Now Before the Dark

Now Before the Dark by Sam Hooker
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was my first time annotating a book, so it took a while for me to finish. I really noticed the great lines and just how many times I physically started laughing out loud.

Now Before the Dark is the final book in the Terribly Serious Darkness series. It follows the main character Sloot Peril as he tries to fix the narrative after the events of the second book. Even as a demon, Sloot is still sweet little Sloot, and he struggles to complete his task. Luckily, he has his friends and a new acquaintance, his bard Igor. I just love how persistent Igor was. He had a plan for his new career, and he was not going to let anything stand in his way, even Sloot.

I love all the different relationships between the characters, even those people have with Willie, who is kind of an annoying character. He really redeems himself and shows growth in this last book. In fact, there is a ton of character growth in this book for main and minor characters. Sloot and Myrtle are just adorable. I found one of my favorite descriptions of a kiss during one of their interactions. "Myrtle leaned in and gave Sloot the sort of kiss that make poets go sonnet." I mean, if you don't know poetry, then maybe it's just a line, but I really like it. Add to that the fact that Myrtle had been imprisoned at level 99 of the demon realm while Sloot is a level 100 demon, and it was a long time coming.

I will say the relationship between Vlad and Greta almost broke me. I still haven't decided how I feel about their ending. I was on Greta's side, wanting to shake everyone.

There are so many different characters, and they are all so fun. Since the first book, I've really liked the lawyers, it seems silly to say, but I do. Especially when they are in cahoots with the likes of Winking Bob. All the little side notes they randomly insert into conversations make me smile.

I will say, having annotated this book, I did notice that Sloot's thoughts got more philosophical (gasp), closer to the end, and especially at the end. Of course, I'm not sure Arthur would agree.

Some favorite lines.
* I am possessed aren't I? What does that mean for my tax liability? Can I claim a dependent?

* You don't need luck when your fate is your own.

* We are what the world makes us, thought Sloot. And we in turn make the world.

* "Every family is good," said Sloot, "until the world makes them otherwise."

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Where's My Cow?

Where's My Cow? by Terry Pratchett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I have been waiting to read this since I first read about this book in one of the Discworld books. Forgive me for not remembering which one, it's been a couple years, and there are many. The fact that this exists at all warms my heart.

At first I thought it was going to be the same story as what is in the main book. I was wrong. I would recommend reading some of the Discworld books before reading this. All lot of Discworld characters are mentioned, and it's fun to know who they are instead of just reading about them with no reference point.

I loved the illustrations. They were definitely different than what I had in my head for how I thought the characters looked, but they were beautiful. For some of the characters, I had had a hard time picturing them, so having that image in front of me gave my brain the push it needed.

All in all, highly enjoyable.

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The Great Pencil Quest: Another Wallace the Brave Adventure

The Great Pencil Quest: Another Wallace the Brave Adventure by Will Henry
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Honestly, I love Wallace the Brave, so I would have been shocked if I had not loved this collection of comics. Sterling is still my number one favorite character, but I am a little sad. I feel like he grew up a little in this book, and I want him to stay the crazy little kid he's always been. I'm not ready for him to sound reasonable. Of course, there was more of him in this volume than in the previous four, so I can't really complain.

Will Henry is great with keeping continuity not only between one comic to the next, but from one year to the next. I have the other four volumes, and while the how changes, the annual events that happen in the summer, still happen. It's fun to see how things will play out.

The characters are all lovable, from the main character Wallace all the way down to the farmer who was around for a couple pages. If you want a quick fun read that will make you smile, this is something I would recommend.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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Last Stand of Dead Men

Last Stand of Dead Men by Derek Landy
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

As a note, this series gets darker the farther you get, so if you are reading along and find that a book is a little too much, you should probably stop. It has nothing to do with the quality of the series, but it does not go from dark back to light hearted.

The war between sanctuaries really gets me every time. It had been awhile since the first time I read the series, and I had forgotten that the lines between sides is blurred. It's hard to know who the Irish sanctuary can trust outside and inside of itself.

Darquesse of course comes out, because what would these later books be without this lovely character. I know some readers dislike her, but I love her quippy lines and internal monologue, especially when she is discovering some new skill she didn't know she possessed. Maybe, I'm just a sucker for the villain, although, not all the villains in this book are as great as she is. In fact, it's just her, so nevermind. Forget that last thought.

