Recent Reads

25. Laser Moose and Rabbit Boy (Laser Moose and Rabbit Boy series, Book 1)
This cute graphic novel for kids is really a prescription for healthy relationships. Laser Moose is always on the lookout for danger, and sometimes jumps the gun and uses his laser eyes indiscriminately. Not to fear though, as his BFF Rabbit Boy is cheerfully optimistic and balances out this evil fighting duo as they take on aliens, and other evil mutant/cyborg/mechanical beings. This short story collection is funny, and the art is cute and colorful. Perfect for readers of all ages who need a feel good read. Rating: 3 stars.

26. His Bloody Project
Book blurb: A brutal triple murder in a remote farming community in northwestern Scotland in 1869 leads to the arrest of a young man by the name of Roderick Macrae. There's no question that Macrae is guilty, but the police and courts must uncover what drove him to murder the local village constable.

I'm not really a reader of crime fiction, so I wasn't sure what to expect when I started this one, but I found myself quickly engrossed in this crime drama. Unlike your typical crime story, the question is not who dunnit, or even why, but an exploration of the societal, cultural, and religious backdrop of the community where this crime occurs.

The story unfolds via documents "discovered" by the author and include the accused's memoir, trial transcripts, and newspaper reports. The story starts with police statements taken from people in the Culdie, who give conflicting impressions of the accused, so what's the truth? As the story unfolds, I found myself getting enraged, and thinking that certain people might indeed be better off dead. Then we get to trial, and certain facts shed a different light on things. I really enjoyed the themes this story explored, especially the look at class structures in Scotland, circa 1869. It really is quite well done, and I ripped through it in a couple of days.

I listened to the audiobook, which is superbly narrated by Antony Ferguson. His accent and performance perfectly set the mood for this dark tale. Rating: 4 stars.

27. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Original Screenplay
I'm a Harry Potter fan, but sometimes I think it's a mistake to not let things lie as they are, and try to eke more out of a fantastic series. Case in point is this book, which is the authors' screenwriting debut. The book itself is lovely to hold, and I enjoyed the illustrations, but overall I didn't enjoy this. There are hints of her writing chops, but I think one would be better off simply watching the movie, which I intend to do. However, is you are a Pottermore fan, I guess you'd have to read this too. Rating: 2 stars.