The Black Panther

Beautifully drawn, this collection shows T'Challa struggling to keep Wakanda together. Splinter factions, upheaval, and violence are breaking out all over the country and no matter what Black Panther does, it never seems to be enough; he's putting band aids on a gaping wounds. What can he do to bring peace to his Wakandan citizens? It jumps around quite a bit and can be hard to follow at moments, but the illustrations, dialogue, and coloring, make this an impressive comic.

Guilty Pleasures

I love this series. This is probably my fourth or fifth time re-reading this. It's been a few years since the last time and I had been itching to get back at it. Per usual, I loved every second of it. Anita Blake is freaking awesome, she's such a badass character. The intricate plot and amazing array of characters are also some of the things that keep me coming back or more. Vampirism is legalized in the United States and with that brings a whole slew of problems. Anita is on a retainer for police as their resident expert. Besides being a vampire slayer, she is also a full time animator, raising corpses from the dead for clients to settle wills and say goodbyes. At only, 24 she has quite the reputation. She's known as the executioner. Her newest case, a series of bloody murders around the vampire district is going to be challenging in more way than one. If she doesn't figure out who is wasting vampires, her best friend's life may be in danger. Wonderful from start to finish, I love Anita's sarcastic, cocky bravado.

Sing Unburied Sing

I really REALLY wanted to give this a better review! The writing is excellent, there has been so much buzz about it, it won the National Book Award, there are many reasons why I should have liked it, but I can't lie. I wasn't feeling it. The book follows three characters: Jojo, a thirteen year old boy who is mature beyond his years and just wants to be like his grandfather and make sure his younger sister gets taken care, his mother Leonie, a never present parent who spends more time pining after her incarcerated boyfriend and doing drugs, and finally there is Richie, another thirteen year old boy with an unsettling past. Leonie takes her two children on a road trip to see their father released from prison and while there, Jojo encounters Richie, a boy whose story HE KNOWS. Jojo is by far the greatest character in this sad family saga, he is strong, wise, questioning, and more of a parent to his younger sister than his mother, Leonie could ever hope to be. I briefly sympathized with his mom, but it's hard when she constantly chooses herself and her boyfriend over her own children. She is the literal worst. I'm with Jojo, she could die and the world would be a better place. Same goes for his deadbeat dad. The story only spans a few days, but it feels like a lifetime. And, Richie... Richie helps add another layer to the story, it helps deepens the saga. Even though he's not quite a family member, he has something to add. The story was artfully done, but it didn't resonate with me.

Educated

File this under HOLY HELL! That is one insane memoir, you won't be able to stop shaking your head in disbelief as Tara Westover recounts her childhood and formative years growing up in a survivalist Mormon family in rural Idaho. Tara was "homeschooled," but in reality she had to teach herself everything; her mother let her and her siblings "learn at their own pace" and her father thought that anytime spent sitting around whoring after knowledge was time wasted. There was a junkyard to run after all! Tara was mercilessly abused by one of her older brothers and taught from a young age that the Illuminati were controlling everything which is why she had no birth certificate or any records indicating that she even existed. Her family refused to go to formal schools, to doctors (not even for the severe stuff!), or to anything. They were content hoarding supplies for the end of days. As Tara ages she gradually becomes aware that she should leave to figure things out on her own, but it's hard to cut ties with her family, even when they insist on dragging her down. I couldn't put this book down, you have to read it to believe it. The fact that Tara survived a very unconventional and dangerous upbringing is impressive, as is the fact that she has been so successful in her advanced education. A must read!

Eating From The Ground Up

This may have skyrocketed INSTANTLY into one of my top five favorite cookbooks of all time. I am a huge fan of simple vegetable recipes (have you seen The Forest Feast cookbook?!?) and Alana Chernila does a wonderful job writing recipes and photographing them. They are simple, sumptuous, and right up my alley. Little known tips really help enhance these vegetables and definitely made me more comfortable in preparing and cooking them. The authors notes about each recipe and section are genuine, well articulated, and surprisingly good reading for a cookbook. I can't wait to try all the recipes out. And even though this book is all about veggies, it isn't 100% vegetarian and it isn't all vegan, but don't let that stop you from getting it! This is a must buy cookbook!

Wintersong

I mostly liked this book, I mean, how could I not? It's practically Labyrinth fanfiction! Hello Goblin King, long time no see. This young adult novel takes the classic eighties movie, Labyrinth, and sets it in old time Bavaria where legends of goblins, the underground, and the goblin king run rampant. The heroine is the eldest child in a family where she is the most overlooked. Her younger sister has all the beauty and curves and her younger brother is a violinist virtuoso. Liesl puts no stock in her own hopes and dreams and focuses solely on her family. Her deepest secret is her desire to be a composer. Music is in her very soul, but no one sees that. No one that is, except for the Goblin King. He covets Liesl and to get her attention he kidnaps her younger sister and Liesl must go into the underground to get her back. Suddenly, all the fairy tales and old wives tales turn out to be true, It's romantic, dark, and beautiful. Liesl can't help falling for the goblin king, it's like she's known him all her life...

The Great Alone

Worth. The. Hype. Honestly, I liked this even better than Kristin Hannah's, "The Nightingale," and that book was a masterpiece! I zipped through this one, unable to put it down. It was gripping from the beginning and I know that this is a book I will return to. Set in the remote Alaskan wilderness, this coming of age story features a young girl trying to navigate her parent's stormy relationship and make friends of her own (a hard task when there are only about 30 people in town). Leni's father came back from Vietnam a changed man, prone to violent outbursts, restlessness, and crazy ideas. When his buddy from Vietnam wills him a cabin up in Alaska, he packs his family into their VW van and moves them across county into the great alone. They are woefully under-prepared for their first winter and that summer the townsfolk comes together to help out the newcomers. Little does Leni's family realize how long the winters are and how short daylight is; Leni's father mood shifts ever darker. Despite the darkness in her father their is beauty everywhere: in their new neighbors, the rugged wilderness, the value of hard work and borrowed books. Beautifully written; this love letter to Alaska will resonate with readers and have readers rooting for Leni. Tears may fall, dreams may be born, anything is possible. Favorite book of 2018 so far!