Book Review - Bonding: A Love Story About People and and Their Parasites by Matthew Erman + Giveaway

 

The tale is old as time but, with a twist. This graphic novel is a love story between a man and a woman but, they have parasites attached to them. Marcus has been alone and is new to the dating scene. He is dealing with the trauma of losing his best friend. Laura has been drifting into life and relationship with no purpose. The pair is on their first date and things are going well until Marcus's parasite rejects him as a host and Marcus almost dies.

I normally love reading graphic novels and this one seemed like it would be a quirky fun read. However, this has been one of the most confusing and frustrating graphic novel I ever read. I didn't even make it to the end as it seemed pointless. 

There is no flow and the story jumps back and forth without warning. It's hard understanding what was happening between the characters because they were in the present and then in the past back and forth. Some of the male characters looked alike and it was hard to tell them apart. When Marcus and Laura goes to a club, Laura is confront by a stalker (another story line that went nowhere) that looks exactly like Marcus except that dude had one curl. Then one of the character goes for a drive to think and then finds someone that looks exactly like them but, they are dead. The story then never explains who that dead person was and what the importance was.

The second part of the story is Marcus and Laura's son who is struggling. The story isn't really clear if he is struggling with anxiety or just dealing with teenage drama. He has this crush that he is obsessed with and their story line is even more confusing. He talks about God and stuff that their world is experiencing but, we as readers have no idea as the world building has been so sparse. The only details we know about the world is that everyone has a slug attached to them and if the slug detaches from the host, they both die. This graphic novel had so much potential and failed with it's execution.

**Disclosure - I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion** 

 

 

About The Book:

Title: BONDING: A Love Story About People and Their Parasites

Author: Matthew Erman, Emily Pearson (Illustrations)

Pub. Date: January 31, 2023

Publisher: Vault Comics

Formats: Hardcover, eBook

Pages: 208

Find it: Goodreads, https://books2read.com/BONDING

“Wear your heart on your sleeve.”  That’s the saying. But in BONDING, people wear their anxiety on their chests – in the form of a  parasite that shows everyone just what you’re feeling on the inside …

WEAR YOUR LOVE ON YOUR CHEST

A man, a woman—and their parasites. Marcus has been alone since the loss of his closest friend and has just recently entered into the dating scene, while Laura has drifted in and out of relationships since high school. They meet, they have a great first date, and Marcus almost dies—because the slug-like parasite that everybody carries in this world nearly rejects him, its host. BONDING is a funny, quirky, and honest look at love, in a world where everyone wears their anxiety, not on their sleeves, but on their chest like big ol' leeches.

Fans of Matthew Erman's work on Vault Comics' WITCHBLOOD and Archaia's JIM HENSON'S THE DARK CRYSTAL: AGE OF RESISTANCE will find lots to love in BONDING. Fans of Image Comics' ICE CREAM MAN VOL. 1, DC Comics' COLLAPSER and even books like THE HOST by Stephenie Meyer and THE PARASITOLOGY TRILOGY by Mira Grant will enjoy this foray into all the stressors of dating...where a parasite is the least of your worries (unless it kills you, that is.)

 

Review:

“Erman and Pearson skewer genre norms in this sweet and casually unsettling comics romance-dramedy…”- Publishers Weekly

About Matthew Erman:

Matthew Erman is a comics writer from Columbus, Ohio. Alongside Lisa Sterle, he co-created the critically acclaimed comic horror series, Long Lost, which was optioned for Film/TV by Producer Jenny Klein (The Witcher, Daisy Jones and The Six). Erman has since worked on the comic book series Jim Henson’s The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance and graphic novel Power Rangers: Sins of the Future with BOOM! Studios, series Care Bears: Unlock the Magic with IDW, the upcoming  science fiction/ horror / humorous romance original graphic novel BONDING, with artist and co-creator Emily Pearson for Vault Comics, and the smash supernatural action adventure comics series (with artist/co-creator Lisa Sterle) from Vault Comics, WITCHBLOOD. His short work can be found in anthologies such  as Corpus (2018), Dead Beats (2019) and Everything is Going Wrong (2019).

