Madison Reads Books

Jem and the Holograms: Showtime Kelly Thompson and Sophie Campbell As someone who was slightly too young to have experienced Jem the first time around and without any nostalgia associated, I absolutely loved this book. I honestly think this is one of the best graphic novels I have read lately. Jem and the Holograms: Showtime by Kelly Thompson and Sophie Campbell is the story of Jerrica Benton and her three sisters who are trying to make it as a band, despite Jerrica's issues with public performance. The story follows the sisters and their band, fronted by Jerrica's holographic alter ego Jem, enters a video contest run by the popular band the Misfits. Not only does the story deal with the singing competiton, but it also deals with each of the sister's personal lives and how they are creating there own identity. The art for this book is also amazing. It manages to keep an 80's vibe, even though the new series is set in the modern day, but it still doesn't com...

Pop Sonnets Erik Didrekson Pop Sonnets, written by Erik Didrekson and published by Quirk Books, is the perfect marriage of Shakespeare and pop music you didn't know you needed in your life. The book starts out with the premise that there is a secret manuscript of Shakespeare's Sonnets that has been used by the music industry as a source for lyrics for pop songs for years, and this book is that manuscript. I found the verses to be well written as well a very funny. I read some of the sonnets out loud and had people guess what the song was, and I think this definitely enhanced the reading experience. This book is the perfect way to enliven an evening in with a couple of friends. I got a review copy from Net Galley and ended up reading it all in one night. I would recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of the bard, pop music, or comedy (so everyone who isn't an ego-maniacal, black-hearted, puppy hating villain).Don't forget to get your copy, which will be rele...

Witches Protection Program Michael Phillip Cash Imagine a world in which witches have been living among us in secret for centuries, divided between good and evil. This is the world Michael Phillip Cash has set up in his new book Witches Protection Program. Wes Rockville, a young police officer already in disgrace, is reassigned to a very old, very secret branch of the police charged with protecting the good witches, or Davinas from the bad witches known as Willas. This book is part police procedural, part fantasy and all adventure. Wes's first assignment is to protect an heiress as her deranged aunt attempts to use witchcraft to take over the world turning into a feminist utopia through the oppression of men. The plot is exciting and well written and I would recommend this book to all fans of modern fantasy.  Citizens of Gotham, you can follow this link to order on Amazon ! Disclaimer: I received a free digital copy of this book for reviewing puposes

The Unfortunate Decisions of Dahlia Moss Max Wirestone The Unfortunate Decisions of Dahlia Moss, set for release October 20 2015, is the kind of adventure I have in my dreams. I got an early review copy from Net Galley and I didn't want to put it down. The story centers around Dahlia, an unemployed 20 something crashing in her friend's spare room as she goes to unsuccessful interview after unsuccessful interview. Her life has fallen into a rut she can;t get out of, until a guest at a crazy theme party changes her life forever. Dahlia is hired to retrieve a stolen digital sword inside an mmorpg, a job she has almost now skills for. It seems like easy money, until her client is killed the next day at which point his parents hire her to help solve the murder. Throughout Dahlias hunt for clues, she meets a group of gamers, finds love with a murder supect, dons an elaborate cosplay, and faces real world dangers. I would recommend this book to anyone, but especially to geek gir...

Since You've Been Gone- Morgan Matson Morgan Matson's since you've been gone is a compelling  read to get you through those last few days of summer or to de-stress after the pressures of work or a new school year. I felt a really strong connection with the main character, but I also have conflicting feelings about the overall arc of the story. On the one hand,  I was pretty much Emily in high school. I ran cross country and track, I was painfully shy, and my louder, more outgoing friends literally had to drag me into doing things (for example, I was invited to 1 party all four years of high school and spent most of it playing Wii bowling with a 5 year old). On the other hand, without being too spoilery, Sloane is kind of an awful friend and tries to push Emily into doing things she is very uncomfortable with by making her feel like the friendship depends on it (in a way my friends never pushed me) and that issue is never really addressed. There are also a few other i...