Title: Blankets
Author: Craig Thompson
Genre: Coming-of-Age
Pages: 582
Pages to Date: 1,674
The Good:
Blankets is a full length graphic novel centering around his first love and his transition to adulthood. Honesty is the strong backbone of the story, a very real feeling story that does not turn away from the potentially inappropriate to properly illustrate the full range of emotional trauma associated with being a teenager. Using a medium widely thought of as being for childish superhero comics, Thompson demonstrates the truth to the famed saying "a picture is worth a thousand words" by splashing emotion across the page with his artwork. Subtly is another major boon to Blankets, as his horrifying ordeal as the victim child molestation is acknowledged, but not shoved in the reader's face. The questions posed by the author about relationships, religion, and coming-of-age are all timely and relevant to any college student. Anyone who feels outside of the social norm, which I am fairly certain is everyone, should appreciate his analysis of what it means to be alone and everyone should relate to his unfortunately predictable first love experience.
The Bad:
Blankets has been banned by several schools and libraries due to its nudity. There are sexual images, so that may be uncomfortable for some. However, I would say that it's done in a way that is non-pornagraphic, instead depicting the emotional elation that goes along with a sexual connection. As for the content, some of his criticisms of organized religion are easily refuted (in my opinion), but this is his experience and therefore I cannot be too upset with him honestly depicting what deeply impacted his religious journey.
Verdict:
Blankets is a tremendous coming-of-age story that evokes nostalgia, regret, and hope for the future. The depth of emotion is impressive and it's clearly a book that can reverse negative notions about graphic novels. I highly recommend curling up near a space heater with hot chocolate near-by, snuggled under a blanket on a chilly afternoon with this heart-wrenching tale of broken hearts, shattered expectations, and how to carry on through those pitfalls.
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Book #3: Up in the Air
Title: Up in the Air
Author: Walter Kirn
Genre: Drama
Pages: 362
Pages to date: 1,092
The Good:
The snippet of a review from the Wall Street Journal on the back cover promised a lambasting of corporate America and Up in the Air did not disappoint in that respect. Kirn's story of a tired road warrior trying to cross the million mile mark before his boss finds his letter of resignation pulls no punches, truly showing the dark side of capitalism. I happen to be a huge fan of the recent film adaptation starring George Clooney and I was pleased that the book was very different than the movie. While some things remain the same, the plot is extremely different outside of a few repeated quotes (ex: "I'm like my mother, I stereotype - it's faster.") and characters.
The Bad:
Honestly, while I think that an honest examination of the seedy underbelly of our society's business practices is a necessary endeavor, Up in the Air can go full blown cynic. For example, one line states "He knows, as all the cleverest ones do, that no human being is so interesting that he can't make himself more interesting still by acting retarded at random intervals." Dismissing all idiosyncrasies that people have as acts to draw attention is simply too broad, too generalized to possibly be accurate- a criticism that could be made of most of Kirn's negative portrayals of the American businessman's ethics. Furthermore, each chapter begins with a lower case letter, while an artistic decision that has no impact on the overall quality of the writing, and that really irked me.
Verdict:
An interesting look at the state of American business, particularly the hypocrisy Kirn portrays as rampant, but overall too generally cynical to be accepted as a valid summary of our ethical woes. Perhaps I am simply still too naive, but the bleak and desolate portrayal of American culture was simply too narrowly negative for me to buy into.
Author: Walter Kirn
Genre: Drama
Pages: 362
Pages to date: 1,092
The Good:
The snippet of a review from the Wall Street Journal on the back cover promised a lambasting of corporate America and Up in the Air did not disappoint in that respect. Kirn's story of a tired road warrior trying to cross the million mile mark before his boss finds his letter of resignation pulls no punches, truly showing the dark side of capitalism. I happen to be a huge fan of the recent film adaptation starring George Clooney and I was pleased that the book was very different than the movie. While some things remain the same, the plot is extremely different outside of a few repeated quotes (ex: "I'm like my mother, I stereotype - it's faster.") and characters.
