Hello folks,
I hope you are all having a great week. Where I am the weather keeps messing with us all. One moment it's sunny, the next it's snowing. What the hell man? Again I just want to know what's coming, that's all I ask.
Book Club tonight was another lively discussion. This was also fueled by free alcohol, for which I was very grateful. Thanks Zach! I was very glad to see some old friends and also meet some cool new people. I've been going to this club for six months and it's always been fun. I know that soon the club will have to move to a new space sometime within the next few months. I hope that it's still in reasonable proximity, so I can go. We'll just have to see.
Also I wanted to remind folks that PBS has started airing BBC's Little Dorrit. I watched Part One last weekend and found it very intriquing. There are a lot of different characters and threads, but man it's going to be 5 parts long. I can't wait to see how all the threads come together. If you missed it PBS is airing Part One online this week. I'd suggest checking it out, here.
Anyway Onward!
Reviews
Astro City Vol. 1
I highly enjoyed this first trade. Kurt Busiek loves superheroes. That comes out loud and clear in this series which is a deconstruction/celebration of the comic mythos. Like Alan Moore's Watchmen, Astro City showcases a world where superheroes exist. Each issue tells a stand alone story from one POV. However Busiek rather than showing the dark side focuses on the positive, paying homage to the comics of the silver age. This is a great companion to Marvels, which was also written/drawn by the team of Busiek & Ross. As much as I love the grim reality of Watchmen it is great to soar in the world of Astro City.
Other Reviews
Mervi's Book Reviews
Bodega Dreams
This was my book club book this month. I definitely wouldn't have picked it up myself. It took me about half-way thru the book for me to understand what Quinonez is getting at. This book is clearly meant to be a microcosm of the two groups trying to take over Spanish Harlem. On one side you have the rigidness of the Pentecostal/christian religious influence of Blanca's church and on the other side the evil capitalism of Willie Bodega. Chino, the protagonist, is caught in the middle of the two sides. He believes in Bodega's dream of the rise of a Puerto-Rican professional class, but knows that Bodega is far from altruistic. Chino sees the world as a place where nothing is completely free. There is always a catch or a favor owed for any good deed. I was impressed by Quinonez's ability to capture the world of Spanish Harlem. There is a clear distinct use of language that is necessary to understand the educational hierarchy. The more "street" that you are the more the dialogue becomes colloquial, where as professionals like Nazarrio speak in clear English. If there is a fault with this book is that it is very traditional in it's narrative. I think it would have benefited from more experimentation like South by South Bronx. Perhaps a use of First person, instead of flashback, would have lended the story more urgency. As it is I thought the ending was quite a good twist and felt it was well set up all along. I'm interested to see where Quinonez goes next.
Other Reviews
Salon Books | Entertainment Weekly
All Star Superman Vol. 2
Grant Morrison defies definition. In one book he can write one of the craziest stories you've ever read, see Kill Your Boyfriend and the Invisibles series, and then in another he can write the most traditional superhero book ever. In this series he writes the clearest, best version of Superman I've read on the page. In the All-Star Superman series Kal-el is not interested in dominating the human race, he believes in all the good that we are capable of. It's pure classic silver age comics. I particularly loved the Bizarro style issue, where Superman desperately tries to co-opt the most infuriating comic race ever. One should also take notice of the amazing art by Frank Quitely. Check out this series, it will fill you with joy.
Past Reviews: All Star Superman Vol. 1
Other Reviews
Ifanboy | blogcritics
The Reading List
Books
Penelopiad
The 12 Caesars
Comics
Trinity #43
Magazine
Time
Check Out Count: Far too High.
Comic Pull List: Buffy The Vampire Slayer #24, Deadpool #9, Flash Rebirth #1, Trinity #44
Have a great week! Book Slave.
2009-03-26
Fun Book Meme Quiz or More about Me.
Hello,
Well I generally stay away from meme's on principle but I am bored and this is kinda fun. I got tagged by fellowette over at The Egalitarian Bookworm which if you're not reading it you should. She runs a great lit blog. Anyway here we go:
1) What author do you own the most books by? Looks like a mix between Jane Austen, Will Shakespeare, Terry Moore, and Stephen King right now.
2) What book do you own the most copies of? Don't really own multiple copies of books. I do have different editions of The Outsiders and Carrie. As a tween I became obsessed with finding the different covers.
3) Did it bother you that both those questions ended with prepositions? Grammar's evil. If I ignore it, it doesn't exist.
4) What fictional character are you secretly in love with? Augustus McCrae from Lonesome Dove.
4a) What fictional character would you most like to be? Clara Allen from Lonesome Dove.
4b) What fictional character do you think most resembles you? I'm so Bridget Jones without the boyfriends and crazy parents.
5) What book have you read the most times in your life? Don't really re-read. School has forced me to read Hamlet too many times.
6) What was your favorite book when you were ten years old? Can't remember.
7) What is the worst book you've read in the past year? The Somnabulist by Jonathan Barnes.
8) What is the best book you've read in the past year? That's a tough choice. Brideshead Revisited, Paper Towns, and Essex County Trilogy.
9) If you could force everyone you tagged to read one book, what would it be? Just one book? 1984 by George Orwell.
10) Who deserves to win the next Nobel Prize for literature? Who cares? Oh yeah nobody.
11) What book would you most like to see made into a movie? Special Topics in Calamity Physics by Marissa Pessl, and Strangers in Paradise by Terry Moore.
12) What book would you least like to see made into a movie? On the Road, only because I don't think it would ever work.
13) Describe your weirdest dream involving a writer, book, or literary character. Don't remember any at the moment. I leave the dreams in the dreamworld.
14) What is the most lowbrow book you've read as an adult? Depends on your definition of lowbrow. I guess I did read a Jennifer Cusie book once.
15) What is the most difficult book you've ever read? I did read John Nash's papers on Game Theory. That took me forever.
16) What is the most obscure Shakespeare play you've seen? Winter's Tale.
17) Do you prefer the French or the Russians? The Russians. But probably because I've read more Russian Lit than French.
18) Roth or Updike? Really? I'll take esoteric authors that people say they read, but they really don't.
19) David Sedaris or Dave Eggers? Sedaris. Hilarious wonderful writer.
20) Shakespeare, Milton, or Chaucer? William Shakespeare.
21) Austen or Eliot? Jane Austen all day long.
22) What is the biggest or most embarrassing gap in your reading? Lack of African American Literature. It's incredibly shameful.
23) What is your favorite novel? Really can't pick just one. Pride and Prejudice, Lonesome Dove, 1984, To Kill a Mockingbird, Slaughterhouse five, Less Than Zero, My Antonia, Winesburg Ohio.
24) Play? Long Day's Journey Into Night.
25) Poem? Howl by Allen Ginsburg. Eliot's Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock.
26) Essay? Woolf's "Room of One's Own."
27) Short story? The Dead by James Joyce.
28) Work of non-fiction? Quiet Please: Dispatches from a Public Librarian by Scott Douglas.
29) Who is your favorite writer? Jane Austen.
30) Who is the most overrated writer alive today? Stephanie Meyer. Really she's not a good writer at all.
31) What is your desert island book? Complete Works of Shakespeare. I could take the time to dissect it all I want.
32) And ... what are you reading right now? Well you could always check here. Right now it's Bodega Dreams and All Star Superman Vol. 2.
Hope you all enjoyed that. Have a great weekend! Book Pusher.
Well I generally stay away from meme's on principle but I am bored and this is kinda fun. I got tagged by fellowette over at The Egalitarian Bookworm which if you're not reading it you should. She runs a great lit blog. Anyway here we go:
1) What author do you own the most books by? Looks like a mix between Jane Austen, Will Shakespeare, Terry Moore, and Stephen King right now.
2) What book do you own the most copies of? Don't really own multiple copies of books. I do have different editions of The Outsiders and Carrie. As a tween I became obsessed with finding the different covers.
3) Did it bother you that both those questions ended with prepositions? Grammar's evil. If I ignore it, it doesn't exist.
4) What fictional character are you secretly in love with? Augustus McCrae from Lonesome Dove.
4a) What fictional character would you most like to be? Clara Allen from Lonesome Dove.
4b) What fictional character do you think most resembles you? I'm so Bridget Jones without the boyfriends and crazy parents.
5) What book have you read the most times in your life? Don't really re-read. School has forced me to read Hamlet too many times.
6) What was your favorite book when you were ten years old? Can't remember.
7) What is the worst book you've read in the past year? The Somnabulist by Jonathan Barnes.
8) What is the best book you've read in the past year? That's a tough choice. Brideshead Revisited, Paper Towns, and Essex County Trilogy.
9) If you could force everyone you tagged to read one book, what would it be? Just one book? 1984 by George Orwell.
10) Who deserves to win the next Nobel Prize for literature? Who cares? Oh yeah nobody.
11) What book would you most like to see made into a movie? Special Topics in Calamity Physics by Marissa Pessl, and Strangers in Paradise by Terry Moore.
12) What book would you least like to see made into a movie? On the Road, only because I don't think it would ever work.
13) Describe your weirdest dream involving a writer, book, or literary character. Don't remember any at the moment. I leave the dreams in the dreamworld.
14) What is the most lowbrow book you've read as an adult? Depends on your definition of lowbrow. I guess I did read a Jennifer Cusie book once.
15) What is the most difficult book you've ever read? I did read John Nash's papers on Game Theory. That took me forever.
16) What is the most obscure Shakespeare play you've seen? Winter's Tale.
17) Do you prefer the French or the Russians? The Russians. But probably because I've read more Russian Lit than French.
18) Roth or Updike? Really? I'll take esoteric authors that people say they read, but they really don't.
19) David Sedaris or Dave Eggers? Sedaris. Hilarious wonderful writer.
20) Shakespeare, Milton, or Chaucer? William Shakespeare.
21) Austen or Eliot? Jane Austen all day long.
22) What is the biggest or most embarrassing gap in your reading? Lack of African American Literature. It's incredibly shameful.
23) What is your favorite novel? Really can't pick just one. Pride and Prejudice, Lonesome Dove, 1984, To Kill a Mockingbird, Slaughterhouse five, Less Than Zero, My Antonia, Winesburg Ohio.
24) Play? Long Day's Journey Into Night.
25) Poem? Howl by Allen Ginsburg. Eliot's Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock.
26) Essay? Woolf's "Room of One's Own."
27) Short story? The Dead by James Joyce.
28) Work of non-fiction? Quiet Please: Dispatches from a Public Librarian by Scott Douglas.
29) Who is your favorite writer? Jane Austen.
30) Who is the most overrated writer alive today? Stephanie Meyer. Really she's not a good writer at all.
31) What is your desert island book? Complete Works of Shakespeare. I could take the time to dissect it all I want.
32) And ... what are you reading right now? Well you could always check here. Right now it's Bodega Dreams and All Star Superman Vol. 2.
Hope you all enjoyed that. Have a great weekend! Book Pusher.
2009-03-24
Consistency, If only.
Hello folks,
How are you all? Good I hope. Unfortunately I am really getting sick of being messed with by the weather gods. Will you please decide on snow or sun? I'm not asking much I just want consistency. I've had a tough time getting used to my new schedule and way of life. More sleep, more time to read, yet I still find myself buried. Need to find structure again, or let myself accept a more spontaneous life. Am I too old to change? God I hope not. We'll just have to see I guess. Onward!
Reviews
Uncanny X-Men: From the Ashes
I decided to pick this up because I like occasionally to delve into old-school comics. Sure they are a bit dated, wordy, and painfully expositional, however it's good for me as a comic fan to read the landmark story lines. This set of issues has a lot of classic stories in it. There's the introduction of Madeleine Pryor, the bizarre Jean Grey look-a-like. If you think about it a little her relationship with Scott Summers is actually kinda twisted. But I liked how they dealt with it. Scott just told her his issues, and they got over it. DONE. This also has the storyline of Wolverine getting married in Japan, and the awesome re-imagining of Storm as a punk with mohawk. It's great. The big difference here for me is that writer Claremont tones down his maddening expositional dialogue. Oh trust me it's sometimes still painful, but it's an improvement. There was a lot of great action and twists. Good comic booking.
