REVIEW: Strange Pictures (book) by Uketsu, translated by Jim Rion

Strange Pictures is more mystery than horror, although I've seen it tagged as both. I bought my copy new.

Review:

This book features three different stories centered around eerie drawings. The stories initially appear unconnected, although the aspects tying them together are revealed by the end.

In the first story, a student who's a member of his college Paranormal Club is introduced to a strange blog featuring a series of drawings. The blog appears ordinary enough, initially, focused on the daily life of a guy whose artist wife ends up pregnant. However, it ends with a chilling final post that hints at a message hidden in his wife's various drawings.

In the second story, a child draws a picture of his home and family that is uncharacteristically eerie. His mother worries that she and her son are being watched and followed. Then her son disappears, leaving her frantic. And yet for some reason she's reluctant to contact the police. Was her son's drawing a hint of some sort of dark family secret?

In the third and final story, a young man who wants to become a freelance reporter decides to investigate his former art teacher's murder during a hike three years prior. His current boss still has the investigation materials from that case, so he decides to talk to any people related to the case that he can still find and recreate his former teacher's final hike as best he can. He also has one additional clue, the drawing found on his teacher's body.

REVIEW: Dinosaurs: New Visions of a Lost World (nonfiction book) by Michael J. Benton, with illustrations by Bob Nicholls

Dinosaurs: New Visions of a Lost World is nonfiction. I bought my copy new.

Review:

Technically, a few of the 15 animals covered in this book aren't dinosaurs. However, all of them are creatures we only know about through the fossil remains they left behind. Each of them gets one entire chapter devoted to them, which starts with a description of what a moment in their lives might have looked like and then moves on to the science behind how the details of that scene, and Bob Nicholls' fabulous illustrations, were reconstructed.

I got this primarily for the illustrations (I think maybe this book was mentioned in Thor Hanson's Feathers?), and I was not disappointed. The illustrations were gorgeous, and I ended up with several favorites. It was easy to imagine all of them as living, breathing beings.

I was a little worried about the text itself, but it was thankfully both readable and informative.  

All in all, this was a delightful read that made my dinosaur-loving heart happy. I only wish it had ended a little less abruptly. Instead of finishing with a concluding chapter that tied everything together, it just stopped. I knew I was getting close to the end of the book, but it was still a shock when I turned the page only to find nothing more than a "further reading" section. 

REVIEW: A Man & His Cat Picture Book: Fukumaru and the Spaceship of Happiness (book) by Umi Sakurai, translation by Taylor Engel

Fukumaru and the Spaceship of Happiness is a picture book spinoff of the A Man & His Cat manga series. I bought my copy of this volume new.

Review:

Fukumaru, a cat who is much loved by "Daddy," the man who adopted him, learns about wishing on a shooting star and wants to wish on one of his own. However, the star he wishes upon crashes and turns out to be a spaceship crewed by alien cats. They need Fukumaru to provide them with Happy, the thing that powers their ship.

Oh, the sound I made when I learned that the adorable A Man & His Cat series had a related picture book, and that it was available in English. Anyway, this was just as cute and sweet as I expected it to be. Fukumaru and Mr. Kanda's love for each other gives me all kind of warm fuzzy feelings.

Although there's a flashback to the time when Mr. Kanda adopted Fukumaru, this book will probably work best for fans of the manga series. 

REVIEW: A Soul to Keep (book) by Opal Reyne

A Soul to Keep fantasy romance (ok, specifically monster romance). I bought my copy new.

Review:

Since the day her family members were slaughtered by demons when she was a child, Reia has been viewed as unlucky and shunned by others in her village. Years later, Reia reluctantly allows herself to be prepared as an offering to the Duskwalker that will be arriving soon. Duskwalkers have the power to cast a spell that can protect a village for a whole ten years. This particular Duskwalker always asks for a pure and willing human companion in exchange for the spell. No one knows what happens to all its previous companions, but it probably isn't anything good. Duskwalkers may not be demons, but they aren't human either.

Reia is initially more angry than afraid, feeling like she has no choice but to act as one of her village's offerings. She hopes for an opportunity to escape and live her own life somewhere else, but as the Duskwalker, whose name turns out to be Orpheus, takes her to his home, it becomes clear that escaping will be difficult. Orpheus doesn't want to kill Reia - didn't want to kill any of his prior companions - but he can't stop the instinctual bloodlust that overwhelms him if his companions run from him or fear him like prey.

Thankfully, Reia continues to be less fearful than most. As the two of them come up with a daily routine and get to know each other, they both struggle with their emotions - Orpheus, with his hope that he might finally have found a truly willing companion, if not the bride he has always wanted, and Reia, with her warring desires to either run away or stay with this surprisingly caring and lonely being.

REVIEW: Breaking the Chain: The Guard Dog Story (graphic novel) by Patrick McDonnell

Breaking the Chain is a collection of Mutts comics with some commentary relating to McDonnell's Guard Dog character. I bought my copy new.

