Title: Make Good Art
Author: Neil Gaiman
Publication Date: May 14, 2013
Target Age Group: Adult
My Rating: 4 out of 5
Book Description (on inside cover)
In May 2012, bestselling author Neil Gaiman stood at a podium at Philadelphia's University of the Arts to deliver the commencement address. For the next nineteen minutes he shared his thoughts about creativity, bravery, and strength; he encouraged the students before him to break rules and think outside the box. Most of all, he urged the fledgling painters, musicians, writers, and dreamers to MAKE GOOD ART. This book, designed by renowned graphic artist Chip Kidd, contains the full text of Gaiman's inspiring speech. Whether bestowed upon a young artist beginning his or her creative journey, or given as a token of gratitude to an admired mentor, or acquired as a gift to oneself, this volume is a fitting offering for anyone who strives to MAKE GOOD ART.
My Review
This is a book I received from the author at Book Expo America 2013. Thank you to Mr. Gaiman (whom I had the pleasure to listen to while I was there) and BEA for the opportunity to review it.
I wish there were a way I could rate this book using two different ratings, one for the text and message of the book, and one for its presentation, but I'm not about to break my rating system to do so. So let me explain my only negative points right off the bat as they all relate to the book's presentation.
While I do commend the graphic artist's creativity and ability, I did have two distinct problems with the way the book was presented:
* the white text on light blue background combination that was periodically used in
the book made the text difficult to read
* in some cases, the presentation of the text on the page (such as writing one line of text
both upside down and backward while everything else was written normally) was
distracting.
To give him credit, however, there were other cases where I thought the creative layout of the page worked very well. I especially loved the page where Mr. Gaiman's positive message, "Make Good Art", is juxtaposed on top of text describing negative things that you might be experiencing in your life.
As for the text and message of the book, I cannot say enough good things about it. Mr. Gaiman shares little tidbits of his own personal journey in a way that is sure to inspire anyone about to embark on, or is currently engaged in, a career in the creative arts. In his own unique way, he tells people it's OK to not have a plan, to break the rules, to make mistakes, and to emulate others yet have your own style. In fact, he has engaged in all of these things on his own career path and attributes all of these to his own success. Above all, he encourages people to enjoy the journey itself and to MAKE GOOD ART.
A highly recommended little book when you need a little creative inspiration.
Friday, May 1, 2015
Thursday, April 30, 2015
Review: Saint Odd by Dean Koontz
Title: Saint Odd
Author: Dean Koontz
Publication Date: January 13, 2015
Target Age Group: Adult
My Rating: 4 out of 5
Book Description (from Amazon)
Odd Thomas is back where it all started . . . because the time has come to finish it. Since he left his simple life in the small town of Pico Mundo, California, his journey has taken him to places strange and wonderful, mysterious and terrifying. Across the land, in the company of mortals and spirits alike, he has known kindness and cruelty, felt love and loss, saved lives and taken them—as he’s borne witness to humanity’s greatest good and darkest evil. Again and again, he has gone where he must and done what he had to do—for better or worse—with his courage and devotion sorely tested, and his soul forever changed. Every triumph has been hard won. Each sacrifice has taken its toll.
Now, whatever destiny drives him has finally steered his steps home, where those he cares for most surround him, the memory of his tragically lost true love haunts him, and one last challenge—vast and dreadful—awaits him. For Odd Thomas, born to serve a purpose far greater than himself, the wandering is done. Only the reckoning remains.
My Review
This book was very bittersweet for me, because I've grown to love Odd Thomas as a character. At the beginning of the series, he was as pure a character as you could find. Resisting violence, but wanting to do good by the dead that came into his life seeking his help. He kept his life simple - he worked as a fry cook in a small diner - and his relationship with his girlfriend was enviable. Unfortunately, throughout the series, all that changed. He lost the love of his life, gunned down by a crazed cult bent on bringing about the end of the world, and had increasingly been placed into situations where he had to dispense violence to combat violence. By the time I had reached this book, I really felt sorry for him and felt he had lost much of the innocence that was appealing in book one, and I hoped he could find peace.
Which brings me to this book. This story could easily be any other story in the saga of Odd Thomas's life. It's set up pretty much the same way as book one, as a matter of fact, especially because it takes place in the same setting as book one and dealing with the same group of villains. Seeing all of Odd's old friends from book one was the author's and the reader's chance to say goodbye to everyone I suppose.