Biographical Info: Uncanny X-Men
Related Reviews: X-Men and Relevancy, Sublime Baby Sublime
It's Complicated
Photojournalist Robin Bowman began in 2002 a project to document the American Teenager. She wrote a questionaire but didn't try to steer their statements in any way. The result is this book which includes portraits and interviews with over 400 teens from all across the country. I was amazed by the diversity of her generational sampling. Very much like Robert Frank, Bowman captures America in an honest, truthful way. As a teenager our lives are manipulated and powerless. Bowman never seems to be exploiting her subject matter. Both triumphant and heartbreaking, I loved it.
Other Reviews
Wausua Daily Herald | NPR | Josh's YA Reviews
French Milk
I had heard a lot of great things about this little independent book so when I finally had the chance to pick it up I did. I enjoyed this little slice of life, autobiographical journal. Cartoon artist Lucy Knisley chronicles her month spent in Paris with her mom during the holidays. I will contend that enjoyment of the book is contigent on whether you like Knisley or not. I happen to enjoy her spunky personality so I liked the book. Her art style is also very cartoony which adds to the humor of the book. She also includes the photographs that she took during the trip , which is fun. Is the story deep? Not really, but I recommend it to anyone who wants an enjoyable
read.
Other Reviews
Comic Mix | Pinot and Prose | Seattle Literature Examiner
The Reading List
Books
Bodega Dreams
All Star Superman Vol. 2
Comics
Fables #82
Magazine
Wizard
Check Out Count: Exploded.
Comic Pull List: Daredevil #117, Garth Ennis Battlefields Dear Billy #3, New Avengers #51, Oracle #1, Runaways 3 #8, Superman #686, Umbrella Academy Dallas #5, Wonder Woman #30
Have a great week! Book Slave.
How are you all? Good I hope. Unfortunately I am really getting sick of being messed with by the weather gods. Will you please decide on snow or sun? I'm not asking much I just want consistency. I've had a tough time getting used to my new schedule and way of life. More sleep, more time to read, yet I still find myself buried. Need to find structure again, or let myself accept a more spontaneous life. Am I too old to change? God I hope not. We'll just have to see I guess. Onward!
Reviews
Uncanny X-Men: From the Ashes
I decided to pick this up because I like occasionally to delve into old-school comics. Sure they are a bit dated, wordy, and painfully expositional, however it's good for me as a comic fan to read the landmark story lines. This set of issues has a lot of classic stories in it. There's the introduction of Madeleine Pryor, the bizarre Jean Grey look-a-like. If you think about it a little her relationship with Scott Summers is actually kinda twisted. But I liked how they dealt with it. Scott just told her his issues, and they got over it. DONE. This also has the storyline of Wolverine getting married in Japan, and the awesome re-imagining of Storm as a punk with mohawk. It's great. The big difference here for me is that writer Claremont tones down his maddening expositional dialogue. Oh trust me it's sometimes still painful, but it's an improvement. There was a lot of great action and twists. Good comic booking.
Biographical Info: Uncanny X-Men
Related Reviews: X-Men and Relevancy, Sublime Baby Sublime
It's Complicated
Photojournalist Robin Bowman began in 2002 a project to document the American Teenager. She wrote a questionaire but didn't try to steer their statements in any way. The result is this book which includes portraits and interviews with over 400 teens from all across the country. I was amazed by the diversity of her generational sampling. Very much like Robert Frank, Bowman captures America in an honest, truthful way. As a teenager our lives are manipulated and powerless. Bowman never seems to be exploiting her subject matter. Both triumphant and heartbreaking, I loved it.
Other Reviews
Wausua Daily Herald | NPR | Josh's YA Reviews
French Milk
I had heard a lot of great things about this little independent book so when I finally had the chance to pick it up I did. I enjoyed this little slice of life, autobiographical journal. Cartoon artist Lucy Knisley chronicles her month spent in Paris with her mom during the holidays. I will contend that enjoyment of the book is contigent on whether you like Knisley or not. I happen to enjoy her spunky personality so I liked the book. Her art style is also very cartoony which adds to the humor of the book. She also includes the photographs that she took during the trip , which is fun. Is the story deep? Not really, but I recommend it to anyone who wants an enjoyable
read.
Other Reviews
Comic Mix | Pinot and Prose | Seattle Literature Examiner
The Reading List
Books
Bodega Dreams
All Star Superman Vol. 2
Comics
Fables #82
Magazine
Wizard
Check Out Count: Exploded.
Comic Pull List: Daredevil #117, Garth Ennis Battlefields Dear Billy #3, New Avengers #51, Oracle #1, Runaways 3 #8, Superman #686, Umbrella Academy Dallas #5, Wonder Woman #30
Have a great week! Book Slave.
2009-03-19
10 Word Experiment
Hello All,
It's been awhile since I've done a review post. I assure you I haven't stopped reading that's for sure. On Monday I and the esteemed Brooke Young did my presentation on Young Adult Literature for my peers. I've been prepping for it for 1 month and a half. It means that I've been steeped in YA novels, although not like Kerry at Windmill Watching. (A truly hilarious blog, check it out.) But enough that I am glad to get back to sequential art.
So this week I thought I would try an experiment. I'm gonna try to review these books in 10 words or less. Can I do it? Let's see.
Reviews
Paper Towns
Read it now. True Love lost will always be found.
Other Reviews
Teen Book Review | Viewpoints | Orlando Sentinel
Looks
Fat Girl, Skinny Girl. Body issues. Sweet Revenge. Heartbreakingly Real.
Other Reviews
Teen Book Review | slayground
Suckerpunch
Brothers seek out abusive father. Lacks Punctuation. Grim, emotional, real.
Author's Website: David Hernandez
Other Reviews
LA Times
Ronin
Samurais, Sci-Fi. 10 panel pages. Frank Miller is crazy. Completely unexpected.
Author Bio: Frank Miller
The Reading List
Books
French Milk
Uncanny X-Men: From the Ashes
Magazine
Paste
Comic
Trinity #41
Check Out Count: Strangely Increasing.
Comic Pull List: Outsiders #16, Trinity #42, Wolverine #71
Have a great weekend! Book Slave.
It's been awhile since I've done a review post. I assure you I haven't stopped reading that's for sure. On Monday I and the esteemed Brooke Young did my presentation on Young Adult Literature for my peers. I've been prepping for it for 1 month and a half. It means that I've been steeped in YA novels, although not like Kerry at Windmill Watching. (A truly hilarious blog, check it out.) But enough that I am glad to get back to sequential art.
So this week I thought I would try an experiment. I'm gonna try to review these books in 10 words or less. Can I do it? Let's see.
Reviews
Paper Towns
Read it now. True Love lost will always be found.
Other Reviews
Teen Book Review | Viewpoints | Orlando Sentinel
Looks
Fat Girl, Skinny Girl. Body issues. Sweet Revenge. Heartbreakingly Real.
Other Reviews
Teen Book Review | slayground
Suckerpunch
Brothers seek out abusive father. Lacks Punctuation. Grim, emotional, real.
Author's Website: David Hernandez
Other Reviews
LA Times
Ronin
Samurais, Sci-Fi. 10 panel pages. Frank Miller is crazy. Completely unexpected.
Author Bio: Frank Miller
The Reading List
Books
French Milk
Uncanny X-Men: From the Ashes
Magazine
Paste
Comic
Trinity #41
Check Out Count: Strangely Increasing.
Comic Pull List: Outsiders #16, Trinity #42, Wolverine #71
Have a great weekend! Book Slave.
2009-03-17
Teach Me Mr. Joyce, I'm willing to Learn...
Hello,
Happy St. Patrick's Day to you all! How are you all? Good I hope. Lately I've seen a lot of change, it's a little hard to get used to. More time on my hands lately, which is not something I am used to at all. We'll see if I manage to thrive or drive myself mad.
So driven by the holiday today, I'm pushing my usual reviews post a few days. I have a big place in my heart for Irish literature. Every year around this time I try to take some time and reread The Dead by James Joyce. The Dubliners is the only work of his that I have made my way through. Give me time, someday I will tackle Ulysses. Someday. Joyce was the first writer to take stream-of-consciousness writing to it's full potential. His genius lies in the realization that literature can be more than what it was. Joyce gave literature the kick in the pants it needed. I am always amazed by those who realize the next evolution in an art form. In his short story The Dead Joyce sees the potential of post-modernism.
Lessons from Classic Literature: The Dead
1. Human Beings by nature are selfish. Gabriel spends nearly the entire night caught up in his own selfish needs and desires. He worries so much about himself that he is myopic to everyone around him.
2. Traditions are important. I love the aunt's and their family holiday party. When I was a young child my grandmother would have a similiar party every year. Everybody in the family would attend, even extended relatives that I would never know. These sortof get-togethers are essential.
3. When it comes to toasts keep it simple. Gabriel chooses to focus on the hosts of the evening: his aunts. By letting go of "the quote" he puts the focus on them and not himself. It is his first generous act of story.
4. We all need friends like Freddy Malins. Freddy is an easy moral scapegoat, but he's not so bad. Every group needs it's black sheep though.
5. All you need is love. Like the Beatles said Gabriel's epiphany at the end of the story is that love supercedes death. It is a link between the living and the dead.
Have a great couple of days! Book Slave.
Happy St. Patrick's Day to you all! How are you all? Good I hope. Lately I've seen a lot of change, it's a little hard to get used to. More time on my hands lately, which is not something I am used to at all. We'll see if I manage to thrive or drive myself mad.
So driven by the holiday today, I'm pushing my usual reviews post a few days. I have a big place in my heart for Irish literature. Every year around this time I try to take some time and reread The Dead by James Joyce. The Dubliners is the only work of his that I have made my way through. Give me time, someday I will tackle Ulysses. Someday. Joyce was the first writer to take stream-of-consciousness writing to it's full potential. His genius lies in the realization that literature can be more than what it was. Joyce gave literature the kick in the pants it needed. I am always amazed by those who realize the next evolution in an art form. In his short story The Dead Joyce sees the potential of post-modernism.
Lessons from Classic Literature: The Dead
1. Human Beings by nature are selfish. Gabriel spends nearly the entire night caught up in his own selfish needs and desires. He worries so much about himself that he is myopic to everyone around him.
2. Traditions are important. I love the aunt's and their family holiday party. When I was a young child my grandmother would have a similiar party every year. Everybody in the family would attend, even extended relatives that I would never know. These sortof get-togethers are essential.
3. When it comes to toasts keep it simple. Gabriel chooses to focus on the hosts of the evening: his aunts. By letting go of "the quote" he puts the focus on them and not himself. It is his first generous act of story.
4. We all need friends like Freddy Malins. Freddy is an easy moral scapegoat, but he's not so bad. Every group needs it's black sheep though.
5. All you need is love. Like the Beatles said Gabriel's epiphany at the end of the story is that love supercedes death. It is a link between the living and the dead.
Have a great couple of days! Book Slave.
2009-03-13
Yep I'm still here folks.
Hey,
So I haven't died, disappeared, or ended up on a crazy island. Life just decided to throw me a curve and I didn't feel like writing about books. Let's just say that now I've got some time on my hands. With plenty to read, watch, and listen I assure you I'll find a way to keep myself busy.
On Monday I've got a big presentation on young adult books in 2009. This isn't the first presentation I've done for my peers but I am a little nervous. My partner and I have decided on a real loosey, goosey approach. If there's something I don't lack it's personality. Too much some would say. Either way it should be fun.
At the moment I've got to get some major reading done. The good news is that you guys will get a review-a-palooza next week. Stay Tuned.
Have a fun weekend! Book Slave.
