Book Bunnies

Marshmallow reviews The Parker Inheritance by Varian Johnson

In her first review for 2022, Marshmallow writes about The Parker Inheritance, a 2018 novel written by Varian Johnson.

Marshmallow’s Quick Take: If you like books about mysteries, and if you would like to read about racial injustices and their impact and the resilience of people of color to honor the Black History Month, then this might be the book for you.

Marshmallow’s Summary (with Spoilers): Candice Miller has just found a letter addressed to her grandmother, Abigail Caldwell, who was disgraced after she searched for a hidden treasure by digging a tennis court. Candice’s parents have just gotten a divorce and so she has moved from Atlanta (her real home, as she calls it) and is now temporarily living with her mother in Lambert, a small town in South Carolina.

We learn that Candice’s grandmother was the first African American city manager of Lambert. During her time as manager, she received a letter from a mysterious person. The letter writes that there is an inheritance of 40 million dollars, which will go to the city (one tenth goes to the person who solved the puzzle), that can be obtained if one solves the puzzles set up by the writer of the letter.

The letter explains that, a long time ago, a family named the Washingtons was driven out of town by another family, the Allens. (The Washingtons were black and the Allens were white and this was the reason why the Washingtons were driven out.) The writer of the letter was in love with one of the Washingtons, Siobhan (pronounced Shi-vaun). The writer, it seems, was a wealthy business person and destroyed the Allen family economically. He then started to economically destroy the city of Lambert, because the officials did nothing to help the Washingtons, but Siobhan begged him not to.

It turns out that Candice’s grandmother tried to solve this puzzle using the clues in the letter, but she made a mistake. She dug up one of the city’s tennis courts by forging city paperwork to pay a crew and rent a backhoe. Unfortunately, she didn’t find anything. She ended up, basically, getting fired and becoming the laughingstock of the city. (She wasn’t fired, necessarily, but she was suspended by the mayor and soon, forced to resign from her job.)

Now Candice finds this letter in her deceased grandmother’s boxes of stuff. There is a note from her grandmother that says, “Find the path. Solve the puzzle.” Candice believes that her grandmother intended for her to solve the puzzle, and get the inheritance. Candice has lots of practice with puzzles; she loves doing puzzles and puzzle books. And with the assistance of Brandon, a boy who lives across the street, she starts to solve the mystery. As she learns more, she uncovers unpleasant truths about Lambert’s past.

Marshmallow is reading The Parker Inheritance by Varian Johnson. — Marshmallow is reading *The Parker Inheritance* by Varian Johnson.

Marshmallow’s Review: I think that this is a very good book. I found it really interesting as it was written from multiple perspectives. I’ve read books that have multiple perspectives, but what made this interesting for me was the fact that the characters were all in different times, like one chapter is Candice, who is living today, and the other is Siobhan, who lived many years ago. This change of perspective and time helped make some of the mystery clearer and also gave more detail; that way the reader can also understand and solve the puzzle by themselves.

I think that this book is good for all ages, but it might be easier for children ages 8 and up to solve the puzzle.

Marshmallow’s Rating: 100%.

Marshmallow rates The Parker Inheritance by Varian Johnson 100%. — Marshmallow rates *The Parker Inheritance* by Varian Johnson 100%.

Caramel reviews Cleopatra in Space: Fallen Empires by Mike Maihack

In his first review for 2022, Caramel revisits the Cleopatra in Space series by Mike Maihack.

Last year Caramel had reviewed the first four books from the Cleopatra in Space graphic novel series by Mike Maihack. (You might find it useful to check out his reviews of the first book Target Practice, the second book The Thief and the Sword, the third book Secret of the Time Tablets, and the fourth book The Golden Lion, before continuing on.) Today, in his first review for 2022, he revisits this series and talks about the fifth book in the series: Fallen Empires. As usual, Sprinkles is taking notes and asking questions.

