Heathen, Vol. 2 by Natasha Alterici, Rachel Autumn Deering

Heathen, Vol. 2 by Natasha Alterici, Rachel Autumn Deering

My Rating: ★★★★★

Now that Aydis has put a huge target on her back, she prepares for the next step in her adventure. Unfortunately for her, she’s faced with the consequences of her naivety and begins a crash course on the realities of the world and what it truly means to challenge Odin.

In this volume, we continue to follow Aydis as she travels to the land of the gods. On the way there, she encounters some dangerous beings who teach her about how well striking a deal with danger works out. We also watch her meet a crew of some amazing pirates, bringing her to an accepting place where love may bloom. However, we also watch Aydis begin her crash course in the realities of the world, especially as someone who has been somewhat sheltered all her life.

The second volume does not disappoint! The artwork continues to be absolutely stunning all while beautifully aiding in telling the story. Like the first volume, so many of the characters have a lot of layers and we really got to see how much dimension these characters have. I love that nearly every character has a story, and we usually see what that story is. I also love seeing the many characters ranging from human to gods get brought to life. While this story is rooted in Nordic mythology, it’s interesting to see how other gods are mentioned as well as how their followers are presented. All in all, I’m looking forward to seeing what happens in the third volume, which appears to be the final volume.

Heathen, Vol. 1 by Natasha Alterici

 
Heathen, Vol. 1 by Natasha Alterici

My Rating: ★★★★★

Aydis is a Viking without a home. After getting busted for kissing her friend, her village sentenced Aydis to marriage or death. Her father chose death, but secretly booted her from their village so that she could have a chance at life as the woman she is rather than being forced into a hetero marriage. Armed with her wits and her beloved horse, Saga, Aydis decides to rescue the immortal Valkyrie Brynhild from Odin’s curse before embarking on a crazy adventure.

I picked this up because it sounded interesting and the first thing I noticed is that the artwork is absolutely stunning! Every single panel looks like it could become a poster or an art print. Everything is absolutely gorgeous and really aids in telling the story, which is also wonderful. We follow Aydis right after she’s been cast out of her village. It’s just her and Saga against the world, but she’s got a heart of gold and is determined to lift the curse that Odin placed on Brynhild.

We meet several characters along the way, and the majority of them have a lot of layers. It doesn’t matter how briefly we see them. It’s clear that a lot of thought was put into these characters down to seeing a flashback or getting some form of backstory on them. I really enjoyed meeting all of these characters as the series was being set up, and I look forward to seeing how the story and these characters develop over each volume. From this volume alone, I think this is going to be a very strong series all the way to the end.

Loading Penguin Hugs: Heartwarming Comics from Chibird by Jacqueline Chen

 
Loading Penguin Hugs: Heartwarming Comics from Chibird by Jacqueline Chen

My Rating: ★★★★★

If you’re like me and use the ghost hugs and penguin hugs loading gifs all the time, this is the book for you, especially if you’ve been wondering where those gifs came from. Surprise! It’s from Chibird, the amazing series of comics and drawings by Jacqueline Chen that can also be seen on their Instagram! In this book, you will find a bunch of adorable, heartwarming, and funny comics and drawings that are going to lift up your mood for the day.

While I believe you can find many of the comics on their Instagram, like most comic and art compilations, there are drawings and comics that are exclusive to the book. These are so cute and uplifting, it made me wish I didn’t miss the Kickstarter for the motivational penguin plushie. Oh well, plushie or not, these comics give me the same heartwarming and uplifting feeling that having that plushie would! Each comic really brings a big smile to my face every time.

Cat's Café: A Comics Collection (Cat's Café #1) by Matt Tarpley

 
Cat's Café: A Comics Collection by Matt Tarpley
My Rating: ★★★★★

At Cat’s Café, everyone is accepted as they are! In a series of adorable, funny, and occasionally serious comics, we follow a cast of characters who own, work at, or frequent the Cat’s Café. I love how positive these comics are, which bounce around adorable and funny to dealing with serious topics. How serious are we talking about? Well, the most serious we get at Cat’s Café is dealing with depression and anxiety. There isn’t anything triggering as Matt Tarpley keeps it light, but if you spot something you see in yourself in these comics, it’s very accepting and positive about it while making sure you are seen as you are.

One of the things I love about these comics is the artwork. It’s beautiful and colorful while also using colors to aid in telling a story. When he touches on tougher topics, the color story changes to help show that the character is lonely, tired, exhausted, and the list continues. The other characters are very supportive and are shown to cheer on these characters and ask things such as, how are you? How can I help? Even we the readers are asked to help! When he’s touching on light and fun topics, the panels get more and more colorful. I particularly love the goofy panels, but I also love every single page of this. It’s a truly wonderful book, and I can’t wait to read the next compilation of comics from him.

The Ingenue by Rachel Kapelke-Dale

 
The Ingenue by Rachel Kapelke-Dale

My Rating: ★★★★

I received a copy from St. Martin's Press through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Saskia Kries is the latest heir to her family’s estate, the Elf House. It’s the one place she’s always called home, which is why she’s blindsided when she discovers that not only did her mother not tell her she was dying, but she also left the house to Saskia’s former teacher. After finding out that her father also had no idea about the change to her mother’s will, Saskia is on a mission to find out why her mother would just give the house away. The deeper she digs, the more secrets become illuminated, including her own.

I read and loved Rachel’s debut novel, so I was extremely excited when I saw they had another book coming out. I can honestly say that this novel does not disappoint! It should be noted that this book deals with the following tough subjects: death, death of a parent, grooming, and sexual abuse. If any of these subjects are triggering for you, this is a book that you should pass on because Saskia is dealing with each of these subjects all book long.