PS For the love of god, the written word, and the staving off of armageddon, buy your books from your local bookseller. Book Stores are hurting, they need your dollars. And when a book store fails, trust me you are letting loose a group of crazy book sellers into your midst.
So I haven't died, disappeared, or ended up on a crazy island. Life just decided to throw me a curve and I didn't feel like writing about books. Let's just say that now I've got some time on my hands. With plenty to read, watch, and listen I assure you I'll find a way to keep myself busy.
On Monday I've got a big presentation on young adult books in 2009. This isn't the first presentation I've done for my peers but I am a little nervous. My partner and I have decided on a real loosey, goosey approach. If there's something I don't lack it's personality. Too much some would say. Either way it should be fun.
At the moment I've got to get some major reading done. The good news is that you guys will get a review-a-palooza next week. Stay Tuned.
Have a fun weekend! Book Slave.
PS For the love of god, the written word, and the staving off of armageddon, buy your books from your local bookseller. Book Stores are hurting, they need your dollars. And when a book store fails, trust me you are letting loose a group of crazy book sellers into your midst.
2009-03-03
Poetry and Plays
Hello,
It's been an interesting week. Unfortunately I've spent a lot of it down with a headache, but I'm better now. Still I've got many books to read in the next two weeks. We'll see how that goes. Ships Ahoy Gentleman & Ladies!
Reviews
Complete Poems of Robert Graves, as Chosen by Himself
I've actually known the work of Robert Graves for some time. In high school I fell in love with I, Claudius having seen the TV series, I read the book. However this was the first time I've picked up his poetry. In his work I saw a man full of contradictions. In several works he expands and comments on mythography. Graves writes unconventional interpretations of classical stories like Leda and the Swan, still using traditional forms. There are also poems that are full of modernesque flourishes. His personal life was messy and some of his poems reflect that. In some works he is angry, scared, and full of passion. These non-traditional poems are in direct contrast to his "mythological" subject manner. This collection is packed, largely due to the fact that Graves works are very short. Since he picked the works in this collection I'm not sure whether it's arranged chronologically or by subject matter. I will say that it is a bit exhausting. I almost wish he had picked less works to include, making the one's he did pick stand out more. Either way you definitely get your money's worth. Worth checking out if you are a fan.
Biographical Info: Robert Graves
Doubt: A Parable
I read this after I had seen the movie adaptation, however I had heard of the play back in 2005 when it debuted. I've wanted to see it performed before I read it on the page. (To read more about this, check this out here.) This play is very spare. There are only four characters on stage, usually two people to a scene. Very much an actor's showcase, it is meant to divide the audience. Who is right? Who is wrong? Nothing about the conflict between these character's is black and white. I've come to the belief that Sister Aloysius, as much as I dislike her, is the hero of this play. She is relentless even though as she states "In the pursuit of wrongdoing, one steps away from God...Of course, there's a price." She is risking her soul to protect the kids in her school. She has no actual physical proof but even the possibility of a threat and she is on the case. I also loved the relationship between Sister James and Sister Aloysius. Sister James is the perfect depiction of a young innocent who so desperately needs the older sister's approval. She wants to be loved by her students but she also wants their respect. Unfortunately you can't always have both, she will have to find a way to have both. Shanley is amazing for creating such drama out of so little.
Performance Reviews
New York Times | CurtainUp
The Reading List
Books
Ronin
Looks
Comics
Trinity #38
Magazines
Newsweek
Comic Pull List: Buffy The Vampire Slayer #23, Daredevil #116, Deadpool #8, Goon #32, Secret Six #7, Terry Moores Echo #10, Trinity #40
Check Out Count: Holding Steady.
Have a great week! Book Slave.
It's been an interesting week. Unfortunately I've spent a lot of it down with a headache, but I'm better now. Still I've got many books to read in the next two weeks. We'll see how that goes. Ships Ahoy Gentleman & Ladies!
Reviews
Complete Poems of Robert Graves, as Chosen by Himself
I've actually known the work of Robert Graves for some time. In high school I fell in love with I, Claudius having seen the TV series, I read the book. However this was the first time I've picked up his poetry. In his work I saw a man full of contradictions. In several works he expands and comments on mythography. Graves writes unconventional interpretations of classical stories like Leda and the Swan, still using traditional forms. There are also poems that are full of modernesque flourishes. His personal life was messy and some of his poems reflect that. In some works he is angry, scared, and full of passion. These non-traditional poems are in direct contrast to his "mythological" subject manner. This collection is packed, largely due to the fact that Graves works are very short. Since he picked the works in this collection I'm not sure whether it's arranged chronologically or by subject matter. I will say that it is a bit exhausting. I almost wish he had picked less works to include, making the one's he did pick stand out more. Either way you definitely get your money's worth. Worth checking out if you are a fan.
Biographical Info: Robert Graves
Doubt: A Parable
I read this after I had seen the movie adaptation, however I had heard of the play back in 2005 when it debuted. I've wanted to see it performed before I read it on the page. (To read more about this, check this out here.) This play is very spare. There are only four characters on stage, usually two people to a scene. Very much an actor's showcase, it is meant to divide the audience. Who is right? Who is wrong? Nothing about the conflict between these character's is black and white. I've come to the belief that Sister Aloysius, as much as I dislike her, is the hero of this play. She is relentless even though as she states "In the pursuit of wrongdoing, one steps away from God...Of course, there's a price." She is risking her soul to protect the kids in her school. She has no actual physical proof but even the possibility of a threat and she is on the case. I also loved the relationship between Sister James and Sister Aloysius. Sister James is the perfect depiction of a young innocent who so desperately needs the older sister's approval. She wants to be loved by her students but she also wants their respect. Unfortunately you can't always have both, she will have to find a way to have both. Shanley is amazing for creating such drama out of so little.
Performance Reviews
New York Times | CurtainUp
The Reading List
Books
Ronin
Looks
Comics
Trinity #38
Magazines
Newsweek
Comic Pull List: Buffy The Vampire Slayer #23, Daredevil #116, Deadpool #8, Goon #32, Secret Six #7, Terry Moores Echo #10, Trinity #40
Check Out Count: Holding Steady.
Have a great week! Book Slave.
2009-02-28
A Night at the Theater
Hello all,
I hope you are all having a great weekend. I'm having a productive weekend. It's nice to get stuff done. For this week I'm bringing back an old feature so be sure to enjoy.
Life Changing Reads: Theater Edition
Okay, a little autobiography to start us off. Confession time: In high school I was a mega-theater nerd. Yep I couldn't sing or dance, but I could be funny. And do Shakespeare. In the area that I live in we have a pretty vibrant theater community. There's two professional Equity theaters, and a great University theater program, that I go to all the time. Also there's the annual Shakespeare Festival which is not that far away. As a teenager I had a great drama teacher Mr. Newman who encouraged us to see professional theater as much as we could. He set up a program where we could see plays after school or on Saturdays with discounted tickets. I saw so many amazing plays this way some of them listed below.
However I do still have to wait a few years before I get the chance to see new plays. So I often, especially as a teenager, would end up reading plays. I know that plays are meant to be performed not read, but that isn't always an option. As I read the play I would often imagine the action. I would check the cast lists up front and see what actors had played it on the stage. Then I would cast the show in my head as I read it. Sometimes this was all I could do. Reading Doubt: A Parable this week (review forthcoming) I thought back to some other great plays that are immensely readable. These plays are so complex that I think I have benefited from reading the people in addition to seeing them performed.
1. Angels in America: Millenium Approaches & Perestroika by Tony Kushner
Tony Kushner's epic two part saga blew my mind when I read it in 1995. I won't lie I had heard about the play become it had LDS characters. Living in a LDS community I naturally drift toward anything with Mormons in it. This is why I love HBO's Big Love. Anyway I was deeply influenced by Kushner's compassion for his characters. Even the flawed individuals like Joe Pitt and Louis Ironson. Prior Walter's journey through love and pain is amazing. Also I was captured by his version of the cellestial and religious faith.
2. Arcadia by Tom Stoppard
I first heard of Tom Stoppard when I saw Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead in 1991. Yes I was oddly precocious at age 12. I picked up Arcadia off the library shelf at the original Main Library on the second floor. I had no idea what this play Arcadia was about. I ended up devouring the play over the course of 3 days and then I read it again. On the first read thru I knew that I didn't understand it all. Yet I was compelled by the surprising/unexpected ending to instantly read it again. Stoppard, at his best, is a writer whose character's are in a battle between the emotional and rational. Septimus/Thomasina, and their counterparts Hannah/Bernard, engage in philosophical arguments that create the conflict of the play. There aren't any explosions, or silly romantic entanglements, just the age-old argument: What should we follow? Head or Heart? This is a common theme in his work and is also at the heart of Coast of Utopia. I think his plays need to be read, in addition to being seen, in order to get the whole picture.
3. Long Day's Journey Into Night by Eugene O'Neill
I saw a production of this play when I was senior in high school. The production was 4 hours and I saw it as a chance to test my endurance. The play is four hours of intense family dysfunction played out by four characters over the course of a day. And it is amazing. Somewhat autobiographical, this play is raw and honest. It feels like the audience is the fly on the wall as this family falls apart. Now if you are not up to a long night at the theater then reading the play is a great alternative. You can take a break in between monologues. O'Neill takes the time to show us everything good and bad about this family. I saw a little bit of myself in every character. And I also realized how lucky I am not to be a Tyrone.
So if you get the chance check these plays out. Have a great weekend! Book Slave.
I hope you are all having a great weekend. I'm having a productive weekend. It's nice to get stuff done. For this week I'm bringing back an old feature so be sure to enjoy.
Life Changing Reads: Theater Edition
Okay, a little autobiography to start us off. Confession time: In high school I was a mega-theater nerd. Yep I couldn't sing or dance, but I could be funny. And do Shakespeare. In the area that I live in we have a pretty vibrant theater community. There's two professional Equity theaters, and a great University theater program, that I go to all the time. Also there's the annual Shakespeare Festival which is not that far away. As a teenager I had a great drama teacher Mr. Newman who encouraged us to see professional theater as much as we could. He set up a program where we could see plays after school or on Saturdays with discounted tickets. I saw so many amazing plays this way some of them listed below.
However I do still have to wait a few years before I get the chance to see new plays. So I often, especially as a teenager, would end up reading plays. I know that plays are meant to be performed not read, but that isn't always an option. As I read the play I would often imagine the action. I would check the cast lists up front and see what actors had played it on the stage. Then I would cast the show in my head as I read it. Sometimes this was all I could do. Reading Doubt: A Parable this week (review forthcoming) I thought back to some other great plays that are immensely readable. These plays are so complex that I think I have benefited from reading the people in addition to seeing them performed.
1. Angels in America: Millenium Approaches & Perestroika by Tony Kushner
Tony Kushner's epic two part saga blew my mind when I read it in 1995. I won't lie I had heard about the play become it had LDS characters. Living in a LDS community I naturally drift toward anything with Mormons in it. This is why I love HBO's Big Love. Anyway I was deeply influenced by Kushner's compassion for his characters. Even the flawed individuals like Joe Pitt and Louis Ironson. Prior Walter's journey through love and pain is amazing. Also I was captured by his version of the cellestial and religious faith.
2. Arcadia by Tom Stoppard
I first heard of Tom Stoppard when I saw Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead in 1991. Yes I was oddly precocious at age 12. I picked up Arcadia off the library shelf at the original Main Library on the second floor. I had no idea what this play Arcadia was about. I ended up devouring the play over the course of 3 days and then I read it again. On the first read thru I knew that I didn't understand it all. Yet I was compelled by the surprising/unexpected ending to instantly read it again. Stoppard, at his best, is a writer whose character's are in a battle between the emotional and rational. Septimus/Thomasina, and their counterparts Hannah/Bernard, engage in philosophical arguments that create the conflict of the play. There aren't any explosions, or silly romantic entanglements, just the age-old argument: What should we follow? Head or Heart? This is a common theme in his work and is also at the heart of Coast of Utopia. I think his plays need to be read, in addition to being seen, in order to get the whole picture.