Author: Derek Landy
Content warning: Death, language, war
Age appropriate: Yes

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Signing Their Lives Away

Signing Their Lives Away: The Fame and Misfortune of the Men Who Signed the Declaration of Independence by Denise Kiernan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I've taken a turn for historical non-fiction lately, so I figured I would read about the men who signed the Declaration of Independence. I have to say, while this book could have been boring and densely filled with facts, it had a lot of humor and was a fast read.

I appreciate that nicknames were included, and the reasons behind them. Some of them were just brutal, and should never be brought back.

There is not a whole lot to say about this book since it is each signer is covered in around a page and a half, but it was a fun read. I recommend it for anyone that has any interest in the founding of the United States.

Author: Denise Kiernan and Joseph D'Agnese
Publication Date: 1 May 2009
Publisher: Quirk Books

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Death Bringer

Death Bringer by Derek Landy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A little note at the beginning of this review. I feel that Melancholia St. Clair has one of the most interesting character arcs I've ever read. That arc goes past this book, so I wouldn't necessarily call it a spoiler. She is a semi-side character (I guess that's what you would call her), but she is not flat, which is what tends to happen in other books. I appreciate that characters in this series are given a chance to grow for the most part. Definitely in this book, it's not just the main characters that have change in their lives.

I am convinced, the Necromancers are basically high school mean girls that are in a giant popularity contest with the each other and everyone else. They don't care about what is actually going on in the world, just who is going to be the Death Bringer, and there are two different options, Melancholia and Valkyrie. Each side is doing what they can to convince everyone to join them and be on the "cool" side. It's all very dramatic in a weird emo way.

Valkyrie's internal dialogue is disturbing and yet at the same time hilarious. I have a feeling that I really shouldn't laugh at those little conversations, but gosh dang it, I just can't help it. It's always satisfying every time someone learns who Darquesse is, or even Lord Vile. It doesn't matter what side the characters are on, no one expects the truth, and everyone is thrown when they learn the true identities.

One downside for me was the romance. I'm not a romance person anyway, and Valkyrie's issues are just too much for me. Personally, if I'm going to see one of her boyfriends (I guess Caelan would be called that) interact with someone, I want Fletcher and Valkyrie's dad. On second thought, let's just get a full book of the dad. I would not be mad.

Author: Derek Landy
Publisher: HarperCollins Children's

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The Red Scrolls of Magic

The Red Scrolls of Magic by Cassandra Clare
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I think I know where this book fits in with the rest of the Shadowhunter books, but there are so many of them, that I could be totally off.

I feel like this book was chaotic. There was so much going on and so many random characters introduced for little to no reason. I have to say, I think I have a problem. I'm not really a huge fan of the Shadowhunter universe, but I keep reading the books, so take that for what you will.

Author: Cassandra Clare
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's UK

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The Awkward Yeti Presents: Heart and Brain: Onward to Good Things!

The Awkward Yeti Presents: Heart and Brain: Onward to Good Things!: A Heart and Brain Collection by Nick Seluk
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Things I will never not love:
1. The Awkward Yeti
2. Heart and Brain

Yes, I know Heart and Brain are part of the Awkward Yeti, and yes, I know that was a double negative. I don't care. I can't think of anyone that would not enjoy this collection of comics, and as someone with mental health issues, I find myself deeply relating to it sometimes.

Author: Nick Seluk
Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing
Publication Date: 2 May 2023

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Pygmalion

Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I did not realize before, but My Fair Lady is another name for Pygmalion. I think that is what most people know it by. I listened to the audio book, which I would recommend over just reading the play. Since Eliza's accent changes over time, it's great to be able to hear the change and really appreciate the difference. It's also great to hear how it starts. I live in America, I don't know how the different accents in England sound.

The men in the play made me mad. Professor Higgins really just looked at Eliza as a science experiment and didn't even think of her as a person. By the end of the story, I was totally on team Eliza. You treat a lady like a lady even if she sounds and looks like a flower girl.

