Ms. Marvel, Vol. 10: Time and Again by Willow Wilson

Summary from Goodreads:

Kamala Khan continues to mix super-heroic adventure with fun and friendship! Starting with... a slumber party! But if calamity strikes Jersey City while Kamala is having a sleepover with Nakia, Zoe and Mike, how can Ms. Marvel save the day without bailing on her best friends?

And speaking of BFFs, Bruno is back — and he and Kamala are learning how to be pals again. What better bonding experience than geeking out over a little science? And what better experiment to run than trying to figure out how Ms. Marvel's powers work?

But when things go awry and with her uncanny abilities on the fritz, Kamala will have to pull it together to battle a classic Marvel villain!

The next big step for Kamala Khan begins here!

Review:

As I said on Goodreads, I’ve been DNF’ing a lot of books lately. So, it was nice to actually love something again. I loved this one. I love Ms. Marvel, and I feel like this character has grown so much by this installment. I can’t wait to see where this goes.

I didn’t realize until just now that this was Wilson’s last one. I have nothing but incredible respect for this writer that brought to us a YA, Muslim girl superhero. It has been a pleasure to read Kamala’s story. I liked the full circle element to this installment and it did read like there was some finality to it. I guess this is why. I’m happy to know that Kamala’s story will go on, but with different writers. I’m not sure I’ll still love it after the writing change, but I’m so grateful for the day I picked up issue 1.

This one had the help of Rainbow Rowell in the writing process, and this was clear in the first half of the installment. I loved everything about the slumber party, and about Kamala finally “coming out” to her friends as Ms. Marvel. I loved how her friends responded. This part of the story had so much heart and so much everything I love about YA stories. It felt like a mini YA novel, with just the right amounts of humor, love, coming of age, and suspense. This is what drew me to this story to begin with, and I’m glad Wilson ended her writing with it too.

The second half felt more like classic Ms. Marvel, with the villain and the action. However, it was also all about Bruno. He and Kamala finally have a true chance to reunite. There are some definite shipping moments between them, but also some fantastic friendship moments. I like that stuff with him is a bit open-ended, but I also love that their relationship just reads so much healthier, and it looks like it’s all heading in the right direction. There were some things with the villain that read a bit confusing to me. But overall, I really enjoyed this bit too.

I give this a 10/10. I love Ms. Marvel. I love the friendship stories, the romance, the coming of age, the Muslim culture, the family drama, and the super hero action. I hope the new writer(s) do her character justice.

A Good Week in Books (202)

I have been a bit MIA lately. I think it’s been a mixture of illness and reading a bunch of meh books…I have DNF’ed more books in the last couple of months than I have in total probably in the last couple of years. It doesn’t help that my headaches (sinus pain + migraines) keep returning, and making my reading enjoyment that much less. I’ve been to several doctors, and had various tests done, but remain a medical mystery still...

I’m waiting to learn more from my last test, but I’m not holding my breath. Currently, my symptoms are more that of serious migraines (no cold symptoms at all), but the only medicine (and I’ve tried them all) that seems to help with the pain are over the counter sinus/antihistamines…I also have two GI disorders, so mix in an upset stomach taking all these new pills into the mix, and I’ve just had a kind of rotten couple of months.

That all being said, I’m still reading because reading is everything. I loved one graphic novel this week, and enjoyed one sci-fi. I have also received a couple of new books for review (Thank you, Swoon Reads and Roaring Brook Press), and had a mini splurge at Barnes and Noble for some new books too (retail therapy for the crummy health issues).

The new pretties:

I See London, I see France by Sarah Mlynowski

In Another Life by C.C. Hunter
Sherwood by Meagan Spooner
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
How to be Luminous by Harriet Reuter Hapgood
The Hummingbird Dagger by Cindy Anstey

How was your week in books?

