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Friday Fun! (Reading Goals for 2012)
It’s that time of year again! Time to think about my reading goals for the year. Reading is one of my main passions in life (I’d say the others are writing, fitness, and animal rights). I love it, but I also like to see how I change and grow and provide myself with a bit of direction, especially now that I’m out of school. (YAY). To that end, let’s first take a glance at my goals from January 2011 and see how I did.
Successful:
- Read 100 books. I am so freaking HAPPY to say that I not only met this goal but surpassed it! Yay me!
- Frugality. I had a hard time deciding if this was actually a success or not, after all I DID purchase a kindle. However, buying my kindle opened up a whole world of cheaper books for me, including eARCs and the land of 99cent kindle sales. I also completely stopped using PaperBackSwap and found a library branch convenient to my lifestyle. By some odd combination of all three of those, I’d definitely say I drastically improved in this area, so I’m counting it a success.
Unsuccessful:
- Travel the seven continents. HAHAHAHA. This wasn’t just a fail. It was an epic fail. My first book for this goal set me off on a Chinese lit tangent and then getting to know Amy and Kinna got me onto Nigerian lit and Ghanaian lit and then The Real Help Project got me onto black lit and um….yeah. One thing I realized about my reading style is I get into things and read everything I can get my hands on in one fell swoop. That means these challenges that cover large areas are just not for me. I’m still happy with the new places I visited via my reading though.
Goals for 2012:
- TBR Pile Challenge with Amy. Amy was doing a challenge with her roommate, and I elbowed my way in. (Thanks, sweety!) As of January 1st, I had 47 books that I acquired before 2011 still unread. My goal is to finish them all this year and hopefully faster than Amy can finish hers (47 from before 2009). Whichever one of us finishes first gets a kindle book courtesy of the other. I obviously wanted to read these books at some point, so I may as well do so sooner rather than later! I mean, goodness, they were on my shelf over a year without being read? Oh dear. See the whole list here.
- Diet for a New America Reading Project. My passion for health and a reversion of the American health crisis and obesity epidemic led me to create this project. Every month (we hope) on the third Saturday I’ll be reviewing a pre-determined book and hopefully at some point each month at least one fitness book or cookbook. See the list of planned books and more details about the project here.
- One historic nonfiction book a month. Memoirs do not count, unless they are written by critical figures. Biographies do count. Preferably about: time periods I know very little about, history of non-whites in the US, socialism, animal rights, etc….
- Read 110 books. 100 books was such a challenge that I’m just going to push myself a tiny bit, haha.
- Finish catching up with my accepted ARCs. This was a goal in December, and I did a pretty good job with it. I’m almost caught up, but not quite yet.
- Read six environmental nonfiction books. The count last year was kind of sad for someone whose life goals involve minimalist living, positive or at least neutral impact on the environment, etc… Vegetarian/vegan/animal liberation books do not count in this category. Preservation of endangered species does.
Phew! I think that’s more than enough goals for me for the year! What do you guys think of them? Any plans for your reading for this year?
How to Successfully and Respectfully Pitch Your Book to Book Bloggers
So! You’re an author or publisher who has discovered the world of book blogging and says, “Hey! That’s a cool new way to market my book!” Excellent. We book bloggers love books and most of us view accepting ARCs as a mutually beneficial experience. We love books, and trust me, if we love yours we will yak about it ad nauseum. But! There are basic guidelines to submitting your book to book bloggers that you really need to follow or you’ll start the relationship off on a bad foot. Since I’m in the interesting position of being a book blogger and an indie author, I thought I’d put together a convenient set of guidelines for all those authors and publishers out there seeking to develop some book blog based marketing of their book(s).
- View marketing your book(s) via book blogs as developing professional relationships. Book bloggers are people too. Most of us do this as a hobby due to our love of reading. We can tell when an author or publisher views us as a tool. Take some time to get to know us by browsing our blogs, clicking through to our twitter or facebook or flickr, etc… Friend us on GoodReads or LibraryThing. Trust me. I can tell from the pitch email if the author/publisher has taken the time to do this or not.
- Read the review polices before submitting and obey them. Most established book bloggers have a set of review policies somewhere on their site, either under contact information or on a dedicated page. Take the time to look at and read these. We post them to make everything smoother for everybody. For instance, on mine I say I do not accept YA. You may read this and think, “Oh, but mine isn’t like other YA books, I’ll submit it anyway and tell her that.” No. Do not do that. Trust me when I say, I do not like YA. I avoid it. Yours is not special. You are not a unique snowflake. And besides, why are you wasting your time submitting to someone who already has an aversion to your genre? The beauty of book blogs is they let you seek out and find your own niche audiences. The review policies help with that.
- Do not pitch a book to us in the comments unless the blogger specifically states she prefers that. Most established book bloggers have a blog email or a submission form that they use to sort out the ARC pitches, since we really do get a lot of them. Comments are for interacting with our own readers, not for you to pitch your book.
