Friday, October 31, 2014

Happy Halloween from Our NYC Adventure with Chuck Palahniuk!


Chuck Palahniuk Book Tour: 
Beautiful You
New York City

October 31st, 2014


chuck003_1Special Halloween Launch: Beautiful You by Chuck Palahniuk
THE POWERHOUSE ARENA
   


We're off to see Chuck Palahniuk speak this evening at the Powerhouse Arena in Brooklyn! Our best wishes to everyone during this frightful holiday - have fun & be safe during all of your trick-or-treating!

We'll be posting a review of the event on this blog soon - keep your eyes peeled.

With love & spooky wishes,
Amber & Arianna

 



It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown


It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown: The Making of a Television Classic
Lee Mendelson
4.5 / 5

Published 2014
(Paperback published 2006)

First Sentence
"On June 7, 2001, Charles Schulz was posthumously awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in the Rotunda of our nation's capitol."
Publisher's Description:
Now available in a hardcover edition, the lushly illustrated It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown: The Making of a Tradition, stars Charles M. Schulz’s beloved Peanuts gang, and features hundreds of full-color images as well as enlightening anecdotes that take you behind-the-scenes of how the charming Halloween special was created.

Trick-or-treating has never been more fun—with Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy, Sally, Schroeder, Linus, and, of course, the Great Pumpkin. Since its first airing more than forty years ago, It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown has become a beloved perennial classic synonymous with Halloween.

Illustrated with more than 250 full-color images, this beautiful edition celebrates the timeless television classic with:

The full script illustrated with screen art from the show --Photographs, storyboard excerpts, and production materials --Reminiscences and insider tidbits from executive producer Lee Mendelson and animator, the late Bill Melendez -- Interviews with the original child actors who were the voices of the Peanuts gang -- And much more!
It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown: The Making of a Tradition is the ultimate Halloween treat for fans of all ages.
Dear Reader,

This book was so nostalgic for me, as I'm sure it would be for many. Before reading it, I sat down with Troy to watch the 20-minute classic on Hulu. And it was like being thrown headlong back into my childhood! I hadn't watched the special in ages, but it used to be a serious tradition on our house: since we didn't get to watch much TV, the Charlie Brown classics were a special treat (during which we also got to enjoy the rare bowl of ice cream!) for me and my sisters. Which made them even more special to us. It's funny, though, because I recall them as being movie-length to my childhood eyes. I was shocked to see that "It's the Great Pumpkin" lasted only a little over 20 minutes!

If you don't have access to Hulu and still want to enjoy this book, though, not to worry! The entirety of the dialogue is laid out with stills from the show in the back fifth of the book, so even if you haven't seen the special in forever, you can easily "watch" it again to remember everything! I really liked that part, even though I wish I had known about it going into the book, so that I could have read that FIRST: would have made the rest of it even more enjoyable. However, it is understandable that it has been relegated to the back of the book, since the true features are the reminiscences by the show's creators, the interviews with the children who voiced the characters, and a feature on the composer who wrote the famous jazz accompaniments which truly made the show, I think.

The book was chock full of factoids, which loyal readers may already know I adore. I'm a sponge for trivia. The more cool info you can give me, the better! So, once again, poor Troy had to listen to me share some fun new thing with him every few minutes. I would have my head buried in the book, and I'd surface just enough to read him some part I loved, and then I'd disappear again, engrossed (I am lucky to have such a patient partner - not to say he isn't as interested or excited by the facts as me, though! - so I'm lucky in that regard, too). One of the few that I marked was a fascinating section about why Schulz chose to make the Great Pumpkin a satire of Santa Claus. Firstly, it was because of the cartoonist's awareness of all of those families for whom Christmas might be a very difficult time, as they are unable to experience the "Santa Claus" who gives copious amounts of presents. And secondly, he figured that when children eventually learn that there is no Santa Claus, mustn't they also "wonder how many other things [they have] been told that are not true"? I loved to see such compassion from Snoopy's creator.

Additionally, I learned from this book that Schulz was hugely against bullying, even  back in the 1960s, when the issue was not nearly as discussed as it is today. Why is this? Well, because "Sparky" (as he is called by his friends) skipped several grades in school, and was of course an easy target for the bigger kids in his class. "So I guess part of the whole thing with the comic strip is Charlie Brown being picked on all the time and yet he survives...he keeps on trying. I assume a lot of people can identify with that." Does anyone else love Charles Schulz even more than ever after reading that quote? Because I sure do.

All right - I won't give away ALL of the best parts, because then you wouldn't want to check out the book for yourselves! But if you feel the same nostalgia I do for Charlie Brown and the gang, I'd definitely recommend this beautifully laid out book. You'll see many familiar faces, but will come away with a new appreciation for the holiday special.