The Breakaways by Cathy G. Johnson

Summary from Goodreads:

Quiet, sensitive Faith starts middle school already worrying about how she will fit in. To her surprise, Amanda, a popular eighth grader, convinces her to join the school soccer team, the Bloodhounds. Having never played soccer in her life, Faith ends up on the C team, a ragtag group that’s way better at drama than at teamwork. Although they are awful at soccer, Faith and her teammates soon form a bond both on and off the soccer field that challenges their notions of loyalty, identity, friendship, and unity.

The Breakaways is a portrait of friendship in its many forms, and a raw and beautifully honest look into the lives of a diverse and defiantly independent group of kids learning to make room for themselves in the world.

Review:

As I mentioned on Goodreads, If a Raina Telgemeier book and a Lumberjanes book got together and had a love child, it would look something like this. I read this in one sitting. It was sweet, but also believable. I guess my one complaint is that I wish it was longer and I had more time to get to know the characters. There were so many characters, and not enough individual development for me to really care about any of them besides the main character. Maybe I need more installments.

Unlike the last graphic novel I’d read, I actually enjoyed this one a lot more than I thought I would. I usually don’t love middle school novels, but there was something so appealing to me about a misfit group of underdogs on the soccer team…And I’m glad there was because this book was adorable.

I loved Faith. I loved her fantasy story that she was working on throughout the whole thing, something I was not expecting. She has such an imagination. And I of course liked all the misfits on the soccer team. I wish I got to know the characters more because I wanted to love them all. I just didn’t have enough time/focus on the individuals to really get to know them. Hopefully, more installments will happen, so I’ll get this chance.

I love that soccer really was just the background/setting. The center point was friendship and middle school. And every now and then I need a good friendship story. It just so happened that I just finished a book about awful friends, so I guess I needed a good one about good friends to equal that balance for me.

I loved the art too. The whole story is in color, which in itself is awesome. And while the characters looked slightly cartoonish, they also looked real. There was hair, sweat, and zits in all the places they should be in kids hitting puberty. So it was both cartoonish and authentic. I also love how diverse the cast is. Each character was totally different from the next. All in all, this was a lot of fun. I give it an 8/10.

Kiss Number 8 by Colleen AF Veenable

Summary from Goodreads:

Amanda can’t figure out what’s so exciting about kissing. It’s just a lot of teeth clanking, germ swapping, closing of eyes so you can’t see that godzilla-sized zit just inches from your own hormonal monstrosity. All of her seven kisses had been horrible in different ways, but nothing compared to the awfulness that followed Kiss Number Eight. An exploration of sexuality, family, and faith, Kiss Number Eight is a coming-of-age tale filled with humor and hope.

Review:

This wasn’t the book I was thinking it would be. I was expecting a light-hearted rom-com about kissing, crushes, sexuality, and becoming yourself. It was definitely a much more serious book. It was also really sad. There were some things I really liked about it, and some things I really didn’t like.

First off, I hated Amanda’s friends. They were so awful to her. Also, I hate that Amanda’s best friend kept calling Amanda’s mom a bitch…It’s never cool for a friend to refer to your mom that way. So, I guess, right off the bat I didn’t like her friends. There was also the bad girl friend and the good girl friend. The bad girl friend encouraged Amanda to sneak out, drink, get drunk, swear, fight with their other friend, hook up with strangers, and just so many other awful things. And then the good girl friend never stood up for herself, though she did help Amanda solve a family mystery. But, her end actions made her almost worst than the bad girl friend.

When everything falls apart in the climax of the story (in a colossally bad way), both the bad girl friend and the good girl friend abandon Amanda in her time of need. (Spoiler sentences approaching: don’t read the rest of this paragraph if you don’t want spoilers). The boy Amanda slept with (who’d been crushing on her for years) abandons her because of a rumor…And her father’s prejudices ruined their close/best friend-like relationship. The only one to have Amanda’s back is her mom (clearly not the bitch her friends thought her to be). And soon Amanda finds new friends, much nicer friends. But, there is never any real resolution with the awful best friends who abandon her.

