Stumptown: Volume Three

I can't tell if they brought in a new artist on this one, but there seems to be some subtle changes in some of the characters. It's not bad, it was just my first observation. The first third of the book I was a little underwhelmed. Soccer? Ugh. But by the halfway point I was intrigued and per usual I couldn't put it down. One of Dex's good friends is found beaten nearly to death right outside the stadium where they just watched a soccer game together. He's in a coma and Dex is pissed. This isn't just a case, this is personal! At first she thinks that maybe the opposing team did it, is hooliganism going to catch on in the states? But then she starts to sniff out something in else, something even fishier. Loved it!

A Distance Too Grand

I love the theme of this series "American Wonders Collection," how great is that?!? The next historical romance in the series will take place in Yellowstone! This inspirational series sells itself; who doesn't love romance, let alone in these iconic American places!

"A Distance Too Grand" follows twenty six year old photographer, Meg Pero, as she leaves the east coast to try her hand at being a photographer on an expedition to the Grand Canyon. Her father has died so she is hoping they will honor his contract and let her take his place. She literally has no where else to go and she needs to make a name for herself. As you can imagine, it's 1871 and the army isn't exactly keen to take a woman along on a topographical expedition, but Meg has an in! The leader of the expedition is none other than her old beau and she convinces him to let her come with; after all the cook is female, she won't be alone. They embark on an adventure with beautiful scenery, danger lurking around the corner, and a great sense of adventure. If Meg and Ben play their cards right, who knows, they may find themselves falling back in love with each other. This trip has them realizing that they shouldn't have given up on each other so easily the first time. Romantic, wholesome, and unique. A great romantic adventure that inspirational readers will eat up! I can't wait for the next in the series!

The House We Grew Up In

Jewell, Lisa. The House We Grew Up In. 11 CDs. unabridged. 13 hrs 26 min. 2019. Dreamscape Media. ISBN 9781974979806. 

On the outside they were perfect. The Birds were a "perfect" tight knit family, had a "perfect home", and were a "perfect" nightmare. Four siblings: serious Meg, whimsical Beth, and adorable twins Rory and Rhys find themselves flung apart after a tragedy drives a wedge into their family one unsuspecting Easter afternoon. The House We Grew Up In is weaved together through multiple timelines and a series of emails from their mother that lead up to yet another unbearable family tragedy, the death of their mother, Lorelei. Their beautiful, complicated, frustrating mother has died and now it's up to her children to clean up her mess. Literally speaking, the mess of their childhood home. Lorelei was a hoarder and her inability to let things go only intensified after that Easter Sunday tragedy. Now the children must dig deep into the mess, finding family secrets that have been buried for far too long. Brilliantly narrated by Karina Fernandez who breathes life into the flawed, tragic, and clever siblings; shining especially bright as their mother Lorelei. Deeply compelling, bold, and impossible to put down; this book will make readers fell better about their own family lives but still be thankful to have met the Birds. Another amazing book of family tragedy and triumph from bestselling author, Lisa Jewell.  - Erin Cataldi, Johnson Co. Public Library, Franklin, IN

Stumptown: Volume 2

Not as hard hitting or groundbreaking as volume one; but still fun, fast paced, and gritty. I'm really enjoying this series! Dex is approached by a rockstar whose beloved baby has gone missing. The baby in question is her guitar and she insists that the police not be involved. That proves difficult though because soon the DEA is breathing down her neck and there are some nasty skinheads on her back. A simple recovery case proves to be a lot more challenging than Dex thought. Gorgeously illustrated with some neat panels. A lot of fun and I can't wait for volume three!

Doomsday Clock

This is really a 4.5 not quite a 5, but I am super excited to see how this Watchmen spin-off turns out. This volume sets the scene and introduces a lot of new characters and their backstories. There are a few pretty big surprises (I won't ruin them for you, but they involve characters from the original Watchmen series) and I loved that Batman, Superman, Lex Luther and the Joker (as well as many other DC villains) play a pretty big part in this new series. Doomsday Clock picks up seven years after Watchmen ended, only now everyone knows that Adrian Veidt was the one responsible for the murder of millions. Since that bombshell broke the world is on the brink of of imploding... again. It's up to Veidt and Rorschach (or someone appearing to be Rorschach) to do something about it. I loved it and I can't wait to keep reading this series!!

Drive

A fascinating look on what really motivates us. We don't always get motivated by rewards or the the old "stick and carrot" motivators, we generally as a whole, are motivated by autonomy, mastery, and purpose. Drive takes a deeper look at businesses and owners that that use "motivation 3.0" to appeal towards employees real drives and offers ideas on how people can inject real motivation in all aspects of their lives: work, child-rearing, personal life, and more. The toolkit at the end is really good and something that readers can return to again and again. A great guide that can help you change how you think, it was really eye opening!

Full Throttle

Everything short story in this collection is perfect. Literally. Every. One. As a librarian I ADORED Late Returns; a story about a bookmobile that happens to service ghosts intent on returning their overdue books. All I Care About is You didn't grab me at first, but two pages later I was sold and the ending threw me for a freaking loop. The world building in that short story is masterful and I read a whole novel set in that world! Faun was like Chronicles of Narnia meets Oz with a dark twist and characters who aren't very moral (karma bitch!). I could go on and on about how much I loved each story, but really, do yourself a freaking favor and read this book. The stories are dark, trippy, fantastical, amazingly well written, and impossible to put down or guess the ending to. I even loved the intro; Hill talks about all the influences he had while writing the book from Ray Bradbury to his father, Stephen King, to Lawrence Block and monster movies; Joe Hill credits a lot of amazing creators out there for helping inspire his unique style. It's a love letter written to the greats that us mere humans are lucky enough to get to read. An amazing collection and one I'll revisit again and again. Joe Hill's writing is only getting better and I can't wait to read what he writes next!!