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Amazon

 

About Emily Pearson:

Emily Pearson is a freelance comic book artist from Davis, California.
She has previously worked for Black Mask Studios; “The Wilds”(2018) and “Snap Flash Hustle”(2018-19), Oni Press’s “The Vain”(2020), and the upcoming “Bonding” coming to Vault Comics in 2022.

In addition to comics series, she drew a short story for the Ringo Award Winning “Mine!” an anthology for Planned Parenthood, Vault Comic’s “Cult Classic Zero Short”, “CORPUS” curated by Nadia Shammas, and “Everything is Going Wrong: Comics on Punk & Mental Illness”.
She has illustrated various covers for comic books including: “Stranger Things: SIX” from Dark Horse Comics, “Calexit: Emmie X”, “The Devil Within”, “Sweet/Vicious”, “The Wilds”, “Snap Flash Hustle” from Black Mask Studios, “Going to the Chapel” from Action Lab, “Atlantis Wasn’t Built For Tourists” from Scout Comics and many more.

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads

 

Giveaway Details:

2 winners will receive a finished copy of BONDING, US Only.

Ends February 18^th, midnight EST.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

1/16/2023	Sadie's Spotlight	Excerpt/IG Post
1/17/2023	Bookish Trisha	Excerpt/IG Post
1/18/2023	Writer of Wrongs	Excerpt
1/19/2023	The Clever Reader	Excerpt/IG Post
1/20/2023	A Dream Within A Dream	Excerpt
1/21/2023	Two Chicks on Books	Excerpt/IG Post

Week Two:

1/22/2023	Nagma | TakeALookAtMyBookshelf	IG Review
1/23/2023	Jeff_of_allmedia	IG Review
1/24/2023	GryffindorBookishNerd	IG Review
1/25/2023	@bubbles_books09	IG Review/TikTok Post
1/26/2023	travelersguidetobooks	IG Review
1/27/2023	Eli to the nth	Review/IG Post
1/28/2023	Nerdophiles	Review

Week Three:

1/29/2023	@coffeesipsandreads	IG Review/TikTok Post
1/30/2023	Brandi Danielle Davis	IG Review/TikTok Post
1/31/2023	brittreadsalattebooks	IG Post
2/1/2023	Jenguerdy	IG Post
2/2/2023	Rajiv's Reviews	Review/IG Post
2/3/2023	A Blue Box Full of Books	IG Review/LFL Drop Pic
2/4/2023	Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers	Review/IG Post

Week Four:

2/5/2023	See Sadie Read	Review/IG Post
2/6/2023	Mallory Books	Review/IG Post
2/7/2023	@just_another_mother_with_books	IG Review
2/8/2023	Nonbinary Knight Reads	Review/IG Post
2/9/2023	Novel Novice	IG post
2/10/2023	Two Points of Interest	Review
2/11/2023	The Momma Spot	Review/IG Post

Week Five:

2/12/2023	onemused	IG Post
2/13/2023	@jacleomik33	IG Review
2/14/2023	@thebookishfoxwitch	IG Review

Book Spotlight - Scavenger Hunt: A Novel by Chad Boudreaux + Giveaway

I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the SCAVENGER HUNT by Chad Boudreaux Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!

 

About The Book:

Title: SCAVENGER HUNT

Author: Chad Boudreaux

Pub. Date: January 31, 2023

Publisher: Morgan James Fiction

Formats: Paperback, eBook

Pages: 296

Find it: Goodreads, https://books2read.com/SCAVENGER-HUNT 

Blake Hudson just wants to serve his country well as a lawyer for the United States Justice Department—but when an unknown threat begins plotting his downfall, he must find who is setting him up before it costs him his life.

Scavenger Hunt is a suspense novel chronicling the plight of Blake Hudson, a Justice Department lawyer assigned to a clandestine counterterrorist group created to bypass onerous legal requirements. After the group mysteriously disbands, Hudson becomes the scapegoat and is transformed from hunter to hunted. As he searches for answers and attempts to piece the puzzle together, people are following him, trying to kill him. 

Written for fans of fast-paced thrillers, dry humor, political gamesmanship, and Clue-like twists and turns, Scavenger Hunt carves out a distinct niche best described as a hybrid of the Robert Ludlum classics and works by Brad Meltzer. Blake Hudson’s story addresses issues that have shaped recent elections and continue to frustrate interest groups and government leaders, while featuring the inner workings of the U.S. Department of Justice Building—arguably the most important and misunderstood agency in the federal government. Author Chad Boudreaux’s unique voice and page-turning storytelling packs a plot-driven punch that readers won’t be able to put down. 