3. Long Day's Journey Into Night by Eugene O'Neill
I saw a production of this play when I was senior in high school. The production was 4 hours and I saw it as a chance to test my endurance. The play is four hours of intense family dysfunction played out by four characters over the course of a day. And it is amazing. Somewhat autobiographical, this play is raw and honest. It feels like the audience is the fly on the wall as this family falls apart. Now if you are not up to a long night at the theater then reading the play is a great alternative. You can take a break in between monologues. O'Neill takes the time to show us everything good and bad about this family. I saw a little bit of myself in every character. And I also realized how lucky I am not to be a Tyrone.
So if you get the chance check these plays out. Have a great weekend! Book Slave.
2009-02-24
Joker, Manga, and Girls on Fridges
Hello,
Howse it hanging cyberworld? I hope you've all had a great week. I was consumed all weekend by movies (I am a cinemaniac) but I did still manage to get some reading in. I enjoyed the Oscar ceremony, all though there sure was a lot of singing and dancing. But I loved Hugh, we're on a first name basis, and his enthusiasm.
Tonight I went to my Book Club. This month we moved upstairs and sat in our own high back chairs at a table. It was a nice change. We were somewhat secluded and literally surrounded by books. Unfortunately there is one guy who came tonight who likes to dominate the group. He kinda looks and talks like Seth Rogen, so I'll refer to him as Seth. Seth likes to talk, tell personal stories, and compare everything to David Foster Wallace. Seth gets a bit on my nerves, but then again maybe I get on other people's nerves. I don't know. Anyway this is the second time he's appeared in 6 months, so I guess we'll see him next in August. Otherwise it was a good time. I invite y'all to come down, all the info can be found here. There's a review of the Book Club book The Girl on the Fridge below.
Reviews
The Joker
This original graphic novel came out last fall but I haven't picked it up until now. Cynical folk would say that DC is trying to capitalize on the popularity of the Joker post-Dark Knight. However I highly doubt that writer Brian Azzarello and artist Lee Bermejo care at all about making any commercial product. This book is as dirty, grimy, and sick as Gotham City itself. The art/writing style is wonderfully noir as we follow how small time crook Jonny Frost latches onto The Joker. See Joker just got out of Arkham and now he wants to reclaim his crime kingdom. I really enjoyed this book. Azzarello is the perfect choice to write this noir/psychological examination. This reminded me of a controversial issue of Batman that also focused on the crazy mindset of Joker. Joker is a man who sees himself as death, so he's not afraid of dying. His unpredictability makes him the craziest supervillian in comics. Check this out.
Other Reviews
Comics Bulletin | ICv2 | Comic Book Resources
Death Note Vol. 1
After last week's Monster I thought I'd try another manga. While Death Note does have some fantasy elements, I was struck again by the realistic story-telling. The fantastical elements include a notebook where if you write someone's name in it and picture there face they'll die. A teenage student named Light finds a Death Note, as the notebook is called, and decides to kill all the criminals. In his mind he'll create a Utopia of which he'll take over as ruler. Again there is strong questions of morality like I saw in Monster. I was impressed by the discussion of whether Light's intentions are really righteous or self-serving. Also there's a strong chase element as Light eludes the NPG, Japanese FBI, and master detective L. Det. L is a mysterious figure whom we never see their face, just literally the letter L from a computer. This was very enjoyable and smart, I think I'll read some more.
Other Reviews
Pop Culture Shock | IGN | about.com
Girl on the Fridge
I highly enjoyed this collection of short stories from Etgar Keret. He is an Israeli author who focuses on very short vignettes and character portraits. The book reads very quickly as the longest story is 6 pages, and most stories average 2 pages. Keret's stories contain a mix of humor, poignancy, and fantastical elements. In fact they are so short that I lost track of some of the stories in the middle. It is admirable how lean Keret's writing is, he doesn't spare a word. In 600 words he can say more than some author's do in 600 pages. So check this out, I'll definitely be trying some of his other collections.
Other Reviews
New York Times | Pop Matters | Book Forum
The Reading List
Books
Doubt
Poems of Robert Graves
Magazine
Vanity Fair
Comic
Captain Britain and the M13
Check Out Count: Eh.
Comic Pull List: Dynamo 5 #20, Garth Ennis Battlefields Dear Billy #2, Green Lantern #38, Mouse Guard Winter 1152 #5, New Avengers #50, Runaways 3 #7, Superman #685, Trinity #39, Umbrella Academy Dallas #4, Wonder Woman #29
Have a great week! Book Slave.
Howse it hanging cyberworld? I hope you've all had a great week. I was consumed all weekend by movies (I am a cinemaniac) but I did still manage to get some reading in. I enjoyed the Oscar ceremony, all though there sure was a lot of singing and dancing. But I loved Hugh, we're on a first name basis, and his enthusiasm.
Tonight I went to my Book Club. This month we moved upstairs and sat in our own high back chairs at a table. It was a nice change. We were somewhat secluded and literally surrounded by books. Unfortunately there is one guy who came tonight who likes to dominate the group. He kinda looks and talks like Seth Rogen, so I'll refer to him as Seth. Seth likes to talk, tell personal stories, and compare everything to David Foster Wallace. Seth gets a bit on my nerves, but then again maybe I get on other people's nerves. I don't know. Anyway this is the second time he's appeared in 6 months, so I guess we'll see him next in August. Otherwise it was a good time. I invite y'all to come down, all the info can be found here. There's a review of the Book Club book The Girl on the Fridge below.
Reviews
The Joker
This original graphic novel came out last fall but I haven't picked it up until now. Cynical folk would say that DC is trying to capitalize on the popularity of the Joker post-Dark Knight. However I highly doubt that writer Brian Azzarello and artist Lee Bermejo care at all about making any commercial product. This book is as dirty, grimy, and sick as Gotham City itself. The art/writing style is wonderfully noir as we follow how small time crook Jonny Frost latches onto The Joker. See Joker just got out of Arkham and now he wants to reclaim his crime kingdom. I really enjoyed this book. Azzarello is the perfect choice to write this noir/psychological examination. This reminded me of a controversial issue of Batman that also focused on the crazy mindset of Joker. Joker is a man who sees himself as death, so he's not afraid of dying. His unpredictability makes him the craziest supervillian in comics. Check this out.
Other Reviews
Comics Bulletin | ICv2 | Comic Book Resources
Death Note Vol. 1
After last week's Monster I thought I'd try another manga. While Death Note does have some fantasy elements, I was struck again by the realistic story-telling. The fantastical elements include a notebook where if you write someone's name in it and picture there face they'll die. A teenage student named Light finds a Death Note, as the notebook is called, and decides to kill all the criminals. In his mind he'll create a Utopia of which he'll take over as ruler. Again there is strong questions of morality like I saw in Monster. I was impressed by the discussion of whether Light's intentions are really righteous or self-serving. Also there's a strong chase element as Light eludes the NPG, Japanese FBI, and master detective L. Det. L is a mysterious figure whom we never see their face, just literally the letter L from a computer. This was very enjoyable and smart, I think I'll read some more.
Other Reviews
Pop Culture Shock | IGN | about.com
Girl on the Fridge
I highly enjoyed this collection of short stories from Etgar Keret. He is an Israeli author who focuses on very short vignettes and character portraits. The book reads very quickly as the longest story is 6 pages, and most stories average 2 pages. Keret's stories contain a mix of humor, poignancy, and fantastical elements. In fact they are so short that I lost track of some of the stories in the middle. It is admirable how lean Keret's writing is, he doesn't spare a word. In 600 words he can say more than some author's do in 600 pages. So check this out, I'll definitely be trying some of his other collections.
Other Reviews
New York Times | Pop Matters | Book Forum
The Reading List
Books
Doubt
Poems of Robert Graves
Magazine
Vanity Fair
Comic
Captain Britain and the M13
Check Out Count: Eh.
Comic Pull List: Dynamo 5 #20, Garth Ennis Battlefields Dear Billy #2, Green Lantern #38, Mouse Guard Winter 1152 #5, New Avengers #50, Runaways 3 #7, Superman #685, Trinity #39, Umbrella Academy Dallas #4, Wonder Woman #29
Have a great week! Book Slave.
2009-02-21
The Determination of Greatness.
Hello,
Today I was digging through my Reader. I came upon this essay by David Orr in the New York Times Book Review. Now I don't read every review, essay, etc. every month. I pretty much look for the ones that interest me. As a book seller/librarian/obsessive reader I feel compelled to do so, however I don't let it guide my choices like some.
Well I'll get to the point I think this essay is so ignorant. Writer Orr fears that American poetry is in decline. There are no "great" poets anymore such as Dickinson, Byron, or Williams. He pulls out a quote from Don Hall in 1983 where he fretted that poets no longer strived “to make words that live forever” and “to be as good as Dante.” Modern poets are ambivalent according to Mr. Orr.
I just want to remind Mr. Orr that "greatness" as he states is subjective. It's an opinion. Someone can be technically proficient but if their trochaic tetrameter has no soul then I ask what's the point. Art is not just "great" on it's own. Let's go back to our critical theory, more specifically Barthes. An artist does create, like God (or whatever creative deity you believe brings things into being), but then the artist willfully gives up his subjectivity to the reader/viewer. The viewer/reader then determines the ultimate meaning of the work to themselves. The author's intention is unknowable and inconsequential. The artist's intention is superseded by the interpretation of the viewer/reader.
Even then it is not the artist or viewer that determines "greatness." This is determined by the distance of time. Does a work hold up even a century after it's initial creation? Does a work stand out on its own or only as part of a group? I love the Beat poets, yet it's clear that Allen Ginsberg has work that sets him apart from that movement. On the other hand a poet such as Gregory Corso is firmly entrenched in Beat literature. "Greatness" is again completely subjective. What makes Ginsberg "great" and Corso not? Nothing, except my opinion.
And BTW Orr in his article completely ignores the up and coming American poets who are working today. These include:
Elizabeth Alexander
Rae Armantrout
Kay Ryan
Katharine Coles
Jesse Ball
Jimmy Santiago Baca
Billy Collins
I could go on but Orr needs to take a real look around away from his ivory tower. There is some "great" work being done and you Mr. Orr are missing it. But again that's just my opinion.
Have a great weekend! Book Slave.
Today I was digging through my Reader. I came upon this essay by David Orr in the New York Times Book Review. Now I don't read every review, essay, etc. every month. I pretty much look for the ones that interest me. As a book seller/librarian/obsessive reader I feel compelled to do so, however I don't let it guide my choices like some.
Well I'll get to the point I think this essay is so ignorant. Writer Orr fears that American poetry is in decline. There are no "great" poets anymore such as Dickinson, Byron, or Williams. He pulls out a quote from Don Hall in 1983 where he fretted that poets no longer strived “to make words that live forever” and “to be as good as Dante.” Modern poets are ambivalent according to Mr. Orr.
I just want to remind Mr. Orr that "greatness" as he states is subjective. It's an opinion. Someone can be technically proficient but if their trochaic tetrameter has no soul then I ask what's the point. Art is not just "great" on it's own. Let's go back to our critical theory, more specifically Barthes. An artist does create, like God (or whatever creative deity you believe brings things into being), but then the artist willfully gives up his subjectivity to the reader/viewer. The viewer/reader then determines the ultimate meaning of the work to themselves. The author's intention is unknowable and inconsequential. The artist's intention is superseded by the interpretation of the viewer/reader.
Even then it is not the artist or viewer that determines "greatness." This is determined by the distance of time. Does a work hold up even a century after it's initial creation? Does a work stand out on its own or only as part of a group? I love the Beat poets, yet it's clear that Allen Ginsberg has work that sets him apart from that movement. On the other hand a poet such as Gregory Corso is firmly entrenched in Beat literature. "Greatness" is again completely subjective. What makes Ginsberg "great" and Corso not? Nothing, except my opinion.