What caused me not to rate this book a 5 out of 5 (which I was prepared to do) was, even though all the elements were here of a typical Odd Thomas book (his unique, somewhat still innocent view of the world; the strangeness; the uniqueness of characters; the humor, although admittedly less of it in this book), by the end I was dissatisfied with many questions that were presented throughout the series that were never answered.
One such thread, and noticeably missing from this book, involves the bodachs, those creepy, shadowy creatures which seem to appear and feast on catastrophic future events to come. In book one, Odd had a theory of who, or what, these beings might be, but by the end of the last book, the reader still doesn't really know. Were they really time travelers coming back in a strange form to revel in chaos and death? (This was what Odd's theory was, anyway). Or were they something else entirely? It would've been easy for Mr. Koontz to offer up this explanation. After all, there is definitely a strong element of time travel in some of the other books. But he never does.
You also never really learn who Annamaria really is, you never really learn who Edie is, and the big reveal about Stormy (which I'll omit for those who haven't read yet) is underwhelming because, well, there just aren't enough details to explain why it's important. Among other unanswered mysteries.
All in all, though, it's an Odd Thomas book, and I can't give it a low rating because it's written in a similar flying by the seat of your pants way as all the other Odd Thomas books and has some of my favorite fictional character in it. Plus, I loved the ending. It could only end one way, and in that sense, I was satisfied. I wish there were more to come, but I suppose it was time for Mr. Koontz to give Odd a rest. I would highly recommend it to Odd Thomas fans, and to those who haven't read any of them yet, what are you waiting for? Go back to book one and dig in!
Author: Dean Koontz
Publication Date: January 13, 2015
Target Age Group: Adult
My Rating: 4 out of 5
Book Description (from Amazon)
Odd Thomas is back where it all started . . . because the time has come to finish it. Since he left his simple life in the small town of Pico Mundo, California, his journey has taken him to places strange and wonderful, mysterious and terrifying. Across the land, in the company of mortals and spirits alike, he has known kindness and cruelty, felt love and loss, saved lives and taken them—as he’s borne witness to humanity’s greatest good and darkest evil. Again and again, he has gone where he must and done what he had to do—for better or worse—with his courage and devotion sorely tested, and his soul forever changed. Every triumph has been hard won. Each sacrifice has taken its toll.
Now, whatever destiny drives him has finally steered his steps home, where those he cares for most surround him, the memory of his tragically lost true love haunts him, and one last challenge—vast and dreadful—awaits him. For Odd Thomas, born to serve a purpose far greater than himself, the wandering is done. Only the reckoning remains.
My Review
This book was very bittersweet for me, because I've grown to love Odd Thomas as a character. At the beginning of the series, he was as pure a character as you could find. Resisting violence, but wanting to do good by the dead that came into his life seeking his help. He kept his life simple - he worked as a fry cook in a small diner - and his relationship with his girlfriend was enviable. Unfortunately, throughout the series, all that changed. He lost the love of his life, gunned down by a crazed cult bent on bringing about the end of the world, and had increasingly been placed into situations where he had to dispense violence to combat violence. By the time I had reached this book, I really felt sorry for him and felt he had lost much of the innocence that was appealing in book one, and I hoped he could find peace.
Which brings me to this book. This story could easily be any other story in the saga of Odd Thomas's life. It's set up pretty much the same way as book one, as a matter of fact, especially because it takes place in the same setting as book one and dealing with the same group of villains. Seeing all of Odd's old friends from book one was the author's and the reader's chance to say goodbye to everyone I suppose.
What caused me not to rate this book a 5 out of 5 (which I was prepared to do) was, even though all the elements were here of a typical Odd Thomas book (his unique, somewhat still innocent view of the world; the strangeness; the uniqueness of characters; the humor, although admittedly less of it in this book), by the end I was dissatisfied with many questions that were presented throughout the series that were never answered.
One such thread, and noticeably missing from this book, involves the bodachs, those creepy, shadowy creatures which seem to appear and feast on catastrophic future events to come. In book one, Odd had a theory of who, or what, these beings might be, but by the end of the last book, the reader still doesn't really know. Were they really time travelers coming back in a strange form to revel in chaos and death? (This was what Odd's theory was, anyway). Or were they something else entirely? It would've been easy for Mr. Koontz to offer up this explanation. After all, there is definitely a strong element of time travel in some of the other books. But he never does.
You also never really learn who Annamaria really is, you never really learn who Edie is, and the big reveal about Stormy (which I'll omit for those who haven't read yet) is underwhelming because, well, there just aren't enough details to explain why it's important. Among other unanswered mysteries.
