The Adventure Awaits Book Club read Loki: A Bad God’s Guide to Being Good by Louie Stowell during July of 2022. The book club read Bear Necessity by James Gould-Bourn during August of 2022. We weren’t able to meet over zoom in July so joined the book discussions and met in August.
One of the questions asked during the discussion was which book we preferred. I wasn’t able to answer with an exact choice and neither were the other members. In sum, one made us laugh and one made us feel good.
I’ll break them down a bit for y’all!
Loki: A Bad God’s Guide to Being Good by Louie Stowell:
If you’re not familiar with Marvel… do you live under a rock? Kidding. Seriously, though. I’m not sure how anyone can avoid not having at least a tad bit of knowledge with the marketing team Marvel (Disney) clearly has in place. I’m not a super fan or anything, so don’t hate me for my trivial summation. Loki is Thor’s brother (I’m not sure exactly on the family tree) and is the “villain” in some of the Marvel movies. Having a kid slowed down the speed in which I have been able to keep up with the movies, but I think a good side pops out a bit in one or more of the movies/shows.
This “good side” is essentially what is being sought out in Stowell’s book. Loki royally pisses off some of the other gods in Asgard and as punishment is forced to be an 11 year old boy and learn how to be good. He is required to write in the quirky and all truthful journal every day to track his progress. If he lies, the journal immediately corrects him. A running points score is shown every day and snarky marks accompany the score to remind Loki of his goal, returning to Asgard and be reinstated as a god.
Loki has to adjust to the life of an average human. My favorite part of the book was reading Loki’s definition of human things. Here is a list of what definitions to expect:
- Job
- Private School
- Car
- Internet
- Smartphone
- Shopping
- Video Games
- Takeaway (fast food)
They’re clever definitions that clearly poke fun at what it’s like being a human. Along with the definitions, there are, what I would call, doodles all over the book. They are meant to be Loki’s perception of what is happening around him.
I laughed so much more than I expected I would. When the book was recommended I felt worried it might be too juvenile. I adored the book. It took about an hour and a half for me to finish. My son was already asleep and I didn’t take any breaks… Basically, it’s a quick read if you’re low on time but still want to soak in something enjoyable.
Despite Loki’s questionable choices, this book would still be a great read for the whole family. It would likely open up some chances for fun conversations to occur, whether they be fantastical or realistic.
Bear Necessity by James Gould-Bourn:
I didn’t have any expectations about this book like I did about the previous one. All I had was the brief Amazon summary. It seemed like it would be sad but also heartwarming. Honestly, that’s a perfect sentence to describe exactly how I felt after reading it. There were moments I one hundred percent shed a tear or two (way more) and others where I found myself cracking up.
Bear Necessity is a perfect story wrapped up in a bow ready to be enjoyed by all who read it. I didn’t close the book feeling there were any loose ends. I didn’t feel like I wanted more or less. This book could easily transfer to a movie and continue bringing joy to others.
If you want to be surprised about what characters you will meet, don’t read this paragraph…Gould-Bourn created an almost absurd group of characters that somehow all seem to fit. A middle school boy, a dancing human panda, a pole dancer, and a strong Ukrainian man give the book its heart. The author’s minor characters were also brilliantly created. A questionable landlord, a middle school sidekick/spokesperson, a middle school bully, and a teacher all have their moments to shine and build strong character development.
Okay, you can read again! I won’t give away any more spoilers. This book led to many writing prompts for a Mental Health Monday blog. It touches on loss and how everyone deals with loss differently. It touches on romantic relationships and how we often don’t realize the importance of small moments until we lose someone we love. It touches on the bond between a parent and a child and the importance of this relationship. It shows how everyone has a story and it doesn’t matter what they do, something along the way influences them to look or be the way they are.
Chapter 20 is my favorite chapter. Being a parent, it hit me right in the feels. Parents have such an important job. I loved everything about the description of the love the mom had for her son. If you are a crier, the beginning of this chapter will likely get you.
The book is well written and clearly a story the author took time to carefully create. Go fall in love with these quirky characters and share your thoughts with me!
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…I lied earlier. Bear Necessity is definitely my favorite of the two, and honestly, likely my favorite we’ve read this year! It’s not that Loki: A Bad God’s Guide to Being Good wasn’t also great, but I’m a sucker for books that bring out tears.
The joy having this platform and ability to read and write about books gives me is astronomical. I love getting to share what I love with others. I love love and I love reading and writing. Thank you for following along with me! Please follow me on Instagram, email me, or leave a comment on a blog post and share what brings your life joy and love!
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In September of 2022 the Adventure Awaits Book Club will be reading, When Women Were Dragons by Kelly Barnhill.
Ariel Pierce 