[NB: I was lucky to receive a gorgeous hardcover copy of this fully-published book from Dey Street Books' (Harper Collins' new imprint) blogger review copies program, which I entered at the end of July. My (uninfluenced) opinion? This book would make a WONDERFUL coffee table gift for any loved one.]

Yours,
Arianna

It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown

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(this version only available in hardcover)

Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Man V. Nature: Stories (TLC Book Tour)


Man V. Nature: Stories
Diane Cook
4/5


Published October 2014

First Sentence
"They let me tend to my husband's burial and settle his affairs, which means that for a few days I get to stay in my house, pretend he is away on business while I stand in the closet and smell his clothes."
Publisher's Description:


A refreshingly imaginative, daring debut collection of stories which illuminates with audacious wit the complexity of human behavior, as seen through the lens of the natural world

Told with perfect rhythm and unyielding brutality, these stories expose unsuspecting men and women to the realities of nature, the primal instincts of man, and the dark humor and heartbreak of our struggle to not only thrive, but survive. In “Girl on Girl,” a high school freshman goes to disturbing lengths to help an old friend. An insatiable temptress pursues the one man she can’t have in “Meteorologist Dave Santana.” And in the title story, a long fraught friendship comes undone when three buddies get impossibly lost on a lake it is impossible to get lost on. In Diane Cook’s perilous worlds, the quotidian surface conceals an unexpected surreality that illuminates different facets of our curious, troubling, and bewildering behavior.

Other stories explore situations pulled directly from the wild, imposing on human lives the danger, tension, and precariousness of the natural world: a pack of not-needed boys take refuge in a murky forest and compete against each other for their next meal; an alpha male is pursued through city streets by murderous rivals and desirous women; helpless newborns are snatched by a man who stalks them from their suburban yards. Through these characters Cook asks: What is at the root of our most heartless, selfish impulses? Why are people drawn together in such messy, complicated, needful ways? When the unexpected intrudes upon the routine, what do we discover about ourselves?

As entertaining as it is dangerous, this accomplished collection explores the boundary between the wild and the civilized, where nature acts as a catalyst for human drama and lays bare our vulnerabilities, fears, and desires.



Dear Reader,

This book was graciously given to me from TLC Book Tours, to be read and included in a blog tour for the October release. I would like to begin by thanking all parties involved (Diane Cook - Author, Harper - Publisher and TLC Book Tours - Tour Host). I had a lot of fun with this book, although the majority of the stories waded in the deep end of the pool, you can still have fun on the darker side, right?! The title Man V. Nature is so perfect, almost TOO perfect, I felt like the Author was giving something away that might have been saved for a readers discovery. That "AHA, I've got it!" moment, but maybe that could be something I look for in short story collections. The common thread of this one being exactly that, Man versus Nature.

What would happen if we brought traits animals exhibit into our lives? What if we learned from their behaviors, the way they treat each other or even raise their family. I've heard time and again, people agasp with wonder at some of the odd relationships animals have with each other; "Grizzly bears actually kill the cubs" or "Male seahorses accept the eggs, fertilize them and carry the eggs to term". Take those odd quirks of nature and imagine what it would be like if this was YOUR life. Diane Cook has done a fantastic job, giving us twelve stories rich with thought provoking stories filled with a hodge podge of animal behaviors mixed with day to day life.

I think an example would help, so I'll give you a little summary and thoughts from a few of my favorites. The first story is "Moving On" which features a futuristic(?) take on arranged marriages. This one was super strange (but also my favorite). Certain women and men (probable lower caste) are brought to an adoption-esque center where they are given classes and prepared to "marry" or "remarry" (which is the case in this story) after a marriage ends. This brought up quite a few questions, such as; What if we didn't get to choose our own destiny? What if life was predetermined? by who? the government? family... these questions went down a scary hole and I got stuck there for a little while. In "The Way the End of Days Should Be", earth is flooded and the main character being a rich, bratty woman who refuses to help any survivors except for one man who she uses as her protector. "Somebody's Baby" features a world where watching your newborn baby like a hawk, due to a neighborhood man going around stealing them, is considered normal. This story has animal habits written all over it. "Marrying up" creeped me out, but was very realistic. Imagine if you had to marry the strongest person you could find just to survive? We see this ALL the time in nature, the female picking the strongest and brightest mate. Another favorite of mine was "It's Coming", which had me immediately thinking of wild animals again. I imagined the executives as a group of rodents running around awaiting the hawk who'll scoop down and devour them. The panic and hierarchy make this story really interesting.

With so many good stories, it's impossible to comment on them all, but each one gives us a unique comparison of our own lives with nature. I was able to reflect on nature and what makes the world such a big all-encompassing place. The wonder of behavior and how it can reflect on our very own actions or even how much they differ. What we would find strange in another human being, might be entirely natural in nature. I had so much fun reading this and I want to doubly thank TLC Book Tours for giving me access to this wonderful story collection. I can't wait to see what others think and will happily read anything else Diane Cook comes out with.