All in all, though, it's an Odd Thomas book, and I can't give it a low rating because it's written in a similar flying by the seat of your pants way as all the other Odd Thomas books and has some of my favorite fictional character in it. Plus, I loved the ending. It could only end one way, and in that sense, I was satisfied. I wish there were more to come, but I suppose it was time for Mr. Koontz to give Odd a rest. I would highly recommend it to Odd Thomas fans, and to those who haven't read any of them yet, what are you waiting for? Go back to book one and dig in!
Tuesday, March 31, 2015
Review: The 7th of London by Beau Schemery
Title: The 7th of London
Author: Beau Schemery
Publication Date: November 29, 2012
Target Age Group: Young Adult
My Rating: 3 out of 5
Book Description (from Amazon)
After his parents and family die, Seven escapes his factory job. By wits and will alone, he survives in a London divided into the affluent Fairside and the squalor of London’s industrial Blackside, where many struggle to eke their existence out of despair. But Seven has to fight for more than just food and shelter.
All over Blackside, a secret cabal of prominent citizens and the mysterious Mr. Kettlebent are snatching children. Rumor has it a wizard is controlling the queen, and the country’s most notorious villain is the only one who wants to stop him. Seven is determined to find out why.
Hired by the criminal Jack Midnight to steal the evil wizard’s spellbook, Seven soon discovers the mystery runs deeper than he suspected. But events spiral out of control, and it isn’t long before the intrigue sweeps Seven into its deadly current.
My Review
This is a book I received from the author at Book Expo America 2013, so as always, many many thanks to Mr. Schemery and BEA for the opportunity to review it.
First off, I love steampunk books. This one definitely fits comfortably in that category, and yet has some other unique elements to it - like some magic and alternate history to add some flavor. Plus, the main character is gay, which is a great book in an arena where there is currently a desire for diverse books.
The world building in this book is amazing. You're thrown into a divided Victorian London - the Fairside and the Blackside. Just the names alone will give you an idea what they look like, but they are both very well described in the book. There are other "set pieces" that I can't even discuss without ruining some of the mystery of the story.
Characters are also very three-dimensional. Sometimes they suffer a little from being caricatures of themselves - the main character, Seven, has this accent that kinda grates on you after a while - but otherwise they are all interesting and realistically drawn, with some exceptions, which I'll discuss below.
Which brings me to a few negatives that caused me not to rate this one higher.
First off, the story could've used a little more editing. Being a writer myself, I pick up on language that to me sounds weak, and there is quite a bit of it in this book. Again, some editing would've solved that problem I think.
Second, at the very beginning of the book, there are a lot of what I call "info dumps", I guess to bring the reader up to speed on the main character and the setting of the story. Again, editing would've resolved this. Info dumps tend to throw me out of the story when reading, and it initially caused me to consider putting the book down. Fortunately, I was willing to overlook them, and I was glad I did so.
Third - and I'm attempting to convey this without spoiling anything - the relationship between Seven and another boy in the book (I won't mention names because it'll kinda spoil certain plot reveals in the book), while most of the time seemed very natural, was very difficult to believe at the point where the characters first met, and at another point toward the end of the book. I would think conflicts and suspicion in any relationship would give pause and question the relationship, but I didn't see any of that, which also made it difficult to buy into the relationship. (How's that for an attempt at no spoilers? Sounds a bit vague I know, but if you read the book I think you'll know what two events I'm referring to.)
One final note - and it's always customary to leave on a high note - is that this book was plotted extremely well. Events flowed naturally, there was plenty of suspense, twists and turns, and real goals for characters to strive for. The scope of the story was a lot more epic than I thought it would be, and to its benefit. The stakes for Seven were high, and the stakes for the world itself and the other characters populating it were even higher.
All in all, this is a book I would recommend. Ignore the rough spots and enjoy the ride.
Author: Beau Schemery
Publication Date: November 29, 2012
Target Age Group: Young Adult
My Rating: 3 out of 5
Book Description (from Amazon)
After his parents and family die, Seven escapes his factory job. By wits and will alone, he survives in a London divided into the affluent Fairside and the squalor of London’s industrial Blackside, where many struggle to eke their existence out of despair. But Seven has to fight for more than just food and shelter.
