The Last Jungle Book - Volume 1 - Man by Stephen Desberg

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This adaptation of the first short story in the famous classic book The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling was originally first published in French in 2006. There are four volumes in this series of graphic novel and is narrated through the accounts of Mowgli who came back to India whose already in the dawn of his life.

The story is narrated back and forth from past and to present. I found no huge difference with the original tale of Mowgli's Brothers to this version so it's a good reading material to check out if you still haven't read the story. I have seen a different graphic novel adaptation of The Jungle Book before and compared to it, I prefer this from the Europe Comics because it is detailed and that it is vividly illustrated.

Aina by Alain Dodier

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Reading the Jerome K. Jerome Bloche really reminds me of the Hardy Boys, Sherlock Holmes, and other famous sleuth characters in novels. The plot of the story, as well as the characters, are both entertaining to read. However, I think the detective didn't have that much exposure or work done to solve the problem. Although that is the case, readers will still have a great time reading this graphic novel.

Poetry for Kids: William Shakespeare by William Shakespeare

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was expecting that the odes of Shakespeare in this book will be much easier to understand as the target audience of this is kids. I appreciate that the publisher, Quarto Publishing Group, put the original of some of the famous poem of Shakespeare just like the well-known quotes, “To be, or not to be, that is the question” and “O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?”

The summary of the life of William Shakespeare was in the Introduction of the book; it is a great way to teach young children about who this marvelous and prominent personality in the world of literature. The book also has the “What William Was Thinking” part that contains the short explanation of each verse. In addition, there are definitions to some of the profound words used, and there are corresponding illustrations in each poem that will delight those who will check out this book. However, I hope that these odes were explained further in this children’s book so that kids could comprehend them better.

As a whole, I found that this book will please more the older readers such as parents and teachers. Kids might not be thrilled with the idea of reading the poems of Shakespeare because they are not in modern English, which makes them quite hard to understand. If only there were thorough explanations available, I’m certain that young readers will love and treasure this book because it will be a huge help, especially in their school homework.

The Good Liar by Catherine McKenzie

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Good Liar is one compelling novel that will definitely make anyone look forward to what will happen next. The story was split into three accounts: the interview transcripts between Teo and Franny Maycombe; the tale of Cecily and her Grayson family; and the narrative of Kate and her Rings family. It is about the story one year after the massive explosion in downtown Chicago that killed 513 people and also left a lot of injured.

The Initiative was formed in order to regulate the compensation package to be given to the victim’s family; they decide who should be approved and how much they are to be compensated. It was funded by the outpour of monetary donations and the group was worried about the drop off of support. Hence, they come up with the idea to release a documentary about the three victim’s family: the Grayson, the Rings, and about Franny’s family.

Cecily is the chair of the recommending body of the Initiative, while Franny is the co-chair of it. Cecily loss her husband, Tom, in the accident; whereas Franny loss her mother, Kaitlyn. All three women: Cecily, Franny, and Kate, has their own dark deep secrets they try to hide. But circumstances made two of them come out and try to change the fate and protect their loved ones.

Although I found the story of The Good Liar a bit predictable, especially in the story of Cecily and Kate, the ending is rather unexpected. I just wonder what happened to Kate in the end because readers could surmise Cecily and Franny’s story, but as for Kate, it’s quite hard to guess.

The Good Liar is an addictive, interesting, and gripping novel that I really enjoyed. The story of these women, particularly Cecily and Kate, is about the tale of forgiveness, moving forward, friendship, honesty, love for the family, and bravery. One gripping book that is not only very entertaining but also truly astounding.

Wonder Woman 77 Meets the Bionic Woman by Andy Mangels

MY RATING: 4 of 5 stars

Wonder Woman and Bionic Woman in one comic series is pure epic. Imagine these legendary female superheroes joining forces to fight villains will undeniably delight comic enthusiasts. I also love how Bionic Woman was turned into an honorary member of the Amazons in the Paradise Island. When the replay of the TV series of Bionic Woman was shown on a local TV channel in my country during the 90's, I had the chance to watched several episodes of. Hence, I also know Bionic Woman's abilities and her origin.

On the other hand, I wasn't able to watch an episode of the Wonder Woman TV series, thus I didn't have any slight idea of who she really is and where she came from. Just recently, I had read a novel about Wonder Woman and thanks to that, I'm no longer ignorant about her.

However, this comic series of Andy Mangels is the second print material that I'd read about Wonder Woman; I also had a great time reading it and would recommend it to anyone.

Be a Unicorn: Live Life on the Bright Side by Sarah Ford

MY RATING: 5 of 5 stars

This cute and little book will indeed make anyone happy because it contains adorable illustrations and a lot of motivational advice. The recommendations are the usual ones we always hear and read but, the unicorn is a great addition to put a smile on anyone's face.

If you're looking for mood booster, this picture book might be the solution you're looking for. It will not only cheer you up, it will also uplift your self-esteem and will inspire you to do what is good and right.

Wallace: The Underdog Who Conquered a Sport, Saved a Marriage, and Championed Pit Bulls-- One Flying Disc at a Time

MY RATING: 5 of 5 stars

For my 1000th read, I've chosen something special that talks about one of the things, or in this case a living thing, that I love. I bought a copy of this last year and I almost forgot that it was just lying on my boxes of books. I thought that my 1000th read is a momentous event for me, hence I search on my pile and found this. Also, it's apparent from my profile picture here in Goodreads that I love dogs, so I've decided that I will read any novel that is about them.



