Robots, X-Men, Thunder Gods - Too Freaking Cool!!!!

Heyo all you cool cats out zig zagging around the blogosphere. Got some good stuff for ya this time, so lets get the show on the road.

Robopocalypse by Daniel H. Wilson - First off this book is a little different from most that I review for this Blog in that it is an Adult Title, but as I read it I found that it had a heavy octane infusion of Teen Appeal ( 16 and up)!!!! This book is basically about an Artificial Intelligence, in the not so distant future, taking over all things run by computers all over the world to eliminate the human race. The Artificial Intelligence is named Archos and once activated it slowly but effectively starts to destroy humans through the all so many things we utilize that require computers to operate. Smart Cars run down people in the streets, elevators drop people to their deaths and these are the simple electronic/basic computer controlled items that are used to start the War. Soon afterward simple, yet as we find complicated, human looking domestic robots used by civilians to those used by the military as pacification units start to turn on humans also. Next complex weaponry, missiles and humanities most wicked of weapons of war are being used against them. In the later stages of the game, Archos devises frightening mechanical horrors of all shapes and sizes to use in it's war. Thankfully all is not lost, as the human race adapts for survival purposes (as it has been known to do). Humanities strongest weapon against Archos  is it's inventiveness and wit, it's determination to keep going when all looks to be lost.

This story is told in chapters from different characters and machines point's of view. There are the Wallace brothers, The Gray Horse Army and the all so important to the cause Perez family in the United States. In Japan there is Mr. Takeo Numura who learns to set machines/computers free from Archos control. In Afghanistan there are American Soldier Paul Blanton and Afghan Freedom Fighter Jabar who find Archos secret location. In England there is Lurker, a hacker, who helps free communications from Archos so humanity can talk and coordinate to survive. There are even "Free Born" Robots that gain sentience and fight with humanity against Archos. Oh man, this book is just to cool and I feel I may have talked about it too much. So if you want to read a great book with surprises around ever corner and great characters (that hopefully I have not spilled too much of the beans on) you have to read this book. Two Thumbs Up!!!!!!!!


A short promo to wet your appetite:







And now bring on the thunder and lightning!!!!!!!


Marvel Adventures Thor: Bringers of The Storm by Various - This all ages Graphic Novel brings together some really great Thor adventures from Marvel Adventure Avengers #5 and #16 and Marvel Adventures Superheroes featuring Thor #7 and #11. The first story while not really having every ones favorite God of Thunder does feature the Avengers (Captain America, Storm, The Hulk, Spiderman, Iron Man and Wolverine) taking on Thor's trickster brother Loki and his super powered minion The Wrecker. The second story has the Avengers traveling to Asgard to help Thor and his fellow Asgardians take on one of my favorite Thor villain's Malekith, The Dark Elf, and his legion of followers. The third story is a classic one of Thor matching wits with his evil brother Loki and features lots of poisonous reptiles. The last story and my favorite has Thor initially battling a young Frost Giant that has been tricked by Loki. The Frost Giant named Bragmir upon learning he has been tricked surprises Thor in help him take down an evil demon from fiery Muspelhelm. Thor learns a valuable in lesson in that not all Frost Giants are evil and may even share things in common with his people.

And finally a Graphic Novel Opus!!!!!!

X-Men Second Coming by Various -  Talk about epic, this Graphic Novel (collecting Second Coming: Prepare, X-Men: Second Coming #1, Uncanny X-Men 523 - 525, New Mutants 12 - 14, X-Men Legacy 235 - 237, X-Force 26 - 28 and X-Men Second Coming #2) is a well crafted collaborative effort between many fine writers and artist. The story begins with the mutant Hope (the first mutant having been born since the Scarlet Witch cursed the mutant race with no more births) and her protector Cable returning from the future where he has been protecting her. All heck breaks loose as soon as they hit the ground running. The X-Men, Hope and Cable take on enemies led by by the the fanatical Bastion who is in hot pursuit of Hope and Cable along with attempting to destroy the remaining mutants living on the island refuge of Utopia. Almost every X-Man around appears in this story in varying levels of importance. Cyclops and Wolverine are leading the X-Men to not only save themselves but what hope lies for the future of all mutants. Sentinels and Nimrod Units along with other nasty surprises push the X-Men to the limits of their endurance. Thrill in epic battles featuring Namor, Cyclops, Wolverine, Storm, Angel, Nightcrawler, X-23, Colossus, Cannonball, Legion among many others. Some will live and some will not. The stakes are high and so are the cost that must be paid in this highly recommended GN. Recommended for ages 13 and up.

