Monstress is described as a blending of Eastern and Western tradition, with a healthy dose of steampunk and fantasy. The following didn't sound terri Monstress is described as a blending of Eastern and Western tradition, with a healthy dose of steampunk and fantasy. The following didn't sound terribly appealing to me, but the book garnered a lot of attention and praise from people who aren't commonly interested in those genres - so I thought I'd give it a try.
The book hovered between two and three stars for me, but not through any fault of its own. The art style, while beautiful, was not hugely appealing to me. Likewise, the story was rather common fantasy fare. Nevertheless, the writing, complexity, and art were all exquisite enough to warrant three stars rather than two. Even though the content isn't to my taste, it easy to see just how beautiful a creation this series is.
I'm curious enough to want to continue reading the series, in spite of it not being something I'd generally delve into. I'm invested enough in the characters, and admire the work done thus far enough to want to see more. So, although I'm a bit tired of the "fantasy race at war with humans, special girl with monster inside of her" sort of anime plot, I want to see where this one goes.
So, don't look at this as a low three stars. Instead, think about the fact that I'm not all that into it but still into it enough to want to see where it goes and admire the work being done.
Merged review:
Monstress is described as a blending of Eastern and Western tradition, with a healthy dose of steampunk and fantasy. The following didn't sound terribly appealing to me, but the book garnered a lot of attention and praise from people who aren't commonly interested in those genres - so I thought I'd give it a try.
The book hovered between two and three stars for me, but not through any fault of its own. The art style, while beautiful, was not hugely appealing to me. Likewise, the story was rather common fantasy fare. Nevertheless, the writing, complexity, and art were all exquisite enough to warrant three stars rather than two. Even though the content isn't to my taste, it easy to see just how beautiful a creation this series is.
I'm curious enough to want to continue reading the series, in spite of it not being something I'd generally delve into. I'm invested enough in the characters, and admire the work done thus far enough to want to see more. So, although I'm a bit tired of the "fantasy race at war with humans, special girl with monster inside of her" sort of anime plot, I want to see where this one goes.
So, don't look at this as a low three stars. Instead, think about the fact that I'm not all that into it but still into it enough to want to see where it goes and admire the work being done....more
After the trauma of the previous volume, this one was a breath of fresh air. This one brought humor and strangeness, as well as some of the heartwarmiAfter the trauma of the previous volume, this one was a breath of fresh air. This one brought humor and strangeness, as well as some of the heartwarming moments that makes this comic so infinitely readable and impossible to put down. There were a few laugh out loud moments, and some heartrending ones that will long stick with you. All in all, it is a solid volume in the Saga series.
This volume felt a lot like the end of the first arc of the series in a way. Certain doors were slightly closed, and by now the main cast of characters has found itself firmly established. Opening the volume was like coming home after a long time away. It feels good to wrap yourself up in the fantastical worlds once more. This volume focused more firmly upon character building, surrounding a rather central issue that still is debated hotly in our world. Everything flowed rather logically, and I, for one, found the way it was handled to be as respectful and contemplative as the refugee story of the previous volume.
Saga continues to lead the way in the most thoughtful, well written, and honest comic out there. The way these fantasy characters address real world issues is in no way preachy and it flows so naturally. They are respectful of one another, regardless of how much they fight. They're just.. incredibly human.
Also, I want to add that this issue put us one step closer to learning more about the backstory of our beloved Ghus. What's not to love?
Merged review:
After the trauma of the previous volume, this one was a breath of fresh air. This one brought humor and strangeness, as well as some of the heartwarming moments that makes this comic so infinitely readable and impossible to put down. There were a few laugh out loud moments, and some heartrending ones that will long stick with you. All in all, it is a solid volume in the Saga series.
This volume felt a lot like the end of the first arc of the series in a way. Certain doors were slightly closed, and by now the main cast of characters has found itself firmly established. Opening the volume was like coming home after a long time away. It feels good to wrap yourself up in the fantastical worlds once more. This volume focused more firmly upon character building, surrounding a rather central issue that still is debated hotly in our world. Everything flowed rather logically, and I, for one, found the way it was handled to be as respectful and contemplative as the refugee story of the previous volume.