- Find out our name we go by on our blog and use it in the pitch email. The only thing more insulting than getting pitched a book that we obviously wouldn’t want if the person had read our review policies is if they start the email by saying “Dear blogger.” Unless my name on the site is “blogger,” don’t call me that! Our names are usually pretty obvious if you take five seconds to browse our blogs. For instance, on mine on the right-hand sidebar there is both a Creative Commons license with my name on it and my twitter handle, which is my name. If you can’t take the time to address us by name, why should we take the time to read your book?
- Do not contact bloggers until you have the final copy that you want reviewed ready to send out. I encountered this problem multiple times in 2011 when reviewing ARCs. Either the author would send me a copy then send me another copy months later saying, “Oh, this is the newly edited version” or when I posted my review the author would say, “But it’s different now!” We agree to review the copy you send us. That’s it. It is not our obligation to seek out new edits. Do not submit a book to us that you are not 100% positive is the absolutely positively best you can do. I know it’s exciting to have finished the first draft of your book, but editing is your friend. Nothing puts a reviewer in a worse frame of mind than a book badly in need of editing and no amount of you saying “But it’s different now” will entice us to change your review. This is viral, indie marketing. Use it to your advantage and don’t send out ARCs until you are positive it is the best you can offer.
- State in your pitch email exactly what format of ARCs you can offer. This again is a time-saving technique that shows respect for the book blogger. I personally primarily accept kindle-compatible ebooks, but I hate having to email back to a pitch and ask exactly what format is being offered, especially since I don’t like giving out my mailing address unless it’s for a reason. It will take you a few seconds to type out a sentence saying what formats you have to offer. Doing this will generate more positivity between you and the blogger.
- Provide the book jacket blurb of the book in the pitch email and do not include praise for your work unless someone super famous has said it. Really. We just want to know what the book is about. We do not care how much praise your work has gotten unless one of our own favorite authors has said so. (For instance, I instantly accept anything Stephen King has praised). I know that it’s awesome your first book got a lot of praise, and that’s great for you! But we don’t care. This again goes back to respecting that the book blogger knows what she likes. Tell us the genre and give us the blurb and maybe throw in one or two really awesome praises you’ve received, but that’s it. Seriously.
- Compare your work (if it’s true and applicable) to other books the reviewer has read and loved. This shows us that you paid attention to our blog and creates a positive association in our minds between you and a favorite book or author.
- Include links in your email signature to your blog, GoodReads/LibraryThing presence, twitter, etc… Not all bloggers will look at this, but some of us will and sometimes it will lead to an acceptance of an ARC that otherwise might not have been accepted. It’s smart marketing for you and convenient for the blogger.
- Once the blogger accepts an ARC, send the copy immediately and thank them for their time. If you are mailing a print copy, email them telling them exactly when you put it in the mail and thank them. If you are sending a coupon code or a file attachment, also be sure to thank them in the email.
- When the review goes live, do not disagree with it in public. This all comes down to being mature. Everyone gets bad reviews, even the famous authors. It’s gonna happen if you market your book. But responding aggressively to a negative review either in the comments or via email just makes you look like a childish jerk. Every time. Be graceful and thank the blogger for her time. That’s it. If your work is good, one or two negative reviews are not going to kill it. Now, if the blogger got a detail wrong, like a character’s name or who published the book, by all means politely correct her, but do so via email. You clearly have it, and it shows respect for the blogger by not embarrassing her in public. Most of us will be grateful to you for pointing out the mistake!
- If the blogger liked your book, maintain the rapport and relationship. I honestly hate it when I love a first book in the series and the author doesn’t offer me ARCs of the rest of them. You have found a reader who likes you and has an audience to spread that love of your work to. Why wouldn’t you offer more ARCs to her in the future? Some of my best professional book blogging relationships are with authors or agents whose first pitch I loved who then proceeded to continue to offer me more books. I want to like the books I read and review just as much as you want me to. After one positive experience, why wouldn’t you keep that positive rapport going?
Before I close I just want to give a few examples of the types of pitches and interactions that worked really well on me as a blogger in 2011:
- “In addition to the obvious wolf connection, judging by what you discuss on your blog, I think you would enjoy it.”
- ” I would be happy to add you to the list to receive a review copy once they are available.”
- “It’s great to meet you. I just read your review, and thank you so much for all the kind words.”
- “Let me know if you’d like to review the sequels. I’ll be happy to send them to you.”
- “Thanks again for your honest and evenhanded review.” (in response to a negative review)
- “I’m not ‘technically’ self-pubbed, but the publisher I work with consists of about 3 people on staff and have released a total of 5 books which mine is the only one released by them that isn’t written by people who work there.” (I accidentally said a book was self-pubbed when it was indie pubbed)
- “Thanks again for reviewing. YOU ROCK MY SOCKS OFF! SERIOUSLY!”
You can see from these samples that all of these authors and publishers treated me like a person, thanked me for my work, and were personable themselves.
I really hope you find the tips helpful in your endeavors to market your books! Viva la reading!
Book Review: Y: The Last Man: Safeword by Brian K. Vaughan (Series, #4) (Graphic Novel)
Summary:
Agent 355 and Dr. Mann drop Yorick off at another agent’s house while they bring the monkey, Ampersand, to an animal hospital to see after his cut. The agent forces Yorick to confront his own inner demons. Then the band continues on toward California, having to take a side-trip through Arizona where they run into a band of militant, anti-federal women.
