“We must contain stories upon stories, stories without end.”
Spelhorst was a sea captain who lived above a tailor shop. It may seem odd that an old man with no family would purchase a set of puppets but one of them reminds him of someone.
A king, a wolf, a girl, a boy and an owl.
A king who dreams of having his own kingdom.
A wolf who talks about their teeth. A lot. They are very sharp, after all.
A girl who knows a song.
A boy who wants to do something important.
An owl who longs to fly.
Together they have a story to tell.
“We will tell a tale of truth and wonder and sorrow”
I’m becoming more and more convinced that the only stories Kate DiCamillo can write are those that I love. I’ve yet to find one I haven’t adored.
She invites me into her imagination. She introduces me to characters who become real to me, even when they’re puppets. I smile and get misty eyed. My heart warms and my curiosity engages. I feel hope.
“May you always look upon the moon and the stars and the sun with wonder. May you journey out into the great wide world. And wherever you go, may you love without regret – for that is the greatest glory there is.”
Is it any wonder I never want to leave the worlds Kate DiCamillo creates?
Thank you so much to Edelweiss and Candlewick Press for the opportunity to read this book.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
Once Upon a Blurb
Shut up in a trunk by a taciturn old sea captain with a secret, five friends — a king, a wolf, a girl, a boy, and an owl — bicker, boast, and comfort one another in the dark. Individually, they dream of song and light, freedom and flight, purpose and glory, but they all agree they are part of a larger story, bound each to each by chance, bonded by the heart’s mysteries. When at last their shared fate arrives, landing them on a mantel in a blue room in the home of two little girls, the truth is more astonishing than any of them could have imagined.
A beloved author of modern classics draws on her most moving themes with humour, heart, and wisdom in the first of the Norendy Tales, a projected trio of novellas linked by place and mood, each illustrated in black and white by a different virtuoso illustrator. A magical and beautifully packaged gift volume designed to be read aloud and shared, The Puppets of Spelhorst is a tale that soothes and strengthens us on our journey, leading us through whatever dark forest we find ourselves in.
The Graveyard Girls are trying to make contact with Silas Hoke, Misery Falls infamous murderer. The mystery surrounding him was amped up when they recently found his grave. His empty grave.
A missing corpse that had yet to be un-missing.
They tried reaching him via Ouija board and they made contact, just not with Silas.
I like all of the Graveyard Girls but enjoy spending time with them even more when they’re all together. That’s when we get to hear their scary stories, after all. The story in this book is photography based, ‘Scream for the Camera’, and it’s a fun, creepy one.
Each girl is dealing with something difficult in this book.
Something weird is happening.
Sophie has a crush. Although I’m not anti bad boy, I was very anti the way he was treating Sophie and not the hugest fan of how this part of the story resolved.
Gemma is busy working off her G-Tone mistake.
Whisper is on the hunt for a grave robber. Her investigation begins at home.
Frannie dreams of stardom. It’s a shame about the theatre curse.
Zuzu’s old friends don’t know about her new friends yet but that’s the least of her problems. It’s very possible that she’s possessed.
I love the focus on friendship and the overarching mystery, which I’m guessing will continue over the course of the series. Gemma’s story was my favourite in this book.
I would have absolutely adored this series as a kid and, to be honest, probably would have found it scary at times. I’m keen to see how the individual stories and the mystery surrounding Silas Hoke play out.
Favourite no context quote:
“We don’t have time to be eaten by a plant!”
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Union Square Kids, an imprint of Union Square & Co., for the opportunity to read this book.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
Once Upon a Blurb
It’s been a month since the events of 1-2-3-4, I Declare a Thumb War, when the Graveyard Girls — Gemma, Whisper, Sophie, Frannie, and Zuzu — discovered Silas Hoke’s empty grave. A month, and no answers. That changes when messages from the other side start to creep up on the Graveyard Girls. Gemma’s good-luck charm. The skull in Whisper’s spilled milk. Sophie’s vanishing phone. Frannie’s theater curse. And Zuzu’s possessed Jōurnal. Who is trying to reach them … and why?
The good news: There might be one person with some answers. The bad news: She’s a mortician … with a deadly secret.
Speaking of bad news, straight-A Sophie is quickly sliding down the scale to becoming a B-flat friend. She is spending way more time hanging out with “Danger Me” and way less time with the Graveyard Girls and her schoolwork. Will her scary story be enough to win back her pals, or will her picture-perfect life become the ultimate photo bomb?
I devoured the first 15 Phoebe and Her Unicorn graphic novels and then experienced a unicorn drought. I was relieved to find this one, quickly followed by the horror of realising I’d missed two collections entirely.
