Manfried the Man by Caitlin Majors

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In Major and Bastow's world, cats are large intelligent creatures and men are....cats. Though they still retain their odd human hairlessness, their ability to walk upright, and other humanish traits. Manfried the Man is really the story of Steve Catson. Stuck in a dead-end job that he hates and not motivated enough to get his art going and out there, Steve exists and makes bad decision after bad decision. When he's at his lowest, Manfried, his man, goes missing sparking Steve to finally do something.

Manfried the Man was interesting - I liked the little quirks of owning a man versus a cat. Men say "Hey" not meow, eating food that is shaped like tiny people food. While Steve's misadventures are frequently cringe-worthy, they're real, and the whole thing is topped off with a believable and happy ending. The art is perfect for this kind of a story, round and often cute, without being too twee. This definitely isn't for everyone, but I think it will resonate with cat-lovers.


Thanks to Edelweiss and Quirk for the egalley!

The Trespasser by Tana French

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I always go into Tana French’s novels with two questions: who’s it gonna be and how’re they gonna get it?  This time it’s Antoinette Conway, the half South American, half Irish, all woman detective with a chip on her shoulder the size of Dublin Castle itself.  When Conway and her partner Moran are partnered with oily senior detective Breslin on what appears to be a routine domestic murder, Conway’s suspicions rise.  There’s something more to this case than the gaffer and Breslin are letting on, but she isn’t sure what.  Could it be a test of her skills?  A gang connection?  Or something more sinister? 

 

The Trespasser didn’t disappoint.  French’s mysteries twist out into directions that I never expect, and I find myself wandering among tangled what-ifs and who-could-ofs until finally when I think that I’m lost beyond all reasoning, I find the answer smack dab in front of me.  Conway was an interesting pick as a protagonist – very different from most of her other previous heroes.  There was one moment in the middle that felt very forced (you’ll know it when you read it), but otherwise the story read smoothly.  (I also always try to pick out who will be the next protagonist, but I’m not positive this time – maybe Breslin, maybe the journalist…) Overall, a good read.  Not her best, in my opinion, but definitely intriguing.

The Worst Breakfast by China Mieville

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Two sisters rehash the worst breakfast they ever have.  Their descriptions start tamely - burnt toast, soggy tomatoes, and then spiral into the most fantastical and disgusting foods.  Mieville's writing is tweely rhyming (and meta - making fun of a few slant rhymes) and Smith's watercolor illustrations pile putrid food upon putrid food.  This would be a great storytime book for two voices and a fun read to share with the whole family.  Two thumbs up!

Dogs in Cars by Felix Massie

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Massie and Walker have created the ultimate counting book, Dogs in Cars. Different dog breeds (in varying amounts) ride around in stylish cars.  The book would be a beautiful addition to a library or nursery.  The illustrations are gorgeous and text and illustration are littered with tongue-in-cheek humor.  For instance, the Dalmatians are "trying to get back" and they are riding in a Delorian.  Not only does the book promote counting, but it also is a bit of a look-and-find with questions at the end, asking the reader to go back and find different color cars, dogs wearing glasses, and more.  Definitely recommend this one and most by Flying Eye books.  Two thumbs WAY up.

My copy courtesy of Netgalley and Flying Eye Books.

A Squiggly Story by Andrew Larsen

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How do you write a story when you don't know how to write?  A little helpful advice from big sister jumpstarts our young hero's writing career.  Start with what you know!

It's relatively easy to pick out books that go along with all of the five pre-reading practices from Every Child Ready to Read, EXCEPT for writing.  Finding books that talk about writing or that might inspire writing or feature writing is especially difficult.  Larsen's A Squiggly Story is a good example of a writing focused text.  That being said, the story isn't super intriguing, though I love the illustrations and the graphic novel format of this text.  Just because it didn't knock it out of the park for me though doesn't mean it wouldn't be a valuable addition to a library.  It's a quiet story that will enchant and inspire those littles who dream of being authors.

