trigger warning (view spoiler)[ loss of a parent, cancer, grief, being kidnapped, cruelty towards animals, drowning (hide spoiler)]
Imagine the kind oftrigger warning (view spoiler)[ loss of a parent, cancer, grief, being kidnapped, cruelty towards animals, drowning (hide spoiler)]
Imagine the kind of thing you'd expect from Rick Riordan or the Rick Riordan presents books but it's a graphic novel with a cute water dragon. Had the "kid can hack everything" trope which made me nostalgic for anime I grew up with where an mp3 player was enough to hack a governmental website. Would be interested in reading more, especially if the library should have it, but could also be read on it's own since the main adventure is done at the end of the book....more
When her father dies, our protagonist overhears a conversatrigger warning (view spoiler)[ mention of bullying, loss of a parent, grief (hide spoiler)]
When her father dies, our protagonist overhears a conversation she was not meant to know about, which gets her the idea that the swamp witch could bring him back. She gathers her brother and friends to set out on an adventure.
Short and sweet adventure. Very straightforward, set in the Everglades. Or an environment similiar enough that I can't tell them apart. Creatures like mermaids get their swampy twist, grief is explored. How it is different for every person, and even if you think someone is not impacted by it, if you look deeper you may find that they totally are.
Is especially liked that we have two sets of siblings who spend all their time together so they really feel like one big family. Slight found family vibes while still having blood relations on board.
And one of them has a pet dragon-gator? perfect....more
One day while playing in the wood, a girl picks a flower and put's it in a vase on her windowsill. not knowing that this was no ordinary plant.
The colOne day while playing in the wood, a girl picks a flower and put's it in a vase on her windowsill. not knowing that this was no ordinary plant.
The colour palette is in shades of pink and red, which was different and I liked it. I also like that we have a disabled character in a middlegrade story and while their disability is acknowledged, the plot does not revolve around it.
Makes me excited to read Pilu in the Woods one day, and I would recommend this one to younger and older readers alike.
Famous Five meet a wandering circus while on vacation and borrow travelling wagons to join them for a bit.
Very, very short, kind of expected more ploFamous Five meet a wandering circus while on vacation and borrow travelling wagons to join them for a bit.
Very, very short, kind of expected more plot to come in another installment or something. What really bothered me was that Anne and George are shown naked with all details. What does seeing a child's vulva add to the story? Also, why would they go in the bushes to change into bathing gear when they have perfectly fine wagons over there?
Will not be reading other installments of the series....more
Archibald is part of a monster hunting organisation, and he and Monk, a speaking dog, are on the vampire hunt this timRead in the German translation.
Archibald is part of a monster hunting organisation, and he and Monk, a speaking dog, are on the vampire hunt this time. Had two volumes from the library, will look for more!...more
Comic about a postman in space. Appears to be part of a series but could read book two on it's own without issues. He has an apprentice now, and they Comic about a postman in space. Appears to be part of a series but could read book two on it's own without issues. He has an apprentice now, and they need to deliver a very, very important letter today.
Illustration style reminds me a bit of Tom Gauld. ...more
trigger warning (view spoiler)[ mention of rape, mention of suicides, war themes, mention of slavery, racism (hide spoiler)]
Rincewind has to save the trigger warning (view spoiler)[ mention of rape, mention of suicides, war themes, mention of slavery, racism (hide spoiler)]
Rincewind has to save the world, featuring Twoflower and Cohen the Barbarian. Two of the four riders of the apocalypse take part, and War even brings his children.
The Conterweight Continent is peopled by this weird mix of Chinese and Japanese people. It all reads very Chinese, but then a title is shogun, there are ninja and they have nightingale floors. Don't trust the grand vizier, ever.
When magic supplies run low, Garlic offers to go to the magic market - but only if the vampire neighbor comes along. She's onl a tiny garlic, after alWhen magic supplies run low, Garlic offers to go to the magic market - but only if the vampire neighbor comes along. She's onl a tiny garlic, after all.
As cute as book one, but can be read on it's own. We get some background on the creation of the vegetable people and the underlying magic.
Would totally read more of this series, or by this author....more
trigger warning (view spoiler)[ war themes, xenophobia, mention of rape, mention of child rape, familial abandonment, death penalty, slavery, kidnappintrigger warning (view spoiler)[ war themes, xenophobia, mention of rape, mention of child rape, familial abandonment, death penalty, slavery, kidnapping, drug addiction, memory loss, trauma, grief, misogyny (hide spoiler)]
Re-read for a book club, another one where I am on time and everyone else isn't. I am not mad, I am just wondering why I try.
These books have many interesting things to say. For the first four we follow Ged, who in the first one is a young man who is send to Roke to the wizard school to hopefully prevent him from doing something really dumb with all his power. He will journey, meet and talk to dragons, have adventures, learn things he could not learn in school. Meet new people.
The savages are white skinned. Ged and the people where he grew up, and most people in Roke, are black in some varying shade showing where exactly their ancestors might have come from.
There is some latent misogyny. Women are not allowed in the school of magic, all they can strive for is becoming a witch - but the wise recognize the wise, no matter what education they have, and there are such and such both within the wizard community and the witches scattered around. A friend who reads a newer edition told me in the introduction, these things are adressed and I am interested to read that, but I wanted to finish my bind up first.
