John Sinclair - Episode 1: Curse of the Undead (Gabriel Conroy)

Synopsis: 
There are so many ways a person can die. Sooner or later, everyone's number is up, and no one comes back ... or do they?
On a cold November night, a grieving father picks up his hunting rifle and shoots his only daughter in the head. The police are mystified. Why was the girl even at the house? Why wasn't she at the mortuary ... awaiting her burial? After all, Mary Winston had been declared dead two days before. The incident is only the first in a series of mysterious attacks in the small Scottish town of Middlesbury. Dead bodies go missing. A cemetery caretaker is devoured alive. An ancient curse is about to be unleashed ... Detective Chief Inspector John Sinclair works for Scotland Yard's Special Division, an elite unit that deals with extraordinary cases. DCI Sinclair is a battle-hardened veteran of Afghanistan, a man haunted by the past. But nothing could have prepared him for the horrors he's about to face. He goes to Scotland to investigate the gruesome murders but what he finds is a town in the grip of fear. The people of Middlesbury are harboring a secret. A secret that is about to explode...
"John Sinclair" is a reboot of Europe's longest running horror series. Originally conceived in 1973 and still running strong, the "John Sinclair" novellas are firmly rooted in the finest pulp traditions, true page turners with spine-tingling suspense, exquisite gore and a dash of adventure. "John Sinclair" combines the dark visions of Stephen King, Clive Barker and the "X-Files" with the fast-paced action and globe-trotting excitement of James Bond. 
 
Review:
I got this ebook from Netgalley in return of an honest review. 
I always start these review with an honest moment, so here it comes: I had no idea what I was getting into with this book, I just read that it was a reboot of a 'classic' paranormal novella series and I was too curious to pass it up.
I must admit that, although I wasn't blown away by the whole book, the story was incredibly fast paced and within the first few pages I was hooked. There was something about the characters and the setting that unsettled me and and made me keep reading, and because of that it was a very quick read.
Throughout the book we get closer and closer to a climax that could be the best kind of predictable there is. We knew the direction the story was going, but we couldn't even beggin to prepare for when it actually hit us.
By far the best aspect of this story is its setting, the environment the author creates in that town, where strange things are happening. The event itself, zombie-related, was a bit of a disappointment, although it wasn't cheesy or overdone, like I was expecting. The truth is that it's hard to come up with an original zombie plotline these days, and it's even harder for us readers to be excited by one, when it's such an overused theme in entertainment right now, but if we are able to put this aside, this novella can become an exceptionally entertaining read. Even though I would have loved to love it, I can't say it was a particularly special or remarkable book and I can't describe as something more than what I already said: entertaining. I would be lying if I said I didn't think this was a thrilling, gripping story when we are right in the middle of it, but I didn't find it to be outstanding or unique.
Despite that, I would definitely like to continue reading the following instalments, as this was only the beginning and there is a lot of room for improvement, especially when this is based on a well loved series. I would recommend it to those who loved the series when they were younger, or those who are curious to know what paranormal dangers John Sinclair will face next.

Sparks (Glenn Matchett and Kell Smith - Illustrator)

Synopsis:
Sparks is a one shot crime comic with a twist published by Nemesis Studios. It follows London Private Investigator Melanie (Mel) Sparks as she investigates the horrible murder of a famous actress. It seems that Mel may be the only girl for the job but sometimes nothing is at it seems and surprises can come from anywhere. Created by writer Glenn Matchett and artist Kell Smith

