Shadow of the Batgirl

Today's post is on Shadow of the Batgirl by Sarah Kuhn and Nicole Goux (Illustrator). It is 208 pages long and is published by DC Comics. The cover is dark blue with Cassandra in the bottom looking at the reader. There is very mild foul language, no sex, and some violence in this comic. The story is told from third person close of Cassandra. There be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- Cassandra Cain, teenage assassin, isn't exactly Batgirl material...yet. Will she step out of the shadows and overcome her greatest obstacle- that voice inside her head telling her she can never be a hero?
Lucky for Cass, she won't have to defy her destiny alone. With the help of her mentors, noodle shop owner Jackie Fujikawa and a librarian named Barbara Gordon, she'll attempt to answer this questions the only way she knows how: learning everything she possibly can about her favorite hero. The problem is that Batgirl hasn't been seen in Gotham for years...
Can Cass find Batgirl before her father destroys the world she has grown to love? Or will she have to take on a heroic mantle of her own?

Review- This is a beautiful re-imaging of Cassandra Cain becoming Batgirl. Cass is just a voiceless assassin for her father, she doesn't know who she is, why her father wants her to do things she does, and she doesn't know where she is going. Cass is accidentally broken free of her father's control and she just runs without any idea about where she is or what she is going to do. The rest of the volume is Cass discovering herself, dealing with what her father was trying to make her, and making choices for her future. I really enjoyed this graphic novel, it was very well written, the art style is a good fit for this story, and the story itself is a wonderful coming-of-age story. If you don't know anything about Cassandra Cain, I think that this is a good place to start and I hope that DC Comics does more with this Cass.

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

Bubble in the Sun: The Florida Boom of the 1920s and How It Brought on the Great Depression

Today’s post is on Bubble in the Sun: The Florida Boom of the 1920s and How It Brought on the Great Depression by Christopher Knowlton. It is 411 pages long and is published by Simon & Schuster.  The cover has some flappers in swimsuits and a row of hotels on top. There is mild foul language, discussion of sex and sexuality, and no violence in this book. 

From the dust jacket- The 1920s in Florida was a time of incredible excess, immense wealth, and precipitous collapse. The decade there produced the largest human migration in American history, far exceeding the settlement of the West, as millions flocked to the grand hotels and the new cities that rose rapidly from the teeming wetlands. The boom spawned a new subdivision civilization—and the most egregious large-scale assault on the environment in the name of “progress.” Nowhere was the glitz and froth of the Roaring Twenties more excessive than in Florida. Here was Vegas before there was a Vegas: gambling was condoned and so was drinking, since prohibition was not enforced. Tycoons, crooks, and celebrities arrived en masse to promote or exploit this new and dazzling American frontier in the sunshine. Yet, the import and deep impact of these historical events have never been explored thoroughly until now.

In Bubble in the Sun Christopher Knowlton examines the grand artistic and entrepreneurial visions behind Coral Gables, Boca Raton, Miami Beach, and other storied sites, as well as the darker side of the frenzy. For while giant fortunes were being made and lost and the nightlife raged more raucously than anywhere else, the pure beauty of the Everglades suffered wanton ruination and the workers, mostly black, who built and maintained the boom, endured grievous abuses.

Knowlton breathes dynamic life into the forces that made and wrecked Florida during the decade: the real estate moguls Carl Fisher, George Merrick, and Addison Mizner, and the once-in-a-century hurricane whose aftermath triggered the stock market crash. This essential account is a revelatory—and riveting—history of an era that still affects our country today.

Review- This is a fascinating story about how small things will led into something bigger and affect the lives of millions of people in the future. Florida had been mostly ignored by the public but for a few rich sport fisherman then some wealthy people bought land and started to build themselves some very nice houses. After that more and more come to live, work, and be free in Florida. There were land developers, good time gals, and more. It is an interesting story with very interesting people who did not understand what they started or how it was going to make them suffer in the end. At times with all the details and people to keep track of, the reader can get over-whelmed but the story is interesting and well worth your time. 