The Bad:
Honestly, while I think that an honest examination of the seedy underbelly of our society's business practices is a necessary endeavor, Up in the Air can go full blown cynic. For example, one line states "He knows, as all the cleverest ones do, that no human being is so interesting that he can't make himself more interesting still by acting retarded at random intervals." Dismissing all idiosyncrasies that people have as acts to draw attention is simply too broad, too generalized to possibly be accurate- a criticism that could be made of most of Kirn's negative portrayals of the American businessman's ethics. Furthermore, each chapter begins with a lower case letter, while an artistic decision that has no impact on the overall quality of the writing, and that really irked me.
Verdict:
An interesting look at the state of American business, particularly the hypocrisy Kirn portrays as rampant, but overall too generally cynical to be accepted as a valid summary of our ethical woes. Perhaps I am simply still too naive, but the bleak and desolate portrayal of American culture was simply too narrowly negative for me to buy into.
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Book #2: The Firm
Title: The Firm
Author: John Grisham
Genre: Crime/Legal Thriller
Pages: 501
Pages to Date: 730
The Good:
The second of three John Grisham books I picked up from Goodwill for under $3, The Firm is fast paced and grips the readers attention from the get-go. The tension as the action and drama rise is palpable, as Grisham does a fantastic job not only making the stakes high, but making me care about them. For a book of 500 pages, it also does a good job remaining interesting throughout, even bits of the story that contribute little or nothing to the central storyline. It's also a very fast read in the best kind of way, as it is hard to pull yourself away from the crescendo of drama that builds steadily until a predictably satisfying climax.
The Bad:
For a very dramatic and suspenseful storyline, there really is not much intricacy to the villainous schemes the protagonist finds himself involved in. As to the protagonist himself, I feel that he is meant to be portrayed as confident and intelligent beyond his years, but he just comes off as pompous; in particular, with the way he interacts with his loving wife. Honestly, I was not drawn to finish the book because I needed to see a character I love survive and overcome tremendous odds; instead, it was to simply see how he could ever escape the no-win scenario he found himself. As to that escape effort, I did feel the ending was a tad rushed and convenient, but sometimes a writer has to do what he can to ensure a satisfying emotional ending rather than a particularly clever one.
Verdict:
Overall, a fast paced thrill ride that may not keep the reader guessing, but will entertain for a couple hours. Definitely a good bit of reading for a plane ride or on a beach. There is also a movie version starring Tom Cruise, so reading this book will give you an excuse to rent another film from everyone's favorite scientologist.
Author: John Grisham
Genre: Crime/Legal Thriller
Pages: 501
Pages to Date: 730
The Good:
The second of three John Grisham books I picked up from Goodwill for under $3, The Firm is fast paced and grips the readers attention from the get-go. The tension as the action and drama rise is palpable, as Grisham does a fantastic job not only making the stakes high, but making me care about them. For a book of 500 pages, it also does a good job remaining interesting throughout, even bits of the story that contribute little or nothing to the central storyline. It's also a very fast read in the best kind of way, as it is hard to pull yourself away from the crescendo of drama that builds steadily until a predictably satisfying climax.
The Bad:
For a very dramatic and suspenseful storyline, there really is not much intricacy to the villainous schemes the protagonist finds himself involved in. As to the protagonist himself, I feel that he is meant to be portrayed as confident and intelligent beyond his years, but he just comes off as pompous; in particular, with the way he interacts with his loving wife. Honestly, I was not drawn to finish the book because I needed to see a character I love survive and overcome tremendous odds; instead, it was to simply see how he could ever escape the no-win scenario he found himself. As to that escape effort, I did feel the ending was a tad rushed and convenient, but sometimes a writer has to do what he can to ensure a satisfying emotional ending rather than a particularly clever one.
Verdict:
Overall, a fast paced thrill ride that may not keep the reader guessing, but will entertain for a couple hours. Definitely a good bit of reading for a plane ride or on a beach. There is also a movie version starring Tom Cruise, so reading this book will give you an excuse to rent another film from everyone's favorite scientologist.