Review:
The two plots contained in this entry in the series don’t flow together as well as other entries do. Although the two plots are equally interesting, they feel odd being packaged together.
The first half features an…unconventional therapy method to get Yorick to confront his inner demons. This section is excellently done and necessary to better understanding him. So far, we’ve only seen him within the situations, but really have no idea what’s going on in his head. That’s one of the interesting virtues of this particular graphic novel. We see Yorick interacting and hear him speak, but we only rarely glimpse inside his mind. Better understanding what is up with the, surprisingly abstinent, last man is key to continuing the plot.
The second half is far more humorous. There’s something eloquent and smart about the Arizona state militia of women who even go so far as to call themselves “The Sons of Arizona.” The strong reaction in the southwest to the plague with the idea that it was all arranged by the federal government is a very astute observation of the mentality of that area of the country.
So, although the two individual storylines were good, the plot just didn’t flow as smoothly this time around. It feels like that classic in-between book syndrome. It’s there to set things up for the next one. We’ll see with the next entry if I’m right.
4 out of 5 stars
Source: Public Library
Previous Books in Series
Y: The Last Man: Unmanned
Y: The Last Man: Cycles
Y: The Last Man: One Small Step
Book Review: The Cause by Clint Stoker
Summary:
In an overpopulated future, a city stands where there are not familial or close relationships, but everyone celebrates every night. Air was recently relocated to a new position as a purger, and he slowly discovers the sinister side of the city.
Review:
This is an interesting concept that is poorly executed, badly edited, and takes a turn for the worse at the end.
Anyone who follows this blog knows that I love an overpopulation scifi story. Stoker has an interesting take on it–the world is overpopulated so constantly at war. A city arises where the residents can stay young forever but must follow a series of articles that removes the true joy of living from them. The problem is that I just stated that more succinctly than Stoker does at any point in the novel.
What we have here is the classic example of a good idea poorly executed. The basic concept is great. But the main character’s flashbacks and current thoughts are difficult to read. I found myself constantly skimming the flashbacks, because they were so confusing to read and lent so little to the story.
More upsetting though were the constant errors that had less to do with typos or difficult grammar and more to do with poor understanding of the English language. Examples:
A golden metal sat at the top of his desk. (location 2879)
Won’t even know your there (location 3148)
I thought we we’re in this together (location 4225)
He put Air to sleep so he could remain innocent in the cities eyes (location 4509)
A transport past by (location 4588)
You can’t bring people back once their dead. (location 5050)
I am ti sro and you are the villain. (location 5083)
Anybody, understandably, would be frustrated with this amount of errors.
Perhaps more distressing is the “surprise” ending, which to me was just confusing. Essentially, five infants are killed every 50 years to keep the city of 30 million people alive, yet the science of that is never explained. The key to scifi is plausible science, yet Stoker ignores that entirely. It’s a good idea, but without plausible explanations and good writing, it falls flat. I’d recommend he gets a solid editor before his next attempt.
2 out of 5 stars
Source: Kindle copy from the author in exchange for my honest review
Book Review: Fourth Degree Freedom by Libby Heily
Summary:
A collection of five widely varied short stories.
“Thank You For Calling”–A day in the life of a woman working for a call center during the Recession.
“The Event”–A dystopian future where once a year male teens and young adults go out and shoot the elderly.
“Fourth Degree Freedom”–A post nuclear war future where some children are born as different degrees of “monsters.”
“The Last Six Miles”–A woman gets over her divorce by becoming a runner.
“She Floats”–A woman wakes up in a tank with limited oxygen left and a man observing.
Review:
It’s difficult to talk about this collection as a whole, since the stories range so vastly, not only over different genres, but also in quality of writing. Thus, I must address them individually.
“Thank You For Calling”
I don’t usually do contemporary literary, but this one made me smile and sad almost simultaneously. The main character is struggling during the recession, but she also must listen to other people’s problems all day. A bit of a typical storyline? Yes. But still relatable and well-written. 3 stars
“The Event”
The best story in the collection. I recommend to Heily that she turn this one into a novel. A future with no violence and thus overpopulation is typical is dystopian fiction, but Heily takes it in a fun direction. The final scene leaves the reader doubting that the main character knows the truth about his own society. There were also no obvious flaws in the writing itself. 5 stars
“Fourth Degree Freedom”
This personally didn’t hit any of my own hot buttons, but it is well written. The idea of chemicals from war affecting different pregnancies in different ways is an interesting one. Having a sibling see the humanity in the monster child where others do not is rather typical, but still touching. 4 stars
“The Last Six Miles”
Being the fitness nut that I am, I really enjoyed seeing the main character go from a depressed over-eater to a marathon runner. The content of this story is uplifting, even if the ending is a bit predictable. 4 stars
“She Floats”
I was so incredibly disappointed in this one. I had the feeling from the first few sentences that this was basically going to be a Saw rip-off, and it was. There’s nothing wrong with having a psycho kidnap a person and put them in a trap to get out of, but it must have something else in it that makes it different from the well-known series. 1 star
Overall, this collection starts out average, strengthens, then crashes at the end. I also believe Heily may have trouble finding an audience due to the variance from literary to dystopian and then to horror. I would advise her to take the two strong dystopian stories and either make them into novels or write more scifi short stories and repackage them together. Similarly, the literary fiction I believe would strongly appeal to many modern women during this current recession. If she adds more literary stories to these two and packages it as a type of collection for the modern woman, she could have great success with them. The last story must be re-done or trashed, however. It sours the rest.
