[Graphic Novel Review] In Search Of Lost Dragons

In Search of Lost Dragons

Elian Black’Mor (Author, Illustrator), M Carine (Author), Jezequel (Author, Illustrator), Hannah Elder (Editor), Jason Ullmeyer (Contributor), Rodolfo M (Contributor)

What rating would you give it?
5 of 5 Stars

Give us a summary.

(Taken from Goodreads)
Gorgeous full-color paintings, accompanied by a unique story of world-wide exploration and dragon encounters! On the trail of dragons forgotten, an intrepid illustrator and reporter journeys from Europe through the Middle East and finally to Saigon in search of the dark caverns and mountaintop perches where the elusive winged serpents dwell. With the gift of seeing the invisible, our explorer friend records each encounter in a journal of gorgeous, fully painted artwork, capturing every majestic and fearsome visual detail of the scaly behemoths, and accompanies his findings with snippets of local lore as evidence that these hidden beasts continue to shape the world in ways we may never expect!

What did you think of the book?

So. DRAGONS. How could you expect this book to be anything less than AWESOME?

In Search of Lost Dragons is basically a field journal, but it’s done in really creative way – which I LOVE.

It’s kinda like what you’d imagine a field scientist or creature photographer would have if they were searching for dragons instead of lions and tigers and bears.

The illustrations were stunning. I love me some black and white, pencil drawings any day. Color is all fine well and good and all, but a stellar pencil drawing, good shading technique, and lots of smudging can mean all the difference in the world. ❤

I would say however, that this book – unless available in full spread pages – NEEDS TO BE IN PRINT FORM. An ebook copy just won’t do it justice, as I found while looking at the ARC I received from NetGalley. Because the pages were broken up, it seemed disjointed and the full effect was lost. Granted, IF the pages were viewable as full two-page spreads, everything would have been JUST FINE, which is why I’m saying for the finished piece, it needs to be in print or viewable as I previously mentioned.

A great reference, inspiration book on dragons that I think any dragon lover would want to have on their shelves! I know I  certainly do~

(Gods, this book is stunning!)

Any warnings you wish to make for your readers?

None that I can think of.

Does it count towards any reading challenges?

As usual, yes. However it ended up working towards one challenge I wasn’t expecting. It fits #11 Epistolary Fiction for The Eclectic Reader. It also fits all of these:

• 2015 GoodReads Reading Challenge
• You Read How Many Books?
• 52 Books in 52 Weeks
• Read A Million Pages
• 105 Reading Challenge (Categories: 1, 2, 4, 7, 9)
• 2015 Graphic Novel and Comic Reading Challenge
• NetGalley & Edelweiss Reading Challenge
• 2015 Monthly Motifs & Keyword Reading Challenge (I’m skipping around with this one)
  • Keyword: (FEB) CHASE = Search

Would you recommend this book?

I loved it, but I think unless you really like these sorts of books, for the sort of pseudo-scientific aspect of it… then… well… you might not. But if you love dragons, are an creature or concept artist, enjoy guidebooks, infobooks, and the like… then this book is DEFINITELY for you!

Reviewed by AMS (amomentsilence)

Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment Publication Date: Decemeber 2014 Format: e-ARC Pages: 224 Genre & Themes: Dragon Mythos, Fantasy, Art, Graphic Novels, Sequential Art, Design Full Color Paintings, DRAGONS!!

Age: Young Adult or Adult (I guess?) Reviewer: AMS (amomentsilence) Source: Provided by NetGalley Challenge:  2015 Good Reads Reading Challenge (60), 52 Books in 52 Weeks, You Read How Many Books?, 2015 Monthly Motifs & Keyword Reading Challenge, Read A Million Pages, 105 Reading Challenge, NetGalley & Edelweiss Reading Challenge, 2015 Graphic Novel and Comic Reading Challenge, Ethereal 2015

[TBBR] A Parent’s Guide to Preventing Homosexuality…. what the–?!

Title: A Parent’s Guide to Preventing Homosexuality
Author: Joseph Nicolosi, Linda Ames Nicolosi
Synopsis (from GoodReads): Homosexuality: is it learned, biological or both?

