Bitter Sweet Love by Michael Faudet

AUTHOR: Michael Faudet

PUBLISHER: Andrews McMeel Publishing

PUBLICATION DATE: October 25, 2016

PAGES: 208
SYNOPSIS FROM GOODREADS:

Bitter Sweet Love is the much-anticipated second collection of internationally best-selling poet Michael Faudet, author of "Dirty Pretty Things," a finalist in the 2015 Goodreads Readers Choice Awards. Michael Faudet's whimsical and often erotic writing has captured the hearts and minds of literally thousands of readers from around the world. He paints vivid pictures with intricate words and explores the compelling themes of love, loss, relationships, and sex. All beautifully captured in poetry, prose, quotes, and little short stories.

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MY RATING: Similar to Faudet's first published of a compilation of poems, this 2nd book of the author didn't please me. There are few prose and poems that are a bit okay yet still far to be considered remarkable or exceptional.

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Dirty Pretty Things by Michael Faudet

AUTHOR: Michael Faudet

PUBLISHER: Michael Faudet

PUBLICATION DATE: November 18, 2014

PAGES: 274

SYNOPSIS FROM GOODREADS:

Dirty Pretty Things is the much-anticipated book by Michael Faudet. His whimsical and often erotic writing has already captured the hearts and minds of literally thousands of readers from around the world. He paints vivid pictures with intricate words and explores the compelling themes of love, loss, relationships, and sex. All beautifully captured in poetry, prose, quotes and little short stories.

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MY RATING: I was really curious about what's the hype about this poetry book. It's price around USD 12-13 when I saw it in our local bookstore so I thought that maybe it is really worth the price. But to my great dismay, the hype and the price doesn't equate to the quality of the poems in this collection. The author wants to convey passion of love and lovemaking, but really the poems are just mediocre. I was really curious on what's the hype about this poetry book. It's price around USD 12-13 when I saw it in our local bookstore so I thought that maybe it is really worth the price. But to my great dismay, the hype and the price doesn't equate to the quality of the poems in this collection. The author wants to convey passion of love and lovemaking, but really the poems are just mediocre. I also purchased Faudet's 2nd book of Bitter Sweet Love. And despite the average rating of the said book here in Goodreads, I'm still giving it a chance to amuse me.

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Ink in Water: An Illustrated Memoir (Or, How I Kicked Anorexia’s Ass and Embraced Body Positivity)

AUTHOR:  Lacy J. Davis
ILLUSTRATOR: Jim Kettner
PUBLISHER: New Harbinger Publications
PUBLICATION DATE: October 1, 2017
PAGES: 272
SYNOPSIS FROM GOODREADS:

At once punk rock and poignant, Ink in Water is the visceral and groundbreaking graphic memoir of a young woman’s devastating struggle with negative body image and eating disorders, and how she rose above her own destructive behaviors and feelings of inadequacy to live a life of strength and empowerment.

As a young artist living in Portland, Lacy Davis’ eating disorder began with the germ of an idea: a seed of a thought that told her she just wasn’t good enough. And like ink in water, that idea spread until it reached every corner of her being. This is the true story of Lacy’s journey into the self-destructive world of multiple eating disorders. It starts with a young and positive Lacy, trying to grapple with our culture’s body-image obsession and stay true to her riot grrrl roots. And while she initially succeeds in overcoming a nagging rumination about her body, a break up with a recovering addict starts her on a collision course with anorexia, health food obsession, and compulsive exercise addiction. At the request of her last real friend, she starts going to a twelve-step Overeaters Anonymous course, only to find that it conflicts with her punk feminist ideology.

Blending bold humor, a healthy dose of self-deprecation, vulnerability, literary storytelling, and dynamic and provocative artwork by illustrator Jim Kettner, Ink in Water is an unflinching, brutally honest look into the author’s mind: how she learned to take control of her damaging thoughts, redirect her perfectionism from self-destructive behaviors into writing and art, and how she committed herself to a life of health, strength, and nourishment.

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MY RATING: When I saw the synopsis for this graphic novel, I thought I would be reading something boring an uninteresting. But my first impression isn't right because I finished reading this in just a few hours. Not to mention that this is also very helpful and inspiring especially those who are having eating disorder. Hopefully the release of this would motivate people to love whatever their shape or size they have.

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The Backup Bunny by Abigail Rayner

 
AUTHOR: Abigail Rayner
ILLUSTRATOR: Greg Stones
PUBLISHER: NorthSouth Books
PUBLICATION DATE: March 6, 2018
PAGES: 32 
SYNOPSIS FROM GOODREADS: 
Everybody needs a backup plan, especially when you lose your favorite toy.When Max loses his favorite toy—Bunny—his clever mom brings out the "backup bunny"—Fluffy—to save the day. Fluffy is thrilled to have the chance to play with Max, but is soon rejected by the observant child who notices that his ears are too new and perky. Can Fluffy find a way into his favorite boy's heart

The Backup Bunny will keep you laughing and inspire you to make room for another favorite story.

