Breathtaking. Powerful. Exquisite. All of the adjectives. Every single line of this book. Every page is a work of art that is worth taking your time wBreathtaking. Powerful. Exquisite. All of the adjectives. Every single line of this book. Every page is a work of art that is worth taking your time with and letting it wash over you. I just—GOD, I can’t get over how much I absolutely loved every second that was spent reading this....more
I’m a huge fan of Meg’s comics, and I was snickering from beginning to end reading this. Her comics are always so stinkin’ relatable and hilarious, anI’m a huge fan of Meg’s comics, and I was snickering from beginning to end reading this. Her comics are always so stinkin’ relatable and hilarious, and her art style for her various facial expressions never fail to crack me the hell up. Plus, as someone who also loves the fall season, ginormous sweaters, rainy days, and lives in the Pacific Northwest, I feel like we’re kindred spirits. Hehehe. ...more
I love Hocus Pocus, so of course I had to get my hands on this illustrated edition as a special treat to myself this spooky season. And what a treat iI love Hocus Pocus, so of course I had to get my hands on this illustrated edition as a special treat to myself this spooky season. And what a treat it was! This is definitely a book to pull out every year and read during the Halloween season. I made a point of reading a little bit of this every night before bed, laying it on top of my cozy orange blanket. (Bonus points if you play atmospheric spooky music in the background while you read to enhance the vibe!) This personally put me in the ultimate Halloween spirit and I loved carving out this bit of time at the end of each day.
Only giving this a four-stars, because honestly? There could’ve been more illustrations. There were A LOT of lulls in this book where I’d be turning page after page and there weren’t any illustrations, and at that point you’re just reading paragraphs of text on much larger pages. Not as fun! While there were some really cool full-page illustrations in here, they definitely could’ve inserted more here and there, even just smaller illustrations along the bottom of the pages or near the margins. Some of the illustrations also left much to be desired and could’ve been more detailed in my opinion. And there were definitely some moments that I would’ve wanted illustrations of but didn’t get, yet other illustrations in the book that either felt repetitive or that I wasn’t crazy about. I dunno, I guess I kind of just expected more from this.
I will say, as far as the writing goes, this was wonderfully adapted! They remained true to the movie while also finding ways to expand upon that and provide more detail and storytelling than perhaps we would’ve gotten from the movie alone. So win-win! Overall I would still really recommend this, and it’s going to be the perfect book for any fan of Hocus Pocus....more
Not my favorite of Roald Dahl's books, and didn't quite have the spooky, autumnal vibes I was hoping for—but still a really cute read!Not my favorite of Roald Dahl's books, and didn't quite have the spooky, autumnal vibes I was hoping for—but still a really cute read!...more
Thank you endlessly to NetGalley for sending me a free digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The second I saw this book waiting oThank you endlessly to NetGalley for sending me a free digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The second I saw this book waiting on my shelf, I immediately dropped everything to read it. And if it’s somehow possible, I adored this even more than the first one! This series of books are so enchanting and filled with such a palpable magic. The second you turn to the first page, you’re immediately swept away into another world, one of quaint, far-off villages in the countryside, of sacred old tales and traditions passed down generations, and of small, precocious dragons who grow tea leaves on their backs.
I stand by what I said in my review of the first book: everything about this reads like a Studio Gibli film in book form. I think it’s because both have very similar qualities, from lovable yet complex characters to breathtaking landscapes bursting with color. And of course, both share in their intent to capture something magnificent and spellbinding while always leaving some wisdom in its story to take with you long after you’ve finished. I especially loved Aedhan’s journey that he goes through in this book. At first he feels a deep pang of sorrow and regret over having lost so much time, time that he’ll never get back. But then gradually he comes to learn that it’s never too late to build new memories and to find a new purpose for oneself—a new way to find a place in this world. I think this is such a beautiful takeaway from the story, and it was executed so well.
In the first book, I remember falling just as much in love with the setting but felt that I needed more from the story—that there was so much more from this world that I desperately wanted to learn and explore. I’m so thankful, then, that I picked up this book because I feel like with every new book, we’re gradually expanding more and more of this world, and I love it! Especially with this being such an intricately woven setting of different people and traditions and regions and magical elements, it’s great to be able to piece more and more of it together.
Another thing to really love about these books is how much diversity is integrated. The first book features characters with disability, and similarly in this book, sign language is a common form of communication in this small village. In addition, there's also a same-gender couple, and gender fluidity also comes into play within the story and specifically with Aedhan's character. I always appreciate that intent to include diverse characters and elements into literature, especially books for younger audiences, as it's important to continually celebrate and represent the diversity of the world we live in.
To get a chance to read these Tea Dragon books is a wonderful experience, and I highly recommend these to everyone!...more
This was such a lovely little book about mental health, specifically anxiety.💛 I actually had pretty low expectations going in. I figured this would jThis was such a lovely little book about mental health, specifically anxiety.💛 I actually had pretty low expectations going in. I figured this would just be a run-of-the-mill, kitschy book filled with doodles all about adulting and #relatable content. But I clearly underestimated this book, because it was wonderful from beginning to end! Marzi is deeply authentic as she opens up about her own experiences with anxiety and the oftentimes debilitating struggles of mental illness. At the same time, she provides words of comfort to reassure you that you’re not alone in your own struggle with mental illness, quick to offer helpful tips, self-care routines, validation, and reasons to persevere and look forward to each new day. Equal parts candid, informative, and full of humor, this book is a perfect little guide into living with anxiety....more
Okay, this book was SO cute and flowery and wholesome?? 💛 It very, very much had Studio Gibli vibes, in part because the artwork is vivid and serene aOkay, this book was SO cute and flowery and wholesome?? 💛 It very, very much had Studio Gibli vibes, in part because the artwork is vivid and serene and filled with things like nature, small cottages in the countryside, afternoon tea, and interesting characters with compelling backstories to boot. It's actually impressive the amount of world-building and intriguing character backstory this book manages to squeeze into such a short amount of pages.
