Category Archives: Comedy

Evil & Malice Save the World

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Evil & Malice: Save The World! by Jimmie Robinson is a fun new entry in the young adult superhero graphic novels.  Evelyn and Malinda are the daughters of the city’s most important supervillain,The Black Eye.  They are also great fans of the city’s greatest superhero, Goldie Gal.  This, of course, causes a few issues that the girls decide to complicate further.

51JGB3WASpL._SL160_ At an event to see their hero, Goldie Gal, they manage to foil the plot of an unknown villainess and her cohorts.  This leads to the superheroes Evil and Malice being born – dubbed thusly by a reporter.  Somehow, the girls have to keep their dad from learning their endeavors, not cross his path or foil his plans while taking out his competition.

Evil & Malice: Save The World! is a fun little trip that should appeal to anyone 10 and up.  I’m quite surprised it didn’t get more play than it did despite some cliches that are used in the story.

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Sucker for Love

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Lil Marchette continues to attract all sorts of trouble.  Somehow she ends up in Texas with her human and pregnant sister-in-law, mother, and best friend.  Her mother is, of course, trying to rid herself of her human daughter-in-law, her best friend is trying to hide from true love with Lil’s brother, and her sister-in-law is clueless as to what is going on.

41FGD9KsNjL._SL160_Did I mention that Lil is trying to track down her missing client, Esther?  It seems that there is a rogue warlock who wants to use Esther in some nefarious plot that hell – and Merlin, yes that Merlin – know all about but won’t let Lil stop! 

Does Lil care that hell says no to getting involved? She wouldn’t be Lil Marchette if she did. And between staying alive, she even finds new clients.

Sucker for Love: A Dead-End Dating Novel (Dead-End Dating Novels) by Kimberly Raye is a great beach read.  No brain cells need apply while reading.  I really enjoy the misadventures of Lil as she tries to escape her father’s copying and office supply business with her own venture.  She really is a likeable, if a dense character.

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La Muse (Graphic Novel)

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51GSRGQGrFLLa Muse written by Adi Tantimedh and illustrated by Hugo Petrus treats divine intervention in a new way for most readers. Two sisters are borne of non-corporal omnipotent creatures, one, Susan – chain-smoking, lesbian, rabble-rouser – inherits all the powers one might imagine, the other, Libby – all business and conformity – seemingly has inherited none.

Susan uses her powers to create a perfect world – at least her vision of it. The joy of the book is in watching so many that should get their comeuppance get it. Everyone from evil businessman to sleazy politicians learn that they are no longer in power. Even the ‘secret’ government gets theirs from Susan.

Now, there is one glitch when Susan is called in front of her parent’s people for fixing everything. This happening calls her parents to what she is doing and she and Libby find themselves confronting their folks while trying to protect reality. Libby reveals a few secrets of her own.

La Muse is a fun romp in wish fulfillment. This is not a serious book but a nice commentary of what could be done if someone was truly omnipotent.

Me and My Shadow (Silver Dragons, Book 3)

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51n96R8g6eLMe and My Shadow (Silver Dragons, Book 3) by Katie MacAlister would have been better if it had been about May instead of constantly going back to Aisling’s pregnancy. I picked this up to read about May not Aisling. I understand that there is some intersection, but adding the entourage from Aisling’s series just made for too many characters to keep track of for what is supposed to be very light reading.

That isn’t to say I didn’t enjoy the parts that had May in it. I did. May finds herself trying to rid herself of the dragon shard while deciding just who she is. Matters are not helped when she finds that as consort to one of the former prince’s of Abaddon, she is given responsibility for him and his powers. She does come up with a rather unusual and entertaining solution to that problem.

Now, since Aisling’s entourage is part of the story, Drake’s mother makes an appearance. She is intrigued by Magoth, and he by her. While I enjoyed Me and My Shadow (Silver Dragons, Book 3), it felt off compared to the other dragon books.

Unseen Academicals (Audiobook)

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How appropriate that my first review after Bright-sided: How the Relentless Promotion of Positive Thinking Has Undermined America is Terry Pratchett’s newest (and likely last) Discworld book, Unseen Academicals (Discworld). Pratchett, for those who do not know, has been diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s. No amount of wishful or positive thinking is going to change that sad fact.

Unseen Academicals (Discworld) involves a cast of characters associated with Unseen University – the Wizard’s University in Ankh Morporkh. It seems that the portly wizards must take up soccer (“foot the ball” in the book) in order to keep themselves in food. It also centers on the night cook, Glenda, and the journey of self-discovery of the dribbler Mr. Nutt.

51W3jzrdVHLOf course, Lord Vetinari has already decided that this game of hooligans must be tamed in the same manner as the criminals had been in earlier books. They must be organized! He decides that it is fortuitous to involve the wizards in this.