Now I’m all caught up and as a reward I was granted references to Ghostbusters, Scooby Doo and Jaws. I’m not sure if the target audience will be familiar with all of these but I was happy to find them here.
I was also given the gift of a new favourite Marigold look. Her Big Puppy Dog Eyes of Persuasion spell gives her manga eyes. I love manga eyes! Now I want her to always have a mohawk and manga eyes.
Phoebe hypnotises Marigold. Sort of. Phoebe and Marigold discuss insecurity. Marigold is more expressive than usual.
Marigold discovers the downside of forgetting spells and Phoebe discovers the downside of healing magic.
Phoebe and Marigold decide to swap lives, like that horror movie The Unicorn Who Humiliatingly Debased Herself.
Dakota solves a mystery with some help from Marigold and Max looks up from his phone (briefly). The new kid at school reminds Phoebe of someone.
Phoebe’s parents, who deserve more page time, find out that a previously beloved TV show has not aged well. Marigold teaches Phoebe about the Big Bang Theory, the theory, not the TV show.
We meet Glorpie, who is adorable and needs to find their way into future collections.
I’ll be on the lookout for the next collection so there aren’t any more unicorn droughts in my life.
Thank you so much to Edelweiss and Andrews McMeel Publishing for the opportunity to read this graphic novel.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
Once Upon a Blurb
Being best friends with a unicorn is truly incredible, as 9-year-old Phoebe Howell knows from experience. But what would it be like to actually trade places with a magical unicorn for a day? As it turns out, it’s much harder than it looks! Phoebe’s botched muffin spell turns the sky plaid. And things aren’t any easier for Marigold Heavenly Nostrils, who has no idea how to hold a pencil. In this new collection of Phoebe and Her Unicorn comics, the friends also meet a three-eyed flying creature named Glorpie and encounter an enigmatic ghost. With magic, discoveries, and even a bit of drama, there’s never a dull moment in Unicorn for a Day.
Okay, so Marigold with a mohawk isn’t something I thought I needed in my life but now that I’ve seen it, I want her to keep this look forever.
Other than the awesomeness that is punk Marigold, we meet a bunch of new unicorns, including Prince Aspirational Arrogance, whose presence we absolutely need to bask in.
Phoebe explains nerdiness to Dakota.
I’m a nerd. Everything I SAY is a nerdy thing to say.
We discuss whether graphic novels count as books. Let me clear this up for you… they absolutely do.
Marigold’s distraction hat is very distracting. And definitely more tasty than her contemplation hat.
There’s a portal to a dark reality. A really dark reality.
Phoebe tries out for the school play and Marigold embraces her inner snail. Phoebe ups her procrastination game.
Phoebe goes to music camp and Sue is there. I love Sue!
Phoebe’s concentration face is one of my new favourite things. She’s so relatable.
There’s also a plot twist.
After feeling like I was going over old ground in the last collection, this one felt fresh and new and sparkly. I’m not entirely sure why a nine year old needs to be having their first kiss but other than that weirdness, I loved this collection.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4.5 out of 5.
Once Upon a Blurb
Phoebe Howell and her unicorn best friend, Marigold Heavenly Nostrils, are headed to music camp for the summer, where they form a punk rock group with fellow campers Sue and Stevie. Marigold also discovers a portal to a parallel dimension where she and Phoebe come face-to-face with the dark and sinister versions of themselves. Throughout their magical and musical adventures, the best friends learn about the value of friendship, following your heart, and rocking your hardest in this sparkling new collection of Phoebe and Her Unicorn comics by award-winning author Dana Simpson.
Now that Marigold has been hanging out with her human, Phoebe, for so long, Phoebe’s home is now a magical sylvan glen. This means there’s pixies and sometimes Phoebe will be able to understand the deep philosophical squarks of birds.
There is a downside to this, with the distinct possibility that it’s going to take longer to receive their pizza delivery.
Max looks up from his phone long enough to play chess with Phoebe. Phoebe and Marigold explore a corn maze.
We go back to school with Phoebe, and human and unicorn dress up for Halloween. Phoebe and Marigold discuss tail ornamentation and resolutions. Phoebe goes to her first school dance. Sort of.
I always look forward to catching up with Phoebe and Marigold. Max and Dakota made a couple of appearances each and Phoebe’s dad managed to sneak in a dad joke.
There weren’t as many chuckles for me on this collection. They can’t all be favourites, though. I’m still enjoying the series as a whole and am interested in finding out what’s next.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 3.5 out of 5.