And BTW Orr in his article completely ignores the up and coming American poets who are working today. These include:
Elizabeth Alexander
Rae Armantrout
Kay Ryan
Katharine Coles
Jesse Ball
Jimmy Santiago Baca
Billy Collins
I could go on but Orr needs to take a real look around away from his ivory tower. There is some "great" work being done and you Mr. Orr are missing it. But again that's just my opinion.
Have a great weekend! Book Slave.
2009-02-17
How I develop a ghostly pale look.
Hello,
I hope you are all having a great week. I have had a lot of great time off. And being the kind of person that I am I've spent it inside curled up. That has to be why I am so ghostly pale and have never won awards for being athletic. Well Onward!
Reviews
Sweethearts
Jenna Vaughn has spent the last 5 years reinventing herself after the loss of her only friend Cameron Quick. She is shaken to discover that Cameron Quick is back in town. This is the second book from Sara Zarr who wrote acclaimed book The Story of a Girl. (Just to disclose: I've met her a few times and she's very nice.) Her specialty, thus far, is portraying the inner trauma of being the outsider. The first half of the book details in painful detail how terrible it is to be the least popular girl. Having been one myself I could easily identify with Jenna's psychological state and feel that Zarr captured it very well. She also did a lot to make Cameron Quick a mysterious, enigmatic figure. I wish that she had paid a little time to develop his character so we can better understand his motivations. At first I thought he was meant to be more adjusted than Jenna, however he seems just as troubled. I would have liked more of a view into his head since he's the catalyst of the story. The character of Jenna is so well drawn, it is unfortunate that the other teens in the story are not more realistic. I didn't buy the character of Katy, no realism there. And Ethan, Jenna's boyfriend, is so unlikable that I don't understand why she stays with him for so long. Ultimately I was drawn into the relationship between the two main characters which made the book an enjoyable, fast read.
Other Reviews
WMPL Rocks! | Teen Book Review
| slayground
Monster Vol. 1
Yes I decided to try another manga. Monster was very different from Whistle which I read last year. I was very surprised to discover that about 90% of the story is a medical drama. It was like E.R. where the main character Dr. Tenma is morally conflicted when he has to choose between patients. He's literally told to let a little boy die to operate on the mayor. Manga is never subtle but I did find the writing here to be a massive improvement. Sure the one major female character is a one-note horrible woman. The villianous medical administrators have no shades of grey, they would rather get ahead above all. They sort out who is worth saving and who isn't like gods. Dr. Tenma resists this mentality. Urasawa does a great job of layering in the thriller elements with a clear discussion of medical ethics.
Other Reviews
Comics Worth Reading | IGN | Comic Book Bin
Scott Pilgrim Vol. 5
I was heavily anticipating this next volume because I have become a huge fan of this series. As much as I am annoyed by Scott's immaturity, I understand what it's like to be 24 years old. O'Malley has done a great job of showing Scott pull himself together in order to deserve the love of Ramona Flowers. It's chivalrous how Scott has to continuously fight evil ex-boyfriends. Unfortunately for him it seems that Ramona Flowers is no longer impressed. In Vol. 5 their romance has soured. O'Malley does a great job of dropping hints throughout that makes the conclusion inevitable. Again he does a great job showing action visually and in original ways. He also does a great job portraying the mundane as well as the emotional. In the end I think that the conclusion is a set up for the final volume. I cannot wait.
Past Reviews
Scott Pilgrim Vol. 2 | Scott Pilgrim Vol. 3 | Scott Pilgrim Vol. 4
The Reading List
Books
Girl on the Fridge
Deathnote vol. 1
Comics
Captain Britain and the MI-13
Magazine
Newsweek
Check Out Count: Working on it.
Comic Pull List: Dynamo 5 #0, Outsiders #15, Trinity #38
Have a great week folks! Book Slave.
I hope you are all having a great week. I have had a lot of great time off. And being the kind of person that I am I've spent it inside curled up. That has to be why I am so ghostly pale and have never won awards for being athletic. Well Onward!
Reviews
Sweethearts
Jenna Vaughn has spent the last 5 years reinventing herself after the loss of her only friend Cameron Quick. She is shaken to discover that Cameron Quick is back in town. This is the second book from Sara Zarr who wrote acclaimed book The Story of a Girl. (Just to disclose: I've met her a few times and she's very nice.) Her specialty, thus far, is portraying the inner trauma of being the outsider. The first half of the book details in painful detail how terrible it is to be the least popular girl. Having been one myself I could easily identify with Jenna's psychological state and feel that Zarr captured it very well. She also did a lot to make Cameron Quick a mysterious, enigmatic figure. I wish that she had paid a little time to develop his character so we can better understand his motivations. At first I thought he was meant to be more adjusted than Jenna, however he seems just as troubled. I would have liked more of a view into his head since he's the catalyst of the story. The character of Jenna is so well drawn, it is unfortunate that the other teens in the story are not more realistic. I didn't buy the character of Katy, no realism there. And Ethan, Jenna's boyfriend, is so unlikable that I don't understand why she stays with him for so long. Ultimately I was drawn into the relationship between the two main characters which made the book an enjoyable, fast read.
Other Reviews
WMPL Rocks! | Teen Book Review
| slayground
Monster Vol. 1
Yes I decided to try another manga. Monster was very different from Whistle which I read last year. I was very surprised to discover that about 90% of the story is a medical drama. It was like E.R. where the main character Dr. Tenma is morally conflicted when he has to choose between patients. He's literally told to let a little boy die to operate on the mayor. Manga is never subtle but I did find the writing here to be a massive improvement. Sure the one major female character is a one-note horrible woman. The villianous medical administrators have no shades of grey, they would rather get ahead above all. They sort out who is worth saving and who isn't like gods. Dr. Tenma resists this mentality. Urasawa does a great job of layering in the thriller elements with a clear discussion of medical ethics.
Other Reviews
Comics Worth Reading | IGN | Comic Book Bin
Scott Pilgrim Vol. 5
I was heavily anticipating this next volume because I have become a huge fan of this series. As much as I am annoyed by Scott's immaturity, I understand what it's like to be 24 years old. O'Malley has done a great job of showing Scott pull himself together in order to deserve the love of Ramona Flowers. It's chivalrous how Scott has to continuously fight evil ex-boyfriends. Unfortunately for him it seems that Ramona Flowers is no longer impressed. In Vol. 5 their romance has soured. O'Malley does a great job of dropping hints throughout that makes the conclusion inevitable. Again he does a great job showing action visually and in original ways. He also does a great job portraying the mundane as well as the emotional. In the end I think that the conclusion is a set up for the final volume. I cannot wait.
Past Reviews
Scott Pilgrim Vol. 2 | Scott Pilgrim Vol. 3 | Scott Pilgrim Vol. 4
The Reading List
Books
Girl on the Fridge
Deathnote vol. 1
Comics
Captain Britain and the MI-13
Magazine
Newsweek
Check Out Count: Working on it.
Comic Pull List: Dynamo 5 #0, Outsiders #15, Trinity #38
Have a great week folks! Book Slave.
2009-02-13
Some personal musings at this late hour.
Hello folks,
I was thinking things over tonight. I consider myself a very lucky person at the moment. One of the dire headlines today related a story of more than a thousand people vying for one job. Right now folks are hurting and jobs are scarce. Now I work in books and public service which has never been a lucrative, promising career. As we joke all the time "there's no money in books." Right now the book store I work at has been forced to slim down. Although there hasn't been layoffs, there has definitely been an economic squeeze.
I started in book sales 8 years ago and I was damn happy to get the job. Before that I'd been working a series of glamorous positions in maintenance, custodial, and housekeeping. I had applied for a position in the books department before and had not even gotten an interview. The second time I applied I did get an interview and ended up getting the job. I was ecstatic to be selling books then and I still feel that enthusiasm today. It's wonderful when you can match up the right person with the right book. The customer/patron will thank you and in that moment some of the pain is worth it.
Last week I had a patron give me a dressing down verbally for being as he said "too helpful." While I really wanted to throw this guy's inferiority problems back into his face, I didn't. Today I was stunned (still am actually) when a co-worker of mine told me that she had taken 2 1/2 days off work because she just "didn't want to be here." Really. If I felt that way then it would probably be time for me to move on.
I love being a bookseller/pusher. All the negative that sometimes happens is far outweighed by the positives. (However, it would be nice if I made more money, but really I think I would just spend it on books.) So if you happen to stop by you local book store or library, look around at the employees. The one's that are still happy, even when nobody is looking, they are the one's to talk to. They are the reason that the book business will never die out.
Have a great weekend! Book Slave.
I was thinking things over tonight. I consider myself a very lucky person at the moment. One of the dire headlines today related a story of more than a thousand people vying for one job. Right now folks are hurting and jobs are scarce. Now I work in books and public service which has never been a lucrative, promising career. As we joke all the time "there's no money in books." Right now the book store I work at has been forced to slim down. Although there hasn't been layoffs, there has definitely been an economic squeeze.
I started in book sales 8 years ago and I was damn happy to get the job. Before that I'd been working a series of glamorous positions in maintenance, custodial, and housekeeping. I had applied for a position in the books department before and had not even gotten an interview. The second time I applied I did get an interview and ended up getting the job. I was ecstatic to be selling books then and I still feel that enthusiasm today. It's wonderful when you can match up the right person with the right book. The customer/patron will thank you and in that moment some of the pain is worth it.
Last week I had a patron give me a dressing down verbally for being as he said "too helpful." While I really wanted to throw this guy's inferiority problems back into his face, I didn't. Today I was stunned (still am actually) when a co-worker of mine told me that she had taken 2 1/2 days off work because she just "didn't want to be here." Really. If I felt that way then it would probably be time for me to move on.
I love being a bookseller/pusher. All the negative that sometimes happens is far outweighed by the positives. (However, it would be nice if I made more money, but really I think I would just spend it on books.) So if you happen to stop by you local book store or library, look around at the employees. The one's that are still happy, even when nobody is looking, they are the one's to talk to. They are the reason that the book business will never die out.
Have a great weekend! Book Slave.
2009-02-10
Unique Voices and Redeemable Superheroes
Hello world,
I hope you are all having an excellent week. I myself am beginning to finally fall into that regular groove now that January is over. Well Onward!
Reviews
Booster Gold Vol. 2
I really enjoyed the first volume in this series and have been eagerly anticipating the next one. Booster Gold is a fun time-travelling romp through the DC Universe. An unconventional Booster is always on the lookout for any opportunity to gain fame and fortune. After the series 52 he hooks up with time master Rip Hunter and is recruited to fix holes in the time stream. This set up in the prior volume leads to Booster being able to save his friend the Blue Beetle. The consequences of that are played out in this volume. Writer Geoff Johns does his usual amazing job of balancing comic continuity and great characterizations. I loved the relationship between Booster and Blue Beetle. Their friendship has the effect of making Booster a much more likeable guy. His confrontation between him and his father is pretty heart-wrenching. I cannot wait for the next volume in this great series.
Past Review
Booster Gold: 52 Pickup
What It Is
Linda Barry's new book is part workbook, part treatise on the creative process. In her own original way Barry puts forth a theory that focuses on images. As an artist her work begins with an image and then grows from there. Her unique point of view makes this book more than a series of exercises, it is an experience. She includes philosophical questions such as "What is the Image?" and her struggles with self-doubt. Like her other works such as One Hundred Demons she also shares her autobiographical development as an artist. This is a wonderful book for anyone who is interested in or struggling with their own self-expression. Barry is a wholly original and fun artist. This book is amazing.