We follow Saskia, a pianist and prodigy, as we bounce back and forth between the past and present. In the present, we’re picking up right after Saskia’s mom died, leaving her raw and hurt, especially when she had no idea her mother was sick. The longer that Saskia is home, the more she’s confronted with the past that she’s been running away from. Much of the book is watching Saskia deal with her past traumas as well as her very fresh present trauma. All the tough subjects that can be triggering are right there, raw and in the open as Saskia grapples with what happened to her and tries to regain control. It’s such a heart wrenching novel that is very well-written and packs a punch. I look forward to seeing what else the author publishes in the future. They’re a very talented writer and really knows how to pull readers in on the very first page.

Cute Chibi Mythical Beasts Magical Monsters: Learn How to Draw Over 60 Enchanting Creatures by Phoebe Im

Cute Chibi Mythical Beasts Magical Monsters by Phoebe Im

My Rating: ★★★★★

I received a copy from Rock Point through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I am determined to read every book that Phoebe Im publishes because they are absolutely adorable on top of being fun. Plus, I’m a fan of their artwork and have been following them on Instagram for sometime now. Like their previous book, Cute Chibi Animals, it opens with a short introduction to who Phoebe is before defining chibi for readers. Then there’s a small section on tools one may need and some tips and tricks. I really like this part of the book because I think that there’s always something new to learn when a seasoned artist shares even the most simple tips and tricks to drawing!

Majority of the book is a series of step-by-step instructions on drawing various mythical creatures. I think that the drawings in this book are more complex than the ones featured in the previous book, which is great because it takes people following their drawing books on a journey into more complex drawings. Yes, these are chibi mythical beasts and monsters, but the overall shapes and combinations are more complex and provide more of a challenge on the drawing journey for people learning to draw. I really like that this is the case, but I also don’t think it’s too challenging. I would say that this book is good for middle schoolers and older elementary school kids so that younger kids won’t get too frustrated trying to keep up with some of the more complex drawings introduced.

101 Super Cute Things to Draw: More than 100 step-by-step lessons for making cute, expressive, fun art! by Lauren Bergstrom

 
101 Super Cute Things to Draw by Lauren Bergstrom
My Rating: ★★★★★

I received a copy from Walter Foster Publishing through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

If you’re looking for a cute book on drawing, especially for kids, this is the book for you! The opening of the book includes information on tools and simple techniques before diving straight into how to draw different things. It covers everything from everyday objects, such as books, to adorable animals. The instructions are super simple and easy to follow, making it a great gift for elementary school age kids who like to draw. It’s also perfect for anyone who says they can’t draw. It’s simple, cute, and slowly introduces its readers to more complex shapes while encouraging them to play with colors, patterns, and different faces. It’s not a super serious drawing book, so it’s perfect for anyone so they can have fun and learn to take on more complex shapes without becoming overwhelmed.

Stargazing by Jen Wang

 
Stargazing by Jen Wang
My Rating: ★★★★★

When Christine’s parents decide to rent a place out to the sweet lady who works at the nursery, she gains a new friend and neighbor: Moon. Christine has heard all kinds of rumors about Moon, mainly that she beats people up, but quickly learns that Moon is nothing like the rumors. If anything, Moon is kind, confident, and super artistic! The two become fast friends and Christine soon realizes that she’s jealous of her new best friend right as tragedy strikes. Will Christine be able to see past her jealousy and be the friend she needs to be when Moon needs her the most?

I’ve been meaning to pick up this book ever since I read one of Jen Wang’s other books, The Prince and the Dressmaker. While this is obviously a very different story, Jen brought everything from family woes to friendship woes to the plate. They also very subtly brought in how it feels to be a biracial or Asian-American kid and feel like you’re not enough due to being biracial and/or American whether at home or among your own peers.

One of the things I really liked about this book as well is that we watch Christine slowly struggle with her jealousy toward Moon. It’s natural for people to be jealous at some point or another, but what’s important is that we work through it and apologize if any shenanigans were pulled along the way. In a perfect world, things would always work themselves out, but I think that most people the age of the characters don’t necessarily realize what they’re feeling is jealousy. It’s one of the reasons I really like that this was the route the story took regarding their friendship. Maybe some younger readers experiencing jealousy who are trying to sabotage a friend to preserve their friendship will learn something from the messages shared in the book.

As always, the artwork is absolutely stunning and really helps tell the story. I also really like that the messages on family, friendship, and figuring yourself out and believing in yourself are so powerful for all readers. The story is aimed at kids around middle school age, but I think that it’s a great read for people of all ages and a family read for the younger crowd.

Crochet Magical Creatures: 20 Easy Amigurumi Patterns by Drew Hill

 
Crochet Magical Creatures: 20 Easy Amigurumi Patterns by Drew Hill

My Rating: ★★★★★

I received a copy from Callisto Media through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

If you’re new to crocheting and want to learn how to make amigurumi, this is an excellent pattern book for you! From start to finish, there’s an excellent amount of information that’s great for those either new to crocheting or new to amigurumi without being overwhelming. The opening has instructions for every technique one will need along with some techniques that aren’t a must, but just make life easier. One of those techniques is the magic ring. I’ve been crocheting for well over a decade and when I learned about the magic ring, I am not even exaggerating when I say it was life changing. It makes every project that’s worked in the round start up like a dream.

In addition to being a great instruction manual, there’s also 20 adorable and easy patterns that’s perfect for anyone getting started out. The instructions are easy to read, easy to follow, and have all the information provided to make the projects go as smoothly as possible. I think that this is a great book for people new to the craft and just folks who are looking for more amigurumi patterns.