Review:
I got this ebook from the author in return of an honest review. 
When opportunity arose to review this comic I was absolutely thrilled. The concept just grabbed me and there was something about Mel's face on the cover that made me think I was in for a surprise. I couldn't have been more right.
I have to be honest, when I started it and realised it was only 26 pages long I was rather worried that it might end up being underdeveloped or rushed, but that was part of the plot twist. The story developed like a movie in my head, with every plot device being used in the best way possible to engage the reader for the few minutes it takes to read it. Even though I wish it had been more than that, I didn't feel like there was anything missing from the reading experience, in fact, I felt like the story had been told exactly as it should, as it was meant to. That's a feat, in my opinion.
As for the more specific aspects, I thought the combination of the writing and the art was executed perfectly, each page more delightful and dramatic than the previous one, never failing to deliver the sense of thrill and adventure mysteries need. Matchett's use of humour and character development was used to accentuate each one of Smith's lines, complementing each other into a fantastic story.
Although I had hoped the illustrations would be in colour, as I got further and further into the story I realised that wouldn't have mattered, because the final product was still executed remarkably well, and it just goes to show that colour doesn't mean anything when a comic has this much soul and thought in it.
Unfortunately, I can't talk about the ending without spoiling potential readers, obviously, and not knowing what's coming is part of the excitement, but I can say this: as I saw that read page count going up and the remaining pages getting lower, I feared the conclusion had been too convenient and rushed. If you think this too, keep reading, until the very last page. If you don't mind a kind of spoiler, but kind of not: Marchett found a way to create a plot twist comparable to the end of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Kind of. And Kell Smith added images to that.
As mainly unknown authors I really want to support, I can't recommend Glenn Matchett and Kell Smith's Sparks enough and I hope this review convinced you to give it a try, because there's nothing better than meeting new authors and finding new awesome comics along the way. I hope to see more of Mel in the future and more people excited to see more of Mel in the future.

The Turnip Princess and Other Newly Discovered Fairy Tales (Franz Xaver von Schönwerth)

Synopsis:
A rare discovery in the world of fairy tales - now for the first time in English.
With this volume, the holy trinity of fairy tales - the Brothers Grimm, Charles Perrault, and Hans Christian Andersen - becomes a quartet. In the 1850s, Franz Xaver von Schönwerth traversed the forests, lowlands, and mountains of northern Bavaria to record fairy tales, gaining the admiration of even the Brothers Grimm. Most of Schönwerth's work was lost - until a few years ago, when thirty boxes of manu­scripts were uncovered in a German municipal archive.
Now, for the first time, Schönwerth's lost fairy tales are available in English. Violent, dark, and full of action, and upending the relationship between damsels in distress and their dragon-slaying heroes, these more than seventy stories bring us closer than ever to the unadorned oral tradition in which fairy tales are rooted, revolutionizing our understanding of a hallowed genre.
For more than sixty-five years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,500 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

Review:
I got this ebook from Netgalley in return of an honest review. 
Most of us grew up to the magic of fairy tales, songs our parents sang to us as we fell asleep. However, the majority of those kids who were shaped by Cinderella and Snow White grew into oblivious adults, people who wander through life without knowing the origins of the Disney movies they remember or the impact it had on its time. The Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Andersen have become part of our culture, but there's so much more to european culture to be told by fairy tale collectors. This collection is one of the finest examples of that, the previously lost and untold history of unknown stories.
Reading the stories featured in this book felt like traveling through an entire century of oral culture, with Schönwerth serving as a translator and narrator. The evolution of oral tradition and storytelling is present in each page, and the sounds of a time past resonate in the whiteness of the pages upon which these newly discovered fairy tales where imprinted for our delight.
Despite its merit in salvaging a previously lost fantasy through the curious mind of Schönwerth, there are stories in here that need to be looked at with an equally curious mind, knowing in the depths of our hearts that they are simply a reflection of the time they were meant to portray. It took me a while to arrive at this conclusion and it can be a difficult aspect to overlook, the fact that many of the characters and plots are underdeveloped, weak, unlikable or unbelievable. We are now so used to long intricate stories we forget the joys of a small quick trip through fairy tale territories. These stories aren't meant to be looked at as novels, they are stories passed down through generations orally and luckily put into paper. The enjoyment of these little fairy tales comes from how different from the real world they are, how unbelievable they feel to us common people. They are made of magical words that, put together, form a testimony of nameless people that, once upon a time, shared them with Franz Xaver von Schönwerth.
In conclusion, it was a privilege to be taken on this journey, with vivid images to travel through life by my side and many, many magical outcomes to a life well lived. That's what I take from this fascinating piece of literature and that I recommend to everyone.