Caramel reviews Cleopatra in Space: Fallen Empires by Mike Maihack. — Caramel reviews *Cleopatra in Space: Fallen Empires* by Mike Maihack.

Sprinkles: So it has been a while Caramel.

Caramel: Yes it has, hasn’t it?

S: But you have kept reading. Haven’t you?

C: Yup.

S: So what are you going to talk about today?

C: Cleopatra in Space: Fallen Empires. It’s the fifth book in the series.

S: So should readers read the first four to understand this book?

C: Yup. I think they’d not get much out of it otherwise.

S: Okay, you already reviewed those first four books. So I’ll just suggest we can assume the readers have read those. What should we know about Cleo when we are getting ready to dive into this?

C: Cleo is the real Cleopatra from Ancient Egypt, who somehow got transported in time to 30,000 years later. She is a kid in these books, and she is fighting evil people. In this book she is trying to destroy an evil superweapon of Octavian.

S: And Octavian is her nemesis?

C: Well, he turns out to be Cleo’s friend from 30,000 years ago.

S: Wait, was that a spoiler?

C: No, not really. We learned it in the fourth book.

S: Oh, okay then. I hope readers have already read that one. Alright, why does Cleo’s friend have an evil superweapon?

C: Well, he became evil, because Cleo left and never came back.

S: Hmm, that is kind of sad.

C: Yes, I think he has a good reason to be annoyed.

Caramel is reading Cleopatra in Space: Fallen Empires by Mike Maihack. — Caramel is reading *Cleopatra in Space: Fallen Empires* by Mike Maihack.

S: So what is the title referring to? What are the fallen empires?

C: Octavian has been in multiple empires. They all got destroyed. In the beginning of the book we learn about Gozi, who was Cleo’s friend, and all his family died, and he goes through a lot. Kind of sad. And then he eventually becomes Xius Octavian.

S: Hmm, so it is related to his backstory then. Tell me did you find this volume just as fun as the earlier ones?

C: Yup. I read it really fast again. And twice in one day. I like these books!

S: I can see that! So what three words would you use to describe it?

C: Serious, colorful, and …. captivating!

S: Those are interesting word choices Caramel. “Captivating” is a big word! But given how you already read and reread it several times, I think it is a good word to describe the book. But I would not have expected you to say “serious”. You thought the other books in the series were funny.

C: This was not that funny. It was more serious. Gozi’s story is a bit sad. He had a wife and kids and they all died.

S: Yes, that is indeed sad. But you don’t like sad books. I remember you said that when you were reviewing Charlotte’s Web.

C: No I really don’t like sad books. But I was curious about what was going to happen. And it somehow works, without making you too sad.

S: I see. I can also see that you want to continue reading, so maybe this is a good time to end this first review of the year. What would you like to tell our readers?

C: Stay tuned for more book bunny reviews!

Caramel enjoyed reading Cleopatra in Space: Fallen Empires by Mike Maihack, and is ready to move on to the sixth book in the series. — Caramel enjoyed reading *Cleopatra in Space: Fallen Empires* by Mike Maihack, and is ready to move on to the sixth book in the series.

Caramel reviews Robotech Visual Archive: The Macross Saga edited by Matt Moylan

In his last review for 2021, Caramel wanted to share some of his thoughts on one of his favorites among the recent book acquisitions of the book bunny household: Robotech Visual Archive: The Macross Saga, a large-scale book edited by a team of artists and writers led by Matt Moylan. As usual Sprinkles is taking notes and asking questions.

Sprinkles: So Caramel, you wanted to talk about this Robotech book for a while. So here we are. Tell us about it.

Caramel: This book is about Robotech! As you could tell, obviously, from the title.

S: So what if some of our readers don’t know what Robotech is? Can you tell us a bit about it?

C: It’s a bit hard to explain. I mean, it is an animated TV show from long time ago. I think it was the 1980s…

S: Wait, that is not that long ago! Sure, I was a young bunny back then …

C: I know. That was a long time ago.