Essentially, if any of the short stories above appeals to you, I would encourage you to get this book. It is only 99cents, and a good short story is definitely worth that.
3 out of 5 stars
Source: Kindle copy from the author in exchange for my honest review
Book Review: Timeless Trilogy, Book One, Fate by Tallulah Grace (Series, #1)
Summary:
Kris is a successful video editor in Charleston, South Carolina with two best friends she’s made her own family with. She has a beautiful beach house and a loving fluffy cat named Pegasus. She also just so happens to be precognitive. Her visions have never been about herself until she starts sensing that she is being watched, receiving late night phone calls, and finding flowers left at her house and on her car. Increasingly, she realizes she is in danger, and right then her old college flame moves in next door.
Review:
This is an interesting mix of suspense, romance, and paranormal that keeps the reader guessing and interested and shows promise in the writer.
Kris’s life prior to the stalking is relatable to the modern female reader. She has a core group of good friends, a pet she loves, a career that is solid but not yet stellar, and her dream home. All that she is missing is the man. The added touch of her visions gives her that extra something special, but her visions are not over the top. She can’t control when they come or what they’ll show her, so she treats them more as an odd talent. This keeps the heroine from being over-inflated, which is nice. The love interest, Nick, is cute without being a god and kind without being perfect. He’s a good guy with flaws, ie, the ideal love interest in a romance that we’ve, alas, been seeing less and less of lately.
The plot is this book’s strong point. It is scary and suspenseful, but still believable. No characters make obvious stupid mistakes that would make the reader scream at them, and let’s just say, Kris is no Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but she also isn’t a weak, quivering Disney princess. Kris is neither a super-hero nor incredibly weak, which is just the kind of heroine we need more of in literature.
All of that said, Grace shows promise as a writer, but she still needs to work on her craft. Her plot structure is excellent, but she frequently shows instead of tells. Similarly, she struggles a bit when first introducing a character, often falling back on the beginner writer’s method of explaining hair and eye color before anything else. Similarly, the book needs more editing for simple grammar, spelling, and typos. The book does not read like a strong author’s work, but it also is still enjoyable. I am left wanting to find out about the romances of Kris’s friends Cassie and Roni, but I am also hoping that the writing that goes along with creative plots improves in the next two books.
Overall, if you are a fan of suspenseful romance with a dash of the paranormal and don’t mind a bit of showing instead of telling, this book is a fun way to pass a few hours, particularly for the low cost of 99cents.
3 out of 5 stars
Source: Kindle copy from author in exchange for my honest review
2011 Reading Stats!
It’s the last day of 2011, so it’s time to compile and post my reading stats! It’s so fun and interesting to see how my reading progresses and changes over time. This year was especially interesting, since it was my first year out of school in…um….forever? Seeing what I read when all of my reading is for fun was fascinating. Also, this was the first year I owned an ereader, my kindle, which definitely impacted my reading style. Anyway, onward with the stats!
Last year, I read a grand total of 70 books, and the year before that 52. This year? That number skyrocketed.
Total books read: 107
Average books read per month: 8.9
Month most read: Tie between August and December with 14 (Interestingly, these were the months I mostly read on my kindle. I’ve discovered I read faster on it than in print).
Month least read: Tie between January and April with 6 each (January was my first month out of grad school, so I was burned out. I honestly don’t know what happened in April).
Longest book read: It by Stephen King with 1,090 pages
Fiction: 89 (83%)
Nonfiction: 17 (16%) (I really expected this to be higher!)
Formats:
–traditional print: 44 (41%)
–ebook: 46 (43%) (ebooks have officially taken over!)
–graphic novel: 11 (10%)
–audiobook: 6 (6%)
Genres:
–scifi: 16 (Winner for the third year running)
–horror: 13
–dystopian: 11
–humorous: 11
–black lit: 10 (Courtesy of getting to know Amy and Kinna and The Real Help project).
–fantasy: 10
–nonfiction memoir: 10
–YA: 10
–thriller: 9
–contemporary fiction: 8 (This came out of nowhere).
–mental illness: 7 (Kind of embarrassing how low this is, given that I host the MIA Reading Challenge, heh).
–mystery: 7
–nonfiction history: 7 (I want this to be higher next year!)
–european classics: 5
–historic fiction: 5
–postapocalyptic: 5
–american classics: 4
–feminist lit: 4
–paranormal romance: 4 (Way down from the previous two years).
–japanese lit: 3
–short-story collection: 3 (A new genre, yay!)
–alternate history: 2
–chinese lit: 2
–erotica: 2
–nonfiction environmentalism: 2
–poetry: 2
–romance: 2
–urban fantasy: 2
–vegetarianism/veganism: 2
–cozy: 1
–cyberpunk: 1
–nonfiction diet: 1
–nonfiction fitness: 1
–nonfiction lifestyle: 1
–steampunk: 1
Vampires vs. Zombies vs. Aliens vs. Demons:
–zombies: 7 (Success! I wanted them to win this year ;-) )
–vampires: 4
–aliens: 3
–demons: 2 (Poor, poor demons).
