Early Book Review: I Love Science: A Journal for Self Discovery and Big Ideas by Rachel Ignotofsky

I Love Science: A Journal for Self Discovery and Big Ideas by Rachel Ignotofsky is currently scheduled for release on March 7 2017. This is a guided journal for young women and girls based the author's illustrated book Women in Science: 50 Fearless Pioneers Who Changed the World.Both books encourage young women and girls to ponder the world and the daily ins and outs of their
lives. Opening with a short reference section that contains basic equations, the periodic table, basic HTML codes, and a measurement converter, the journal then invites the user to write and dream through writing prompts like, "What is a challenge you've overcome recently?" and inspirational quotes from notable women who've achieved greatness in the science, technology, mathematics, and engineering (STEM) fields, such as famous primatologist Jane Goodall's, "Only when our clever brain and our human heart work together can we reach our full potential."

I Love Science: A Journal for Self Discovery and Big Ideas is a great journal and source of inspiration for those interested in science. I like that it offers interesting quotes and prompting questions to encourage the reader/writer to think about things in new ways and to keep on exploring the world around them. My daughter is a little to unfocused for this yet, but I think this would be a great thing for her to use and enjoy. I think exploring and experimenting with his book by her side would be a great thing for summer break. This could also be a great tool for organizations or classroom sessions that are focused on getting girls and women interested in STEM or STEAM- like perhaps a Girl Scout troop or summer science session through a school, library. or camp.

I think I Love Science: A Journal for Self Discovery and Big Ideas would be a great gift for anyone interested in science and exploring the world around them. I think artists and those that consider themselves more observers than scientist would also benefit from and enjoy the book. 

Early Book Review: Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco

Bone Witch is the first book in a new series by Rin Chupeco and is currently scheduled for release on March 7 2017. When Tea accidentally resurrects her brother from the dead, she learns she is different from the other witches in her family. Her gift for necromancy means that she’s a bone witch, a title that makes her feared and ostracized by her community. But Tea finds solace and guidance with an older, wiser bone witch, who takes Tea and her brother to another land for training. In her new home, Tea puts all her energy into becoming an asha, one who can wield elemental magic. But dark forces are approaching quickly, and in the face of danger, Tea will have to overcome her obstacles and make a powerful choice.

Bone Witch is a book with a fantastic premise and well defined characters. Tea is a strong character with plenty of insecurity, but always trying to be the best she can. She does occasionally do things that are not right, but it only serves to make her more realistic. Her brother, the older as has, and characters she meet are also well fleshed out. The world, its mythology, and dangers were very well done and I liked the magic and social construct aspects of the story, and thought the political machinations were very well done and believable. I also like that there were moments that completely took me by surprise. Appearances and actions lead readers and characters alike to assumptions that are far from true. 

What I did not like was the flipping between two timeframes. While the changes were clearly noted, the future or present depending on how you want to thinks about it is in italics. So it is not confusing, but I found that it broke my reading rhythm and made it harder to get lost in the story. My other problem, which might be deeply connected, is that the book felt very long. There were some very important things that could not, and should not, be left out but I felt like some of the descriptions could have been less wordy, or something. I just found myself looking at the hours or percentage of the book left to read several times and being surprised how much more there was to go.

Bone Witch is a entertaining read with a wonderful premise and serous world building. Those that like full visual descriptions and detailed explanations will love it. Readers that need a faster pace and prefer to use their imagination for more of the little details might get frustrated with the read. It was very well done, but just did not fit what I was looking for while reading.  

Book Review: The Great Shelby Holmes by Elizabeth Eulberg

The Great Shelby Holmes is a middle grade book by Elizabeth Eulberg. Meet spunky sleuth Shelby and her sports loving sidekick Watson, as they take on a dog-napper in this fresh twist on Sherlock Holmes. Shelby Holmes is not your average sixth grader. She's nine years old, barely four feet tall, and the best detective her Harlem neighborhood has ever seen-always using logic and a bit of pluck (which yes, some might call “bossiness”) to solve the toughest crimes. When eleven-year-old John Watson moves downstairs, Shelby finds something that's eluded her up till now: a friend. The easy-going John isn't sure of what to make of Shelby, but he soon finds himself her most-trusted (read: only) partner in a dog-napping case that will take both their talents to crack.

