Sheets by Brenna Thummler

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The story of Marjorie Glatt and Wendell in this graphic novel is quite entertaining to read. While reading this, Wendell reminds me of the famous Casper not only because they are both young ghosts but also for their personality and the way they try to help as much as they can. However, I was torn on the rating between 4 and 5 stars; I am hoping that there would be a second volume because I like how there was a panel that shows that Marjorie and Wendell might have met already when he was still alive.

The story of grief, loneliness, depression, moving on and remembering our departed loved ones were all tackled in this fast-paced story. The colorful illustrations are also highly appealing that makes the story charming and delightful to read. A must-read if you are looking for something that is a light-read yet still captivating.

Hotel Transylvania Graphic Novel Vol. 3: Motel Transylvania by Stefan Petrucha

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the second time that I was given an opportunity to receive a reading copy of the Hotel Transylvania Graphic Novel from the publisher. The 50-page comic book is another amusing installment in the story of Drac and his family. I like how Jonathan, Drac's son-in-law, wants to help his in-law on trying to make it easy for everyone to enjoy the exact pleasure that Hotel Transylvania provides by setting up motels near people.

However, it is not easy to expand a business just like what Jonathan has planned. They faced a lot of troubles trying to provide a good service because of some creatures who always create mischief in the motel. Jonathan may be silly but his unwavering perseverance makes him a good person. There are several funny portions in the story, especially in the latter part of this issue.

The Little Book of Pocket Spells: Everyday Magic for the Modern Witch by Akasha Moon

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The Little Book of Pocket Spells is a highly recommended read for those who are still new with New Age or Wicca. This 150-page is filled with interesting information and I learned a lot from perusing this small book. I discover about the power of herbs such as rosemary, thyme, sage, and lavender; even garlic and onions are also helpful in cleaning an area. Furthermore, some spells were written in this tiny book such as charms for wealth, grief, and protecting a child.

The Boy from Tomorrow by Camille DeAngelis

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I've watched several movies before that have the same theme just like in this novel, such as the Hollywood movies Frequency and The Butterfly Effect, and Korean movies Ditto and Il Mare. Thus, I was not expecting much when I've asked for the reading copy of this from the publisher.

This book really did exceeds my expectations because of how impressive Camille DeAngelis in writing it. Readers will be hooked once they start reading the story of the incredible friendship of Alec to the Clifford sisters, Josie and Cassie, even there's a 100-year gap. And in spite of the fact that they will never all get to meet at present time, the ending is still absolutely great and heartwarming.

The Boy from Tomorrow may be categorized as a children's fiction or a middle-grade book, but adult readers will surely enjoy this amazing novel — it is a great and highly recommended for light-reading. Lastly, it is so easy to decide that this is one of the books that I can put into my favorites this year because how I really enjoyed reading it.

The Gallery of Wonders: Books for kids: A magical children's fantasy series. by Marc Remus

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Holly O' Flanigan lives with her distant relatives, the Smorall's, in Donkleywood; her parents died in an accident when she was still a baby so she never got the chance to know them. She used to live with her grandfather, Nikolas, but she was taken from him by the government because they perceived that he was unfit to take care of Holly. Instead of a relative, the Smoralls treat her like a maid and they made her sleep and always hide in the attic after she's done with her chores.

Her grandfather is a painter and lives alone in his studio and Holly inherits her grandfather's passion for painting. However, she thought that she is not good because she lacks the skill and talent. Unfortunately, there was a fire in her grandpa's studio and he jumped out of the building. Prior to that, Holly and her friend, Brian, saw a peculiar man and creatures outside. The next day, Holly received a package with a letter and it contains several things: a jar of white powder, a gadget with a funnel-like attached in the side, and a book that is an Encyclopedia of Magora written on it.

Holly's life changed once she received the said package. Unexpectedly, Holly and her friends Brian and Rufus; together with her obnoxious classmate Amanda; and nosy neighbor, Ms. Hubbleworth, they were all transported to Lake Santima in Cuspidor when a painting became a portal in Holly's attic.

The Gallery of Wonders is the first book in The Magora Book Series, and while reading, it greatly reminds of the well-known classic book series of Chronicles of Narnia. Moreover, I can't help but compare it to the Harry Potter series because there's a Cliffony Academy of the Arts, prophecy, talking tree house, and animated creatures such as trolls and griffins in the story. I reckon that Marc Remus' huge inspirations for writing are C.S. Lewis and J.K. Rowling because of the flow of the story and several similarities in some instances. Despite that, middle graders, young adult readers, and those who are fond of fantasy and adventure stories will enjoy this novel.

The Lion and the Bride #1 by Mika Sakurano

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When I've requested a reading copy of this manga from the publisher, I knew that the plot might be a just like some romcom TV series. But I what I didn't expect is that even though that it's like that, reading has taken me by surprised me because of how entertained I was on reading the banters between Yua and her stepson/classmate Subaru.

As for me, I think Yua's hasty decision of accepting Ryo's marriage proposal is a big no-no. And I bet that there's no love involved when Yua decided to get married. Meanwhile, Subaru mentioned that Ryo, his father, only pity Yua because she's already an orphan and that no one's there to take care of her. A bit harsh but I think I agree with Subaru's opinion.