Other Reviews
Bay Moon | Salon | Whereof One Can Speak
All the Wrong People Have Self-Esteem
After seeing the irreverent title I thought that was a book for me. Indeed I was right. This could be classified as an "anti-self help book" due to it's unflinchingly original message. Rosenwald states her message right up front when she says "They want you to think something’s wrong with you because you don’t have self-esteem like you ‘should." Through her writings and crazy art style Rosenwald is able to showcase her unique view of the world. Now you may not always agree with her sarcasm, and she is a bit smug, but I often found myself laughing at some of her viewpoints. In the end Rosenwald does not want to tell you what you need to change. Her assertion that it's okay to be strange and unlikeable is refreshing. The art style of the book is also very cool. The combination of typography and image is crazy and eye-catching.
Other Reviews
Blog Critics | The Dirty Shirt | Pink Me
The Reading List
Books
The Collected Poems of Robert Graves
The Wordy Shipmates
Magazine
Newsweek
Comic
Superman #684
Check Out Count: Improving slowly.
Comic Pull List: Action Comics #874, Batman #686, Batman And The Outsiders Special #1, Captain Britain And Mi 13 #10, Fables #81, Green Arrow Black Canary #17, Incognito #2, Trinity #37
Have a great week! Book Slave.
I hope you are all having an excellent week. I myself am beginning to finally fall into that regular groove now that January is over. Well Onward!
Reviews
Booster Gold Vol. 2
I really enjoyed the first volume in this series and have been eagerly anticipating the next one. Booster Gold is a fun time-travelling romp through the DC Universe. An unconventional Booster is always on the lookout for any opportunity to gain fame and fortune. After the series 52 he hooks up with time master Rip Hunter and is recruited to fix holes in the time stream. This set up in the prior volume leads to Booster being able to save his friend the Blue Beetle. The consequences of that are played out in this volume. Writer Geoff Johns does his usual amazing job of balancing comic continuity and great characterizations. I loved the relationship between Booster and Blue Beetle. Their friendship has the effect of making Booster a much more likeable guy. His confrontation between him and his father is pretty heart-wrenching. I cannot wait for the next volume in this great series.
Past Review
Booster Gold: 52 Pickup
What It Is
Linda Barry's new book is part workbook, part treatise on the creative process. In her own original way Barry puts forth a theory that focuses on images. As an artist her work begins with an image and then grows from there. Her unique point of view makes this book more than a series of exercises, it is an experience. She includes philosophical questions such as "What is the Image?" and her struggles with self-doubt. Like her other works such as One Hundred Demons she also shares her autobiographical development as an artist. This is a wonderful book for anyone who is interested in or struggling with their own self-expression. Barry is a wholly original and fun artist. This book is amazing.
Other Reviews
Bay Moon | Salon | Whereof One Can Speak
All the Wrong People Have Self-Esteem
After seeing the irreverent title I thought that was a book for me. Indeed I was right. This could be classified as an "anti-self help book" due to it's unflinchingly original message. Rosenwald states her message right up front when she says "They want you to think something’s wrong with you because you don’t have self-esteem like you ‘should." Through her writings and crazy art style Rosenwald is able to showcase her unique view of the world. Now you may not always agree with her sarcasm, and she is a bit smug, but I often found myself laughing at some of her viewpoints. In the end Rosenwald does not want to tell you what you need to change. Her assertion that it's okay to be strange and unlikeable is refreshing. The art style of the book is also very cool. The combination of typography and image is crazy and eye-catching.
Other Reviews
Blog Critics | The Dirty Shirt | Pink Me
The Reading List
Books
The Collected Poems of Robert Graves
The Wordy Shipmates
Magazine
Newsweek
Comic
Superman #684
Check Out Count: Improving slowly.
Comic Pull List: Action Comics #874, Batman #686, Batman And The Outsiders Special #1, Captain Britain And Mi 13 #10, Fables #81, Green Arrow Black Canary #17, Incognito #2, Trinity #37
Have a great week! Book Slave.
2009-02-07
Teach Me Charles, I'm willing to learn...
Hello folks,
Hope that you are all having a great weekend. I thought today I would bring back an old feature in honor of the upcoming Dickens series coming up on PBS Masterpiece Theater. Well also because it's his birthday. Happy Birthday Mr. Dickens!
Lessons I've Learned from Classic Lit: Charles Dickens
1. Don't get in debt. Debt is bad, bad, bad. *sigh* If only I'd listened.
2. Hardship in childhood builds amazing character. Look at Nicholas Nickelby, David Copperfield, Oliver Twist etc. These gentlemen are raised and go through terrible circumstances and they become great men.
3. True love often means great sacrifice. "It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to, than I have ever known."
4. Always leave your audience wanting more. The man is the king of the chapter cliff-hanger. He is a pioneer of serialization. Thank god we don't have to wait like those in the 19th century.
5. Don't get sued. Ever. Just ask the two parties in Jarndyce vs. Jarndyce.
6. Adults cannot be trusted. From Oliver Twist to Great Expectations the innocence of childhood is sullied by adults. Fagin creates a band of thieves who do all the work but he reaps the financial benefits. When Oliver Twist is threatened by Fagin you believe he is in serious peril. I always was quite taken aback by the weird psychological games adults play on children in Dickens. That Miss Haversham is a sick twist.
7. Schools/Orphanages/Apprenticeships in the Victorian Era were horrid and deadly. The abuse that is heaped on children in his novels is hard to believe. How can anyone ever admire this era? Of course Dickens wrote from experience so the veracity is undeniable.
8. Redemption is possible. Look at Ebenezar Scrooge. Also, as referenced above, there's Sydney Carton.
9. Sometimes it's the journey, not the destination. Dicken's characters suffer through some crazy twists and turns but they're often the better for it.
10. You're departed mom and/or dad may have been the heir to a vast fortune. And by crazy circumstance you may stumble into a life of love and happiness. Dicken's world is small and full of possibility.
Have a great week! Book Slave.
Hope that you are all having a great weekend. I thought today I would bring back an old feature in honor of the upcoming Dickens series coming up on PBS Masterpiece Theater. Well also because it's his birthday. Happy Birthday Mr. Dickens!
Lessons I've Learned from Classic Lit: Charles Dickens
1. Don't get in debt. Debt is bad, bad, bad. *sigh* If only I'd listened.
2. Hardship in childhood builds amazing character. Look at Nicholas Nickelby, David Copperfield, Oliver Twist etc. These gentlemen are raised and go through terrible circumstances and they become great men.
3. True love often means great sacrifice. "It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to, than I have ever known."
4. Always leave your audience wanting more. The man is the king of the chapter cliff-hanger. He is a pioneer of serialization. Thank god we don't have to wait like those in the 19th century.
5. Don't get sued. Ever. Just ask the two parties in Jarndyce vs. Jarndyce.
6. Adults cannot be trusted. From Oliver Twist to Great Expectations the innocence of childhood is sullied by adults. Fagin creates a band of thieves who do all the work but he reaps the financial benefits. When Oliver Twist is threatened by Fagin you believe he is in serious peril. I always was quite taken aback by the weird psychological games adults play on children in Dickens. That Miss Haversham is a sick twist.
7. Schools/Orphanages/Apprenticeships in the Victorian Era were horrid and deadly. The abuse that is heaped on children in his novels is hard to believe. How can anyone ever admire this era? Of course Dickens wrote from experience so the veracity is undeniable.
8. Redemption is possible. Look at Ebenezar Scrooge. Also, as referenced above, there's Sydney Carton.
9. Sometimes it's the journey, not the destination. Dicken's characters suffer through some crazy twists and turns but they're often the better for it.
10. You're departed mom and/or dad may have been the heir to a vast fortune. And by crazy circumstance you may stumble into a life of love and happiness. Dicken's world is small and full of possibility.
Have a great week! Book Slave.
2009-02-03
Those Extraordinary Gentleman
Hello All,
I hope you've had a great weekend. I myself had a low key time where I pretty much completely ignored sports. Superbowl? Was that this weekend? Well. I know that I said I'd have some ABA Midwinter stories but unfortunately I really don't. I was stuck minding the store while everything was going on. However here's a link to pics from the amazing reception party here. It was quite a time and I did meet some cool people.
Anyway Onward!
Reviews
Understanding Comics
I've been meaning to read this for some time. Scott McCloud has written an excellent breakdown of not only comics but sequential art in general. I didn't really have any interest in art until I was in high school. Before that I just didn't get it. McCloud does a great job of explaining the creative process in a way that non-artists, like myself, can understand. He also succeeds in showing that comics is a more complex medium than it gets credit for. It also helps that he presents the book in the form of comic art. It's a genius decision by McCloud. This book should really be used as a textbook in art schools. Check it out.
Other Reviews
Mantex | mile222 | grovel.org.uk
League of Extraordinary Gentleman: Black Dossier
I love the previous volumes of this series, so I was very excited when this was released. It's taken me awhile to get to this, however it was worth the wait. I enjoyed the further adventures of a rejuvenated Mina Murray and Alan Quartermain in 1958 fascist England. At first I was thrown by the redesign of the look of the characters, (Mina with blond hair, Alan as young and sans beard) but I grew to like it. Of course they would change their looks if they were on the run. The action and banter was as fun as ever. Alan Moore also includes plenty of in-jokes and easter eggs that made me chuckle. On the other hand Dossier also includes some crazy supplemental text pieces that I am convinced are half balderdash. I also think Moore likes to throw in crazy sexual material just to mess with readers. He knows that fanboys like to overanalyze every page so he will just throw stuff in. And I'm okay with that. Also the 3-D pages were awesome.
Other Series Reviews
League of Extraordinary Gentleman Vol. 1
League of Extraordinary Gentleman Vol. 2
The Reading List
Books
The Poems of Robert Graves
Booster Gold: Blue and the Gold
Magazine
Four Four Two
Comic
Battlefields: Dear Billy #1
Comic Pull List: Buffy The Vampire Slayer #22, Deadpool #7, Scott Pilgrim Gn Vol 05 Sp Vs The Universe, Secret Six #6, Trinity #36
Check Out Count: Massive.
Have a great week! Book Slave.
I hope you've had a great weekend. I myself had a low key time where I pretty much completely ignored sports. Superbowl? Was that this weekend? Well. I know that I said I'd have some ABA Midwinter stories but unfortunately I really don't. I was stuck minding the store while everything was going on. However here's a link to pics from the amazing reception party here. It was quite a time and I did meet some cool people.
Anyway Onward!
Reviews
Understanding Comics
I've been meaning to read this for some time. Scott McCloud has written an excellent breakdown of not only comics but sequential art in general. I didn't really have any interest in art until I was in high school. Before that I just didn't get it. McCloud does a great job of explaining the creative process in a way that non-artists, like myself, can understand. He also succeeds in showing that comics is a more complex medium than it gets credit for. It also helps that he presents the book in the form of comic art. It's a genius decision by McCloud. This book should really be used as a textbook in art schools. Check it out.
Other Reviews
Mantex | mile222 | grovel.org.uk
League of Extraordinary Gentleman: Black Dossier
I love the previous volumes of this series, so I was very excited when this was released. It's taken me awhile to get to this, however it was worth the wait. I enjoyed the further adventures of a rejuvenated Mina Murray and Alan Quartermain in 1958 fascist England. At first I was thrown by the redesign of the look of the characters, (Mina with blond hair, Alan as young and sans beard) but I grew to like it. Of course they would change their looks if they were on the run. The action and banter was as fun as ever. Alan Moore also includes plenty of in-jokes and easter eggs that made me chuckle. On the other hand Dossier also includes some crazy supplemental text pieces that I am convinced are half balderdash. I also think Moore likes to throw in crazy sexual material just to mess with readers. He knows that fanboys like to overanalyze every page so he will just throw stuff in. And I'm okay with that. Also the 3-D pages were awesome.
