Highly Recommended

Most of the books I've read have been great. This has probably been the best week of reading I've had all year.

Assassination Classroom Vol 14 by Yusei Matsui
4 STAR RATING

The school principal has always been the bad guy in this story for me. He's just a total dick and I love when class E puts him in his place. In this book, they were a little too effective. The principal promptly loses his shit when class E ranks in the top 50 after the final exams. He tries to kill Koro Sensei but is instead face with his own mortality. I wouldn't be against him dying but I doubt it. This reeks of a redemption story.









Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
REREAD
5 STAR RATING

I found this title on an article titled "The best audio books to listen to" on Buzzfeed. Since I'm trying to expand my reading experiences this year, I decided to tackle the list, one by one. I was so excited to reread this book because I felt that my novel reading was a bit lackluster. This is definitely a book to listen to. Wil Wheaton does a great job taking you on a 80s filled adventure. His voice is amazing. I was transfixed. This also marks the first time I was able to read on my daily commute, since reading on the bus gives me motion sickness. I'm giving this book an extra star for making me laugh and smile more than I ever have while going to work.












Life on Mars by Jon Agree
4 STAR RATING


The last picture made me laugh out loud. This is such a cute book for a parent to read to their child. The art is simple and and so the story, in the best way possible.













Rani Patel in Full Effect by Sonia Patel
3 STAR RATING

I wanted to give this book 4 stars but it didn't impress/entertain me as much I thought it was going to. The pacing was a little off for me and I couldn't tell what this book wanted to convey. It does capture a unique protagonist and does not fall into the trope of cookie cutter female lead. Rani is her own person with some serious flaw; flaws that kept me from completely liking her. She goes through a lot of abuse, both physical and emotional. If you have issues reading about SPOILER molestation and rape SPOILER, avoid this book. It can be very triggering, as it was for me. It's still well written and a decent debut for the author. Plus, the cover is so dope. It's what made me wanna read the book.














Big Cat, Little Cat by Elisha Cooper
4 STAR RATING


Warning: do not read this book to inquisitive children who you have not had the death talk with yet. Because unexpectedly, this book deals with that sad fact of life and it hit me right in the face. I always read the new picture books at my library if the title or subject interest me. With this being about cats, it was a no-brainer that I would love this book. But then shit got real and now I'm sad. Tears actually welled up when the big cat went away and didn't come back. It's still a cute story though, just maybe not for a story time.



I Woke Up Dead at the Mall by Judy Sheehan
3 STAR RATING


This book is not well written. It's juvenile and could have greatly benefited from a more fleshed out plot. But I still liked it a lot. You won't be taken by surprise or very intrigued by the book but it's perfect for passing the time. It's the equivalent to watching TV without the sound on. You're not paying much attention but you still understand what's going on.














Deep Trouble II by R.L. Stine
2 STAR RATING

I really liked the first Deep Trouble but this one was just flat. It's not a well known story from the series. So it makes no sense to give it a sequel. The kids were annoying and the drama was not thrilling. It wasn't even so stupid it was entertaining. I breezed through this book on my lunch break and am already forgetting about it.

Two Weeks Notice

Though I'm sure it's been longer than two weeks, I have decided to come out of hiding and actually update this damn blog. In a twist of events, I've been hiding from my internet world and living out in the real one. It's freaking exhausting so lately I've reverted back to spending hours on YouTube and playing online bingo and solitaire. A full regression has fallen upon me, which is the perfect time for me to return to my book reviews.

Ms. Marvel Vol 6: Civil War II by G. Willow Wilson
4 STAR RATING

I completely understand that Captain Marvel is Kamala's idol and she doesn't wanna disappoint her. But the blind level of trust she had in her mentor was a bit annoying. Kamala doesn't notice anything to be wrong with arresting people for future crimes until one of them is a friend. You can't suddenly care just because you know the guy. And let's talk about Bruno. The reason he was injured was his own damn fault. I know it's human nature to push the blame on someone else but come on! Kamala's decisions did not force you to SPOILER try and break into the makeshift jail and free Josh. SPOILER I hope they can repair their friendship but if not, I say too bad so sad.











Mind the Gap 

Vol 2: Wish You Were Here
4 STAR RATING

I have no clue to what the mystery surrounding Elle is but I'm excited to see all the dots connected. I have no idea who to trust or who to dislike. No one but Jo, Elle's best friend, is very likable. Jo is the character that's keeping me interested and hopeful for a happy ending. i feel like she'll fight tooth and nail to try and save Elle. A high point from this volume was the art sequence for Lonnie being dealt with. I almost thought it was a dream sequence, it was so different and well done.


Vol 3: Out of Bodies
4 STAR RATING

I am beyond annoyed that this series ended on a cliff hanger and that Act II never received a collection release. So I'll never know what happens next with Elle and Jairus. I did really enjoy this series though. It's a slow burn and you don't get a lot of answers but it's worth it to read. The art was beautiful and perfectly captured the trippy nature of this story. There isn't much on character development but I still found myself drawn into Elle's mystery. Here's hoping that someday I'll be able to read Act II in a way that's convenient for me. Otherwise, it's been nice knowing you.


                          



One-Punch Man by ONE
5 STAR RATING


This book had a good villain, funny one liners, and awesome action scenes. I absolutely loved this volume. Saitama is such a fun, relatable protagonist. He's the best but doesn't flaunt it. He just wants to find a worthy opponent to fight. I'm guessing that'll be the climax to this story.















Hood: An Urban Erotic Tale by Noire
REREAD
E-BOOK
3 STAR RATING

I don't know what made me remember this book or want to reread it, but I had to find it amc read it immediately. I finally did an available copy through Overdrive and started to devour it. I have such fond memories of this book. I even owned a copy, though I don't know where it went to. Sadly, I don't love this book like I once did. It's just over the top. It's also so tragic and depressing to read. Hood really goes through the ringer. I'm happy that there is somewhat of a happy ending. But I won't be revisiting this novel again.













IQ by Joe Ide
BOOK CLUB READ
4 STAR RATING

I'm usually not a fan of mysteries but this one is very interesting. IQ is the perfect protagonist. He's the guy you call when the police can't or won't help you, taking on the cases no one else can solve. He's very intelligent but the author did a good job of making him relatable and easy to root for. There's also a subplot of finding who killed his brother in a hit and run. The last page beautifully sets up that story for another book. My only issue was the ending felt rushed and muddled. I hope and pray this becomes a full blown series though. I want to read more about IQ's world.














Pull Me Under by Kelly Luce
4 STAR RATING

Despite the low page count, this is a dense book. You can't really skim it because then you'll miss the gradual rebirth of Rio. She is a woman with a dark secret from her past that she had to confront after 20+ years. She travels back to her homeland and processes who she once was and her past relationships with her father and favorite school teacher. It's not a happy read where redemption is found in the climax of the book. It's just a real portrayal of a person coming to terms with their demons. It's very well written and makes me eager to read more from this author.