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MY RATING: ★★★★★ If you have already a kid, niece/nephew or a godmother, this book by Abigail Rayner is a good present to give them. I always give books to my niece on her birthday and on Christmas; so I'm considering this children's book to add to my list that I want to give her this year.

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Honey Moon: Dog Daze by Sofi Benitez

AUTHOR:  Sofi Benitez
ILLUSTRATOR: Becky Minor
SERIES: Honey Moon
PUBLISHER: Rabbit Publishers
PUBLICATION DATE: May 31, 2017
PAGES: 240
SYNOPSIS FROM GOODREADS:

WANTING TO START A BUSINESS together to earn some spending money, Honey Moon and her friends have a magical idea. In the town where every day is Halloween night, Honey and friends start a dog–walking service called the Sleepy Hollow Howlers. But when the business becomes more than the girls can handle, dog–walking suddenly takes on a new leash and fur flies with disastrous and entertaining results.

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MY RATING: If you are a dog lover like me, you will also love this book by Sofi Benitez. Honey Moon rescuing the dog she later named Stormy is the start of her and her friend Becky to start a dog walking business. Along the way, they also met Isabela who happened to be a volunteer in the animal shelter, where Honey Moon and her mom has to surrendered the dog Storm. The story of friendship and the funny antics of the dogs the Sleepy Hollow Howlers has to walk are just few of what this book made a worthwhile reading. Not to mention that young readers will also got learnt a lot from this including being responsible, compassionate and helpful.

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Harry Moon: Halloween Nightmares

AUTHOR:  Mark Andrew Poe
SERIES: The Amazing Adventures of Harry Moon
PUBLISHER: Rabbit Publishers
PUBLICATION DATE: September 5, 2017
PAGES: 186
SYNOPSIS FROM GOODREADS:

This 2nd book from the Harry Moon series recalls the predictions to Harry when he was still a baby; and readers will be able to know on what is really happening behind the Sleepy Hollow's success after Mayor Kligore governed the town. It is a fight between with good and evil; in a more subtle way.

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MY RATING: This 2nd book from the Harry Moon series recalls the predictions to Harry when he was still a baby; and readers will be able to know on what is really happening behind the Sleepy Hollow's success after Mayor Kligore governed the town. It is a fight between with good and evil; in a more subtle way. I guess, as the story develops on each book in the series, not only Harry's skill will improve but his duel with evil will became huge as well. I am not only fond of books that has a theme of magic or witchcraft, but this book series is really magnificent. I'm quite sure that kids ages 10 and above will also love this series. .

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Harry Moon: Wand-Paper-Scissors

AUTHOR:  Mark Andrew Poe
SERIES: The Amazing Adventures of Harry Moon
PUBLISHER: Rabbit Publishers
PUBLICATION DATE: August 15, 2017
PAGES: 206
SYNOPSIS FROM GOODREADS:

Harry Moon is up to his eyeballs in magic in the small town of Sleepy Hollow. His archenemy, Titus Kligore, has eyes on winning the Annual Scary Talent Show. Harry has a tough job ahead if he is going to steal the crown. He takes a chance on a magical rabbit who introduces him to magic. Harry decides that the best way forward is to DO NO EVIL and the struggle to defeat Titus, this battle turns epic.

 

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MY RATING: When I started reading this first book in the Harry Moon series, I can't stop turning the page because the author, Mark Andrew Poe, did a good job on making this a page-turner.Harry Moon is an 8th grader who loves magic and he joined the annual talent show in their school. But it's not that easy to win if you are competing with Titus, the son of the Mayor of their town. Not to mentioned that Titus is always trying to bully Harry whenever he can just to scare him from no longer joining. But due to a turn of events, Harry and Titus made peace at each other in the end. I was able to finished this book within an hour and I'm really satisfied with what this book contains.

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Yellowthread Street by William Marshall

AUTHOR:  William Marshall
PUBLISHER: Farrago
PUBLICATION DATE: July 14th 2016 (1st published 1975)
PAGES: 128
SYNOPSIS FROM GOODREADS:

The first in Marshall's unforgettable, classic series of police procedurals - suspenseful and hilarious in equal measure.

 

Yellowthread Street is the sort of place that breeds more crime than any cops can handle.

Among the gangsters and the goldsmiths of Hong Bay, Chief Inspector Feiffer and his police department had their hands full . . . tourist troubles, a US sailor turned stick-up artist, and the jealous Chinese who solved his marital difficulties with an axe.

Then the Mongolian with a kukri brought an extra touch of terror to the district . . .

Yellowthread Street brings to vivid life a seamy world where people called Osaka Oniki the Disemboweller, Shotgun Sen and The Chopper feel at home, a world of surreal possibility recorded with unique humour and a poignant sense of humanity.

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MY RATING: The truth is, I didn't expect that this novel is a page-turner and would make readers anticipate what will happen next. Gruesome and comedic at the same time, this novel is a must-read for fans of mystery, action and detective stories. While reading this, it reminds me of Jackie Chan's movies, in particular is the Rush Hour movie series.

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