Once Upon a Blurb
A new school year means many things for nine-year-old Phoebe Howell and her unicorn best friend, Marigold Heavenly Nostrils. They prepare for a school dance (lame!), meet new friends (ghosts and gnomes and goblins, OH MY!), and even experience a rare supernatural phenomenon called a Unicornado! In fact, sometimes things get almost too magical. Marigold’s presence attracts pixies, talking birds, and a sphinx, turning Phoebe’s house into a magical sylvan glen. And Marigold even briefly transforms Phoebe into a goblin. Whether they’re trick-or-treating, singing showtunes, or casting new spells, every day for Phoebe and Marigold is an adventure thanks to the power of friendship.
I loved wonderfully weird Rumple Buttercup when I met him four years ago and have been patiently (sometimes) waiting for Matthew Gray Gubler to introduce me to a new friend whose life began in his imagination.
Meet Lenore. She was born with a BIG green hand. She doesn’t know why she has a BIG green hand.
She just knows she needs to hide it from the world. So that’s what she does.
One day Lenore meets Chuck. He doesn’t have a BIG green hand but he does have a story to tell.
If I tell you this book is adorable, will that make you want to read it?
Yes? It’s so adorable. Your heart will be warmed. You’ll feel hope. You’ll want to be kinder and to look for the good in others. You may even start looking for smiley clouds.
No? This is a book about looking at the world through someone else’s eyes. It’s about connection. It encourages empathy and kindness. It’s about accepting yourself and others. It makes you curious about what you could do if you didn’t hold yourself back. It’s about embracing your uniqueness. It gives you a perspective reset.
Not convinced yet? You may need this book the most.
The only sadness I have about this book is that I haven’t managed to find a signed copy yet. I missed out on the Rumple Buttercup signed copies so started looking early for Big Green Hand ones. If I could have made it to America in time, I would have found my way to the book tour. To try and claim a signed copy of the book, of course. But also to see one of the best cars ever!
Sadness aside, this book has brought me joy each time I’ve read it so far. My mother’s just met Lenore and is currently being introduced to Rumple. It’s looking like her love for them both is as BIG as mine.
I never realized how bright the world could be … when you remember we are all connected
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
Once Upon a Blurb
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author and illustrator Matthew Gray Gubler comes a heartwarming story of colours, creatures, and connection.
Join two unlikely friends, Chuck and Lenore, as they embark on a dreamlike adventure and uncover the magic of seeing the world through each other’s eyes. Lovingly hand-drawn, and featuring a cloth cover and ribbon bookmark, it’s a book to treasure, read, and re-read.
I was tempted to post a glowing review as soon as I finished reading this book but held off. I wanted to see if time did anything to dull the glow. It’s been three weeks now and my feelings about this book are as shiny as ever.
Oftentimes when I find a book I expect to be life changing, I come away disappointed. When I do connect with a concept, I always plan on applying what I’ve learned to my life but then I move on to the next thing and my good intentions remain just that.
This book, though. It felt like entire chunks were written specifically with me in mind and the follow through? It actually happened!
I’ve been interested in learning about Polyvagal Theory but until now I’d never made it past the science speak. This is the first book I’ve found that doesn’t talk at you like a textbook but invites you to understand, using examples that are relatable. Examples like dogs and the Hulk.
So, what’s Polyvagal Theory all about?
How safe we feel is crucial to our physical and mental health and happiness.
Sounds obvious, right? How safe we feel can be different to how safe we are, though, and that’s a crucial distinction here.
By the end of this book, you’ll be well versed in the vagus nerve and why it matters. You’ll gain a better understanding of trauma: why we respond the way we do when traumatic events happen and why the impacts of such events make so much more sense than you’ve probably ever realised.
The impact of trauma is not isolated to our brains, but stretches through our nervous system to virtually every part of our body, changing how our senses sense, how our organs operate, and just about every aspect of our physical and mental health.
The first part of the book explains Polyvagal Theory in a way that made sense to me. I understood the sciencey bits and the examples that explained the sciencey bits, and I was able to apply it to specific parts of my life. I make more sense to me now! And the bonus is, so do other people!
To give you just one example, life experiences have made me particularly wary of breathing exercises. Many well meaning individuals have tried and failed to teach them to me over the years. It wasn’t until I learned from this book the best way to do them (because science) and how doing them helps (also science), that I was able to attempt them without my body panicking. I’m now someone who can use breathing exercises (the scientific way for scientifically proven benefits) to regulate myself. And it helps!