S: Okay, I guess I have to accept the fact that time is moving forward and I am getting old.

C: No. You’re only getting wiser!

S: Thank you Caramel, you are very kind. So let us get back to Robotech. Robotech was a TV series from the 80s. In fact we can put a link to the Wikipedia article for those who want to read up on it And here is a link to the first episode:

Robotech The Macross Saga 1985 Episode 1 Boobytrap – from YouTube.

S: But why don’t you give us a quick summary?

C: Okay, that is going to be a bit hard. But let me try. So we are on Earth, and there is an alien ship that crashed on the planet. And humans discovered it and tried to decode the technology it used. They called that technology robotechnology. So the name Robotech probably comes from there.

S: Okay, so is this what happens in the series?

C: No, this is the background. The series starts with some aliens trying to get that alien ship back. Actually it is not theirs, either, but they want to claim it. and so there is a big war, which destroys most of the Earth in Episode 27–

S: That is terrible!

C: Oops, yes, and it is a pretty terrible spoiler if someone wanted to watch the series and did not know anything about it beforehand. I’m sorry!

S: Oh well. I suppose that was kind of difficult to avoid. This book that you are reviewing today is not only about the story though, right?

C: No. There is a lot more in it than just the story, but there are actually pages for each of the episodes, and they summarize what happens in each episode.

S: I see. Yes, there is a full page for each episode, with the episode synopsis and several screenshots from the episode.

C: Yep, pretty neat!

Caramel is reading about Episodes 05 and 06 of The Macross Saga in Robotech Visual Archive: The Macross Saga, edited by Matt Moylan. — Caramel is reading about Episodes 05 and 06 of *The Macross Saga* in *Robotech Visual Archive: The Macross Saga*, edited by Matt Moylan.

S: Okay, so for the thirty-six episodes there are thirty-six pages–

C: Nope, some episodes have two pages!

S: Okay, but other than that, other than the episode pages, what else is there in the book?

C: There are several pages for each of the main characters. There is a whole section called “Character Designs: Humans” which has many many pages for each of the main human characters. And then there is a section called “Character Designs: Zentradi” for the alien race.

S: I’m guessing the Zentradi are the aliens who are fighting the humans?

C: Yes. But they are humanoid and there is a very good reason for why they are humanoid. But I won’t spoil that much.

S: Maybe that is a good idea.

Caramel is reading about Max Sterling, his favorite character in the series, in Robotech Visual Archive: The Macross Saga, edited by Matt Moylan. — Caramel is reading about Max Sterling, his favorite character in the series, in *Robotech Visual Archive: The Macross Saga*, edited by Matt Moylan.

S: So tell me more about the book then. What else is there?

C: There are the mecha designs pages for the United Earth Forces and the Zentradi forces.

S: And I am sure you love those!

C: Yep. I love the mechas, especially the VF-1A.

Caramel is reading about VF-1A, his favorite VeriTech mecha in the series, in *Robotech Visual Archive: The Macross Saga*, edited by Matt Moylan.

S: So I did not know what a mecha was before you told me about them. But apparently mechas are typical anime constructs, they are large robots that usually have a human pilot in them that is steering them.

C: Yes. And most of these transform. They can be humanoid robots but they can also be fighter planes or something in between.

S: I can see why you would find them fascinating. You like space ships, you like planes, and you love robots and transformers. Just perfect for you!

C: Yep.

S: So I know you have watched a lot of the Robotech series. Do you think you would have liked this book this much if you had not?

C: It would not make much sense but the ships and the robots and so on are still cool.

S: So what do you want to tell our readers about the show itself?

C: I like the plot and I love the mechas, and I like the song Minmei sings:

Robotech, Minmei singing “We will win” during the Final Battle – from YouTube.

C: but there are some parts where I covered my eyes–

S: Yes, there was some nudity in there I think.

C: Yes. So I am not sure that everyone should watch it. But the ships are awesome! So the book is really awesome! I can just look at the robots and the ships and read about them, too.