If You Find This Letter: My Journey to Find Purpose Through Hundreds of Letters to Strangers (Hannah Brencher)

Synopsis:
A heartwarming memoir of love and faith from Hannah Brencher, founder of The World Needs More Love Letters, who has dedicated her life to showing total strangers that they are not alone in the world.
Fresh out of college, Hannah Brencher moved to New York, expecting her life to look like a scene from Sex and the City. Instead, she found a city full of people who knew where they were going and what they were doing and didn't have time for a girl still trying to figure it all out. Lonely and depressed, she noticed a woman who looked like she felt the same way on the subway. Hannah did something strange--she wrote the woman a letter. She folded it, scribbled If you find this letter, it's for you on the front and left it behind.
When she realized that it made her feel better, she started writing and leaving love notes all over the city--in doctor's offices, in coat pockets, in library books, in bathroom stalls. Feeling crushed within a culture that only felt like connecting on a screen, she poured her heart out to complete strangers. She found solace in the idea that her words might brighten someone's day.
Hannah's project took on a life of its own when she made an offer on her blog: She would handwrite a note and mail it to anyone who wanted one. Overnight, her inbox exploded with requests from people all over the world. Nearly 400 handwritten letters later, she started the website, The World Needs More Love Letters, which quickly grew.
There is something about receiving a handwritten note that is so powerful in today's digital era. If You Find This Letter chronicles Hannah's attempts to bring more love into the world,and shows how she rediscovered her faith through the movement she started.

Review:
I got this ebook from Netgalley in return of an honest review.
I first heard of The World Needs More Love Letters years ago, just when it was on the brink of becoming the extraordinary movement it is now, I just never put a face to the wonderful woman behind it all. This book changed that entirely, not to mention my perspective on everything. That's when you know you are holding a masterpiece, when it feels like the equivalent of a soul-searching trip through the mountains.
There's a lot to be said about this book, more than will ever be able to be expressed by simple words, but if there is one thing we can try to start with is Hannah Brencher's engrossing magical writing. Throughout the entire book I felt bewitched and hypnotised by the brilliance of Hannah's words, the passion, self-discovery and honesty she transmitted through the page. It was an incredible experience to see how such a young woman was able to create so much, and how beautifully she was capable of transmitting it to us, readers. Hannah Brencher is the perfect example of powerful defyance of oppressive sadness, a rebel to depression and a heroic person to look up to.
I found the story itself to be one of the most inspiring moments of my recent reading experiences, especially given the fact that it is a memoir, the real story of a real person, and it made me feel something I hadn't felt in a very long time: the sudden urge to do something greater than myself. If You Find This Letter is so full of love and emotion and reality, it's the perfect portrait of a life worth fighting through, while showing that the best way to help ourselves is to help others. I immediately signed up to be a part of the More Love Letters team, so I can help to share the love Hannah Brencher planted with that first letter she wrote.
I must say this was the easiest five star rating I have given this year, and I can't recommend this book to enough people to be content with my efforts.

The Worrier's Guide to Life (Gemma Correll)

Release Date: May 26th 2015 

Synopsis:  
If you're floundering in life, striking out in love, struggling to pay the rent, and worried about it all -- you're in luck! World Champion Worrier and Expert Insomniac Gemma Correll is here to assure you that it could be much, much worse.
In her hugely popular comic drawings, Gemma Correll dispenses dubious advice and unreliable information on life as she sees it, including The Dystopian Zodiac, Reward Stickers for Grown-Ups, Palm Reading for Millennials, and a Map of the Introvert's Heart. For all you fellow agonizers, fretters, and nervous wrecks, this book is for you. Read it and weep...with laughter

Review:
I got this ebook from Netgalley in return of an honest review. 
I had no idea what to expect going into this, only that I knew the author's style would interest me, as I had been following her work for a while. I related to the title on a spiritual level, and took a kind of leap of faith by downloading it. I can't say I regret that decision, at all.
First of all, I need to officially acknowledge Gemma Correll's art and, most importantly, the way she is able to show her humour through it. The combination of the two, through subtle and not-so-subtle ways, shows how talented she is, as well as how connected she is with what she is drawing. She understands and knows very well what she's talking about and that shows in every page.
As a class A introvert, I was able to relate to every message and I was glad someone was able to understand it and do so in such a clear and appealing way. There was so much to see and, most importantly, laugh at, that we don't even realise we are nearing the end. That is how you know you are holding a great book.
From knowing exactly how my brain and heart works, to puting into images basically how a session of meditation works for me, Gemma Carroll got every detail, illustrating my life in a colourful biography. To me, this was a way of making something as serious as social anxiety understandable and funny, functioning, simultaneously, as a guide to someone who doesn't understand what it's like, and as comic relief to those of us who see their lives completely overwhelmed by it.
I applaud the author on this incredible, fast read... as I run to the nearest bookshop to buy more of her work.