All over Blackside, a secret cabal of prominent citizens and the mysterious Mr. Kettlebent are snatching children. Rumor has it a wizard is controlling the queen, and the country’s most notorious villain is the only one who wants to stop him. Seven is determined to find out why.
Hired by the criminal Jack Midnight to steal the evil wizard’s spellbook, Seven soon discovers the mystery runs deeper than he suspected. But events spiral out of control, and it isn’t long before the intrigue sweeps Seven into its deadly current.
My Review
This is a book I received from the author at Book Expo America 2013, so as always, many many thanks to Mr. Schemery and BEA for the opportunity to review it.
First off, I love steampunk books. This one definitely fits comfortably in that category, and yet has some other unique elements to it - like some magic and alternate history to add some flavor. Plus, the main character is gay, which is a great book in an arena where there is currently a desire for diverse books.
The world building in this book is amazing. You're thrown into a divided Victorian London - the Fairside and the Blackside. Just the names alone will give you an idea what they look like, but they are both very well described in the book. There are other "set pieces" that I can't even discuss without ruining some of the mystery of the story.
Characters are also very three-dimensional. Sometimes they suffer a little from being caricatures of themselves - the main character, Seven, has this accent that kinda grates on you after a while - but otherwise they are all interesting and realistically drawn, with some exceptions, which I'll discuss below.
Which brings me to a few negatives that caused me not to rate this one higher.
First off, the story could've used a little more editing. Being a writer myself, I pick up on language that to me sounds weak, and there is quite a bit of it in this book. Again, some editing would've solved that problem I think.
Second, at the very beginning of the book, there are a lot of what I call "info dumps", I guess to bring the reader up to speed on the main character and the setting of the story. Again, editing would've resolved this. Info dumps tend to throw me out of the story when reading, and it initially caused me to consider putting the book down. Fortunately, I was willing to overlook them, and I was glad I did so.
Third - and I'm attempting to convey this without spoiling anything - the relationship between Seven and another boy in the book (I won't mention names because it'll kinda spoil certain plot reveals in the book), while most of the time seemed very natural, was very difficult to believe at the point where the characters first met, and at another point toward the end of the book. I would think conflicts and suspicion in any relationship would give pause and question the relationship, but I didn't see any of that, which also made it difficult to buy into the relationship. (How's that for an attempt at no spoilers? Sounds a bit vague I know, but if you read the book I think you'll know what two events I'm referring to.)
One final note - and it's always customary to leave on a high note - is that this book was plotted extremely well. Events flowed naturally, there was plenty of suspense, twists and turns, and real goals for characters to strive for. The scope of the story was a lot more epic than I thought it would be, and to its benefit. The stakes for Seven were high, and the stakes for the world itself and the other characters populating it were even higher.
All in all, this is a book I would recommend. Ignore the rough spots and enjoy the ride.
Wednesday, February 25, 2015
Review: Get in Trouble by Kelly Link
Title: Get in Trouble
Author: Kelly Link
Publication Date: February 3, 2015
Target Age Group: Adult
My Rating: 4 1/2 out of 5
Book Description (from inside cover)
She has been hailed by Michael Chabon as "the most darkly playful voice in American fiction" and by Neil Gaiman as "a national treasure." Now Kelly Link's eagerly awaited new collection - her first for adult readers in a decade - proves indelibly that this bewitchingly original writer is among the finest we have.
...
Hurricanes, astronauts, evil twins, bootleggers, Ouija boards, iguanas, The Wizard of Oz, superheroes, the Pyramids... These are just some of the talismans of an imagination as capacious and as full of wonder as that of any writer today. But as fantastical as these stories can be, they are always grounded by sly humor and an innate generosity of feeling for the frailty - and the hidden strengths - of human beings. In Get in Trouble, this one-of-a-kind talent expands the boundaries of what short fiction can do.
My Review
What can I say about this book? A collection of short stories by one of my favorite authors. Why do I like her so much? Because she writes amazing stories about people who may be quirky but have real problems deep down, placed in the most surreal, and many times totally unreal, settings.
One recurring theme in most of these stories has to do with people who are in strained relationships - whether it be with spouses, boyfriends/girlfriends, friends, and in one case, a sort of caregiver/client relationship. Another common theme involves people who make rash decisions with harsh consequences and how they try to rise above those decisions.
These serious problems are set against what are arguably some of the most bizarre backdrops ever imagined in short fiction, and it's the juxtaposition of these two elements that provides much of the dark humor in these stories.