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

The Way of the House Husband, vol.4

Today's post is on The Way of the House Husband, vol.4 Kousuke Oono. It is 159 pages long and is published by Viz. The cover has Tatsu on it making a bento. The intended reader is someone who has a great sense of humor and loves one shot stories. There is no foul language, no sex, and the violence is for comedy. The story is told from third person god perspective following Tatsu. 

From the back of the book- On what beings as just another shopping trip, Tatsu has a run-in with a thief- of the feline persuasion! When the gangster- turned homemakers gives chase, yakuza are quickly drawn into the fray, and chaos erupts in the streets of the shopping district. Even everyday errands can turn treacherous when you're the Immortal Dragon!

Review- Another hysterical volume in this series. There are so many funny vignettes in this volume from Tatsu and his underling making bubble tea to a Tatsu's housewife friends thinking that he and his wife are Japan's Mr. and Mrs. Smith; there is so much to enjoy about this volume. Tatsu's everyday life makes mine own better by having crazy adventures with him. The art is good, the stories are just the best, and characters are so much fun that I look forward to every volume both new and old volumes to re-read their zany days. I highly recommend this series, every volume if this series is pure gold. 

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

Theme Music

Today's post is on Theme Music by T. Marie Vandelly. It is 387 pages long and is published by Dutton. The cover is a picture of  house with ivy growing up to a window. The intended reader is someone who likes dark twisty thriller that walk the line of being horror. There is foul language talk of sex and sexuality, and violence in this novel. The story is told from first person close of the main character Dixie. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- She didn't run from her dark past. She moved in.
For the lucky among us, life is what you make of it, but for Dixie Wheeler, the theme music for her story was chosen by another long ago, on the day her father butchered her mother and brothers and then slashed a knife across his own throat. Only one-year-old Dixie was left alive, infamously known as Baby Blue for the song left playing in the aftermath of the slaughter.
Twenty-five years later, Dixie is still desperate for a connection to the family she can’t remember, so when her childhood home goes up for sale, Dixie sets aside all reason and moves in, re-creating a macabre decor with her family’s salvaged furniture. But as the ghosts of her family seemingly begin to take up residence in the home that was once theirs, Dixie starts to question her own sanity and wonders if the evil force menacing her is that of her father, or a demon of her own making.
In order to make sense of her present, Dixie becomes determined to unravel the truth of her past and seeks out the detective who originally investigated the murders. But the more she learns, the more she opens up the uncomfortable possibility that the sins of her father may belong to another, and, perhaps most tragically, to Dixie herself. As bodies begin to pile up around her, Dixie must find a way to expose the lunacy behind her family’s massacre in order to save her few loved ones who are still alive- and whatever scrap of sanity she has left.

Review- A twisty, intense, and very surprising horror thriller that had me gasping in shock and surprise more than once. This is one heck of story, that will make you questions how much is real how much is in Dixie's head, and who is the real killer. This is Vandelly's debut novel and I am very impressed. We have everything in this novel: unreliable narrator, horrific murders, ghosts, and a one really bad killer. Dixie is very damaged from what happened when she was a baby and how she was raised and that makes her a great main character. She is always likable but she is compelling and that means more to me than liking her. The real killer was a surprise to me but not the helper, I did guess that one. If you are looking for a very intense, dark thriller-horror story then I highly recommend this novel.