Happy Reading,
AmberBug

P.S. - Check out TLC Book Tours



Man V. Nature: Stories

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Monday, October 27, 2014

Heraclix & Pomp


Heraclix & Pomp: A Novel of the Fabricated and the Fey
Forrest Aguirre
4/5


Published 2014

First Sentence
"Heraclix's view of his own creation as a birth was much more than idle Romanticism, though this was the zeitgeist that had then begun to take hold of Europe."
Publisher's Description:

Heraclix was dead and Pomp was immortal. That was before Heraclix’s reanimation (along with the sewn-together pieces and parts of many other dead people) and Pomp’s near murder at the hands of an evil necromancer. As they travel from Vienna to Prague to Istanbul and back again (with a side-trip to Hell), they struggle to understand who and what they are: Heraclix seeks to know the life he had before his death and rebirth, and Pomp wrestles with the language and meaning of mortality. As they journey across a land rife with revolution and unrest, they discover the evil necromancer they thought dead might not be so dead after all. In fact, he might be making a pact to ensure his own immortality . . .


Dear Reader,

How did I come across this book? Well, a recent "Goodreads" friend of mine wrote this book. I'm grateful I found him on goodreads because he writes some fantastic reviews and so far his presence on my Goodreads homepage has greatly entertained me. So when I realized this new "Goodreads" buddy has written a book, I had to jump at the chance to read it. Boy, was I glad I did, this man can write! Not only write but he can tell a great story. Forrest should be placed in that pool of Authors with the capability to envelop us in a new world, essentially creating a new fairy tale, which is always refreshing from the mash-ups we've been inundated with lately. Heraclix & Pomp certainly stands on two solid legs (maybe flying with wings would be a better analogy).

After the first few chapters I fell in love with both Heraclix (the enormously adorable golem) and Pomp (the first introspective fairy I've encountered). Heraclix meets Pomp during the beginning chapters where they team up and travel together to solve the mystery of existence (on an individual level and as a whole). Those are some BIG themes for a fairy tale, which is the perfect way to bring that magic to adults. Unsure about life? Don't know why people do the things they do? Just read this book and you can be taken through the mind of a fairy who is learning about mortality for the first time, or stand beside the golem as he reflects on what makes him human (or not). The depth of each character struggling to find themselves is pretty fascinating when set within a fantasy world.

Reading this gave me that same feeling of elation I used to get while watching The Dark Crystal as a child. If only Jim Henson could rise from the grave, read this book and option it for a movie! How great would that be? The adult language and some situations would probably have to be altered a bit or maybe just target that audience who grew up with all those books/movies. I'm waiting for a comeback on that style, it was so prevalent in my youth and I miss it so much. Reading books like this brings back that feeling. I have to applaud anyone with enough magic in their hearts and talent in their minds to elicit THAT kind of feeling. I'll be talking about this book and probably using it as a comparison for others for a long time. It deserves to be read and should be done with a sprinkle of magic dust in the air.

Happy Reading,
AmberBug

Heraclix & Pomp

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Hardcover -- Kindle

Friday, October 24, 2014

Last Winter We Parted


Last Winter We Parted
Fuminori Nakamura
Translated by:
Allison Markin Powell

2.5/5


Published October 21st, 2014

First Sentence
"It's safe to say you killed them... Isn't that right?"

Publisher's Description:

A young writer arrives at a prison to interview a man arrested for homicide. He has been commissioned to write a full account of the case, from its bizarre and grisly details to the nature of the man behind the crime. The suspect, while world-renowned as a photographer, has a deeply unsettling portfolio—lurking beneath the surface of each photograph is an acutely obsessive fascination with his subject.

He stands accused of murdering two women—both burned alive—and will likely face the death penalty. But something isn't quite right, and as the young writer probes further, his doubts about this man as a killer intensify. He soon discovers the desperate, twisted nature of all who are connected to the case, struggling to maintain his sense of reason and justice. What could possibly have motivated this man to use fire as a torturous murder weapon? Is he truly guilty, or will he die to protect someone else?

The suspect has a secret—it may involve his sister, who willfully leads men to their destruction, or the "puppeteer," an enigmatic figure who draws in those who have suffered the loss of someone close to them. As the madness at the heart of the case spins out of control, the confusion surrounding it only deepens. What terrifying secrets will this impromptu investigator unearth as he seeks the truth behind these murders?

Dear Reader,

This book made me flash to that song on the top 50 radio station, "Girl on Fire" by Alicia Keys. You must have heard this song, the chorus is just over and over "This girl is on FIIIIRRREEEEE, Ohhhh Oooh Ooooh".

Anyways, yeah... probably a horrible thought for such a dark subject. Moving on... to the actual book.... I was SO frustrated that Last Winter We Parted didn't give me what I wanted from it. It was such a quick read and from the start I was really enjoying it, but the last 1/3 of the book took the longest jump into a pool of blah, EVER! I just wanted that last chapter to end. I'm so sad because I devoured the first part so quickly. 