Saga continues to lead the way in the most thoughtful, well written, and honest comic out there. The way these fantasy characters address real world issues is in no way preachy and it flows so naturally. They are respectful of one another, regardless of how much they fight. They're just.. incredibly human.
Also, I want to add that this issue put us one step closer to learning more about the backstory of our beloved Ghus. What's not to love?...more
This book was more plot and backstory heavy than the previous installments, and with it brings a lot of possibilitiThe books continue to be excellent.
This book was more plot and backstory heavy than the previous installments, and with it brings a lot of possibilities for the future. Identities are revealed, the brewing of a coming war beginning, and the poor Bone cousins are caught up in the heart of it. To make matters worse, Phoney Bone isn't keeping his mouth firmly shut when it comes to a certain dragon... and indeed claims he's going to go out and slay it. Not the best thing to do when the dragon is all that's keeping certain armies are bay.
A fair bit of the baseline plot is now known, but how to avoid the war, how to come out on top? Fone Bone is in the midst of it, Phoney is looking to potentially really mess things up and Smiley is following him along. Naturally.
Can't wait to see what happens next. This is a slow burn, but man is it a satisfying one. And they call this a children's comic......more
Like the first volume, this one was laugh out loud funny for me. There were several moments where my hus Bone continues to be surprisingly good stuff.
Like the first volume, this one was laugh out loud funny for me. There were several moments where my husband peeked in, briefly perplexed by how loud I was laughing. That's a rarity for me, and this book deserves at least one star for that alone. Nevertheless, there was far more to this book than simply the humor. Like the first few volumes of Chew Bone is building up to something greater it seems. How much does Phoney Bone really know? Is he aware why the rat-creatures are after them? Likewise, what is it that Gran'ma Ben isn't sharing with everyone else? Questions upon questions, and yet the journey is so fun it's fine to wait for all of that stuff to come out when it needs to. For now, the journey is too entertaining and far too silly to pass up.
As the title implies, this volume centers around The Great Cow Race. In the town of Barrelhaven they will soon be racing a number of their liveliest cows. Racing among them will be Gran'ma Ben, the reigning champion. Will she win? Phoney Bone certainly hopes so. He's taking bets against her, claiming her too old, and encouraging all to put their livestock and such on the Mystery Cow. The Mystery Cow is Smiley Bone in a cow suit. He loves costumes with big heads, after all, and has been practicing his moo. Chaos ensues, as you can imagine. Chaos also in poor Fone Bone's crush on Thorn. And the rat-creature's search for quiche.
This series is promising, and so far has not once failed to deliver. The tone was even downright spooky as they traveled back to the farmhouse. I'm eager to see where things go, what answers are given, how everyone grows. It's an odd little world, but man am I invested in it. And I really didn't expect to be. So far, it seems this comic genuinely deserves all the hype and praise.
I rather enjoyed the ARC I got of A Little of the United States, so I was curious about how A Little History of Literature might be. Happily, this bI rather enjoyed the ARC I got of A Little of the United States, so I was curious about how A Little History of Literature might be. Happily, this book proved to be just as good, interesting, and informative as the earlier one. This seems to be every bit the series that I hoped it would be - full of fascinating tidbits while still offering a fairly comprehensive overview of the subject the book focuses on. They are indeed Little Histories, and offer a glimpse into the subject focused upon that gives the reader an opportunity to dig deeper whenever they wish. Very cool.
This history of literature focuses not only on the greats and trends within literature, but also on why literature is important, the way literature has evolved over time, important authors within genres, and those overlooked. There is a section entirely focused upon the topic of race and how various others have tackled it, on woman writers and literature for women, and even upon the recent creation of fanfiction and how that impacts literature, copyright, and whether or not it is a positive evolution of literature itself.