Whelp cowpokes, gotta mosey on down that dusty trail.

Peace,

Bill

The Return of the Iron Guy and the Great Greg Heffley Debate

Hey, hey all you readin' and rockin' guys in blogland! 'Tis I, Iron Guy Carl, posting again after a looong absence. I've hated to be gone for such a long time but life is sooo busy these days that I hardly get time to look at my computer. But I got inspired to write again lately after my annual trip to North Myrtle Beach beach a couple of weeks ago. It's really beautiful down there, as you can see:

It's also a very fun place--here I am, tackling a burger that's worthy of the Iron Guy!

But I also got the chance to see my good friend Library Ninja Bill:

There he is with his wife (known in the superhero world as The Valkyrie) and my wife (known to crimefighters everywhere as The Blond Phantom)

It was good to see him and catch up. Among the things we talked about was my review of Milo: Sticky Notes and Brain Freeze by the terrific Alan Silberberg. I reviewed that book on the Boys Rule Boys Read blog and you can see my review here. In that review, I said that I liked it a whole lot more than the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books. "Those are pretty strong words," said Bill. Well, I feel pretty strongly about that book. It's terrific and you really need to find it. It started a little debate between us as well. I told him what I'm about to tell you. And I tell you this because you, like Bill, you are trusted friends and only to you could I confess this deep, dark secret. You ready??

I'm not a Greg Heffley fan.

Yes, I know that's a lot to take in. But be prepared for the second great shock. Want to know why I'm not a fan?

Grag Heffley's a jerk.

There! I said it! I know that puts me in the bad graces of guy readers everywhere. I know that might make me a member of a tiny, tiny minority. It might even make me an endangered species--but, then, I'm the Iron Guy and I can handle myself!

I'm sorry, but I just couldn't read any more of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books after that first one. I mean, after Greg Heffley made faces at the kindergarten class and then let his best friend Rowley take the rap for it, well, I just couldn't work up any sympathy for GH. I did enjoy the rest of the book--it really is funny--but I just couldn't bring myself to read the rest of the DWK books. So am I wrong?? Am I acting too much like a grownup?? Are you a fan of these books? If so, hit that "Comment" label under this post and tell us why. Or do you agree with me? If so, tell us that too. The Iron Guy does not shrink from a controversy and I'm hoping to start one here with the Great Greg Heffley Debate!!


Conter Point by Library Ninja Bill - Iron Carl, you make me sad. Although I have not yet gotten around to raeding Milo: Sticky Notes and Brain Freeze which I plan to soon sinse you have thrown down this mighty guantlet. I will concede to you the point that in The Wimpy Kid series Greg Heffley is indeed a jerk, but one that most people can probably identify with or at least I can. While I was not a monster at Greg's age, I certainly did some pretty self-centered and stupid things. So believe me when I say to a certain extent I can laugh and cringe at Greg's actions (some of these things hit close to home unfortunately). Also it is when Greg's great and stupid plans go astray that make the series so funny. So I am a defender of Greg (both the good and bad). If any of you out there agree with my point of view let's put The Mighty Iron Carl in his place!!!!! I hope to hear from all of you out there in "The Land of Blog" with your thoughts and opinions. This could be a very interesting discussion.

Peace all,

Iron Carl and Library Ninja Bill 

Gamecocks,Demons and Astonaut Chickens!!!

Hi all out there in "The Land of Blog." Where did the summer go? I can't believe it's September already. Well at least football season has started and I am a huge college football fan. I went to collage at The University of South Carolina and thus I am A big Gamecock fan. We are classic underachievers and kings of disappointment, kinda like the Charlie Brown of the college football world, but we never give up. Who knows maybe this year we will do really well.

Go Gamecocks!!!!!!!!!!!!!






