Monday, February 11, 2019

Wires and Nerve (Wires and Nerve #1) by Marissa Meyer, Douglas Holgate

Wires and Nerve by Marissa Meyer, Douglas Holgate
My Rating: ★★★★

Picking up where the final book in the The Lunar Chronicles series left off, Wires and Nerve follows Iko as she hunts down rogue wolf-hybrid soldiers that have been wreaking havoc on Earth. Iko puts on her fashionably badass clothes to kick ass and take names, but above all, hopefully help these soldiers get rehabilitated back on Luna.  In an action packed new graphic novel spin-off, we see all our old favorites from the Rampion as we follow Iko on her latest adventure.

When I heard that there was going to be a graphic novel spin-off of The Lunar Chronicles, I could barely contain my excitement. Now that I’ve finally read the opening volume of the series, I am even more excited because Iko is one of my favorite characters and it’s so nice to see her shine in her own story. Iko is really blossoming but it’s so sad that the world doesn’t recognize her as a person because she’s an android. There’s a clear divide between the way her friends, who are practically family, see her and the way the world does. I do spy a potential love interest who is on the fence between seeing her as an android with artificial feelings and a true person. I’m excited that Iko will likely be getting her own happily ever after!

The story itself is interesting and fun and I loved the way they open the series with information about what’s been happening and where we are when the story picks up. It’s so lovely to see all my favorite characters again. I didn’t realize how much I missed them until I started reading. It’s great to see what they’re each up to and how much they miss each other. I can’t wait to see this group of friends to finally be in one place again.

The artwork is beautiful as well, but I do have one complaint. Some of the characters are so similar that they look like the same characters with minor differences, such as hair and clothes. Otherwise, the artwork is really pretty and I’m excited to see how it develops as the story progresses.

Sunday, February 10, 2019

Knitting Brioche: The Essential Guide to the Brioche Stitch by Nancy Marchant

Knitting Brioche: The Essential Guide to the Brioche Stitch by Nancy Marchant
My Rating: ★★★★★

I am an avid knitter and have been knitting for about eight years now, but I have never tried knitting brioche. I saw a brioche pattern that I want to knit late last year, started planning for it, and picked up this book so I can learn about the technique and work my way up to making a two-color brioche shawl. After reading this, I can honestly say that I feel ready to start making practice swatches and refer to the book for guidance when needed.

Marchant has written a comprehensive guide that includes photos, charts, and written instructions so that people can follow her guide in the way that makes the most sense to them. She also includes a list of abbreviations and chart symbols. I never use knitting charts unless I’m knitting a color work pattern because I find regular pattern charts confusing, so I can’t tell you if her charts make sense. However, I can tell you that her written instructions and photos demonstrating those instructions do make a lot of sense. I now feel comfortable with trying the technique and working my way up to knitting brioche with two colors.

In addition to being a guide, Marchant also includes a bit of history about brioche and some tips before she begins to guide her readers. There are also several patterns included for readers to knit based on their comfort level with the technique, which is wonderful, especially when readers move from practicing the technique to knitting a full-fledged project. All in all, this is a great book to have in your collection as you enter the world of brioche knitting.

Thursday, February 7, 2019

The Lady's Guide to Petticoats and Piracy (Montague Siblings #2) by Mackenzi Lee

The Lady's Guide to Petticoats and Piracy by Mackenzi Lee
My Rating: ★★★★★

After being turned away from every medical school she’s applied to, Felicity has had enough of being judged by her gender rather than potential skill. Then she gets an unwanted marriage proposal and escapes to Monty and Percy’s place with a plan: get into school and stay with her brother. Things go downhill when Felicity is turned away for being a woman yet again, but there’s a bright spot: her idol might take her under his wing in his latest adventure. The downside? He’s about to marry her former friend and there’s no way a letter will get to him in time, so she needs to go in person. With no money and no other prospects, Felicity accepts the offer of a mysterious young woman, Sim, willing to pay Felicity’s way and finds herself on a dangerous quest that puts her and her new and old friends to the test.

I loved the first book so much that I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this one. Sadly, the opening is boring and it takes a while for the story to get rolling. When it finally picks up, we hit part two and that’s when Lee takes us on an amazing journey. I don’t think there will be a third in the series, but if there is, I will be there in an instant.

The first book focused on Monty and Percy and this one focuses on Monty’s sister, Felicity. I love Felicity, but she is close minded and set in her ways. That said, the book is a journey that helps Felicity grow as a person and realize that she’s closed herself off because she has always been so focused on getting into medical school and becoming a physician. It was great to watch her grow and open her mind as well as learn more about herself and her own character flaws. It was also really interesting to see her meet up with her old friend, Johanna, and discover that Felicity was the main reason that their friendship ended. I loved watching Felicity come to that realization as she is confronted with how she feels and the events that happened in the past.

I loved following her adventures with her old friend, Johanna, as well as her new friend, Sim. Although, she and Sim aren’t friends at first and Felicity is suspicious of her until she realizes that she’s being judgmental and that Sim is a cool and friendly person and not the evil pirate she decided she was when they first met. I loved Sim and I think it would’ve been cool if we had some chapters from her perspective. That said, I really enjoyed watching their relationship develop and learning more about Sim’s life.

Johanna was a nice slap in the face for Felicity. She’s a mixture of the frivolous careless woman that Felicity despises and a smart and bright woman that Felicity grew up with. Johanna as a character is really a message that one can be feminine and intelligent with aspirations that is still relevant today. It’s a message that we watch Felicity learn as they become friends again and go on a hilarious but serious mission.

There are so many hilarious lines. One of my favorite lines is in chapter 14 when Sim says, “Felicity Montague, you are a cactus.” There’s also many hilarious moments that are at the expense of old white men who think they know all while Felicity, Sim, and Johanna come by and prove that women are severely undervalued and looked over due to societal prejudices against women. If you were on the fence about reading this book, I strongly urge you to run out and pick it up because you’re going to love going on a hilarious journey and meet up with some old favorites from the first book.