I enjoyed the fact that this book didn't tone the bell for the death of physical books. Physical books aren't dying, and I don't believe they ever will. Instead, it focused upon how the way we interact with books has changed over time, and how it will continue to do so. Nevertheless, the very physicality of books tends to be a draw, and the book recognized that. This book was an interesting one to read so soon after The Library Book. I think they complemented each other rather nicely, and have helped round out my year as a pleasant readerly one....more
An Unexplained Death is a book about a young man found dead in the Belvedere, a former hotel turned condominium in Baltimore, Maryland. It is also a An Unexplained Death is a book about a young man found dead in the Belvedere, a former hotel turned condominium in Baltimore, Maryland. It is also a book about the history of suicides at the Belvedere, the investigation into whether the body found was in fact suicide or if it was murder, and the psychology behind such acts of self-destruction. Psychology is at the heart of this book. The psychology of why people take their lives in the ways they do, and what compels people to be fascinated by such things - cold cases, suicide, death. It is all of these things, and more. This isn't simply a true crime narrative, and in my opinion is stronger for it.
People go missing every day, and some end up being searched for, some simply disappear. We never can know what was in their minds at that final moment, but we can speculate, try to piece it together - but why are we drawn to? No matter what, the person is still gone, and all that is left are the stories we tell ourselves about them. Do those stories reflect more strongly upon the lost person or upon ourselves?
This was a fascinating book. It won't appeal to everyone, but I found it something valuable. Being morbidly curious about these things (and more) myself, I couldn't put it down and felt as if I had found a kindred spirit in the author. Isn't it funny, how these books can make us feel less alone? Isn't it great that they do? ...more
Anyone who follows me likely knows the absurd amount of books about The Who that I read. When I saw Roger was coming out with an autobiography I immedAnyone who follows me likely knows the absurd amount of books about The Who that I read. When I saw Roger was coming out with an autobiography I immediately slammed the "put on hold at your local library" button. What else was I to do? At least I had 22 people behind me waiting for it. Nevermind there were over 10 people ahead of me. I'd get it in time.
It's a shame this book didn't garner the press that Pete Townshend's book did. While both are rather good, I felt Roger Daltrey's was much more what people wanted when they wanted a Who biography. They wanted information about the band, interspersed with information about the person's life. Daltrey's book was just that, whereas Townshend's was the opposite. Both have their own merits, and I devoured both of them with a similar level of eagerness. Daltrey is just a much more accessible person than Pete. It has always been that way.
Daltrey's book is a book of thankfulness. In it he talks often about his own work ethic, and there is a constant undercurrent of his knowledge of how lucky he has ultimately been. His luck comes largely from his willingness to work, to show up, to force other's into shape. Still, there is that element of luck there all the same. Miss one element of the core four members of the band and they never would have exploded onto the scene the way they did. There's a reason the hiatus post-Keith went on for as long as it did, after all. Roger knows that. And he is open from start to finish about his thoughts on it all, as he always has been.
This book was a true pleasure, and optimistic from start to finish. There's always a view towards the future, and a wry smile that when he goes, he wishes to go out right. He'll be working on until his dying day, and as long as Pete is there the music will never quite end. Nevertheless, he knows the world now isn't quite what it used to be... and on that he is open as well. There was a certain cultural climate that allowed the rock and roll revolution to happen, and he explain it in a far more accessible way than most books about the band do. You get it.
In short, I think this book is a great book for fans of the band and the lay-reader alike. Although obviously fans of the band will likely get a bit more out of it than others....more
A classic Hitchcock film of unrivaled fun and suspense, The Thirty-Nine Steps bears the label of the very first fugitive thriller. While it may have A classic Hitchcock film of unrivaled fun and suspense, The Thirty-Nine Steps bears the label of the very first fugitive thriller. While it may have begun a genre, it unfortunately fails to hold up to what one generally expects of the genre these days. Espionage thrillers have come a long way since the days of The Thirty-Nine Steps. While it is fascinating as being the first of a genre, and offering up many of the tropes we now expect from such books, it rings a bit dull now that so much time has passed. Fortunately, the movie delivers in many ways that the book fails. So, if you enjoy Hitchcock, perhaps that would be the better bet.