And, her story ideas are just plain the coolest that I only wish I could've come up with myself. I mean, where else can you read about:
- a jealous girl who tries to steal her best friend's animated doll-like Boyfriend? ("The New Boyfriend")
- a group of space travelers who tell each other ghost stories, and who have their spaceship, who knows a secret ghost story of her own, place the travelers in the stories' settings? ("Two Houses")
- a girl who meets someone on the internet and goes to a secret rendezvous at a hotel that is simultaneously hosting superhero and dentist conventions? ("Secret Identity")
- a girl, caretaker of the mysterious visitors inhabiting the cottage behind her house, who is grooming her replacement? ("The Summer People")
My only reason for not giving this book a 5 out of 5 is because I've read some of the stories before, and a couple of them I don't find to be quite as strong as the others.
My recommendation, in a nutshell: Read these stories. Be amazed at the directions Kelly Link's stories will take you. You're in for a very wild ride.
Author: Kelly Link
Publication Date: February 3, 2015
Target Age Group: Adult
My Rating: 4 1/2 out of 5
Book Description (from inside cover)
She has been hailed by Michael Chabon as "the most darkly playful voice in American fiction" and by Neil Gaiman as "a national treasure." Now Kelly Link's eagerly awaited new collection - her first for adult readers in a decade - proves indelibly that this bewitchingly original writer is among the finest we have.
...
Hurricanes, astronauts, evil twins, bootleggers, Ouija boards, iguanas, The Wizard of Oz, superheroes, the Pyramids... These are just some of the talismans of an imagination as capacious and as full of wonder as that of any writer today. But as fantastical as these stories can be, they are always grounded by sly humor and an innate generosity of feeling for the frailty - and the hidden strengths - of human beings. In Get in Trouble, this one-of-a-kind talent expands the boundaries of what short fiction can do.
My Review
What can I say about this book? A collection of short stories by one of my favorite authors. Why do I like her so much? Because she writes amazing stories about people who may be quirky but have real problems deep down, placed in the most surreal, and many times totally unreal, settings.
One recurring theme in most of these stories has to do with people who are in strained relationships - whether it be with spouses, boyfriends/girlfriends, friends, and in one case, a sort of caregiver/client relationship. Another common theme involves people who make rash decisions with harsh consequences and how they try to rise above those decisions.
These serious problems are set against what are arguably some of the most bizarre backdrops ever imagined in short fiction, and it's the juxtaposition of these two elements that provides much of the dark humor in these stories.
And, her story ideas are just plain the coolest that I only wish I could've come up with myself. I mean, where else can you read about:
- a jealous girl who tries to steal her best friend's animated doll-like Boyfriend? ("The New Boyfriend")
- a group of space travelers who tell each other ghost stories, and who have their spaceship, who knows a secret ghost story of her own, place the travelers in the stories' settings? ("Two Houses")
- a girl who meets someone on the internet and goes to a secret rendezvous at a hotel that is simultaneously hosting superhero and dentist conventions? ("Secret Identity")
- a girl, caretaker of the mysterious visitors inhabiting the cottage behind her house, who is grooming her replacement? ("The Summer People")
My only reason for not giving this book a 5 out of 5 is because I've read some of the stories before, and a couple of them I don't find to be quite as strong as the others.
My recommendation, in a nutshell: Read these stories. Be amazed at the directions Kelly Link's stories will take you. You're in for a very wild ride.
Tuesday, February 10, 2015
Review: The Slippage by Ben Greenman *** MILD SPOILERS ***
Title: The Slippage
Author: Ben Greenman
Publication Date: April 23, 2013
Target Age Group: Adult
My Rating: 4 out of 5
Book Description (from Amazon)
First off, I want to mention this is another book I obtained at Book Expo America in 2013, so thanks again to them and to the author, Ben Greenman.
Second, this book is not my typical reading material.
Third, in light of that, this book was a pleasant surprise. In general, one way I judge books as being good ones if they stick with you long after you've read them. This book is definitely one of those books.
As I was reading this book, I thought it was a bit slow. Which is my usual reaction to literary fiction. Then I realized, yes, I'm reading about William Day's life, but I'm also reading about life in general. This is a book of themes, which are the things that stick with you when the book is finished.
Here is a definition, right from one of the characters in the book. Slippage - "the moment when you start to lose your footing." When we first are introduced to William in the book, the slippage has already started to happen to him. As we read further, his reckless behavior with regards to his relationship with his wife and his job causes him to slip even further.The question is: why? Why the reckless behavior?