Numbers of stars:
–5 star reads: 20 (19%)
–4 star reads: 48 (45%)
–3 star reads: 29 (27%)
–2 star reads: 7 (6%)
–1 star reads: 3 (3%)
What I found most fascinating in assembling these stats was that I apparently read much faster on a kindle than in print. Why is this? Maybe the screen makes my brain remember its speed-reading lessons from middle school that I did on a screen? Maybe the lack of physical knowledge of how much is left keeps my enthusiasm up? I’m not sure.
I’m really pleased to see that my serious reading went up. Now that I’m out of school, I can read up on the topics that I myself want to know more about, and I did! I hope that my environmental and veg reading will increase next year. I also hope to continue to see a strong showing in black lit and an increased showing in Chinese and Japanese lit.
Overall, this was a great reading year. My first year getting over 100 books! Stay tuned for my reading goals 2012 post. Any suggestions?
2011’s 5 Star Reads!
My one regret last year when summing up my year in reading was that the 5 star reads didn’t get enough attention. So! They are getting their own post this time. Please note that if the 5 star went to a book in a graphic novel series, I am just listing the whole series. If it’s a non-graphic series, then the individual book is listed with a note about what series it is in. With no further ado, presenting Opinions of a Wolf’s 5 Star Reads for 2011!
The Book of Night Women
By: Marlon James
Publication Date: 2009
Publisher: Riverhead
Genre: Historical Fiction
Themes: slavery, Jamaica, resistance, evil of capitalism
Summary:
This is the story of Lilith. A mulatto with green eyes born on a plantation in Jamaica to a mama who was raped at 14 by the overseer as punishment to her brother. Raised by a whore and a crazy man, all Lilith has ever wanted was to improve her status on the plantation. And maybe to understand why her green eyes seem to freak out slave and master alike. Assigned to be a house slave, Lilith finds herself in direct contact with the most powerful slave on the plantation–Homer, who is in charge of the household. Homer brings her into a secret meeting of the night women in a cave on the grounds and attempts to bring Lilith into a rebellion plot, insisting upon the darkness innate in Lilith’s soul. But Lilith isn’t really sure what exactly will get her what she truly wants–to feel safe and be with the man she cares for.
Current Thoughts:
If someone asked me for a book that truly makes the reader feel the desperation of being trapped in an evil system with no escape, this is the book I would hand them.
The Call of the Wild
By: Jack London
Publication Date: 1903
Publisher: CreateSpace
Genre: Historical Fiction, Animal Perspective
Themes: animal rights, human/animal relationships, the nature of nature, Alaska, Canada, evil of capitalism
Summary:
Buck is a spoiled southern dog enjoying a posh life when one of the family’s servants steals him and sells him away to be a sled dog for the Alaska gold rush. Buck soon goes from an easy life to one of trials and tribulations as the result of humans fawning over a golden metal, but it might not be all bad for him in the wild Alaskan north.
Current Thoughts:
I listened to this on audiobook. I generally do this while cooking or cleaning my apartment. I distinctly remember being in the middle of washing my dishes, stopping, and going to lay down on my bed and cry. No one could read this book and doubt that animals have their own inner lives and emotions. It so powerfully depicts both that and the possible bond between animals and people. Everything I have always felt between myself and the animals I love is so perfectly depicted here.
The Group
By: Mary McCarthy
Publication Date: 1954
Publisher: Harvest Books
Genre: Historical Fiction
Themes: women’s rights, GLBTQ, women’s colleges, relationships, NYC
Summary:
A collection of women graduate from Vassar in the 1930s. Their friendship is known collectively as “The Group,” and their distinctive Vassar education has given them a distinctly liberal view on the world. How this changes with time as they repeatedly encounter societal expectations and relationship problems are told through a series of vignettes that focus in on moments in their lives over the seven years after graduation.
Current Thoughts:
This book addresses women’s issues in the 1930s and 1940s that are, honestly, too frequently too often issues today as well, through a series of vignettes that pop into the various women’s lives at different points in time. This unique way of telling their stories is what makes this book such a powerful read.
Hetalia: Axis Powers
By: Hidekaz Himaruya
Publication Date: 2008
Publisher: TokyoPop
Genre: Graphic Novel–Historical Fiction
Themes: international relations, world history
Summary:
The nations involved in WWII and the events leading up to it are personified as over-the-top manga characters and through manga-style scenarios the historic events leading up to WWII are explored. The future of the nations after WWII is also explored. For example: Russia’s dilemmas with his sisters the Ukraine and Belarus, Canada’s persistent ability to somehow be invisible to most of the rest of the G8 nations (and also to be mistaken for America), and Japan-kun and America-kun visiting each other’s homes and attempting to reach a cultural understanding.
Current Thoughts:
I actually squee when I see the manga version of America online. I heart him so much. I heart the whole series so much. This series is the reason I got distraught when TokyoPop went out of business. Read it. Even if you aren’t a history person. It is hilarious!
