[BOOK REVIEW] Saga Volume 8 by Brian K. Vaughan

Title:  Saga Volume 8

Author:  Brian K. Vaughan

Artist:  Fiona Staples

Genre:  Adventure / Family / Fantasy / Science Fiction

Year Published:  2017

Year Read: 11/14/2018

Series:  Saga #8

Publisher:  Image Comics

Source:  Purchased

Content Rating:  Ages 18+ (Gory Violence, Strong Language and Nudity)

Buy on:  Amazon  //  Book Depository

Introduction:

Yes!!!  I finally got around to reading “Saga Volume Eight!”  I only need to get “Saga Volume Nine” soon to finish up this series!  I found “Saga Volume Eight” to be a truly delightful volume to read from the “Saga” series!

What is this story about?

After the tragic events that happened on the Planet Phang in the last volume, the gang ended up in Abortion Town, which is a town that resembles the Old West.  After Alana suffered a miscarriage when they were trying to escape the Planet Phang, they have to go to Abortion Town so that she could get an abortion.  Also, it turns out that the miscarriage is temporarily giving Alana magic powers, but having these powers is slowly killing Alana.  Can the gang help Alana abort the still born child before it is too late?

What I loved about this story:

Brian K. Vaughan’s writing:  Wow!  Seriously, Brian K. Vaughan just continues to write an amazing and bizarre series that constantly keeps me coming back for more!  Brian K. Vaughan has done a brilliant job at making this story both exciting and emotional as I was seriously upset at the fact that Alana had a miscarriage and the emotional turmoil that she was going through during that situation.  I also loved the fact that the rest of the crew were supportive of Alana and how they tried to help her deal with this traumatic situation as it showed us just how much closer this crew is becoming towards each other.  I also loved the way that Brian K. Vaughan introduced the aspects of the Wild West into this story as it brings even more creativity to this series and I was interested in seeing how the Wild West would be portrayed in this series!

Fiona Staples’ artwork:  Fiona Staples’ artwork is still as gorgeous as before, especially of the images of Abortion Town itself as it looks like a bizarre version of the Wild West!  I also loved seeing all the bizarre alien creatures that inhabit this world as their appearances made the story even more interesting to read!

What made me feel uncomfortable about this story:

For anyone who does not like strong language, violence and nudity, there is quite a bit of all of the above in this volume, although this volume is surprisingly light on all of these aspects.  Also, even though the rating for this volume is still pretty high, I could not give this volume a full six-star rating because the pacing was a bit slower here than in the previous volumes.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, “Saga Volume Eight” is a fantastic volume that really turns up the drama and excitement in this series and I cannot wait to read the ninth volume of this book soon!

You might also like: 

• Saga Volume 7 by Brian K. Vaughan

• Saga Volume 5 by Brian K. Vaughan

• Saga Volume 6 by Brian K. Vaughan

[BOOK REVIEW] When a Texan Gambles by Jodi Thomas

Title:  When a Texan Gambles

Author:  Jodi Thomas

Genre: Historical Romance

Year Published: 2003

Number of Pages:  304 pages

Date Read: 3/11/2011

Series: Wife Lottery #2

Publisher:  Berkley Books

Source:  Library

Content Rating:  Ages 16+ (Some Language and Gun Violence)

Buy on:  Amazon  //  Book Depository 

I have been currently reading Jodi Thomas's “Wife Lottery” series and after I have just finished the first book of the series, “The Texan's Wager,” which starred Bailee Moore and Carter McKoy, I finally got the chance to read the second book of the series, “When a Texan Gambles.” “When a Texan Gambles” stars Sarah Andrews and Sam Gatlin and boy, do they have wild adventures throughout this book! Expect a whole lot of drama, adventure and romance in this exciting sequel to “The Texan's Wager!”

After Sarah Andrews confessed to the murder of Zeb Whitaker along with her friends Bailee and Lacy, she was auctioned off in a “Wife Lottery” and ends up with a man named Sam Gatlin. Things were not going well for Sarah until she realized that Sam was stabbed in the back with a knife! Now that Sarah has taken care of Sam's wounds, she will soon discover that she is probably married to the most dangerous man the west have ever known!