The story is complicated in ways that other Discworld novels are not. There was something off about this novel. I believe it is a sign of Pratchett’s deterioration. Unlike other Discworld novels I was not laughing out loud as I was listening to the wonderful narration of Stephen Briggs. Usually, my husband is wondering if I have lost my mind from my incessant giggling when I listen to a work by Pratchett.

Unseen Academicals (Discworld), though a worthy addition, is not as good as others within the franchise. I will recommend it to those who love the series.

Undead and Unworthy (Audiobook)

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Disappointing. That is the word that encompasses how I felt about Mary Janice Davidson’s Undead and Unworthy (Queen Betsy, Book 7) read by Nancy Wu.

51uWzKwkG7LAuthors are allowed some internal inconsistencies, but, when those inconsistencies make the plot completely infeasible, a line has been crossed. The storyline around The Fiends made no sense in several ways – from their hatred of The Queen, to their survival without Alice, to Garrett’s behavior throughout. For that matter, where was the snarky Betsy we have come to know and love?

I was, at one point, tempted to say that Betsy was finally coming into her own as The Queen, but felt that the inconsistencies with the book and the character – as she has been established – made that a false statement. The abandonment of her ghost secretary for this book with the addition of The Ant – for no apparent reason – was unfortunate.

Undead and Unworthy (Queen Betsy, Book 7) is the weakest in what had been, until now, a fun bit of escapism. Hopefully, Davidson will not allow her success with this franchise to cause a repeat of the Laurel K. Hamilton disease wherein the only good scenes are the sex scenes – and even some of those not so much.

I read or listen to these books primarily for the humor. I believe this is true for most of the audience. In this, Undead and Unworthy (Queen Betsy, Book 7) fails.

Watching the Detectives (Movie)

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51vCts7nxALWatching the Detectives with Lucy Liu stars in this very quirky independent film. Neil, played by Cillian Murphy, owns an independent video store with a quirky regular clientele.

Violet (Lucy Liu) is one of those characters that can only happen in the movies. She creates scenarios that endanger Neil. This, of course, makes Neil even more attracted to her because he is living the scenarios in the movies he has come to know and love.

This is not a movie to watch while one has the brain engaged. The characters are too obvious in their insanity.

If you can get this from your library, it is an amusing movie with an ending where you are yelling at Neil for being an idiot.

Border Security Gone Wild

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– For Those Who Don’t Already Know

 

Who knew that knitter’s were a National Security Threat?

Though I don’t have cable, I do try and watch the Comedy Central web site for the best of The Colbert Report and The Daily Show. They have become an expanded version of the old Johnny Carson monologue on The Tonight Show.

How do most American’s get their news? Through comedians of course, otherwise, we would all cry!

Up in Smoke

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Up in Smoke (Silver Dragons, Book 2) by Katie MacAlister is the continuation of May, the doppelganger’s, story.

Finally, she has consented to be with Magoth, the demon lord, to become his consort. And, Sally, the demon lord wannabe has ingratiated herself to both Magoth and May. Sally does seem to have eyes for Magoth, but what does May care when she pines for her lovely Silver Dragon, Gabriel?

51bMcsitwJLThe novel opens on the preparations for the “wedding” ceremony that links May to Magoth as consort. Of course, from time to time it switches to one Aisling Grey’s living room as Aisling’s mentor keeps summoning May from Abaddon. Gabriel has not given up on his beloved mate!

May finds herself not only dealing with the double-dealings of Abaddon, but of the politics of inter-wyvern intrigue and her twin, the naiad’s blundering with one Neptune. How did a doppelganger get herself into this situation?

Ok, this is not the best novel out there, but I enjoyed it. It is silly, light, fluff romance with just a touch of suspense. I read it in mere hours. I’m actually typing this review on the same plane trip that I started the novel on! Well, at least the second leg of the journey.

If you don’t want to use your brain cells for a little while, reading this book qualifies. Well, at least if want to read instead of watching something.

Ain’t Myth-Behaving

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51bmxKdOOVLAin’t Myth-behaving: Two Novellas by Katie MacAlister has the following Novellas: Stag Party and Norse Truly.

Stag Party finds the Celtic god Herne trying to replace his erstwhile wife with a new bride. Problem? He has one week to convince the American woman he has set his eyes on. His Druids aren’t very happy about this – and neither is the object of his affections. I found this story a bit lacking in pacing.

Norse Truly is the better of the two novellas. Brynna, an American visiting with her Scandinavian family finds herself getting involved with Alrik – a cursed pirate ghost. She needs to determine who placed the curse, convince the witch/valkyrie in question to remove the curse, and become what she was always meant to be.

Of course, this involves a trip to an amusement park to find Odin of Norse mythology.

Pick this one up from your library for Norse Truly. Stag Party is skipable.