I also like the role religion plays here. I thought for sure that Amanda’s family’s religion would come off negatively. They go to church every Sunday, volunteer in soup kitchens, and got to a Catholic school. However, despite some mean nuns, a prejudiced/religious father, and some falsehoods taught to her since birth, Amanda has faith. Some of my favorite moments in the book are when she’s talking to God, seeking help. And I kind of like that the awful people around her don’t change her or affect her relationship with her faith.

I liked Amanda, and I liked watching her grow into herself. I also loved her mom. I kind of hated everyone else in the story (except for her new friends at the end). I guess my biggest issue is the lack of resolution with her close friends that she’s had since childhood. I get that not all childhood friendships last forever, nor should they…but I felt like I needed some more resolution. So much of the focus of the whole book was on them, and then they kind of disappear. I wished the dad showed up at the end, but I like that Amanda is hopeful about him. There is hope there. That was also believable. I liked the family drama/mystery. I wish the book was marketed as the serious book it is, and not as something lighter. All in all, I give this a 7/10.                    

A Question of Holmes by Brittany Cavallaro

Summary from Goodreads:

The fourth book in the New York Times bestselling Charlotte Holmes series!

Charlotte Holmes and Jamie Watson think they’re finally in the clear. They’ve left Sherringford School—and the Moriartys—behind for a pre-college summer program at Oxford University. A chance to start from scratch and explore dating for the first time, while exploring a new city with all the freedom their program provides. But when they arrive, Charlotte is immediately drawn into a new case: a series of accidents have been befalling the members of the community theater troupe in Oxford, and now, on the eve of their production of Hamlet, they’re starting all over again. What once seemed like a comedy of errors is now a race to prevent the next tragedy—before Charlotte or Jamie is the next victim.

Review:

This is what I said on Goodreads, just as I finished this book: These books are everything. I have loved them from the beginning. I’m a Sherlock fan, and a long ago English major, who enjoys nothing more than sinking into a good story. I love these stories -and through them, I love these characters. There’s something so classic, so Arthur Conan Doyle-like in the writing and mystery. And add to that some unbelievably amazing YA character development and you have these remarkable books. I loved this ending. It felt believable and honest. I’m so glad to have found these books.

This particular installment was special. It was all in the point of view of Charlotte. Don’t get me wrong; I love Jamie. I seriously have a gigantic book crush on Jamie Watson. However, being in the head of a female Sherlock was just pure magic. Watching her brain work and understanding why she views things the way she does is just unbelievable. I actually feel like a more logical thinker after reading this than when I started. This book makes you feel like you can solve crimes too.

I also got to see just how much Charlotte cared for Jamie. I knew she did. And Jamie knew she did. But, it’s not just the simple crush and barely there tolerance I was expecting. It was deep. I finally felt like Charlotte was deserving of the unbelievable Jamie. I loved watching them attempt dating. I loved watching them work together, and communicate without words. These two are just everything a shipping heart will need. Yet, also this book doesn’t have a ton of romance. A lot of their relationship is super innocent –it has to be to get Charlotte where she needs to go. And Jamie is there and patient for all of it, as always.

There’s a fun murder mystery involving the theater, and it worked for Charlotte like I imagine holding a cigarette works for smokers. It gave her something to do, something to focus on besides her building relationship with Jamie and all the big decisions approaching about her future. The mystery wasn’t particularly a hard one. But, it worked as the background Charlotte needed to have. And it allowed the readers to see how Charlotte did it. And I’m not sure this would have been accomplished with a tougher to solve mystery.

I loved the Oxford backdrop too. The setting was both interesting and calm. It had the mystery Charlotte needed as well as the healing calmness that just wouldn’t have been there in London. All in all, there’s not much I can think to say against this story. The characters were unbelievably strong. The mystery was okay, but it accomplished what it needed to. I loved getting a glimpse into the magical, logical Sherlock brain. I love Jamie and Charlotte together. I give this a 10/10.