About Chad Boudreaux:

Chad Boudreaux has a broad range of government, legal and corporate experience. Prior to serving as the Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer of the nation’s largest military shipbuilder, he served as Deputy Chief of Staff for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, where he advised Secretary Michael Chertoff on almost all significant matters facing the newly established Department.

Before working for Homeland Security, Boudreaux served in several high-ranking positions at the U.S. Justice Department, where he was hired the night before the September 11, 2001 attacks. During his time at the Justice Department, Boudreaux focused most of his time on matters relating to terrorism and homeland security.

His career in the government lead him to write his debut novel, Scavenger Hunt, coming out January 2023.

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads | Amazon

 

Giveaway Details:

1 winner will receive a finished copy of SCAVENGER HUNT, US Only.

Ends February 14th, midnight EST.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

1/16/2023	Mythical Books	Excerpt/IG Post
1/17/2023	Sadie's Spotlight	Excerpt/IG Post
1/18/2023	A Dream Within A Dream	Excerpt
1/19/2023	Pick a good book	Excerpt/IG Post
1/20/2023	#BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog	Excerpt/IG Post
1/21/2023	Writer of Wrongs	Excerpt

Week Two:

1/22/2023	Lady Hawkeye	Excerpt/IG Post
1/23/2023	Two Chicks on Books	Excerpt/IG Post
1/24/2023	Fire and Ice	Review
1/25/2023	@reacing.late.into.the.night	Review/IG Post
1/26/2023	OneMoreExclamation	Review/IG Post
1/27/2023	Books and Zebras	IG Review
1/28/2023	the book near me	Review/IG Post

Week Three:

1/29/2023	A Blue Box Full of Books	IG Review/LFL Drop Pic
1/30/2023	The Momma Spot	Review/IG Post
1/31/2023	Review Thick And Thin	Review/IG Post
2/1/2023	@carlysunshinebooks	IG Review/LFL Drop Pic
2/2/2023	Rajiv's Reviews	Review/IG Post
2/3/2023	@allyluvsbooksalatte	IG Review/TikTok Post
2/4/2023	@froggyreadteach	IG Review

Week Four:

2/5/2023	bookmama85	IG Review
2/6/2023	Brandi Danielle Davis	IG Review/TikTok Post
2/7/2023	@amysbookshelf82	IG Review
2/8/2023	Two Points of Interest	Review
2/9/2023	GryffindorBookishNerd	IG Review
2/10/2023	@enjoyingbooksagain	IG Review

Book Spotlight - The Sacred Meaning of Everyday Work by Robert H. Tribken + Giveaway

About The Book:

Title: THE SACRED MEANING OF EVERYDAY WORK

Author: Robert H Tribken

Pub. Date: January 31, 2023

Publisher: Faith and Enterprise Press

Formats: Paperback

Pages: 272

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon 

(An earlier version was published in 2021as Sacred Rhythm: A Christian Spirituality for Our 21st Century Work Lives by Robert Tribken.)

It’s time to engage problems and opportunities with a new sense of purpose.

Work can sometimes feel like a pressure cooker, with painful levels of stress, interpersonal conflict, and the risk of burnout. We can lose track of our goals and maybe even feel as though our work is pointless and going nowhere.

Developing a deeper sense of purpose will help us overcome these problems and perhaps even flourish in our work lives.

Many of us have a deep, intuitive desire to connect with something deeper than ourselves; for many, this means a deeper awareness of God and the divine mystery as we go through the week. And we have a closely related desire to contribute to the greater good and the well-being of other people through our work.

These powerful desires can profoundly affect our work lives if we let them guide us to our deeper purpose.

The Sacred Meaning of Everyday Work will help you find this new sense of purpose and deal with your challenges and opportunities with wisdom, strength, and courage.

The author offers practical insights from multiple sources, including the Bible, contemporary research, and experience in business. He invites you to consider these in light of your own faith or spirituality and your own work experience.

