Publisher: Dark Horse Publishing Date: June 20 2012 Genre: Graphic Novel Format: Paperback Page count: 136 My rating: Live Through This is the tale of retribution and atonement after Angel, Whedon’s popular vampire with a soul, commits a horrific act in the previous novel. Faith, the rogue vampire Slayer with a tumultuous past is the only character that will stick […]
Category: Book Review
ARC Book Review: What’s Left of Me by Kat Zhang
Publisher: HarperCollins Australia Publishing Date: October 1 2012 Genre: YA, Sci-fi, dystopia Format: e-ARC Page count: 342 (paperback) My rating: Kat Zhang’s lushly imagined What’s Left of Me spins the tale of what happens when a recessive soul sharing one body with a dominant soul refuses to fade away, as they’ve been led to believe is inevitable. Anyone left with […]
Mini Review: Once Upon a Time in the North by Philip Pullman
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf Publishing Date: April 8 2008 Genre: YA, Fantasy, Steampunk Format: Hardcover Page count: 110 My rating: Once Upon a Time in the North tells a prequel tale of the aeronaut Lee Scoresby from Pullman’s fantastic world-wide hit trilogy His Dark Materials and his first meeting with the ice bear, Iorek Byrnison, set in the familiar […]
Audio Book Review: The Golden Compass/Northern Lights by Philip Pullman
Publisher: Listening Library Publishing Date: October 23 2003 Genre: Children, Fantasy Format: Audio Book (unabridged) My rating: When twelve year old Lyra’s friend Roger goes missing from Jordan College, she and her daemon Pantalaimon set out on a dizzying journey of gyptians (boat people), witches, armoured bears, child-snatchers, an aeronaut (yes it is as cool as it sounds) and […]
Mini Review: I Could Pee On This by Francesco Marciuliano
Publisher: Chronicle Books Publishing Date: August 15 2012 Genre: Poetry, Humour Format: Hardcover Page count: 112 My rating: This little book of poetry delighted me. I mean, it’s written by cats! How awesome is that? We are treated to such gems as ‘I Lick Your Nose,’ ‘Some of My Best Friends Are Dogs’ and ‘That Top Shelf’. It’s way […]
ARC Book Review: Stormdancer by Jay Kristoff
Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books Publishing Date: September 18 2012 Genre: YA, Japanese Steampunk Format: Paperback Page count: 313 My rating: When sixteen year old Yukiko is sent to tag along on her father the Huntmaster’s impossible quest of finding and capturing the legendary and probably extinct arashitora (thunder tiger/griffin), her airship crashes and she is forced to make a tentative […]
Mini Review: The Little Stormdancer by Jay Kristoff
Publisher: Jay Kristoff Publishing Date: 2012 Genre: Children, Steampunk Format: Paperback Page count: 33 My rating: Without spoiling Stormdancer, Jay Kristoff’s companion children’s book The Little Stormdancer delivers the charming tale of Yukiko and her companion griffon (‘thunder tiger’) Buruu in a condensed, simplified version, weaving the familiar themes of environmental protection and animal welfare also found in the full-length novel. The repeated […]
ARC Book Review: League of Strays by L.B. Schulman
Publisher: Amulet Publishing Date: October 1 2012 Genre: YA, thriller, contemporary Format: e-ARC Page count: 288 (paperback) My rating: League of Strays delivers an interesting, twisted concept that leaves a distinct impression of distaste in one’s mouth all wrapped up in a nicely decorated book cover. The cover art is intensely accurate – from the pose of the two models, the uncertain, […]
ARC Book Review: Shift by Kim Curran
Publisher: Strange Chemistry Publishing Date: September 4 2012 Genre: YA, sci-fi Format: e-ARC Page count: 416 (paperback) My rating: Shift’s opening pages did not endear itself to me. I read the prologue, which was a huge hypothetical ‘have you ever wondered?’ and frankly said NO, I HAVE NOT. PISS OFF, BOOK. So I put it down for a few weeks. […]
Book Review: There’s A Bear in There (And He Wants Swedish) by Merridy Eastman
Publisher: Allen & Unwin Publishing Date: 2002 Genre: Memoir Format: Paperback Page count: 332 My rating: I’ll admit, I didn’t recognise Merridy Eastman’s face or name prior to the end of this book where she reveals she got a job on the one TV show mentioned that I actually watched (Always Greener). Her stint on Playschool was before my […]