Putting my disappointment aside, I did like a few things enough not to throw the book off the train (yes, I finished this on the train). The first person we meet is the investigative journalist who is compelled to interview and write a book about this well known photographer who set some of his models on fire and photographed them. He visits him in jail and hears a little about his side of the story. From there we're brought to various individuals attached to the case, one of these includes his sexy sister that seduces the investigator. It's like Melrose Place up in here. Okay, maybe not that bad but it definitely treads that line of "what just happened?", which can be really entertaining or annoying as heck. This started getting pretty darn annoying.

The beginning of the book was chock full of insightful and thoughtful ideas surrounding photography and the psychology that can be attached to the art. Much talk surrounding the idea of capturing the essence of someone in a photo, or even how a snapshot captures a small moment in time and can be kept for eternity. All this talk of philosophical ideas behind a photograph brought me straight back to right after High School, I had a bout of insomnia at the time right after my best friend passed away from a tragic accident. I was distraught and during that time had enlisted in a few classes at the local community college (one of them being photography). I was deeply saddened and affected by my friends passing, I couldn't sleep. So what do you do at two or three in the morning on the fourth sleepless night? Go outside, inhale the night air, bring your camera and start taking pictures. It was a combination of the realization that life is too short and also a way to release that pain in a creative way. Ali (the friend who passed) and I were the top picture takers in our group of friends, so when the time came to gather what we had in memorial for her, I had tons to contribute. The things is this, I started to realize how important photos can be and I wanted to make sure that I documented EVERY important thing that happened in my life AND all those things that didn't seem to be important but might turn into something significant. I would look back on those photos and it would bring me closer to her, keeping her memory and essence alive. I think that's why the main characters idea of capturing the essence of someone in a photo is astoundingly similar to the realization I had come across at such a young age.

Once I made that kind of connection to this book, it was hard for me to admit that it was going downhill. Like I said before, it had such promise but the end felt so rushed. I thought the second to last chapter was just one big last ramble to tie everything together. I just wish the Author would have taken his time and kept the story a little more bizarre and not so mainstream. I liked dipping into this world of characters that look at things askew and find profound things in the simple. Maybe it got lost in the translation, who knows. I'd love to see how others felt about this book, I'll be scouring the internet for the reviews.

Happy Reading,
AmberBug

Last Winter We Parted

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Monday, October 20, 2014

Beautiful You: A Novel


Beautiful You: A Novel
Chuck Palahniuk
4/5


Published October 21st, 2014

First Sentence
"Even as Penny was attacked, the judge merely stared. "

Publisher's Description:


"A billion husbands are about to be replaced."

From the author of Fight Club, the classic portrait of the damaged contemporary male psyche, now comes this novel about the apocalyptic marketing possibilities of female pleasure. Sisters will be doing it for themselves. And doing it. And doing it. And doing it some more . . . Penny Harrigan is a low-level associate in a big Manhattan law firm with an apartment in Queens and no love life at all. So it comes as a great shock when she finds herself invited to dinner by one C. Linus Maxwell, aka "Climax-Well," a software mega-billionaire and lover of the most gorgeous and accomplished women on earth. After dining at Manhattan's most exclusive restaurant, he whisks Penny off to a hotel suite in Paris, where he proceeds, notebook in hand, to bring her to previously undreamed-of heights of orgasmic pleasure for days on end. What's not to like? This: Penny discovers that she is a test subject for the final development of a line of sex toys to be marketed in a nationwide chain of boutiques called Beautiful You. So potent and effective are these devices that women by the millions line up outside the stores on opening day and then lock themselves in their room with them and stop coming out. Except for batteries. Maxwell's plan for erotically enabled world domination must be stopped. But how?



Dear Reader,

Reviewing this is going to be HARD, really HARD, super rock HARD, throbbing rock HARD. Blushing yet? You will be after you read this. All you folks who read "Fifty Shades" and thought it was "so naughty" better not pick this book up... you might DIE from the lack of constraint Palahniuk uses. Just like all of Chuck's books, this should have warning labels slapped all over it. As the saying goes... if you don't have the stomach for it, get out of the kitchen?!? (Okay, that might not be the exact saying, but it works). 

Right away, reading the description, we know this book is centered around sex, sex, more sex and sex toys. Nobody should be reviewing this book in shock about the subject matter, clearly if they do... they don't know Chuck very well. I almost want to say this book was made as a response to those who thought "Fifty Shades" so taboo (because it sure seemed like a complete farce of that book) but I think the intention was only to brushed upon it. This book is in NO way a better written copy but Palahniuk does include quite a few hysterical jabs here and there. Suck it, E.L. James! (which is what I imagine Chuck saying while writing this book). A friend of mine, Shane T. French (amazing/talented and up-and-coming graphic novel/comic writer), has brought it to my attention that Chuck Palahniuk waited until his parents died in order to write and publish this book. Nice little fact, one that gives you a better idea of what you'd be faced reading if you pick this one up.

