I didn't enjoy this book as much as I wanted to. The author tells about his personal journey becoming a minimalist, and how terrible his life was before, and how he turned his life around through tossing out most of his possessions, and that made him a happier person. Then he gives a lot of philosophy about minimalism, and tips and advice about the mental and emotional experience of becoming a minimalist.
He doesn't give very many practical tips; It's mostly about having a minimalist attitude.

I don't feel like the author is a particularly credible writer. He's not an expert. He doesn't seem that experienced or skilled. He has not done any special training or research that I can tell. He doesn't have anything new to say. His ideas aren't always reasonable, or stem from causes that I don't agree with. His story is not at all relatable to me.

The author repeats the same ideas and examples several times in different chapters. The writing is unoriginal and repetitive. I mean, a little bit of overlap of ideas is to be expected and that's fine, but why use the same examples over and over? The author is obsessed with Steve Jobs and Apple products, and mentions them over and over, until it got annoying. Anytime that the subject was money, Bill Gates was mentioned, over and over, and I got sick of it. For a book about NOT being obsessed with money and possessions, there sure are a lot of wealthy people named. He also mentions quotes from "Fight Club" several times. I found that annoying too.

He talks about how minimalism positively affects your marriage, and yet, he's not married and never has been.
He says that living in a large home can be "dangerous" because you are unaware of what is happening in other rooms in case of burglars or fire. That just sounds stupid. He's not talking about a massive mansion, just any home larger than an apartment. He writes a lot of weird things like that, which either don't make sense or don't apply to everyone.

I just don't "get" this author.

I think I would have enjoyed this collection of comics about how weird the world is, if only there hadn't been so much profanity and excessive use of the word "pimp." Some of the punchlines are crass, and I prefer clean humor. Some of the comics are wholesome and good, but a significant amount are not.

I liked the simple art style, and the clarity of each panel.

I'm not sure why this collection is entitled "Book Learnin'". I thought it was comics about books, with reading as the main subject material for the jokes, but it's not. There isn't a single joke about reading or books.

Disclaimer: I received an ecopy of this book from the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts and are not influenced by anyone.

I am just delighted with this old-fashioned book about five siblings camping out and climbing the fells for their summer holidays. The simple charm of the story, the amusing dynamics between the Browne siblings, and the details of their little camping adventures, kept me absorbed and interested through every chapter.

The two eldest siblings are Pat and Kay, twins with a love for hiking and camping. Pat is the leader of the group, and prides himself on his knowledge of survival and mapping. Kay is the quartermaster of the group, taking special care of the meals and all the supplies.

The next set of twins are Jan and Hyacinth. Jan is obsessed with birds, and creates his own hiding spots where he can observe and sketch the birds of the fells. Hyacinth is more imaginative and dreamy, and loves to write stories of her own.
And the smallest sibling is Sally, who is only eight years old, and so is not allowed to stay out all night camping, but still manages to join in the fun whenever possible.

I adore this whole series!

The Browne siblings are visiting the fells again for their Christmas holiday while their parents are abroad. They do a little hiking but can’t go far because of the cold weather, and when a blizzard hits, the children are confined to the house, and find interesting ways to entertain themselves. A suspicious truck in the fields of the farm puts the siblings in the track of a gang of sheep rustlers and they hatch a plan to save the sheep. Jan, the birdwatcher of the group, finds a stranded heron and nurses it back to health.

I love the dynamic between the siblings, and the simple old-fashioned plot. It’s full of charm and fun! The characters are warm and engaging, and I love the setting of the sheep farm on the high fells surrounded by lakes and tarns.

Amy Dorrit was born in debtor's prison, where her father has been incarcerated for so long that he is called the Father of the Marshalsea prison. Arthur Clenham has just returned to England after spending most of his adult life abroad. He investigates a family mystery, believing that his parents have somehow wronged the Dorrit family, but unsure how to make restitution. He befriends Amy, nicknaming her "Little Dorrit", since she is the youngest of her family.

