Turbo Twenty-Three by Janet Evanovich

Title: Turbo Twenty-Three
Author: Janet Evanovich
Pages: 288
Published: November 15th 2016 by Bantam
Source: library
Links: goodreads

Larry Virgil skipped out on his latest court date after he was arrested for hijacking an eighteen-wheeler full of premium bourbon. Fortunately for bounty hunter Stephanie Plum, Larry is just stupid enough to attempt almost the exact same crime again. Only this time he flees the scene, leaving behind a freezer truck loaded with Bogart ice cream and a dead body—frozen solid and covered in chocolate and chopped pecans. As fate would have it, Stephanie’s mentor and occasional employer, Ranger, needs her to go undercover at the Bogart factory to find out who’s putting their employees on ice and sabotaging the business. It’s going to be hard for Stephanie to keep her hands off all that ice cream, and even harder for her to keep her hands off Ranger. It’s also going to be hard to explain to Trenton’s hottest cop, Joe Morelli, why she is spending late nights with Ranger, late nights with Lula and Randy Briggs—who are naked and afraid—and late nights keeping tabs on Grandma Mazur and her new fella. Stephanie Plum has a lot on her plate, but for a girl who claims to have “virtually no marketable skills,” these are the kinds of sweet assignments she does best.

I always say I'm not going to read anymore Stephanie Plum books, but then a new one comes out and I put it on hold at the library right away.  I'm so glad I read this... it's back to the good old Plum mysteries.  Not too much silliness that I thought some of the last few books had.  There wasn't as much repetitiveness in this one either.  Which I was really happy about.  The mystery in this book was a much more complex and serious. Let's be honest with ourselves here.  If you did think you were going to find something different in this book and you are upset that it wasn't then you really need to stop reading.  Stephanie is the same old Stephanie and she is still dating the same two men.

I guess what I like about this series and probably the reason I keep picking it up is I know what to expect.  So when I want just a quick and fast read, a couple laughs, a story that is all fluff, then this is the book to read.  Though really let's be honest how is Rex the hamster still alive?  Unless these books are all taking place within a few years.  Maybe since we are up to book 23 I feel like 15 years has passed in the series.

I enjoyed this book enough to want to read the next one ... that should be out at the end of 2017?  Will Stephanie make any progress in her life?  Get a better job?  Pick a man?  Own a decent car? Probably not.  But so long as the book brings me smiles and laughs I guess I'll be reading it.

The Walking Dead Compemdium 1

Title: The Walking Dead Compendium 1
Author: Robert Kirkman
Pages: 1088
Published: May 19, 2009
Source: Borrowed
Links: Goodreads,

In a world ruled by the dead, we are forced to finally start living. With The Walking Dead #1-48, this compendium features more than one thousand pages chronicling the start of Robert Kirkman's Eisner Award-winning story of zombie horror, from Rick Grimes waking up alone in a hospital, his band of survivors seeking refuge on an isolated farm and the controversial introduction of Woodbury despot, The Governor.

I, like almost everyone else, watched the show The Walking Dead prior to picking up the comics. I did keep checking them out from the library but since they came in the compendiums I just never had the time to read them before they were due back. So finally I went ahead and borrowed all 3 compendiums from my aunt. I LOVED THIS BOOK.  I didn't expect to love the comics as much as I do.  They are similar to the show but different enough to still feel like I'm reading something different. I was really afraid of spoilers for the show.  Now.. I'll admit that right now I am caught up on the comics up to the point of the TV show and I'm a little nervous about continuing. I'm pretty confident I won't be spoiled so I'm going to go ahead and read on.

I think the artwork of these comics help the feelings of horror and creepiness. When I first started reading I wasn't sure about the black and white art. I thought.. how am I even going to get the horror from it when I can't see the blood color.  The artist (Tony Moore) does such a fantastic job that color is not needed.  I think that is a huge feet for an artist.

In case you don't know much about this series I'll try to explain it a little bit.  The comic starts off with Officer Rick Grimes waking up from a coma in the hospital. He is all alone.  When he gets up and walks around he discovers there are other things... or what we call "Zombies". Rick begins to go out into the world to find his wife and son. On his way looking he meets a lot of different people and his epic story begins.

