Another cute book starring Pugtato.  This time he babysits the Brussels Snouts.  And it is a grand glorious adventure.  

 First off, this book is too long.  The author tries to rhyme, but many are harsh and they frequently drop the cadence pattern.  The message is a nice one, it’s okay to say no. Maybe not at 2 or 3, but by the time you hit school age it is okay to say, no I don’t want to do this thing, join this group, etc.  The message is needed but it’s not as good as it could be. 

 This is not a breeze through the alphabet, but a serious look at the eyes of various animals.  One thing that makes this book unique is that each page has an idiom about eyes and explains that idiom, even if it does not necessarily go with the animal represented. 

 I really wanted to like this book.  And basically I did like the story line. However this is a graphic novel and the illustrations play a very large part of this story.  The amount of gratuitous nudity, and the misogyny was disgusting.  I had book 2 but I could not bring myself to read it because I was so disappointed in book 1.  Most of the nudity was not needed.  The one character grabbing the female characters breasts and complaining that they are not equal size (on two different sisters, not on one body) was horrid and uncalled for.  This book was  like a teenaged wet dream.  This series has twenty-something books, and I hope for readers' sake, the misogyny stopped at book 1. 

 I am not sure what I was expecting from this book, but it blew me away.  This may look like an ordinary caged cheetah, but it is much more a beast and it’s definitely not a cheetah.  It’s  connection to the little boy who is bullied at school is fun.  I am a bit sad that I now need the next volume because this ending is in the middle of the story and I have to know what happens next.  This would be a great read for middle grade and up, or anyone wanting to study cartooning art. 

 I really wanted to like this book.  Elvis reincarnated as a hound dog?  Yes, please.  But that is the best part of the book, Elvis.  His owner is a hair dresser in a small town who complains about having no money, but wears cute shoes and drives a pretty expensive truck.  His owner also has man problems.  She is in the middle of a divorce but can not keep her hands off her ex.  This and her internal dialog about the ex get exhausting.  It’s over done and played to death.  Then there is her best friend.  The author goes on and on about her size.  She is a sexy plus size and loves herself.  But it amazes me how often her size has to be mentioned.  And did I mention this is a mystery.  The mystery is where did the dead body that was supposed to be in the funeral home go?  It’s a wild goose chase and not all that interesting.  I DNFed at the ½ way point.  This book is for someone, just not me. 

 This book really wants to be a bloodier version of And Then There Was None by Agatha Christie.  It takes that story and adds elements of the movies Ready or Not, and Knives Out.  And it’s not successful.  A woman has died and her children do not automatically inherit.  They have to survive a night and a blood bath as all fight for control of the house and the wealth that comes with it.  The cast of characters is something found in Clue.  It wants to be both a comedy and tragedy.  The biggest pet peeve for this reader is that the WHY is never really explained.  Just it’s always been done that way, or so and so wanted it that way.  That is not an explanation.  To be honest, if I was reading this I would have DNFed before I got to the halfway point.  However, I was listening to an audiobook, and the narrator did a fantastic job.  Between the voices, the inflections, etc.  The voice actor is what saves this book from being a complete waste of time.  

 

 

Mikela Jones, aka Mik Jagger to her new group of friends, hates having her picture taken.  Her mom is a small time model, who wants to use her daughters model appearance to pay the rent.  But Mik is a swimmer not a model, and her hate of pictures is more than just hate, it’s anxiety inducing.  Veronica is an artist who loves to take photos and is involved with some prettier interesting/crazy artist group.  The two girls fall for each other and Veronica takes a picture of Mik that is so compelling that it goes viral on instagram, and blows up in her local art world.  

The description says this book is an “expertly plotted YA thriller”.  Umnn.  Maybe not so much.  It is very much a character study of these two girls and the world around them.  It was pretty ho hum until the audio book was 52% complete and we get the first dead body.  Then the rest wraps up pretty quickly.  Some of it was predictable, some a little cringe inducing, and some truly entertaining.  However, I would not really call it a thriller.  

The book leaves itself open to multiple sequels, but to be honest, I’m not sure I would read them.  The characters, even the villain, are likeable enough (until they isn’t), but when you are wanting a thriller and get sad romance with a bit of trouble… makes it hard to want to come back.

Overall I did like the book, and I can think of many people or teens would love it.  It would even work for a book club read because there is so much emotionally going on.  But I think this book might have been better if written from the killers point of view.

#popsugarchallenge

 

 

Two best friends go on a world tour together.  The idea is to see if they can survive the trip, which would mean they would probably be able to survive marriage.  One man was a systems engineer and a track start.  Something is up with him.  I think he was sick.  At one point the illustrator shows what appears to be a chest scar from some sort of surgery.  He is not out and proud.  He doesn't want others to know he is with another man.  Reading between the lines, I don’t think his mother knows either.  The other man is a good time boy who is a photographer who doesn’t take things too seriously.  They make a wonderful odd couple.  They start their trip in Japan (home), visit Thailand, and then on to Georgia.  They meant friends old and new, and try out what sounds like some wonderful food. This was an interesting, quick, and brainless read.  I would read the next one if it was in front of me.

#Popsugar

#readingGraphics

 

 I don’t quite have this manga figured out.  I think I need book two to understand more of what is happening.  Three brothers and a housemate (who appears to be 600 years old) ferry prisoners to the prison, or catch the ones that escape.  Part of why I find it confusing is because of my limited history knowledge of the samurai.  At times they seem evil and others times a hero.  I only know what I have learned from movies and let's just say western culture does a bad job teaching eastern culture.  I prefer the main story to the second story in the book that takes place 100 years earlier.  And while I found this book interesting.  I don’t think I found it interesting enough to pick up the sequel.