All the Books.

  "An honest and beautiful tribute to a man who led with his heart. He seemed to genuinely care about the people of America and instead of striving for greatness or accolades, he tried to do what he could to understand people and share in their lives. He was a decent, moral, compassionate man and now, more than ever, we could use people like him at the helm." 5 Stars Pros:  Beautifully written and designed, the articles flowed into each other and painted Bobby in a true, honest way. He was ruthless yes, but behind that ruthlessness was a man dedicated and driven to see things through.   Cons:  It would have been interesting to hear from his family more, since he had 11 children.  Full Review:  Often thought of as the runt of the litter, compared to Joe Jr, Jack and his other older siblings, Bobby was unremarkable. He managed to get through school but didn't have the same charisma that his brothers did. But when JFK became the President, he made Bobby h...

"What you think will be a comedy of errors turns out to be a dark, depressing novel that focuses in on the petty, cruel relationships between Judd and his siblings and his celebrity mother. I read it quickly simply to get it over with.." 1 Star.  Pros:  I liked how the ending was kind of open for interpretation but that was really about it.  Cons:  The characters were just crass and cruel to each other. I thought this was going to be a comedy but instead I just ended up feeling kind of depressed.  Full Review:  Judd has recently discovered that his wife is cheating on him with his boss. He's renting a basement apartment, has no job and is depressed and to make matters worse, he gets a call from his sister. His father has died and the man's last wish was that his family sit Shiva (Jewish tradition of mourning) for seven days. Judd and his siblings don't exactly see eye to eye. They all have different lives and clashing personalities, so the idea of spending ...

  "A seamless, honest and beautiful tribute to a truly inspiring person." 5 Stars Pros:  Stunning photography, poignant, honest articles, a true testament to John Fitzgerald Kennedy, a man who believed from his heart in equality, fairness and the golden rule, treat others as you would be treated.  Cons:  I honestly can't think of a single con for this Magazine. It was beautifully written and the articles flowed seamlessly. Full Review:  John Fitzgerald Kennedy was the second oldest in a large Irish Catholic Family. His father, Joe, was a hard, taciturn man who made everything, even childhood games, a competition. JFK learned early on that Kennedys didn't lose, Kennedys didn't cry. It was a difficult home to grow up in, when perfection and graceful poise was always expected and emotions were seen as weakness.  JFK was quick to prove himself a hero in WW2 when his ship was destroyed and he rescued his surviving crewmates and wrote an SOS on a coconut shell. B...

  "With stunning photography and graphic, detailed accounts of "storming the beaches of Normandy" and the following campaign, this magazine depicts the strategic and decisive planning needed to run a successful military campaign but it also shows how truly horrible war is." 3 Stars.  Pros:  Absolutely stunning photography.  Cons:  Some of the maps of the D-Day invasion and the following months campaign, as well as the Battle of the Bulge, were a bit confusing and hard to follow.  Full Review:  From the beginnings of the Allied forces gathering together to plan out "Operation Overlord" to the actual day of storming the beaches at Normandy, this magazine described it all in great detail. With stunning and horrifying photographs of the conflict and aftermath, these visuals bring home the difficulty that the Allied forces encountered. D-Day didn't just take place on June 6th, it lasted for months with heavy casualties on both sides.  From the first ti...

"More or less a family history of the De Leon's and how a curse "fuku" seems to have followed them through the generations. Nevertheless, against all odds, Oscar, the ungainly, overweight, socially awkward Geek, is going to live his life as truly as he can." 3 Stars Pros:  I appreciated all the geek references, LOTR, The Matrix etc/Diaz does have an entertaining narrative, makes it feel like you're sitting beside him and listening to someone tell a story/The ending was what I expected but at the same time, a pleasant surprise.   Cons:  During most of the novel I felt like it was more about the Dominican Republic and its horrific political troubles than it was about Oscar's life.  Full Review:  Oscar is the stereotypical geek. Overweight, socially awkward and he falls in love with almost every girl he meets. His family and friends try to help him "better" himself so he can get a girl, but in the end, he's always true to himself, even to a fa...

