Dino Dad Reviews is two years old this month! My website may not yet compare to giants in the paleoblogosphere such as Love in the Time of Chasmosaurs, but I’m very pleased with what I’ve managed to make of it so far! I sense my writing improving by microscopic increments, and I can say for certain that I’ve influenced at least a few people to purchase the books I’ve recommended, which as far as I’m concerned makes this blog a smashing success. If you can forgive a bit of navel gazing on my part, I thought I’d see how things have progressed since my last such post.
I’m pleased to have checked off a few items from last year’s “to-do list”. I managed to review both The Dinosaur Expert and Daring to Dig, the latter of which became my all-time most popular book review in a matter of days! I also bought myself the gorgeous new Safari Ltd. Allosaurus and CollectA Borealopelta models that so captured my fancy last year, which I should consider reviewing sometime soon.
I have yet to get around to the other books I had mentioned last time, but only because I kept getting caught up with other interesting projects instead! Among my accomplishments, I reviewed the entirety of Abby Howard’s “Earth Before Us” Trilogy: Dinosaur Empire! (Part 1), Ocean Renegades! (Part 2), and Mammal Takeover! (Part 3), and I also started a museum review series, chronicling my visits to The Whiteside Museum of Natural History, Dinosaur Valley State Park, and the ICR Discovery Center.
Planning ain’t my strong suit, but I have a few titles I more or less guarantee reviewing in the coming year. I am currently rereading Mary Anning’s Curiosity so it’s fresh in my mind, and I intend to review Swedish author Maja Säfström’s Animals of a Bygone Era before I attend a family reunion of several hundred Swedes this summer. I guess I ingratiated myself to Julius Csotonyi with my review of Discovering Sharks during Shark Week, because he has already offered to send me the companion book Discovering Whales when it drops later this year! I’m definitely looking forward to writing about all the cool prehistoric whales in that one. The folks behind the I Know Dino podcast have also offered to send me a copy of their recent book, 50 Dinosaur Tales, which should be the subject of one of my next couple of reviews.
On that subject, big thanks to everyone who sent me books to review in 2019! You really make me feel like I’ve arrived. I’m only semi-joking when I say I just started this whole venture as a ploy to get free books. To reward these folks for taking a chance on me, please consider checking out: Lifesize Dinosaurs, X-Ray Dinosaurs and Other Prehistoric Creatures, Dino Knights, When the Whales Walked (by Dougal Dixon!), The Adventures of Padma and a Blue Dinosaur, Mammal Takeover! (Earth Before Us #3), The Jungle of Jojee, Dinosaurios Bebés, Fossil Huntress (Mary Leakey), Ted Rechlin’s SUE graphic novel, and The 50 State Fossils. Thanks again! If you ever want to send me a paleontology themed book or product to review, don’t hesitate to get in touch with me, whether via Twitter, Instagram, or Email.
I suppose I’ll round out this post with a wishlist of sorts. Consider this mostly a glorified to-do list on my part. I intend to get these on my own eventually, but if you happen to feel like supporting my little blog, I certainly won’t turn you down if you feel like sending me some of these! 😉
This is one I mentioned last year as well. It should make a great companion to Daring to Dig, and I’ve heard only good things about it!
Speaking of female fossil hunters, I’ve been wanting to read this one as well! Since I’ve already reviewed Ted Rechlin’s graphic novel about Sue the Tyrannosaurus, a storybook about its discoverer, Sue Hendrickson, will fit in nicely here.
Where On Earth? Dinosaurs and Other Prehistoric Life
It’s been a while since I’ve reviewed a Darren Naish book, and it’s a crying shame I haven’t gotten around to this one yet, given all the effort he’s put into improving the quality of DK’s paleoart over the past few years.
Estrella Vega has been producing a series of amazing fold-out “concertina style” books, all about the different time periods in Earth’s history. She’s already finished the entire Paleozoic, has recently released a book for the Triassic, and is currently working on one for the Jurassic. The unique format and gorgeous illustrations of these books are enough to convince me already that they are a must-have for any enthusiast of unique paleoart.
Last but not least, Safari Ltd. has a killer lineup for 2020. I think this may be the first year that I have my eye on nearly every single new model that’s been released this year. I already have a Dilophosaurus which I prefer to the one seen here, but that probably the only one in this group that won’t eventually make in into my collection someday!
I should conclude with a shout out to my wonderful wife Jacy. She was the one who initially suggested I start this blog, and pushed me to follow through with it. She even designed my Dino Dad Stomp of Approval! I can definitely say this blog would not exist without her. Thank you for everything my love, and for going above and beyond merely putting up with my silly obsession.
Thanks for reading, everybody!
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