Actual Rating 3.5 I love middle grade novels and I love discovering new ones. As far as I can see,
The Unicorn Quest
is shaping up to be a major miActual Rating 3.5 I love middle grade novels and I love discovering new ones. As far as I can see,
The Unicorn Quest
is shaping up to be a major middle grade release this year and it synopsis sounded up right up my alley. The vaguely
Narnia
vibes along with unicorns sounded like it would be an enthralling read.
Here is what I can tell you.
The Unicorn Quest
is an adventure of the best kind. We get sucked into a new world from the get-go and like the MC, we kind of have to assimilate to the new world we find ourselves in. This is great because we experience the world alongside the MC which allows us to form a special bond with her but it also means that it takes longer to get used to the world. I don’t know if this is a good or bad thing in general but it did impact my reading experience a little bit.
But, right from the get-go we know not everything is what it seems and that tension
builds.
I am not entirely sure what I expected when I dove into the book but I came out feeling thoroughly satisfied with the adventure we were taken on.
Wow. So like, I realize everything I’ve said thus far is SUPER vague but I don’t really know how to use words to convey what
The Unicorn Quest
is like. I know, I say that every time and maybe I am just making excuses because that’s who I am, okay?
Not to sound like a cheese machine but
The Unicorn Quest
is partly about sisterly love. Claire Martinson almost lost her sister once and will go to unimaginable lengths to make sure that doesn’t happen again. Every part of the quest Claire goes on is tinted with this fear of losing her sister and the trauma of almost having lost her in the first place.
Luckily, Claire doesn’t have to go on an adventure by herself, she gets to have friends. Some human-like and some not. It’s great. And everyone knows going on an adventure on your lonesome is no fun. A crowd is always better.
Plus, Arden really is a well crafted world and I loved exploring its landscapes and discovering its secrets with our fab trio. Clearly though, this is just the beginning and the book is building up to something much greater. I cannot wait to see where the sequel(s?) will take us and learn even more about the backstory of this world.
Overall, The Unicorn Quest is a fun, delightful read if not a particularly distinct one? The kids will devour it and if you're an adult who reads middle grade, you'll probably devour it too. It's hard not to immediately get grabby hands about books with secret worlds discovered in closets, or in this case, chimneys.
Let’s Talk About Love
surprised me. I went in expecting good vibes and it still blew my expectations out of the water. It is NOT a perfect book, I
Let’s Talk About Love
surprised me. I went in expecting good vibes and it still blew my expectations out of the water. It is NOT a perfect book, I am nitpicky and its hard for books to be perfect for me, but
Let’s Talk About Love
is damn well a fantastic read that is worth your time.
Do you love a feel-good romance that will sweep you off your feet? Do you love reading about friendships that have true-to-life complexity? Do you love some angst (the good kind)?
Let’s Talk About Love
is an ode to not just romantic love but all kinds of love, it explores the complexities of all kinds of relationships and it’s just a GOOD BOOK.
So why am I a nit picky bastard? Well because I am. And please note that even though I am a nit picky bastard, I still love this book and don’t think any of these things ruin it. For one, the book takes place in a library, which is super cute, but there are a lot of moments when a career in that field is dismissed as being easy and something to do if you cannot do anything else. In most cases this wouldn’t even be an issue, I wouldn’t care, except that I am super passionate about libraries and it sucked that that's how characters felt about a career that is so vital and important in the age of information.
My other issue (which isn’t a non-issue like my previous one) was that we don’t really like anything about Takumi. He has complex feelings and emotions but sometimes, he felt like a cardboard cutout because he had no depth. He has a backstory involving a girlfriend but we never find out much else about him. He has nieces that make an appearance but at the same time, we never see him have a relationship with anyone else but Alice. I don’t think he is a cardboard cutout in the sense that he is a bland character, he is absolutely not. I just wish that more of his identity wasn’t inherently tied to Alice’s journey.
Alice on the other hand is a the furthest thing from a cardboard cutout. She is 19 years old and in college. Her parents want her to be a lawyer and she doesn’t really want that. She works on understanding the spectrum of her sexual identity and figuring out what labels work for her. She also struggles with the changing relationship between her and her two bffs (who are dating.) The way she is characterized in the novel is authentic and resembles the experience of someone in college. Her story feels real and she feels real.