The answer to this question deeply concerns parents. They want to know how they can best raise their children. A common belief today is that nothing can be done to foster the development of healthy heterosexual orientation in children. But the clinical experience and professional research of Dr. Nicolosi and others indicates otherwise.

In this groundbreaking book Joseph and Linda Ames Nicolosi uncover the most significant factors that contribute to a child’s healthy sense of self as male or female. Listening to moving recollections from ex-homosexual men and women who describe what was missing in their own childhoods, the Nicolosis provide clear insight for identifying potential developmental roadblocks and give practical advice to parents for helping their children securely identify with their gender.

Replete with personal stories from parents, children and ex-homosexual strugglers, offers compassion and hope for all those parents who seek to lay a foundation for a healthy heterosexual identity in their children.

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My… thoughts:

Okay.

So I’m gonna explain a thing.

And that thing is:

NO.

Got it?

Great.

Because.

NO.

(PS – No, seriously. I am going to be sick. You have GOT to be kidding me with this book… I want to physically puke my brains out. How the fuck was this even published? I’m calling my lawyers.)

(Also, my favorite of all reviews to this travesty: “Because titling it ‘A Parent’s Guide to making their children commit suicide’ is too harsh” — by GoodReads member, Tami. You literally give me hope for the human race. Also, Heather K‘s WHOLE review because it was sassy as fuck.)

 

[Book Review] How To Survive Anything by Rachel Buchholz

This is an old review, though I still feel the same about it now as I did then.

*This book was also used in a booktalk for class.

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How To Survive Anything: Shark Attack, Lightning, Embarrassing Parents, Pop Quizzes and Other Perilous Situations by Rachel Buchholz (Author); Chris Philpot (Illustrator) • 2011 • National Geographic Children’s Books • 176 pages

“Volcanoes can be so rude. One minute they’re just sitting there behaving themselves, the next they’re belching and hurling all sorts of nasty stuff from their insides. And unfortunately, you can’t tell a volcano to just chill. Use these survival tips when a volcano decides to blow:

•  Be a Magma Monitor
Just like your little sister’s annoying tantrums, volcanoes give warning signs. Scientists monitor these closely, so if you’re planning to hike a volcano, check with the U.S. Geological Survey to see if your mountain is about to become a monster.”

– excerpt of chapter entitled: How to Survive… A VOLCANIC ERUPTION

Genre/Theme: Guide book, Infobook, How To, Humor, Real Life Situations, WHAT DO YOU DO?!

Brief Summary: Part of the National Geographic Kids publications. “Let’s face it. With school pressures, social pressures, parental pressures… the teenage years are tough. Your best friend is with you one day, dating your crush the next. But it could be worse! You could be face-to-face with an angry grizzly, or chest-deep in quicksand. Never fear, National Geographic has the solution! In this hilariously informative take on surviving the trials of middle school and the jungles of South America, we combine our expertise on nature and adventure with the fun-and-learning approach of our Nat Geo style… and voila, the perfect advice to conquer any obstacle, whether it threatens life or social status or both.” – taken from Amazon summary

Evaluation: 4.5 of 5 stars

1-2 things you liked:

• The well-coordinated illustrations to the humorous titles, tips, and sections.
• The writing style and the whole concept of the book: a “how to”, which I love. I’ve always loved books like this because they are fun, quick reads that get you thinking, laughing, and wanting to share with someone else. In this case, the information in this book (at least some of it) really IS helpful to everyday life, giving mostly common sense and practical advice. Y’know. Things like maybe not running towards an overflowing volcano, but very, very far away from it. XD

1-2 things you didn’t like:

• Some of the survival tips were a little weird or just outright silly, but still a great read.

Would you recommend this book?: Yeah, sure

Looking Back (Current Thoughts & Eval): I don’t really have anything different to say about it. I definitely still remember it and found it to be witty, downright HILARIOUS at times, and definitely suited for young kids and teens. Hands down something funny I’d suggest to a reluctant reader, definitely! Adults needing a little humor in their life would also find the tips for all sorts of random, strange, or downright scary situations helpful! …and sometimes really not. XD