Review:

This is a collection of Mutts comic strips focused on Guard Dog's storyline. Initially, one or two strips are presented per page. During the finale, the format switches to one panel per page.

Initially, Guard Dog was meant to be a "bully" character. Instead, he ended up shining a light on the plight of chained dogs like him. 

In a text section about Guard Dog, McDonnell mentions that some organizations objected to Guard Dog being freed, feeling that he was a more impactful character when chained. I couldn't help but wonder if PETA and PETA reps accounted for most (all?) of those comments.

I wouldn't call myself a huge Mutts fan, although I enjoyed occasionally reading it in the newspaper, and I don't recall being particularly invested in any of the characters' stories. Still, after reading this, personally, I'm glad that McDonnell allowed Guard Dog to go free, even if it took 30 years to get to that point.  

REVIEW: A Guide to Film and TV Cosplay (nonfiction book) by Holly Swinyard

A Guide to Film and TV Cosplay is nonfiction. I bought my copy new.

Review:

This fairly short work starts by looking at what cosplay is, and its history. Then there's a section on how to choose a character to cosplay (which basically boils down to a lot of reassurance), and finally a section on the more practical aspects of creating cosplay outfits (different materials and their benefits and drawbacks, buying and modifying clothing, self-care in cosplay, etc.).

I doubt there's much here that would be of interest to veteran cosplayers. Maybe the history section? Although it sounded like, even for that section, there were probably more thorough resources out there - there's a nice "references and further reading" section that can point folks to other works. The second section, in particular, felt like it was aimed at people who were new to cosplay and extremely nervous and overwhelmed about it all. All that reassurance was nice, but I couldn't help but notice the way it neatly sidestepped even mentioning the kind of negative comments that cosplayers who make their photos public can experience. Although I suppose that's obvious enough if you've ever looked at the comment section of a set of cosplay photos. The third and final section doesn't have much in the way of specific practical tips, just some general information abut the usefulness and behavior of certain materials.  

The best thing about this book is all the photographs (I'm assuming that all the proper permissions were obtained, but I did note that none of the photos mentioned the names or handles of the cosplayers depicted). There were lots of photographs, with a huge variety of fandoms on display. 

REVIEW: Guardian: Zhen Hun, Book 1 (book) by Priest, illustrated by Marmaladica, translated by Yuka, Shry, amixy.

Guardian is urban fantasy danmei (Chinese m/m). I bought my copy new.

Review:

This starts with Guo Changcheng reluctantly going to his first day of work at a job his second uncle, a higher ranking official at the Ministry of Public Security, arranges for him. Guo Changcheng is too timid to call and ask if the time he's supposed to show up for work, 2:30 am, is a typo, so he shows up at 2:30 am deciding that, if it's a mistake, he'll come back at 2:30 pm as well.

The time is not a typo, and the job isn't at all what Guo Changcheng expects. The Special Investigations Department of the Ministry of Public Security deals with strange and unusual cases. Zhao Yunlan, Guo Changcheng's new boss, is a bit of a mess in his personal life but highly skilled at his work. He's also one of the department's few living, human employees.

In the first half of this volume, Zhao Yunlan drags Guo Changcheng along to an investigation of the murder of a Dragon City University student. The investigation brings Zhao Yunlan into contact with Shen Wei, an attractive instructor at the university (Zhao Yunlan is canonically bisexual).

In the second half of this volume, Zhao Yunlan accompanies one of his employees, a spirit named Wang Zheng, to Qingxi Village, the place where her bones are buried, along with several other SID employees. Zhao Yunlan is happy to come across Shen Wei, who's on a trip to the area with several of his students.

REVIEW: The Only One Left (book) by Riley Sager

The Only One Left is a thriller. I bought my copy new.

Review:

It's 1983, and home-health aide Kit McDeere wishes she hadn't been assigned to take care of Lenora Hope. The woman is infamous. Although it was never proven that she killed her whole family back in 1929, nearly everyone is convinced she did it, to the point that there's even a schoolyard chant about that night. But it's not like Kit has much of a choice, considering how things went with her last assignment. 

Lenora isn't at all what Kit expects. A series of strokes has left her mute and unable to move anything but her left hand. She never leaves her room, and her only form of entertainment seems to be the tapes that Jessie, one of the household staff members, records of herself reading various novels. Hope House, too, isn't what Kit expects. It's enormous and was likely grand in its prime, but now it's a crumbling mess.

Gradually, Kit adjusts to her work and figures out how to communicate with Lenora. There's a typewriter in Lenora's room that she's able to use, with help, and, little by little, Lenora starts telling her the story of what happened the night her family was killed. Kit has no idea whether it will be a confession or a revelation about the true murderer. It chills her, as does the evidence that something strange is going on at Hope House.

REVIEW: Bean the Stretchy Dragon (book) by Ari Stocrate

Bean the Stretchy Dragon is a humorous fantasy children's picture book. I bought my copy new.

Review:

This book depicts a day in the life of Bean the stretchy dragon (who seems sort of like a cross between a cat, a dog, and a ferret). Bean lives with Sally the witch a meets various cryptids in the forest, including a Jackalope, a Swamp Monster, and more.