The story of the dog Wallace is really amazing because, despite people's prejudice about his breed, he was still able to overcome this through the unending love and support of his owners. I commend the couple Roo and Clara, and the other people who shared the sentiment because they never gave up on him. They tried to work incessantly to give Wallace a chance to show the world that it's not about the dog's breed, but it's up to how he was raised and trained.

Probably everyone knew about the horrible stories about pit bulls as vicious and dangerous. This is because of the fact that some evil people use these innocent creatures to gamble their lives on dog fights. I love how Roo worked Wallace's energetic and playful personality to its own advantage — making him the first and prominent famous pit bull to joined disk/frisbee competitions. Through Wallace, it paved the way for other pit bull owners to trained and compete them in these tournaments.



How I wish that this book will come across those who have the preconception about pit bulls, especially in those places that still have the BSL or the Breed-Specific Legislation. This novel will enlighten them that whatever breed the dog is, it will behave according to what it was taught. If you nurtured it with love and respect, it will grow up kindly; if you showed it to act violently, it will be aggressive. Rescued dogs from dogfights are not a lost cause because there's always hope that they will change, just as Roo and Clara's optimism to change the mindset of people about dogs like Wallace that was born as a pit bull.



To end my review of this remarkable book by Jim Gorant, please check out and be amazed of how Wallace's life was on this tribute video. You may also visit Wallace The Pit Bull Foundation if you want to support their mission.

50 Wacky Things Humans Do: Weird & amazing facts about the human body! by Walter Foster Jr. Creative Team

MY RATING: 5 of 5 stars

The collection of incredible facts about the human body in this small book are really fascinating and fun to read. Some readers may know already some of the info listed in here, but there are still a lot of interesting and unbelievable things that we could learn about our body.

In addition, there are also tips or more info included in some trivia that can be very useful. Anyone who will read this will be surprised at how truly amazing our body is, hence this book implies that we should value it by keeping it healthy.

Thanks to Quarto Publishing Group for the ARC.

Gumby Graphic Novel Vol. 1 by Jeff Whitman

MY RATING: 4 of 5 stars

The 1st volume of Gumby Graphic Novel has certainly brought a lot of nostalgic memories of me watching the TV series of this during my childhood. I remember watching re-runs of this during the 90's on Nickelodeon & Cartoon Network, so I was really happy when I saw this comic series of the ever famous green clay cartoon character.

There are nine stories in this first installment: An Alien Abundance; The Land of Ice Cream; Model-y Crew; Treasure of the Obellos; Goo's Gone; All That Nin-Jazz; Gran Adventure; Green With Envy; and The Sour Note! Either a fan or not of Gumby, the adventures of Gumby and his friends in these stories will cheer anyone as it what this group typically does.

Thanks to Papercutz for providing the ARC of this.

Dept. H, Volume One: Pressure

MY RATING: 4 of 5 stars

Reading this graphic novel reminds me of Jules Verne's Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea because of the setting of the story. Some readers who were able to read this may not have like this, but for me, I really enjoyed reading this sci-fi/mystery novel because of the storyline.

However, the illustrations may not be that spectacular, but as for those who are art enthusiasts just like me, I really appreciate it. While reading, I also checked out the drawings and what techniques were used by the artists.

If you have read Verne's Twenty Thousand Leagues, I'm quite certain that you will also like this graphic novel by Matt and Sharlene Kindt.

Ten Cents a Pound by Nhung N. Tran-Davies

MY RATING: 5 of 5 stars

Ten Cents a Pound is a poignant story about a mother's sacrifices so her daughter will have a better life. I like how it teaches kids that their parents will endure any hardships just as long as they can give their children only the best. In return, they should repay their parents by following their parents' wishes and will, and by studying really hard.

The Cult of the Sacred Fire by Vicente Segrelles

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Mercenary, written and drawn by Vicente Segrelles, is indisputably the best comic series I'd read so far. The illustrations were beautifully drawn by Segrelles and I was really mesmerized by how stunning they were. It was like looking into oil paintings because that's how they appear.


Segrelles' almost five decades of experience as an illustrator makes him a living legend. I only have high praises for this man because of how great he really is. And this comic series of his is a classic because not only that it was first published in 1981, but because of the outstanding content that makes it what it is.

Mr. Mergler, Beethoven, and Me by David Gutnick

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Mr. Mergler, Beethoven, and Me is based on a true story which was written by David Gutnick and drawn by Canadian illustrator Mathilde Cinq-Mars. It is a charming story of a little girl who was lucky to be taught by Mr. Daniel Mergler, and how she still honors him as time goes by. I reckon that the author was a student by Mr. Mergler when he was young, and this children's storybook could serve as both a memoir and a way of Gutnick to show his gratitude to his Maestro.

Regular Haunts: New and Previous Poems by Gerald Costanzo

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

There are some poems in this anthology that I like: Memory and Loss;


The Lives They Lead;


Stories; Minnie's Death;


Braille; The Man Who Invented Las Vegas; Bournehurst-on-the-Canal; Report From The Past; and The Meeting. The poems in this collection are not the usual or contemporary ones that you can read from best-selling poets famous that millennials enjoy today. But if only readers could try to be a little more perceptive, they could discern these poems of Gerald Constanzo.