Beautiful You might not have my favorite plot line in the Palahniuk collection, but I do think he has used his super power to bring his fans what we've wanted. Penny (such a classic and innocent name) finds herself tangled with a billionaire (cough, cough, fifty shades of PLOT line anyone?), where he proposes to pleasure her with all his newest techy toys, giving her the highest amount of pleasure imaginable. Little does Penny know, there is a plan in place to use these sex toys for his own evil plans. Beautiful You has sex, crime, danger, espionage, adventure, exotic travel, addiction, shall I go on? Who wouldn't want to read a book like that? If this review had a little too much shock for you, don't bother reading this. Palahniuk has his following and I'm always riding up front, salivating at the mouth for his next masterpiece. You don't have to like this book. However, I do. Pass the lube, because this book is like the biggest slip and slide you have ever seen.

Happy Reading,
AmberBug

P.S. - Guess who has tickets to see Palahniuk in Brooklyn, NY on HALLOWEEN? Yep, both Arianna and I do. Stay tuned for that event post (as long as I can sit still enough to take notes).


Beautiful You: A Novel

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Left: Hardcover -- Right: EBook

Saturday, October 18, 2014

Fun Home


Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic
Alison Bechdel
4.5 / 5

Published 2006

First Sentence
"Like many fathers, mine could occasionally be prevailed upon for a spot of 'airplane.'"
Publisher's Description:
In this groundbreaking, bestselling graphic memoir, Alison Bechdel charts her fraught relationship with her late father. In her hands, personal history becomes a work of amazing subtlety and power, written with controlled force and enlivened with humor, rich literary allusion, and heartbreaking detail.

Distant and exacting, Bruce Bechdel was an English teacher and director of the town funeral home, which Alison and her family referred to as the "Fun Home." It was not until college that Alison, who had recently come out as a lesbian, discovered that her father was also gay. A few weeks after this revelation, he was dead, leaving a legacy of mystery for his daughter to resolve.
Dear Reader,

I read this book quickly, partly because it's a graphic novel (can one call a nonfiction work that?) and partly because Alison Bechdel would be speaking at the college where I work within a week. This book was selected as the Freshman Read for this year, which means all entering students are required to read the same book, with certain activities (including a visit from the author) planned around this common book. When I was a freshman here (I work at the college I attended), the book was James Baldwin's amazing biography, The Color of Water.

Troy and I arrived early at Bechdel's talk, luckily - the big room filled up FAST, and it was far beyond SRO by the time the author took the stage - people were sitting on ledges, the floor, and tables (I was surprised to see the grand piano unadorned with bodies!). We had scored some nice seats on a couch in back, but the downside was that we were unable to see the author or the bottom third of her slides. While I know many in the audience were there because the entire freshman class was required to read the book (which I thought was an awesome choice), I know there were many like us in the crowd, who simply wanted to hear what Bechdel had to say. And she turned out to be a great speaker - I came to appreciate the book even MORE after having heard her talk. I'd encourage anyone to seek her out if she's in your area! The story of her beginnings as a lesbian comics artist - well before the advent and subsequent uber-popularity of webcomics - is as fascinating as her life story.

Which is what the book is about - or, at least, one aspect of her life story. (Bechdel will be coming out with a book that focuses more on her mother in the near future.) This one centered on the influence that her young father and his foibles had on her formative years. He was an exacting man, expected a lot from his children, and could be very strict. He didn't even really seem to enjoy having children until they were old enough to discuss books with. His family worked with him at the "fun home," which is what they called the family undertaking business! He's never moved from the small town in Appalachia where he had grown up - and, in fact, spent the entirety of his life living (and dying) within a radius of a few square miles. Needless to say, Bechdel's story was strongly influenced by all of these factors, and when she finally found a true common ground with her father, she was unable to connect with him because of his strict self-discipline (I'll let you read more about that, as it is the essence of her book).

I loved Bechdel's art - she got expressions and stances and feelings just right, not to mention all of the little touches in each drawing - and the way she laid out the story. Each chapter begins with her interpretation of a real family photograph, and then she spins each section off from that focal point. I also LOVED how much the book revolved around literature, which was an appropriate medium for telling the story of her father's life, as he was an avid (and very particular) reader. Her allusions to Proust made me particularly happy, especially the way she used his books to frame her story.

I could keep talking about this book for a long time, but I want to stop talking and let you discover the book for yourself. It was a wonderful and very appropriate choice for "required reading," and I hope that everyone encounters this book - it's a quick read! - sometime in their lives.

Yours,
Arianna

P.S. I think one of the things that really endeared me to this book was the author's half-funny, half-morbid use of Sunbeam bread in the background of many of her panels...you'll have to read the book to understand why I describe it that way!

Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic

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Thursday, October 16, 2014

The Book of Strange New Things


The Book of Strange New Things
Michel Faber
5/5


Published October 28th, 2014

First Sentence
""I was going to say something," he said."

Publisher's Description:

It begins with Peter, a devoted man of faith, as he is called to the mission of a lifetime, one that takes him galaxies away from his wife, Bea. Peter becomes immersed in the mysteries of an astonishing new environment, overseen by an enigmatic corporation known only as USIC. His work introduces him to a seemingly friendly native population struggling with a dangerous illness and hungry for Peter’s teachings—his Bible is their “book of strange new things.” But Peter is rattled when Bea’s letters from home become increasingly desperate: typhoons and earthquakes are devastating whole countries, and governments are crumbling. Bea’s faith, once the guiding light of their lives, begins to falter.

Suddenly, a separation measured by an otherworldly distance, and defined both by one newly discovered world and another in a state of collapse, is threatened by an ever-widening gulf that is much less quantifiable. While Peter is reconciling the needs of his congregation with the desires of his strange employer, Bea is struggling for survival. Their trials lay bare a profound meditation on faith, love tested beyond endurance, and our responsibility to those closest to us.

Marked by the same bravura storytelling and precise language that made The Crimson Petal and the White such an international success, The Book of Strange New Things is extraordinary, mesmerizing, and replete with emotional complexity and genuine pathos.

Dear Reader,

Another five star book this year! And yet, I was so reluctant to like this book. Why? Because the main character is a Pastor and the whole story follows him to another planet where he preaches the word of God to the inhabitants. I love anything spacey and science fictiony, much of this book screams "read me!" based on that but the other part went into this book with a weary eye due to the religious tones. All I can say is that NOT once did I roll my eyes or get too annoyed with Peter, the Pastor. It probably helped that Michel Faber is an excellent writer who can cover you with a soft 'word-blanket'. I felt so comfortable reading this book, to the point where I didn't want it to end. Most of the time, while reading a book, I find myself thinking of the next one (especially if the book dips into a low/boring section). My guess is that this book didn't have a boring part, can that happen?! I was captured from start to finish.

Peter, the Pastor, has agreed (and selected) to undertake a mission on a strange planet leaving his wife Beatrice behind. What I liked about his character was that you saw him evolve during his journey, at first being the typical born-again Christian but developing into a man who opens his eyes a little more, becomes more inquisitive and takes a closer look at the unknown. I really loved that. I'm not sure if the Author is religious, but woah... was he able to write a transformation within a complicated human being. I would think that planetary travel and alien interaction are not usually the plot devices used to discuss a meaty topic such as religion. I think this might have been the only book I've read that took on the controversial topic of religion in a VERY different way, one that actually welcomed me and probably will/would many others who feel comforted by looking at things from a skewed perspective.

The Book of Strange New Things brings up so many questions and I kept asking myself how I would deal with being on a planet light years away, far from home and family. The community surrounding Peter, both the humans and the aliens are examined with a very fine comb, with amazing intellect and writing. I know this will be a book I'll be raving about for a very long time. The aliens, dubbed "Oasans" by Peter, are so imaginative and realistic. I truly believe if another planet or aliens exist, this could very well be what they would look and act like. The interaction between the Oasans and the humans is really believable as well, even though I'd hope we'd be more apt to interact with a different intelligent species... I think too many deep fears and questions get in the way. It's not often you get a pairing of philosophy and science fiction combined with fantastic literary writing, this book is just a winner. I have to caution those who don't like weird, strange concepts though... you might not appreciate it as much as I did. I'd hate to send you down a yellow brick road when science fiction and fantasy don't tickle your fancy. Do I think that this could be mildly sci-fi? Yes, and maybe that could be enough to coax some weary folks to test the genre, maybe Faber is the perfect person to take you across that border into fantasy land.

Happy Reading,
AmberBug

P.S. - Faber also thanks Marvel comics in the acknowledgements, which warmed my heart to him quite a bit. Who does that? He thanks an entire community of writers and publishers as a whole? I'll tell you who, Michel Faber and I love him for it.

The Book of Strange New Things

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Left: Hardcover -- Right: EBook
 

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

The Accidental Highwayman


The Accidental Highwayman
Being the Tale of Kit Bristol, His Horse Midnight, A Mysterious Princess, and Sundry Magical Persons Besides

Ben Tripp
4 / 5

Published October 14, 2014

First Sentences
"Gentle Reader,
This story contains nearly as many dark deeds, treacherous villains, and acts of violence as one might expect to find in a typical morning newspaper. In addition, there is a significant emphasis on heathen magic and demoniacal doings. I cannot recommend that anyone read it."
Publisher's Description:
The Accidental Highwayman is the first swashbuckling adventure for young adults by talented author and illustrator, Ben Tripp. This thrilling tale of dark magic and true love is the perfect story for fans of William Goldman’s The Princess Bride.