"The title speaks for itself. A magazine dedicated solely to the art of gratitude, for accepting life as it is and cherishing what we have and how to make the most out of every day." 3 Stars.  Pros:  Full of articles about self-reflection, inspiration, creativity, this magazine had an interesting article for almost anyone.  Cons:  Near the end the articles started getting a bit repetitive but, they were all valuable lessons to be learned.  Full Review:  This magazine was full to bursting with a lot of informative and inspiration articles and things you wouldn't even necessarily consider. How to express gratitude, the different between FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) and JOMO (Joy of Missing Out), that life is not a race and living in the moment and being grateful for what you have and all that you've accomplished is the real "win."  It helps you realize that you have to take time out for yourself, to truly relish some quiet time, to carve out time in your d...

"A man and his son travel south through the burned out wasteland that is America. Their days are routine and monotonous but at the same time every moment is rife with terror as they don't know who else or what horrors await them on the road." 3 STARS Pros:  There's a real sense of desperate isolation with just the man and the boy in a burned out world/The ever present ash is a small hint of whatever catastrophe happened, and paints a terrifying scene of desolation/The ending was painful but powerful.  Cons:  The man and the boy's conversation is stunted and short. Perhaps it's McCarthy's way of showing the reader what kind of terrible world they live in, that even the light of conversation is as gray and dead as everything else is but at times their conversation is so stunted that it's frustrating/By the end, the monotony of their lives begins to get repetitive but again, it just feeds into that feeing of hopelessness.  Full Review:  A man and a boy tr...

"Bonded in their loneliness, Alice and Mattia seem destined for each other but life and time work their cruelty and they always seem to drift farther apart." 5 Stars Pros:  For anyone who's ever felt like an outsider, Alice and Mattia are two extremely relatable characters/Every action has a consequence and precious seconds tick by, chances we should/could have taken slip past without us even knowing it and this book captures that feeling perfectly.  Cons:  Though I understand that people actually "talking" to each other is an impossible feat, I think a lot of the characters problems in the story would be solved if they were actually just honest with one another/The ending left me wanting but at the same time, life doesn't always work out the way you planned it. Full Review:  Alice and Mattia meet in high school. Alice has a stiff leg, the result of a skiing accident in her youth. As with most teenage girls, she just wants the popular girl, Viola, to like he...

"More terrifying for the fact that you can't actually "see" what's happening or the creatures that hunt her, Malories story is tragic, terrifying and inspiring all at once. It shows the lengths a mother will go to keep her children safe in a world that has crumbled into chaos around them." 3 Stars.  Pros:  The fact that you never actually see the creatures definitely keeps the suspense up/The mixing of past and present keeps the reader engaged and wondering how it is Malorie found herself alone with the two children.  Cons:  I understand it's fiction but there just seem to be so many variables that don't add up/I feel like paddling a boat down a river while blindfolded is something Evil Knievel would have done, it just seems a tad too far fetched.  Full Review:  Malorie lives in a house with her two children. She stands at the kitchen counter, looking at the dew on her hands from when she went outside that morning to collect water from the well. She ...

"Brown again delivers with a riveting, gut wrenching, soul shattering novel that follows Darrow and his continued quest for peace. Even as he fights for freedom, for people to be equal, there are forces at work, evil that knows no bounds and goes far deeper than anyone could ever guess. These books are bloody damn prime and I can't wait for the next one." 5 Stars.  Pros:  Brown still knows how to surprise even after five books of a series/My sneaking suspicion was proven right to my pleasure/Every character has a part to play and everyone is important, to the most minute detail.  Cons:  The first 100 pages were just full of jargon and slang and it was REALLY difficult to get into the story/Sometimes the characters genius level IQs and ability to solve every problem gets old, but at the same time, characters don't see something that's right in front of them/Though not necessarily a con, Brown doesn't pull any punches at ALL and kills his characters off so very ...

"A fitting end to the series. " 5 Stars.  Pros:   With a surprising but understandable twist, the series is wrapped up. We learn of some characters fates while others are a mystery but Kirkman respects the reader enough to let them decide and not continue to write a story long after a good ending point has been reached.  Cons:  There are or course questions that want answering but nothing so vital that you can't make your own guesses. Aside from the choice of President in the end (seemed kind of convenient), this was a good ending to a good series.  Full Review:  Of course the people of the Commonwealth rebel and tensions erupt. Rick tries to keep the peace, Pamela Milton is at first suspicious but then she decides to surrender. And it seems that thing will end peacefully. There's talk of an election and Rick, is of course, an obvious candidate for leader. But he's decided that his place is in Alexandria, that he doesn't want to stay in the Commonwealt...