At first, you can't really sympathize with him. He's the cause of his own misery. Some people might be able to relate to him, but you can't like him. Maybe because, were you in the same situation, you couldn't like yourself.
Then I started to think about one of the elements of the "human condition". Like how people build layers upon layers of "things" - feverishly working long hours at a job, climbing the career ladder, building a new home or addition, going on a vacation, settling into the humdrum existence of suburban life - to hide from what is truly troubling to them. For some, these "things" can be much more reckless.
Another great line, from Louisa, William's wife - "We make a pact with another person to follow as far as they go, but we do not really mean it. We mean that we will follow so long as we do not start to feel lost. Love, or what passes for it, is about believing that we are never truly lost." This is a powerful theme that sticks with me after reading the book, because here lies the cause of many problems in relationships, the fear to go where the relationship takes them, no matter where that might be.
There are other positive things I'd love to say about this story - one such thing is about Louisa's brother, Tom, and his "graph" art, which are funny but thoughtful asides in and of themselves - but I think this review has already gotten longer than I expected.
Check out the book. It's thought-provoking, a little slow and melancholy, but an interesting read.
Author: Ben Greenman
Publication Date: April 23, 2013
Target Age Group: Adult
My Rating: 4 out of 5
Book Description (from Amazon)
The Slippage is a wry, wistful tale of marriage, lust, and disconnection from Ben Greenman, the critically acclaimed author of What He’s Poised to Do.
William Day must confront some uncomfortable truths about his life and his future when his wife Louisa asks him to build her house. The take-it-or-leave-it demand becomes all the more difficult to swallow when he finds himself grappling with a past recklessness, an ex-girlfriend’s son he considers his own, and his own wants for what lies ahead.
Sure to appeal to everyone who has ever been in love and had their heart broken, The Slippage shares uncanny truths about intimacy and modern relationships.
William Day must confront some uncomfortable truths about his life and his future when his wife Louisa asks him to build her house. The take-it-or-leave-it demand becomes all the more difficult to swallow when he finds himself grappling with a past recklessness, an ex-girlfriend’s son he considers his own, and his own wants for what lies ahead.
Sure to appeal to everyone who has ever been in love and had their heart broken, The Slippage shares uncanny truths about intimacy and modern relationships.
My Review:
***NOTE: In this review, I feel there may be mild spoilers, especially some thematic ones, so reader beware. ***
First off, I want to mention this is another book I obtained at Book Expo America in 2013, so thanks again to them and to the author, Ben Greenman.
Second, this book is not my typical reading material.
Third, in light of that, this book was a pleasant surprise. In general, one way I judge books as being good ones if they stick with you long after you've read them. This book is definitely one of those books.
As I was reading this book, I thought it was a bit slow. Which is my usual reaction to literary fiction. Then I realized, yes, I'm reading about William Day's life, but I'm also reading about life in general. This is a book of themes, which are the things that stick with you when the book is finished.
Here is a definition, right from one of the characters in the book. Slippage - "the moment when you start to lose your footing." When we first are introduced to William in the book, the slippage has already started to happen to him. As we read further, his reckless behavior with regards to his relationship with his wife and his job causes him to slip even further.The question is: why? Why the reckless behavior?
At first, you can't really sympathize with him. He's the cause of his own misery. Some people might be able to relate to him, but you can't like him. Maybe because, were you in the same situation, you couldn't like yourself.
Then I started to think about one of the elements of the "human condition". Like how people build layers upon layers of "things" - feverishly working long hours at a job, climbing the career ladder, building a new home or addition, going on a vacation, settling into the humdrum existence of suburban life - to hide from what is truly troubling to them. For some, these "things" can be much more reckless.
Another great line, from Louisa, William's wife - "We make a pact with another person to follow as far as they go, but we do not really mean it. We mean that we will follow so long as we do not start to feel lost. Love, or what passes for it, is about believing that we are never truly lost." This is a powerful theme that sticks with me after reading the book, because here lies the cause of many problems in relationships, the fear to go where the relationship takes them, no matter where that might be.
There are other positive things I'd love to say about this story - one such thing is about Louisa's brother, Tom, and his "graph" art, which are funny but thoughtful asides in and of themselves - but I think this review has already gotten longer than I expected.
Check out the book. It's thought-provoking, a little slow and melancholy, but an interesting read.
