Snow day February 21, 2015 - READATHON!

This morning, bright and early as I was getting ready for work, I got the call a librarian always hopes for in winter - SNOW DAY!

SO! Since I have an unexpected day off, I decided to do something new (for me) and fun - a READATHON!

I have some books I need to review for Romance Reviews Today, some books from the library, and some review books for here to go through, so I will be mixing and matching all day. Breaks will be taken, of course - food and stretching are of the up most importance during a strenuous readathon day. Plus I will probably take the time to jot down some notes after each review book, so I don't forget my initial thoughts. 

Anyone interested in joining in is welcome to it! If so, comment with your blog link talking about your own readathon updates, or maybe link to your Goodreads account (but don't be surprised if I start following you!).

I'll post every so often with updates. 

UPDATE 10:15 A.M.: I've read 80-some pages of PLAYING DIRTY by HelenKay Dimon - Caught somewhere between really liking the storyline, and really disliking how it's done.

UPDATE 12:52 A.M.: Took a break from PLAYING DIRTY to read THE SCULPTOR by Scott McLoud. Holy cow was it amazing! Definitely a four if not FIVE star read! Highly recommended to fans of graphic novels, specifically sci-fi or speculative fiction readers (think Neil Gaiman).

UPDATE 4:37 P.M.: Well, the weather took a turn for the worse, so I crawled into bed to read. Unfortunately, this meant that I was snuggly warm, and soon fell asleep - I lost an hour and a half! Not including my half hour for lunch earlier. Oh well. Next up, I have started on IN SEARCH OF LOST DRAGONS. This is a sort of graphic novel, or maybe a fictional journal with pictures? It reminds me a lot of the Memoirs of Lady Trent series. Just when I got to a third of the way in - Low battery warning! ARGH! So another break for me, this time to do dishes (Alas, I am completely out of spoons, and of course - now all I can think about is soup). 

UPDATE 9:08 P.M.: So my readathon is winding down. After dishes (aka "food laundry") and dinner, I got myself to the halfway mark of PLAYING DIRTY, and read SHELL GAME, a short story by Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg, part of the Fox and O'Hare series.. which happens to be my guilty pleasure.

I'd like to thank everyone that left comments here, on Goodreads, or via Twitter. I hope you have a wonderful day, and stay warm!

Happy Reading!

~!~ Amanda at Novel Addiction ~!~

REVIEW: "Alone Forever: The Singles Collection" by Liz Prince

Disclaimer: I received a free e-copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. 

Type: Graphic Novel, Comics, Autobiography, Memoir, Humor, Perfect for after Valentine's Day! Maybe?

About the Book: Liz Prince, author of the world's cutest relationship comic, "Will You Still Love Me If I Wet the Bed?", returns with a new comic about being — gasp! — SINGLE. 

Finally bringing her popular webcomic to printed form, Alone Forever explores the joys of flying solo, free to focus on what really matters: comics, punk rock, and cute boys with beards.

Drawn in Liz Prince's ultra-charming style, filled with self-deprecation and cats, there's something for everyone to relate to in this celebration of self-reliance in the age of OkCupid. [Description provided by Netgalley.com]
My Review: The awkward girl in me is in love with Liz Prince, because I feel like we would be best friends. And/or mortal enemies. Have you ever felt alone? Awkward? Started feeling like your cats are your only soul mates in the world? Then this book is for you. And maybe all Liz Prince books - I'm not sure, but I will be checking out more by her in the very near future.

Alone Forever is a collection of situations, former dates, and cat lady stories, showcasing just why Liz Prince will be alone forever. And anyone that has used OKCupid, or just met up with people in the "real world" will totally get how she feels in these situations.

A fun, quick read. Be sure to check it out!

Cover Lovin': Ha! Hilarious cover. I'd definitely pick it up.

Recommendation: For fans of humorous nonfiction, or graphic memoirs. Or maybe just awkward weirdos like me.

Final Rating: FOUR out of FIVE stars. Hilarious! Fun read, perfect for my Valentine's Day, or your any day!

Happy Reading!

~!~ Amanda at Novel Addiction ~!~

REVIEW: "Rot & Ruin: Warrior Smart" by Jonathan Maberry

Disclaimer: I received a free, advanced e-copy in exchange for a fair and honest review. 