"Good group has good thing, seemingly other "good" group has good thing but is not actually so "good." Good group, IE Rick Grimes, will take steps to help but things escalate and here comes another war." 3 Stars Pros:   At least Eugene has a girl who cares about him now and Carl's "help" at trying to get Sophia some action is pretty hilarious.  Cons:  I don't know what crawled up Maggie's ass but she's being a real beast all of a sudden/Same old - Good place, Bad place, War, Zombies/Rick Grimes is God, the best leader ever of humanity, ever.   Full Review:  After taking Pamela on a tour of Alexandria, Oceanside, the Sanctuary and the Hilltop and introducing her to the "leaders" he goes back to the Commonwealth to meet her people and see how they live. He's very taken by what he sees. But Dwight understands that the system is broken. That the people who aren't in charge are oppressed. And this comes to light in a ...

" The group that set out to find Eugene's mystery lady, Stephanie, from the CB Radio, find her amongst a massive new group called the Commonwealth." 5 Stars.  Pros:   Michonne's surprise and again, the revelation of new communities and how they live their lives.  Cons:  You'd think in a world that's been radically changed, people would be more accepting of "law and order", a way of life, a routine, though it makes sense that there would be differing opinions/Again, Princess is obnoxious.  Full Review:  The group that went out in search of Stephanie, the woman that Eugene had been speaking to on the CB Radio he bought at the fair, meet with a cadre of armed and fully armored guards. They are forced to give up their weapons and brought to the "staging area." Before they get there, they come to the "wall of the lost" which is a bulletin board of photos of basically "missing persons." Michonne finds a picture of herself and ...

  "The Communities rebuild, characters strengths are tested, and a small group ventures out to meet the mystery lady that Eugene has been talking to, Stephanie." 5 Stars  Pros:   Negan and Lucille's backstory/Maggie and Negan's stand off.   Cons:  Princess is probably the most obnoxious character that's been in this series and I don't know why they introduced her so late.  Full Review:  All the Communities begin to rebuild and attempt to recover from the Whisperers zombie horde attack. Carl goes back to the Hilltop to start helping in the rebuilding project. Negan goes off on his own with food and finds a place to settle down. Maggie has Dante follow him and mark exactly where it is that Negan's living. It's obvious she's planning her revenge since she can't believe that Rick just let Negan walk away. Dwight feels the same way and tells Rick that he thinks his time as Leader of Alexandria is over and that Dwight should step in. Rick makes it ...

"In the end, the Communities are victorious over the massive Zombie horde but at a terrible cost. It's a wonder how life will continue after such a loss." 5 Stars.  Pros:   This was a rough volume but it showed growth in Negan as a character and it showed Rick with all his weaknesses and fears. He's not a leader, he's scared and alone and it's a wonder how he's going to get through it all.  Cons:  Well there goes that whole Rick Grimes curse of "every woman who gets close to me punches their ticket" thing. Sherry and the Saviors are just obnoxious.  Full Review: The massive herd comes to Alexandria. Andrea and others ride off to draw the herd away to the coast where they'll lead them into the Ocean. For the most part, it works. The gate in Alexandria comes down and Negan saves Ricks life as they flee for shelter. They and the others thin out the herd while Andrea et al lead the herd away.  At one point when it seems that Eugene will be overru...

"The Whisperer War takes place, though when Dwight tells Rick how many they fought off, he panics, knowing that the horde Alpha showed him was nowhere near that small. This is only the beginning." 4 Stars.  Pros:   We learn a bit more about Lucille/Dwight, Negan etc become a bit more fleshed out as characters.  Cons:  Again, good group has good thing, other group wants what good group has, will do everything in their power to get it. Zombies.  Full Review:  Alexandria and the Hilltop try to prepare for an attack from the Whisperers, since that's what they've been training for. Negan, for his part, beings back Alpha's head as a sign of trust to Rick. Rick says he'll give him an outpost with water and food but that he'll be alone and that's the best offer he's going to get. He will never let Negan live in the walls of Alexandria. He then sends Negan to the front lines to fight.  Two people have gone to the Kingdom and the Sanctuary to try and gather...