Author: George Bernard Shaw

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Thud

Thud! by Terry Pratchett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Reading this book kind of reminded me of the saying "those who don't remember history are doomed to repeat it." That's what seems to be going on with an impending war. The question is, can Sam Vimes stop it when he has to get home every night to read "Where's My Cow?" to his son? This book, while light-hearted, points to issues of race when arguments between the dwarfs and the trolls escalates to the point of history almost repeating itself. Through all of the issues Sam faces in this book, he still feels that it is important to read his son his favorite book at night, and this ends up playing a role in the choices he makes along the way.

All in all, this is another good Discworld book. I have not read them in order, so I'm sure there are things that I've missed due to not having the whole backstory.

Author: Terry Pratchett
Publisher: HarperTorch
Publication Date: 2006

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Space Case

Space Case by Stuart Gibbs
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I think I read this book mostly because of the title. I really liked the play on words, so good job Stuart Gibbs.

Space Case is a futuristic book following a group of families that live on the moon. When one of the scientists die under mysterious circumstances, twelve-year-old Dash is convinced that something is up. He doesn't believe the official story, and is determined to find out what really happened. Along the way, a humorous cast of characters is introduced and the truth about what really happened is slowly revealed.

I really was not expecting the ending, which made it a fun read. When the answer to a mystery is obvious early on in a book, it is hard to find the desire to read it until the end. There were so many possible scenarios going on, that the number of suspects was continually growing, and answers came from an unexpected source.

I also really enjoyed the little side stories about the characters. Most of the time, I want the main story, and get frustrated by the fact that the story keeps getting off track, but not this time. I feel like the side stories served a purpose. They added humor, while also providing some back story that helped add to the mystery. When you start the book, there seems to be only a couple people that could have had anything to do with the mystery, but the more backstories you read about, the more people you start to question. After a while, you wonder who is not a suspect.

All in all, it was a fun read, and I appreciate that it wasn't one of those books that takes place on the moon but has everyone living life like they do on Earth. The environment is different there, and so people living in that environment would face situations that are different than what we face. That is not lost in this book, but it is also not a huge focus.

Author: Stuart Gibbs
Publisher: Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: September 16th 2014

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So Who's Counting

So Who's Counting?: The Little Quote Book About Growing Older and Still Kicking Ass by Erin McHugh
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This is one of those times when the number of stars does not necessarily reflect on the book. I gave it two stars just because I'm not sure I would ever read the whole thing cover to cover again. It's a quote book, I don't know of anyone that reads quote books multiple times cover to cover. It's a hard style of book to do. On that note, I do think that this would be the perfect gift to give to someone retiring or who is having a major birthday milestone. There are some very good quotes in there that are relevant no matter your age, which is why I would buy this book. That's why you buy quote books, so you can always go back and read those quotes that made you laugh or inspired you, and there are plenty of those in this book.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Author: Erin McHugh and Emily Luchetti
Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing
Publication Date: 09 Apr 2019

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Balance of Mayhem

Balance of Mayhem by Edward Aubry
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

After my review of the last book in this series, the author, Edward Aubry, sent me a message to let me know that the fourth book would have more of a focus on a character I wanted more of. Boy did he ever deliver. So, thanks Edward Aubry for not only giving us more Dorothy, but giving her an entire book where she wasn't just a secondary character.

It's really hard to think of what to say about this book that will not give any spoilers. Ummm...let's just say that Dorothy teams up with Felicia to try and get Strontium out of her mind. Along the way, people start to question why Dorothy is doing what she is doing, while Dorothy herself is wondering if she can truly trust Felicia. Really, in my mind, you'd think you would figure out if you could trust someone before you go on this magical quest with only them as company, but I guess Dorothy really just wants her mind back by this point, which is a semi-valid reason to trust a traitor. I guess.

I really like the fact that the characters in this series have been developed to the point that it makes complete sense for them to realize quickly when someone is acting strange. Both Harrison and Claudia choose to do things that may seem to have little to no affect on the outcome of the situation, but in reality, they both know Dorothy enough to know what she will need even when she does not want to let them know what is going on.

While most of this book was pretty serious and intense, there is just no way you can take what happens to Strontium without finding it really funny. Since I got Edward Aubry to respond to one of my reviews before, I'm going to ask a very important question. What was going on in your head when you came up with the whole Strontium situation in this book? The whole book is going on, serious, dangerous, a little humor, serious, and then BAM, Strontium. I'm not complaining, it was great, but how does a mind come up with such things?