In eighteenth-century England, young Christopher “Kit” Bristol is the unwitting servant of notorious highwayman Whistling Jack. One dark night, Kit finds his master bleeding from a mortal wound, dons the man’s riding cloak to seek help, and changes the course of his life forever. Mistaken for Whistling Jack and on the run from redcoats, Kit is catapulted into a world of magic and wonders he thought the stuff of fairy tales.

Bound by magical law, Kit takes up his master’s quest to rescue a rebellious fairy princess from an arranged marriage to King George III of England. But his task is not an easy one, for Kit must contend with the feisty Princess Morgana, gobling attacks, and a magical map that portends his destiny: as a hanged man upon the gallows….

Fans of classic fairy-tale fantasies such as Stardust by Neil Gaiman and The Princess Bride will find much to love in this irresistible YA debut by Ben Tripp, the son of one of America’s most beloved illustrators, Wallace Tripp (Amelia Bedelia). Following in his father’s footsteps, Ben has woven illustrations throughout the story.
Dear Reader,

Too often, I have been enticed into reading a book because of its kind comparisons to other books or authors I've loved. Too often, I've been disappointed by these same books that I went into with such high hopes. I am pleased to say that was NOT the case with this lovely little gem of a book. It rightly deserves its place in between The Princess Bride and Stardust on your bookshelf - the jacket copy couldn't have been more spot-on with this one.

 Charming and guileless Kit Bristol begins his tumultuous journey unexpectedly, when he finds his master senseless, sprawled across the kitchen table. On the brink of death, Kit's master reveals his secret identity, and innocent Kit, thinking only to help his beloved employer, takes up the dangerous mantle. From there, his life is forever changed, as he encounters no end of magical folk and bright characters.

I loved the sweetness and innocence of this book; there wasn't an evil bone in Kit's body, which meant that he was selfless and wanted only good things for all of his friends. It felt like a true fairy tale. This story wasn't made for complexity; evil is evil and good is good, simple as that. But don't misunderstand me: it's also a very complex, involved, and creatively spun yarn. You won't want to put it down.

I think one of my favorite parts was the footnotes in the book, both when they were silly and (very cool) when they were explaining an archaic word to the reader. The author - who, by the way, earns even more esteem in my eyes because he is the son of the illustrator of the Amelia Bedelia books! - does a wonderful job of keeping the story "period" while not losing his reader. He explains without being overbearing; he acts as the "translator" for the reader, as he claims to have discovered the manuscript in an old, long-locked chest in a family attic.

Tripp certainly has his father's illustration chops: the book is peppered throughout with everything from small sidebar illustrations to full-page graphics which depict some of the more enthralling parts of the story. I would love to see this book in its fully finished form; I look forward to its release so I can check it out!

I'd recommend this as bedtime story reading for anyone with a big imagination, who loves to laugh and yearns for adventure. Does Kit get the princess in the end? You'll have to see for yourself! (And I guarantee you'll be pleased with the unlikely ending.)

Yours,
Arianna

The Accidental Highwayman

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Sunday, October 12, 2014

Glory O'Brien's History of the Future


Glory O'Brien's History of the Future
A. S. King
4/5


Expected Publication: October 14th 2014

First Sentence
"So we drank it - the two of us."

Publisher's Description:

In this masterpiece about freedom, feminism, and destiny, Printz Honor author A.S. King tells the epic story of a girl coping with devastating loss at long last--a girl who has no idea that the future needs her, and that the present needs her even more.

Graduating from high school is a time of limitless possibilities--but not for Glory, who has no plan for what's next. Her mother committed suicide when Glory was only four years old, and she's never stopped wondering if she will eventually go the same way...until a transformative night when she begins to experience an astonishing new power to see a person's infinite past and future. From ancient ancestors to many generations forward, Glory is bombarded with visions--and what she sees ahead of her is terrifying: A tyrannical new leader raises an army. Women's rights disappear. A violent second civil war breaks out. And young girls vanish daily, sold off or interned in camps. Glory makes it her mission to record everything she sees, hoping her notes will somehow make a difference. She may not see a future for herself, but she'll do anything to make sure this one doesn't come to pass.



Dear Reader,

Okay, can I first just gush about how beautiful that cover is!!! I'm adding A.S. King to the list of "must read the day the book comes out" Authors. She is excellent! I don't read very much YA but I'd fit her somewhere between the boundaries of contemporary literature and young adult. This book won't be published until October but after reading the blurb, I knew I needed to start this one right away. Glory O'Brien is a reclusive girl with a "convenient" best friend who lives on a commune across the street. Glory lives with her father and they both seem to be trapped/stuck in this small bubble, Glory's mother passed away (suicide) when she was five and both of them haven't taken the appropriate grieving steps (they haven't taken ANY grieving steps). To make matters worse, Glory's "best friend", term used very loosely, is so self centered that she she can't see anything going on in her friend's life. Glory even made up a [laugh track] for whenever her friend says something selfish, which had me giggling throughout the book.

