They Say There Are Spies Everywhere These Days

~Spy x Family~
Missions 1-17
Vol. 1-3
By Tatsuya Endo
Translated By Casey Loe
Amazon ~ Powell's

Master spy Twilight is unparalleled when it comes to going undercover on dangerous missions for the betterment of the world. But when he receives the ultimate assignment—to get married and have a kid—he may finally be in over his head!

Not one to depend on others, Twilight has his work cut out for him procuring both a wife and a child for his mission to infiltrate an elite private school. What he doesn’t know is that the wife he’s chosen is an assassin and the child he’s adopted is a telepath!


I first heard about this story from my go-to AniTuber, Geoff Thew @ Mother's Basement when the anime was set to air this spring. It sounded cute and funny, with the chance of maybe some heartfelt moments? Who am I kidding‐it was promised to have heartfelt moments, plus some neat spy and assassin action, so I jumped straight in. And I'm glad I did.

The Border Between Our Two Worlds Grows into a Rift

SPOILER ALERT
This review is for those who have read or are familiar with the previous books in the Avatar: The Last Airbender series, specifically The Promise & The Search, or don't mind knowing spoilers for them.
SPOILER ALERT

Avatar: The Last Airbender
The Rift
By Gene Luen Yang & Gurihiru
in collaboration with Bryan Konietzko & Michael Dante DiMartino
Amazon ~ Powell's

Avatar Aang asks his friends to help him honor Yangchen's Festival—one of the highest Air Nomad holidays, which hasn't been celebrated in over one hundred years. But cryptic visits from the spirit of Avatar Yangchen herself lead Aang to discover a jointly owned Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom refinery—operating on land sacred to the Airbenders! Is this simply a case of corporate greed or is something more mysterious happening?


Tackling my unfinished series this year, and juggling a new job on top of all that, I decided to go a little out-of-order and jump back into the Avatar comics/graphic novels. I went ahead and re-read through the first two again, then jumped straight into this one. But after reading through it, I think I actually may have read it before. Well, I knew I'd read at least the first part, but I think I recognized enough in it that I'd actually read the whole thing through. Well, better late than never, right?

The Fowl Phantom Solution

SPOILER ALERT
This review is for those who have read or are familiar with the previous books in the Artemis Fowl series, specifically The Fowl Twins & Deny All Charges, or don't mind knowing spoilers for them.
SPOILER ALERT

The Fowl Twins
~Get What They Deserve~
Book 3
By Eoin Colfer
Amazon ~ Powell's

Irish twins Myles and Beckett, Artemis Fowl's younger brothers, return in their third and most bizarre adventure yet.

For almost two years, Lord Teddy Bleedham-Drye, the Duke of Scilly, has been plotting revenge against the Fowl Twins, who humiliated him in Book One. Teddy plans to give them exactly what they deserve: permanent death.

He threatens Myles with his weaponized jet and Beckett and Specialist Lazuli succeed in disarming the aircraft and causing an accident that kills the duke. But does it really?

Ghosts, clones, and fairy magic come to play in this ultimate and ridiculous showdown between the twins and their worst enemy.


Being a long-time fan of Colfer and his Fowl series, it was a no-brainer to see this was coming out and immediately know I had to read it. Actually, the only reason I didn't read this book sooner was that the release of the book was a bit...off. For some reason, the book was scheduled for release in October 2021, but all that became available was the audiobook. Then, when the text versions released a month later, my library got the physical book but not the ebook. Well, I finally decided I was through with waiting, picked up the previous books for recollection's sake, and was ready to see just what Lord Teddy had in store for our favorite twins.

Vampires Are Eternal, Reborn, and Living in Our Nightmares

~Vampires Never Get Old~
Tales With Fresh Bite
An Anthology by Zoraida Córdova, Natalie C. Parker,
Samira Ahmed, Dhonielle Clayton, Tessa Gratton, Heidi Heilig, Julie Murphy, Mark Oshiro, Rebecca Roanhorse, Laura Ruby,
Victoria "V.E." Schwab, & Kayla Whaley
Amazon ~ Powell's

Eleven fresh vampire stories from young adult fiction’s leading voices!