Bored with life, Richard Hannay is lucky enough to be thrust into a conspiracy of vast proportions. This book was written largely in the shade of World War I looming large upon the horizon, and it bears many of the hallmarks of the coming terror. Alliances are made and broken in the shadows - there's political assassination, a man framed for murder, and mysterious Germans tracking our hero through hill and dale. The book primarily consists of a lackadaisical chase over the Scottish Highlands, interspersed with helping hands among the common folk, disguises, improvised explosives, and an eventual slip into the higher echelons of the government to evade the incompetency of Scotland Yard. Sherlock Holmes this is not, although the book could have benefited from a bit more Holmesian intrigue. As it is we're left with a "normal fellow" able to break ciphers, analyze clues, and evade top notch assassins which.. rings a bit hollow.
While the book wasn't much to my writing I still believe it to be an important bit of literature. It had its moments of fun and intrigue, and as the first piece in a genre it bears up to some interesting analysis. A greater knowledge of the author would enhance ones enjoyment of the book immensely, as apparently some of it is couched in true spy gymnastics, as the author himself may have been a messenger for various entities. Unfortunately, when it comes to spycraft Casino Royale is a much more fun venture, and with just as much truth to it as this... at least in terms of interrogation techniques and gadgetry. Just because much of spy work might be sitting around and waiting doesn't mean it makes for compelling fiction. Unless you've quite the adroit hand and grasp of language....more
The One and Only Ivan is a truly remarkable book. While on the surface it is simply a thoughtful story of a gorilla and elephant's will to survive in The One and Only Ivan is a truly remarkable book. While on the surface it is simply a thoughtful story of a gorilla and elephant's will to survive in subpar conditions, within it is a true story of animal intelligence, emotion, and friendship. The book serves as a story of empathy and understanding, a way for children and adults both to dig deeper into just how little separates us all, and our complex relationship with the animals we share our world with.
The One and Only Ivan doesn't simply play upon well-known animal myths, i.e. the elephant never forgetting, but also deeper more esoteric knowledge such as elephant tears, the long memories of gorillas, and animal social structure. Notable is Ivan the gorilla adopting the dog as a pet, and I've seen many times that spurring classroom conversation about gorilla empathy and kindness. Same with the gorilla protecting the boy who fell into the enclosure many years ago.
This is a fascinating book, and a ridiculously well-written one. I understand fully why this is viewed as a classic, and I am so happy it is being taught in classrooms the country over. This is the sort of children's literature that will endure for many, many years. Katherine Applegate you are a legend. You have great potential :)...more
This would be an absolutely amazing book to get a child/teen who is interested in science. It contains a variety of recent developments in scientific This would be an absolutely amazing book to get a child/teen who is interested in science. It contains a variety of recent developments in scientific fields. New discoveries of how electrons function, ghosts of extinct hominids in our DNA, what might kill the dinosaurs, whether a head transplant may happen within our lifetime... Every claim is backed up with a variety of evidence in the back for further reading if you so desire. So, while the explanations for each claim in the book are relatively generic, one can dig deeper if they desire.
This is the sort of popular science book that is a delight for younger people but a bit frustrating for an adult. I prefer to enjoy more detail with fewer subjects rather than broad overviews of many subjects... and some of the information isn't quite new. The "invisibility cloak', for instance, is at least four years old now and the pages on it didn't really have any new information that I could discern.
Still, this is a fun book and would doubtlessly make a great holiday present for any science loving kid in your life. I bet they'd get a few hours entertainment and countless more digging deeper into the information provided in this book....more
Parkhurst approaches difficult topics with a level of wry humor and honesty that can be downright devastatin Carolyn Parkhurst is a favorite of mine.
