Review: Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood

Posted on August 10, 2016 by Kate

Everyone, I have a confession to make. I don’t think I like Margaret Atwood’s writing. (Although, I’ve been told I’ve only read the meh ones). I’ve read Oryx and Crake and The Penelopiad and now the(I think I may have also read The Handmaid’s Tale in high school but I don’t remember how it ends so I’m not counting it.) And, I’ve not been super enthused about any of them.

The Blind Assassin seems to be going for a certain kind of style and I think it succeeds. So, I can recognize that it is technically a good piece of writing. But, the main narrative which was focused on the lives of two sisters, did not keep my interest at all. The story is told by Iris, an old woman recounting her life in letters. She tells the story of her childhood as the daughter of button magnate in Ontario. World War I happens. The business booms. the depression happens. The business fails. She and her sister fall in love with a communist or anarchist or writer or artist. Iris marries another manufacturing giant to help the family stay afloat. Her sister Laura publishes a book called The Blind Assassin that becomes a huge scandal and therefore a huge hit.

The sub-plot (sub-story?) about the Blind Assassin was awesome. I wanted to read the Blind Assassin. More of that, please. But, the main narrative itself…well, I could see where it was going and I wasn’t interested enough to be excited that as the plot revealed itself and I was right in my guesses.

So, there you have it. I feel like I should have loved this. And, I didn’t. It wasn’t terrible. But, it also wasn’t life-changing. I don’t recommend it but I also don’t not recommend it.

Review: Marvel 1602 by Neil Gaiman

Posted on August 8, 2016 by Kate

It’s the Marvel Universe! Written by Neil Gaiman! Set in Elizabethan England! Nick Fury is John Dee! Stephen Strange is the Court Magician/Doctor! Magneto is basically the Spanish Inquisition!

I cannot use enough exclamation points. That’s how much I enjoyed it. It was great to fun to recognize characters (or not recognize them at first).

Anyway, There are disturbing storms and signs and omens that the world may be at its end. The Queen puts her best men on it. Meanwhile, the Spanish Inquisition is hunting down mutants and Virginia Dare (who has a terrible secret) accompanied by Rohjaz, her Native American caretaker, is coming to visit Queen Elizabeth to ask for more resources for the colony her father is governor of back in the New World. Von Doom is, unsurprisingly, trying to kill the Queen. And, James in Scotland’s is patiently awaiting the death of the Queen so he can rid the world of magic and super people.

Can everyone come together to keep the universe from ripping itself in half? Will the survive these terrible storms? Can Magneto and Professor X work together in this incarnation? SO MANY QUESTIONS TO BE ANSWERED.

This was a delightful book. I am so very happy that a friend recommended it to me. So, if you’re looking for a fun twist to superheroes and/or you like history, che

Review: Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Posted on August 6, 2016 by Kate

I started this audio book on a road trip. At first I thought it was going to be too heavy for the drive. (You have to be careful with the books you pick. If the text is especially dense or the story doesn’t move along at a decent clip you can find yourself frustrated with the story in a way that you wouldn’t be frustrated if you weren’t also in the middle of a really long drive). But, by the beginning of chapter two, I was hooked. The book centers on Ifemelu, a woman from Nigeria who at the opening of the story has been living in the US for a while and is now preparing to move home to Lagos. The narrative switches between her current life and her preparations for (and arrival in) Lagos, posts from her blog on being a Non-American Black in America, and the story of her past. And, the whole thing was so beautifully written. I cared so much for the cast of characters in this book. Ifemelu was so likable. She broke my heart and made me laugh and I cheered for her. She met a lot of white people who made me cringe. Sometimes I cringed because I saw myself in their behavior. Other times I cringed because their behavior was just so surprising because it violated Ifemelu’s person or autonomy and it is surprising to me (although it probably shouldn’t be) that it’s 2016 and we don’t treat everyone with respect for their person and their autonomy. Let me give you an example: WHY WOULD YOU TOUCH A STRANGER’S HAIR???? EVER???? WHY???? Or, even a friend/lover/family member’s hair outside of them saying, “Oh my god my hair is so soft today! Feel it!” or otherwise inviting you to do so???? Or, why would you speak really slowly and loudly to someone who is not from here after they’ve told you that they’re from a former British colony where English is currently an official language? I get it, Americans aren’t good at geography and Africa is a huge freaking continent but… Nigeria, while being a place with incredible linguistic density and diversity, is also full of English speakers. And, most American universities require that you demonstrate English proficiency before you enroll. (For potentially obvious reasons, that kind of stuck in my craw and annoyed me long after the story had moved on.) Ifemelu’s observations on American race relations, on Americans and charitable organizations and on Obama’s 2008 campaign alone made this book worth the read.