What I find most interesting about these books is character study.  This book of course reminds me of any book where the world flips on it's head.  Stephen King's The Stand is similar.  What would people do if they only lived to survive.  Would they kill?  Would they die?  The end of the world brings out the best and the worst of people it would seem. I like to read about the ideas characters come up with and ponder if I would've come up with the same plan or not. In this particular compendium the group that Rick Grimes forms run into a huge prison.  They decide that it might be a good place to hold up. There are 3 prisoners there that they decide to let go but then can't decide if they are trust worthy.  Would this be a good idea?  There is a generator at the prison. Beds, food. Seems like a good idea to me but of course it has it's drawbacks which we find out when reading. Things I would've never thought could happen.

I really do think Walking Dead is a fantastic story.  For those who don't like the show because of the gore, perhaps pick up the graphic novels and experience the story in a totally different way.

Comic Adventures Issue #49

I read a lot of comics and rarely review them here on the blog. That's because I really don't have a lot to say for an entire post.  So I thought I would review several comics on one post.  I will still review graphic novels on their own now and then, but this is where I will talk about super-hero type comics (DC/Marvel) or sequels to some that I have already reviewed.

This issue I talk about Lumberjanes Volume 4 Out of Time, Teen Titans Vol 5 Kid Flash,  The Flash Vol 8 Zoom, and Vision Vol. 1.

The original artist from Volumes 1 & 2 is back.  I really enjoy Brooke Allen's art. This comic focuses on the girls from the camp coming together to save Jen, their camp counselor. We get to see them work together. There is a huge snow storm that comes in the middle of summer while they are out camping. Next thing you know the girls get rescued but Jen gets left behind.  Though, she also gets rescued from someone. The girl who rescues Jen has a crazy back story which leads the readers to learn way more about the camp's past. Looks like the comic is introducing a transgender character.  There is a huge diverse cast of characters in the series. I am hoping this comic doesn't fall into the category where information is kept from the girls for too long.  I fell like some answers about what exactly the camp is should start to come out now.  I just don't want those answers drug out too long just to keep the comic going. That was one of the biggest issues with the book Maze Runner to me. 
5 out of 5

I Had to finish out Teen Titans in the New 52.  Well... there are two Teen Titan series going on in the New 52 and this is the first one they had going. But the story was a little hard to follow since it's a cross over with Forever Evil. The confusion in this comic shows just why the New 52 needed to end and Rebirth needed to begin.  Too many stories crossing paths. Superboy in this comic turns out to not even be the real Superboy.  Apparently, the real Superboy is left back on earth one and you learn about him in his own comic. The comic is about who Kid Flash really is.  A kid from another dimension who is actually some sort of revolutionary killer. I wish this comic had stayed in the present and wrapped up the characters that way.  But instead, we float around the future and see the characters there. It wasn't the best ending to a series, though I've noticed a lot of the New 52 endings haven't been that great.

2 out of 5

The Flash is one of the series in the New 52 I have really enjoyed.  I think Flash's villains are interesting and the stories always have a new direction they can go in. Zoom is a classic Flash villain. I've really been able to learn more about Zoom through the Flash TV show.  So to see him in the comics is interesting. In this comic, Zoom has gathered meta humans from different eras who have received powers by being struck by lighting, similar to what has happened to Barry Allen. Zoom tricks these people into thinking they need to come to 2016 and stop the Flash because he's evil. I did think that the fact that Zoom supposedly spent 500 years with this team was a long long time.  And somehow that whole time he hid from them that he was evil.  Always plot holes somewhere I suppose. Let's be honest though, Flash comics are constantly full of time travel.  Same story, different comic. I think this is the last comic in the Flash New 52.  I look forward to where Rebirth takes the Flash.