Other Series Reviews
League of Extraordinary Gentleman Vol. 1
League of Extraordinary Gentleman Vol. 2
The Reading List
Books
The Poems of Robert Graves
Booster Gold: Blue and the Gold
Magazine
Four Four Two
Comic
Battlefields: Dear Billy #1
Comic Pull List: Buffy The Vampire Slayer #22, Deadpool #7, Scott Pilgrim Gn Vol 05 Sp Vs The Universe, Secret Six #6, Trinity #36
Check Out Count: Massive.
Have a great week! Book Slave.
2009-01-28
Catching Up Part 2
Hello,
I hope you are all doing well. This weekend the ABA, that's American Bookseller's Association, are descending upon my town. Winter Institute 2009 baby! My book store will be hosting several events so I'll be hobnobbing galore. Tonite it was a crazy madhouse in my store where the reception was being held. I met some interesting book sellers from all over the country. Also if you are in the Marriot Hotel on Friday night feel free to buy me a drink. Anyway it should be fun and maybe I'll have some more stories for you all.
So due to last week's insanity, here's more reviews. Onward! (Again!)
Reviews
Batman: A Death in the Family
I picked this up because it's a famous Batman story. The death of Jason Todd is controversial because it was a choice made by the audience literally. As Denny O'Neill explains in the book that Jason Todd was an unpopular "Robin" character. So they opened up a phone line and people could vote on life and death. I have a lot of sympathy for writer Jim Starlin because he had to build around a known conclusion. Everybody knew that Jason Todd was going to die somehow. So the suspense has to build around the circumstances. Starlin does a good job of building sympathy for a previously unlikeable character. Jason Todd is not a bad guy, he just has some attitude problems.
I was surprised at how much I liked this version of Batman. In this story Batman is fighting terrorists in the Middle East. (In 1989 folks!) The Joker sells nuclear weapons to the Ayattolah! I will admit I laughed at the idea of the Joker being given diplomatic immunity and protected by Superman. This Batman is more a part of the real world (as much as a man in a cape can be) and is pretty removed from Gotham in this series. Heck he's even kinda James Bondish. It was a bit refreshing I have to say. If your interested in some old school Batman comics give it a read.
Biographical Information: Batman: A Death In the Family
Green Lantern: Tales of the Sinestro Corps
I kept hearing how good Geoff Johns and Green Lantern was all last year so I decided to give it a try. This collection of issues I thought would catch me up. Unfortunately there was two brilliant issues and the rest were kinda mediocre. However the brilliance of those issues make this collection worth checking out. I was deeply affected by the story of Super Boy. Super Boy has grown to hate his idol because he is forced to destroy everything he loves. Johns brings it to the level of Greek tragedy and its great. The other brilliant chapter is the purely psychological issue where Hal Jordan has to deal with his inner weakness which is embodied by Parallax. This is a great "talking head" issue where a man battles for his life. I was enthralled. Unfortunately the rest of the collection is not that great. I don't know why some of these issues were included other than as filler. So I'd say check out those two parts and skip the rest.
Other Reviews
Collected Editions
Brontes at Haworth
I have a real love/hate relationship with the Brontes. To be fair I haven't read all their novels and I'm not a big fan of gothic romance. I liked Jane Eyre, but I loath Wuthering Heights. I hate it with an all consuming passion. However I find the story of the Bronte sisters as fascinating. The fact that there were 3 sisters who became legendary authors after being utter failures. They failed at being teachers and governesses (female occupations of the time) and turn to writing as a last resort. The irony is that they should've been writing all along. Brontes at Haworth is an interesting hybrid because it is the size of a coffee table but it has enough biographical writing to just be a book. It has some great reproductions of paintings and writings from the sisters. It is a simplistic biography because it has no angle. I wouldn't use it as a source for your critical theory paper. However I thought it was a good introductory book and worth checking out.
Biographical Information: Bronte, Bronte Blog
So folks have a great weekend! Book Slave.
I hope you are all doing well. This weekend the ABA, that's American Bookseller's Association, are descending upon my town. Winter Institute 2009 baby! My book store will be hosting several events so I'll be hobnobbing galore. Tonite it was a crazy madhouse in my store where the reception was being held. I met some interesting book sellers from all over the country. Also if you are in the Marriot Hotel on Friday night feel free to buy me a drink. Anyway it should be fun and maybe I'll have some more stories for you all.
So due to last week's insanity, here's more reviews. Onward! (Again!)
Reviews
Batman: A Death in the Family
I picked this up because it's a famous Batman story. The death of Jason Todd is controversial because it was a choice made by the audience literally. As Denny O'Neill explains in the book that Jason Todd was an unpopular "Robin" character. So they opened up a phone line and people could vote on life and death. I have a lot of sympathy for writer Jim Starlin because he had to build around a known conclusion. Everybody knew that Jason Todd was going to die somehow. So the suspense has to build around the circumstances. Starlin does a good job of building sympathy for a previously unlikeable character. Jason Todd is not a bad guy, he just has some attitude problems.
I was surprised at how much I liked this version of Batman. In this story Batman is fighting terrorists in the Middle East. (In 1989 folks!) The Joker sells nuclear weapons to the Ayattolah! I will admit I laughed at the idea of the Joker being given diplomatic immunity and protected by Superman. This Batman is more a part of the real world (as much as a man in a cape can be) and is pretty removed from Gotham in this series. Heck he's even kinda James Bondish. It was a bit refreshing I have to say. If your interested in some old school Batman comics give it a read.
Biographical Information: Batman: A Death In the Family
Green Lantern: Tales of the Sinestro Corps
I kept hearing how good Geoff Johns and Green Lantern was all last year so I decided to give it a try. This collection of issues I thought would catch me up. Unfortunately there was two brilliant issues and the rest were kinda mediocre. However the brilliance of those issues make this collection worth checking out. I was deeply affected by the story of Super Boy. Super Boy has grown to hate his idol because he is forced to destroy everything he loves. Johns brings it to the level of Greek tragedy and its great. The other brilliant chapter is the purely psychological issue where Hal Jordan has to deal with his inner weakness which is embodied by Parallax. This is a great "talking head" issue where a man battles for his life. I was enthralled. Unfortunately the rest of the collection is not that great. I don't know why some of these issues were included other than as filler. So I'd say check out those two parts and skip the rest.
Other Reviews
Collected Editions
Brontes at Haworth
I have a real love/hate relationship with the Brontes. To be fair I haven't read all their novels and I'm not a big fan of gothic romance. I liked Jane Eyre, but I loath Wuthering Heights. I hate it with an all consuming passion. However I find the story of the Bronte sisters as fascinating. The fact that there were 3 sisters who became legendary authors after being utter failures. They failed at being teachers and governesses (female occupations of the time) and turn to writing as a last resort. The irony is that they should've been writing all along. Brontes at Haworth is an interesting hybrid because it is the size of a coffee table but it has enough biographical writing to just be a book. It has some great reproductions of paintings and writings from the sisters. It is a simplistic biography because it has no angle. I wouldn't use it as a source for your critical theory paper. However I thought it was a good introductory book and worth checking out.
Biographical Information: Bronte, Bronte Blog
So folks have a great weekend! Book Slave.
2009-01-27
Catching up: Part 1
Hello,
Howse it hanging? I may have been MIA last week (Sundancing, remember?) but this week I'm back full force. Tonight I attended my book club and it was pretty great. Moderator Zach Sampinos brought in some fun treats, as well as drinks. He's also got a keen mind and is very prepared with discussion. We discussed South by South Bronx (see review below) and an enjoyable hour was spent. If you are free the last Tuesday night of the month @ 6:30 pm come on down to Sam Weller's in SLC. Hey I'll be there.
Talking about events this week the ABA, American Booksellers Association, is coming to town. There Winter Institute Conference will be going on and my store is a major site. I'm invited to some events since I am a very important person (well in my own mind). Hopefully I'll be able to meet some other cool bookseller folk. Or at least take advantage of the open bar. Either way it should be cool, I'll let you know how it goes.
Well because I have two weeks of books to talk about I'll be splitting up the reviews into two parts. So here's part one.
Reviews
South by South Bronx
This was a book club pick and it took a while for it to grow on me. The first 100 pages are disorientated and confusing but then the two narratives came into focus. I think Rodriquez meant this to mirror the state of our characters. The real story for me is the relationship between these two battered souls, Alex and Ava. As we go along it becomes clear that Ava is meant to be a redemptive character, a muse, and femme fatale. Her catalystic function in this story was very interesting. I also enjoyed how Rodriquez emphasized the Puerto Rican regionalism of the South Bronx. As someone who is very white and lives in a very white culture, this book provides a window into a different world.
The mystery/noir elements are fairly traditional. In fact some parts of this book could take place in the 30s and not much would change. Mysterious girl meets damaged man, they struggle to figure out each other's motives, and ultimately end up saving each other. Oh yeah and there's some stolen money. Of course all of this is very familiar. However Rodriguez plays in this novel with multiple narratives, pictures, and different typography. He reworks the standard noir story with post-modern technique. This shows a continuation of experimentation in modern fiction narrative that we've seen over the last few years. I say bring it on.
Other Reviews
Feminist Review| La Bloga
American Sublime & Antebellum Dream Book
When I heard that Elizabeth Alexander was asked to write & recite a work for Barack Obama's inauguration I sought out her other works. As I've talked about before I enjoy hearing and reading poetry, especially post-modernist works. Also there have only been two inaugural poets, Robert Frost and Maya Angelou, so to be chosen is a major honor. So I read her collections American Sublime and Antebellum Dream Book before the inauguration on Jan 20. I wanted to get a sense of what to expect from Alexander. Her best work in these collections are series that focus on race in America. I particularly enjoyed "Passing", and the series "Amistad". Alexander's work is lean, uses modern imagery, and quiet phrasing, to get her thoughts across. She is lyrical and powerful, rather than be angry and in your face. She keeps the amount of finger pointing to a minimum which I greatly appreciated. Her work was impressive and I think I'll seek out some of her other volumes.
Here's a link to her website and footage of her inaugural reading. I thought it was great and really brought the significance of the day into focus.
Official Site: Elizabeth Alexander
The Reading List
Books
Understanding Comics
League of Extraordinary Gentleman: Black Dossier
Comics
Captain Britain
Magazine
Four Four Two
Comic Pull List: Batman #685, Daredevil #115, Final Crisis #7, Garth Ennis Battlefields Dear Billy #1, New Avengers #49, Northlanders #14, Runaways 3 #6, Stand Captain Trips #5, Superman #684, Terry Moores Echo #9, Trinity #35, Umbrella Academy Dallas #3, Wonder Woman #28
Check Out Count: Whoo-eee!
Look out for Part 2 in a few days. Enjoy! Book Slave.
Howse it hanging? I may have been MIA last week (Sundancing, remember?) but this week I'm back full force. Tonight I attended my book club and it was pretty great. Moderator Zach Sampinos brought in some fun treats, as well as drinks. He's also got a keen mind and is very prepared with discussion. We discussed South by South Bronx (see review below) and an enjoyable hour was spent. If you are free the last Tuesday night of the month @ 6:30 pm come on down to Sam Weller's in SLC. Hey I'll be there.
Talking about events this week the ABA, American Booksellers Association, is coming to town. There Winter Institute Conference will be going on and my store is a major site. I'm invited to some events since I am a very important person (well in my own mind). Hopefully I'll be able to meet some other cool bookseller folk. Or at least take advantage of the open bar. Either way it should be cool, I'll let you know how it goes.
Well because I have two weeks of books to talk about I'll be splitting up the reviews into two parts. So here's part one.
Reviews
South by South Bronx
This was a book club pick and it took a while for it to grow on me. The first 100 pages are disorientated and confusing but then the two narratives came into focus. I think Rodriquez meant this to mirror the state of our characters. The real story for me is the relationship between these two battered souls, Alex and Ava. As we go along it becomes clear that Ava is meant to be a redemptive character, a muse, and femme fatale. Her catalystic function in this story was very interesting. I also enjoyed how Rodriquez emphasized the Puerto Rican regionalism of the South Bronx. As someone who is very white and lives in a very white culture, this book provides a window into a different world.
