Monthly Archives: August 2015

Bleach 65 by Tite Kubo

Posted on August 24, 2015 by Talvi

ith Bleach 65, we’re still right in the middle of the Quincy battle. But finally we get Ichigo entering the scene and taking names – only to discover that his entrance gives Yhwach even more leverage to enter the private … Continue reading →

Posted in ARC, manga, urban fantasy | Leave a comment

Reboot Your Body by Rashelle Brown

Posted on August 24, 2015 by Talvi

One the one hand, this definitely isn’t your typical diet/health/fitness book. But honestly, the title and description didn’t match what I was reading within. The book really doesn’t have anything to do with genetics and instead is based on CBT … Continue reading →

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Swimming Upstream by Laura Choate

Posted on August 24, 2015 by Talvi

Swimming upstream is a well written and thorough resource for parents guiding their daughters through puberty. Although the author does go on a few soapbox rants (e.g., body image and Barbie), most of the book is extremely useful and informative. … Continue reading →

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Skip Trace by Jenn Burke and Kelly Jensen

Posted on August 23, 2015 by Talvi

Words cannot express how much I am enjoying this series. From wonderful, relatable characters to an interesting storyline that keeps escalating in unpredictable ways, Jenn Burke and Kelly Jensen have created a winner here. Like a warm, well worn leather … Continue reading →

Posted in romance, sci fi | 1 Comment

The Blackthorn Key by Kevin Sands

Posted on August 23, 2015 by Talvi

The Blackthorn Key is an engaging middle grade historical/mystery that reads very much like a 12-year-old-friendly version of an Umberto Eco book. Set during the English Restoration (17th century, when Charles II was restored to the throne after Olive Cromwell’s … Continue reading →

Posted in ARC, childrens, Historical, middle grade | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Briefly Seen by Harvey Stein

Posted on August 19, 2015 by Talvi

Delving into this book came interestingly enough after seeing an exhibition on photographer Vivian Maier’s work. The precision and cleanness of Maier’s work makes for a stark contrast to Stein’s distracted, dark, and almost tortuously labored images. Two views of … Continue reading →

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Fitness after 40 by Vondra Wright

Posted on August 19, 2015 by Talvi

In this second edition, revised for 2015, author Wright updates several sections (especially adding new exercises and plans as well as better nutritional information) but essentially keeps a large portion of the original version intact. At heart is her system, … Continue reading →

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Zero World by Jason M. Hough

Posted on August 18, 2015 by Talvi

What you’ll find in a Hough book is a sprawling, sometimes meandering, tour de force of action, everyman characters, and very big ideas. While sometimes it works better than other times, it is always an entertaining ride. With Zero World, … Continue reading →

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The Sociology Book by DK Books

Posted on August 18, 2015 by Talvi

DK is known for their beautifully laid out, highly graphic, yet extremely informative texts for all ages. With The Sociology Book, we have a book in an award-winning series (including religions, economics, politics, business, psychology, etc.) that makes a complex … Continue reading →

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Crossed By Eliza Crewe

Posted on August 17, 2015 by Talvi

With this third and final book in the series, Crewe manages to not only continually amaze and amuse with the snarky bon mots but also create a definitive story arc complete with emotional character growth. What we don’t have is … Continue reading →

Posted in urban fantasy, YA | Leave a comment

Lumiere by Jacqueline E Garlick

Posted on August 11, 2015 by Talvi

Lumiere is a book of contradictions: at once both wonderfully imagined but also frustratingly cliched, with very unique characters who unfortunately act like romance novel stereotypes. In the end, what we have is a book that is all surface gloss: … Continue reading →

Posted in AU, romance, Steampunk, YA | Tagged | Leave a comment

Spinning Starlight by R. C. Lewis

Posted on August 8, 2015 by Talvi

Spinning Starlight is an nicely written and easy-to-follow YA sci fi romance. The themes in the book (more than the plot) greatly reminded me of the novel These Broken Stars by Kaufman and Spooner; fans of that series will likely … Continue reading →

Posted in romance, sci fi, YA | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Ancient Appetites by Oisin McGann

Posted on August 8, 2015 by Talvi

Ancient Appetites is a pleasant surprise – for once, we have an engrossing YA read that isn’t about a soppy romance or poorly written action sequences in an illogical and ill-drawn world. Here, the plot is complex, the characters nuanced, … Continue reading →

Posted in alternate history, sci fi, Steampunk | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Star Wars Jedi Academy Attack of the Journal by Jeffrey Brown

Posted on August 3, 2015 by Talvi

Attack of the Journal is a great book for little Star Wars fans – especially those who have enjoyed the Jedi Academy series. What we have is a workbook chock full of fun Star Wars themed imaginative activities. I would … Continue reading →

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Aliens: Salvation by Dave Gibbons, Mike Mignola

Posted on August 3, 2015 by Talvi

Although very brief and not necessarily groundbreaking, it is easy to see why this became a classic in the Alien canon. It’s a title that has the creators’ hallmark all over it but also takes most of main points of … Continue reading →

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Deadman Wonderland 11 by Jinsei Kataoka, Kazuma Kondou

Posted on August 2, 2015 by Talvi

With Volume 11, we finally get the full story of Shiro and the Wretched Egg. It’s expectedly twisted and sad. Senji, meanwhile, fights a bitter battle to the death, taking out the twins and Toto – but at a huge … Continue reading →

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The World’s Greatest First Love Volume 3 by Shungiku Nakamura

Posted on August 2, 2015 by Talvi

Volume 3 furthers Onodera’s and Takano’s relationship as Onodera faces his jealousy over Takano’s and Yokozawa’s supposed relationship. The second half of the book follows the story of a different editor working at the publishing house and also mooning over … Continue reading →

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Edgar Rice burroughs’ At The Earth’s Core by Bobby Nash and Jamie Chase

Posted on August 2, 2015 by Talvi

At The Earth’s Core is a faithful rendition of Burroughs fantastical tale of a separate land in the middle of the planet. The challenge clearly is to take something written with the limited scientific knowledge of 1914 and make it … Continue reading →

Posted in Fantasy, graphic novel, Historical | 1 Comment

Junction True by Ray Fawkes and Vince Locke

Posted on August 2, 2015 by Talvi

I’ll start off by saying that I passionately hated this graphic novel. That I reacted so strongly and negatively on a visceral level yet am rating this 5 stars really is a testament to the writing and illustration talent. For … Continue reading →

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Ragnarok, Volume 1 by Walter Simonson

Posted on August 1, 2015 by Talvi

Ragnarok volume 1, collecting comic single issues 1-6, is an interesting take on Thor and the world after Asgaard fell. I didn’t know much about the title or author going into the read and so was pleasantly surprised to find … Continue reading →

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