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

Diamond Doris

Today's post is on Diamond Doris by Coris Payne and Zelda Lockhart. It is 265 pages long and is published by Amistad publishing. The cover is a picture of Doris. The intended reader is someone who likes memoirs and true crime. There is foul language, discussion of sex and sexuality, and some mild violence in this memoir. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- Growing up during the Depression in the segregated coal- mining town of Slab Fork, West Virginia, the bright and willful Doris Paine dreamed big. Fascinated by the fine clothes, jewels, and lifestyles in magazines such as Town & Country and Harper’s Bazaar, she imagined a world beyond herself, one in which she did not  carry the weight of limitations that others imposed on her and where her beloved mother was free from her father’ s abuse.
After the owner of a local store threw her out when a white customer arrived, Doris vowed that neither her race or gender would hold her back. She was going to control her own life and make her own money.
Using her Southern charm and quick wit, she began shoplifting small princess of jewelry from local stores, and over the course of six decades, grew her talents with each heist. As a world-class expert jewel thief, she daringly pulled off numerous diamond robberies, using nuns and various ruses to help her avoid arrest while her Jewish boyfriend fenced the stolen gems.

A rip-roaringly fun and exciting tale, Diamond Doris is the portrait of a captivating antihero who experienced life to the fullest- on her own terms.

Review- A fascinating memoir from the woman who lived it herself. Doris tells the reader her life story from her earliest memories to near present day. We travel with Doris from the first time she realized that she could use people’s prejudices against them to her living her life free in Atlanta. She tells her story without too much editing herself or what she did or why she did it. I really like Doris and I liked traveling with her around the world stealing jewels. I worried for her when she did a big job and I was relieved every time she made it home. Doris was/is not a good person but she was/is an incredible one. 

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

The Water Dragon’s Bride, vol. 4

Today’s post is on The Water Dragon’s Bride, vol. 4 by Rei Toma. It is 192 pages long and is published by Shojo Beat. The water is a picture of Asahi and Subaru in water holding hands. As it is the fourth in the series you need to have read the first three volumes to understand the story. The intended reader is someone who has read the first three volumes and likes shojo manga. There is no foul language, no sex, and no violence in this manga. The story is told from third person close of the main character, Asahi. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- Because the water dragon god wants to interact with Asahi more, he descends to the village in the guide of a human. Asahi’s friend Subaru has mixed feelings about this but joins them on a journey to the capital. What adventures are in store, and how will their fates change?

Review- A good volume and we are starting to see the trouble that Asahi will have as she is the god’s chosen priestess and how that power will change others. Asahi is trying to help the water dragon learn how to be more human, to make him more livable for herself and others in the village. He, of course, does not understand why he should care but Asahi is doing her best. Subaru is not helping by having some weird thing with the water dragon but I think that it will play out. The main part of this volume is Asahi being summoned before the emperor and being commanded to use her power but she does not have any herself. I think that we are starting to see what is going to be the main  conflict of the story. I am curious about where Asahi 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 Oracle Code

Today's post is on The Oracle Code by Marieke Nijkamp, Manuel Preitano (Illustrations). It is 208 pages long and is published by DC Comics. The cover has Barbara on it in her wheel chair. The intended reader is someone who is interested in a new telling of Barbara's story and DC Comics. There is no foul language, no sex, and mild violence in this graphic novel. The story is told from  third person close of Barbara. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- After a gunshot leaves her paralyzed, Barbara Gordon enters the Arkham Center for Independence, where Gotham's teens undergo physical and mental rehabilitation. Now using a wheelchair, Barbara must adapt to a new normal, but she cannot shake the feeling that something is dangerously amiss. Within these walls, strange sounds escape at night; patients go missing; and Barbara begins to put together pieces of what she believes to be a larger puzzle.
But is this suspicion simply a result of her trauma? Fellow patients try to connect with Barbara, but she pushes them away, and she'd rather spend time with ghost stories than participate in her daily exercises. Even Barbara's owan judgment is in question.
In The Oracle Code, universal truths cannot be escaped, and Barbara Gordon must battle the phantoms of her past before they swarm her future.