In this delicious new collection, you’ll find stories about lurking vampires of social media, rebellious vampires hungry for more than just blood, eager vampires coming out―and going out for their first kill―and other bold, breathtaking, dangerous, dreamy, eerie, iconic, powerful creatures of the night.

Welcome to the evolution of the vampire—and a revolution on the page.


My library has been a bit hit-or-miss with the Vampire Book Club's selections, but I was able to find this one for December. Admittedly, I wasn't in the best mental space to read books surrounding death and immortality, having lost my grandmother last year and having that wound reopened with our cat's death (cancer) just after reading the first story. But after a bit of time (and some Christmas movies & music) I was excited to dive back in and experience some new takes on one of my favorite paranormal creatures.

Shambling Guide on How to Catch Idiot Humans Who Ran in the Dark With a Hangover

The Shambling Guide to
New York City
The Shambling Guides
Book 1
By Mur Lafferty
Amazon ~ Powell's

A travel writer takes a job with a shady publishing company in New York, only to find that she must write a guide to the city - for the undead!

Zoë Norris is looking for a fresh start in New York City. She's found a seemingly perfect position as a travel book editor, but there is one thing holding her back—being human.

Zoë isn't going to let anyone—not even her blood-drinking boss or her death goddess coworker put her off from delving deep into the monster underworld. But her job, not to mention her life, might be in peril when the line between monster and human starts to crumble...with Zoë right in the middle.


Phew, this is the first physical book I've read in quite some time. That's right, my library didn't have an e-book of this one available in time for the Vampire Book Club's discussion date (though I did request it and its sequel for the future), so I had to hoof it old-school (it's been probably 5 years since I went full digital) through a paperback copy! Was it worth the papercut potential?

I Wouldn’t Believe These Stories Either, but Hey, They Happened

You'll Never Believe
What Happened to Lacey
Crazy Stories about Racism
By Amber Ruffin & Lacey Lamar
Amazon ~ Powell's

Now a writer and performer on Late Night with Seth Meyers and host of The Amber Ruffin Show, Amber Ruffin lives in New York, where she is no one's First Black Friend and everyone is, as she puts it, "stark raving normal." But Amber's sister Lacey? She's still living in their home state of Nebraska, and trust us, you'll never believe what happened to Lacey.

From racist donut shops to strangers putting their whole hand in her hair, from being mistaken for a prostitute to being mistaken for Harriet Tubman, Lacey is a lightning rod for hilariously ridiculous yet all-too-real anecdotes. She's the perfect mix of polite, beautiful, petite, and Black that apparently makes people think, "I can say whatever I want to this woman." And now, Amber and Lacey share these entertainingly horrifying stories through their laugh-out-loud sisterly banter. Painfully relatable or shockingly eye-opening (depending on how often you have personally been followed by security at department stores), this book tackles modern-day racism with the perfect balance of levity and gravity.


I've been watching Late Night with Seth Meyers for a few years now, and have always loved Amber's segments. Whether it's Amber Says What, Point, Counterpoint, Jokes Seth Can't Tell, or now The Amber Ruffin Show on Peacock, she is always amazing at telling stories or quips filled with heart and humor. I feel like we got our first taste of her skill with finding the humor in dark situations when she shared stories of her run-ins with police following the murder of George Floyd in 2020. So it was with both eagerness and apprehension that I found this book. Sure, I knew I was in for some entertainment, but it's one of those things where you're not sure if you're supposed to laugh or just feel horrified.

The Fowl Family Deny All Charges

SPOILER ALERT
This review is for those who have read or are familiar with the previous books in the Artemis Fowl series, specifically The Fowl Twins, or don't mind knowing spoilers for them.
SPOILER ALERT

The Fowl Twins
~Deny All Charges~
Book 2
By Eoin Colfer
Amazon ~ Powell's

The second Fowl Twins adventure starts with a bang – literally.

Artemis's little brothers Myles and Beckett borrow the Fowl jet without permission, and it ends up as a fireball over Florida. The twins plus their fairy minder, the pixie-elf hybrid Lazuli Heitz, are lucky to escape with their lives.

