Grumpy Cat Volume 1 (Graphic novel) - Paul's REVIEW

*I received this book as an eARC from Diamond Book Distributors and Dynamite Entertainment in exchange for an honest review*

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Title: Grumpy Cat, Volume 1
Authors: Ben McCool, Royal McGraw, Elliott Serrano, Ben Fisher
Illustrators:  Ken Haeser, Tavis Maiden, Agnes Garbowska, Steve Uy
Recent Release Date: February 16, 2016

Synopsis: Dynamite proudly presents the comic book misadventures of Grumpy Cat, featuring "The World's Grumpiest Cat" and her brother, Pokey! With her ever-present pout and sassy disposition, Grumpy Cat has won the hearts of people everywhere. Now, her unbearable cuteness and infectious sourpuss are featured in an all-new, all-sensational collection of comic stories, sure to make fans of all ages laugh! If you love the memes, the videos, and that irresistible scowl, then get ready for the wildly fun antics of Grumpy Cat and Pokey! 

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Review: I think everyone that uses the internet is familiar with Grumpy Cat. You've at least seen an image of this beautiful feline. I wasn't that familiar with Grumpy Cat other than the many memes and celebrities Grumpy Cat has been pictured with. I haven't seen the Lifetime movie so I wasn't aware of the character that Grumpy Cat has become. She is a grumpy cat. I guess she is this generation's Garfield.

In this comic, Grumpy Cat has a cat companion named Pokey to be the counter to her grumpiness. The meat of the stories come from the interactions between these two cats. They go on many different types of adventures. There is a treasure hunt in a haunted house. They become superheroes and stop criminals. They try to figure out how a cell phone works. There's a story in the style of Sherlock Holmes. There are a lot of different art styles. 

This comic was fun, but I couldn't really get into it. I'm not that familiar with the Grumpy Cat character so a younger reader who loves the meme may enjoy these stories more. I give this graphic novel a 3/5.




--PAUL

Grace & Style: The Art of Pretending You Have It (audiobook) - Paul's Review

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Title: Grace & Style: The Art of Pretending You Have It
Author: Grace Helbig
Year Published: 2016

Narrator: Grace Helbig
Audiobook Length: 4 hours 11 minutes


Synopsis: From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Grace’s Guide and the host of The Grace Helbig Show on E! comes a beautifully illustrated, tongue-in-cheek book about style that lampoons fashion and beauty guides while offering practical advice in Grace Helbig’s trademark sweet and irreverent voice.

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Review: This book opens up with a very personal story from Grace. I was unsure if a book about style would be my cup of tea. I'm a huge Grace Helbig fan, but I'm also a 27 year old man. Although there were some sections that didn't really apply to me, most of the stories are relatable. 

My favorite part of the book was the narrative from the perspective of a pair of sweatpants. It's the diary of a pair of sweatpants that gets a scholarship to the Mall of America. I definitely want to see more fiction from Grace! She knows how to write emotional  outrageous comedy.

I listened to the audiobook of this book. I really enjoyed that Grace narrates it herself. The personal stories really have heart. She was brave to open up about her own experiences with eating disorders.

I give this book a 5/5. There were some parts that I had to just wade through, but the parts I enjoyed I reaaaaaallllllyyy liked. I never thought a diary written from the perspective of clothes could be such an emotional epic. 


--PAUL

Binge (audiobook) by Tyler Oakley - Paul's Review

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Title: Binge
Author: Tyler Oakley
Year Published: 2015

Narrator: Tyler Oakley
Audiobook Length: 7 hours 16 minutes


Synopsis: Pop culture phenomenon, social rights advocate, and the most prominent LGBTQ+ voice on YouTube, Tyler Oakley brings you his first collection of witty, personal, and hilarious essays written in the voice that's earned him more than 21 million followers across social media.

For someone who made a career out of oversharing on the Internet, Tyler Oakley has a shocking number of personal mishaps and shenanigans to reveal in his first book: He experienced a legitimate rage blackout in a Cheesecake Factory; he had a fashion stand-off with the White House Secret Service; he crashed a car in front of his entire high school in an Arby's uniform; he projectile vomited while bartering with a grandmother. With millions of fans clamoring for more Tyler Oakley, he delivers his best untold, hilariously side-splitting moments with trademark flair in Binge.

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Review: I have followed Tyler Oakley online for over 6 years. I remember when he was a part of the youtube channel 5awesomegays. His popularity has skyrocketed. He is one of the top youtubers, branching out into red carpet interviews, hosting events, writing a book, and a competitor in an upcoming season of The Amazing Race. He is an all around personality.

This book covers it all. There are funny stories. There are sad stories. There are short chapters. There are long chapters. There is one chapter that really gets deep into the emotions. 

At times the order and sense of the chapters may seem off, but overall this is a great collection of stories. 

I am the same age as Tyler so all the references of his childhood were very close to me. I was also a kid growing up confused and gay in the 90's, so I shared some of the experiences Tyler writes about in this book. 

I give this book a 5/5 and HIGHLY RECOMMEND it to readers familiar with Tyler Oakley. Or just interested in a 20-something gay guy's stories of growing up and experiencing this crazy world we live in.



--PAUL

Grace's Guide: The Art of Pretending to Be a Grown-up by Grace Helbig (audiobook) - Paul's Review

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Title: Grace's Guide: The Art of Pretending to Be a Grown-up
Author: Grace Helbig
Year Published: 2014

Narrator: Grace Helbig
Audiobook Length: 4 hours 33 minutes


Synopsis: Face it - being a young adult in the digital era is one of the hardest things to be. Well, maybe there are harder things in life…but being an adult is difficult! So Grace Helbig has written a guide that’s perfect for anyone who is faced with the daunting task of becoming an adult.

