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librarianryan's reviews
6364 reviews
Butt Or Face? Volume 2: Revenge of the Butts by Kari Lavelle
funny
informative
fast-paced
4.0
This is such a fun nonfiction series. I’m glad they made a sequel and I look forward to book 3. One of the things I like most about these books is that it chooses animals that are not seen frequently. My biggest complaint, and this may be because I’m reading a digital galley, the guess page and the answer page are side buy side. I hope it’s not that way when it goes to print. Otherwise, I love these books.
How To Catch A Dinosaur: A Graphic Novel by Alice Walstead
funny
medium-paced
4.0
This is such a fun, younger graphic novel. It’s about second third grade reading level. Pup and Dragon always have the best heart. Their antics are realistic and fun as well as being outlandish at the same time. They are always looking out for each other and that’s part of what makes this book series special.
All About Color by Elizabeth Rusch
informative
medium-paced
4.0
This is a surprising book. Mainly because the first words tell you that color doesn’t exist. The sky is not blue. What is color is the reflection of light and how your brain interprets it. It was a very interesting way to start this book but it’s also 100% true. This book is about more than learning your colors. It’s about learning what creates color. Overall, the book works. I’m just not sure how often it would check out.
If Lin Can: How Jeremy Lin Inspired Asian Americans to Shoot for the Stars by Richard Ho
informative
inspiring
slow-paced
3.0
From the cover, I thought this would be a biography of Jeremy, Lin. It is, but only in a vague way. This book starts out asking if you have you ever felt X, have you ever felt Y, and then says there was somebody else who felt just like you. They overcame it and if they can, so can you. I like the message of the book but it’s not a biography. There are two pages about Jeremy Lin’s life at the end and the information is interesting but there’s just something about the entire read. I appreciate the effort and I like the story I just don’t think it works as a biography.
Once Upon a K-Prom by Kat Cho
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
This book was adorable. It’s exactly what you think you’re going to get when you see the cover and read the blurb. Our main character is a girl who loves her local community center. So much so that she’s leading a charge for an alternative prom. It’s not that she has anything against prom itself, it’s how much money people spend on prom. Upwards of $1000. She feels that money could be better put to use at the community center. Now once upon a time she had a young, best friend before he moved back to Korea. Since moving back to Korea, he has become an idol in one of the biggest K-pop groups around. She is totally surprised when he knocks on her door and says I’m here to take you to prom. This book is very tropey, but in the best ways. It is exactly what you think you’re going to get and exactly what you want when you pick it up. This was a fun romp with a light romance that could be enjoyed by all ages.
Mirka Andolfo's Mercy: The Fair Lady, the Frost, and the Fiend by Mirka Andolfo
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
3.0
This book was weird and at times confusing. Lady Heyn is a monster who needs to feed. A beautiful monster, but she just wants to go home. And historical gold rush town of mine that’s also a portal to another dimension exist. Through monsters who can take the shape of humans or steal the bodies of humans and live in them have taken over. These monsters want to go home, but at the same time they just want to feed. This book was an interesting ride. The illustrations are great, but there are seems to be holes or questions still left within the story. While I really enjoyed it, I can’t say three months from now I will remember what it was.
The C*ck Down the Block by Amy Award
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I felt like I was looking at myself 20 years ago. I was a tween librarian in Colorado who is fat. Didn’t have the football playing best friend but that just made this all that much better. I love that this book centered around a fat girl. Not a curvy girl, a fat girl. And that romance and sex were completely allowed and rejoiced. This book is pretty gosh darn predictable. Based on tropes and the way you expect a romance to happen, it’s all right there. However, what was nice is when the event that everybody knows is coming happens, it’s the way they deal with it. The way they say I’m not apologizing. The way of taking a stand against the harsh criticisms of others. I loved everything about this book and I’m glad it’s a series. Can’t wait for the next one.
Identity: A Novel by Nora Roberts
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Nora Roberts is a crapshoot. You never know exactly what you’re going to get, but you almost always like it. This was one of her more modern thrillers. It did involve serial killers and stolen identities. It wasn’t a full-on romance, but romance was at its core, and did have a happily ever after. This book was a little long, but you usually expect that from Nora Roberts. I did thoroughly enjoy listening to this. It was a great way to pass the time while I was working on other things.
The Cross-Eyed Kitten: Children's Book About Inclusion and Kindness for Kids 3-7 by Judith M. Ackerman
slow-paced
2.25
This book screams, self-published. First, the story is too long. It feels more like a spoken wood story than a written story. The illustrations are nice, but the art style and the color make it feel dated. Like I’ve picked up a book from my childhood that is ready to be recycled. The other issues I have with this book is how easy it makes tt seem to adopt a kitten form a humane society. Anyone who has tried to adopt knows there are rules and budget constraints, home visits, and various hoops to jump through to adopt animals. This isn’t the case at all shelters, but at many, especially if one wants to adopt special needs animal. The seven-year-old birthday girl adopts a cat that’s cross eyed, and most shelters would be very strict on who can adopt a special-needs animal. A kid getting their first pet is not normally someone who gets to do that. So for this book I think is a leave it on the shelf, leave it at the store. There are better done and more accurate books on pet adoption and children.
Always Carry Me With You by Hervé Eparvier
medium-paced
4.0
This book starts out as a little odd. It starts with a person wishing they were a stone. And most of the page is telling you about stones big and small, and what can and can’t be done with them. Then it morphs into a story about belonging. How sometimes a stone can be so small that it can be held in a hand. That the act of holding the stone could make you feel or remember the person who gave it to you. So very touching book and very well done. A moment about the art. This art seems fresh and new, at the same time it has a retro 70s mod feeling. The art is the best thing about this book. The story is fantastic but it’s the art that makes it memorable. I want to see more of this art style. I want to hang these pictures on my wall. I want to give this book to others.