Wow! I think this had to be the most action-packed story out of the entire “Wife Lottery” series so far! Jodi Thomas has done an awesome job at providing action throughout this novel, which just had me sitting on the edge of my seat every time I read about Sam and Sarah's escapades in escaping from various crooks who are after Sam's neck! What I really loved about this book were the characters themselves and my favorite characters in this book were Sam Gatlin and Sarah Andrews! I will admit that I really adored Sarah's spunk and kindness towards others as she is an innocent yet kind-hearted woman and I loved the way that she is willing to help anyone in their time of need, which includes helping various families reunite with each other. I also loved the little arguments that Sarah has with Sam because they were so cute and they always seem to make up at the end. Now, I am saving the best character for last and that is the sexiest and bravest cowboy to ever walk the planet, Sam Gatlin! Sam Gatlin is probably the most amazing romance heroes ever created because he is one-hundred percent all muscle on the outside and has a huge heart on the inside and that is what I like about my romance heroes!   Now, this book does not just have adventure, it also has hot and sizzling romantic scenes! The sexual moments between Sarah and Sam were just so steamy that I was literally fanning myself every time I read these scenes between Sarah and Sam!

The reason why I gave this book a four star rating is because I often got a little frustrated with Sarah throughout the book because she does not seem to trust Sam enough and she rarely reciprocates her feelings for Sam. Now, I do understand that she is a little reluctant in loving someone again because of her empty relationship with Mitchell, her first husband, but sometimes I think that Sarah tends to go a little overboard with telling off Sam about showing his love for her and also the fact that Sarah keeps telling Sam about the rules of love sort of makes me a little uncomfortable because I always love seeing how love comes naturally to romance heroes and heroines, rather than base it on a set of rules.

Overall, “When a Texan Gambles” is a great sequel to “The Texan's Wager” that romance fans of Jodi Thomas's works will greatly enjoy. I am definitely looking forward to reading the third book in the series “A Texan's Luck” next!

You might also like:

• The Texan's Wager by Jodi Thomas

• A Texan's Luck by Jodi Thomas
• The Texan's Reward by Jodi Thomas

[ARC REVIEW] The Tooth That's on the Loose! by Chris Robertson (@XistPublishing, @booksbychrisr)

Title:  The Tooth That's on the Loose!

Author:  Chris Robertson

Genre:  Teeth / Humor / Western / Parody

Year Published: 2017

Year Read: 2017

Publisher:  Xist Publishing

Source:  eARC (NetGalley)

Content Rating:  Ages 4+  (Some Mischievous Behavior)

Buy or Add on:  Amazon  //  Goodreads

I would like to thank NetGalley and Xist Publishing for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I will admit that I had only read a few children’s books that dealt with the theme of children losing their baby teeth (mainly Marc Brown’s “Arthur’s Tooth”).  So, when NetGalley offered a children’s book called “The Tooth that’s on the Loose!” by Chris Robertson that has a creative take on children losing their baby teeth, I knew that I had to get this book as soon as possible!

Who is that toothy and wiggly varmint who is running around town, causing mayhem wherever he goes?  Tooth Be Wiggly (T.B. Wiggly, for short) that’s who!  This outlaw goes around leaving holes in people’s mouths (in other words, taking people’s teeth and causing a hole in their mouths where the teeth used to be) and Sheriff Tex is trying to recruit some kids to help him bring down this outlaw!

Can the kids bring down T.B. Wiggly?

Read this book to find out!

I must admit that I was quite impressed with this creative and odd little book!  Chris Robertson has done a great job at making a dilemma that kids would have, which is losing their baby teeth at a young age and turn that dilemma into an outlaw villain named T.B. Wiggly, which made this book truly creative and interesting to read!  I also liked the fact that Sheriff Tex was the one narrating the story and telling the audience who T.B. Wiggly is and why he has to be stopped as it allows us to explore the world through the characters’ point of view.  I really like the way that Chris Robertson is able to incorporate so much humor in this book as I cannot help but laugh at the idea about a living tooth going around causing mayhem wherever he goes!   Chris Robertson’s artwork is hilarious and exaggerated to look at, especially of the image of T.B. Wiggly himself as he is a tooth that has a large black mustache and tiny beady eyes that portrays his rugged personality.  I also loved the mischievous looks that T.B. Wiggly gives to the audience as it helps lets the audience know that T.B. Wiggly is up to no good!