Hunger
By: Jackie Morse Kessler
Publication Date: 2010
Publisher: Harcourt Graphia
Genre: YA–Fantasy
Themes: anorexia, bulimia, mental illness, winning inner battles, suicide
Summary:
Lisabeth Lewis thought it was just a nightmare. Death coming to her when she tried to commit suicide with her mom’s antidepressants and offering to make her Famine–one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse–instead of letting her die. It’s just all way too ironic, her as Famine. After all, she’s fat. She has to watch what she eats very carefully. The Thin voice tells her all the time exactly how many calories each bit of food is and how much exercise it’ll take to burn it off. Yes. Lisabeth Lewis is fat. So why would Death assign Famine to her anyway?
Current Thoughts:
I still love how Kessler depicts the inner battles that go on in mental illness via the fantastical appearance of Death and the Riders of the Apocalypse. It makes it more relatable and understandable for teens struggling with those issues.
I Am Hutterite
By: Mary-Ann Kirkby
Publication Date: 2007
Publisher: Polka Dot Press
Genre: Nonfiction–Memoir
Themes: role of religion in family life, understanding your past, communal living, Canada
Summary:
Mary Ann Kirkby recounts her unique childhood in her memoir. She was born into a Hutterite family. The Hutterites are a religious sect similar to the Amish only they believe that living communally is a mandate for Christians. Mary Ann recounts her childhood both in the religious sect (her particular group was located in western Canada), as well as the journey and culture shock she went through when her parents left the Hutterites when she was nine years old.
Current Thoughts:
This is the most unique memoir I read all year, and I read a lot of them. Not only is the Hutterite lifestyle and community fascinating, but Kirkby also pulled off the rare feat of speaking about her childhood and difficult times in her life without ever once coming across as bitter.
It
By: Stephen King
Publication Date: 1986
Publisher: Signet
Genre: Horror
Themes: growing up, growing old, phases of life, Maine
Summary:
In the late 1950s in the small town of Derry, Maine, children are being mysteriously murdered. Seven misfit and outcast kids band together to face It, and they think they’ve beaten it, but 27 years later, the murders return. Vaguely remembering a promise they all made, the now adults return to their hometown of Derry to face It again.
Current Thoughts:
If someone asked me why I love pulp, what makes a horror writer like King so popular, I’d talk about this book. King eloquently addresses something everyone goes through–being a kid, growing up, growing old–without the reader even really realizing it until the book is done and wraps it up in spine-chilling horror. You relate and learn and your true fears are acquiesced all while being entertained.
The Jungle
By: Upton Sinclair
Publication Date: 1906
Publisher: Simon & Brown
Genre: American Classic
Themes: socialism, worker’s rights, animal rights, evil of capitalism, Chicago, social justice, vegetarianism, debt slavery
Summary:
In the early 1900s Jurgis and his soon-to-be family by marriage decide to immigrate to the US from Lithuania. Having heard from an old friend that Chicago’s Packingtown is where a working man can easily make his way in the world, this is where they head. Soon the family find themselves deep in the horror that is the regulated in name only meat packing plants. Dominated by a society that circulates entirely around greed and wealth for the few at the expense of the many, the family and individuals within it slowly fall apart. But is there a light at the end of the tunnel?
Current Thoughts:
It still baffles me that when this book came out all anyone could talk about was food safety. I believe Sinclair did a great job demonstrating the plight of the blue collar worker, as well as the horrors of animal slaughter. This is a classic that deserves that label.
The Monstrumologist
By: Rick Yancey
Publication Date: 2009
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Genre: Horror
Themes: New England, the nature of evil, relationships
Summary:
A New England town’s oldest resident dies leaving no known surviving family. His journals end up at the university where a professor loans them to a writer friend. In the first three folios, we learn of young Will Henry whose father and mother died in a terrible house fire leaving him to the care of his father’s employer–Warthrop. Warthrop is a monstrumologist. He studies monsters, and people arrive in the middle of the night for his help. One night a grave robber arrives with the body of a young girl wrapped in the horrifying embrace of an anthropophagus–a creature with no head and a mouth full of shark-like teeth in the middle of his chest. Will Henry, as the assistant apprentice monstrumologist, soon finds himself sucked into the secret horror found in his hometown.
Current Thoughts:
I still can’t get the damn image of the anthropophagus out of my head. Also the characters of Will and Warthrop will forever live on in my head. New England horror done exquisitely.
Rage
By: Jackie Morse Kessler
Publication Date: 2011
Publisher: Harcourt Graphia
Genre: YA–Fantasy
Themes: mental illness, self-injury, bullying
Summary:
Melissa Miller is your typical 16 year old–mom, dad, annoying sister, a jerk of an ex-boyfriend–with one small difference. She deals with her emotions by cutting herself. She keeps a razor in a locked box in her closet and pulls it out when she gets overwhelmed. One night she accidentally cuts too deep, and Death shows up with an option. Either die now or become one of the Horsemen of the Apocalypse–War. Missy chooses the latter option, and as she gets to know the other Horsemen and her job as War, she starts to realize she needs to face the rage inside her.