This is also one of the book's drawbacks as well, though, because I just wanted mooooore! Seriously, this either needs to be a Studio Gibli movie or a full-length novel, because now all I want to do is dive even deeper and learn more about this world and the characters in it. I also completely understand why this book is so short though, considering that it's a children's book. With this, the story itself is pretty simple but there are a lot of themes incorporated as well, and I think this book did a great job of balancing this out with the length. Also shoutout to a children's book that features subtle but normalized queer relationships! 😭💕...more
This was soooo close to being five stars! I’m not gonna lie, I didn’t love the ending. It was pretty rushed and I guess I was just expecting a bit morThis was soooo close to being five stars! I’m not gonna lie, I didn’t love the ending. It was pretty rushed and I guess I was just expecting a bit more from it. Still, this was a lovely story that very much reads like a classic fairy tale with gorgeous, lush writing. This is especially the perfect read during the fall and winter months....more
Oh, my heart. 💜 This book was tender, emotional, and utterly breathtaking. I didn’t realize that this was such an incredibly short book, nor that it wOh, my heart. 💜 This book was tender, emotional, and utterly breathtaking. I didn’t realize that this was such an incredibly short book, nor that it was a graphic novel. I legitimately thought that it was a full-sized novel. So on the one hand I am slightly dismayed that I didn’t get to enjoy this story for longer. But at the same time? I thought the short length of this story also worked REALLY well to convey a lot in just a few words and illustrations.
I think it goes without saying that the artwork itself is also lovely and reminds me almost of the children’s book Blueberries for Sal. As you read, you begin to see how the artwork reflects the story. The two characters appear larger than the world around them, mountains, houses, and skyscrapers appearing smaller in comparison to illustrate how they take up such a large space in their own little world together, and oppositely, how the world feels that much more empty and barren when neither is with the other.
I can’t stress enough how gorgeous and heart-wrenching this story is, and how much is packed into so few pages....more
There was some artwork in here that I really, really liked and that nearly took my breath away. But for the love of god, I just felt that there were WThere was some artwork in here that I really, really liked and that nearly took my breath away. But for the love of god, I just felt that there were WAY too many superhero-themed comics in here. Like, just because it's a graphic novel does not mean that we need to overload it with cheesy superheroes. I'm sorry, I'm just so tired of seeing superheroes everywhere. But at the same time, I think my complaint is justified. There's no doubt that Orlando was a MASSIVE tragedy that the world—and the LGBTQ+ community especially—will never forget. A lot of artists in this anthology paid tribute to the victims so sincerely and respectfully. But if anything I feel like the superhero pieces in this book only made light of the situation. There were definitely some pieces that blatantly did try to make light of things and add a spin of humor, which I thought was tacky and not tasteful at all. Maybe that's just one person's opinion on how to handle a tragedy, but it was these moments that ruined the importance of this book for me....more
Oh my gosh, I loved this!!! It was such a cute, fun read, and I really like Noelle's drawing style. I love how this book is all about friendship (and Oh my gosh, I loved this!!! It was such a cute, fun read, and I really like Noelle's drawing style. I love how this book is all about friendship (and how to be a good Lumberjane, of course!), and all of the characters are so fun and zany and basically the epitome of girl power. I'm SO glad there are more volumes to read, because I didn't want this to end. I especially can't wait to see where things end up going with Molly and Mal. c:...more
This is my second book I've read by Sarah Andersen, and I'm obsessed. I love her drawing style, and her comics are always so cute, hilarious, and incrThis is my second book I've read by Sarah Andersen, and I'm obsessed. I love her drawing style, and her comics are always so cute, hilarious, and incredibly relatable. She's definitely one of my all-time favorite cartoonists now :)...more
I was pretty disappointed with this, because I was so sure that I would really like it. I just found it really weird and not quite my style. I thoughtI was pretty disappointed with this, because I was so sure that I would really like it. I just found it really weird and not quite my style. I thought it was pretty tacky and dumb how the "old-timers" are the bad guys and how it basically feels like Apple sponsored this book. Like, really? The apple logo?
The other thing that really turned me off about this book, though, was the blatant homophobia in some parts to the point where it was just disgusting.
Actual quotes taken from the book: "Cool costume, faggot." "You heard me, AIDS patient. Get lost."
Like, really?! And this isn't even one of the villains who said this. This was one of the primary characters.
I mean, I sort of get having dialogue that reflects the current attitudes of that time period (the 80s), blah blah, blah. But I still just didn't feel that it was necessary, and it felt more like the writer was using these homophobic comments to show how ~badass that particular character was, which is stupid because, what? The girl's 12 or something? And there are other ways to show that a character is edgy and badass without using homophobic slurs....more
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