The reason why I took off half a point from the rating was because I felt that more could have been done with T. B. Wiggly himself as he felt like a one-sided villain of the story whose only purpose of being in this story is to be the generic bad guy who steals people’s teeth.  While I understand that T.B. Wiggly is representing the dilemma that young children go through, which is losing their baby teeth, I sort of wished that there was more development to his character besides being the bad guy that would make him stand out more in the story.

Overall, “The Tooth that’s on the Loose!” is a truly creative story for children who are going through losing their baby teeth and want to read a story that tackles this issue in a humorous and creative way!  I would recommend this book to children ages four and up since there is nothing inappropriate in this book.

You might also like:

• Doctor DeSoto by William Steig

• Pecos Bill by Brian Gleeson

[AUDIOBOOK REVIEW] Rabbit Ears Treasury of Storybook Classics Volume 1: Pecos Bill and Puss in Boots

Title:  Rabbit Ears Treasury of Storybook Classics Volume 1:  Pecos Bill and Puss in Boots

Author:  Rabbit Ears

Genre:  Tall Tale / Fairy Tale / France / Humor / Animals

Year Published: 2007

Year Read: 2011

Series: Rabbit Ears Treasury: Storybook Classics #1

Publisher:  Listening Library (Audio)

Source:  Purchased

Content Rating:  Ages 5+ (Some Crude Humor)

Buy or Add on:  Amazon  //  Goodreads

 Imagine two of your favorite celebrities (Robin Williams and Tracey Ullman in this case) narrating stories that are targeted towards children.  That is a fantastic thought is it not?  That is what I thought whenever I listen to any of these classic “Rabbit Ears Treasury” audio CD series and this small collection which is called “Rabbit Ears Treasury of Storybook Classics Volume 1: Pecos Bill and Puss in Boots” is definitely an audio CD that is right up my alley!

I have pretty much already summarized both of these stories through their book counterparts, so I will just briefly summarize each story:

Pecos Bill
Told by: Robin Williams
Music by: Ry Cooder

Join the wild and rollicking adventures of America’s number one cowboy, Pecos Bill! Listen to the stories of how Pecos Bill created the first cattle drive, meet up with a sassy yet beautiful cowgirl and managed to wrestle with a cyclone single-handedly!

Puss in Boots
Told by: Tracey Ullman
Music by: Jean-Luc Ponty

When the youngest son of a miller wanted to eat Puss in Boots, Puss in Boots tries to help the youngest son win the hand of the king’s daughter and get a kingdom in order to save his hide!

 Be amazed! Be very, very amazed at what two small stories can pack into an hour!

These two tales that are considered the more hilarious and modernized versions of the classic fairy tales are pure epic classics! 

My favorite of the two stories is probably “Pecos Bill” because Robin Williams has always been one hilarious actor and his narration of this ancient tall tale really brought this story to life!  I really loved the spectacular adventures that Pecos Bill endures such as lassoing a cyclone in the west!  Ry Cooder’s music is simply magical and fits the playful mood of the story perfectly as it gives the story a more energetic feel.  In the second story, “Puss in Boots,” Tracey Ullman is just as hilarious in her narration as Robin Williams was in narrating “Pecos Bill.”  I always have a thing for actors portraying certain accents fluently and Tracey Ullman portrayed both a French accent and a British accent within this story with such clarity that I actually imagined myself living during those times.

Jean-Luc Ponty’s music is extremely graceful and it fits the somewhat sophisticated mood of this story perfectly as the music is mainly composed of violin musical pieces.