The Fowl parents and fairy police force decide that enough is enough and the twins are placed under house arrest. But Myles has questions, like: who was tracking the Fowl jet? Why would someone want to blow them out of the sky? These questions must infuriate someone, because Myles is abducted and spirited away from his twin.

Now Beckett and Lazuli must collaborate to find Myles and rescue him – not easy when it was Myles who was the brains of the operation. Their chase will take them across continents, deep underground, and into subaquatic super villain lairs. They will be shot at, covered in spit, and at the receiving end of some quite nasty dwarf sarcasm. But will Beckett be able to come up with a genius plan without a genius on hand…?


Since Eoin Colfer remains to be one of my favorite authors (possibly my favorite male author, period), I will continue to seek out each and every one of his books. And since this is the latest entry in one of my favorite series, I had no choice but to grab it as soon as was feasible and hope it would be every bit as enjoyable as previous entries. But really, was there ever any doubt?

Sometimes Things Don’t Go Like They Should

~Solutions and Other Problems~
By Allie Brosh
Amazon ~ Powell's

Solutions and Other Problems includes humorous stories from Allie Brosh’s childhood; the adventures of her very bad animals; merciless dissection of her own character flaws; incisive essays on grief, loneliness, and powerlessness; as well as reflections on the absurdity of modern life.


After reading and buying the first book, I could not wait to get my hands on the next. Though the blog has been fairly dead since her first publication, I found that she's in process of uploading a truckload of pictures (both drawings and photos) to her facebook page as "an attempt to answer the question of what life was like during the seven years between books." So, yeah, not much going into reading this, just sort of a "see book, must read" kind of mindset.

I Hold the World Record for Being Declared Dead by Twitter

~Ten Dead Comedians~
By Fred Van Lente
Amazon ~ Powell's

Fred Van Lente’s brilliant debut is both an homage to the Golden Age of Mystery and a thoroughly contemporary show-business satire. As the story opens, nine comedians of various acclaim are summoned to the island retreat of legendary Hollywood funnyman Dustin Walker. The group includes a former late-night TV host, a washed-up improv instructor, a ridiculously wealthy “blue collar” comic, and a past-her-prime Vegas icon. All nine arrive via boat to find that every building on the island is completely deserted. Marooned without cell phone service or wifi signals, they soon find themselves being murdered one by one. But who is doing the killing, and why?

A darkly clever take on Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None and other classics of the genre, Ten Dead Comedians is a marvel of literary ventriloquism, with hilarious comic monologues in the voice of every suspect. It’s also an ingeniously plotted puzzler with a twist you’ll never see coming.


While perusing through Quirk's back catalog, I came across another book by the author of The Con Artist. Since I enjoyed the mystery and wit of that book, and seeing that this one starred comedians as main characters, I figured I had to pick it up and give it a try. And boy, was this a good book to have on hand with the week I've been having. Even if it did have a lot of death.

Kindest Regards, Nothing Is Ok

~Nothing is Okay~
By Rachel Wiley
Amazon ~ Powell's

Nothing is Okay is the second full-length poetry collection by Rachel Wiley, whose work simultaneously deconstructs the lies that we were taught about our bodies and our beings, and builds new ways of viewing ourselves. As she delves into queerness, feminism, fatness, dating, and race, Wiley molds these topics into a punching critique of culture and a celebration of self. A fat positive activist, Wiley's work soars and challenges the bounds of bodies and hearts, and the ways we carry them.


I've never been one for poetry, least of all when I'm forced to analyze it for class. I swear, Robert Frost will be the end of me. But after seeing a powerful video (which ended up being one of the poems in this book) with the author 'joking' about her regular healthcare treatment, I knew I had to check out her stuff. She also has another book, The Fat Joke out, but since my library doesn't have that one digitally yet, I went with what they do have.

The Cloud of Doom Made Me Do It

~Wayside School
Beneath the Cloud of Doom~
Wayside School
Book 4
By Louis Sachar
Illustrated by Tim Heitz
Amazon ~ Powell's

Welcome back to Wayside School!

Your favorite students and teachers are all here. That includes Sharie, who loves her striped-and-spotted umbrella more than anything; Kathy, who has a bad case of oppositosis; Jason, who has to read the longest book in the world; and the rest of Mrs. Jewls’s class on the thirtieth floor, who are busily collecting toenail clippings.