Parkhurst approaches difficult topics with a level of wry humor and honesty that can be downright devastating. She writes without much care for whether or not the reader is comfortable, and is adept at forcing the reader to confront the more difficult and extreme sides of human nature. In this case, she writes about the difficulty of raising a child on the autism spectrum - the unknowns, the unpredictability, the love, and the frustration. She writes about the isolation mental illness forces you to live with, and how magnified it is when the one with the mental illness is your child.
Is this somehow your fault?
On top of all of this, in true Parkhurst fashion, is an entire other mystery.
Driven to the limit, the family joins a family camp/retreat designed by parenting guru Scott Bean. Here they will live in the wilderness, apart from modern society, in the hopes that the consistency and work will help the 'difficult' children begin to adjust. And it does seem to be working. But is Scott what he seems?
This book is difficult to quantify, but man did I gobble it up. It was exciting, well written, and illuminating. It asked questions that everyone is likely uncomfortable acknowledging, let alone answering.
How much do we really know about these mental disorders? How much do we know for sure? How much are we doing wrong? Can good things come out of terrible situations, and how uncomfortable is that to imagine?...more
Bone is a series I've been hearing about for years but never really understood. Yes, the artwork looked posThis was a very entertaining first volume.
Bone is a series I've been hearing about for years but never really understood. Yes, the artwork looked positively adorable. Yes, I've heard it heralded as the best comic and talked about in the same breath as such stalwart favorites as Preacher, Transmetropolitan, and Watchmen. Not Saga, though. I refuse to believe anything can touch Saga.
The first volume is laugh out loud funny, with charming artwork and entertaining characters. The adventure of the Bone cousins is looking to be a very interesting one. Not much is given away in the first volume, aside from the very basics. Phoney Bone was run out of Boneville due to some bad business dealings. His cousins Fone Bone and Smiley Bone help him escape out of town, and they soon find themselves lost in the desert... and then lost in a vast forest valley.
There are rat-like creatures, a very intriguing red dragon, opossums, hedgehogs, and more. The dialogue is hilarious, yet there are rumblings of something more to come. I'm invested, interested, and can't wait to see where things go. What might happen to our lovable Bone cousin Fone? Why are the rat-creatures interested in Phoney? And the hooded one? What does the dragon want with everyone?
...how will Gran'ma Bess win the Great Cow Race?...more
Crenshaw is an incredibly sweet book about an incredibly difficult number of topics. Jackson's family has not only fallen upon hard times, but is in Crenshaw is an incredibly sweet book about an incredibly difficult number of topics. Jackson's family has not only fallen upon hard times, but is in fact on the verge of being forced back into homelessness through no fault of their own. An MS diagnosis has left his father only able to work sporadically, and his mother was laid off by the school she'd been working for due to budget cuts. The worst part of it all, though, is that they keep pretending everything will be fine. Their efforts to shield Jackson from reality are only making things worse. There's no outlet for his stress, and now he's having to reassure his sister as well.
Reassuring feels a lot like lying...
Crenshaw is Applegate's adaptation of Harvey for children. It's a serious book about serious topics and it handles them all with a certain aplomb. It's all right to believe in magic for a time. It's all right to have hope. The hope just needs to be tempered by reality at times. Reality is what allows us all to move on, to rely on each other. Times are hard, but at least the family remains intact, right? This book didn't resonate with me as much as Wishtree did, but it still is an especially valuable book to have, and a good thing to keep in mind for kids whose families are going through tough times....more
I wanted to like this book so much more than I actually did.
This is a children's book classic, although it edges a little into YA literature at times.I wanted to like this book so much more than I actually did.
This is a children's book classic, although it edges a little into YA literature at times. I'll leave the correct classification to others. I first read it in sixth grade, only to find myself surrounded by sobbing kids - both boys and girls - when we got to the appropriate chapter. I was left dry-eyed and a little confused. The book dealt with grief, terrible grief, to be sure. It just didn't deal with it the way that I processed it. I think the book changes based upon when you read it - if you'd experienced death before reading it, that general sort of thing. Sometimes it helps, sometimes it doesn't. It's a funny thing, how different everyone processes it all.