The Great Shelby Holmes is a wonderful new take on the Sherlock style character. John is used to moving around and is good at finding a new group of friends with school and sports. But, the first other kid he meets in his new home is the quirky Shelby Holmes. She is smart and typically off-putting as most versions of Sherlock you might see- and her friendship with Watson might start off as uneasy, but blossoms into something essential for both of them. Shelby has the memory and deductive skills, John has the more practical knowledge that one needs in daily life. Together they have everything they need. I liked the slow growth of friendship, and the way the mystery is explored and solved. The oddities of Shelby's personality were very well balanced, her reluctance to trust combined with her intelligence made her a tough friend to make, and John's need to fit in and be accepted was a realistic conflict that so many readers might be able to relate to. Hopefully they can be strong enough to stand up and be friends with the outsiders like John. I really enjoyed the changes that were made to the characters, and think it makes the characters much more relateable to young readers from all walks of life. It is important that readers can see something of themselves in the characters of the books they read, and this book delivers. What makes it even better is that at no point is gender or diversity the main focus of the book, so everything is organic rather than feeling like a gimmick to drawn in any particular group of readers.  It all just works perfectly.

The Great Shelby Holmes is a great start to a new series, and one I plan on following. The second book, The Great Shelby Holmes Meets Her Match, is scheduled to be released on September 12 2017, and I am not sure I want to wait that long. I think this might be a new fun, challenging, yet accessible series for many readers. 

Early Book Review: Weird Dinosaurs: The Strange New Fossils Challenging Everything We Thought We Knew by John Pickrell

Weird Dinosaurs: The Strange New Fossils Challenging Everything We Thought We Knew by John Pickrell is a new non fiction book that is currently scheduled for release on March 7 2017. From the outback of Australia to the Gobi Desert of Mongolia and the savanna of Madagascar, award-winning science writer and dinosaur enthusiast John Pickrell embarks on a world tour of new finds, meeting the fossil hunters working at the frontier of discovery. He reveals the dwarf dinosaurs unearthed by an eccentric Transylvanian baron; an aquatic, crocodile-snouted carnivore bigger than T. Rex, which once lurked in North African waterways; a Chinese dinosaur with wings like a bat; and a Patagonian sauropod so enormous it weighed more than two commercial jet airliners.  Other surprising discoveries hail from Alaska, Siberia, Canada, Burma, and South Africa. Why did dinosaurs grow so huge? How did they spread across the world? Did they all have feathers? What do sauropods have in common with 1950s vacuum cleaners? The stuff of adventure movies and scientific revolutions, Weird Dinosaurs examines the latest breakthroughs and new technologies radically transforming our understanding of the distant past. Pickrell opens a vivid portal to a brand new age of fossil discovery, in which fossil hunters are routinely redefining what we know and how we think about prehistory’s most iconic and fascinating creatures.

Weird Dinosaurs is a well researched and written book for readers that have always loved dinosaurs, or have had their interest revived by other dinosaur lovers in their lives, or the news of new information and discoveries in the field. The. book is written with a nice blend of information and narrative text, giving life to the discoveries and the people involved in uncovering them. I was fascinated by the information, but am a reader that likes my non fiction more simply stated than narrative, I found myself wandering a bit.  However, this was an issue with my personal preference and reading style rather than anything the author did wrong. I really enjoyed discovering about the changing and growing knowledge and concepts that surrounds dinosaurs and our planet's history. The new techniques that the scientists are using, and the discoveries they have made possible are simply amazing. 

Weird Dinosaurs is an informative and entertaining text with a nice blend of narrative and scientific fact. Readers that do not like a little narrative to entertain and dramatize the facts a bit might not enjoy this as much as others. However, the facts and information included are simply fascinating. 

Early Book Review: Bless this Mother-Effin Home: Sweet Stitches for Snarky Bitches by Katie Cutthroat

Bless this Mother-Effin Home: Sweet Stitches for Snarky Bitches by Katie Kutthroat is a combination of sugar and spice in cross stitch samplers that is currently scheduled for release on March 7 2017. Laugh out loud fun through crafting is found in these biting yet precious patterns. Katie Kutthroat's warped and witty cross stitch has taken the internet by storm and has been featured on TV shows like HBO's Girls. Cute but snarky, each cross stitch pattern featured in Bless This Mother-effing Home evokes laughter and irony. Perforated pages allow for readers to hang up or share favorite entries, spreading the cross stitched love. 