"Rick begins training his people to act as a military to defend themselves against the Whisperers. A surprise awaits him though when Negan is let out of jail and goes to pay Alpha a visit." 4 Stars.  Pros:   Negan has more of a character and background then one would expect.  Cons:  Sometimes the predictability of the story gets old but it's entertaining enough to keep reading.  Full Review:  Rick begins to train people to act as a military. Dwight takes naturally to the role as leader. Eugene, who bought a CB radio at the fair manages to get a signal and begins talking to a woman named Stephanie. They admit that they're with groups but they don't tell each other much about where they are.  Brandon, the son of Morton, one of the men who attacked Rick, ends up getting fed up with it all and gets the keys to the jail and talks Negan into coming with him. They sneak off together when Maggie's group heads back to the Hilltop. They make it to the borde...

"With Alpha's violent "marking of their border" Rick's group are understandably infuriated. He hesitates to fight back because he knows that the Whisperers have more people. But when all that he's built begins to crumble, he decides that he has to take action. He discusses his options with Negan, of all people, and as Rick decides what to do, Negan just smiles." 5 Stars.  Pros:   I wouldn't trust Negan as far as I could throw him but Rick kind of has no choice. I'm interested to see where this goes.  Cons:  All the standoffs and violence, I mean, come on people, try to be reasonable.  Full Review:  With the murders performed by Alpha, Rick is forced to return to the Fair and give the bad news. People are understandably infuriated but he can't attack Alpha. There are just too many people with her. Eugene proposed that they use Lydia, her daughter, as a hostage, but Rick won't harm a child.  He has Andrea take Lydia and Carl to the Hilltop,...

"Packed to bursting with surprising twists and turns, the Whisperers are not as harmless as they would appear to be. And Rick is given a painful reminder of that." 5 Stars Pros:   Michonne's bitchiness is more or less explained but only makes sense if you're completely masochistic, it's at least refreshing to have a reason why she's such a bitch to everyone/Negan, you never quite know what he's going to pull.  Cons:  There is a LOT going on in this issue that you have to keep track of/Also, how did Alpha "mark the border" so quickly and so easily. I wonder if that'll be explained in later volumes.  Full Review:  Maggie is livid that Carl's run off after Lydia but there are more important things right now, such as figuring out what to do with Gregory, since he did try to kill her. It's decided that he has to die. So they hang him and she goes onto explain that she doesn't want this to be the start of something. She never wants to h...

"Jesus captures one of the Whisperers and brings her back to the Hilltop. Carl falls for her and though she wants to stay, her people come and collect her. Carl, of course, goes off on his own to get her back." 4 Stars.  Pros:   It's good to see that Carl is growing up and maturing but at the same time, he is still a teenager and prone to think with his hormones instead of his brain.  Cons:  Oh young love, how stupid it makes us. Maggie's insistence that Carl doesn't "know" Lydia because he spent one day with her makes sense but teenagers will be teenagers.  Full Review:  While searching for their missing men, Jesus and his group are attacked by what they think are zombies. But these zombies have knives and fight back. During the fight, Jesus wounds one of them and brings her back to the Hilltop with him. They keep her locked up and question her. She's a sixteen year old girl named Lydia.  Carl, meanwhile, is rekindling his friendship with Sophia....

"Rick has more or less made a new world, just as he promised. But as always, there are bad guys out there." 4 Stars.  Pros:   It's interesting to see Negan acting the way he is and if he's actually "changed" as a person or if he's just putting on  act. Rick is convinced that he's "neutered" Negan but I'm not so sure.  Cons:  You can only go so far with a series like this until it starts to become repetitive. Good group has good thing going, bad group wants what good group has. Fights ensue. People die. Zombies.  Full Review:  Rick has managed to do as he said and make a new world. With the cooperation of the Hilltop, the Kingdom, the Sanctuary and Alexandria, they have a mill, a blacksmith, ammunitions, patrols. He's created the world he said he would. And he also kept his promise to Negan, who's being kept in a cell in a house, on his own.  While steering a herd of zombies away from the borders, Jesus and others come upon a new...

