Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

Today's post is on Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz. It is 359 pages long and is published by Simon & Schuster. The cover is the early night time sky with a red truck under the title. There is mild foul language, no sex, and mild violence in this novel. The intended reader is young adults, people interested in helping young gay kinds, and touching stories. The story is told from first person perspective of the main character Aristotle. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- Aristotle is an angry teen with a brother in prison. Dante is a know-it-all who has an unusual way of looking at the world. When the two meet at the swimming pool, they seem to have nothing in common. But as the loners start spending time together, they discover that they share a special friendship—the kind that changes lives and lasts a lifetime. And it is through this friendship that Ari and Dante will learn the most important truths about themselves and the kind of people they want to be.

Review- This is an interesting story about a young man learning who he is. Aristotle, or Ari as he likes to be called, grows so much over the course of the story. When the novel begins he does not think much about himself or anything really. He is angry but does not know how to express it. His family does not talk about anything. Not his brother in jail not his father's war experience, nothing that is really hard. Dante's family on the other does talk about everything and that is one of the things that makes Ari change. But Ari is still learning about himself and the answers he finds are surprising to him. The sexuality is a major topic but there is no sex in the novel itself. It is respectful of sensitive readers while having an honest discuss about it.

I give this novel a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this novel from my local library.

Monster Collection volume 5

Today' s post is on Monster Collection volume 5 by Itoh Sei. It is 162 pages long and is published by CMX. The cover is blue with the main character standing in the rain with lightening behind her. The intended reader is someone who likes high action series with humor added in to keep it from getting too dark. There is mild foul language, nudity, implied sexuality, and lots of violence in this series. The story is told from third person god perspective but it closely follows our brave heroes. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- The Sleeping Dragon Awakes!
Centuries ago, summoners of the ancient empire transferred their collective knowledge into a giant, organic super-computer- the encyclopedia Verum. Now, Lord Duran, agent of chaos, has tapped into it, seeking control over all the world's creatures. But the great blue dragon that was enslaved to guard the Encyclopedia is nursing a grudge. With Kasche and friends outnumbered against Duran's forces, their only hope might lie with unleashing her- the most dangerous creature ever summoned.

Review- Lots of action in this volume. The fallen angel is finally beaten by Cuervo and it gives some of its power to him. Kasche must go into the mind of the great dragon to try and get her free. But they are still surrounded by the fire ants and the evil summoner who wants to kill everyone now because it makes him happy. To free the great dragon, Kasche must first stop the defenses that the Encyclopedia has to protect itself from intruders. Kasche ends up summoning something that she may not be able to control and the volume ends with that thought. This is only volume to have nudity it in so far and that is when Kasche is in the spirit realm trying to get to the great dragon. It is used to give her vulnerability but it turns a little sexual towards the end and I feel that was unnecessary. But it does not last long so there is that but still it was not needed.

I give this volume a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I bought this manga with my own money.

Slimy Underbelly

Today's post is on Slimy Underbelly by Kevin J Anderson. It is the fourth in his Dan Shamble, P.I. series. It is 304 pages long and is published by Kensington. The cover is dark blue with Dan in the center and tentacles coming up behind him. The intended reader is someone who has read the previous three novels, likes over-the-top humor, and quick reads. There is mild foul language, no sex, and comedy violence in this novel. The story is told from first person close of the main character. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From back of the book-There's something fishy going on in the Unnatural Quarter. Bodies are floating face-down, the plumbing is backing up, and something smells rotten—even to a zombie detective like Dan Shamble. Diving into the slimy underbelly of a diabolical plot, Dan comes face-to-tentacles with an amphibious villain named Ah'Chulhu (to which the usual response is "Gesundheit!"). With his snap-happy gang of gator-guys—former pets flushed down the toilet—Ah'Chulhu wreaks havoc beneath the streets. While feuding weather wizards kick up storms and a gang of thieving lawn gnomes continues their reign of terror, Dan Shamble is running out of time—before the whole stinking city goes down the drain.…

Review- Another funny Dan Shamble story.  This time we are really getting into classic horror with some other bits added in. I have had fun all this novels and this one is no different. The puns is are good in this one but I like puns. All the cases that Dan is working in this book are just over-the-top. We get stolen voices, lawn gnomes on the run, and weather wizards fighting to win the vote. The writing is fun and Dan is a really fun character to follow around this Unnatural Quarter. I hope this is not the last Dan Shamble but I think it is. If that is the case then this one is a good one to go out with.