I’ve seen Adichie’s TED talk and I’ve read articles that she’s written for various publications but this is the first book by her that I’ve read. It won’t be the last. She has a singular voice. Her characters are real and vivid and this story tackled big topics without feeling like it was preachy and also without making them the center of the story. Racism and anti-racism were woven into the narrative and it gave me so much cause to think (See: the cringe worthy white people) without shouting at me that I should be thinking. That right there is a hallmark of an awesome book. I was still thinking about issues it eluded to long after I finished the book.

So, if you’re interested in reading a contemporary African author but, for some reason, you’re worried that an African author will have nothing to say to you that will be relevant to you or that you’ll understand, well, you should probably examine why you think that. But, while you’re examining your thinking, you can read Americanah. It’s a book written by an African author that is largely set here in the States. It’s amazing. You’ll love it.

This is my book by an African author for the Diverse Lives, Diverse Stacks Challenge

What I’m Reading Now: The Reader by Traci Chee

Posted on August 4, 2016 by Bethlylou

Thanks to Penguins First to Read program I get to read this a couple weeks early! Thank Penguin!

Review: The Art of Seducing a Naked Werewolf by Molly Harper

Posted on August 3, 2016 by Kate

First, I have to start with review by saying that these are fun books. They’re ridiculous books, but they are fun books. This is the second book in a series about a wolf pack in Alaska. Instead of centering on a woman who marries into the pack, it focuses on a woman in the pack, the love interest from the first book’s sister. There is a little drama. There is a little mystery. There’s an unbelievably hot scientist. There’s a happy ending. You know the drill. Amanda Ronconi who narrates the audiobook does a nice job. So, if you’re into fluffy, paranormal romance or if you’re looking for something light, I recommend you give this a go.

Potential Spoilers Ahead.

And now that I’ve said that, I need to talk about something that bothered me so much in this book. The werewolves are infertile with anyone but the partner they’ve bonded with. I can’t imagine that there is any evolutionary benefit to this. At all. It seems like the stupidest design feature of a creature ever invented and it also perfectly explains why werewolves as a species are dying out. I’d get it if werewolves were monogamous and pretty devoted (possibly to the point of being creepy) to their partners. I mean, I wouldn’t want it, but I’d get it. And, there’s evidence in the animal kingdom of some animals mating monogamously and/or for life (easier done when life is only a few months or years, I’d venture to guess.) But, being fertile with only one partner forever? Whu?? What kind of testing apparatus would the body have to have internally to be able to tell one partner from another? And, what about close genetic matches? I couldn’t stop either questioning how that worked or feeling completely flabbergasted that it happened at all.

Anyway, this featured heavily in the plot and it took me right out of the narrative because it was ridiculous. So, if you like fluffy paranormal romance but you also like at least a modicum of believable scientific accuracy, this book is not for you.

This book is my audio book selection for the Diverse Stacks, Diverse Lives Challenge.

Review: Bitch Planet by Kelly Sue DeConnick

Posted on August 1, 2016 by Kate

In this dystopian future, Non-compliant women are shipped off to a prison planet where they are kept out of the population and away from the compliant women. They are separated so that they do not destroy society. And, so that they do not infect other women with their non-compliance.