Book #1: Bleachers
Title: Bleachers
Author: John Grisham
Series: none
Genre: Drama
Pages: 229
Pages to Date: 229
The Good:
Bleachers taps into the nostalgia for youth felt from those who peaked in high school. The pace is fast, with strong imagery that sucks the reader into a world obsessed with small town high school football. Not enough mainstream literature deals with the fallen hero, the disgraced former star who simply never reached his full potential; Bleachers unflinchingly examines the emotions felt by a man who will never escape the giant shadow cast by his 17 year-old self. Furthermore, the scenes portraying former teammates discussing triumphs from years past are extremely real. Only three years removed from high school myself, I cannot help but be reminded of conversations I have with former teammates that are eerily reminiscent of the dialogue in Bleachers. Overall, a wonderful mixture of how wistfulness regarding the past holds one back and the lifetime bonds created through sports.
The Bad:
The "mystery" of the national championship of the main character's senior season was completely devoid of suspense; honestly, it just dragged the book down a notch. Furthermore, there is a completely disproportionate amount of wonder towards achieving a college scholarship. Yes, it takes a lot of hard work and there is plenty of great high school players who never play at the college level; but when several Geneva High School grads are playing right now at Northern Illinois, I have a really hard time taking the notion that barely anyone from a school described as an unbelievable powerhouse goes to play DI football.
The Verdict:
Despite the page count over 200, Bleachers is a fast read with skinny pages. While it will not expose you to any revolutionary ideas or concepts, it is absorbing. I recommend it to anyone who enjoyed high school, enjoys football, or just wants to read about the type of futile exist destined for those who yearn to relive their high school glory days.
Author: John Grisham
Series: none
Genre: Drama
Pages: 229
Pages to Date: 229
The Good:
Bleachers taps into the nostalgia for youth felt from those who peaked in high school. The pace is fast, with strong imagery that sucks the reader into a world obsessed with small town high school football. Not enough mainstream literature deals with the fallen hero, the disgraced former star who simply never reached his full potential; Bleachers unflinchingly examines the emotions felt by a man who will never escape the giant shadow cast by his 17 year-old self. Furthermore, the scenes portraying former teammates discussing triumphs from years past are extremely real. Only three years removed from high school myself, I cannot help but be reminded of conversations I have with former teammates that are eerily reminiscent of the dialogue in Bleachers. Overall, a wonderful mixture of how wistfulness regarding the past holds one back and the lifetime bonds created through sports.
The Bad:
The "mystery" of the national championship of the main character's senior season was completely devoid of suspense; honestly, it just dragged the book down a notch. Furthermore, there is a completely disproportionate amount of wonder towards achieving a college scholarship. Yes, it takes a lot of hard work and there is plenty of great high school players who never play at the college level; but when several Geneva High School grads are playing right now at Northern Illinois, I have a really hard time taking the notion that barely anyone from a school described as an unbelievable powerhouse goes to play DI football.
The Verdict:
Despite the page count over 200, Bleachers is a fast read with skinny pages. While it will not expose you to any revolutionary ideas or concepts, it is absorbing. I recommend it to anyone who enjoyed high school, enjoys football, or just wants to read about the type of futile exist destined for those who yearn to relive their high school glory days.
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
Book #19- Weird Things Customers Say in Bookstores
Title- Weird Things Customers Say in Bookstores
Author- Jen Campbell
Series- none
Genre-Humor
Pages-188
Pages to date- 5,427
The Good:
Weird Things Customers Say in Bookstores is absolutely hilarious. Neil Gaiman says in his blurb on the cover "So funny. So Sad...Read it and sigh." That sums the emotions of the book up perfectly.
The Bad:
The collection is funny, but equally disappointing. I say this only because it diminishes so much of my hope for humanity. It proves how few people read for leisure, and it's just sad.