The romance is crucial and important within the novel but in the context of how it defines Alice and her coming of age. Romance is unfortunately dismissed a lot in general but I think for many people, it can be an important aspect of a coming of age. And that is what it is in this book. It is swoony, angsty and so so sweet.
Lets Talk About Love
is an important book for many reasons. For one, it is one of few books out there that has a qpoc main character and for another, its one of the few books out there with a bi-romantic, ace character. I hope that it won’t be one of the few books representing a vastly underrepresented group of people in the long run. In the meantime, IF YOU LOVE yourself a swoony romance and lots of other great relationships, read
Let’s Talk About Love.
Hamilton's Battalion is one of the most unique romance anthologies I've had the pleasure of readi***This review has also been posted on Xpresso Reads
Hamilton's Battalion is one of the most unique romance anthologies I've had the pleasure of reading, ever. You've probably heard of Hamilton unless you live under the rock. The musical has really brought a lot of attention to Alexander Hamilton and given way to a lot of other media that adapts and retells historical events. This trio of romances is not only perfect for fans of historical romance but also for any Hamilton fans who just want ~more~.
This anthology is not only unique because it is one of the first ones that are inspired by Hamilton but also because even though it is three different stories by three different authors, the stories have a common overarching story.
Eliza Hamilton is collecting stories about her late husband and has reached out to many people who may have interacted with him or had a family member who did. These three stories touches the lives for 6 different people, as they embark on their own personal journeys and also talks a little bit about ALEXANDER HAMILTON (one story even features him ;))
Rose Lerner's Promised Land is a story about two exs who meet very unexpectedly and are forced not only to acknowledge their feelings for each other but also where they went wrong in the past. Second chance romances are my favorite and romances by Rose Lerner are also my favorite so this was just a double-win situation for me. This second chance romance was also just great because you can really see that it is a second chance, things were NOT perfect the first time around and time apart has helped them grow as individuals.
Courtney Milan's The Pursuit of... is a hate to love romance b/w two supposed enemies who just happen to fall in love over a long journey. Courtney Milan, unsurprisingly, delivers yet again with this short. The Pursuit Of... is so stinkin adorable that I just don't know what else to say about it. It was incredibly satisfying to watching these two men fall in love while they try to deny their feelings for each other. I love their banter but I also love that there is also discussion of privilege that occurs given that Henry is a white, nobleman's son and John is none of those things.
I hadn't had the privilege of reading anything by Alyssa Cole prior to reading this anthology but I have now discovered a new author to read and love. That Could Be Enough takes place as Eliza Hamilton is collecting stories about her late husband. It is told from the POV of her maid, Mercy who has been assisting Eliza Hamilton in the collection of these stories. Mercy is jaded and more than a little unhappy. When she meets the outspoken, brazen Andromeda, her life changes. She finds herself falling in love with Andromeda but also being too scared to embrace not only her feelings for Andromeda but also her hopes and dreams for herself. Over the course of this short story, Mercy has to confront her past, her present and determine what she wants her future to be. That Could Be Enough ties this anthology up beautifully.
Overall, Hamilton's Battalion does incredible justice to my hopes for a Hamilton inspired romance anthology and does so in a wholly unique way. It is an incredibly read and every single one of these stories is bound to leave you with a giant smile on your face. 100/10 would recommend reading.
Note that I received an advanced copy of this book for review....more
I think there is this general conception that for a fantasy novel to be truly good, it needs to have about a 1,000,000 pages and at 304 pages, Beasts I think there is this general conception that for a fantasy novel to be truly good, it needs to have about a 1,000,000 pages and at 304 pages, Beasts Made of Night is not a particularly long book. Do not and I repeat do NOT let that fool you. Tochi Onyebuchi packs a fucking punch in those 304 pages. World building? You got it. Adventure? You got it. A mother-fucking rebellion? YOU GOT IT. Beasts Made of Night isn't just a great novel for fantasy readers but also for people too vary of the genre because of its reputation for long-winded novels that take lifetimes to get through.
Onyebuchi has a background in screenwriting and honestly, the high stakes and the quick pace of the novel really reflect this. For some people, this might be a bad thing because it might seem as a compromise on the world building but I definitely did not think that was true for the novel. The world of Beasts Made of Night is so incredibly rich and I felt myself being transported to it through detailed descriptions of foods, social settings, etc.