Infused with her trademark saucy, sweet, and funny voice, Grace’s Guide is a tongue-in-cheek handbook for millennials, encompassing everything a young or new (or regular or old) adult needs to know, from surviving a breakup to recovering from a hangover. Read by the author in her inimitable style, Grace’s Guide features interactive elements and exclusive stories from Grace’s own misadventures - like losing her virginity solely because her date took her to a Macaroni Grill - and many other hilarious lessons she learned the hard way.

Amusing and unexpectedly educational, this refreshing and colorful guide proves that becoming an adult doesn’t necessarily mean you have to grow up.

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Review: I love when authors narrate their own books. With Grace Helbig, you're probably already familiar with her voice either from her youtube vidoes or her podcast. I am a huge fan of Grace and couldn't wait to read her book. I thought it may be aimed to a younger audience, but I still enjoyed it. 

This is not a tell-all celebrity book. This is an expansion of Grace's already existing brand. If you enjoy her videos, especially her advice and lists you will know exactly what to expect. There are so many fun lists in this book, as well as crazy hashtags. This is definitely a modern book. 

I wish there had been more personal stories. Grace always seems able to keep that distance from her fans, which is probably a good thing for her. I was hoping for a more Chelsea Handler-esque book. I think Mamrie's may be more like that when it comes out. 

Grace's mother has contributed quotes. It's fun to see how they relate to Grace's actual material and oddball advice. 

Although I did really enjoy this in audiobook format, I was hoping for more. I feel like it under performed the hype. A lot of the advice is pretty generic. As a fan that watches Grace's youtube videos, podcasts, and social media on a daily basis, I really enjoyed this book. I give it a 4/5 and recommend it to her younger viewers.  


--PAUL

Geek and Sundry Vlogs Voting!

It's the next step in the competition. All the submissions have been received and now it's time for the public to vote! If you haven't seen my submission, please check it out! I give suggestions for other books you may be interested in if you like The Hunger Games trilogy. 

Please click !HERE! to go to the Geek and Sundry site. There you can watch my video and then vote! There's a lot of other great video submissions there, too! Spread the love!

If I do get picked to become a part of Geek and Sundry Vlogs I will make videos about all things YA. I'll talk about some of my favorite series, some of my favorite characters, common tropes and cliches in YA, upcoming books, and much more. I am going to continue to make review videos with a twist. So far I made a cooking review for Shadow and Bone and a crafting review for Tiger Lily. If you have any suggestions on ways I should review books leave a comment! Or contact me via goodreads, twitter, or youtube! Links can be found to the right. 

Have a great day!

-PAUL

If You Like the Hunger Games, You Might Like...

I finally made another youtube video! This one is a recommendation video for fans of The Hunger Games  trilogy and movie. I made it to submit it to the Geek and Sundry Vlog channel. If you aren't familiar with Geek and Sundry, it is a channel created by Felicia Day that has many weekly shows that cover all topics of geek culture. They recently set up a companion channel comprised of vloggers. My favorite is Geeking Out hosted by Neil McNeil and Becca Canote. You can check out the Geek and Sundry Vlog Channel here!

Here is my video. Please like, share, and subscribe. I'm going to be making videos a lot more frequently, I hope. 

My Recommendations:

DIVERGENT by Veronica Roth

MATCHED by Ally Condie

UGLIES by Scott Westerfield

THE FORSAKEN by Lisa M. Stasse

LIBYRINTH by Pearl North

If you have other suggestions, leave a comment! Or, if you like a popular book series and want recommendations, ask me!

-PAUL

Boneshaker by Cherie Priest - Paul's PRE READING

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Title: Boneshaker
Author: Cherie Priest
Year Published: 2009

Synopsis: Boneshaker derives its title from the Bone-Shaking Drill Engine, a device designed to give Russian prospectors a leg up in the race for Klondike gold. Unfortunately, there was one hitch: On its trial run, the Boneshaker went haywire and, long story short, turned much of Seattle into a city of the dead. Now, 16 years later, a teenage boy decides to find out what is behind that mysterious wall. Can his mother save him in time? Zombie lit of the first order.

Why?:  I was first introduced to Cherie Priest through the Sword and Laser Book Club on the Geek and Sundry youtube channel. They had an episode featuring an interview with Cherie Priest. You can find this episode below. But, onto the "why?". Zombies and Steampunk.

Expectations: I am expecting this to be well written. It is sometimes considered YA, but it seems like it was not intentionally written for a younger reader audience. I expect some cool steampunk tech and some awesome zombies. 

Judging a book by its cover:  The cover is so steampunk: the glasses, the dirigible, the coal stricken face. I like the cover. It already paints a world that I'm ready to read about. 

-PAUL

Paul's Shadow and Bone Review

Here is my video review where I make recipes that can be found on Leigh Bardugo's website. 

I'm going to try and do these fun reviews pretty regularly. The goal is to do something interesting that pertains to the novel during each review.


My Pre Reading


I really liked "Shadow and Bone" by Leigh Bardugo. Ravka is a very interesting world with a unique, but Russian influenced, feel. It is inhabited by Grisha, who each have special abilities. Some control the elements.  Others can heal people or stop their hearts. Their leader is The Darkling. 


Bardugo did a good job of making the characters feel real. There were many grey characters and characters with unknown agendas. The minor characters were well rounded. 


The artwork both on the cover and within the book is beautiful. I really like the map. It sets the mood for the novel. The Unsea's volcra illustrations are creepy, but they give a good image to the reader.


I am looking forward to the next book in The Grisha Trilogy, Seige and Storm. I want to see more of The Apparat, David, and Baghra. 


I give this novel a 5/5. If you like Young Adult Fantasy, this is a must read! 


-PAUL