In addition, it's quite predictable that there would be a love triangle in Ryo, Yua, and Subaru's setup. But what's not foreseeable is whether Yua and Ryo will divorce in the end because Yua chose Subaru, or Yua will stay with Ryo. And I reckon that is what readers are anticipating in the succeeding volumes to be released in this manga series.

In general, if you like reading the romantic-comedy genre, The Lion and the Bride is a great manga and good for light-reading.

Black Women Who Dared by Naomi M. Moyer

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Kudos to Second Story Press for coming up with kind of book that lists down some of the notable Black women and groups that made a mark as feminists and fighting bigotry, slavery, as well as improving the society. Ten of these remarkable Black women and groups are The Coloured Women's Club in Montreal, Quebec; Nashville-born musician Jackie Shane; Sylvia Estes Stark; The Hour-a-Day- Study Club that was formed by 15-Black mothers in Windsor, Ontario; the first Black woman who established a business in Vancouver; Jamaica-born Sherona Hall; the Black Cross Nurses in 1920; Mary Miles Bibbs; Chloe Cooley; and the group Blockorama.

This marvelous and colorful 10-page collection is both written and illustrated by Naomi M. Moyer. The book may appeal more to middle graders who are aged 10 to 12, and young adults because of its serious content and that it could also set as an inspiration to them. It would be great if there is any plan for the second volume of this book because I believe that kids should be inspired more by the story of other noteworthy feminist personalities.

The Forbidden Harbour V1 by Teresa Radic

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The Forbidden Harbour was first published in Italy in 2015 and is divided into four parts. Europe Comics has finally made it possible for a lot of readers to understand it by releasing the English version of the graphic novel. It is about the story of a teen boy, Abel, who was rescued in the ocean one night after the disappearance of Captain Stevenson from the navy ship, Explorer.

When Abel was saved, he can't remember anything aside from his name. William Roberts, the first officer of the ship, took him under his care by making him a cabin boy. When they returned to England, Abel saw the so-called Forbidden Harbour. One of the crew told him that not everyone could see it and that only a few could see and enter it.

When they got in the town, William introduced Abel to the three daughters left by the missing Captain, who also owns the Albatross Inn. Abel stayed in that family lodge and look for jobs to pay to for his accommodation. The second daughter of the Captain, Heather, introduced Abel to Rebecca, the one who manages the brothel in town. Later, he does some errands for Rebecca such as buying supplies in the market and reading her poems. It is Rebecca who told Abel what is happening to him and that they are in the same situation. She slowly makes Abel aware that he has some tasks to do and it's up to him to know what he should do.

I like the story of Forbidden Harbour, however, the poems in the story is a bit hard to comprehend and that it could be much better if the penciled illustrations were colored to make them livelier. The ending of this first part is a huge cliffhanger also which is a great dismay to me. Overall, I'm giving this a 3-star rating, but I'm still hopeful that the second installment would be much better and is action-packed.

Bright Shining Moment by Deb Loughead

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Bright Shining Moment is about the story of a sixth grader Adeline Sauriol, or Aline to her family and acquaintances, who lives in Hittonburg, Ottawa. She was being bullied by one of her classmates, Jeanine, who is from Mechanicsville which is the poorest area in their village. And one of her wishes is to be able to contribute to the charity box in their class someday. However, their family isn't that wealthy also because they also need money for their daily expenses.

Then one day, Aline finally decided to steal a dime from her mother's purse, but when she came to school, the charity box was already gone. Aline and her cousin, Lucille, bought a 10-cent worth of candies instead of returning it to her mother. And one thing leads to another because her secrets and lies started to pile up.

I might have found Aline's story adorable such as how to frighten she was keeping her secrets, but in reality, it is not. Being bully is the biggest problem she encountered, and I like how the story addressed it and on how to handle it. Bullies are bullies because they have unsolved problems in their lives, or they are trying to hide the horrible or miserable situation they are in. Compassion and love is an effective way to solve bullying because revenge and violence will not resolve it, instead, it will become more serious in the long run. And that is what one of the lessons readers could acquire from reading this wonderful children's book. This is highly recommendable for middle graders, but young adults and older readers will undeniably adore reading Aline's story in this book.

Sister BFFs by Philippa Rice

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Sister BFFs is a graphic novel that shows the sisterly bond of the author, Philippa, and her younger sister, Holly. Their funny relationship banters, and moments were definitely amusing to read. My sister and I's relationship is way different from Philippa and her sister's because I guess we're a bit serious especially when giving advice or opinion.

As for the author, their bond is more on the hilarious and silly side and that they are not afraid to talk about anything, and on trying new things. A lot of women could be able to relate to this graphic novel, particularly those who have one or two sisters and has a comical connection with them.

All About Anne by The Anne Frank House

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The last entry in The Diary of Anne Frank is on August 1, 1944; and there's a short afterword where there's a list of what happened to the occupants of the Secret Annex. Anne Frank House released the All About Anne is a collection of the precise details before, during and after the Nazi's domination.