I understand the importance of the book, and I'm glad that it exists for those that it does help. The edition I read this time, the 40th Anniversary edition, actually touched me a bit deeper thanks to the additional content. Kate DiCamillo has a nice Forward and the Afterward by the author (and Newberry Award Speech) were both very poignant and sweet. It helped me understand the importance of the book.
Nevertheless, this book just isn't one that really does it for me beyond the last page. That page I liked, and I think it bodes well for the family's future. So, a good book, just not one I can really feel strongly about one way or the other....more
Anne of the Island was certainly as delightful as the previous books, if a bit more serious a volume by necContinuing the saga of Ms. Anne Shirley...
Anne of the Island was certainly as delightful as the previous books, if a bit more serious a volume by necessity. I am greatly enjoying watching Anne grow and her opinions change over time. While there is a bit of gloominess to discovering your childhood views of how things would be are in fact in error, there are more wonderful discoveries to be made about the actuality of adulthood. Anne is only just beginning to discover that in this book, and I look forward to seeing her come upon them in future volumes.
This book had Anne at college and discovering the wonders of being independent. It had her experience the death of a peer, and incidences of animal cruelty that only truly make sense for the time it was written. Those.. didn't age well. Anyway, Anne discovered what she truly wants and how at odds that was with what she thought she wanted. In short, she grew up a lot in this book. And went to several weddings to boot.
While some of the shine was necessarily lost in this volume it is still very much an enjoyable book. I love the characters, and Avonlea, far too much to leave off finishing this series....more
While the first book retains the timeless charm of childhood, Anne of Avonlea proved itself to be every bit as charming as Anne of Green Gables was.
While the first book retains the timeless charm of childhood, and rewards rereading for that charm, Anne of Avonlea shows us Anne as she begins her journey into adulthood and the trials and tribulations associated with such maturity. She begins the book full of ambition - wishing to do the very best to lift up all around her and to improve herself in the process. As the book goes on, she begins to realize that such ambition may be a touch misplaced. One can do more good at home for a time, and by moving slowly than rushing headfirst into things.
Not that there isn't plenty of rushing and the associated hilarity that comes from the scrapes Anne Shirley finds herself in. Though they are a touch less 'tragical' than they used to be, and she is full of more good humor yet.
It's difficult to not find joy in Avonlea. By the end of this second book I find myself fully attached to not only Anne but all the characters in the town itself. I look forward to returning, and to growing as Anne does, and learning more about being a good person and finding the good in all around us....more
The cover of this book positively haunted me when I was young but I never took the time to read it. I'm kind of happy I waited until I was older to giThe cover of this book positively haunted me when I was young but I never took the time to read it. I'm kind of happy I waited until I was older to give it a go... this book is rough and dark, but also disturbingly necessary. After all, I'm only one state away from where pigeon shoots are still legal. And it was only in the 2000s that some of the larger ones came under uncomfortable scrutiny. And wringers are young boys...
The whole notion of this book may seem to many like an odd one. A young boy fears his 10th birthday, knowing that as soon as it comes he'll have to be a wringer. And what is a wringer? It's a job for young boys, and them only. They're the ones who run onto the field during a pigeon shoot, grab the dead and wounded pigeons, and wring their necks if they're only wounded. Putting the pigeons out of their misery quickly and humanely. But why shoot the pigeons in the first place? Why are pigeons hated?
Pigeons are one of those weird birds that are almost universally hated. But what are they really? If you get to know them, they're personable, sweet, agreeable birds. They're trainable, clever in their own way, and calming. They're lovely, for the most part, and wholly undeserving of their scorn. The book is clever in even tying in the passenger pigeon and their manmade extinction.
It's a harrowing book, but a powerful one. I can imagine it being all the more impactful if you read it young, and in a place where such things are still practiced. ...more
The Bee: A Natural History is certainly one of the most thorough overviews of the insect that I have yet laid my hands upon. The book covers all aspe The Bee: A Natural History is certainly one of the most thorough overviews of the insect that I have yet laid my hands upon. The book covers all aspects of the bees - from their natural history to their importance to humans over the years, to beekeeping, and finally to the future of the species. The sections on bee husbandry were especially interesting, and included helpful items such as charts on bee care - both chemical and organic.