There is only one small and tiny problem with this audio CD and it is that there is no book to accompany it.  For those of you who have grown up with the Rabbit Ears stories during the 80s and 90s, you might remember that there used to be a little something called books and cassettes where the books are sold along with the tape cassettes that contain the stories being narrated by the celebrities.  So, you might be a bit disappointed that there are no books accompanying these audio CDs because, if you wanted to share these stories with your children or with your friends, then it might be a bit difficult to show them how the story goes without the book being accompanied with the audio CD.

Overall, “Rabbit Ears Treasury of Storybook Classics Volume 1: Pecos Bill and Puss in Boots” is definitely one collection of classic stories that you certainly do not want to miss and it will definitely remain with many children for years to come!

Now before I close up this review, I would like to ask you all a question:
 
Question: Have you heard of Rabbit Ears Productions before?

If you had heard of this company before, relate your favorite stories or your experiences with this series or if you have not heard of this series before, go ahead and check out this fantastic series!

[BOOK REVIEW] The Texan's Wager by Jodi Thomas

Title:  The Texan's Wager

Author:  Jodi Thomas

Genre: Historical Romance

Year Published: 2002

Number of Pages: 309 pages

Date Read: 1/22/2011

Series: Wife Lottery #1

Publisher:  Jove

Source:  Library

Content Rating:  Ages 16+ (Some Sex Scenes)

Buy on:  Amazon  //  Book Depository 

I have read many romance novels by Teresa Medeiros and Lisa Kleypas, but this is the first time that I have read a romance novel by Jodi Thomas!  “The Texan’s Wager” is the first book in Jodi Thomas’s “Wife Lottery” series and it is full of hot romance, drama, adventure and excitement that will make this book one of a million!

Bailee Moore was thrown out of a wagon train along with two other women named Lacy and Sarah after Bailee had supposedly committed a murder in her hometown and was thrown out of town.  After the three women got to the city called Cedar Point, they meet up with a vicious man named Zeb Whitaker who starts assaulting them and that led the three women into beating him up to defend themselves.  The three women are then thrown into jail and the sheriff proposes that the only way for the three women to get out of jail is if they are selected in the “Wife Lottery,” which is where men come all over Cedar Point and pick one of the three women to be their wives.  Bailee Moore is then chosen to be a wife to Carter McKoy, a silent man who has not spoken a word since his parents’ brutal deaths.  However, Bailee will soon realize that there is more to Carter than meets the eye!

Wow.  All I can really say is…wow.  I have never in all my life read such an exciting and romantic western romance novel that is full of drama and pure romance!  Jodi Thomas has definitely done an awesome job at writing this story as the characters were righteously perfect and the action paced plot of the story is never truly over the top!  I can name out so many things about this book that I simply loved, but that is too many to list, so I will just mention the characters themselves.  The heroine of the story, Bailee Moore, is such a lovable character!  I loved the way that Bailee has such a caring and courageous nature, especially when she tries to do everything in her power to protect Carter from any kind of danger that comes their way, even if it means putting her own life on the line.  I will admit that sometimes I get a little irritated whenever Bailee does not seem to trust Carter completely, but her heroic actions throughout the novel truly makes up for that.  Another character I really loved in this book was Carter McKoy himself as he was the first silent hero I have ever read about in any romance novel I have read!  The aspect of Carter’s personality that truly stood out for me was his slightly silent nature because he sometimes uses sign language to communicate what he wants to say with everyone and I have always wanted to know how to sign language myself, so this aspect of Carter’s personality is so interesting to me since it shows another level of communication that I rarely seen in most romance novels.  I also loved how courageous Carter is as he will put his life on the line to save Bailee from any misfortunate that befalls her and it’s that aspect that I truly love in a hero!  The best part of the entire book was the romance between Bailee and Carter as it was genuine and caring enough to put other romance novels’ romance to shame!  Sure, at first Bailee and Carter did not really trust each other because they did not know each other at first, but as the book goes on, Bailee and Carter’s romantic relationship was truly astounding as I loved the way that Bailee did not judge Carter because he did not speak at first, but once she starts realizing what a wonderful person Carter is, she starts falling madly in love with him and does everything in her power to protect him.  I also loved the way that Carter treated Bailee because even though at first, he was really shy to be near her, I admit that the moment that Carter first began to talk clearly with Bailee, I was totally surprised yet felt cuddly inside that Carter felt comfortable talking about anything with Bailee and that proved how solid and real their relationship with each other is.