This 79-page book begins with a photo of Anne with her friends on her tenth birthday in 1939 when they were still in Germany. It is divided into 6 chapters with prologue and epilogue and it is full of pictures and a lot of trivia about Hitler, Nazi Germany, and the Holocaust. All About Anne is not only about Anne, but it also narrated what happened to her relatives, such as her uncles, grandmother, and cousins.

Reading the horrendous things happened to millions of people in World War II and the discrimination against the Jews inflicted on them is absolutely unfathomable, heartless and vile. Hateful propaganda such as that they are the misery of Germany is quite shocking and unacceptable; only those who are extremely despicable and lunatic can do and think such things. I've read several memoirs of Holocaust survivors before and it still appalls me everytime I read the dreadful things occurred then.

If you've read the Diary of Anne Frank before and fond of reading memoirs and accounts of Nazi's horrible governance, All About Anne is a great addition to your reading list because it would fulfill your desire for information.

The Wormworld Saga Vol. 2: Shelter of Hope by Daniel Lieske

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I love the first installment of this graphic novel series so I was hoping that this second volume is on a par with its predecessor. Janaka Jiiva's vision and Jonas' mission were explained here, thus there are too many dialogues or exchange of conversations between the characters. I was even looking forward to more of the adventure or fight scenes, but I guess that would be available in the succeeding volumes.

There are two chapters in this installment, but I love more the additional chapter entitled, "A Premature Adventure," because it shows the origin of the painting that was created by Jonas' great-grandfather. Jonas' grandmother, Laura, was included in the story, therefore, it shows that she is aware that there's a magical world behind that painting.

Hope that the third volume will show more exciting adventures of Jonas and Raya. I will still be following this series because I want to know how the story will conclude.

Wormworld Saga Vol 1: The Journey Begins by Daniel Lieske

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The first volume of The Wormworld Saga compiles the first chapters of the comic series. The story starts on the last day of Jonas from elementary school. He has 6 weeks vacation at his grandmother's in the countryside and he plans to spend it by playing in the forest and the fields. However, he failed his Math so he was given homework for the rest of his vacation.

Three years before, Jonas found a secret hatch in the bedroom he occupies in his grandma's house going to the attic and it became his secret hideaway. Jonas also likes to draw but one afternoon, the sketch of the bug he drew came to life and it made a portal in the attic and it leads to a monstrous and magical forest. And that's where his adventure to the magical Great Forest began.

I enjoyed reading the story and the illustrations drawn by Daniel Lieske. I also like that there's a part in the ending where it tells how the author was able to come up with this graphic novel. There are also snippets of his sketches and a fan art gallery that will delight readers.

The Photographer of Mauthausen by Salva Rubio

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Another great World War II-related material that narrates about the crimes of the Nazi German. The story is about the Spanish photographer, Francisco Boix, who is a prisoner of war by the Germans in Mauthausen. He was first assigned in the quarry as a way to exterminate him just like the others. Luckily, he was later moved to the identification department of the camp.

Being a photographer for the German Army means developing photos of the soldiers and their families, which will be sent back home to their loved ones. Another task for them is to photograph and identify the prisoners when they arrived. Some photos also capture fake condition of the prisoners such as that they are healthy, well fed, and happy. These photos were used as a propaganda to deceive people that the camps were safe and that the prisoners lived well. The pictures were also used in the brochures to be sent to factories and quarries because the prisoners were offered as slave laborers.

When a prisoner died, a photo was taken and preserved in the Nazi Archives. As for illegal executions, another photo was taken in the art form to elevate death and that was what Francisco found out while being in the aforementioned department in the camp.

All the atrocities that the Nazi German's did such as throwing prisoners off the cliff; escape attempts when in reality they were pushed or forced themselves into the electrified fences; prisoners beaten to death, shot in the back of the head, hanging themselves; and experimentation by the doctors pushed Francisco that he wants the whole world to know what's is really happening.

After reading this graphic novel, I searched for Francisco Boix's photographs and looking at them are remarkably shocking and terrifying, most particularly the photo of the man that was hanged using a belt. Reading the cruel acts performed during the WWII was already horrifying, what more if people could see the photos that captured them.

The Photographer of Mauthausen is a must-read for those who are into reading anything about the WWII. The story of Francisco Boix and his perseverance and bravery is truly admirable and that should be set as an example to all.

Little Mama by Halim

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Brenda was named Little Mama by her own mom because she performed on the role of the mother. She was the one who took care of her sibling, Kevin, as well as doing the chores at home. Brenda matured at a very young age because of the setup in their family. When her mom and its boyfriend, Vincent, finally decided to live together, Brenda's situation became worse because Vincent always scolds and hurt her physically.


The story of Little Mama will make readers feel a lot of emotions while reading this gripping and compelling graphic novel. Readers will undoubtedly pity Brenda's condition and fury against her mom and Vincent for making a living hell on her life. Brenda's tale educates everyone about abuse and that we should help those who think are suffering from this ordeal, and that forgiving is a key for moving on.