Tuesday, February 3, 2015
Review: The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani
Title: The School for Good and Evil
Author: Soman Chainani
Publication Date: May 14, 2013
Target Age Group: YA
My Rating: 4 out of 5
Book Jacket Blurb
Author: Soman Chainani
Publication Date: May 14, 2013
Target Age Group: YA
My Rating: 4 out of 5
Book Jacket Blurb
At the School for Good and Evil, failing your fairy tale is not an option.
Welcome to the School for Good and Evil, where best friends Sophie and Agatha are about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime.
With her glass slippers and devotion to good deeds, Sophie knows she'll earn top marks at the School for Good and join the ranks of past students like Cinderella, Rapunzel, and Snow White. Meanwhile, Agatha, with her shapeless black frocks and wicked black cat, seems a natural fit for the villains in the School for Evil.
The two girls soon find their fortunes reversed—Sophie's dumped in the School for Evil to take Uglification, Death Curses, and Henchmen Training, while Agatha finds herself in the School for Good, thrust among handsome princes and fair maidens for classes in Princess Etiquette and Animal Communication.
But what if the mistake is actually the first clue to discovering who Sophie and Agatha really are . . . ?
The School for Good and Evil is an epic journey into a dazzling new world, where the only way out of a fairy tale is to live through one.
My Review:
This is another book I acquired at Book Expo America 2013, so again I'd like to thank BEA and Mr. Chainani for the opportunity to read it.
First off, I love twisted fairy tale type books. In the past I've read books like The Land of Stories by Chris Colfer and the Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde. The reasons why I loved those books is because of the new fresh life they breathed into well-known classic fairy tales, plus a generous helping of humor thrown in. This book fits both criteria rather well.
Although some of the plot of the book I guessed right off the bat, what makes it surprising are the characters. You think the two main characters, Sophie and Agatha, are going to act one way, and then they surprise you. The reason why they do this is that these are real people, and even though students in this story are taught that their personalities place them squarely into either a school for good and a school for evil, who do you know who is totally good or totally evil?
The supporting characters are also real people. I love their personality traits and their talents. Dot, one of the School for Evil students, can turn anything she wants into chocolate, and she is constantly eating. At one point she even turns her textbooks into chocolate. Tedros, son of King Arthur, is a student in the School for Good, but he's not like other princes. He's not looking to simply ride his father's coattails, and he's not into the whole "princesses swooning over him" thing. He wants a princess with personality. And so on.
Finally, I like how this book has created its own mythology, loosely based on the fairy tales we all know and love, but unique in that here is a whole new cast of fairy tale characters whose stories we can follow.
Overall, a highly recommended book. I can't wait to read more in this series.
First off, I love twisted fairy tale type books. In the past I've read books like The Land of Stories by Chris Colfer and the Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde. The reasons why I loved those books is because of the new fresh life they breathed into well-known classic fairy tales, plus a generous helping of humor thrown in. This book fits both criteria rather well.
Although some of the plot of the book I guessed right off the bat, what makes it surprising are the characters. You think the two main characters, Sophie and Agatha, are going to act one way, and then they surprise you. The reason why they do this is that these are real people, and even though students in this story are taught that their personalities place them squarely into either a school for good and a school for evil, who do you know who is totally good or totally evil?
The supporting characters are also real people. I love their personality traits and their talents. Dot, one of the School for Evil students, can turn anything she wants into chocolate, and she is constantly eating. At one point she even turns her textbooks into chocolate. Tedros, son of King Arthur, is a student in the School for Good, but he's not like other princes. He's not looking to simply ride his father's coattails, and he's not into the whole "princesses swooning over him" thing. He wants a princess with personality. And so on.
Finally, I like how this book has created its own mythology, loosely based on the fairy tales we all know and love, but unique in that here is a whole new cast of fairy tale characters whose stories we can follow.
Overall, a highly recommended book. I can't wait to read more in this series.
Review: Hauntings, ed. by Ellen Datlow
Title: Hauntings
Editor: Ellen Datlow
Publication Date: March 12, 2013
Target Age Group: Adult
My Rating: 3 out of 5
Book Jacket Blurb
This ghastly anthology, compiled by the horror genre's most acclaimed editor, drags you into the twisted minds of modern literary masters, including Neil Gaiman, Joyce Carol Oates, Connie Willis, and Peter Straub, at their fiendish best. Visionary storytellers fill this collection of twenty-four tales, lyrical and strange, monstrous and exhilarating, horrific and transformative. Here you'll find a sweetly vengeful voice on the radio who calls a young soldier out to join a phantom patrol; a hotel maid who throws her newborn child from a fourth-story window, then lingering in an interminable state; an intern in a paranormal research facility who delves deeply into the unexplained deaths of two staff members; and a serial killer who plans his ultimate artistic achievement: the unveiling of an extremely special instrument in a very private concert. At once familiar and shocking, these riveting stories will haunt you long after you put down your book and turn out the light.
