Free until July 10th - Scared by Tom Davis

I posted the trailer to this a little while ago and I am so looking forward to reviewing it. A couple of days ago I received an e-mail informing me that a PDF version of the book is being given away. You can download this book until July 10th 2009. Enjoy!

Trailer - Talking to the Dead by Bonnie Grove

Canadian author Bonnie Grove has brought us 'Talking to the Dead' which has piqued my interest a great deal. This is another title I will be reviewing in the coming weeks.

Trailer - Scared by Tom Davis

This title will be read and reviewed by me in the coming weeks. I love books of this nature so I can hardly wait, especially now I have viewed this great trailer!

Deviant Behavior by Mike Sager

Published by Black Cat - An imprint of Grove/Atlantic Inc.
Distributed by Publishers Group Canada

Jonathan Seede has it all – he enjoys his job with Washington D.C.’s most esteemed newspaper, and has a beautiful wife and a new baby. Appearances are rarely as they seem though, and this situation is no different. Just a short distance away is the Fourteenth Street strip where chaos runs rampant in the form of drugs, hookers and pimps. Reaching his limit on frustration with life, Seede plunges headlong into this deviant world. This novel paints a vivid and memorable picture of what happens when a person decides to Just Say Yes.

I found it pretty hard to get into this book at first. The characters are colourful and well written but they seem to almost get lost in the chaos of the first half of the novel. I was determined to see it through to the end, and I am glad I did. While the first half of the book strikes me as disjointed, and unbelievable to an extreme, the second half of the book brings everything together wonderfully – albeit a little too neatly. I liked the inclusion of very real everyday situations that many would like to ignore – homelessness, drug abuse, prostitution, police corruption and so on. It balanced nicely with the more mysterious storyline of the crystal skulls.

The writing style is greatly descriptive and scenes will often stick with you for a while. Even though I have completed the book, I am still finding my mind playing with the troubling – and even shocking – scene involving a dead hooker and a toddler. The author appears to have done a great deal of research and I have to admit that the philosophy that is sprinkled throughout really added something special. I like when a book provides food for thought, even if it’s not intended to be taken seriously.

I didn’t love this book, but once I got caught up in the story I grew to like it. One thing is for certain; it’s definitely unlike anything else I have ever read and I am looking forward to reading more Mike Sager titles. If you have the opportunity to read it, give it a whirl. If you read it, please do leave a comment and let me know what you think. It would be great to see other opinions.

Author’s website: http://www.mikesager.com

Guess Who? by A.J. Wood. Illustrated by Mike Jolley & Emma Dodd

Published by Silver Dolphin Books an imprint of Advantage Publishers Group.
Distributed by Raincoast Books

Guess Who is another title in the Amazing Baby changing picture book series.

As with the other title I reviewed, the cover is bright and attention grabbing with a mixture of stimulating designs which encourage discussion between parent and child. A solid book, though, as stated in the other review, the edges lack the same protective coating as the rest of the book which could make the book a little less durable in the mouths of toddlers.

On each page in this book, there is a white silhouette of an animal or object. The accompanying question gives a little clue of what should be there, such as 'who's flying around the flowers?" for a butterfly silhouette. The page has built-in sliders again which cause an insert to pop out of the edge of the page. On that insert is the coloured image of the animal or object in question along with the answer in words. As in the other title, the back of the inserts contain various black and white patterns that can also be a great learning tool.

Great book. The Amazing Baby series is something I definitely recommend.

You can see all the available titles here

One Little Bunny by A.J. Wood. Illustrated by Mike Jolley & Emma Dodd

Published by Silver Dolphin Books an imprint of Advantage Publishers Group.
Distributed by Raincoast Books

One Little Bunny is a book in the Amazing Baby changing picture book series.

At first glance this book is sure to pique the attention of any baby or toddler. The cover alone has so many different colours and patterns that it offers a learning experience before the book is even opened. The book is solid and seems to be durable though I would have liked to have seen the edges treated with the same coating as the pages and cover. I think it would have been a better idea since the age range of this book (6-18 months) just love to put everything in their mouths.

Each page in this book offers a simple and eye-catching picture which accompanies a counting question. The toddler can place a finger into the slider that is built into the page and it causes a solid insert to pop from the top of the page. The insert contains the answer in a shiny and reflective format. On the reverse of each of these pop-ups are various black and white designs such as spirals, stripes and polka dots. While great to look at, they also encourage learning about patterns too. Towards the end of the book, your child is introduced to a basic math problem which I thought was great. One thing I didn't notice at first, is that each page also contains a number of circles beside the slider so that children can count either the illustrations, or just the circles, though it also leaves the option open for more basic addition too.

For such a small book, it has endless learning possibilities. It's definitely one of my favourite board books to recommend.

You can see all the available titles here

As the World Burns by Derrick Jensen. Illustrated by Stephanie McMillan

Published by Seven Stories Press
Distributed by Raincoast Books

As the World Burns covers the subjects of global warming, over consumption, animal testing, and other environmental issues that we hear about in our everyday lives. 'We meet two young girls who are concerned with preventing the end of the world, but unsure of how to do so. All the information shared in the many 'quick-fix' guides doesn’t seem to be enough. Meanwhile, the US government has worked out a deal with aliens from outer space and has granted them permits to eat the entire country in exchange for gold - gold that the aliens consider worthless. While the corporations are up in arms over the loss of resources/profits, a solitary one-eyed bunny breaks into a research laboratory in an attempt to rescue the animals within. Chaos runs rampant as many lives come together in an attempt to save the planet.

I love environmental books and graphic novels so I was pretty certain I was going to be on to a winner with this title. I didn't like it as much as I had hoped. I believe it contains strong - and important - messages that our world is in trouble and many of the 'band-aid' solutions are not making as much of a difference as we would like. I believe it is informative in some aspects and I definitely like the 'back-to-nature' theme that occurs at times. That said, I didn't like the violence, I didn't care much for the politics, or the feelings of anger it rouses in the reader but it gets the message across and I do always say that it's a well written book that can provoke emotion in a reader.

I liked the illustration a great deal. Graphic Novels always seem to have such unique styles of artwork and this is no exception though I do wish it had been released here in colour as it is going to be in France. One thing I didn't like about it was that the corporations, president etc were all designed to look like villains, sharp monstrous pointy teeth and all. While I am in agreement that companies have a great deal to answer to, and that priorities need to be changed, I don't think it's fair to present them in such a negative way. Most especially when the environmentalists are usually depicted as cute little girls and tortured animals. I am a firm believer in balance and this book struck me as very one-sided in many aspects and honestly comes off as a personal rant designed strictly to enrage the reader.

Whether you love this book or hate it, one thing is for certain. It will definitely provide much food for thought and while I may not agree with the somewhat violent message, it's always a great thing to see someone else speaking out about the state of this planet.

You can learn more about the author at: http://www.derrickjensen.org/ and the illustrator at: http://mcmillan.livejournal.com/