Everyone is scrambling to prepare for the all-important Ultimate Test, but meanwhile, there is a mysterious Cloud of Doom looming above them…


Well, it's been over 20 years since I first experienced Wayside School, and it's been 40 years since the series first started. I think the author's note at the beginning expresses it the best:

This is the fourth book about Wayside School. I wrote the first one, Sideways Stories from Wayside School, more than forty years ago. I’m a lot older now, but in my heart I’m still Louis, the yard teacher, passing out the balls and playing with the kids at recess. To fully enjoy this book, you should read the other three first, wait forty years, and then read this one. Or you can just read it now. (p. ix)

Though, really you'd just have to wait 25 years (since the 3rd book was published in 1995) to get the true experience...

Wayside School Was Accidentally Built Sideways

~Wayside School~
Books 1-3
Written by Louis Sachar
Illustrated by Adam McCauley
Amazon ~ Powell's

There'd been a terrible mistake. Wayside School was supposed to be built with thirty classrooms all next to each other in a row. Instead, they built the classrooms one on top of the other ... thirty stories tall! (The builder said he was very sorry.)

That may be why all kinds of funny things happen at Wayside School ... especially on the thirtieth floor. You'll meet Mrs. Gorf, the meanest teacher of all, terrible Todd, who always gets sent home early, and John who can read only upside down - along with all the other kids in the crazy mixed-up school that came out sideways. Miss Mush is dishing out her famous Mushroom Surprise in the Wayside School cafeteria. Ron says it tastes like hot dogs and grape jelly. Clean your plate and you’ll turn green in time for class picture day. Wear your craziest outfit and you’ll fit right in between Maurecia in her striped bikini and Calvin, who’s wearing his birthday tattoo. In Mrs. Drazil's class, they're throwing a coffeepot, a sack of potatoes, a pencil sharpener, and a light bulb out the window to see which hits the ground first. But you'll never guess the truth about Sammy, the new kid ... or what's inside for Wayside School on Halloween!

I guess it's story time. I picked up Wayside School books back when I was in elementary school. I started with (what was unbeknownst to me) the second book, Wayside School is Falling Down, and absolutely loved it. I eventually picked up the other two books later, probably when my sibling was the appropriate age (we're 5 years apart), but otherwise have had no reason to think of them otherwise. Every so often the author would come up - you probably recognize him most for Holes - but the Wayside books never really got as much limelight.

Then a 4th book was released and I had to pick these up again.

The Case of the Fowl Twins’ First Magical Adventure

~The Fowl Twins~
Book 1
By Eoin Colfer
Amazon ~ Powell's

One week after their eleventh birthday, the Fowl twins--scientist Myles, and Beckett, the force of nature--are left in the care of house security (NANNI) for a single night. In that time they befriend a troll who has clawed his way through the earth's crust to the surface. Unfortunately for the troll, he is being chased by a nefarious nobleman and an interrogating nun, who both need the magical creature for their own gain, as well as a fairy-in-training who has been assigned to protect him. The boys and their new troll best friend escape and go on the run. Along the way they get shot at, kidnapped, buried, arrested, threatened, killed (temporarily), and discover that the strongest bond in the world is not the one forged by covalent electrons in adjacent atoms, but the one that exists between a pair of twins.

It seems I haven't yet reviewed most of Colfer's books on here yet, despite having read (nearly all of) and loved (most of) them. Seems I'll need to rectify that someday...

Picking up a few years after our last foray with the Fowl family, the more things change the more they stay the same. The Fowls are still involved with their own hobbies, operating mostly within the law but finding it best to ask forgiveness than permission. Artemis has turned his attention to space, and is actually on his way to Mars at the moment. But Myles and Beckett are about to discover that the bedtime stories he told them weren't as fictional as they assumed.

Only Absolute Misfits Would Think Up Such an Outrageous Scheme

~The Magic Misfits~
Book 1
Written by Neil Patrick Harris
Illustrated by Lissy Marlin & Kyle Hinton
Amazon ~ Powell's

When street magician Carter runs away, he never expects to find friends and magic in a sleepy New England town. But like any good trick, things change instantly as greedy B.B. Bosso and his crew of crooked carnies arrive to steal anything and everything they can get their sticky fingers on.

