Tag: Judd Winick

REVIEW: Rise of the Cat by Judd Winick

REVIEW: Rise of the Cat by Judd Winick

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

When our story truly begins, after the lava-filled teaser, Polly is in a magical disciplinary hearing. And for her perceived “crimes,” Polly gets sent to the magic school Wombatton. But she doesn’t have to go alone. Her brother Pip goes with her, along with a new friend, Noria, who is a robot.

The teachers and other kids at Wombatton are horrible to Noria – not unlike the people in Polly’s tribe had been.  But while Polly and Pip try to defend her every time there’s trouble, things get worse when Noria is accused of setting weird monsters on the school.

Review

This is OUTSTANDING! And it wrapped up way too quickly. I would have read a story 3x as long in a heartbeat. The bigotry toward Noria is infuriating, but she at least has Polly and Pip on her side, both sticking up for her and helping her puzzle out who is really conjuring the monsters.

Kids new to the Hilo series could probably pick this up without too much trouble – although reading the first 9 books would be SO satisfying! There are helpful references and flashbacks to previous stories to help newcomers jump right in.

Series fans will likely be as distraught as I was over the quick finish. I exclaimed out loud, alone in my office during my lunch break, “That’s IT?!” I need MORE! The year-long wait between books feels almost painful. This is probably my favorite book in the whole series so far – I can’t wait to see what happens next!

Hand this to graphic novel fans, readers who love books with magic schools and magic users, kids who love SASSY cat stories, as well as all of your Hilo fans.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥*

♥♥♥♥♥ = Outstanding!

REVIEW: Gina and the Last City on Earth by Judd Winick

REVIEW: Gina and the Last City on Earth by Judd Winick

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Hilo has been captured by the magical rulers of an alternate Earth. They want to prevent a prophecy that says two magical humans will take the Earth from them. And they believe those humans are Hilo’s friends.

Gina has connected with her ancestor, Regina, who has been serving as a magical guardian for ages. She has kept countless magical creatures from invading Earth. But with the arrival of Gina and her friends, Regina realizes things aren’t what they seem in her magical world.

Review

I wasn’t supposed to be reviewing this book today. I’m having a hard time catching up on my reading from the first of the year. But when the library notice came through that this was in my hold list, I dropped everything to read through it. This is one of my “ride or die” graphic novel series. And this entry did not disappoint.

I continue to be awed by how this funny, action-packed series can also deal with grief and loss so well. There’s just the right amount of heart-tugging  that comes from how much readers care about these characters. But that is well-balanced with the action and humor. Graphic novel fans should definitely start this series at the beginning – there’s just too much to catch up on if you were to jump in here. But it’s worth the time because this series is amazing. I already have book 10, Rise of the Cat, on my wish list for 2024.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.

REVIEW: Gina and the Big Secret by Judd Winick

REVIEW: Gina and the Big Secret by Judd Winick

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

In an effort to save the Nestor, Gina accidentally allowed the world to get “broken.” The Nestor changed Earth’s history. Now, Gina, Lisa, Hilo, and DJ are on a new Earth – where magic has ruled for 100,000 years.

But a new Earth means changes for Lisa and DJ’s family as well as oppression for humans. They NEED to change everything back. But the kids quickly discover they are up against numerous foes in their quest to set Earth right.

Review

This was so fun! Great characters in a new story with some laugh-out-loud moments, tons of action, and new adventures to come in book 9, Gina and the Last City on Earth (2023). I love how meaty these books are – so much for readers to enjoy, both visually and in the story itself.

Series fans will have a lot to love here with old friends and new. Newcomers will enjoy this more if they at least go back to book 7, Gina: The Girl Who Broke the World which launches this new story arc. But honestly, I think any reader would be better off starting at the very beginning with book 1. This whole series is such a delight to read! And this new arc builds on what happened before. You are really missing out if you haven’t read the previous books!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.

No REVIEW Today

No REVIEW Today

Posted on by Jaymie

The book I was going to review today was a total bust for me, so I don’t have something new to post.

But in preparation for Friday’s review of Gina and the Big Secret, here’s a link to the first book in this new story arc for the delightful Hilo graphic novel series for kids, Gina: The Girl Who Broke the World.

 

REVIEW: Gina: The Girl Who Broke the World by Judd Winick

REVIEW: Gina: The Girl Who Broke the World by Judd Winick

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Random House Children’s in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. This post contains SPOILERS for the Hilo series.]