The Verdict:
This collection is short (less than an hour of reading time), but extremely funny. I recommend it highly to anyone who loves books.
Author- Jen Campbell
Series- none
Genre-Humor
Pages-188
Pages to date- 5,427
The Good:
Weird Things Customers Say in Bookstores is absolutely hilarious. Neil Gaiman says in his blurb on the cover "So funny. So Sad...Read it and sigh." That sums the emotions of the book up perfectly.
The Bad:
The collection is funny, but equally disappointing. I say this only because it diminishes so much of my hope for humanity. It proves how few people read for leisure, and it's just sad.
The Verdict:
This collection is short (less than an hour of reading time), but extremely funny. I recommend it highly to anyone who loves books.
Sunday, December 23, 2012
Book #1-The Forge of Darkness
Title-The Forge of Darkness
Author-Steven Erikson
Series-Kharkanas Trilogy
Genre-Fantasy
Pages-688
Pages to date-688
The Good:
"The Forge of Darkness" is the first installment in Steven Erikson's newest trilogy detailing the split between the Tiste Andii and the Tiste Liosan. As a hardcore Erikson fan the I was very excited to see how events that I could only guess at before. Longtime fans of the Malazan Book of the Fallen series will be pleased to see many of their favorite characters of the series make appearances. While there's something for readers of MBOF in "The Forge of Darkness" this is also a great book for people looking to get into the Malazan world because it requires no prior knowledge of the the world.
The Bad:
Some fans of Erikson may be dismayed by the switch in his writing style away from the epic to something much more poetic, although I did not find it that distracting. Another thing that may disappoint readers of MBOF is the lack of scenes from Anomander Rake's POV.
The Verdict:
This is an amazing book. Everybody should read it.
Ryan
Author-Steven Erikson
Series-Kharkanas Trilogy
Genre-Fantasy
Pages-688
Pages to date-688
The Good:
"The Forge of Darkness" is the first installment in Steven Erikson's newest trilogy detailing the split between the Tiste Andii and the Tiste Liosan. As a hardcore Erikson fan the I was very excited to see how events that I could only guess at before. Longtime fans of the Malazan Book of the Fallen series will be pleased to see many of their favorite characters of the series make appearances. While there's something for readers of MBOF in "The Forge of Darkness" this is also a great book for people looking to get into the Malazan world because it requires no prior knowledge of the the world.
The Bad:
Some fans of Erikson may be dismayed by the switch in his writing style away from the epic to something much more poetic, although I did not find it that distracting. Another thing that may disappoint readers of MBOF is the lack of scenes from Anomander Rake's POV.
The Verdict:
This is an amazing book. Everybody should read it.
Ryan
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Book #18- Year Zero
Title- Year Zero
Author- Rob Reid
Series- none
Genre- Sci-fi
Pages- 357
Pages to date- 5,239
The Good:
Year Zero is a breezy read, but it is incredibly fun. The humor perfectly interplays with the suspense.
The characters are well developed with the slight exception of one. The intermittent law jargon is just present enough to be helpful and not overbearing.
The Bad:
Manda is a character with tons of potential, but she doesn't do that much by the end. I wanted more purpose from her.
There are a few loose ends in the final chapters, but the epilogue hints at a sequel.
The Verdict: A fun, humorous, and easy read, Year Zero is a fast-paced page-turner. A little more content wouldn't hurt, though.
Author- Rob Reid
Series- none
Genre- Sci-fi
Pages- 357
Pages to date- 5,239
The Good:
Year Zero is a breezy read, but it is incredibly fun. The humor perfectly interplays with the suspense.
The characters are well developed with the slight exception of one. The intermittent law jargon is just present enough to be helpful and not overbearing.
The Bad:
Manda is a character with tons of potential, but she doesn't do that much by the end. I wanted more purpose from her.
There are a few loose ends in the final chapters, but the epilogue hints at a sequel.
The Verdict: A fun, humorous, and easy read, Year Zero is a fast-paced page-turner. A little more content wouldn't hurt, though.
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