Well that's not really what I'm here to talk about so let's get things moving along with some recent good reads:

The Last Apprentice - Clash of The Demons by Joseph Delaney - This is the sixth instalment in this awesome series. Tom, the seventh son of a seventh son, is recruited by his Mam who has returned home from Greece to take on a great evil she has been fighting there sense the death of her husband and Tom's Dad. She also recruits Tom's Master The Old Spook Gregory, a former Spook Trainer Bill Arkwright, Witches from different clans that share interest with Mam's fight, The crafty Witch Assassin Grimalkin, others, and last but not least Tom's close friend Alice (also a Witch). They are all headed to Greece to take on a powerful Old God, The Ordeen who appears in her Citadel, The Ord, every few years to terrorize humanity. In the past an order of monks located in Greece have been able to contain her malevolence to a small part of Greece. However with the Fiend now on the lose, the monks are in danger of being destroyed and the destruction caused by the Ordeen and her monstrous followers unleashed upon all parts of the world. There journey is long and they face many evils before reaching the monks in Greece such as Fire and Tapper Elementals (the first using the powers of fire and the second harnessing the power of rock and earth, Maenalds (women from Greece who have gone mad and are deadly cannibals), Sirens, Lamia Witches, and more. Then at the end of their journey there is the great evil citadel of The Ordeen and the demons and monstrosities that live within. Not everyone will return from this adventure and those that do can count themselves amongst the very lucky. Can't wait for the next book!!!! Recommended for those 9 and up!!!!!

Astronaut Academy: Zero Gravity by Dave Roman - This Graphic Novel is one of the most original I have read in awhile. The stories in this GN revolve around a mered of different characters attending a school which just happens to be in Outer Space. There are two many characters to talk about so I will introduce you to just a few (you can find out about the rest by checking this excellent GN out). The first character we are introduced to is Hakata Soy who gave up his place in a superhero team whose different vehicles could come together to form a giant Mecha/Transformer. He is a loner and somewhat solemn in nature. There is also the nonsense Miyumi San who is decisive in action and while not always correct is always ready for anything that come her way. One of my favorite characters is Doug Hiro who never takes off his space suit and is happiest outside the Astronaut Academy floating among the stars. There are many other characters each with their own distinct personalities that make this book so great. By the time you finish reading this GN you will have laughed quite a bit from the many stories, gotten to know the many different students and teachers and be ready for the next installment in what looks to be a promising series. This Graphic Novel is recommended for readers 12 and up. Great stuff!!!! 

Finally we have a mystery guest reviewer, we will just call this person X, who has a book review to share with us.

The Trouble with Chickens by Doreen Cronin -  Doreen Cronin has also written “Duck for President, Diary of a Worm” & “Click, Clack, Moo”. This is a book that would come under the heading of “easy to read” chapter book for middle grade readers. For those just starting to read out loud to others this is a fun book to share. There is lots of humor and great pictures to go along with this story. J.J. Tully is our main character. He is a no nonsense, former search and rescue dog. He is trying to enjoy his retirement when two chicks named Dirt and Sugar (who look like two pieces of popcorn with legs) and their mom, Moosh, come a calling, demanding that he help them find their missing brother and sister, Poppy and Sweetie.  J.J. is our Hero and Vince the Funnel is our villain. The action takes place inside the home of J.J’s new owner. This is Vince’s territory and he doesn’t take kindly to the “new” dog. Vince is hiding something and it is up to J.J. to find out what. If this story had a second title; I would vote for “Never underestimate a chick!” OR “Something is fowl with Sugar”. By the end of this book you will be glad you read it and find that you are not the only one who loves a good story (and Sugar is that chick!)

Well that's all sports fans!!! Until next time....Peace All!!!!!!!!

13 Reasons, Being Pleasant and not Playing with Fire!

Hi all in "The Land of Blog" ti's your forever wandering and trustworthy guide Library Ninja Bill with more news on the latest, at least to him, and greatest, a matter surely open to debate, reads out there.  Okay got a bunch of good stuff this go-round so let's jump into the deep end of the pool (hope everyone can swim).