Along the way, I discovered why I’m hypersensitive to sound, particularly background noise. I’m currently also working on my own theory (which I haven’t found research on – yet) about whether the proximity of the trigeminal nerve to the vagus nerve may explain why I experience the pain pattern associated with trigeminal neuralgia after I spend a considerable amount of time in the red zone.
The second part of the book takes what you’ve learned and applies it to “circumstances and settings such as the pandemic, the workplace, schools, and prison.” While each of these chapters are helpful in their own right, by seeing how Polyvagal Theory applies to these, you are essentially given a road map to allow you to apply it elsewhere.
Then there’s the glossary, which amps up the science. If you don’t have a scientific background, you may not want to spend too much time here. I found I started to lose some confidence in what I had learned when I tried to decipher all of the science. Then I let it go. I didn’t need to be able to quote all of the right terminology to start making changes to my life.
This is a book I know I’ll keep coming back to. I expect I’ll need a refresher from time to time and as the circumstances of my life change, so will the parts of the book that speak to me.
I’ve already recommended this book to a bunch of people who work in the trauma field and I don’t think I’m going to be shutting up about it anytime soon.
Thank you so much to Edelweiss and Norton Professional Books, an imprint of W. W. Norton & Company, for the opportunity to read this book.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
Once Upon a Blurb
The creator of the Polyvagal Theory explains the principles in simple terms that are accessible to all.
Since Stephen Porges first proposed the Polyvagal Theory in 1994, its basic idea — that the level of safety we feel impacts our health and happiness — has radically shifted how researchers and clinicians approach trauma interventions and therapeutic interactions. Yet despite its wide acceptance, most of the writing on the topic has been obscured behind clinical texts and scientific jargon.
Our Polyvagal World definitively presents how Polyvagal Theory can be understandable to all and demonstrates how its practical principles are applicable to anyone looking to live their safest, best, healthiest, and happiest life. What emerges is a worldview filled with optimism and hope, and an understanding as to why our bodies sometimes act in ways our brains wish they didn’t.
Filled with actionable advice and real-world examples, this book will change the way you think about your brain, body, and ability to stay calm in a world that feels increasingly overwhelming and stressful.
After polishing off their pancakes and coffee at the diner, Marissa, Ty, Radwa and Garrett make their way to the cemetery to get drunk and summon a ghost. It is Halloween, after all.
At the cemetery, the group find a nineteenth century mausoleum. Inside is essentially a cabinet of curiosities, including a creepy automaton.
To all the dreamers who seek what is lost: make a wish
Naturally, everyone makes a wish and then … they’re not in New Jersey anymore.
It turns out creepy automaton guy is Tom. Tom wants to attend the ball but he’s missing some teeth and the way he sees it, Marissa, Ty, Radwa and Garrett are just the boozed up kids he needs to retrieve said teeth.
Having only just arrived in Confetti Realms, the kids don’t know the lay of the land. It’s a good thing Tom has a map.
The kids brought their baggage with them so there’s some friendship dramas and misunderstandings to clear up along the way. There’s also a bunch of creatures to meet and bargain with in their quest for the missing molars.
I particularly liked the axolotl wearing pearls and Moira. I wanted to spend more time with Moira and learn her backstory.
I initially really liked our four accidental dimension travellers. However, their arguing distracted me at times from fully appreciating the details of the world they had been transported to and the array of characters that inhabited it.
I loved the artwork and the colour palette. I enjoyed exploring this world but would have liked to have had more of a chance to get to know the creatures I was introduced to there.
This was a fun Halloween read that made me crave pancakes and add riding a giant centipede to my bucket list.
Thank you so much to NetGalley, Maverick and Mad Cave Studios for the opportunity to read this graphic novel.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 3.5 out of 5.
Once Upon a Blurb
On Halloween night, when the moon is full, teenagers get up to mischief. But when an encounter with a giant, sentient puppet in a graveyard sends four teens to a mysterious dimension called the Confetti Realms, they must overcome obstacles in their own friendships – and collect the debted teeth owed to the puppet – in order to make their way home.
But the allure of staying in a fantasy world is a hard one to beat, and going home to their normal lives is starting to sound less and less appealing for some. Will these friends return home?
Featuring a diverse cast of characters, this Tim Burton-esque, comedic, modern, and high-energy story is written by Eisner Award-winner Nadia Shammas, with art by Karnessa and colours by Hackto Oshiro.
It’s Stephen Graham Jones. It’s time travel. It’s a sci-fi slasher.
Even if I wasn’t already convinced by those selling points, I would have only needed to take one look at Rafael Albuquerque’s incredible cover artwork to decide I needed this graphic novel in my life.