Current Thoughts:
I periodically find myself thinking back on the climactic scene of this book, which in a fantastical manner depicts a self-injurer facing the anger inside herself. If someone needs to understanding self-injury and doesn’t want to read the academic work on the topic, this is the book I would hand them.
Touched by an Alien
By: Gini Koch
Publication Date: 2010
Publisher: Daw Books
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Themes: aliens, FBI, intrigue, Arizona, action, sex
Summary:
Katherine “Kitty” Katt manages to get released early from a dull day of jury duty only to find herself confronted with an angry man who sprouts wings and starts flinging knives from their tips toward everyone in the vicinity. Kitty attacks and stops him and quickly finds herself sucked into a world she was unaware existed. A world of alien refugees defending Earth and themselves from a bunch of fugly alien parasites. She soon discovers her ordinary parents are more involved in this secret world than she would ever have dreamed. On top of that, she’s increasingly finding herself falling for one of the alien hunks who announced his intentions to marry her almost immediately upon meeting her.
Current Thoughts:
Aliens in suits? Check. Some lines and scenes pop into my head at odd times and make me laugh? Check. Favorite paranormal romance series to date? Triple-check.
The Unit
By: Ninni Holmqvist
Publication Date: 2006
Publisher: Other Press
Genre: Scifi–Dystopian
Themes: old age, socialism, Sweden, medical research
Summary:
In the Sweden of the near future women who reach the age of 50 and men who reach the age of 60 without having successfully acquired a partner or had children are deemed “dispensable” and sent to live in “a unit.” These units appear at first glance to be like a high-class retirement home, and indeed they have all the amenities. The residents, however, are required both to participate in medical experiments and to donate various organs and body parts up until their “final donation” of their heart anywhere from a year or a few years after their arrival in the unit. Dorrit arrives at the unit depressed, but accepting of her fate as the result of her independent nature, but when she falls in love, she starts to question everything.
Current Thoughts:
This is a book that I literally cannot stop thinking about. It left me with no clear answers, but tons of questions. I also think of Dorrit and her friends every time I have a steam after working out, just like them.
The Vampire Lestat
By: Anne Rice
Publication Date: 1985
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Genre: Fantasy–Vampires
Themes: resiliency, searching for love, European history, Egypt, rock stars, New Orleans
Summary:
Lestat, the maker of Louis and Claudia, takes center stage here to tell his own origin story, as well as explain why he has chosen to come out as a vampire rock star in the 1980s. Starting with his beginnings as a rural member of the ruling class prior to the French Revolution, we discover the origins of the Vampire Theater, as well as the origins of vampires themselves.
Current Thoughts:
I just really love Lestat. You can vamp me and carry me around forever with you, dude.
The Walking Dead
By: Robert Kirkman
Publication Date: 2010
Publisher: Image Comics
Genre: Graphic Novel–Horror
Themes: creation of a new society, living in fear, unjust wars, truthiness, self-protection, zombies, Georgia, survival
Summary:
When cop Rick wakes up from a coma brought on by a gun shot wound, he discovers a post-apocalyptic mess and zombies everywhere. He sets off for Atlanta in search of his wife, Lori, and son, Carl, and soon teams up with a rag-tag group of survivors camped just outside of Atlanta.
Current Thoughts:
I’m still working my way through this series, but it just progressively gets better and better. Although the beginning is cliche, it does not take Kirkman long to become unique, surprising, and thought-provoking.
Whitewash: The Disturbing Truth About Cow’s Milk and Your Health
By: Joseph Keon
Publication Date: 2010
Publisher: New Society Publishers
Genre: Nonfiction–Science and Health
Themes: health, Standard American Diet, animal rights, veganism, cancer, heart disease
Summary:
Joseph Keon seeks to combat the cultural myth of dairy being a necessary part of a healthy diet perpetuated by the milk moustache ads with his book citing multiple scientific studies that have been swept under the rug by those being paid by the dairy lobbyists. Although Keon cares about animal welfare as well (and there is a chapter on the suffering of dairy cows), the book predominantly focuses on debunking multiple myths surrounding human consumption of dairy: the overly-hyped “need” for calcium, that dairy is good for children, and the idea that dairy prevents disease. Keon additionally alarmingly shows the various chemical, virus, and bacteria contaminants commonly found in dairy. Citing multiple scientific studies, he unequivocally demonstrates that contrary to what the dairy industry and government want you to think, dairy is actually bad for your health.
Current Thoughts:
Oh god, how am I still eating dairy after reading all of these facts? I am going to get cancer…..gah! Damn you, cheese. Damn you.
Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China
By: Jung Chang
Publication Date: 1991
Publisher: Touchstone
Genre: Nonfiction–Memoir
Themes: Chinese history, women’s rights, China, communism, revolutions, concubines, foot-binding
Summary:
In this memoir, Jung Chang recounts the lives of herself, her mother, and her grandmother growing up in pre-communist, revolutionary, and communist China. Mixing extensive historical facts with intensely personal remembrances, Jung Chang presents a vivid portrait of real life in China.
Current Thoughts:
This is the book that jump-started my interest in China and learning Chinese history. It is a stunning memoir that covers three generations during the time period that made modern China.