Release Date: April 21, 2015

Type: Graphic Novel, Comic Book, Series, Zombies, Young Adult, Teen, IDW Publishing, I think I've heard this before..

About the Book: Brand-new adventures set in the world of Rot & Ruin! 

Written by New York Times best-selling author and multiple Bram Stoker award-winner, Jonathan Maberry, this all-new storyline continues events from the award-winning series of novels. 
We meet Benny, Nix, Lilah, and Chong as they travel through the Sierra Nevada mountains just one faltering step ahead of zombie hordes and one giant leap behind the plane flying through the sky that set them on their journey of discovery. [Description provided by Netgalley.com]
My Review: I'm going to start with what I didn't like about this, and end on a positive note. My biggest issue with this graphic novel was the cliched story line. There were some new twists on something I've seen several times in post-apocalyptic stories (SPOILERS: women as broodmares), but at this point, it's getting to be a cliche. The second the farmer guy mentioned "cows"... I knew what was coming.

Next issue: When I read the first novel of this series, I was excited because I knew it would be a great one to suggest to younger teen readers, especially reluctant readers. There were some adult themes, sure, but they were handled well. This graphic novel, however, I would be hesitant to hand over to some of the younger readers.

Now on to what I liked. Despite the cliched story, as I said, there were some new twists to make the story somewhat original. The art was very well done, especially in the fighting scenes, which can be difficult to portray. Clearly the story was good enough to keep me reading. All in all, this is a nice add-on to the series. But nothing spectacular.

Cover Lovin': Pretty good cover. I understand the dark spaces at the top and bottom, but it makes it feel like the cover is unfinished or lacking.

Recommendation: For fans of the series, and for zombie lovers. This can be read by someone unfamiliar with the Rot and Ruin series.

Final Rating: THREE out of FIVE stars. The story was compelling, but it was also pretty cliched and I knew what was coming. Not bad, but nothing spectacular.

Happy Reading!

~!~ Amanda at Novel Addiction ~!~

REVIEW: "Trees, Volume 1" by Warren Ellis

 

Disclaimer: I received a free, advanced, e-copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. 

Release Date: February 24, 2015

Type: Graphic Novel, Comic Book, Multiple POVs (sorta?), Science Fiction, Aliens, Intelligent Life..somewhere.

About the Book: Ten years after they landed. All over the world. And they did nothing, standing on the surface of the Earth like trees, exerting their silent pressure on the world, as if there were no-one here and nothing under foot. 

Ten years since we learned that there is intelligent life in the universe, but that they did not recognize us as intelligent or alive. 

Trees, a new science fiction graphic novel by Warren Ellis (Transmetropolitan, Red) and Jason Howard (Super Dinoasaur, Astounding Wolf-Man) looks at a near-future world where life goes on in the shadows of the Trees: in China, where a young painter arrives in the “special cultural zone” of a city under a Tree; in Italy, where a young woman under the menacing protection of a fascist gang meets an old man who wants to teach her terrible skills; and in Svalbard, where a research team is discovering, by accident, that the Trees may not be dormant after all, and the awful threat they truly represent. [Description provided by Netgalley.com]

My Review: I found this graphic novel to be incredibly original. There are lots of characters I liked, and several I fell in love with during the course of the story. And about half of those had brutal endings - already! So the end of this book left me somewhere between in love and totally upset. Which is how a lot of good books end, really. 

Since this is the first in a brand new series, there is a lot of introduction the writer needs to get through. So while a lot happens during the course of this book, at the same time.. not a lot happens. This story is told by following multiple people in different parts of the world. As of right now, other than the Trees, we have little idea of what is connecting them. I, for one, absolutely cannot wait to see how it all turns out. 

Cover Lovin': Talk about eye-catching! This is an excellent cover. Doesn't necessarily tell you anything about the story, but it will encourage people to pick up the book and read the back!

Recommendation: For fans of weird stuff. For fans of speculative fiction and science fiction. 

Final Rating: FOUR out of FIVE stars. Loved this one. Couldn't put it down. And I cannot wait until the next volume to see where it's going!

Happy Reading!

~!~ Amanda at Novel Addiction ~!~