The artwork was super cute, but the text needed a bit more editing for clarity - when a book is intended for children, I expect word usage to be perfect. Here, we have a few odd word choices like "Sadly, they are hunted down for their antlers, which behold powerful magic" (that's not how you use the word "behold," if that sentence is saying what I think it is) and a monster described as having "palmed feet" (I think the author meant "palm-shaped"?). 

I got this for the artwork, and Bean was exactly as cute, chaotic, and stretchy as I'd hoped. Even here, though, I think the author and publisher could have done a better job - the colors seemed a bit muddy, and the linework would have benefited from more variation. 

REVIEW: Parenting Is Weird: Tails from the Litterbox (graphic novel) by Chesca Hause

Parenting Is Weird is a Litterbox Comics collection. I bought my copy new.

Review:

In the introduction, Hause writes that this series was originally supposed to be a Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood parody. It ended up morphing more into its own thing, a comedic take on parenting and family life set in a world of anthropomorphized animals. 

I'd seen Hause's Litterbox Comics online before, and I'm happy to report that it's all just as much fun to read in print. There's nerd humor, parenting humor (which even I enjoy, despite not being a parent myself), and even animal-related humor, as characters occasionally surprise readers with details about their behavior that match their animal side. Imagining Fran engaging in 3am zoomies with her kids had me laughing.

Extras: 

This collection includes character bios for all four members of the family, full-page flip art (two pages that animate when you flip them) at the start of every chapter, and a couple pages of stickers. 

REVIEW: The Woman in White (book) by Wilkie Collins

The Woman in White is a mystery/thriller originally published in 1860. I bought my copy new.

Review:

Walter Hartright, a young drawing teacher, first encounters Anne Catherick, the woman in white, at the start of this story. She's lost and obviously distressed. He helps her, and later learns that she has escaped from an asylum. 

Later on, Walter is employed at Limmeridge House as a drawing instructor to Laura Fairlie, a beautiful young woman, and Marian Halcombe, Laura's less attractive but highly intelligent half-sister. Walter and Laura fall in love with each other, but Laura is unfortunately already engaged to someone else, Sir Percival Glyde. Anne Catherick suddenly rejoins the story, with vague warnings about Laura's fiance, but nothing concrete enough to call off the wedding. 

There is, however, definitely more going on with Sir Percival Glyde and Count Fosco, Sir Percival's closest friend, than is immediately apparent. What does Anne Catherick have to do with it all, and can the mysteries be untangled in time to save Laura from Sir Percival and Count Fosco's nefarious plans? 

REVIEW: Three Assassins (book) by Kotaro Isaka, translated by Sam Malissa

Three Assassins is a Japanese thriller. I bought my copy new.

Review:

Suzuki is an ordinary man seeking vengeance for his wife, who was murdered by a drunk driver. The driver was the son of Mr. Terahara, the man in charge of a criminal gang called Fräulein. The best Suzuki could come up with was to infiltrate Fräulein and somehow get close enough to Mr. Terahara's son in order to kill him. Unfortunately, getting into Fräulein has involved helping the gang sell drugs to young women. If that wasn't bad enough, now he's being asked to kill someone in order to prove his loyalty to the gang. He's not sure he can bring himself to go that far.

When an assassin known as the Pusher kills Mr. Terahara's son right in front of Suzuki's eyes, he's suddenly drawn even further into a world of almost supernaturally talented assassins. The Pusher kills his victims by pushing them into oncoming traffic and then slipping away unnoticed. The Whale convinces his victims to take their own lives, using only his words and unnerving gaze. The Cicada is a knife expert capable of ruthlessly killing whole families. 

Can a man like Suzuki, a former teacher, somehow navigate this world and find a way out, or will he end up as dead as any of the assassins' other victims?

REVIEW: SOS Hotel: Guaranteed a Supernaturally Safe Stay!, Book 1 (book) by Ariana Nash

This is the first volume in Nash's SOS Hotel series, which is urban fantasy that will eventually include a gay throuple. I bought my copy new.

Review:

In the world of this story, at some point in the past, supernatural beings of all sorts suddenly found themselves trapped in our world. In general, humans were not happy about this, because a lot of those supernatural beings were higher up on the food chain.

Adam Vex is a 100% normal human guy opening his new SOS Hotel, which is intended to be a sanctuary for supernatural beings. Opening day is having...issues. Tom Collins, the magical AI bartender Adam purchased from a fairy, swears more than Adam would like and won't listen to orders. Zodiac, aka Zee, Adam's ex-porn-star demon business partner, keeps trying to work sex into the hotel's marketing plan, despite Adam's insistence that they're not that kind of business. There are a bunch of human protesters stationed outside the hotel...and one dead protester inside the hotel. Which shouldn't be possible, considering that wards that are supposed to prevent violence anywhere on the grounds. Add in Adam's business nemesis, Gideon Cain, and a sexy billionaire vampire who, for some reason, wants to be the hotel's first customer, and you've got a recipe for disaster.