I think the only time the short length of the novel might have been a drawback is that it does mean we don't get a leisurely introduction to the world that allows us to ease into a new setting that happens in so many fantasy novels but once I got used to being in the world of Kos, I found myself fascinated by the world Onyebuchi had crafted for his readers.
And perhaps my fascination with the world building shows because I've just spent two paragraphs talking about it but don't you worry because Beasts Made of Night is also equipped with characters you want to root for. Taj is a complex character who is in flux like many teens (fantastical or not) and he is easy to relate to even if we may not always be stressing out about the same things. His internal struggles as he tries to understand the spectrum of good/bad is so real and I love how Tochi Onyebuchi writes his coming of age.
There are a number of secondary characters that aid Taj on his mission many who are worth mentioning but I won't because I am lazy (but also because there are SO MANY of them.) I love that even though Taj has lone wolf vibes all over him, he still has friends? Who like him (most of the times)? And SUPPORT HIM? I know, so many surprises here.
There are so many reasons this book is worth reading and I honestly cannot even begin to formulate the words to really get these points across so I'd just like to kindly push y'all to read this book and join me in my little fangirl bubble while we wait to hear news about a Book 2.
***This review has also been posted on Xpresso Reads
Everyone raved about
Our Chemical Hearts
when it came out last year but because my tbr is over***This review has also been posted on Xpresso Reads
Everyone raved about
Our Chemical Hearts
when it came out last year but because my tbr is overflowing and I am always short on time, I never did get around to reading it.
A Semi-Definitive List of Worst Nightmares
immediately caught my attention because it had such a cutesy title, cover & blurb but don’t let any of that fool you because this book will fucking break your heart.
A Semi-Definitive List of Worst Nightmares
is such a raw, poignant exploration of mental health and I don’t even know where to begin unpacking my feels for those books. (But also, can we all agree that unpacking feels for books you love is so much harder than talking about books you hate?)
Esther Solar believes her family has been cursed and that is why they are doomed to have ONE GREAT FEAR that will take over their lives and eventually lead to their deaths. Her father is agoraphobic, her mom afraid of bad luck and her brother afraid of the dark. Esther may have many fears but she hasn’t quiet discovered the ONE GREAT FEAR that will take over her life and eventually lead to her death. Her way around this issue is to slowly catalog all her fears and to avoid everything so that nothing has the chance to become her ONE GREAT FEAR. I think we can all agree that isn’t the best idea either so when Jonah swoops back into her life, she is forced to reexamine her family, her identity and what she is really afraid of.
Let’s be clear though, this is not the kind of book where a boy saves in and saves the damsel in distress. The boy swoops in and steals $50, her phone and a fruit roll-up before he is useful at all to the mc. But also, just generally, Jonah and Esther have a give and take relationship that isn’t as obvious at first but becomes more obvious as you get to understand their dynamic and Jonah better (since the book is only told from Esther’s point of view.)
I love how beautifully this book dwells into mental illnesses and how it unpacks the many different layers of how it can impact one’s life. It doesn’t stigmatized and doesn’t romanticize what is going one while at the same time offers tools to the readers.
The characters in The Semi-Definitive List of Worst Nightmares, the relationships b/w friends, family & romantic interests and the exploration of mental health make it a strong package but also, the underlying tale of Death (the character) is so intriguing and adds another exciting dimension to the novel. Overall, this book is one you don't want to miss out on and really, you should just push it to the tippy-top of your TBR if you're in need for a book that will make you cry and laugh at the same time!
Note that I received an advanced copy of this book for review....more
You might be wondering why I chose this page to write in & that is for several reasons including OTP feels but really, even if you haven't read this book, you can relate to the way words move these characters in these pages. CATH CROWLEY is easily one of my fav authors and her words never fail to move me. Words in a Deep Blue was no different. The words in this book will make you cry, will make you laugh and most likely, the words in this book will change your life. Read it.
***This review has also been posted on Xpresso Reads
I feel like aesthetics for middle grade novels are fairly uncommon but The Emperor's Ostrich is so***This review has also been posted on Xpresso Reads
I feel like aesthetics for middle grade novels are fairly uncommon but The Emperor's Ostrich is so laugh-out loud hilarious and really just lends itself to aesthetics. It's got adventure, an unexpected romance (b/w a cow and an ostrich) & magic.