Review- An excellent reinvention of Barbara Gordon becoming Oracle. Barbara is shot as the very beginning of this story and the rest is really about her coming to terms with what happened and rediscovering herself. When she starts, Barbara does not want to be at Arkham Center for Independence and she does not want to make new friends. But the longer she is there, the more she realizes that something is very wrong. Barbara has to re-find her inner hero to save the children that are missing and stop the bad guys. We get to see Barbara struggle with her new life, making new friends, and helping her old friends come to terms with her new life too. I really enjoyed this graphic novel, I liked seeing Barbara face the new challenges for her life, and overcome them. I hope that more comics are made following her into her role as Oracle for the Bat-family.

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

The Cold Vanish: Seeking the Missing in North America's Wildlands

Today’s Nonfiction post is on The Cold Vanish: Seeking the Missing in North America's Wildlands by Jon Billman. It is 348 pages long and is published by Grand Central Publishing. The cover is a picture of the trees in the Pacific Northwest. The intended reader is someone who is interested in learning about people who go missing national forests. There is mild foul language, no sex, and no violence in this book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- For readers of Jon Krakauer and Douglas Preston, the critically acclaimed author and journalist Jon Billman's fascinating, in-depth look at people who vanish in the wilderness without a trace and those eccentric, determined characters who try to find them.

These are the stories that defy conventional logic. The proverbial vanished without a trace incidences, which happen a lot more (and a lot closer to your backyard) than almost anyone thinks. These are the missing whose situations are the hardest on loved ones left behind. The cases that are an embarrassment for park superintendents, rangers and law enforcement charged with Search & Rescue. The ones that baffle the volunteers who comb the mountains, woods and badlands. The stories that should give you pause every time you venture outdoors.

Through Jacob Gray's disappearance in Olympic National Park, and his father Randy Gray who left his life to search for him, we will learn about what happens when someone goes missing. Braided around the core will be the stories of the characters who fill the vacuum created by a vanished human being. We'll meet eccentric bloodhound-handler Duff and R.C., his flagship purebred, who began trailing with the family dog after his brother vanished in the San Gabriel Mountains. And there's Michael Neiger North America's foremost backcountry Search & Rescue expert and self-described "bushman" obsessed with missing persons. And top researcher of persons missing on public wildlands Ex-San Jose, California detective David Paulides who is also one of the world's foremost Bigfoot researchers.

It's a tricky thing to write about missing persons because the story is the absence of someone. A void. The person at the heart of the story is thinner than a smoke ring, invisible as someone else's memory. The bones you dig up are most often metaphorical. While much of the book will embrace memory and faulty memory -- history -- The Cold Vanish is at its core a story of now and tomorrow. Someone will vanish in the wild tomorrow. These are the people who will go looking.

Review-  An interesting account of different people who go missing and may or may not be found in the national forests in the Pacific Northwest. Billman got interested in the missing when a woman who was a runner, similar to himself, went missing near his home in Colorado. He joined the search for her and eventually became more and more interested in the people who go missing in this area of the world really without a trace. He writes some stories for some magazines on different runners and cyclists that go missing and then gets involved in the search for a young man named Jacob Gray. Over the course of the book we follow Billman and Gray’s father Randy Gray as they search all over the Pacific Northwest for him. Chapters change out between the search for Jacob and stories about other people who went missing in the area. Most of them end in heartbreak. This book is fairly well written, very interesting, and is definitely a cautionary tale about being too confident when setting out on your own in the national parks of America or anywhere really. If you're looking for something that is true crime but not really related to murder or other harsh topics give this one a try. 

I have this book a Four out of Five stores. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.

The Ancient Magus' Bride, vol. 4

Today’s post is on The Ancient Magus' Bride, vol. 4  by Kore Yamazaki. It is 184 pages long and is published by Seven Seas Publishing. The cover has Chise and Elias on it sitting on a bridge. As it is the fourth volume in the series you need to have read the first three to understand what is going on. There is no foul language, no sex, and no violence in this manga. The intended reader is someone who has read the first three volumes and likes manga. The story is told from third person close of the main character Chise. There Be Spoilers Ahead. 

From the back of the book- "I am not alone."