"The Saviors and Alexandria, Hilltop and the Kingdom have their final showdown." 4 Stars Pros:   It wrapped everything up well pretty much. So now we just wait for the next bad guy to come along.  Cons:  Rick's whole "hero" monologue of "we can fix this world, together" gets real old, real fast. Though, his terms did come with a "surprise."  Full Review:  Rick makes a full recovery after suffering a concussion from the grenade blast. And he has to move quickly to get everyone gathered together and over to the Hilltop. While waiting to see if the commotion has died down, the group in the ammunition workshop are overrun by zombies and have to flee. They're caught by Negan and taken prisoner.  Negan, of course, threatens Eugene but he doesn't give in. And when he's gone, Dwight explains that he's doing what he can from the inside to make sure Negan fails. One of the Saviors overhears Dwight but it turns out that he wants to leave...

"What at first seems like a good plan, quickly goes south when not all goes accordingly. The Saviors retaliate and the reader is left to wonder, what next?" 3 Stars.  Pros:   Ezekiel is a good character, he has a heart, he's kind and most important of all, he has emotions. He's not always running off half cocked like Rick. And for his emotions, he's slapped by Michonne. I'm really liking her as a character less and less as the series goes on.  Cons:  Michonne is seriously a bitch/Rick always having to be the savior of everyone.  Full Review:  Rick's plan to march on Negan's Sanctuary is brought into play. And though he tells Negan he can surrender and no one will be hurt, Negan, of course, doesn't listen. Negan brings out Gregory, the leader of the Hilltop, who says that his men can leave, can live in peace, but if they don't, then they will be thrown out of the Hilltop and no longer protected. Not as many people leave as Negan would have hoped...

"A beautiful and haunting mystery of a young boy's quest to find out more about the author of his favorite book. A quest that is far more intricate, sinister and deadly than he ever could have possibly imagined. " 4 Stars.  Pros:  Fermin is a great character/The language of the book, some of the quotes, they are truly remarkable and beautiful.  Cons:  The mystery of Julian Carax is intriguing but there are a LOT of twists and turns and people to keep track of/Everything that happens is just a little too "convenient."  Full Review:  As I sit here trying to think of what to write without giving anything away, I feel that the task is impossible. From the moment that Daniel visits the Cemetery of Forgotten Books with his Father and chooses his novel, The Shadow of the Wind  by Julian Carax, the plot explodes. Everything that happens, every character that Daniel meets is important, down to the watchmaker who lives on the same street as Daniel. The mystery b...

"Plans are in motion against the Saviors but when Rick lets his emotions take over and nearly ruins everything, Negan decides that two can play at that game. It is officially war." 4 Stars.  Pros:   Ezekiel is a good character. He understands what people need in order to come together and is willing to act the part, but deep down, he's human and just as scared as the rest.  Cons:  Again, Rick's arrogance, his hairline trigger temper is a good way of getting people killed.  Full Review:  Jesus takes people from the Hilltop and brings them to the Kingdom, where Rick has brought people from Alexandria. They assess what they have and decide that it's time to start planning this war with Negan. During a quiet moment alone, Ezekiel let's the king act drop and opens up to Michonne. He was a zookeeper and when everything went to Hell, Shiva, his tiger, was alone in her cage, starving. So he took her with him and she helped him survive and get to where he is no...

" A frightening glimpse into Negan's "new world order" and the introduction of another community who's numbers may help in Rick's fight against the Saviors. " 5 Stars.  Pros:   This volume showed what Negan's world is like. It's insane and terrifying but in a way, it makes sense. He's uncouth and revolting but as long as everyone follows the rules, he let's them live in relative comfort.  Cons:  Michonne and her need to hook up with every person who's taken, though when she makes advances on Heath, he lets her down gently and for that, he get's a point. But Michonne, just, have some self respect lady.  Full Review:  Jesus follows Dwight and manages to get a glimpse of where Negan lives. It's a factory. Rick explains his plan to Andrea, so she won't move out and they can continue their relationship. Meanwhile, Negan pays his first visit. He takes half of everything they have, as he promised. On his way back, we see Carl hid...