I give this volume a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I bought this book with my own money. 

Monster Collection volume 4

Today' s post is on Monster Collection volume 4 by Itoh Sei. It is 170 pages long and is published by CMX. The cover is blue with the main character in the center summoning with a monster behind her. The intended reader is someone who likes high action series with humor added in to keep it from getting too dark. There is mild foul language, implied sexuality, and lots of violence in this series. The story is told from third person god perspective but it closely follows our brave heroes. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- A Summoner's secret weapon- the power of friendship!
Kasche is being held captive on mysterious Spiral Island, resting place of the Encyclopdia Verum. It also happens to be one giant anthill, home to the frightening and lethal Crimson Ants! Cuervo and Nastasha have come to rescue their fearless leader, but must make a hard choice- will they exchange the Guardian of Knowledge for her life and doom mankind? Or will the ditzy young summoner's love and friendship give them strength to fight?

Review- We get some idea about what the real villain wants from all this. He wants Kasche alive because she is like him in some way. We get to see that Cuervo is a real badass. He fights with the fallen angel and wins. Of course that does not stop the fallen but Cuervo was very cool looking. He shows his brains in this long fight. Most of the volume is fighting and running with some moments of real plot development. Kasche is continuing to hear the voice of some really big creature that she could summon but she does not do that yet. She can be really thick sometimes. She is summoner and she does not get that the big woman who is calling out to her to summon her is a creature that Kasche can summon. /sigh. But that is my only annoyance with this volume. I cannot wait to see where the story is going next.

I give this volume a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I bought this manga with my own money.

The Luckiest Lady in London

Today's post is on The Luckiest Lady in London by Sherry Thomas. It is 276 pages long and is published by Berkley. It is the first in her London Trilogy. The cover has the main character on it in a lovely green dress facing the reader. The intended reader is someone who likes historical romance, flawed but likable characters, and romance. There is mild foul language, sexuality and no violence in this book.The story is told from the third person close of the two main characters. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- Felix Rivendale, the Marquess of Wrenworth, is The Ideal Gentleman, a man all men want to be and all women want to possess. Felix knows very well his golden image is a hoax. But no one else suspects the truth, until Miss Louisa Cantwell comes along.
From their first meeting, Louisa has mistrusted his outward perfection. But even she could not have imagined that The Ideal Gentleman would propose- to make her his mistress.
To make matters more complicated, Louisa cannot ignore the pleasure his touch ignites. Nor can she deny the pull Lord Wrenworth exerts upon her. But dare she get any closer to a man full of dark secrets, any one of which could devastate her?

Review- This is a funny and romantic story. Felix is very hard headed but I still liked him. Louisa is very innocent but she is not annoying. This book  is one long sex scene. Felix and Louisa are attracted to each other from the beginning and so they flirt and are very sensual in their banter. But of course when our hero realizes that he loves his wife, he loses his head. He pushes her away and she gets hurt but it does not last long. The real problem is that he lied to her about someone she wanted to marry because he was jealous and in love and did not know how to behave himself. In end they work it all out and I was pulling for them. I like it when a hero is helplessly in love with this heroine.

I give this book a Four out of Five stars. I was given nothing for this review and I borrowed this book from my local library.