The prison is awful. Women are beaten. They are spied on. They are occasionally murdered by the guards (sometimes on the request of someone in the prison’s administration. Sometimes to protect compliant women from being confused with non-compliant women. Like, if your new husband’s ex-wife is non-compliant and a warrant is issued for her arrest but they get confused and arrest the wrong Mrs….well, what’s a girl to do?)

The women of the prison planet (colloquially known as Bitch Planet) are given the opportunity to play in a competition of a sport some people call dua mille and some people call Megaton. The sport seems to be a no-holds-barred life or death kind of rugby. You can have as many players as you like as long as the total weight of your entire team is 2,000 pounds. (Hence the name of the game). The women could win their freedom but the cards are stacked against them. Even in their practices they are not safe from an unholy level of violence, scheming and trickery. But, they have a few secret weapons. But, no spoilers so this is where this description stops.

Oh my god. This comic. This comic is soooo good. The art is great. The colors are muted but still there. Especially in the prison. The places where they are the most vibrant are on TV broadcasts. We see compliant women and bright, pastel colors and it really seems forced, which was perfect. The characters, at least the prisoners, are sympathetic. I so want them to win. At everything. Forever. There are a few characters on the outside as well who are sympathetic. And, it ended on a huge cliffhanger. Huge enough that, even though I waited for the first collected volume to come out, I’ve since picked up the individual issues to catch up. (Of course, there was no wisdom in that since I haven’t had time to catch up. But, such is life.)

This counts as my non-super hero comic in the Diverse Stacks, Diverse Lives challenge.

Reviews: The Last Star by Rick Yancey and The Countdown by Kimberly Derting

Posted on July 27, 2016 by Bethlylou

***Spoilers Ahead***

The Last Star and The Countdown and the final books in trilogies about aliens coming to Earth but that’s really where the similarities end. The Last Star is the finale to The 5th Wave, which follows a few teenage survivors after first four waves of an Alien invasion. Billions have people have already died, leaving Cassie, Zombie, Sam, Ringer and Evan as humanities last stand. Meanwhile, The Taking Trilogy, explores alien abductions and the possibility that those responsible are on their way. The 5th Wave is far more epic in scale and more ambitious but not necessarily as entertaining. The first book I thought was fantastic but was underwhelm by the follow The Infinite Sea. The Taking was okay but as the series went on it got better. Not the best series I’ve read but entertaining. Reading both series so close together gave me a chance to read different views on Aliens. Are they hostile? Do they come in peace? How do they go around getting a foothold into Earth. They both have a very different approach to those questions as the The 5th Wave also piggybacks on the latest trend of YA Dystopia as well as sci-fi. The Taking is really more of your standard YA fare with aliens in the background. It still explores the trials of youth and romance and of course a love triangle.

More after the Cut. Continue reading →

Quick Review: Sea Spell by Jennifer Donnelly

Posted on July 26, 2016 by Bethlylou

Let’s be honest this series is nothing but fluff, not that is a bad thing or anything. We all need a little fluff in our lives. It was entertaining but I’m glad that this was the final book because I’m not sure what more they could do. That being said it was definitely left open for a spin off series. The mermaids or merls (I’m not going to miss the cutesy sea inspired words) have finally regrouped with their talismans and take out Sera’s uncle and the evil mage Orfeo and his monster. Sera, Neela, Ava, Ling, Becca and Astrid have all overcome their own trials to get to this point and worked together to win. Astrid had the biggest arc of the ladies. She started off as standoffish and refused to help but after being shown kindness from the other girls, she knows that she has to help. She sets off to find Orfeo in hopes of getting his talisman. She expects to hate him but she finds that she starts to like him. He does something that no one has been able to. Give her back her magic and her pride. He shows her the love and caring that has been denied to her since she lost the ability to sing. Will she turn against her new friends? Of course not but there were times that I really couldn’t blame her if she did. Sera grew from a girl fearful of not living up to her mother’s standard to true leader. Becca learned to give up some control and trust others to help. The others helped but had little to do throughout the series. So yes it was fluff and not the greatest story of all time but it had it’s moments. Anyone looking for a series to read on their summer vacation this isn’t a bad pick, as long as you don’t mind all the cutesy words.