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Author: Edward Aubry
Publisher: Curiosity Quills
Publication Date: November 6th 2018

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I am a Genius of Unspeakable Evil and I Want to be Your Class President

I am a Genius of Unspeakable Evil and I Want to Be Your Class President by Josh Lieb
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I will fully admit, it was the title that first caught my eye. I challenge anyone that says that were not at least a little curious about the book after reading the title. It's not one that easily rolls off the tongue, but it conveys a lot.

While the main character was great, I was constantly left confused. I really don't understand why he acted like he barely understood what was going on around him, or why he was so focused on gaining his father's approval. I think part of the reason he and his father clashed was because of the way he decided to act. Maybe he was just creating his own issues.

For me, the notes to the teacher were the best part. The amount of time invested in playing with the teacher's mind was well spent.

Author: Josh Lieb
Publisher: Razorbill
Publication Date: October 13th 2009

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Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made

Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made by Stephan Pastis
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

While I'm not sure this series is for me, I did enjoy the word play and think that it is a great read for young readers just starting to get into longer books. The characters all play well off of each other, which helps the story to flow. The fact that there is a polar bear named Total just adds to the humor.

Author: Stephan Pastis
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Publication Date: 2013

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Slothilda

Slothilda: Living the Sloth Life by Dante Fabiero
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I read this when I should have been sleeping. It was just too cute and relatable, so I kept going. Sleep is over rated, right?

The illustrations are really cute, and complemented the books text perfectly. After reading Slothilda, I kind of think I'm living the sloth life without actually being a sloth.

I really have nothing bad to say about this book. It's great for a quick pick-me-up.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Author: Dante Fabiero
Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing
Publication Date: 02 Oct 2018

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The Third Mushroom

The Third Mushroom by Jennifer L. Holm
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a great addition to The Fourteenth Goldfish series. The first one ended in such a way that you could tell more was coming, so I'm glad this did not disappoint. In order to really understand what happens in this book, you have to have read the first one. There is too much backstory that will cause confusion if you try to only read this one.

The Third Mushroom sees Melvin coming back from his time abroad to join Ellie back in middle school and experiment with the specimen mentioned at the end of the first book. This book really focuses on the struggles of being a teenager and growing up in general. The target audience will easily be able to identify with the characters.

Although there wasn't really anything at the end of this book pointing to another one, I kind of want to see what is next for Melvin.

Author: Jennifer L. Holm
Publisher: Random House
Publication Date: September 4th 2018

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Corporate Crap

Corporate Crap: Lessons Learned from 40 Years in Corporate America by Howard Harrison
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This book was an interesting read, but as a low-level employee, I feel like I did not get as much out of this as I could have. As I was reading, I kept thinking that this would be a great read for those that are in positions of power. It really puts some of the crazy things companies do into perspective. I've had to deal with most of the issues mentioned in the book, so I understood the author's views. There were a few that I have not experienced, and after having read about them, I'm going to cross my fingers that they never happen.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Author: Howard Harrison
Publisher: Dog Ear Publishing
Publication Date: 01 Oct 2018

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Book Love

Book Love by Debbie Tung
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This was a great read, and as a book nerd, I related to all of it. I'm just not sure I would read it all again in this format. Would I post individual parts on Facebook or hang posters of them up on my walls? Absolutely.

If you love books and love comics, this is a great read.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Author: Debbie Tung
Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing
Publication Date: 01 Jan 2019

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Simon Fayter and the Tomb of Rone

Simon Fayter and the Tomb of Rone by Austin J. Bailey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This series is hilarious. There are footnotes, which can be hard to pull off in a work of fiction, but they just add to the humor. If you haven't read the first book, you really should before reading this one. This is not a series that can easily be understood if you do not have the backstory.

The characters are great and have developed since the last book, which is what they should do in a series.

These books are great for middle grade readers or those that just want an entertaining story. I will say, the ending of this book had me ready for the next book. I know the author is being awesome and releasing it soon, but I still have some time to wait and wonder what is going to happen next.

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Author: Austin J. Bailey
Publication Date: November 22nd 2018

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