Printer's Error: Irreverent Stories from Book History

Today's post is on Printer's Error: Irreverent Stories from Book History by Rebecca Romney and J. P. Romney. It is 384 pages long and is published by HarperCollins. The cover is white with a printing press and an editor freaking out over the misprinted title. The intended reader is someone who is interested in book history and humorous stories. There is mild foul language, talk of sex, and talk of violence in this book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- Since the Gutenberg Bible first went on sale in 1455, printing has been viewed as one of the highest achievements of human innovation. But the march of progress hasn’t been smooth; downright bizarre is more like it. Printer’s Error chronicles some of the strangest and most humorous episodes in the history of Western printing, and makes clear that we’ve succeeded despite ourselves. Rare-book expert Rebecca Romney and author J. P. Romney take us from monasteries and museums to auction houses and libraries to introduce curious episodes in the history of print that have had a profound impact on our world.
Take, for example, the Gutenberg Bible. While the book is regarded as the first printed work in the Western world, Gutenberg’s name doesn’t appear anywhere on it. Today, Johannes Gutenberg is recognized as the father of Western printing. But for the first few hundred years after the invention of the printing press, no one knew who printed the first book. This long-standing mystery took researchers down a labyrinth of ancient archives and libraries, and unearthed surprising details, such as the fact that Gutenberg’s financier sued him, repossessed his printing equipment, and started his own printing business afterward. Eventually the first printed book was tracked to the library of Cardinal Mazarin in France, and Gutenberg’s forty-two-line Bible was finally credited to him, thus ensuring Gutenberg’s name would be remembered by middle-school students worldwide.

Review- A funny book but I think that some of the modern language will make it dated before it's time. In this book there are many different stories from the 600 odd years that the printing press has been in use. Everything from Ben Franklin making his fortune to the beginnings of the celebrity biography. The language I am talking is current pop culture and slang which does add humor to the events but at the same time, it is fitting and current but in five or ten years it will be outdated and this book with its great and interesting stories will be forgotten. The content itself is good and well written. I would like the Romney's to write more about their experiences in the rare book world with all its quirky characters.

I give this book a Four out of Five stars. I was given this book by HarperCollins in exchange for an honest review.

Monster Collection volume 3

Today' s post is on Monster Collection volume 3 by Itoh Sei. It is 162 pages long and is published by CMX. The cover is blue with the main character in the center being attacked by a monster. The intended reader is someone who likes high action series with humor added in to keep it from getting too dark. There is mild foul language, implied sexuality, and lots of violence in this series. The story is told from third person god perspective but it closely follows our brave heroes. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- Is There Any Price Too High To Save A Human Life?
Kasche and her small fellowship have faced all manner of summoned beasts in their quest for the Guardian of Knowledge, but they could be at quest's end. Whilst in fierce combat with Duran DeBrancy and his evil summoner, Eclipse, fortunes with change and a difficult decision will be forced upon the heroes. Will they have the strength to stay the course or will the price be too high?

Review- This volume is pretty much all fight scene. About two-thirds of the way through we get some plot with the villains and with the separating of the party. Kasche is with the villains and she was what they wanted for some mysterious reason. Cuervo and Nastasha have the Guardian of Knowledge and in exchange for Kasche's life they are going to meet the villains at Spiral Island. With the plot being a little thin in this volume I wanted to talk some about the humor in this series. Most of it is bathroom/ physical humor but with some of the darker tones in this volume it was a welcome break. The darker tones come from the back story of one the villains. He just revenge on the Holy City for killing his entire people. He gets a whole page to himself and the destruction that he alone survived. I cannot wait to see what is going to happen on Spiral Island.

I give this volume a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I bought this manga with my own money.

Treasured

Today's post is on Treasured by Candace Camp. It is 403 pages long, is published by Pocket Books, and is the first in her Secrets of the Loch series. The cover is a picture of a very pretty woman in a plaid dress looking at the reader. The intended reader is someone who likes historicals, love stories, and family mysteries. There is mild foul language, sex, and no violence in this book. The story is told from third person close of the two main characters. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- A family legend of hidden treasure mingles with the mist over the shores of Loch Baille . . . But it’s not the cache of gold dating back to Culloden that Jack Kensington claims when he arrives in the Highlands; it's the house he won in a London card game from Andrew Rose, master of Baillannan. Stunned to learn that her wastrel brother wagered their family estate. Isobel Rose must find a way to save her home and the people she loves... even if it means accepting a loveless marriage. Or perhaps not so loveless? Isobel unlocks the secret of desire in the arms of the mysterious and handsome Englishman, but a series of "accidents" makes her fear that she will soon be a widow instead of a wife. As the hunt for the lost riches turns into the search for a killer, Isobel fights her attraction to the man who stole her birthright... but can Jack convince Isobel that he can provide a home for her heart, and a love to treasure?

