic novel currently scheduled for release on May 9 2023. A young squire tackles mysteries, monsters and magic, but the inept knight he serves takes the credit. Every time. Squire is brainy, bookish, and terribly under-appreciated by the brawny, inept knight Sir Kelton, who somehow always gets all the glory. So when the two mismatched heroes find themselves in a cursed village plagued by a demonic dragon, Kelton rides off to slay it and Squire stays behind to catch up on some reading. But Squire starts to notice that something isn’t quite right about this town. Can he uncover its strange secrets?

Squire & Knight is a fun graphic novel that has fantasy, mystery, and character growth. I was glad to read in the author comments that the squire and knight in the story were inspired by T.H. White's 'Wart' and his brother from Sword in the Stone, because that was the vibe I got from the pair as I was reading. I enjoyed getting to follow the squire around as he explores the town and investigates what is happening and how the problems could be solve while the knight goes off ready to fight at a moment's notice. I thought the art and story were perfectly matched and I really liked the art style. I think this graphic novel will appeal to a wide range of readers, from elementary school age readers through adults. It is well balanced in the adventure and mystery, and I enjoyed every moment of the story, and think that others will as well. 

Squire & Knight is a well written and drawn story that had me entertained and engaged the entire read. I am looking forward to more.

Early Book Review: The Genius Kid's Guide to Mythical Creatures by Sara Novak

The Genius Kid's Guide to Mythical Creatures by Sara Novak is currently scheduled for release on May 2 2023. From beautiful mermaids and gentle unicorns to fire-breathing dragons and bloodthirsty vampires, mysterious beings and magical beasts appear in stories told all around the world. The Genius Kid’s Guide to Mythical Creatures highlights 20 of these legendary beings, detailing each creature’s appearance and behavior, as well as where and how legends about it began. The text also explores how the stories have changed and developed over time. Readers learn everything they need to know about their favorite myths and monsters, as well as plenty of fun trivia to impress their friends.

The Genius Kid's Guide to Mythical Creatures offers readers some basic information about cryptids and creatures of legend. The information was all in line with what I have read and seen elsewhere- so I think readers that have already done some reading on the subject will not find much that is new to them, but those that have not broached the topic yet will get a good foundation on the creatures covered. I was more than a little disappointed that most, if not all, of the images were from shutterstock. I would have liked to see more effort put into that aspect of the book.  I did appreciate the endmatter, the glossary and resource list at the end were a nice addition to the book. Although, I was expecting some kind of quiz in here somewhere, but perhaps they were in the sections of the galley that had some formatting issues, which I fully expect to be fixed prior to the publication. 

Book Review: What the Hex by Jessica Clare

What the Hex by Jessica Clare is the follow up to Go Hex Yourself. It can be read as part of the series, but stands up as a stand alone as well. Penny Roundtree wants nothing more than to be a familiar to a witch. She’s been a member of the Society of Familiars ever since she was old enough to join the Fam. There’s just a small problem—no one’s hiring. Witches and warlocks are so long-lived that there are far more familiars available than witches to train them. So when an unorthodox arrangement to apprentice under the table to a forbidden warlock presents itself, she takes it. Willem Sauer is banned from having a familiar due to past transgressions, thereby limiting his magic-casting abilities. Unfortunately for the surly, Prussian warlock, he has no choice but to work with enthusiastic Penny as a familiar. They immediately clash like dried roan horsehair and honeycomb gathered by moonlight (it’s a terrible spell combination, ask anyone). Casting spells has delightful perks Penny never could have dreamed of, but also greater dangers. Someone is targeting Penny. Willem and Penny must work together to catch their enemy, and if their ploy requires a little kissing on the side, who is to question the rules of magic?

What the Hex is a romance with a nice balance of mystery and magic in the mix. While readers that read the first book in the series will have a head start in knowing the characters and set up of the witch/familiar details in this world, I think new comers to the author will be able to catch on quickly, and be interested enough to go back and read what they already missed. I listened to the first book, so it took me a bit to get into the groove of the story after switching format, but I still really enjoyed the read. I thought the character development was well done, and I really got into the mystery and suspense elements. I thought the story did a good job of moving a larger plot line ahead along with the romance, and I look forward to seeing how the witch and familiar society changes and who finds their happy ever after next. 

What the Hex is a solid romance and a good continuation of the series. I look forward to the next installment.

Early Book Review: Best Men by Sidney Karger

Best Men by Sidney Karger is currently scheduled for release on May 2 2023. Max Moody thought he had everything figured out. He’s trying to live his best life in New York City and has the best friend a gay guy could ask for: Paige. She and Max grew up next door to each other in the suburbs of Chicago. She can light up any party. She finishes his sentences. She’s always a reliable splunch (they don’t like to use the word brunch) partner. But then Max’s whole world is turned upside down when Paige suddenly announces some huge news: she’s engaged and wants Max to be her man of honor. Max was always the romantic one who imagined he would get married before the unpredictable Paige and is shocked to hear she’s ready to settle down. But it turns out there’s not just one new man in Paige’s life—there are two. There's the groom, Austin, who’s a perfectly nice guy. Then there's his charming, fun and ridiculously handsome gay younger brother, Chasten, who is Austin's best man. As Paige’s wedding draws closer, Max, the introverted Midwesterner, and Chasten, the social butterfly East Coaster, realize they’re like oil and water. Yet they still have to figure out how to coexist in Paige’s life while not making her wedding festivities all about them. But can the tiny romantic spark between these two very different guys transform their best man supporting roles into the leading best men in each other’s lives?