After a fateful encounter with the local purveyor of illusion, Dante Vernon, Carter teams up with five other like-minded illusionists. Together, using both teamwork and magic, they'll set out to save the town of Mineral Wells from Bosso's villainous clutches. These six Magic Misfits will soon discover adventure, friendship, and their own self-worth in this delightful new series.

A great read filled with awe, humor, and (most importantly) magic. If one isn't familiar with the author (where have you been? under a rock?), this will no doubt endear them to his charm and talents. As Neil is very outspoken of his love of magic, music, and his non-nuclear family, it was great seeing small (and not so small) winks and nods to various passions of his.

No More October Left to Play

~October Girls~
Crystal & Bone
By Scott Nicholson
Amazon

Momma warned her not to consort with the dead and tried to teach her the magic spells that would close the portal to the afterlife. But Crystal doesn’t want to be a trailer-trash witch like Momma. She has dreams of going to community college and escaping the Appalachian town of Parson’s Ford.

Her best friend Bone is only too happy to escape the afterlife and help Crystal break the rules. Bone died too young, and she’ll do whatever it takes to remain among the living.

Then a teen movie maker comes to Parson’s Ford, and he has a very special project in mind: a horror movie starring a real ghost. The kids who watch his movies turn into brainwashed zombies. And to totally complicate matters, Crystal thinks he’s kind of a hunk, and she’s afraid her boyfriend Pettigrew only loves her because of Momma’s magic spells.

Now it’s Halloween, the night when the portal to the afterlife is widest, and somebody’s been messing with Momma’s potions. The fate of the world is in Crystal’s hands, but she hasn’t been paying attention to her lessons. And a mysterious figure in the afterlife is urging Bone to stay loyal to her own kind instead of to Crystal.

The movie is rolling, the creatures are stirring, and the brainwashed teenagers are ready to welcome a new star from the other side of the grave.

Crystal and Bone must overcome drama queens, coffin cuties, and mangled magic if they want to remain best friends forever—but at this rate, forever may not last much longer.

While this claims to be the first of a series, there haven't been any installments in 8 years, so I'd consider it abandoned. And I can't say I blame it.

It Comes Out of Nowhere and Just Hits You

~Struck By Lightning~
The Carson Phillips Journal
By Chris Colfer
Amazon ~ Powell's

Struck By Lightning: The Carson Phillips Journal follows the story of outcast high school senior Carson Phillips, who blackmails the most popular students in his school into contributing to his literary journal to bolster his college application; his goal in life is to get into Northwestern and eventually become the editor of The New Yorker.

At once laugh-out-loud funny, deliciously dark, and remarkably smart, Struck By Lightning unearths the dirt that lies just below the surface of high school. At a time when bullying torments so many young people today, this unique and important novel sheds light with humor and wit on an issue that deeply resonates with countless teens and readers.


I'm still kinda in shock over the ending...not quite the resolution I was expecting...

Of Vampires And Humans

~Team Human~
By Justine Larbalestier
& Sarah Rees Brennan
Amazon ~ Powell's

Mel is horrified when Francis Duvarney, arrogant, gorgeous, and undead, starts at her high school. Mel’s best friend, Cathy, immediately falls for the vampire. Cathy is determined to be with him forever, even if having him turn her could inadvertently make her a zombie.

And Mel is equally determined to prove to her BFF that Francis is no good, braving the city’s vampire district and kissing a cute boy raised by vampires as she searches evidence in this touching and comic novel.


You know the saying, "Don't judge a book by its cover"? Well, this one definitely fits that. If you thought you were getting a dark, edgy, super serious book about humans fighting vampires in a dystopian world, or something like that, yeah not so much. The title works fine, but that cover art is way out of line with the tone of the actual story.

Murdered on the First Day of Comic-Con

~The Con Artist~
By Fred Van Lente
Amazon ~ Powell's

This illustrated mystery will appeal to comic book fans and anyone who appreciates an unconventional whodunit.