Typical of Dickens, there are numerous subplots, a complex tapestry of connections between characters, and various plot-lines that intersect and combine. I love the complexity and depth of his plots! There is a lot of wonderful family drama, blackmail, financial ruin and sudden financial gain, romance and despair, and of course, that inimitable Dickens' charm.

I was not terribly impressed with the ending though. It was all wrapped up too neatly and easily, and some of the circumstances seemed really far-fetched. But I do like a happy ending!

The setting of the Marshalsea prison was really well written, and I could imagine the people and places so vividly, not just from Dickens' descriptions, but from seeing how the characters reacted to the prison whether visiting or imprisoned there. More than once, characters felt claustrophobic, as though they couldn't breathe or were choking on the close air of the prison. It made the setting very real and powerful in the story.

I adore Amy Dorrit's character! She is utterly selfless and generous, even though her family do not appreciate everything she does for them. She's sweet and kind and soft-spoken. I do wish that she had a little more backbone, and would stand up for herself more against people who take advantage of her generosity. But I was deeply attached to her character almost immediately, because of her long-suffering and sensitive nature.

I really loved Arthur Clenham too! He's noble and compassionate, hard-working and trustworthy. He is haunted by the rigid upbringing he had as a child, and tries to bring joy into other people's lives, so that no one will have to suffer alone as he did.

Many of the supporting characters are memorable and interesting with really weird quirks or funny personal habits. There is such a variety of people, young and old, poor and rich, and they all have their own story, their own moods, and their own motivations that affect the main story. I love the depth of these characters!
But a couple of the supporting characters (mainly the villains) didn't have that depth, and I was confused as to their motivations, and found their scenes really boring.

Overall, I enjoyed this book! I always love Dickens' writing style, after I skim past some of the lengthier descriptive passages.

Willow has a fight with her sister, and runs out to the woods where she used to go hiking with her mother. She meets a tree spirit named Pilu, who has run away from her grove, and the two form a friendship and help one another navigate their turbulent emotions.

Both girls are struggling with loneliness and anger, and they are remorseful after arguing with their families, but don't know how to stop. When Willow's emotional monsters begin to take on a real form, the two girls are in danger, until Pilu discovers how to resolve the emotional pain both girls are hiding.

The setting of the beautiful forest is really lovely, and has such a powerful impact on the story. The rushing water in a stream, a circle of mushrooms glistening with dew, a large green leaf fluttering on the wind, all these things set a tone for the story. Sometimes it's a quiet mood, and sometimes it's a powerful rainstorm and flashing light through the trees.

The illustrations are captivating and enchanting! I love the beautiful greenery and vibrant colors, and I love how the lines invoke movement. The expressions on each character's face really tell the story and give depth to the characters.

I loved this graphic novel! It's really emotional and moving.

Disclaimer: I received an ecopy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.

Sam is a werewolf, turning into a wolf in the cold winter months, and only human during the summer. Grace is a seemingly ordinary girl, who watches the Wolfpack behind her home, and especially notices Sam, the only wolf with yellow eyes. When the two fall in love, they must fight to keep Sam’s humanity, and bring hope to the wolf pack.

I found this book really boring, I didn’t really care about the characters, and the plot moved too slowly.
The plot devices were too obvious, and there weren’t any surprises. The pacing of the story is much too slow, and nothing much happens for most of the book.

The characters do have some good depth and background, and I wanted to like them, but their personalities are drowning in emotions. If everything is emotional then that emotion carries no weight.

There is literally a scene where Sam is brushing his teeth, and he goes into this internal emotional battle with himself, about longing to keep his humanity. It would be better writing to save the emotional mountains for important places in the plot, instead of wasting the emotional pulse in a boring toothbrushing scene. There is no power in that kind of writing, and I lost interest.

I don’t need five emotional paragraphs about how Sam looked at Grace. And then... she looked back at him. And they looked at each other. And the emotionally-charged look made them realize that their emotions were emotional.

I mean, don’t get me wrong. I’m an emotional person. I love books that make me feel all the things. But when every page is drowning in it, then there is no subtlety, no meaning behind it, and you don’t get the slow build-up that finally delivers a heart-wrenching punch.

Disappointed in this one.