There are some brief sex scenes in this book, although it is not as explicit as most romance novels I have read.  So, anyone who does not like reading about certain sex scenes, might want to skip over these scenes.

All in all, if you are looking for drama, sizzling romance and adventure in the Wild West, then “The Texan’s Wager” is definitely the right romance novel for you!

[BOOK REVIEW] The Texan's Reward by Jodi Thomas

Title:  The Texan's Reward

Author:  Jodi Thomas

Genre: Historical Romance

Year Published: 2005

Number of Pages: 346 pages

Date Read: 3/11/2014

Series: Wife Lottery #4

Publisher:  Berkley Books

Source:  Library

Content Rating:  Ages 16+ (Some Language and Gun Violence)

Buy or Add on:  Amazon  //  Goodreads

I have been reading Jodi Thomas’s popular “Wife Lottery” series for many years now and when I finally stumbled upon the final story of the batch called “The Texan’s Reward” which stars Jacob Dalton and Nell, I was pleasantly surprised by the results of this book!

Many years ago, Texas Ranger Jacob Dalton befriended a young orphaned girl named Nell (who he fondly calls “Two Bits”) and they had been the best of friends ever since.  But years later, Nell is now a full grown woman and Jacob is having even more problems with her.  After Nell gets injured in the last book when the notorious criminal Zeb Whitaker shoots her in the back causing her to barely walk, Nell decides to get married to a man who could help her around the ranch that she had inherited from Fat Alice, the former owner of a brothel. Unfortunately, Jacob Dalton refuses to let Nell marry anyone and he tries to convince Nell to marry him instead.  Of course, Nell refuses at first for she does not want to keep Jacob down because of her injury, but as time goes by, Nell will soon discover that she might have feelings for the courageous Texas Ranger.

Jodi Thomas has done it again with her brilliant writing of the story and the characters involved!  I loved the way that Jodi Thomas wrote the story as it explores how strong love can be, even if a terrible tragedy (such as Nell getting shot and her injury causing her great pain if she tried to walk) could separate two lovers in a second. I was literally on the edge of my seat trying to see if Nell could ever recover from her injury and could she ever touch Jacob ever again due to her injury.  I loved how Jodi Thomas explored all of those insecurities and present it in an emotional context that literally had me crying and hoping at the same time. Probably the best parts about this book were the character themselves as they were extremely intriguing and brilliant to read about!  I really loved the character of Nell as she was shown as being an independent and kind hearted woman who, despite her injury, is willing to take care of her ranch and protect the people she cares about (especially Jacob)!  I also loved the fact that Nell cares so much for Jacob that she was willing to forsake her chance at marrying him just so he could marry someone who would not weigh down his lifestyle (he is a Texas Ranger after all).  I also loved Nell’s relationship with her friends such as Marla, Gypsy and Randolph Harrison as she treats all of them like family and I loved the way that Nell stands up for them whenever they are in danger. But, Jacob Dalton is probably my most favorite character in this entire book as he is truly one of the best western romance heroes I had ever read about!  I really loved the fact that Jacob Dalton truly cares about Nell and was willing to be with her despite her injury and I loved that aspect of Jacob’s character. I also loved how heroic Jacob was as he can easily take down any threat that would harm Nell and would put his life on the line for Nell.  But the romantic and giddy side of me will always love the physical aspects of Jacob Dalton as he is constantly described as being good looking and having a well toned body that I just can not help but fan myself in anticipation every time they mention his good looks!

For anyone who does not like language and violence, there is some language in this book such as various uttering of the “h” word and the “d” word, but it is not as bad as some romance novels that I had read.  Also, there is some violence in this book which involves a lot of gun shooting and anyone who does not like gun violence might be unsettled by the gun scenes in this book.

Overall, “The Texan’s Reward” is a truly great finale for the fantastic “Wife Lottery” series and I am pretty sure that any fan of western romance novels will enjoy it for many years!