Comic book artist Mike Mason arrives at San Diego Comic-Con, seeking sanctuary with other fans and creators—and maybe to reunite with his ex—but when his rival is found murdered, he becomes the prime suspect. To clear his name, Mike will have to navigate every corner of the con, from zombie obstacle courses and cosplay flash mobs to intrusive fans and obsessive collectors, in the process unraveling a dark secret behind one of the industry’s most legendary creators.

I didn't know anything about this book before I saw it shared by it's publisher, Quirk, on their Facebook feed, but I picked it up at exactly the right time. Coming just off the heels of this year's Comic Con (no, I didn't attend - I'm not that nuts! Or wealthy) it was easy to smirk at the plethora of references to current 'announcements', events, and typical Con behavior.

There Is No Surrender - Only Win Or Lose

SPOILER ALERT
This review is for those who have read or are familiar with the previous books, Zombies Don't Cry and Zombies Don't Forgive, or don't mind knowing some spoilers for them. Zombies Don't Surrender, however, will remain spoiler-free.
SPOILER ALERT

~Zombies Don't Surrender~
A Living Dead Love Apocalypse Story
Book 3
By Rusty Fischer
Amazon ~ Powell's

As the final volume in the Living Dead Love Stories opens, Maddy, Dane, and Stamp are still together, though barely, nestled safely inside the walls of Sentinel City, a stronghold designed to keep Zerkers out—and zombies in.

Maddy trains night and day, hoping to join Vera as a Keeper. Dane has been given Sentinel Support in the form a busty blonde named Courtney. And what of Stamp? Although Maddy’s dad has worked hard to rehabilitate him after his Zerker bite, he’s still not all . . . there.

When Dr. Swift inadvertently allows the zombies’ archenemy, Val, to escape from Sentinel City, Maddy’s world turns upside down. She and Stamp are Vanished—expelled from the safety of Sentinel City, no better than common Zerkers. Dane, a Sentinel now, escapes punishment and is assigned to ensure that his old friends never return.

As Maddy and Stamp stray from the safety of Sentinel City, danger mounts . . . and not just for them. Val has taken up residence in a seaside town and enrolled in another Normal high school. To outwit her and save Seagull Shores from all-out zombie Armageddon, Maddy must face her archenemy once again.

Only this time, she’s all alone . . .


Well, I was right in my last review: things sure go to hell in a handbasket in this one. Unfortunately, in more ways than one. I've been reading and reviewing this series for three years now, thoroughly enjoying Mr. Fischer's upbeat, campy, B-movie style and humor. But all good things come to an end, it seems, and so I delve into the final installment in Maddy's Living Dead Love Story.

I Have a Subconscious List of Rules For How Reality Should Work

~Hyperbole and a Half~
Unfortunate Situations, Flawed Coping Mechanisms, Mayhem, and Other Things That Happened
By Allie Brosh
Amazon ~ Powell's
Hyperbole and a Half Blog

From the Author:

This is a book I wrote. Because I wrote it, I had to figure out what to put on the back cover to explain what it is. I tried to write a long, third-person summary that would imply how great the book is and also sound vaguely authoritative—like maybe someone who isn't me wrote it—but I soon discovered that I'm not sneaky enough to pull it off convincingly. So I decided to just make a list of things that are in the book:

• Pictures
• Words
• Stories about things that happened to me
• Stories about things that happened to other people because of me
• Eight billion dollars*
• Stories about dogs
• The secret to eternal happiness*

*These are lies. Perhaps I have underestimated my sneakiness!

Truthfully, I've barely read any of the Hyperbole and a Half Blog. Maybe 4 articles in total. Sure, I've seen a few of the pictures posted here and there (CLEAN ALL THE THINGS!), and I've no doubt adopted some of the more well known quotes and memes into my own vernacular (see last parentheses). But relative to the millions of fans and followers, I knew practically nothing about this blog.

I got my first real introduction when a friend or two linked to the Depression posts (which are included in the book). I read through them, laughed, cried, connected with them. Then, when a few of my friends started salivating at the mouth over this book coming out, I'll admit I kinda fed off of their hype. I visited the blog and saw the latest post, and then I laughed some more. So when the library finally sent me notice that they had a copy in, I was already pretty excited for this book.

I thought I knew what to expect. I had no idea.