Bless this Mother-Effin Home: Sweet Stitches for Snarky Bitches is a collection of off color cross stitch work. They are well done and snarky. The combination made this sarcastic crafter’s heart very happy. There are no patterns or charts, but a versatile crafter can figure out how to make their own by following the images, and making them their own a little. Not an in-depth book, but the introduction gives a nice bit of background information and get the reader curious and inspired. I can think of several friends that would really appreciate this style of gift, and I enjoyed flipping through the book.

Early Book Review: Strong is the New Pretty: A Celebration of Girls Being Themselves by Kate T Parker

Strong is the New Pretty: A Celebration of Girls Being Themselves by Kate T Parker is a book of photography that is currently scheduled for release on March 7 2017. It is a celebration of strong girls being 100% themselves in 175 gorgeous photographs. The images show girls being strong in every way, being fearless, being silly, being wild, stubborn, and proud. 

Strong is the New Pretty is a wonderful collection of photographs and text. The text is made up of quotes from girls and women about their lives, particularly moments when they had to stand up for themselves and be themselves in the face of other people's expectations. The combination of words and wonderful photographs had me tearing up within the first ten pages. It inspired me to be more of what I want than what other people expect, and to encourage the girls and women in my life to do the same. I hope to show my daughter that being yourself is beautiful, regardless of who that might be, and what pursuits that includes.

Strong is the New Pretty is a perfect gift for anyone that thinks that being true to yourself and following their dreams is beautiful. While it will move many girls and women that have the chance to read it, I think anyone that loves another trapped by the gender or other social expectations of the world will appreciate the message and gain something from taking the take to look and read.

Book Review: Under the Ashes by Cindy Rankin

Under the Ashes by Cindy Rankin is a middle grade work of historical fiction. Elizabeth "Littlebeth" Morgan thinks she is the smartest, bravest eleven-year-old in Paso Robles. She loves sharing stories of the outlaws Frank and Jesse James and shows no fear when she whacks the head off a rattlesnake. But she is not the proper lady her family wants her to be so they send her to live with her maiden Aunt Sally in San Francisco to be tamed and refined. While Aunt Sally's life is unlike anything Littlebeth has experienced in the country, the pain of being sent away runs deep. Then Littlebeth meets Mr. Steinberg, Aunt Sally's Jewish neighbor. He treats her like a person, not just a little girl, and Littlebeth finds a friend in him. Mr. Steinberg is sweet on Aunt Sally and takes the two of them to see the famous opera singer, Enrico Caruso, perform. But Littlebeth doesn't understand the religious differences keeping Aunt Sally and Mr. Steinberg apart. Before she can meddle in their personal lives, the earthquake hits. Littlebeth is separated from them in the chaos of the streets. She must use her wits and bravery and trust in a few unlikely friends to locate Aunt Sally and Mr. Steinberg. But will Littlebeth be able to survive the disaster and be reunited with her family?

Under the Ashes is a touching story about a young girl that feels disconnected and unwanted by her family. I like that Beth is an adventurous girl, as quick to help others as she is to speak her mind. I think that her family is shown to really love her and what what is best for her, and while I think readers can relate to how they make Beth feel, they can also see that underlying love. I did find that the book took awhile to get to the action. By the time the earthquake hit, I felt like the book was already more than half over, although that information we read in the first part of the book was important it just felt like we took too long to get there, and then the action was a bit crammed together. I think the portrayal of human nature, both before and after the quake, was sadly accurate. The ugliness of selfish people, prejudice, and fear were well exhibited, but so were the kindness and innocence that can be found. I think acknowledging that that sort of attitude existed (and still does) and how pointless it is, is extremely important. 

Under the Ashes is a solid work of historical fiction for middle grade readers. I think it is a good book for encouraging empathy and understanding the fears and actions of adults. 

Book Review: Unlucky Charms By Linda O. Johnston

Unlucky Charms is the third book in the Superstition Mystery series by Linda O. Johnston. I did not read the first two books, Lost Under a Ladder and Knock on Wood but feel like I was able to catch up pretty quickly with the characters and small town atmosphere.

Rory Chasen, manager of the Lucky Dog Boutique in Destiny, California, hopes her new line of good-luck doggy toys will be a hit, especially the stuffed rabbits with extra-large feet. The timing of the line’s debut proves ill-fated, though, as several local shops—including Rory’s—are ransacked and vandalized with spilled salt and other unlucky charms.The most likely culprit is disgruntled real estate agent Flora Curtival, whose issues with the town give her a motive. But after Flora is murdered and one of Rory’s toy rabbits is found with the body, Rory needs all the luck she can get while trying to determine just who killed the superstitious vandal.