I believe that this book can best be described as The Princess Bride meets The Emperor's New Groove. What happens when a spoilt man-child is on the verge of getting control of an entire empire? Why of course, he must be taught a lesson! Magic, mayhem and adventure ensue and a young dairy maid might be the answer to all. Basically, this book will make you LOL and draw you in for a ride. READ IT or give it to people who read middle grade. Seriously.
Note that I received an advanced copy of this book for review....more
***This review has also been posted on Xpresso Reads
If you're expecting this book to change your life, you're probably going to be disappointed but it***This review has also been posted on Xpresso Reads
If you're expecting this book to change your life, you're probably going to be disappointed but it IS a perfectly, enjoyable summer book and not everything we read needs to revolutionize our lives. I, for one, have been too tired and too overheated lately to read books that will change my life so Wesley James Ruined My Life was the perfect read for me.
Is Quinn Hardwick stubborn as fuck and will you want to shake some sense into her? For SURE but the book also has so many feel-good vibes and part of the fun is when she does realize she is in the wrong. Quinn is stubborn and holds grudges for all the wrong reasons but we can all be stubborn sometimes and I for one am still angry at that person who never gave back my mechanical pencil back in 10th grade. IT WAS A NICE MECHANICAL PENCIL, okay??? 0.7 and everything.
Wesley James is the real winner of the show and is incredibly pure and precious. He does fuck up once or twice but you know what? It's okay because he is an adorable cinnamon roll.
Wesley James Ruined My Life features some family relationships, a hate-love romance, good friends, and some geeky band goodness so really, it's ~just~ the read to blow off some summer steam with!
Note that I received an advanced copy of this book for review....more
***This review has also been posted on Xpresso Reads
Back in the day, everyone would rave about DeStefano's YA series but I never really got around to ***This review has also been posted on Xpresso Reads
Back in the day, everyone would rave about DeStefano's YA series but I never really got around to reading the Wither series. Years later, here I am raving about DeStefano's middle grade series. I honestly cannot imagine if her YA books could be any better or honestly, if any YA book could even tackle grief the way DeStefano does in every single one of the middle grade books I've read by her.
So probably there is some book out there that does grief better BUT THATS NOT THE POINT OF THIS REVIEW. The point of this review is so that I can sing The Girl with the Ghost Machine praises because series, this book hits you right in the fucking feels.
Emmaline Beaumont's father starts building a ghost machine when her mother passes away but in his drive to bring her mother back, Emmaline's father forgets about her. For two years all he does is work and work on this machine, never leaving the basement and almost forgetting that he has a daughter who needs him. The Girl with the Ghost Machine isn't a book about how he is a terrible father though (even if it easily could be and her dad IS kind of terrible.) It's about grief.
That old saying that time heals all wounds?
It's actually kind of BS. Time will most certainly not heal all wounds if someone doesn't develop proper coping mechanisms in regard to grief... But also, I am probably not the best person to talk about grief in general.
I could definitely be more specific about The Girl with the Ghost Machine. I could tell you the writing is so mesmerizing (and tbh, I am half tempted to use some cheesy metaphor to accentuate that point), I could tell you that Emmaline is truly a formidable heroine and that the secondary characters in this book are all amazing, or I could just vaguely mention those details so you might be tempted to figure out why it is I am writing this bizarre non-review.
Perhaps this book just brings out the weirdly pretentious review-writing in me. The Girl with the Ghost Machine, after all, is more literary fiction than not and I ~am~ a lit major...
The point isn't though that I am a lit major or that this book turned me into a pretentious asshole, it is that The Girl with the Ghost Machine is an absolute winner of a book and I am truly disappointed that it isn't getting more hype. If you aren't in tears by the end of the book, you're probably a monster and you should probably go get your emotions checked out.
I am rambling now so I will stop but mark my words and READ THIS BOOK. Then please come cry with me about it because I am tired of being sad all by myself.
Note that I received an advanced copy of this book for review....more
***This review has also been posted on Xpresso Reads
Maybe you know or maybe you have no idea who I even am or how you ended up on this site but Randa ***This review has also been posted on Xpresso Reads
Maybe you know or maybe you have no idea who I even am or how you ended up on this site but Randa Abdel-Fattah changed my life when I was a kid. On more than one occasion, I've talked about how Does My Head Look Big In This is one of the three most important books in my life that helped redefine how I felt about my identity and about myself as a human being. So, when I heard that she had a new book coming out, I was over the moon. Of course, this was ages ago and this was when the book was coming out in Australia and I was all the way here, sad because I didn't think I'd get to read the book. Then I found out it was in fact going to be published in the US and got real excited once again.