First things first. I recently heard from my most excellent friend Kirsten Cappy from the great state of Maine. She had this to share with me so check it out:



Pretty funny right! Thanks Kirsten, you Rock!!!! Can't wait to give this book a spin! Now on to more serious. yea right, business:

Skulduggery Pleasant, Playing with Fire by Derek Landy - This is the second book in The Skulduggery Pleasant Series and it is just as fun and full of action as the first. Now is the time to pause reading this review and skip to the next review I made sometime back on another blog. It's all about the first book and some cool stuff. Take your time I promise to wait with this review until you finish that one. All right see you back soon.......Hum, Hum, Hum , Hum, Hummm. Ah back are you? Sounds like great stuff doesn't it? Well, um, now about the second book. Skulduggery is back with his allies Stephanie , or should I say Valkyrie Cain, the kick-butt ninja stylized Tanith Low and others. An old foe of Skulduggery's, Barron Vengeous, has escaped his prison which just happens to be the very same one Skulduggery put him in 80 years ago. He has recruited sinister allies in Billy Ray Sanguine - a Cowboy of the supernatural plains whose power makes everything come undone around him (sounds confusing I know, but man this guy is dangerous), Mr. Dusk - a vampire of the utmost power, and others to bring the Faceless Ones to this dimensional Realm (if you thought Vengeous and his crew was bad, they got nothing on the Faceless Ones). On top of stopping the Barron and his allies from bringing back the Faceless Ones, Skulduggery and crew must defeat the resurrected Grotesquery - a fearsome and vicious creature assembled from various spine chilling monsters, who is also a key to bringing the Faceless Ones into our dimension. Did I mention if the Faceless Ones are brought back to our dimension that it's the end of everything. Oh well, as you can see this book has got it going at 110 ten miles per hour and it won't let you go till it's over!!!! Highly recommended for those 9 and older!!!!!!

All right let's take a trip into Bill's past:

Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy - Who is the best detective ever? Did you guess Sherlock Holmes or Inspector Jacques Clouseau or perhaps The Hardy Boys? Well if you guessed any of those you would be wrong!!!!! The greatest detective ever is none other than Skulduggery Pleasant who is introduced in what I hope is a very long series of books of the same name. What sets Skulduggery apart you ask? Well first off he is not officially among the living and second off he is a walking, talking, and highly sarcastic skeleton who uses magic. His specialty is the investigation of supernatural crime (OOOOO0000000ooo!!!!!! Spooky Stuff I tell ya!!!!!). The story in this book starts when 12 year old Stephanie's eccentric Uncle Gordon dies. At the funeral Stephanie bumps into a very strange character wearing a overcoat, scarf, sunglasses, a wig and a very broad hat so that not one bit of him can be seen. Later in the story Skulduggery saves Stephanie's life while she is at her Uncle Gordon's House, which she inherited, when she is attacked by a very strange creature. Stephanie learns from Skulduggery that her Uncle was murdered and he is on the case to find out who done it!!!!!! Stephanie is fascinated by the strange unseen world Skulduggery introduces her to. A world were magic is very real and monsters exist around every corner. She persuades Skulduggery to let her accompany him on his investigation and things just get weirder and stranger from there. If you like books that are funny but also full of intrigue and action, you will love this one. I laughed so much and got caught up in the fast paced story that I finished it way to soon. Luckily there is a second book and I plan on starting it right away.



To hear a really cool interview with Skulduggery Pleasant himself go to http://www.skulduggerypleasant.com/us/world/interview.htm.






The official website for everything Skulduggery Pleasant can be found at http://www.skulduggerypleasant.com/.








Now in all seriousness, the next book I want to talk about deals with some pretty heavy stuff so if you are one of the younger readers of this blog you may just want to skip even reading further. However if you are at least an older teen, do yourself a favor and give this book a try.

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher - The two main characters of this book are Clay Jenson and Hannah Baker. One is very much alive while the other has recently committed suicide. Clay receives a package that contains tapes that Hannah made before she took her life. He is part of a list of people that Hannah has decided to tell her story to and explain how their actions affected why she did what she did. This is a powerful story that shows how our actions or inaction affect people around us. The story is well written going back a forth between Clay and Hannah as she speaks on the tapes. The reader will find themselves really caring about these characters and wanting to know them better. What did Clay do to impact Hannah's awful decision? Why did Hannah choose to do what she did? If nothing else this book will make the reader think about people they interact with and how they treat them. It will give the reader warning signs of people who are living on the edge. This is a very thought provoking story and even though you know the final outcome for Hannah you want so bad to convince her not to take the action she ultimately does. This book is recommended for readers 14 years and older in my opinion. Serious issues that need to be thought about and discussed so Hannah's fate is not shared by others.