Best Men was a surprisingly emotional read for me, mostly because of how I connected with Max. I have often felt like he seemed too- like an outsider or someone that do not matter as much to those around them as they matter to him. His feelings about being left out, replaced, He was going through a lot- and since there was so much happening all at once there was really no one for him to talk to to about it- and I feel like so many of us have had that moment where it feels like the world is collapsing around us and no one notices. Or is that just me? On a lighter note, I thought the characters and relationships were generally well developed and I really enjoyed some of the exchanges Max has with Paige, coworkers, and Chasten. I will say that I felt like a couple things that I wanted closure on  and did not get. I want more on how some of Max's coworkers fare, and something big for Max at work as well. There are hints and bits, but I really felt like there could have been one or two more moments on the subject to better resolve a couple things for me. I also would have loved to have had any of this book from Chasten or Paige's point of view. I think it would have just rounded the anxiety and heaviness that I got from Max through so much of this book. 

Best Men was a well written and engaging read. 

Early Book Review: A Flower is a Friend by Frieda Wishinsky, Karen Patkau

A Flower is a Friend, written by Frieda Wishinsky and illustrated by Karen Patkau, is a children's picturebook currently scheduled for release on May 2 2023.  In the garden ecosystem, a flower means many things to each bird, insect, and creature. What does a flower do? They may not seem active to human eyes, but for the creatures of the garden they dust a bumblebee, shade a frog, feed a hummingbird, and serve as the center of a buzzing, humming, thrumming community.

A Flower is a Friend is a very engaging and informative picturebook. The text is pretty simple and asks readers questions about flowers and how creatures interact with them. I think it does a good job of getting the youngest readers to think about how connected nature is, and to get them to ask questions about it. I really enjoyed the artwork, which I found to be the star of this book. There is a close-up view of each mouse, frog, and butterfly with a flower, and each picture is detailed and very well done. There is a good amount of back matter with more information about the partnerships within the garden, especially for a book targeting such a young age group- which I greatly appreciated. 

Early Book Review: Search for a Giant Squid by Amy Seto Forrester and Andy Chou Musser

Search for a Giant Squid, written by Amy Seto Forrester and illustrated by Andy Chou Musser, is a children's book currently scheduled for release on April 25 2023. An exciting ocean-themed choose-your-path STEM adventure for emerging readers! Take a journey to the ocean's twilight zone in Search for a Giant Squid ! An exciting mixture of action and nonfiction, this choose-your-own-adventure-style story allows readers to take on the mantle of a teuthologist looking for a giant squid in its natural habitat. Once readers pick their submersible, pilot, and dive site, the adventure begins!

Search for a Giant Squid is a combination of adventure and nonfiction. I liked the amount of information shared about the people that study and work in the ocean, and study specific aspects and creatures of the ocean. I learned a few new things, and I think most young readers will learn a great deal. I loved that the fact the scientists are still learning, still asking questions, and still looking to better understand things. Helping kids see that the adults are still looking to answer questions makes them feel a little better when they do not know the answer, even when they think they should. I thought making the story interactive was a great idea, giving young readers the ability to make the choices, and see the consequences of those choices in a book is safe and low stakes. I like that the readers are encouraged to try different paths, and see what else they can discover. I also like that they are encouraged to check the glossary if they see a word they do not understand. The inclusion of suggestions for further research, the sources used, and some additional fun facts at the end were a perfect addition.

Search for a Giant Squid is a wonderful book for curious young readers, especially for those with interest in animals or the sciences in general. 

Early Book Review: Sunbeams in the Sky, Vol. 1 by Monika Kaname

Sunbeams in the Sky, Volume 1, by Monika Kaname is a manga style graphic novel that is currently scheduled for release on April 18 2023. Himari Akeno can’t wait to start high school! Even though she’s parting ways with her twin sister, Mio, Himari’s enthusiasm to start this new chapter of her life is palpable—that is, until a traumatic incident sends her home to hide in her room. Watching Himari’s dreams shatter is more than Mio can bear, especially when her sister still longs for an ordinary student life. Determined to see her twin get back out into the world, Mio “catches a cold” and convinces her sister to fill in until she “recovers.” As long as the shy, introverted Himari can pull off impersonating the bubbly, energetic Mio, nothing could go wrong…right?

