Weekly Reading Update 9/23 - 9/29/16!

Another week, another update!

It's actually Tuesday as I'm writing this, because I will be out of town for the rest of the week - and therefore unable to set this up on Thursday afternoon like I usually do. But I read plenty over the weekend, so I'll still have more than enough to share for this week.

I was going through a nostalgic phase, and I remembered these books I used to read in grade school - Horrible History by Terry Deary. So because I was so desperate to read them again, to see if they are as good as I remember, I managed to get Cut-throat Celts from our interlibrary loan program.. And let me tell you, I enjoyed it just as much now as I did back then.

Continuing on in my nonfiction phase, I picked up Foundations of Chinese Civilization: The Yellow Emperor to the Han Dynasty by Jing Liu. This is a graphic novel history of China, or at least part of it. Considering how much history they packed into this book, I think it was well done. The art just didn't work for me as much as I had hoped.

Needing some fiction to get me back in the mood for the books I needed to review, I picked up The Marriage Contract by Katee Robert. This has been on my to-read shelf for far too long. And I mean that literally. I checked this out from the library ages ago. And now that I've read it, I'm mad I waited so long! I loved this, and I can't wait to get to the next book in the series and see how James manages to redeem himself (or not?)!

I focused on review books after this, so for-fun reading was put on hold. But that doesn't mean what I read wasn't fun. As you can tell by the reviews this week, I had a stream of great reads. And finishing that off, I read Ruthless by Lexi Blake to review for Romance Reviews Today. Oh man, this was so good. I hated having to stop when my lunch break was over. So I rushed home, quickly finished packing for my work trip, then curled up to see how Riley gets himself out of the hole he dug with his lies. So good! I can't wait for the next book. And I will definitely have to check out more by Lexi Blake.

Well that's it for me this week - at least so far.

Happy Reading!

~!~ Amanda, Novel Addiction ~!~

REVIEW: "Hades Speaks!" by Vicky Alvear Shecter

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

Release Date: September 1, 2014

Type: Nonfiction, Middle Grade, Juvenile, Teen, Mythology, Greek, Humor, Illustrated, Fun, Highway to Hades

About the Book: Hades, god of the dead, welcomes readers on a dangerous tour of his underworld kingdom, filled with monsters, furies, giants, and vampire demons. Along the way, he reveals ancient death rites and sinister curses, tells hair-raising stories, and cracks jokes to die for. With his witty voice and ghoulish sense of humor, Hades is the perfect guide through this fresh and imaginative work of nonfiction that reads like a novel. Includes a glossary, bibliography, and index.

My Review: This was a great nonfiction title that I would gladly give to both a juvenile and young adult audience. Written from Hades' perspective, the reader gets a tour through the Underworld, with tales of Greek myths and History thrown in. One of my favorite parts of the book was the punctuation guides, located throughout the text whenever an unfamiliar word was introduced, as well as in the glossary in the back.

The whole book contains a wonderful sense of humor, enough to keep anyone entertained while reading. There are mentions of Harry Potter and Percy Jackson, and I can see this as being a great gift for any Percy Jackson fan. The few illustrations in hand book were well done, and very artistic. There are a few I would gladly frame and add to my Halloween decor. 

Giving this book a four out of five stars for its originality, clarity, and amusing style.

Cover Lovin': This cover is pretty perfect for this book. The illustrations are appropriately haunting, considering the subject matter, but there is a hint at the humor you will find inside, in the smile that Hades is trying to hide.

Recommendation: For young fans of Greek mythology that want to read the stories from a different angle. Adults can enjoy this book as well, but this is definitely kid-centered.

Final Rating: FOUR out of FIVE stars (4/5). Good book, fun to read, and I know it would be popular with both juveniles and teens at my library.

Happy Reading!
~!~ Amanda at Novel Addiction ~!~

REVIEW: "Patrick Eats His Peas, and other stories" by Geoffrey Hayes

Disclaimer: I received an electronic galley of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Type: Graphic Novel, Juvenile, Patrick needs to listen to his mother, Cute, Great for parents to read to their kids.

About the book: Patrick Bear is the perfect playmate. Equal parts adorable and bratty, this endearing hero transforms daily routines into fun adventures. As he keeps his parents on their toes from breakfast to bedtime, Patrick also keeps early readers coming back for more. In this second Patrick TOON Book, four classic stories beloved by parents and librarians are given new life by the uncontested master of children’s comics. (Description from Amazon.com)

My Review: This graphic novel for kids actually features several stories - including "Patrick Eats His Peas," "Patrick Helps Out," "Patrick Takes A Bath," and "Patrick Goes to Bed." I do not have small children myself, but I am very familiar with babysitting, and I occasionally work in the Children's department of my library - and this is something that I believe would fly off the shelves. Children can really relate to Patrick, heck, I can relate to Patrick! And parents will enjoy the expressions and exasperation expressed by Patrick's Mom and Dad.

Each story has it's own charm, and the book itself includes a guide on how to read graphic novels to your child. As a big graphic novel reader, I never really thought about how one might teach a child to read graphic novels, or how to read one to a child - but the publisher thought of everything, and included some tips for a confused or unsure parent. Definitely pick up "Patrick Eats His Peas, and other stories" by Geoffrey Hayes!

Cover Lovin': I think this cover is adorable - mostly because that is my exact reaction when I am forced to eat peas. The cover fits the book perfectly, and it is definitely something that a child would be interested to read, or have read to them.

Recommendation: For young children, definitely. This is a great book for a parent to read to their kid - the child will totally understand where Patrick is coming from, and the parent will love Patrick's parents facial expressions. Cute and worth a read for families.

Final Rating: FOUR out of FIVE (4/5). Great children's book, and something I would recommend in my own public library.

Happy Reading!
~!~ Amanda ~!~

 

(Review cross posted on Goodreads.com)