Well that's all ladies and gents! Until next time,

Library Ninja Bill

Part-Time Indians, Insane Asylums and The Beyound!

Hello all! I know it's been awhile but Summer Reading has been keeping me hopping (also fighting dog gone Jedi). I hope some of you guys and gals (I know you are there) out there are participating. It's really a cool program. Anyway here are some cool reads I have done recently that maybe you will want to check out if you have not already.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie  - This YA book is really one of the most excellent I have read in a long time. This is the story of a young Native American teen named Junior and his transition from his familiar surrounding of the reservation he lives on to the more frightening and certainly more confusing world outside his familiar home. This book holds no punches as Junior describes in detail the poverty, depression, alcoholism and other plain truths related to reservation life. When Junior decides to go to school outside the "Res" he finds that the mostly white upper class school he picks to attend and the new kids he meets are also far from perfect and face challenges and problems, although somewhat different, not so different than those he has seen his while life. Same crap, different place. This book deals with difficult topics such as death, poverty, alcoholism, racism; yet as seen through the eyes of Junior they are presented in such a way that does not send the reader into a deep depression, but just as "this is how life is." Hope and love are always injected in dealing with these topics. One of the best books I have read in a very long time. Recommended for readers 13 years and up.

Wolverine: Weapon X, Vol. 2: Insane in the Brain by Jason Aaron & Yanick Paquette - This Graphic Novel collects issues 6 - 10 in the comic series. Wolverine wakes up in a Insane Asylum with no idea who he is or any memories at all. The Asylum is run by the sinister and potentially the craziest person in the asylum Dr. Rot. Logan slowly begins to notice his surroundings are not quite right, but will he regain his memory in time before the good doctor decides to remove his brain (a little hobby of Dr. Rot). Nice storytelling and art with guest appearances from some of my favorite X-Men. Recommend for ages 13 and up.

Beyounders: A World Without Heroes by Brandon Mull - This is a great book about a a boy named Jason and a girl named Rachel who get drawn into an alternative world/dimension where the time period appears to be around the middle ages. The two do not know each other until they get transported to this strange land ruled by an evil magician named Maldor. They learn that they must work together and trust one another if they want to defeat the wizard and hopefully return home. How can they defeat this wizard. Their exist a word that if spoken in his presence will destroy him. Pieces of the word are scattered throughout the land and they must find them before Maldor finds the two of them. They find allies along the way, but also many enemies. This is an exciting book that will have you turning page after page. Recommended for readers 9 and up.



Until next time all.


Peace,


Bill

Green Lantern, Spider-Man and Thor, maybe more!

Hey ho all in the "Land o Blog." Tis the Library Ninja who has forgotten his name. Wait a minute, a moment of clarity. My name is Bob. No doesn't sound right. Well I'll figure it out eventually. Bobo, darn it's on the tip of my tongue.

Before I start today's Graphic Novel reviews, I want to share some pretty silly cartoon stuff about our favorite heroes. Check out this into from a Thor cartoon series from the 60's:









Pretty bad right? Well let's be fair and show one of DC's big guns at one of his low moments:







Yikes overly dramatic and cheesy at the same time. I love it though it's good fun!!!!


And now some musings on recent reads:


Green Lantern: Secret Origin by Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis - First let me say that I have not seen the Green Lantern movie yet (boo me!!!). This GN rocks and if the movie resembles it in anyway then I can't wait to see it. This GN starts off by showing the special bond that a young Hal Jorden has with his father who is a pilot. The worst day in Hal's life happens (understandably) when his father dies protecting people when the plane he is flying breaks down and he has to crash land it in a safe place. From that day forward Hal Jorden has no fear (having witnessed his worst fear in his father's death). Flash forward to the future where Jordan is just barely still flying aircraft for Carol Ferris and something totally unexpected comes into his life. He obtains from a dying alien, Abin Sur who has crashed landed on Earth, a green ring that makes flight possible along with manifesting any creation you can think of into reality to be used to fight the powers of evil. Jordan is then taken away to the Plant OA, home of the Guardians of the Galaxy and The great Green Lantern Corps, to be trained as a replacement Green Lantern for the space sector Abin Sur served. It is there he is noticed by a particular Guardian and Abin Sur's apprentice Sinestro, hailed by all as the greatest Green Lantern ever, who decide to take a special interest in Hal Jordan because they see his great potential. Sinestro and Jordan team-up to take on the powerful and evil Atrocitus and eventually become friends. Sinestro takes on Jordan's training and everything seems to be turning out all right, but the rumblings of The Darkest Night have already started and deception creeps into the Corps future. Read the Graphic Novel to get the full story and go on one heck of a ride. Recommended for ages 12 and up.