Summary

In the final battle with Razorwark, Izzy gave all her energy to Hilo. And now DJ, Hilo, and Gina are still missing their friend. Hilo is adjusting to his new existence as a human (with some… extra features). And Gina doesn’t want to do magic or be a hero any more. She understands the risks all too well now.

But magical creatures keep showing up on Earth. And Gina is the only one who can see them. They are hunting beings known as the Nestor. And Gina is torn between protecting the Nestor and giving up magic for good.

Review

This is book 7 in the Hilo series, but it launches a new story arc. And Gina is the star, which is awesome! This was exceptional. I have loved this series from the beginning (The Boy Who Crashed to Earth – ♥♥♥♥♥). I loved how the author gave space in an action-packed, funny book for the kids to also grieve the losses from their last adventure. It doesn’t overwhelm this story, but it’s also not rushed either. Those scenes were beautiful – and necessary. Hilo fans will appreciate the acknowledgement of the six book journey that has already taken place.

There’s a nice summary in the book of those adventures so that new readers have some context for what’s going on with Gina and Hilo in this book. I think new readers will be able to track this story, but I also think they will want to go back and get the full Hilo experience.

I LOVE the characters in this series. Gina really gets to shine here which was excellent. I was thrilled when I finished book 6, All the Pieces Fit (♥♥♥♥♥) and saw that the new book was going to feature Gina. DJs sister, Lisa, whom I adore, also gets to join the gang for this adventure. The family pieces in this – DJs family, his older brother who comes to stay with the kids, Gina’s sisters – are a hoot! This series is truly exceptional.

The ending of this is quite the twisty cliffhanger. This is especially painful because it looks like we will be waiting a year for the follow up (and I read this book in November of 2020, so I have had an even longer wait already!). But every book has been worth the wait. Do not miss this series, and this new story arc launch starring Gina! (TW: Grief/loss)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥♥ = Outstanding!

 

“I’m delighted to announce that this review has been shared by Twinkl! For even more great recommendations, make sure to visit their TBR blog“

SATURDAY SMORGASBORD: My 2020 Favorites

SATURDAY SMORGASBORD: My 2020 Favorites

Posted on by Jaymie

There were moments in 2020 when I despaired of ever finding my reading groove. There were others where reading was the perfect escape. What a unique year in so many ways! Here are some of my reading statistics for 2020. (If you’d like to see my past Year in Review/favorites posts, you can go here.)

2020 Stats

Through the course of 2020 I read 342 books.  There were 35 more that I started but did not finish. I started the year intending to take my time, maybe read FEWER books but really savor them – and maybe even remember them once the year was done. In reality, though, that  didn’t happen. I committed to reading a large number of books for publishers which kept me turning pages all year long.

Of those 342, the break down for target audience is

  • 47% adult
  • 19% teen/young adult (including both prose books and graphic novels)
  •   5% older middle grade for readers 10-14
  • 18% middle grade (standard middle grade prose books as well as kids graphic novels)
  •   8% picture books
  •   2% transitional chapter books and early readers

The main genre breakdown is

  • 24% Fantasy
  • 18% Realistic/Contemporary
  • 18% Romance
  • 21% Mystery
  •   6% Science Fiction
  • 11% Nonfiction in various categories (36 books – My goal was at least one per month, so I exceeded that.)

This year most of the books I read were review copies from publishers – 216 books. (63% of the total – more than double what I read from publishers each of the last two years, and 4x 2017.) I also read 44 books from my To Be Read shelves, including 15 brand new books (read within 2 weeks of acquiring them), as well as  60 books from the library. I also re-read 16 favorites this year – not nearly as many as I wanted to re-read.

In 2020, I had a goal of reading 1 nonfiction book each month, specifically from a stack of spiritual growth resources I set aside for the year. As I mentioned,  I met the numerical goal, but I didn’t get to every book in the stack. (And I added several books, too!) I used the Book Riot spreadsheet (which is customizable!) again, which was super helpful in tracking my books for the year as well as helping me with monthly stats. You can check out the 2021 version here. I already have mine customized and ready to go for my first read of the new year.

In 2021, I need to scale back my ARC reading. While I love discovering new books, new authors, and new series – as well as continuations of my favorite series – I found myself wrestling with what I needed to read vs. what I wanted to read all throughout 2020. I have committed to 80 ARCs already for 2021. That means weeks where I have two or three reviews to post per day in order to stay on track with release dates as much as I can. That becomes a reading obligation, which does not leave room to read whatever I feel like – or to take any time off for a break.

