Recent Reads

121. The Cartoon Introduction to Climate Change
Book blurb: Climate change is no laughing matter — but maybe it should be. The topic is so critical that everyone, from students to policy-makers to voters, needs a quick and easy guide to the basics. The Cartoon Introduction to Climate Change entertains as it educates, delivering a unique and enjoyable presentation of mind-blowing facts and critical concepts.

How much more fun education would be if the material was presented in this way! I found this book to be an informative, educational, and enjoyable read. If you are unsure as to the difference between climate and weather, or are unsure what all the fuss is about global warming, or if you simply want to get that old noggin thinking about what might well be a real dystopian world, I would highly recommend you settle in with this one. Read it alone, or read it with your kids, or read it with your friends. Pour yourself a tall cold drink and just read it. Rating: 4 stars.

122. This Is Ridiculous This Is Amazing: Parenthood in 71 Lists
All I can figure as I look at the rave reviews this book gets is that I am not a parent so I just don't get it. This is a book of lists: How to Defend Yourself Against a Toddler Attack, Reasons to Avoid the Beach, The Five Perils of International Travel, etc. I did not even crack a smile. OK, I did giggle a couple of times at Use Your Best Kindergarten Spelling, but other than that? Nada. Rating: 1 star.

123. Uzumaki, Vol. 1 (Uzumaki #1)
Japanese horror manga indeed, and a story that could have come from the mind of Stephen King. A small town in coastal Japan seems quaint and quiet, but all is not as it seems. The Uzumaki, the spiral pattern haunts people and makes them lose their mind. And as you know that pattern is everywhere in nature, even in the human body. Strange and creepy with wonderful art, this graphic novel is the first of a trilogy and I've got the next two on my nightstand. Rating: 3 stars.

124. The Key: A Novel (Sancti Trilogy #2)
This is book #2 in the Sancti Trilogy, and while I enjoyed the first one, my reaction to this was meh. I am a fan of religious/conspiracy/apocalyptic thrillers - must be those 12 or so years in Catholic schools surrounded by nuns - but this was neither thrilling nor a page turner. It picks up literally where the first book ends, and will make no sense unless you have read book #1. By the way, the audiobook is wonderfully narrated by Simon Vance, and I credit him with the fact that I stuck it out to the bitter end. That is the danger/disadvantage of having a really great narrator for a mediocre book I guess. Not a book I would recommend, and I'll be skipping the final book in the trilogy. Rating: 2 stars.