Friendroid by M.M. Vaughan
Danny Lazio doesn’t get along with kids. It’s not really his fault – his single mom does the best she can to provide, but his classmates still come down on him for it. Of course, it probably doesn’t help that he has a bit of a temper, but who can blame him when kids say he has fleas and his mom gets his clothes from the dumpster? It’s fine – having no friends just gives him more time to play his favorite game Land X, […]
All Systems Red THe Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells
Since there’s a lot of travel involved for me over the winter holidays, I like to take along a variety of reading so I can adjust to time and genre/style I feel like at a given time. All Systems Red: The Murderbot Diaries was an unexpectedly good choice. This is volume 1 of a series of novellas, and I was not totally sure I’d like it because I haven’t had awesome luck with that type of story before. Usually I end up dissatisfied with lack […]
Monster Mayhem by Christopher Eliopoulos
My new recommendation for the middle grade reader (and slightly younger) is Monster Mayhem by Christopher Eliopoulos. At first, I figured it was just going to be some “bathroom humor” and not the fun kind (oh come on, you know you have laughed at one poop or fart joke in your life….). But what it turned out to be is a cute, funny, sweet and heavy with movie monsters and science graphic novel for the ages 8 to 10. Zoe is a super-smart young girl […]
Cog by Greg Van Eekhout
Completing the “Two heads are better than one” square fulfills my bingo column, “Cannonballer Says” to “Remix”, and gives me my first bingo! I used my “Reader’s Choice” to replace “Remix” with “Classic”. Dome’Loki Greg van Eekhout is a local San Diego author who frequently does events at my favorite independent bookstore, Mysterious Galaxy. He writes for both adult and middle grade audiences. Greg’s two most recent books are middle grade and as a result, it has been great fun to take my kids with […]
Plum Rains by Andromeda Romano-Lax
In the not-too-distant future , Japan is faced with an aging, ailing population and a declining birth rate. With few young people willing to care for the elderly, they allow migrant workers in, with the promise of citizenship vaguely dangled in front of them. The migrant workers have a series of ridiculous and near-draconian rules and regulations placed on them, needing to navigate language testing, paying off loans, and unfair labour conditions just to survive long enough to send money back to their families abroad. […]
Lumberjanes: The Infernal Compass by Lilah Sturges, polterink
CBR11Bingo – Rainbow Flag! The Lumberjanes’ latest adventure begins when troop leader Jen takes the scouts on an orienteering lesson. Naturally, weird things begin to happen despite Jen’s plee for “no hijinks!” but the girls aren’t really to blame. Rather, their bizarre compass seems to be acting up, and the ‘janes start disappearing one by one, thrown into some sort of alternate void where they meet a cohort of robot butlers. EVIL Robot Butlers?! But which conflict is worse: taking down a bunch of evil […]