Review- This is a very fun historical read. I liked both the main characters and the hunt for the treasure was a fun background story. Isobel and Jack both want and distrust the love that is growing between them. The sex is tasteful and can be missed without losing anything from the story. Isobel is a good heroine with a heart of gold and Jack is a fun rogue who really does not want to be one. He wants to be respectable and Isobel can give that to him. He does take time to seduce her and she lets him. I did not feel that Isobel was forced into anything. Jack does want to consummate the marriage but he does not make Isobel do anything that she does not want to do. A fun little love story and I am very curious about what Camp is going to go with this series.

I give this volume a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.

Monster Collection volume 2

Today' s post is on Monster Collection volume 2 by Itoh Sei. It is 168 pages long and is published by CMX. The cover is blue with the main character in the center and monsters behind her. The intended reader is someone who likes high action series with humor added in to keep it from getting too dark. There is mild foul language, implied sexuality, and lots of violence in this series. The story is told from third person god perspective but it closely follows our brave heroes. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- Not all Summoners share Kasche's love for living things...
Kasche's hunt for the stolen Guardian of Knowledge gas led her to the once-peaceful city of Wallace, where rebellion in brewing- but the truth is more sinister than a mere coup! With the aid of mercenary Cuervo and the lovely demoness Nastasha, not to mention a little assistance from a mysterious and lecherous lizard-man, Kasche must infiltrate the palace and steal back the guardian before it can be used to unlock the dangerous Encyclopedia Verum!

Review- So we get the plot really going in this volume with some fast action fights. Kasche and company find and recover the Encyclopedia Verum and they get caught by the villain who turns out to the same race as Cuervo. He wants to rule the world and is prepared to burn it to ash in the process. Cuervo and Kasche get to know each other a little better and that means for Cuervo that he sees how powerful of a summoner Kasche is. One of Kasche's creatures is killed in the fight and she experiences its death too. We get more world building with this volume and a better idea about the things that live in it. We have lizard men, humans, all kinds of magic, and fallen angels who can be defeated by sheer will. The volume ends with Kasche having to do something dangerous to save the day in the next volume.

I give this volume a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I bought this manga with my own money.

Roses and Rot

Today's post is on Roses and Rot by Kat Howard. It is a stand alone novel. It is 307 pages long and is published by Saga Press. The cover is brown and grey with a imposing building the in background. The intended reader is someone who likes urban fantasy/horror stories, dark tales of the Fae, and inventive plots. There is mild sexuality, mild foul language, and no violence in this novel. The story is told from first person close of the main character. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- A prestigious artists' retreat holds dark secrets as desire for art and love are within grasp for Imogen and for her sister, Marin, but at a terrible price.
What would you sacrifice in the name of success?
Imogen has grown up reading fairy tales about mothers who die and make way for cruel stepmother. As a child, Imogen used to lie in bed, wishing her own mother would die, because she couldn't imagine how a stepmother might be worse. As adults, Imogen and Marin have more or less escaped their mother- Imogen as a writer and Marin as a dancer- and they're both accepted to an elite postgrad arts program at Melete. Imogen might be living in a fairy tale after all, and it's one that will pit her against her sister if she really wants to escape her past.

Review- Another blurb that is not the story. Imogen's past is talked about in passing, it is important, what is really going on at Melete is more important. Imogen is not pitted against her sister, she is trying to save Marin. The Fea are not even mentioned and they are the villains of the story and very important to the plot moving forward. The plot is interesting, with lots of different characters and character arcs for them. Every character was given a story arc; even the side characters. I really felt like I got to really see them. I did not feel that any character was replaceable and that is unusual. I like how Howard portrays the Fae. They are amoral, humans are just food to them, and even the one that we should like is still a not good guy. I look forward to what Howard writes next.

I give this novel a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.