Y: The Last Man
By: Brian K. Vaughan
Publication Date: 2003
Publisher: Vertigo
Genre: Graphic Novel–Scifi–Post-apocalyptic
Themes: gender, gender norms, organization of society, Boston, United States, Israel, coming of age
Summary:
The world is changed overnight when all the men and boys in the world mysteriously drop dead. Factions quickly develop among the women between those who want the world to remain all female and those who would like to restore the former gender balance. One man is mysteriously left alive though–Yorick. A 20-something, underachieving magician with a girlfriend in Australia. He desperately wants to find her, but the US government and the man-hating Amazons have other ideas.
Current Thoughts:
Another series that I am currently in the middle of. It is also steadily improving from the first volume. It is colorfully illustrated, consistently funny, and thought-provoking.
Book Review: The Walking Dead, Book Four by Robert Kirkman (Series, #4) (Graphic Novel)
Summary:
After escaping the horrors of Woodbury with two new additions to the group in tow, Rick, Michonne, and Glenn high-tail it back to the prison where they warn the other survivors and start prepping to defend their turf. Meanwhile daily life goes on, including a birth, more missing limbs, and a wedding.
Review:
This entry in the series is mind-blowingly awesome. Kirkman demonstrates that he not only is full of surprises, but also pulls no punches. Our group of survivors have their world torn completely apart. And it’s delicious.
First, we have the return of The Governor, and not as a zombie as I’m sure I wasn’t the only one suspecting. He is back missing an arm, an eye, and (I think it’s safe to assume) a dick. This all just makes him even more ferocious and terrifying than before, although that comes as no surprise considering that he is now the man with no penis. But yes, the full-page shot of him arriving at the prison in top of a tank? Fucking. Awesome.
There’s also a lot more zombie action this time around, although I do wonder why it is in pretty much every post-apocalyptic zombie books, no one calls them what they are? The prison folks say roamers, and the Woodbury folks say biters. Um, hello? They are zombies. Be realistic, people. Distancing yourself from your fears won’t help any. In any case, those of us who are huge fans of zombies are pleasantly greeted with many more and varied drawings of them, as well as attacks on people. Zombie gnawing on a dude’s leg? Yes, please.
On a more serious note, the theme of this entry is war. It’s war on a small scale, but it is still war. This is actually quite cool, because it allows Kirkman to show the dangers of war and truthiness on an easier to understand, up-close-and-personal level. The Governor is smart. He manipulates his people (except those closest to him) into believing that those at the prison are the type of evil that he, in fact, is. They thus go in hell-bent on murdering innocent people, who then have to shoot back to defend themselves. The most powerful moment of this, of course, is when a woman from Woodbury realizes she has killed a baby and essentially loses her mind from the instantaneous guilt. It’s a powerful lesson (or reminder) to readers presented in a unique package. The distancing of the situation from reality by the presence of zombies only allows the clarity of the concept of an unjust war to really sink in.
This is absolutely the best entry in the series so far. I cannot wait to find out what happens to the demolished survivors next. Fans of the earlier books should pick this one up asap.
5 out of 5 stars
Source: Public Library
Previous Books in Series:
The Walking Dead, Book One
The Walking Dead, Book Two
The Walking Dead, Book Three
Book Review: Y: The Last Man: One Small Step by Brian K. Vaughan (Series, #3) (Graphic Novel)
Summary:
Our trio of the doctor, Yorick, and 355 have resumed their attempt to reach the west coast, but get side-tracked when they stumble across the Russian woman looking for the spacemen. Upon learning of the imminent arrival of the astronauts, they decide to join her in journeying to the landing location, which just happens to be nearby. Meantime, the Israeli soldiers, unbeknownst to them, are hot on their tails.
Review:
Many different plot lines collide in this entry in the post-apocalyptic series. We finally find out why the Israelis are following Yorick and meet the astronauts. We get to know the Russian lady, as well as a couple of new scientists at the secret government location.
Most interesting in this book is Yorick’s growth as a character. Although he, to a certain extent, has that slacker mentality that can be so difficult to change, it appears an apocalypse just might succeed in doing so. He takes more assertive action and starts to doubt maintaining his loyalty to his girlfriend/fiancee on the other side of a world full of just women. In a way the story feels like a coming of age one. Yorick going from a boy to a man. Which is kind of hilarious given the setting, but it also works.
The Israeli soldiers storyline question a lot of gender norms thinking. I watched a lot of war movies in my childhood, and here we have soldiers doing basically the exact same thing, only they’re women. Just seeing that impacts gender norm preconceptions of the reader.
Finally, we have the astronauts who have developed an interesting relationship in their extended time away from earth. Their presence and the surprises they bring are the final kick that makes this the best entry in the series so far.
The art continues to be colorful and easy to decipher, plus the last chapter is a bit of a meta romp featuring primarily Yorick’s monkey that ends the book on a light note, but also moves the plot forward in a key way.
Overall, this is a well-drawn, creatively plotted entry in the series that manages to amuse and cause thought-provoking responses simultaneously. Readers of the series will be instantly begging for more.
5 out of 5 stars
Source: Public Library
Previous Books in Series
Y: The Last Man: Unmanned
Y: The Last Man: Cycles
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This work by Amanda Nevius is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
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