4 out of 5

I've been curious about Vision ever since he appeared in the Avenger movies.  So I was excited to see a new Marvel series based on Vision.  I thought it was a really good comic.  I seems to take place after Vision has helped out the Avengers.  He is trying to live a normal life with a family.  Of course his family is Androids. I think I really enjoyed this comic because it's not your traditional superhero comic.  It's more of a creepy story about a family trying to make it in our world that doesn't want to accept them. I think there is unease the entire time you read this novel. You just know this perfect life is falling apart and it's hard because the androids are trying to understand why it isn't going perfectly. The artwork is perfect... it helps the comic feel like horror/creepy.  I enjoy reading a comic that isn't like the others.  I read that some people are upset because Vision has never wanted to be a human in any other runs.  I thought that was a fantastic take on him and helped his title comic be successful.  Great read!

5 out of 5


This counts for 4 comics towards my 2017 Graphic Novel Reading Challenge

Sunday Post

Let's chat about what's going on this week... on my blog.. on other blogs... on the internet... and just everywhere!    I link up my post to Sunday Post hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Reader.

Hello everyone.  It has been a busy few months.  I've been in TX for a long time helping my sister. I've been trying to get a lot of reading done during this time.  So I should have some reviews coming up.  If you ever check out my blog about my diabetic cats then you know we had to send one of my cats over the rainbow bridge.  It was so sad and hard. It was awful. But we did have an amazing experience by having a veterinarian come to our house to do it.  Then end of 2016 has pretty much just sucked.  I'm so ready for 2017.  I did participate in a book secret Santa exchange hosted by True Book Addict.   When I get my package and open it, I'll post a picture of it on here. I received my package from Truth, Beauty, Freedom, & Books.  I loved every book I received!  Thanks so much.  The blogger I received for the exchange is Readerbuzz.  She should have her package by now and I'm so excited for her to open it (if she hasn't already).  I scrambled to get it together since I unexpectedly ended up out of town while the Secret Bookish Santa event was going on. 

It's so odd to be in TX over the month of December.  No snow.  But the weather is nuts.  With one day being 54 and then next day 78.  I also miss the snow.  I did get to see Rouge One on opening night.  I thought it was pretty fantastic.  A great story that leads into the Star Wars movies.  I would recommend you all going to see it.  I'm currently watching 11/22/63 that finally came in from the library.  I loved the book so I am hoping the show lives up to it.   I love looking for the Stephen King easter eggs in the show.  I had to google some that I didn't spot. 

I'm back in the gym tomorrow.  I've had to take a lot of time off with my sister and with one of our vehicles out of service for about 3 months (the body shop had it that WHOLE time). I'm going to look like one of those new years resolution people who only go for a month!  I'm really dreading getting back in.  Ughhh... the beginning of getting in shape is always the hardest! 

Happy 2017 everyone!  Hope you reach all your reading goals this year. 

Also... it's time for me to sign up for some reading challenges.  My favorite one is of course the Graphic Novel Challenge. I'm going for the Golden Age. 104 books!  Here are the rules:

It's time to start signing up for the 2017 challenge.  This is the 10th anniversary of this challenge and my 6th year as host

• Please write a sign-up post on your blog and then sign-up below with a link to your specific sign-up post (NOT to your home page).  

• What counts:  graphic novels, collected trade editions, manga, comic strip collections, comic books or combinations of text and bubbles all in the same book. In print or digital. Anything else you feel is suitable.  My personal criteria is if it has either frames OR speech bubbles it counts.  I'm not going to be the comic police but if you are unsure, ask me in the comments any given month.

• You must write a review and link to it for it to count towards the challenge. Reviews may be posted on your blog or goodreads or similar places. Several reviews may be gathered and posted in one link on your blog, but each book must be linked back here in the monthly linkies to count. Come back every month to record your progress.

Here is how the Challenge plays out:

Runs from Jan.1 - Dec. 31, 2017

Levels

Modern Age: read and review 12 books during the year (that's only 1 book a month)

Bronze Age: read and review 24 books during the year (Can you handle 2 books a month.)

Silver Age: read and review 52 books during the year (Are you up to a book a week!)
Golden Age: read and review 104 books during the year (Are you addicted? 2 books a week!)

 You must sign up for a level, but once you complete that level you may move up and try for the next one.

Please spread the word everyone!