Stiletto by Daniel O'Malley: A Review

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Stiletto is the second in Daniel O'Malley's (hopefully long lived) Checquy series. The Checquy is reeling from Rook Myfanwy Thomas's announcement that an alliance had been made with the agency's long-time enemies, the Grafters. A delegation of Grafters, or the Wetenschappelijk Broederschap van Natuurkundigen as they prefer to be called, arrived for negotiations, bringing with them the two youngest of their group and a whole heap of trouble. 


I know that O'Malley struggled with this book - having technical issues, rewriting the draft several times, and so on and so forth. Stiletto does suffer a smidge from sophomore slump; it's not the tightly plotted, but rambly hysterical fun fest that The Rook was, but it retains the lighthearted center, all the while introducing new wonders from both the Checquy and the Broederschap. O'Malley's tone and turn of phrase are magical, turning what could be a taking-itself-way-too-seriously type of book into a fun romp through sci-fi and fantasy. That being said, the story drags a bit at the beginning and middle, and I'm still not quite sure I care enough about Odette or Felicity. They were both interesting, but not quite interesting enough to take the reins completely. I do hope that the series continues though because this world is so interesting and fun. Maybe the Americans can come to visit? Or Australia!

My copy courtesy of Edelweiss and Little, Brown, and Co.

Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld

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Romance novels are a guilty pleasure of mine.   I have very high standards for my romance novels, though.  I think probably because the first one I ever read was Pride and Prejudice.  There’s very little that can compete with the tale of Darcy and Elizabeth.  I remember when I found the BBC Pride and Prejudice miniseries on VHS in my public library during my college years.  I watched the three half hour tapes that I could check out and raced back down to the library to return them and check out three more.  So imagine my surprise, delight, and trepidation on learning of Curtis Sittenfeld’s modern retelling of my favorite romance novel.


That all being said, Eligible is fantastic.  It takes what is a very period story and updates it in a suitable fashion.  Nothing really feels forced about the update (besides Fitzwilliam remaining Darcy’s first name); Liz is a modern woman with normal problems and quirky sisters. If one wasn’t familiar with the original inspiration (God forbid), Eligible would just seem like a contemporary romance novel.  Sittenfeld’s writing is masterful as Eligible reads just as deliciously as Austen’s own, similarly peppered with wonderful witticisms.  The magic is there and reading Eligible was like getting a bear hug from a great friend you haven’t seen in years. 

My digital copy courtesy of Edelweiss and Random House.

Life Without Nico by Andrea Maturana

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Maia and Nico are best friends.  They do everything together until Nico's father tells them that the family needs to move away for a while.  Maia isn't sure what to do without Nico, but she finds a new friend and comfort from a kitten.  When Nico comes back, she isn't sure if she'll have room for him in her life.

 

This is an important book.  I don't know of many books off the top of my head that deal well with the loss of a friend.  This one is well written, short, and a good read aloud.  From friends moving away to those who just go to a different school, this situation is one that is common in childhood and not addressed in picture books as often as it should be.  Francisco Javier Olea's illustrations are beautiful and pair well with the text.  I love what he did with the shadows when Maia is feeling empty.  The line drawings combined with the fully painted elements reminds me of Radioactive by Lauren Redness about Marie and Pierre Curie.  

My digital copy courtesy of Kids Can Press and Edelweiss.

The Sword and the Stove by Frank Dormer

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The knights are getting ready for dinner. They pull on their oven mitts, they tie up their aprons, and they open the oven to find....a SWORD?? How did that get there?
 


Dormer has created a wonderfully creative story that turns the typical tale of knights on its head. The paint and pencil drawings and a perfect companion to the silly stories that the knights think up to explain why everything but food is in their oven. The twist at the end is reminiscent ofMr. Wolf's Pancakes and Everyone loves Bacon and sure to leave preschoolers and kindergartners in giggles. Perfect for a storytime about knights.

My digital copy courtesy of Atheneum Books for Young Readers and Edelweiss