The mystery/noir elements are fairly traditional. In fact some parts of this book could take place in the 30s and not much would change. Mysterious girl meets damaged man, they struggle to figure out each other's motives, and ultimately end up saving each other. Oh yeah and there's some stolen money. Of course all of this is very familiar. However Rodriguez plays in this novel with multiple narratives, pictures, and different typography. He reworks the standard noir story with post-modern technique. This shows a continuation of experimentation in modern fiction narrative that we've seen over the last few years. I say bring it on.
Other Reviews
Feminist Review| La Bloga
American Sublime & Antebellum Dream Book
When I heard that Elizabeth Alexander was asked to write & recite a work for Barack Obama's inauguration I sought out her other works. As I've talked about before I enjoy hearing and reading poetry, especially post-modernist works. Also there have only been two inaugural poets, Robert Frost and Maya Angelou, so to be chosen is a major honor. So I read her collections American Sublime and Antebellum Dream Book before the inauguration on Jan 20. I wanted to get a sense of what to expect from Alexander. Her best work in these collections are series that focus on race in America. I particularly enjoyed "Passing", and the series "Amistad". Alexander's work is lean, uses modern imagery, and quiet phrasing, to get her thoughts across. She is lyrical and powerful, rather than be angry and in your face. She keeps the amount of finger pointing to a minimum which I greatly appreciated. Her work was impressive and I think I'll seek out some of her other volumes.
Here's a link to her website and footage of her inaugural reading. I thought it was great and really brought the significance of the day into focus.
Official Site: Elizabeth Alexander
The Reading List
Books
Understanding Comics
League of Extraordinary Gentleman: Black Dossier
Comics
Captain Britain
Magazine
Four Four Two
Comic Pull List: Batman #685, Daredevil #115, Final Crisis #7, Garth Ennis Battlefields Dear Billy #1, New Avengers #49, Northlanders #14, Runaways 3 #6, Stand Captain Trips #5, Superman #684, Terry Moores Echo #9, Trinity #35, Umbrella Academy Dallas #3, Wonder Woman #28
Check Out Count: Whoo-eee!
Look out for Part 2 in a few days. Enjoy! Book Slave.
2009-01-22
Just Dropping In.
Hello All,
Where in the world have I been? Well I thought I'd drop a quick note here. Apologies for disappearing on y'all but I have been Sundancing all week. For those who don't know I speak of the Sundance Film Festival which is going on this week in my town. Being a cinemaniac I have to take part. This turns everything a bit helter skelter. Don't worry I'm still reading a plenty in between shows. You'll have plenty to read next week. For now I'm signing off. Have a great weekend! Book Slave.
Where in the world have I been? Well I thought I'd drop a quick note here. Apologies for disappearing on y'all but I have been Sundancing all week. For those who don't know I speak of the Sundance Film Festival which is going on this week in my town. Being a cinemaniac I have to take part. This turns everything a bit helter skelter. Don't worry I'm still reading a plenty in between shows. You'll have plenty to read next week. For now I'm signing off. Have a great weekend! Book Slave.
2009-01-17
Those Crazy Romantics.
Hello world,
I hope y'all had a great week. Mine was pretty hectic and with Sundance coming up next week things are likely to get crazy. I'll try not to forget about you all.
Tonight I went and saw a play at one of our local theatrical societies. The play was an original work called The Yellow Leaf written by Charles Morey. I'm usually leery of original works written/presented by the director of the company. However this play had an interesting premise so I thought I'd give it a shot. The play was a speculative fiction about how in the rainy summer of 1816 Percy Shelley, his lover Mary Godwin (later wife), and Lord Byron, hung out on Lake Geneva. Being stuck inside by the weather Byron proposed a writing contest which led to the creation of the novel "Frankenstein." This is a situation that's wrought with drama, both intellectual and sensual.
As I've written before I like poetry. Actually, after the American modernists, when it comes to classic poetry I love the romantics. Specifically I enjoy the works of Samuel Coleridge and William Wordsworth, who started the romantic movement. Byron, Shelley, and John Keats made up the latter half of that movement although they deviated into the metaphysical. Byron and Shelley had messy, sloppy lives that ended far too soon. It's likely that The Yellow Leaf contrived where it was convenient. Morey was definitely aping Stoppard, this particularly reminded me of his Coast of Utopia trilogy. Whereas Stoppard would feel no need to exposit any historical background on his characters, Morey was intent on making sure we understood exactly what he was getting at. The characterizations were fairly stereotypical. Shelley is the fun-loving fixer and Byron is the self-loathing cynic. Mary and her sister Claire compete in a case of sibling rivalry over who will land herself a poet.
Is any of this true? Who knows? No one. This is why Morey can exploit this historical literary situation for drama. The major difference between Stoppard and Morey is that Stoppard doesn't feel a need to impose drama onto his real life characters. In Coast of Utopia it is Bakunin, Belinsky, and Herzen talking amongst themselves about the state of the world. There is no french farce/soap opera bits about who is sleeping with whom. Nothing seems forced or contrived, unlike Yellow Leaf.
Don't get me wrong. I did enjoy the play. It was funny and the acting/production was stellar. However I kept thinking that you could transpose this plot into Gossip Girl and it wouldn't seem all that different. Byron and Shelley were large enough figures that Morey should have let them just be themselves.
Have a great week! Book Slave.
I hope y'all had a great week. Mine was pretty hectic and with Sundance coming up next week things are likely to get crazy. I'll try not to forget about you all.
Tonight I went and saw a play at one of our local theatrical societies. The play was an original work called The Yellow Leaf written by Charles Morey. I'm usually leery of original works written/presented by the director of the company. However this play had an interesting premise so I thought I'd give it a shot. The play was a speculative fiction about how in the rainy summer of 1816 Percy Shelley, his lover Mary Godwin (later wife), and Lord Byron, hung out on Lake Geneva. Being stuck inside by the weather Byron proposed a writing contest which led to the creation of the novel "Frankenstein." This is a situation that's wrought with drama, both intellectual and sensual.
As I've written before I like poetry. Actually, after the American modernists, when it comes to classic poetry I love the romantics. Specifically I enjoy the works of Samuel Coleridge and William Wordsworth, who started the romantic movement. Byron, Shelley, and John Keats made up the latter half of that movement although they deviated into the metaphysical. Byron and Shelley had messy, sloppy lives that ended far too soon. It's likely that The Yellow Leaf contrived where it was convenient. Morey was definitely aping Stoppard, this particularly reminded me of his Coast of Utopia trilogy. Whereas Stoppard would feel no need to exposit any historical background on his characters, Morey was intent on making sure we understood exactly what he was getting at. The characterizations were fairly stereotypical. Shelley is the fun-loving fixer and Byron is the self-loathing cynic. Mary and her sister Claire compete in a case of sibling rivalry over who will land herself a poet.
Is any of this true? Who knows? No one. This is why Morey can exploit this historical literary situation for drama. The major difference between Stoppard and Morey is that Stoppard doesn't feel a need to impose drama onto his real life characters. In Coast of Utopia it is Bakunin, Belinsky, and Herzen talking amongst themselves about the state of the world. There is no french farce/soap opera bits about who is sleeping with whom. Nothing seems forced or contrived, unlike Yellow Leaf.
Don't get me wrong. I did enjoy the play. It was funny and the acting/production was stellar. However I kept thinking that you could transpose this plot into Gossip Girl and it wouldn't seem all that different. Byron and Shelley were large enough figures that Morey should have let them just be themselves.
Have a great week! Book Slave.
2009-01-13
Karmic Nature of the Universe.
Hello
I hope you are all enjoying life. I can say that I have had a lot of good luck lately. Of course I await a turn of fortune soon. I'll just keep an eye out for anything falling from the sky.
Being a cinephile I did catch the Golden Globes last weekend. I thought it was a fun show, less stiff than the Oscars. I thought I'd point out the literary adaptations that enjoyed awards:
Slumdog Millionaire (based on the novel Q & A)
Revolutionary Road
The Reader
True Blood (based on a series by Charlaine Harris)
John Adams
An adaptation to the screen can be a great way to bring a lesser known book to light. I had not even heard of some of these books before they reached the movie screen.
Well Onward!
Review
Generation X
In this book Coupland is given credit for creating the image of Generation X. His characterizations of main characters Dag, Andy, and Claire are straight on and compelling. Their disillusionment with society, culture, the past and the future, is a cloud that hangs over their thoughts and motivations. Rather than really a plot, Coupland sets this up as a series of vignettes that illustrates the malaise these characters exist in.
These three characters should be seen as a microcosm even at the sentence level. Coupland even takes pains to include word entries in the margins to illustrate the new vocabulary of this group. They are stuck in a world of glib hipness and empty mercenary success. I found this book a compelling read, but probably only because I can empathize with the plight of the main characters. Other readers would probably see these characters as ridiculously glum slackers. As my mom would say "these kids should quit whining and get a job." However I found that Coupland does a great job of capturing a group of characters who are lost. Their optimism, which is portrayed in their stories to each other, is just unfocused.
Coupland's literary minimalism captures the narrator's slowly putting together what he imagines is a "worthy life." I found myself cheering for these character's to find an acceptable version of success for themselves. There is a heart at the center of the book that made it an enjoyable read.
Other Reviews
San Francisco Chronicle| Seattle Times | The Times
The Reading List
Books
Brontes at Haworth
The Irregulars
Comics
Batman
Magazine
Four Four Two
Check Out Count: Recently Inflated.
Comic Pull List: Action Comics #873, Captain Britain And Mi 13 #9, Deadpool #6, Fables #80, Final Crisis #6, Green Arrow Black Canary #16, Trinity #33
Have a great week! Book Slave.
I hope you are all enjoying life. I can say that I have had a lot of good luck lately. Of course I await a turn of fortune soon. I'll just keep an eye out for anything falling from the sky.
Being a cinephile I did catch the Golden Globes last weekend. I thought it was a fun show, less stiff than the Oscars. I thought I'd point out the literary adaptations that enjoyed awards:
Slumdog Millionaire (based on the novel Q & A)
Revolutionary Road
The Reader
True Blood (based on a series by Charlaine Harris)
John Adams
An adaptation to the screen can be a great way to bring a lesser known book to light. I had not even heard of some of these books before they reached the movie screen.
Well Onward!
Review
Generation X
In this book Coupland is given credit for creating the image of Generation X. His characterizations of main characters Dag, Andy, and Claire are straight on and compelling. Their disillusionment with society, culture, the past and the future, is a cloud that hangs over their thoughts and motivations. Rather than really a plot, Coupland sets this up as a series of vignettes that illustrates the malaise these characters exist in.
These three characters should be seen as a microcosm even at the sentence level. Coupland even takes pains to include word entries in the margins to illustrate the new vocabulary of this group. They are stuck in a world of glib hipness and empty mercenary success. I found this book a compelling read, but probably only because I can empathize with the plight of the main characters. Other readers would probably see these characters as ridiculously glum slackers. As my mom would say "these kids should quit whining and get a job." However I found that Coupland does a great job of capturing a group of characters who are lost. Their optimism, which is portrayed in their stories to each other, is just unfocused.
Coupland's literary minimalism captures the narrator's slowly putting together what he imagines is a "worthy life." I found myself cheering for these character's to find an acceptable version of success for themselves. There is a heart at the center of the book that made it an enjoyable read.
Other Reviews
San Francisco Chronicle| Seattle Times | The Times
The Reading List
Books
Brontes at Haworth
The Irregulars
Comics
Batman
Magazine
Four Four Two
Check Out Count: Recently Inflated.
Comic Pull List: Action Comics #873, Captain Britain And Mi 13 #9, Deadpool #6, Fables #80, Final Crisis #6, Green Arrow Black Canary #16, Trinity #33
Have a great week! Book Slave.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)