Oh my goodness, our bonus Chapter Book of the Week this week really is a fantastic idea you'd SWEAR someone must've thought of already...but this one's really not for kids so we're shoehorning it in as a bonus review

Our YA Chapter Book of the Week may definitely not be for kids, but if you're a bit of an 80s addict and fancy a hairspray-and-synth-pop powered trip down memory lane, step right this way...

It's time for another dubious delve into comic book history for our Second Picture Book of the Week - the awesome "The Legion of Regrettable Super Villains" by Jon Morris...

For this week's Book of the Week we're gazing into the far-flung future (May in fact) for a divine slice of super-sisterhood for all mighty girls...

Oh we're so mean! This week's Chapter Book of the Week isn't out until March but you will want to get your preorders in early, it's that good...!

There are certain movies that just 'have to be done' around this time of year...

Our Second Book of the Week ushers the triumphant return of a rather brilliant (but butt-ugly) book hero. "Warren the 13th and the Whispering Woods"...

One of THE essential yuletide movies ever made gets a picture book outing. Step inside for our first Advent Book of the Week (ya filthy animals), it's "Home Alone - The Classic Illustrated Storybook" by John Hughes and Kim Smith (Quirk Books)...

Our First Book of the Week this week is a deliciously dark dip into Quirk's quirky catalogue of titles - this one's for children though so how could we possibly resist "Warren the 13th"...

Waiting for a star to fall?

We've previously reviewed the utterly fantastic "The Last Policeman" here at ReadItDaddy and we were delighted when Mat Archer got in touch to offer us the chance to take a look at Book II.

Ben H. Winters has obviously been a very busy man, polishing off the trilogy and various other writing in progress.

So "What did Hank Palace Do Next?"

We'll try to avoid specific spoilers for this book and "TLP" simply because we want you to get the maximum enjoyment out of Ben H. Winters' fantastic works. Here though the relatively normal and somewhat calm world of "TLP" gives way to the eroding of society, the slow drip-feed of inevitability as once again the world quivers in anticipation of a massive meteorite strike.

In "Countdown City" Ben H. Winters continues to chip away at all the things we hold dear and take for granted. In Hank Palace's world, people have gone "Bucket List" - their way of coping with impending doom is to go off and do crazy stuff. Anything but deal with the here and now, and the thought that as our various frameworks and infrastructures break down and dissipate, people show their true colours and either cope or give in.

Hank Palace, forcibly retired from the Police Force, still assumes the role of investigator and what at first seems like a fairly obvious missing persons case develops into something more far-reaching and sinister.

Hank doggedly pursues his lines of inquiry as the rest of the world either slowly rolls over and plays dead, or digs in with gritty determination that somehow there will be survivors of the impact. The more you read about Hank Palace, the more you realise that his single-mindedness is yet another form of human madness - albeit a more subtle one, one that's perhaps equally as sinister as the bucketlisters or the folk who abandon family and friends to quietly go insane elsewhere.

As Hank's latest case unfolds, we learn how he copes with grief (particularly events that unfolded in "The Last Policeman" and carry through into "Countdown City" as quiet sub-plots intertwined with the main grist of the storyline).

Above all though, the novel is utterly addictive and compelling - in some ways for the same reasons the original book was (for the questions it raises in your own mind - what WOULD you do if this happened?) but in other ways because it delves further into our own concept of civilisation and what happens when something puts a giant size 10 boot through everything we rely on and hold dear. Simple things like the availability of coffee (I think for me, this was probably one of the most harrowing messages conveyed in "Countdown City" - that a cataclysmic event such as the meteorite strike would pretty much scupper your ability to grab your daily caffeine fix!)

The plot this time round is darker, more disturbing - and though we still think of Hank Palace as a heroic and solid character who seems to be a lone voice of calm rationality in a world rapidly going to hell, in truth he's anything but. We also get to see first hand his fragility in the face of characters who truly have nothing to lose. As "Countdown City" draws to a fairly quiet close with little over a month and a half left before the meteorite strike, there are many plot threads left untied, and the overall sense that Hank still has his own inner demons to slay.

With book 3, we really cannot wait to see how Winters ties together the loose ends, and presents us with what should be a fantastic, cataclysmic finale. I wouldn't want to be under the sort of pressure he must be feeling right now, to deliver a conclusion that both satisfies and is on a grand enough scale to end a trilogy that has rocked my world, and so many other people's worlds too.

Taft 2012 Cover

Daddy here, off the leash and straying away from children's picture books again to take a look at a book that - by rights - is so far outside my comfort zone that it normally wouldn't even register a blip of interest. Thankfully, thanks to Mat and Quirk Books, I've been sent a copy and it's really rather good.

My grasp of American politics is as slim as my grasp on the female psyche, but with a swift bit of Wikipediaing I found out that William Howard Taft was the 27th President of the United States of America.

I emphasize the 'was' there, because in Jason Heller's 'Man out of time' novel, William Howard Taft, all 300 lbs plus of him (including his superb moustache) has somehow crawled his way back to life after spending a century underground.

The novel opens with Taft literally clawing his way out of his grave but unlike most undead, he's not interested in eating brains (though huge platefuls of practically anything else is wholly acceptable to this impressive trencherman). Heller's wry humorous examination of the impact of a man 100 years behind the times both politically and domestically is far from the heavyweight political novel I was expecting.

We swiftly learn that Taft's great grand-daughter is currently in congress and most of the delights of this novel spring from how she copes when Great Grandad starts to make as big an impact on 21st century politics as he did back in the early years of the 20th.