I found it tugs at me to have books unfinished over a longer period of time, which means I should finally get going with War and Peace. Yay.
So, I will read on in this series, and book five I already have here. I will wait for the shedule of the readalong, but am really curious to see what we'll see there....more
Short stories from the world of Earthsea. I trigger warning (view spoiler)[ slavery, kidnapping, domestic abuse, alcoholism, war themes (hide spoiler)]
Short stories from the world of Earthsea. I liked the one about how Roke was founded but disliked the slavery themes. The last one was not really a story, just a collection of facts, not quite my cup of tea. Am excited for book six though....more
trigger warning (view spoiler)[ mention of loss of parent, trauma, grief, child abandonment, mention of child abuse, mention of alcoholism, cruelty towtrigger warning (view spoiler)[ mention of loss of parent, trauma, grief, child abandonment, mention of child abuse, mention of alcoholism, cruelty towards animals, being taken hostage (hide spoiler)]
When a lodger dies, Zane finds a treasure map. Of course he gathers his friends - humans Kiko and Jack, dog Hip-Hop - to go on the adventure.
I am very nostalgic towards Treasure Island but never read something where they tried to adapt it into a modern setting. It worked quite well with the skateboard analogy, and going out without adults into the sprawling city is certainly a big adventure.
Middle bits were a bit repetitive. Especially (view spoiler)[ Kiko mistrusting John, which was totally on point for her but it felt like they kept going over the same thing again and again and again (hide spoiler)].
I am reluctant to tag this as fantasy because it mainly isn't, but there were hints of paranormal events, ghosts lingering. I would have liked a clearer stance on that, either embrace the fantastical aspect or stay away, but I am sure that if I had been in the target audience age range, I would not have minded.
Would go on future adventures with this author. The arc was provided by the publisher....more
trigger warning (view spoiler)[ grief, child neglect, slavery, being possessed, kidnapping, bullying, being drugged, religious fanaticism (hide spoiletrigger warning (view spoiler)[ grief, child neglect, slavery, being possessed, kidnapping, bullying, being drugged, religious fanaticism (hide spoiler)]
Adia Kelbara is living with her aunt and uncle, and she hates it. They treat her as a source of free labour instead of a valued member of her family. So when her year of practicality approaches and they want to further exploit her, she simply runs away, to the school for shamans, to be a cook.
Year of practicality means you stop school and intern for a year, with a high likelyhood that the profession you chose - or that was chosen for you - will be what you wind up in later in life. Adia's family produces vines and the potion that is made from them, which are used by the religious fanatics that control the area she lives in. To get out from that, she uses connections to get a spot at the school for shamans, and she decided that cooking sounds fun. Well, more fun than toiling on the fields. And at first, she gets on really well with the kitchen staff. The main problem is that the pupils at school are all spoiled brats, and since Adia can't keep her mouth shut, she gets in trouble soon.
While I loved the mythology behind this story, and the author had great ideas, I found the execution lacking. The plot was very predictable, and in places it felt a bit like the author had forgotten about something. Like Bubbles, Adia's cat - she leaves without getting him, and when she sees him again we're told she had been missing him fiercely, but we never got to see that.
I would love to check in with this author a few further books down the line to see how they've grown in the meantime, but I won't be continuing in this series.
Prequel to Legends and Lattes - no prior knowledge required!
When Viv gets injured, she is send to a tiny coastal town to recover. While she has to pacPrequel to Legends and Lattes - no prior knowledge required!
When Viv gets injured, she is send to a tiny coastal town to recover. While she has to pace herself, she soon gets restless and explores as much as her busted leg allows her to, and she makes new friends.
Very charachterdriven, more vibes than plot but some does appear towards the ending. The main focus is on Viv helping ratkin shopowner Fern improve her working conditions to save the family business from going down, with a side helping of cute summer romance with a dwarven baker.
This was fun and exactly right for low spoons week. Would recommend....more
trigger warning (view spoiler)[ xenophobia, war themes, cruelty against animals, kidnapping, mention of loss of parents, bullying, trauma, grief (hide trigger warning (view spoiler)[ xenophobia, war themes, cruelty against animals, kidnapping, mention of loss of parents, bullying, trauma, grief (hide spoiler)]
Haven't been in the mood to write a review, sorry....more
trigger warning (view spoiler)[ mental illness, trauma, ptsd, cruelty towards animals, pet death, miscarraige, death of a parent, suicide, grief, stalktrigger warning (view spoiler)[ mental illness, trauma, ptsd, cruelty towards animals, pet death, miscarraige, death of a parent, suicide, grief, stalking (hide spoiler)]
Miss Benson has decided to finally work on her life's goal and find the golden beetle of New Caledonia. In preparation, she searches via newspaper for an assistant to accompany her. This is how she meets Enid Pretty.
We have one main timeline and then a bit of how characters got there but without this latter thing feeling consistent enough to call it a second plotline. If you like travellogues or reading about unlikely friendships, this is one for you. I did not expect the crime plotline but I appreciate it a lot.
While this made me no teary, I think this might be my favourite so far from this author....more
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