S: That is great Caramel. So I think this is probably enough for this review. Would you recommend this book?

C: Yes! All bunnies young and old, who like starships, robots, and especially Robotech, will like this book!

S: Sounds just about right to me! Okay, Caramel, this is your last review for 2021. And then we take the month of January off, like we have been doing. So what do you want to tell our readers?

C: Happy new year everyone! And stay tuned for more book bunny reviews, coming to you in February 2022!

Caramel loves perusing the pages of Robotech Visual Archive: The Macross Saga, edited by Matt Moylan, and recommends it to all bunnies young and old, who like starships, robots, and especially Robotech. — Caramel loves perusing the pages of *Robotech Visual Archive: The Macross Saga*, edited by Matt Moylan, and recommends it to all bunnies young and old, who like starships, robots, and especially *Robotech*.

Marshmallow reviews Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander by J.K. Rowling

Marshmallow’s first review for this blog was a review of Harry Potter and The Cursed Child by J.K. Rowling. In her last review for 2021, she revisits the Harry Potter universe and writes about Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander written by J.K. Rowling.

Marshmallow’s Quick Take: If you liked some of J.K. Rowling’s other books, then this might be the book for you.

Marshmallow’s Summary: This is a book about all of the fantastic beasts that inhabit the world of Harry Potter. There is an A-Z list of a lot of the amazing creatures in the Harry Potter world, though not all of them were mentioned in the original series. The A-Z list has a paragraph about each creature. There is a rating of how dangerous the creature is, with X meaning “boring” and XXXXX meaning “a known wizard killer / impossible to train or domesticate”. Each creature’s paragraph describes what they look like, where they live, and then some more. Sometimes there is a sketch of the animal.

The purported author of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Newt Scamander, is a wizard who appeared in several movies based in the American Wizarding World. Newt Scamander is a wizard from the 1920s, so the book is written from the perspective of a wizard. We first hear about this book in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, where it is a textbook Harry needs. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them also contains an About The Author segment where we learn more about Scamander.

The foreword is written as if it were meant for wizards, and at the beginning Scamander writes, “To appear only in ‘For Wizards’ version” and at the end, there is another handwritten note: “Editor’s note: for Muggles edition, usual guff: ‘obvious fiction—all good fun—nothing to worry about—hope you enjoy it’”

The foreword and the introduction are not something to skip; they are funny and explain the definition and origin of the label of beast. They explain the format of the book too. The author’s note also explains how wizards have kept the magical creatures in the Harry Potter world hidden. The book itself divulges the truth about the Yeti, the Loch Ness monster, and more.

Marshmallow is reading Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander by J.K. Rowling. — Marshmallow is reading *Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them* by Newt Scamander by J.K. Rowling.

Marshmallow’s Review: This book is a must-read for every Harry Potter fan. It is a light read, and doesn’t have a plot, so bunnies of all ages can read it. The author, Newt Scamander/J.K. Rowling, is humorous all throughout, which makes the book fun to read.

On the back of the edition I have it reads:

“Proceeds from the sale of this book will go to Comic Relief and Lumos, which means that the dollars you exchange for it will do magic beyond the powers of any wizard. If you feel that this is insufficient reason to part with your money, one can only hope that passing wizards feel more charitable if they see you being attacked by a Manticore.”

I really enjoyed reading this book. It made watching the movies a lot more fun. Here is the trailer of the first movie in the Fantastic Beasts franchise:

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them Official Teaser Trailer #1 (2016) – from YouTube.

Here is the trailer for the second movie:

FANTASTIC BEASTS 2 Trailer 2 (2018) – from YouTube.

The third movie will come out in April 2022, but I will be back here in February. Till then, enjoy the holidays and the new year, and read lots of books! I know I will!

Marshmallow’s Rating: 100%.

Marshmallow rates Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander by J.K. Rowling 100%. — Marshmallow rates *Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them* by Newt Scamander by J.K. Rowling 100%.