Heller lulls the reader into a false sense of security at times. Just when you've accepted the fact that Taft is alive and breathing, he drops bombshells that entirely alter your perception of what the novel is actually about. Woven together with official missives interspersed with the story, you'll find yourself fact-checking and looking into Taft's equally interesting real life to see how Heller has constructed a version of Taft that fits the scope of the story.

Regardless of your stance on politics or your interest in how they do things 'over the pond', taken as a novel examining the massive changes over the course of more than 100 years, seen through the eyes of a sharp witted and amiable political figure, it's a rather engrossing read - and firmly establishes Heller as a writer to keep a firm eye on.

(Our thanks to Mat Archer and Quirk Books for our review copy of Taft 2012)

The Last Policeman (Cover)

As you have probably noticed, Daddy hijacks the blog now and again to post reviews of books that are distinctly grown up.

Ever since I first heard about "The Last Policeman" it joined the teetering wishlist of books. Thanks to Mat Archer and Quirk Books, I've now read my early birthday present and it's every bit as brilliant as I hoped it would be.

The "book hook" here is just too enticing to pass up, and sets a billion questions churning in the mind of the reader even before they read the first chapter.

"The world is ending. No get out clause. No reprieve. What would you do?"

The world in "The Last Policeman" is an astonishingly unfamiliar place, a world with the Sword of Damocles (or in this case, Asteroid 2011GV1) hanging over its head.

Hank Palace, a detective, chooses to handle the world's premature death sentence by going to work.

Investigating a suicide, Palace soon becomes entwined in a case with the darkest of hidden depths and complexities that threaten to pull in and destroy those he holds dear. Hitting dead ends and a whole world of apathy, it's up to Palace to prove that the seemingly clear-cut suicide case is anything but.

Ben H. Winter's pre-apocalyptic world piques your curiosity at every page turn, and forces the reader to answer those questions. What would we do? How would we react if we knew that our death day was tangible? How strong could we be in a situation where life is reduced to survival and instinct instead of comfortable existence? It's a fascinating glimpse of how even the mightiest companies and networks completely crumble and fall apart as their most valuable resource - humans to flip the burgers, flick the switches - or indeed investigate murders - stop caring and await the inevitable.

My initial fear that knowing the fate of the world right off the bat would mean this novel had nowhere else to go was thankfully unfounded. This is a book that keeps you guessing, and keeps you gripped throughout. Hank Palace is no action-packed superhero detective with a witty quip to suit every situation. If anything, he's one of the most humbling and human characters I've seen in a novel for quite some time. Someone who carries on when everything is utterly hopeless. I just couldn't put this down and am seriously contemplating sacking off the rest of the reading list to start it all over again.

This is the first book in a trilogy. Brilliant stuff, more please soon Ben!

We're really struggling under the weight of some seriously brilliant books this week and the first to knock our eyes out was kindly sent to use by the superb Mat at PGUK / Quirk Books. We've been rooting for this one for a while so it was great to finally be able to take a look at it.

Being slightly 'arty' (read: absolutely hopeless) and having a daughter whose artistic ability is far outstripping my own, this book is an absolute must.

So why 'Fill in the Blank'? What's so special about another sketchbook? Well this one sets up various pages, designs and scenarios to give you a spark of inspiration for your drawing. Sometimes you'll get to design a billboard for an ad campaign, other times you'll be doing some fantastic tattoos on someone's back or drawing the most wild and whacky pair of shoes you can possibly imagine.

For Charlotte, the only real sticking point was understanding the context of some of the designs but it was actually really great for her, and even when she made up her own versions of what the 'brief' was actually after, she was totally and completely absorbed in this book for hours (to the point where the only way my wife could get her to eat dinner or do something else was to take her pencils away!)

A really brilliant and novel book / sketchpad. Perhaps aimed at older children but even for an inquisitive and artsy 4 year old, it's an excellent and original idea.

Charlotte's best bit: Drawing some fantastic caged birds, and some really wild nail polish designs

Daddy's favourite bit: Trying to remember how to draw high heeled boots for some of the 'feet' designs in this. I barely got a look in though, Charlotte wouldn't let me!

(Fill in the Blank kindly supplied by PGUK / Quirk Books for review)

Quirk Books kindly sent us a fun and hilarious joke book to review and it's definitely reminded us that
one of the best things about having a 4 and a half year old daughter is that they never think your jokes are too terrible or too cheesy.

This means you can get away with wheeling out old classics like "Why do elephants paint their toenails yellow? So they can hide upside down in custard!" or even "What's brown and sticky? A stick!"

David Borgenicht obviously recognises this fact, as his book "MonkeyFarts" gathers together some real rip-snorters in a handy collection that provides hours of absolutely (brilliantly) terrible joke-telling that's sure to tickle a few ribs.

Pick a subject dear to the hearts of children (poo, farts, pirates, monsters, elephants) and you can pretty much guarantee there's a joke about it in this book. The titular joke (What's invisible and smells of bananas? Monkey Farts!) is the very tip of the iceberg of a collection of hilarity that stays on just the right end of the 'rudeness' scale (therefore, causes more snorts, giggles, howls of laughter than most other joke collections we've seen).

As a jumping off point for our memories of terrible jokes told at school, at scouts (and guides - yes, my wife The Strolling Mum thought this book was brilliant too!) or even at work, it's proved to be a lot of fun. Chock full of illustrations to accompany the giggles and riddles, it's perfect entertainment to pack in a school bag for breaktimes, or even for car journeys (so long as you can stand the steady stream of quick-fire punnery!)

Charlotte's best joke: "Why did Tigger stick his head in the toilet? He was looking for Pooh!"

Daddy's favourite joke: "How did the lion like to eat his steak?" ROOOOOAAAARRRRR!"

Mummy's favourite joke: "What's brown and sticky? A stick!"

(Thanks to Mat Archer at PGUK for the review copy)