Claws and Saucers by David E Goldweber

If you are a Science Fiction, Horror and/or Fantasy movie buff, like me, then this is a must have for you.  I can’t tell you if it has everything but I will say that I was impressed by how many movies are in this book.  I love horror – the worst ones are my favorite.  I want cheesy and I want lots and lots of blood.  I don’t care if the plot makes sense – makes the movie more entertaining in a MST3K sort of way.

I love talking to the characters and questioning their motives. 

This book spells it all out – which are the good ones and which ones you’re gonna love because they are so bad.

This is not a sit and read sort of book.  You peruse like you’re picking up a date in a bar.  You chat up the pages and ask them out.  You explore the movies and, perhaps, come back and make notes.  This is the sort of book that needs to be shared and passed along. 

The only problem I have is that the new stuff won’t appear magically.  I’d love it if the book stayed current but, alas, they don’t.

However, that’s not going to stop me from working my way through this book and some of the worst movie fests my family has ever seen.

Unintentional Humor by Brent and Linda Gund Anderson

Autism is a hot topic these days. The news is filled with new research. Bookstores offer the latest cure or diet treatment as well as volumes of how to parent a child with Autism. In all of this slips this little book that offers a different view into the Autistic brain with a little humor. Brent Anderson has Autism. Speaking to Brent was often a challenge for his mother Linda Gund Anderson. He’s not stupid or retarded, Brent’s brain is just more literal than what we consider normal thinking. Unintentional Humor is not a peek into Autism as much as it’s a Gilbert and Sullivan poke at the English language. This illustrated tome picks at those phrases we use without thinking and offers a peek into what those phrases mean to someone with a literal mind. Linda said that when Brent and Alan J Lewis (the illustrator) were working on the book, there was a lot of Alan agreeing with Brent. Perhaps Alan has a literal mind and maybe we all are just so comfortable with these phrases that we don’t stop to think about the ridiculous words that come out of our mouths. I will say that my friend and I would often giggle about a particular phrase my father would use “sh*t fire and little fishes.” We had (and still have) no idea what it really means but it was sure fun to say. I can’t say enough about this book to make you really understand what a wonderful addition it is to your library. It was important to the Andersons to make this book accessible to all ages so it’s reader friendly for even young readers. There are explanations and origins for the phrases at the back of the book. There are so many things one can do with this book. For more information, visit www.celebrateautism.com. Keep an eye out for Linda and her van, she just may be coming your way.

Ghostbusters Volume 1 by Tristan Jones

I love the Ghostbusters. I grew up with them and I’m even excited for a third movie that may or may not come out. I can’t help it – I love the movies so much that when the opportunity came to preview the first issue of the comic book I was so there.
I really hate issues over novels because I never get enough of the story. I really dislike that when it comes to graphic novels as well – I want more time with the characters. This was no exception. The story is so good and the characters are just as I remember them (and then they just go away).
I cannot wait for more. I’ll be on the lookout for future issues.
The illustrations are more cartoony for the first part (the part with the Ghostbusters). The second part which is the government reinstating Walter is more realistic and so creepy in result. So far, I haven’t seen anything that would make this unsuitable for children but you never know so proceed with caution.
I can’t really share plot because there’s so little of it but I promise that it’s fun and full of surprises. Now I’m off to watch the movie – need more Ghostbusters!

Dante's Divine Comedy adt by Seymour Chwast

Dante's Divine Comedy is one of those classics I've been curious about but not enough to actually read the original. Seymour Chwast's graphic novel adaptation was a perfect introduction to the story. And one I am grateful for.
I can't say this will be a book I will seek out because it was rather confusing and in the end not as interesting as I hoped.
However, it was interesting enough to carry me through the end of this book which seemed long enough.
Dante wrote his Divine Comedy around 1302 - 1321. He was not a happy man, having been banished from his home and forced to wander Italy. He had been political and outspoken which led to his banishment. This shows up in his work.
It's very political and religious in nature.
The plot is simple, Dante is invited to see what it is like to die and visit Hell, Purgatory and Heaven so that he may tell others about it. This was interesting because much of what he wrote shows up in pop culture these days.
Dante designed the seven circles of hell and came up with the seven deadly sins (which are actually the levels of purgatory).
He met many people on his journies but most of the names have been lost in history. I am certain that those he met were political figures of his day. I was shocked by all the accusations of corruption. Not because they were corrupt but that the themes are still heard today. The problems Dante spoke of are problems of our current government.
I do recommend this version of Dante's famous work. It may encourage to read the whole tome or just feel grateful you didn't.

Avatar:The Last Airbender The Lost Adventures

I picked this selection because my son is huge Avatar fan. I've watched some of the cartoon episodes and the movie with him but I can't say I have followed it well. I can't think of anytime I have read an Avatar book either.
Knowing that, I thoroughly enjoyed this graphic novel. This is a collection of stories that have not been previously published. They touch on parts of the Avatar story but do not tell it.
I will say it helps to have some background knowledge of the characters and the world of the last airbender but you do not have to be familiar with the plot to enjoy this collection.
The tales are short and humorous. They would entertain any reader but young readers may find some of the wording too advanced (mostly the Asian names). However, the story lines are simple and enjoyable.
Though the series revolves around Aang, a male character, there are a couple of strong female characters that would entice any adventurous girl. I think my favorite tale had to do with the two girls having a girl's day out. One doesn't want to go to do girly stuff so the other goes overboard with being tough. In the end, they learn that girl stuff can be fun and tough.
This is a must have for any Avatar fan and a great selection for those who like Nickelodeon's action and comedy mixes.

Dr. Horrible and Other Horrible Stories by Zack Whedon

I loved Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog. If you did too then you'll love this book. It doesn't make a lot of sense if you aren't familiar with Dr. Horrible. The stories in this graphic novel are really snippets of stories of the various characters. There's little character development because it was written with the idea that you already know the characters.
If you haven't seen Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog, definitely do a youtube search and watch it (we found the complete "movie" at our library on DVD). It is a musical and it is a comedy. It's all good fun where you'll be rooting for the bad guy to win.