Speaking of breaks, I took 21 days off from reading in 2020. That’s more than double what I did in 2019 when I started keeping track. 2020 was intense at times, and it was hard to get lost in a book some weeks. I liked the freedom to do other things – and discovered I need some new hobbies since reading has become a job in a lot of ways – but it added to the pressure and feelings of obligation when I had fewer days to read the next week’s ARCs. So, in 2021 I am seeking better balance.

2020 Favorites!!

At the end of the year, I go back through my reading log and pull out the titles of the best of the best from the year.  (Not every 5 star review makes it onto the blog, depending on my publishing schedule, but you can find many of the reviews here.) Then I compare them to one another until a list of 10 or so rise to the top. This year there were 53 that made it onto the list. And the results are fascinating. There are two re-reads on the list – my top two books from 2019. And there are two books on the list that haven’t even released yet. So, here are my most favorite favorites from 2020:

12. What’s Your Enneatype? – This is my favorite Enneagram resource from this year. The book is small, and packed with great information and color-coded graphics. I am looking forward to digging into this one again in 2021. You can read my full review here.

 

 

 

11. Microphones and Murder – I loved this first-in-a-new-series mystery. Book 2 in the Podcasting Sisters series, Up Next, Murder, is out now. You can read my full review here.

 

 

 

10. Undercover Bromance – Book 2 in the Bromance Bookclub series was even better than the fantastic series starter. There are three books in the series so far, and book 4, Isn’t It Bromantic?, will release this summer. You can read my full review here.

 

 

 

9. Talk Nerdy to Me – Book 4 in the fantastic Bookish Boyfriends series I have adored since the beginning. Book 4, Get a Clue, releases later this month. You can read my full review here.

 

 

 

8. Cast in Firelight – This amazing YA fantasy story will release later this month. It was originally supposed to release in November, so I read it and prepared my review only to discover the release date had been pushed back. This is well worth the wait. Do NOT miss this one! My full review will post in a couple weeks.

 

 

7. Chasing Vines – The second nonfiction book of this year’s list is a fascinating exploration of vines and vineyards and vine growers, both from scripture and from the author’s experience in Italy. Don’t miss this one! You can read my full review here.

 

 

 

6. Gina, the Girl Who Broke the World – This is the second 2021 release on my 2020 favorites list. This one doesn’t release until February. But I adored the first six-book story arc so much, I read this one the second I was approved for the review copy. All of my favorite characters are back, adjusting to the fallout from the earlier books. But this launches everyone right into a new, harrowing adventure with a MAJOR cliffhanger. The only downside to reading this so soon is that I have to wait that much longer for the next book. Put this one on your February list and watch for my review.

 

5. Polaris Rising – It’s probably unfair to include old favorites in the list, but I re-read this one, and the sequel, Aurora Blazing, to get ready to read book three, Chaos Reigning. And it really stands up well to re-reading. I just love it. The perfect mix of science fiction and romance with tons of sass. When I have time, I want to re-read the whole series. This was my most favorite book of 2019. You can read my full review here.

 

 

4. Crush the King – This is the final book in the outstanding Crown of Shards series after Kill the Queen (my most favorite book of 2018) and Protect the Prince. This series was excellent. The spin off series, Gargoyle Queen, launches with Capture the Crown this summer. You can read my full review here.

 

 

3. The Princess Knight – This is book 2 in the Scarred Earth Saga after The Blacksmith Queen, the book that tied with Polaris Rising for my most favorite of 2019.  Both are fantastic (but violent). You can read my full review here.

 

 

 

2. The Blacksmith Queen – My second most-favorite book of 2019 (after a tie with Polaris Rising), and my most favorite re-read on the list. This series is often shelved with romance, but for me it is a straight-up fantasy series, far more violent than what I usually read, but truly fantastic in humor and in storytelling. I have never posted a full review of this one to the blog, but you can see my Goodreads review here.

 

 

1. Crownchasers – Even while I was in the process of reading this book, I knew it had the potential to be my most favorite book of 2020. This was the perfect fit for me as a reader, and I am eager to re-read it as I wait for the sequel. Out of the 340+ books I read this year, this one has consistently stuck in my memory, and in my heart, as exceptional. You can read my full review here.

 

 

 

Honorable Mention

For honorable mention here are some other favorites by category:

Most Favorite Picture Books

Burt the Beetle Doesn’t Bite – This delight will not release until June 1, but you will want to put it on your list.
Madeline Finn and the Therapy Dog

 

Most Favorite Middle Grade (that have been released so you can enjoy them now!)

Winterborne Home for Vengeance and Valor
Hilo: All the Pieces Fit – The final book in the original story arc.
Tune It Out – This is targeted to older middle grade readers between 10 and 14.
Primer