A Good Week in Books (201)

Surprise, surprise, I had another sinus infection that slowed down my reading…But, I’ve been headache free for a whole week now…And I’ve been slowly catching up on my reading.  I read one awesome mystery, and 2 graphic novels. I’ve also received 8 books for review, thanks to Macmillan and Hachette.

The new books:

The Beast Player by Nahoko Uehashi
Sal and Gabi Break the Universe by Carlos Hernandez
Don’t Date Rosa Santos
The Lovely and the Lost by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
The Devouring Gray by Christine Lynn Herman
Aru Shah and the Song of Death
Alien Echo by Mira Grant
All Our Broken Pieces by L. D. Chrichton

How was your week in books?

Honor Bound by Rachel Caine and Ann Aguirre

Summary from Goodreads:

Zara Cole was a thief back on Earth, but she’s been recently upgraded to intergalactic fugitive. On the run after a bloody battle in a covert war that she never expected to be fighting, Zara, her co-pilot Beatriz, and their Leviathan ship Nadim barely escaped the carnage with their lives. Now Zara and her crew of Honors need a safe haven, far from the creatures who want to annihilate them. But with two wounded Leviathan to treat, plus human and non-human refugees to help, they’ll have to settle for the nearest outpost, called the Sliver: a wild, dangerous warren of alien criminals. Zara’s skills from the Zone may be invaluable. However, Zara discovers that the secrets of the Sliver may have the power to turn the tide of the war they left behind—but in the wrong direction. Soon Zara will have to make a choice: stand against the ultimate evil or run from it. But she’s never walked away from a fight.

Honor Bound is the second installment in Rachel Caine and Ann Aguirre’s thrilling and fresh space saga.

Review:

These books are so much fun! I needed a good action-packed sci-fi to keep me out of my reading slump. As I said on Goodreads, “I missed these authors... I feel like this is the Rick Riordan/action-packed/suspense adventure book for the older YA or adult crowd." I did not love it as much as the first installment, but I did find it hard to put down.

Also, it’s one of the rare books that both my fiancé and I were reading at the same time. We were both anticipating its release. And he actually finished it before me, while I got my fourth sinus infection of the season…Ugh. These sinus problems are seriously getting in the way of my reading habits. I have another doctor’s appointment next week where I will talk to a specialist, and hopefully get my sinuses in check. That being said, it was so much fun to have someone to chat about this book with.

Zara is a force in this book. She’s really in her element on the Sliver. Watching her come into her strengths was fascinating for me. I loved how much more of a leader she became here, not just with her crew –but with another crew and some new “friends.” I loved her building relationship with Nadim. And I loved her friendships with everyone. She’s so smart and badass; I wish this was a tv show. She would win the hearts of everyone binge-watching on Netflix.

I liked learning a little bit more about the phage and other aliens. I found the introduction of these god-like aliens to be kind of strange, but also kind of amazing. I want to know so much more. The stakes were raised in this installment. Whole worlds are anhilated, and billions of lives were/are at stake.

That being said, it did seriously have that book 2 feel. It felt like this book was a placeholder for the next one, which I know will be epic. It was a pit-stop on the way to crazy town. Also, I was not a huge fan of an alluded to romantic relationship.  That came out of nowhere for me. I needed more slow-burn, less all of a sudden meant to be shipping…And is it weird that I’m still kind of shipping Zara with Nadim? I also don’t think the summary of the book actually summarizes it. It makes it sound like it all comes down to this big decision for Zara….when in reality, she made up her mind in seconds. There was no question. And this certainly wasn’t a pivotal moment in the story.

All in all, this was a fun, high stakes, action-packed sci-fi adventure. I love the worlds created here. I love the characters. I love the strangeness of it all. It was very hard to put down this book (sinus pain and all). It did feel a little too much like a book 2, and I wished the place-holder vibe wasn’t there. The summary for the book might have been written by someone who has not actually read it...but this isn’t the book’s fault.  I give this a 9/10.