Did you know that a certain level of Varroa mites is expected in hives? If they get to be too many, however, you can gently coat the bees with a sugary substance to encourage them to groom more effectively. Of course, nothing quite beats breeding a more hygienic hive if you can. The allowance the US makes to use antibiotics to treat illnesses such as foulbrood rather than simply burning the hive and attempting to breed stronger broods is also a problem, and may be why 20-30 percent losses are now typical of bees in America each year.
This book was fascinating, and definitely has encouraged me to continue reading on this subject. I look forward to finding future bee books and further enlightening myself. Perhaps even one year having a few hives....more
I'm torn between a two or three star rating for this book.
Chris Stringer makes it known in the first few pages that he wishes to write a book that isI'm torn between a two or three star rating for this book.
Chris Stringer makes it known in the first few pages that he wishes to write a book that is illuminating to both the layperson as well as the expert. In attempting to please both crowds, however, he succeeds in pleasing neither. The text sorely misses the easy to understand explanations that still contain high level material that books such as How to Clone a Mammoth touch upon, as well as the easier to approach tone that Bill Bryson, Beth Shapiro, and others have so easily mastered. What is found instead is a fairly dry, informative, and slightly opaque book that is full of abbreviations where none are needed. The Out of Africa hypothesis may be more accurately called the Recent African Origin hypothesis - but does it need to be referred to as RAO? These aren't things like CRISPR which benefits from abbreviation, after all...
Anyway, this book was fascinating. I learned a lot about other extinct hominids, the debate between RAO and Multiregionalists and the eventual current thought that RAO + Assimilation is likely the current best knowledge. I was a bit perplexed by the lack of attention to various specimens out of Asia, and the reluctance to speculate further on Denisovans and Hobbits. The Flores section in particular was lacking, but that may simply be due to the lack of new information in that area. I was also mildly perplexed by how little attention was paid to possible mating between hominids and gorillas (?!) I'd never heard of that being a predominant theory on where public lice came from, but one sentence was all that was given to it.
This book is highly technical, and very dense. I love the subject, but I had difficulty with this book. Nevertheless, I look forward to reading more on the subject and continuing to challenge myself with each new text I come upon. Learning is never a bad thing, after all... And this book was definitely informative, challenging, and a higher level text on the topic than I think I've ever yet read....more
I liked this second volume more than the first, if only because I was becoming more accustomed to the world that Maika inhabits. The story moved more I liked this second volume more than the first, if only because I was becoming more accustomed to the world that Maika inhabits. The story moved more quickly, and began to take us around the world - here we got to see the Temple of Ubasti, and the Isle of Bone. We got to experience more of the diversity of the Arcanics and some of the culture of the Old Gods. Things begin to fit more into place, and Master Ren in particular began to become an even more curious character. Just what are the cats up to? And how is Kippa so precious?
The art style seemed less manga-influenced in this volume as well, instead developing into a truly refreshing blend of East and West that wasn't overly influenced by one or the other. I enjoyed this episode more for that, feeling that the Eastern influence was drawn from things other than simply anime and was able to breathe on its own without those tropes and expectations overwhelming it. Again, my dislike of anime is largely personal bias - others won't have that issue.
All in all, the world that Maika inhabits is becoming more appealing by the issue and I am beginning to feel more comfortable within it. I can still see why these volumes are so highly praised and would not hesitate to recommend them to others. My minimal issues with it are my own, so in no way take my ratings as a hit against the book. Read it, enjoy it, and eagerly await where things will lead next. It looks as if it'll be a wild ride indeed.
Oh, and of course, never trust a fox I suppose. Especially if they're literally called The Blood Fox. I mean, come on guys....more
Hilary "Fox"
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Books:
2018
(245)