Chise has been summonsed to the Dragon Aerie to begin crafting her very own wand, but her journey has more to offer than she had anticipated: magical wonders, enlightening visions, and perhaps most importantly, insight into Elias' past and the secrets he has been reluctant to reveal about himself.

Yet while Chise finds some answers about the inhuman mage's history, mysterious beings are displaying an unexpected interest in Chise herself. 

Review- This volume picks up right where volume three left off with Chise learning about Elias’ past. His teacher is still getting Chise's meddle and is starting to see why Elias has chosen her to be his apprentice. Not a lot of plot happens in this volume, but a lot of setting, world building, and character development. Chise learns that she is more than just a replaceable mistake. She has value in herself, and others see value in her as well. I like the way that Chise is growing, she is becoming very interesting and it will be interesting to see where she ends up at the end of the series. A solid volume in the series. 

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.

Batwoman, Vol. 1: The Many Arms of Death

Today's post is on Batwoman, Vol. 1: The Many Arms of Death by Marguerite Bennett, James Tynion IV, Steve Epting, Stephanie Hans, Renato Arlem. It is 168 pages long and is published by DC Comics. The cover is a close-up of Batwoman's face looking intense. There is foul language, sex and sexuality, and violence in this collection. The story is told from third person of Cassandra. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the blurb on Amazon- Batwoman returns with her own series in BATWOMAN VOL. 1, as a part of DC Rebirth!
The newest chapter of Batwoman’s life begins here! Monster Venom is the hottest new bioweapon on the market…and to break up the syndicate spreading it around the world, Batwoman’s going to have to return to the place where she spent some of her darkest hours!
With writing from Marguerite Bennett (DC BOMBSHELLS) and James Tynion IV (DETECTIVE COMICS), as well as spectacular art from Steve Epting (CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER) and Ben Oliver (THE MULTIVERSITY), this new series spins directly out of the smash hit DETECTIVE COMICS series!
BATWOMAN VOL. 1 collects issues #1-6 and the one-shot special BATWOMAN: REBIRTH #1.

Review- We get lots of different adventures in this collection. We see Cassandra from before she was Batwoman, when she was looking for herself and what to do with her life. The art is beautiful, the stories are interesting, and the pacing is excellent. This is suppose to be a reboot but I am sure that it really is in parts because it references things that have happened before the comic so I cannot follow everything in the plot as well as someone who has. I did enjoy this collection but I am not sure that I will read anymore.

I give this comic collection a Three out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I get this collection as a gift.

The Address Book: What Street Addresses Reveal About Identity, Race, Wealth, and Power

Today’s Nonfiction post is on The Address Book: What Street Addresses Reveal About Identity, Race, Wealth, and Power by Deirdre Mask. It is 326 pages long and is published by St. Martin’s Press. The cover is a collection of different city maps with the title in the center. The intended reader is someone who is interested in the history of cities, address, race, and power. There is no foul language, no sex, and no violence in this book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- An exuberant and insightful work of popular history of how streets got their names, houses their numbers, and what it reveals about class, race, power, and identity.

When most people think about street addresses, if they think of them at all, it is in their capacity to ensure that the postman can deliver mail or a traveler won’t get lost. But street addresses were not invented to help you find your way; they were created to find you. In many parts of the world, your address can reveal your race and class.

In this wide-ranging and remarkable book, Deirdre Mask looks at the fate of streets named after Martin Luther King Jr., the wayfinding means of ancient Romans, and how Nazis haunt the streets of modern Germany. The flipside of having an address is not having one, and we also see what that means for millions of people today, including those who live in the slums of Kolkata and on the streets of London.

Filled with fascinating people and histories, The Address Book illuminates the complex and sometimes hidden stories behind street names and their power to name, to hide, to decide who counts, who doesn’t―and why.