Lengthy & awkward tangent aside, The Lines We Cross is incredibly well-written and exactly what I would expect from Randa Abdel-Fattah. It the kind of book that would challenge everyone to consider what it is that you stand for.
I, for one, struggled with Michael because I didn't know if it was even possible for me to forgive him for all that he had said and done but Fattah does an AMAZING job developing his character and little by little, I was able to warm up to him. For one, Fattah always writes great characters but also, it was evident that there was a point she was trying to make and I think she really does accomplish that with Michael.
While many seem to believe we live in some post-racial/colonial what-have-you world, it simply isn't true and Fattah's novel is a painfully accurate reminder of that. Experiences will ring true for many readers.
BUT, the book is more than just an ode to the suckiness of the world, it is also an ode to families, friendships and the beauty of different cultural experiences. I love the tight-knit communities we get to see within this novel. I love that even though Mina is the 'new' kid at a preppy school, she gets to make friends who aren't assholes and who she doesn't need to explain herself to.
This heartwarming story about grief, families, refugee, immigrant experiences is especially relevant today and a must read for everyone. ADD IT TO YOUR TBRS and READ IT.
Note that I received an advanced copy of this book for review....more
***This review has also been posted on Xpresso Reads
The Go-Between is part fluff and part social commentary. It is this incredible feel good book abou***This review has also been posted on Xpresso Reads
The Go-Between is part fluff and part social commentary. It is this incredible feel good book about a girl has to leave her home country behind to move to America because her mom has landed a roll in American TV. What The Go-Between really tries to break down intersectionality and explore various privileged and oppressed identities.
How does Cammi's life change when she moves from Mexico City to LA? Her family still has enormous socio-economic privilege but her life does change. The way her classmates interact with her changes and the way she is perceived and stereotyped by her classmates completely changed. Without even getting the chance to introduce herself, her new rich, white classmates craft an identity for her based on racist stereotypes.
And yet even though for the first time in her life Cammi has to deal with oppression and racism, she still have socio-economic privileges she has always taken for advantage and continues to take advantage of when her family moves to LA. She plays along with the poor, scholarship kid that works multiple jobs identity that has been crafted for her while undermining her classmates who are actually poor and have to have a job.
Her transition to LA is more than just her becoming aware of what its like to be Latinx in America, its about her realizing the enormous socio-economic privilege she does have and balancing her various identities.
The Go-Between is a thought-provoking book and yet I feel like the writing falls just a little short for me. The book is quick and easy to read, and maybe it is because I read an arc and not a finished copy, but I feel like the book needs so much more polishing. There are ragged sentences and some minor plot arcs that aren't quite wrapped up within the book. I usually don't even notice editing/writing things (hell, I am probably not going to be proof reading this post because I am exhausted all the time and need sleep) but it really stood out to me with this book and I think it did dampen the reading experience for me. But do remember that I read an ARC and for so many books, the ARC and finished copy are worlds apart so who knows what changes were made.
Overall, I do think The Go-Between is a book worth taking a chance on (especially since it is #own voices) and one that many people will enjoy.
Note that I received an advanced copy of this book for review....more
Meet Cute
is an adorable anthology of stories I felt were personally written for me. I didn’t actually know the book was coming out unti
Meet Cute
is an adorable anthology of stories I felt were personally written for me. I didn’t actually know the book was coming out until like mid-way through last year. That in itself isn’t entirely odd in of itself but like for a book that just screams RASHIKA, clearly, I should have known about it. Shout out to my friend Holly who saw the book at ALA in June and thought of me even when I didn’t know
Meet Cute
was a book I needed.
I digress though. I don’t really want to review this anthology. I can wholeheartedly say it was worth the read and that I didn’t dislike any of the stories. There were maybe 2-3 that didn’t do much for me but even then, I did not dislike the stories. This is an anthology packed with stories written by amazing authors and for that reason alone, it should be worth the buy/read.
