Review roundup

1. So my book club chose Sara Gruen's Water for Elephants: A Novel for our latest book, and I loathed it. I can't remember the last time I read a book that was so clearly an assembled collection of plot points and so empty of heartfelt voice and passion. And the plot! It can best be summarized as let's hope two idiots manage to commit adultery together. There's not a hint of suspense in the "suspenseful moments," either, since the first chapter is also basically the last chapter.

2. By comparison, thumbs way up for Richard Sala's The Grave Robber's Daughter. It's sort of like a Twilight Zone episode starring Nancy Drew with a modern sensibility. My only criticism is I tore through it in 15 minutes or so (and promptly added his other books to my wishlist).

3. Finally, I finally finished World of Goo (PC version). It's an absolutely wonderful puzzle/building game. Fun, stylish, constantly surprising, and with just the right level of difficulty.

Brianne Drouhard's Billie the Unicorn

I received a preview copy of Brianne Drouhard's Billie the Unicorn, and my initial impression was that neither I nor my sons were going to like it very much (even though Brianne's worked on two of my boys' favorites - - Avengers and Batman: The Brave and the Bold). The first few pages did nothing to dispel that impression as they're about Billie and her unicorn friends and how much fun they have using their magical horns to grow different types of flowers.

But soon thereafter the story takes a surprising turn as Billie runs afoul of an evil queen and her robotic minions. This particular illustration isn't in the book but gives you a good idea of how the characters look:



My boys were rapt until the end, and I'm sure we'll be enjoying the book many more times in the future. It's a solid 32-pages long and available for preorder for 35% off at Amazon. Brianne also has a few paintings and prints on sale at Gallery Nucleus.

DC Comics: The 75th Anniversary Poster Book

I received a review copy of DC Comics: The 75th Anniversary Poster Book (which was already on my wish list), and wow, big thumbs up. The oversized softcover book features 100 removable images of DC comic book covers. There's plenty of iconic images, like the first appearances of Superman and Wonder Woman, and the covers to Watchmen and Kingdom Come.

But much better, it's full of deliciously ridiculous covers like these:







The book actually features 300 covers, although only 100 are poster-sized. It even includes Batman's zebra costume, and Wonder Woman's 60's get-up.

Highly recommended, even if you have no intention of removing any pages to hang. 34% off Amazon.

DC Comics: The 75th Anniversary Poster Book

I received a review copy of DC Comics: The 75th Anniversary Poster Book (which was already on my wish list), and wow, big thumbs up. The oversized softcover book features 100 removable images of DC comic book covers. There's plenty of iconic images, like the first appearances of Superman and Wonder Woman, and the covers to Watchmen and Kingdom Come.

But much better, it's full of deliciously ridiculous covers like these:







The book actually features 300 covers, although only 100 are poster-sized. It even includes Batman's zebra costume, and Wonder Woman's 60's get-up.

Highly recommended, even if you have no intention of removing any pages to hang. 34% off Amazon.

Space Cadet Topo: The Day the Sun Turned Off

DGPH's Space Cadet Topo: The Day the Sun Turned Off has cute art and a pleasant story about a dashing mole, his robot companions, and their adventures in space. In tone and look, it reminded me a lot of The Octonauts, another book by Immedium Press. Indeed, like all of Immedium's books, Space Cadet Topo is an excellent option for parents tired of the repackaged cartoon episode books that fill most bookstores and Scholastic order forms. It passed the key test: My son begged me to read it again after we finished.

You can download desktop wallpapers and pages to color at the official site, and the book is $12 at Amazon.

The character (topo means "mole") is already part of a minifranchise. There's the Topo figure by adfunture available at eBay:



And Topo Joe, available at Amazon:

David Derrick's Sid the Squid

Dreamworks story artist David Derrick has a new kid's book called Sid the Squid: and the Search for the Perfect Job. For parents looking for a storybook, it's a solid choice with charming art and wholesome story. My son, who initially was not in the mood to read, became intrigued and eager to see which job the squid would try (and fail at) next.





You can download some pages to color at David's site, and the book is 30% off at Amazon.