Review- This is a fascinating, insightful, and very well written non-fiction book about the history of street addresses. It starts with the question of why do we need street addresses and what do they give us. To get these answers Mask goes around the world, interviews scores of very different people, from architects to Doctors Without Borders, and the average person to understand the power an address has. In modern-day non-rural America we do not understand the power of having a street address. An address means that you can be found for good or for bad, but that also means that you can get a loan from a bank, you can vote, and perhaps most importantly you can be found by Emergency Services. And that is something that Mask discovers is missing in the more rural parts of the world that do not have standardized or any kind of street addresses. The people there cannot get the help that they need nor do they have a voice in their government. This book is very well written, with good notes so you can do further research if you want, and is really very interesting. I highly recommend this book in order to understand more what's going on in under-served and under-recognized cultures and communities. 

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

Kiss Him, Not me!, vol 1

Today’s post is on Kiss Him, Not me!, vol 1 by Junko. It is 150 pages long and is published by Kodansha Comics. The cover has all the main characters on it with Kae, the female lead, in the center screaming. The intended reader is someone who likes shojo comedy manga. There is no foul language, no sex, and no violence in this manga. The story is told from first person close of the main character Kae. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- Hi there! My name is Serinuma Kae.

I’m the kind of girl who loves checking out boys and fantasizing about them getting friendly (and more) with each other—I’m what you might call a fujoshi.

One day, my beloved (yes, he’s an anime character) died, and the shock of it all was more than I could have ever prepared for! My grief over his passing resulted in some ridiculous weight-loss!

And you won’t believe what happened next! Soon after my change, the four most divinely gorgeous boys in my school asked me out on dates! I accepted them all, and you’d think I’d be happy with my sudden popularity, but the truth is, my heart only yearns for a prince to be next to his prince. Ahh, yes, boys, I’d much prefer that you turn your affections elsewhere and KISS HIM, NOT ME!

Review- A really funny start to an interesting manga. Kae the main character is obsessed with boy love anime and manga but when her favorite character dies, she goes into a deep depression and has a very dramatic weight loss. Now she is unrecognizable to just about everyone in school and has to deal with the fact that now she's popular. It's a very Cinderella story but I hope it deals with the problematic aspects of people losing weight to be considered attractive and popular. The story is fairly fast paced and pretty amusing, Kae is a little silly but is likable. All of the boys are okay but her senior is definitely my favorite as he is the only person who could still recognize her in spite of her weight loss. It will be interesting to see where this goes as she is very imaginative, more than a little silly about seeing boy love everywhere, and just not understanding why someone might be interested in going out with her. I look forward to seeing where this amusing manga goes. 

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

Bibliophile Princess: Volume 1

Today's post is on Bibliophile Princess: Volume 1 by YUI, Satsuki Sheena (Illustrator), Alyssa Niioka (Translator). It is  160 pages long and is published by J-Novel Club. The cover is a beautiful illustration of the two main characters. The intended reader is someone who likes fantasy romance novels with some very pretty pictures. There is no foul language, no sex, and no violence in this novel. The story is in first person close of the character moving from chapter to chapter. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From Kindle blurb- When book-loving Lady Elianna spots Prince Christopher—her betrothed in name only—consorting with another noble lady, she realizes the recent rumors must be true. The prince has someone he truly loves, which means the annulment of their engagement is both inevitable and fast-approaching. What she doesn’t realize is that this is merely a surface ripple—one of many where the truth runs deep, in a conspiracy surpassing her imagination!

Review- This is a wonderful and charming light novel. Elianna is from a family that loves books more than anything and she is just as bad. But she is engaged to the crown prince of her country, Prince Christopher. They get along just fine, as Elianna thinks that she is just a stand-in fiancée for the prince when a other noble girl starts making moves on him. Elianna is forced to realized that they are not just friends. This novel is very cute, the story is sweet, and I really liked Elianna and understood her desire to read always. As far as  romance novels go, it does not do anything new but what it does it very good. Poor Christopher as loved Elianna for many years and has been trying to get her to notice him, the villain(s) are good and add some excellent flavor. I would recommend this novel for romance readers. 

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