Welcome to 2112. It’s a good thing time travel exists so we can go back and prevent the apocalypse which, if I’m being completely honest, arrived later than I thought it would.
So, who in our group of outcasts are we going to send back in time to save the world? Humanity’s best hope is … a linguist with no fighting experience.
Go back in time. Kill Columbus. Save the world from America.
I hope Tad’s ready for a steep learning curve.
This volume includes the first six issues of the series. I love the concept and am keen to find out what the world will look like if Tad succeeds in his mission. I think I need a reread, though, to remove some lingering questions marks above my head.
While I had no trouble following what was happening in 1492, 2112 baffled me at times. I ended up borrowing the six individual issues from the library but they didn’t include the helpful summaries I was hoping would help me fill in the blanks.
I expect my experience with this graphic novel will mirror that of the first volume of Monstress. At first I didn’t really get it. A reread converted me and it became one of my favourites. I’m looking forward to saying the same about Earthdivers.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and IDW Publishing for the opportunity to read this graphic novel.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 3.5 out of 5.
Once Upon a Blurb
The year is 2112, and it’s the apocalypse exactly as expected: rivers receding, oceans rising, civilisation crumbling. Humanity has given up hope, except for a group of Indigenous outcasts who have discovered a time travel portal in a cave in the desert and figured out where everything took a turn for the worst: America.
Convinced that the only way to save the world is to rewrite its past, they send one of their own — a reluctant linguist named Tad — on a bloody, one-way mission to 1492 to kill Christopher Columbus before he reaches the so-called New World. But there are steep costs to disrupting the timeline, and taking down an icon isn’t an easy task for an academic with no tactical training and only a wavering moral compass to guide him. As the horror of the task ahead unfolds and Tad’s commitment is tested, his actions could trigger a devastating new fate for his friends and the future.
Join Stephen Graham Jones and artist Davide Gianfelice for Earthdivers, Vol. 1, the beginning of an unforgettable ongoing sci-fi slasher spanning centuries of America’s Colonial past to explore the staggering forces of history and the individual choices we make to survive it.
You know when you can’t wait to read the final book in a series but at the same time you don’t want to read it because once you reach the end, it’s the end? Welcome to my Sheets dilemma.
Marjorie and Wendell have lived in my heart for five years now. Eliza joined them two years ago. Lights gave me Wendell’s story, which I have needed to know since the day I met him, but I’m still not ready to say goodbye to this trio of outcasts.
I love them individually but I love them even more when they’re together. That’s not to say I wasn’t ready to give one of the characters a talking to at one point, but they came good in the end.
Grief and loneliness have weaved their way through this trilogy, and sadness and some anger have accompanied them. There’s also been friendship, messy and complicated, but also wonderful.
I loved Tierney at first sneer. For someone who could have been cast as the villain, and was in many areas of her life, she had a complexity that drew me to her. I kept wanting more page time with her.
After being wowed by the artwork in the first two graphic novels in the series, I expected a lot from this one and wasn’t disappointed. Before you read a word, you know from the colour palette alone that you are in the world of Sheets.
It’s inviting and soothing and lovely. Wendell’s past came with its own set of colours so, at a glance, you knew which time period you were in. Young Wendell is absolutely adorable.
Am I sad that it’s over? Of course. Am I glad I was along for the ride? Absolutely.
Bring on whatever Brenna Thummler creates next.
“How could anyone forget you?”
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Oni Press for the opportunity to read this graphic novel.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
Once Upon a Blurb
Marjorie Glatt’s life was forever changed the day she discovered a group of ghosts hiding in her family’s laundromat. One of those ghosts was Wendell: a lonely phantom turned Marjorie’s best friend. When he and Marjorie are joined by ghost-enthusiast Eliza Duncan, the three friends band together in friendship, bravery, and all things paranormal.
Wendell died far too young and now must wander the Land of Humans with nothing more than a sheet for a body. He knows how he died — a tragic drowning accident — but lately he’s grown curious about his past life. He wants to know more about why he died, not just how he died. It’s not easy, though, since Wendell’s memory of his human life has grown increasingly blurry. With Marjorie and Eliza’s help, they set out on a journey to find out more. When they hear a rumour about Wendell’s death, they wonder if it might not have been an accident after all. Meanwhile, Marjorie and Eliza’s friendship is tested when Marjorie starts to befriend the very people who used to bully Eliza.
In the third and final instalment of the Sheets trilogy, Wendell will finally uncover the truth of his human life. Marjorie and Eliza will learn that some people really can change. Most of all, they start to see that everything can cast shadows, but if you look hard enough, you can find the light.
Schizanthus Nerd 