The first volume of Sunbeams in the Sky did exactly what it was supposed to. It made me care about the characters and become heavily invested in them and their relationships. I liked the story, and thought the characters were well written and introduced. I would have liked to see more development with a couple of the characters, I fully suspect that will be coming as the story unfolds in later installments. While much of the story is fairly typical family and high school drama style there is certainly more going on here. I do have to admit that I keep thinking the characters are more than they appear, and am waiting for some of my suspicions to be proven wrong or right in future volumes. 

Book Review: The Buried and the Bound by Rochelle Hassan

The Buried and the Bound by Rochelle Hassan is the first book in a young adult fantasy trilogy. As the only hedgewitch in Blackthorn, Massachusetts—an uncommonly magical place—Aziza El-Amin has bargained with wood nymphs, rescued palm-sized fairies from house cats, banished flesh-eating shadows from the local park. But when a dark entity awakens in the forest outside of town, eroding the invisible boundary between the human world and fairyland, run-of-the-mill fae mischief turns into outright aggression, and the danger—to herself and others—becomes too great for her to handle alone. Leo Merritt is no stranger to magical catastrophes. On his sixteenth birthday, a dormant curse kicked in and ripped away all his memories of his true love. A miserable year has passed since then. He's road-tripped up and down the East Coast looking for a way to get his memories back and hit one dead end after another. He doesn't even know his true love's name, but he feels the absence in his life, and it's haunting. Desperate for answers, he makes a pact with Aziza: he’ll provide much-needed backup on her nightly patrols, and in exchange, she’ll help him break the curse. When the creature in the woods sets its sights on them, their survival depends on the aid of a mysterious young necromancer they’re not certain they can trust. But they’ll have to work together to eradicate the new threat and take back their hometown, even if it forces them to uncover deeply buried secrets and make devastating sacrifices.

The Buried and the Bound is complicated in all the best ways. The town and the laws of magic for this series are fed to readers through out the book, as some of the characters learn for themselves, or are taught. Every character has more to them than might first appear, and while some of the surprises I guessed early on, I thought the slow reveal and getting to know each other parts of the story were very well done. There was a nice balance between the 'normal' teen angst with the mafic and danger that flows through the entire book. The dynamics between Aziza and Leo, and then with the others and families led to an engaging and sometimes stressful read. I was very glad to see the resolution and thought some of the most important questions were answered, but I must admit that there is so much more I want to know. I look forward to a continuation of this story.  

The Buried and the Bound is a well written fantasy novel that left me looking forward to the next installment.

Early Book Review: Just as You Are by Camille Kellogg

Just as You Are by Camille Kellogg is currently scheduled for release on April 25 2023. The only thing worse than hating your boss? Being attracted to her. Liz Baker and her three roommates work at the Nether Fields, a queer magazine in New York that’s on the verge of shutting down—until it’s bought at the last minute by two wealthy lesbians. Liz knows she’s lucky to still have a paycheck but it’s hard to feel grateful with minority investor Daria Fitzgerald slashing budgets, cancelling bagel Fridays, and password protecting the color printer to prevent “frivolous use.” When Liz overhears Daria scoffing at her listicles, she knows that it’s only a matter of time before her impulsive mouth gets herself fired. But as Liz and Daria wind up having to spend more and more time together, Liz starts to see a softer side to Daria—she’s funny, thoughtful, and likes the way Liz’s gender presentation varies between butch and femme. Despite the evidence that Liz can’t trust her, it’s hard to keep hating Daria—and even harder to resist the chemistry between them.

Just as You Are is a novel that will be exactly what some readers need. I loved the honest look at gender identity and the struggles that every character had with in figuring out who they were, what the wanted, and how to be true to that. This is something everyone can relate to, and I think will definitely strike a chord with readers. I also like the character growth for everyone- in found family, friendship, and work not just through the romance lenses. I have to admit that I want to know more about some of the secondary characters, even those that only came up in very specific settings. I look forward to reading what ever Kellogg releases next. 

Just as You Are is a highly engaging and honest look at friendship, finding yourself, and the complications of all that and love. 

Early Book Review: Nobody Likes Frogs: A Book of Toadally Fun Facts by Barbara Davis-Pyles, Liz Wong

Nobody Likes Frogs: A Book of Toadally Fun Facts, written by Barbara Davis-Pyles and illustrated by Liz Wong, is currently scheduled for release on April 25 2023. Why would you pick up a book about frogs? Nobody likes them! At least according to Persnickety Q. Turtle. In this humorous narrative nonfiction picture book the text cleverly puts the reader in the role of the “expert” to educate a persnickety turtle about the amazing amphibian known as the frog. With the reader's help, Persnickety Q. Turtle learns intriguing frog facts, such as they can breathe through their skin while underwater and their eyes help them swallow. Pick up this book and help Persnickety find out all the reasons frogs are such incredible creatures.

Nobody Likes Frogs is a fun and informative picturebook that uses a cranky turtle to help dispel some myths (real and imagined) about frogs and share some great information about them. I thought the facts were well chosen and shared, and I thought the art work did a great job of capturing and keeping the readers attention and helping to expand on the points made on the page. I think this delivers on what the book promises ad will be an enjoyable, engaging, and educational book for young readers.