Marvel Adventures: Thor and Spider-Man by Various - This Graphic Novel collects Spider-Man and Thor team-ups that have happened throughout the years in comics. The first story has Spider-Man being enchanted by one of the evil Norse Gods The Enchantress, traveling to Asgard, fighting with the Gods and eventually the big guy himself Thor!!!! The next two stories have this famous twosome taking on time traveling (and time stopping) Trolls and the supervillainThe Mongoose. The last story in the GN has Thor and Spider-Man, with a guest appearance by Valkyrie, fighting and trying to figure out what is going on with two aliens, the only survivors of their world, battling each other. Who is the good guy? Who is the bad guy? How did all this come to pass. Take a look at this excellent GN to find out. Recommended for those 9 and up. 


Well all you good and noble people that's all Ninja Bill has for now. Hey I just remembered my name!!!!! Cool!!!!

Well I hope you all are having a great summer and look forward to talking again to you all soon.

Peace,
Bill

Swimming The Buterfly with Water Witches and Rick Riordan Envy!

Greetings all yea blog o readers!!!! Tis I Library Ninja Bill with more great reads, powerful zen and general goofy information.

I recently went to the movies an saw Thor and the new Pirates of the Caribbean Movie. All I can say is they were both awesome!!!!!! The Green Lantern Preview looks pretty cool and I really want to see the new X-Men movie. So many movies, so little money (geeeezzzzz). I sensed, during the movies I have seen however, some Rick Riordan envy. Let's examine the evidence:

Okay enough of the silly stuff (unless it relates to books) and let's talk about some recent reads by yours truly:

The Last Apprentice: Wraith of The Bloodeye by Joseph Delaney - I know I have been writing many reviews on this series, but what can I say I'm hooked. In this installment The Spook and Tom find the recently released Fiend hot on Tom's trail to destroy him. The Spook in hopes of keeping Tom hidden from the Fiend sends him away for a time to study under the tutelage of another Spook named Bill Arkwright. Tom finds life hard with Mr. Arkwright and misses his friend Alice (a Witch) very much. However Mr. Arkwright teaches Tom many important lessons and toughens him up physically. Unfortunately the Fiend has learned of Tom's new location and sends his daughter Morwena, a powerful Water Witch with the power of the bloodeye (whoever her blood soaked eye catches in direct eye to eye contact becomes frozen and unable to act) to kill him. Will Tom while training with his new Spook Master be able to survive? What new allies and enemies will he make as his story continues. Only one way to find out, give it a read. Awesome series recommended for ages 9 and up!!!!!!!


The next book I want to talk about is definitely for older teens:

Swim The Fly by Don Calame - This book is kinda like "Diary of a Wimpy Kid," but with much more mature topics that older teen boys must contend. The book is about three friends Matt, Coop and Sean and the yearly summer goal they set for themselves. Well being teens of a certain age whose legs become wobbly and mouths stop working around attractive teenage girls, they decide that this years goal will be for the three of them to see a girl in the nude. This book made me laugh out loud on numerous occasions. While attempting to attract what the guys would describe as a hottie named Kelly, Matt volunteers for the swim team they are on to take the place of a wounded team member in swimming the butterfly in competitions. This is one of the hardest swimming technequies and lets just say Matt is not up to it. Between attempting to woe Kelly and the situations he gets in with Coop and Sean, this book is a definite two thumbs up and a garanted laugh maker. Because of the mature content, I reccomend this book for teens 15 and up. Great stuff!!!!!

Until next time me amigos,

Bill