Unlucky Charms is a book with play of mystery, and for those that have read the previous books, some interesting character development. Not having read the earlier books I found the quicks of the town and Rory's relationships to be a bit flat or odd. I like that the mystery was more complex than I expected, but I did to like that Rory seemed to be as uncertain about her life and the mysteries that she was trying to solve as the reader. I did like that I was surprised with the identity of Flora's killer- even though I had my concerns about that character's story. However, it felt like Rory was more surprised than I was. I like a main character that is at least a little more clever than I, and definitely more entertaining. I think I could be friends with Rory, but she never really brought the book to the level that I was looking for. It was a good read- but it never really captured me. 

Unlucky Charms is an interesting mystery, with lots of surprises for the reader. If you liked the previous books in the series then you are likely to enjoy this one as well. However, it was not fantastic, and did not make me want to go bad and read the previous books. It was good, but unfortunately not enough to garner a new fan. 

Book Review: Nightwing: Vol 1 Better Than Batman (Rebirth) by Tim Seeley, Javier Fernandez, Yanick Paquette

Nightwing: Vol 1 Better Than Batman (Rebirth) is a graphic novel written by Tim Seeley with art by Yanick Paquette and Javier Fernandez. It collects NIGHTWING: REBIRTH #1 and NIGHTWING #1-6.

He's been Robin, he's been a super spy, a ghost. Now, Dick Grayson finds himself back in Gotham City fighting to reclaim the life that was taken from him. But when a new evil threatens those closest to Dick, as Nightwing he must once again choose whether or not to tear himself away from his home in order to combat this dark force. Everything Dick thought he knew about being Nightwing will be brought to bear, and his relationship to his former mentor Batman will be put to the test. 

I have always loved comics and graphic novels, but have never had the chance to read any Nightwing issues before. I know enough of his story and the universe to not be completely lost, which was nice, but I think many readers coming in completely cold might be slower to catch up to the characters and their relationships to each other. I liked that even though there was plenty of action and mystery going on, there was a great deal of character development for all the major players as well. I think Nightwing's growth- and the resulting changes in his relationships with those closest to him- were very well done and left the door open for many possibilities in the future. I really like that we get serious development with the not so good guys as well. That is why I have always like the Batman and related stories, because little is clearly black and white, good or bad. The artwork and coloring are exactly what I was looking for in this title. extending the readers understanding of the action and character's emotions while telling their part of the story.

If you enjoy the greyer side of crime fighting, and enjoy graphic novels I would suggest checking it out. I do offer a warning though, if you do and have not been keeping up with the DC comic world this will make you eager to catch up. I know I am now looking for the time to do some serious reading.

Book Review: The Woman Upstairs by Camryn Eyde

The Woman Upstairs by Camryn Eyde is a lovely romance. Ricci Velez is a fiercely independent woman that worked her way up from the poverty line to become a respected engineer and property developer. Mistaken as the little wifey by Tara Reeves, the new tenant at her Manhattan apartment building, Ricci wants to evict her before she even signs the lease. A slighted ex-tenant, a vandalized apartment, and an interfering best friend means that she’s forced to offer Tara a room in her own apartment. Can she survive having the secretive hard-nosed executive judging her in her own home? Worse still, can she survive her match-making mother shamelessly besotted by the temporary housemate?

The Woman Upstairs is a emotional and realistic romance. Ricci and Tara start off as annoyances to each other- each dealing with thier own significant problems. I like that being attachted to each other was not the magic pill to make them suddenly get along or open up to each other, rather trust had to be earned and issues needed to be dealt with. I found Ricci’s family dynamics to be charming, and while I could not completely relate to Ricci’s need to build and renovate- I could relate to the idea of getting lost in gardening and creative worek. I could also relate to Tara’s struggles, both with the recent past and waiting for Ricci to face her own troubles. I enjoyed the read, a and look forward to explore more books from the author.

The Woman Upstairs is a romance that deals with the trust and family issues that real people face, and makes the characters feel real. I like that I could connect with the characters, and feel like I could run into them at the store. A heart wrenching and warming story that is well worth the read.