What I DO want to do is share one of ~my~ many meet cute stories. Also just as an FYI, I personally don’t feel a meet cute has to be romantic or even has to go anywhere? There is just a certain thrill to meeting new people in fun ways and that is where I stand.
ANYWAY.
So.
Winter Break 2014
I was fresh out of my first term in college but unable to go home for the winter break for a multitude of reasons. Instead I spend that winter hopping between the homes of friends and living out of a suitcase for 5 weeks.
After having spent 2 weeks in the homes of two different friends, I was on my way to my final destination for my winter adventures. New York City. The Big Apple. What have you. It was going to be my first time in the city that never sleeps and I wasn't even an adult yet. I was going to be taking the 20 hour train from Chicago to New York all by myself but first, I had a 5 hour layover and not much to do during those 5 hours.
If you’ve spend some time traveling, you will know that train stations are nothing like airports. Layovers are not nearly as interesting at train stations even in bigger cities. Food places start shutting down around 8:00 PM and there just isn’t much to do. No free wifi, no charging ports no nothing. Just you and your thoughts as you wait for boarding to begin. Trains, unlike airplanes, also don’t serve you meals which really sucks when you’re going to be on one for 20 hours. I decided I might as well feed myself before I boarded and get some snacks for the train ride. I found myself craving fries and the train station I was at just happened to have a McDonalds where I could grab some fries.
I am not sure how it happened but somehow, while I was waiting for my fries, I found myself talking to a complete stranger whose phone had just died. Maybe he approached me first or maybe I just saw he was panicking and decided to reach out to him since I had a portable charger. I knew traveling could be stressful and wouldn’t wish a dead phone and no way to contact your family when over 2000 miles away from home on anyway. We found ourselves walking back down to the lounge together and found out we were going to be taking the same train to the same destination.
I’ve now long forgotten the name of this once-friend but somewhere out there is a now-stranger who I shared a long train ride and many stories with. Who knew you could meet people at a McDonalds?
Saint Death is one of those books you are going to want to hurl across the room, not because you ***This review has also been posted on Xpresso Reads
Saint Death is one of those books you are going to want to hurl across the room, not because you hate it but because its too painful. Or you could do what Joey does and put scary books in the freezer for another day. The release of the book is so timely and I hope that it will reach the hands of many because it is such an important book. Right now, the conversation surrounding immigration is one of the most politically charged ones. People feel like immigrants are ruining their lives and that the answer is to throw up metaphorical and literal walls between countries. To this I respond with: "If You Don't Want Refugees, Stop Creating Them."
I am going slightly off topic and that's fine because Saint Death is a book that is going to start conversations (and it actually does go into the idea of first world countries creating immigrants.) In fact, it's probably going to win some awards and that's cool because teens need to be having these conversations just as much as any other demographic. They themselves or people they know are going to be impacted by the changes happening in the world right now.
Anyway, Saint Death is a book about immigration. It is set in Mexico and tells the story of Arturo, who has agreed to help his friend earn money he stole to pay for someone to help his family cross the border back (I AM SORRY ABOUT THAT LONG SENTENCE.) What follows is a complicated journey into human minds and egos but also the world. The world, as we know (or if you don't know, SPOILER ALERT), is a terrible place and the book explores that to a large extent. It explores the complicated relationships between Mexico and its much richer, northern neighbor. We get to see how the American capitalism dream has ruined lives in Mexico and we get to see how the American government has had a hand in ruining lives as well. Sedgwick has clearly put a lot of research into this novel which I am glad for because this is a story that needs to be told and while its unfortunate we cannot have more #ownvoices stories doing it, I am glad that Sedgwick treats the subject with respect.
I also love that he incorporated how he incorporated Spanish into the book. Its done so seamlessly and beautifully. There are no italicized bits that make the Spanish stand apart from the English. The two languages in the novel blend together to create something beautiful and magical.
Sedgwick's incorporation of religion within the novel is important but also done really well. I never felt like I was being preached at and I loved that he simultaneously respected these religious beliefs while also keeping in mind the parts of his audience who might not share those same beliefs.
Sedgwick is a master of this craft and his words bounce off the pages of this book. Saint Death is a thought-provoking book and one I hope everyone will take the time to read. If you also want to read an #ownvoices immigration story, The Secret Side of Empty by Maria E. Andreu would be a good place to start.
Note that I received an advanced copy of this book for review....more