This book will help you:

• Find deeper purpose and meaning in your work and see its spiritual connection.
• Cultivate the character strengths like courage, integrity, and compassion you need to lead in a time of uncertainty.
• Overcome work-related problems like stress, burnout, and interpersonal conflict.
• Adopt short spiritual practices that help you relax, turn your attention toward God, and focus on the work at hand with new energy.
• Understand how your work contributes to the greater good and the well-being of other people.
• See how the values you bring to your work can encourage the teamwork essential for success.
• Learn what the Bible actually says about your work’s positive value and its contribution to human flourishing.

Your work is important for yourself, your family, your coworkers, and society as a whole. Finding its sacred meaning will help you work with a new sense of purpose.

 

About Robert H Tribken:

Rob Tribken has been in business for over four decades and is the founder of several businesses. Along the way, he has had to deal with many of the most difficult issues people face in their work lives. 

Over the years, Tribken became interested in the connection between faith, spirituality, and work. Several decades spent working in business combined with several years studying theology and becoming acquainted with organized Christianity convinced him that there is a great need to find better ways for churches to minister to people in the vocational aspects of their lives. He launched the Center for Faith and Enterprise to meet this need and help people experience a new sense of purpose, fulfillment, and effectiveness in their work lives. 

Tribken’s educational background helps him explore the connections between faith, spirituality, and work. He earned an MBA from The Harvard Business School and an MA in Theology from Fuller Theological Seminary. Tribken is pursuing a Doctor of Ministry in Faith, Work, Economics, and Vocation at Fuller. He has also spent considerable time researching positive organizational psychology and has incorporated findings in his writings. 

Tribken has led retreats, taught classes, led groups engaged in contemplative practices, and spoken on the subjects of spiritual practices, connecting faith and work, business as a calling, and the role of business in ending poverty. In addition to his work with the CFE, he has been involved with several other non-profit organizations dealing with the connection between faith and work. In past years, he has served as a volunteer Chairman of the Board of Partners Worldwide, a board member of the Max DePree Center for Leadership, and an advisor to entrepreneurs. 

Website | Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon

 

Giveaway Details:

1 winner will receive a finished copy of THE SACRED MEANING OF EVERYDAY WORK, US Only.

Ends February 18th, midnight EST.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

1/30/2023	Mythical Books	Guest Post/IG Post
1/31/2023	Two Chicks on Books	Guest Post/IG Post
2/1/2023	The Momma Spot	Guest Post
2/2/2023	A Dream Within A Dream	Guest Post
2/3/2023	#BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog	Spotlight/IG Post
2/4/2023	Writer of Wrongs	Excerpt

Week Two:

2/5/2023	Lady Hawkeye	Excerpt/IG Post
2/6/2023	Two Points of Interest	Review
2/7/2023	Review Thick And Thin	Review/IG Post
2/8/2023	@carlysunshinebooks	IG Review/LFL Drop Pic
2/9/2023	Rajiv's Reviews	Review/IG Post
2/10/2023	Fire and Ice	Review/IG Post
2/11/2023	@allyluvsbooksalatte	IG Review/TikTok Post

Week Three:

2/12/2023	the book near me	Review/IG Post
2/13/2023	OneMoreExclamation	Review/IG Post

Book Review - Gauntlet (Arena, #2) by Holly Jennings

 

 

There is a secretive new virtual reality game that promises to challenge gamers. The game will not only bring together the best players but, it promises unimaginable fame and wealth. The new virtual game learns and adapts each time the gamer makes a move and it pushes the gamers to their limits.

Kali Ling is the first female captain and the younger team owner. She is used to defying the odds and taking on challenges head on. As the competition progress, Kali finds her confidence and determination wavering especially, faced with scandals and pressure from the media and her sponsors.  Kali finds that if she and her teammates are to survive the game, they will need to put everything on the line.

This book is the second book in the series but, it could be read as a standalone. I enjoyed the first book in the series but, didn't really care so much for this book. I felt that the plot kind of dragged in some points and then was rushed in other place while, most of the action happened towards the end of the book. I thought there was going to be another book to continue on the series with how the book ended but, it seems that the series is completed. I felt that the book had too much going with too many plots and too much filler especially, with Kali's lack of ability to manage her responsibilities, and not enough action.