Editor: Ellen Datlow
Publication Date: March 12, 2013
Target Age Group: Adult
My Rating: 3 out of 5
Book Jacket Blurb
This ghastly anthology, compiled by the horror genre's most acclaimed editor, drags you into the twisted minds of modern literary masters, including Neil Gaiman, Joyce Carol Oates, Connie Willis, and Peter Straub, at their fiendish best. Visionary storytellers fill this collection of twenty-four tales, lyrical and strange, monstrous and exhilarating, horrific and transformative. Here you'll find a sweetly vengeful voice on the radio who calls a young soldier out to join a phantom patrol; a hotel maid who throws her newborn child from a fourth-story window, then lingering in an interminable state; an intern in a paranormal research facility who delves deeply into the unexplained deaths of two staff members; and a serial killer who plans his ultimate artistic achievement: the unveiling of an extremely special instrument in a very private concert. At once familiar and shocking, these riveting stories will haunt you long after you put down your book and turn out the light.
My Review:
This is one of the books I acquired at Book Expo America 2013, so I'd like to first thank them and also Ellen Datlow for giving me the opportunity to read this book and autographing it for me.
Before I go into my review, I just wanted to list all the authors whose stories are included in this anthology so they receive proper recognition:
Before I go into my review, I just wanted to list all the authors whose stories are included in this anthology so they receive proper recognition:
Pat Cadigan
Dale Bailey
E. Michael Lewis
Lucius Shepard
David Morrell
Caitlin R. Kiernan
Joyce Carol Oates
Elizabeth Hand
Neil Gaiman
F. Paul Wilson
Jonathan Carroll
Terry Dowling
Paul Walther
Simon Kurt Unsworth
Connie Willis
Stephen Gallagher
Michael Marshall Smith
Richard Bowes
James P. Blaylock
Jeffrey Ford
Gemma Files
Kelly Link
Adam L. G. Nevill
Peter Straub
Dale Bailey
E. Michael Lewis
Lucius Shepard
David Morrell
Caitlin R. Kiernan
Joyce Carol Oates
Elizabeth Hand
Neil Gaiman
F. Paul Wilson
Jonathan Carroll
Terry Dowling
Paul Walther
Simon Kurt Unsworth
Connie Willis
Stephen Gallagher
Michael Marshall Smith
Richard Bowes
James P. Blaylock
Jeffrey Ford
Gemma Files
Kelly Link
Adam L. G. Nevill
Peter Straub
Every so often, I return to my roots for reading material: horror. I love a good horror story. They're very difficult to find these days, as my tastes in horror have gotten very picky over the years. I'm always on the look out for stories that don't just offer cheap thrills but really haunt my very soul. Also, I have to care about the main character. I'm not that thrilled with the whole "innocent victim gets terrorized by the killer/monster/etc for no apparent reason" anymore. Nor am I drawn toward the "mean person gets what's coming to him" type of story. Nor am I thrilled with stories that aren't really stories but more like incidents. Of course, there are always exceptions, if the story is unique enough.
Using these criteria, Hauntings is a mixed bag for me. Every short story in the book is written extremely well, in the very capable hands of all the authors included in the anthology. However, in some cases, either the stories are not really "stories" - in the sense that there is a clearly defined beginning, middle, and end and there is some type of character growth involved - or they are of the type where the evil main character gets his "reward". There are some stories that definitely break the rules I mentioned above that are so unique they stand out. There are others that also break the rules that are just "meh".
A few stand-out stories for me and why they stood out:
- "Anna" by F. Paul Wilson. A revenge story that was very unique, so I loved it.
- "Two Houses" by Kelly Link. VERY unique ghost story, set in space, that haunts me still.
- "Hunger, an Introduction" by Peter Straub. This is one of the only stories in the anthology that I would consider a complete story, AND unique, and very well told.
Having said that, I'd invite everyone who loves a good ghost story to check out this anthology and these talented authors. I think there is something here for everyone. Don't just go by my own picky tastes. My rating is purely based on personal preference but in no way is a reflection on the talent and storytelling abilities of the authors.
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