There is a dark humor here, and that is my FAVORITE kind of humor. The Author took this really, really strange concept (another thing I love) and created a beautifully sad story that opens up to the bigger picture of growing up under dark circumstances. Let's talk about the strange concept, I think it's worth mentioning that the story revolves around Glory and her friend deciding to drink a petrified bat which leads to giving them the power to see people's history and future. I think that needed to be said, mostly because I know a few people wouldn't want to get past that and try to see the bigger picture and the beauty behind her writing. I love that King uses this strange premise, but I'm not everyone.

I adored the chapter titles, each one named after something insignificant that happens in that particular short chapter. The titles are truly that, titles. Glory names the photos she takes similarly and each one has this glimmer of brilliancy that shines beneath it's boring facade. Titles such as: Am I Making Any Sense?, Ripping Meat From the Bone, Everything Tasted Like Radiation, It Was the Nineties. After Glory gets powers to see the past/future, the Author adds a chapter from the journal Glory starts making, this sheds a little light into what she sees. This part of the book isn't the important part, or even the truly good part. The side of Glory recognizing the things she needs to move on into adulthood, that is what makes this story amazing. The realizations Glory comes across, those pieces we learn along the way of life... things like, "I don't HAVE to be friends with that person", "I don't HAVE to be boy obsessed", "I don't HAVE to take the same path as everyone else". That is where the beauty lies in Glory O'Brien's History of the Future.

Happy Reading,
AmberBug


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Friday, October 10, 2014

Small as an Elephant


Small as an Elephant
Jennifer Richard Jacobson
3.5 / 5

Published 2011

First Paragraph
"Elephants can sense danger. They're able to detect an approaching tsunami or earthquake before it hits. Unfortunately, Jack did not have this talent. The day his life was turned upside down, he was caught unaware."
Publisher's Description:
Jack’s mom is gone, leaving him all alone on a campsite in Maine. Can he find his way back to Boston before the authorities realize what happened?

Ever since Jack can remember, his mom has been unpredictable, sometimes loving and fun, other times caught in a whirlwind of energy and "spinning" wildly until it’s over. But Jack never thought his mom would take off during the night and leave him at a campground in Acadia National Park, with no way to reach her and barely enough money for food. Any other kid would report his mom gone, but Jack knows by now that he needs to figure things out for himself - starting with how to get from the backwoods of Maine to his home in Boston before DSS catches on. With nothing but a small toy elephant to keep him company, Jack begins the long journey south, a journey that will test his wits and his loyalties - and his trust that he may be part of a larger herd after all.
Dear Reader,

This was an adorable and uplifting little book. It's a middle-grade book, which means it's aimed toward pre-teens. Which also meant that it was a quick read, but I quite enjoyed it. It follows the adventures of Jack, who wakes up on the first day of his camping trip to find that his mother has abandoned him - not an unusual occurrence with this woman, apparently. So Jack decides (after waiting for a bit for her to return) that it's up to him to get himself home. He refuses to ask for help because he is concerned that he will get taken from his mother. Which, yes, we all believe that he should be taken away from this woman who won't even care for her own son! But Jack is afraid because his mom is the only caretaker he's ever known, and she's effectively isolated him from the rest of their family. So if he gets caught and they realize he isn't being properly taken care of, he worries about being sent to live with his grandmother or to a foster home. So his fears make sense (he is only eleven, after all!), so he sets out on a journey from an island off the coast of Maine to his home in Boston.

The characters Jack encounters in his travels are great: the gruff farm woman, the sweetheart Big Jack, the reckless teenager he rides with for a bit (to name only a few). They all stood out well and really made the story have great variety and depth. And Jack really does seem like a smart and upstanding kid: he cleverly gets his way out of scrapes and is very resourceful in his avoidance of stealing from others as much as possible.

My favorite part of the book, though, was its focus on elephants: every chapter started with a little factoid about elephants, and I learned so many neat things! (Just ask my fiance, who had to listen to me read him something almost every chapter!) I don't particularly love elephants more than other animals, but I do think they are pretty darned cool creatures - and even more so now!

Yours,
Arianna

Small as an Elephant

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Wednesday, October 8, 2014

The Monkey Wrench Gang


The Monkey Wrench Gang
Edward Abbey
3.5 / 5

Published 1975

First Sentence
"When a new bridge between two sovereign states of the United States has been completed, it is time for speech."


Inscription
"This book, although fictional in form, is based strictly on historical fact. Everything in it is real or actually happened. And it all began just one year from today."
--E.A., Wolf Hole, Arizona
Publisher's Description:
Ed Abbey called The Monkey Wrench Gang, his 1975 novel, a "comic extravaganza." Some readers have remarked that the book is more a comic book than a real novel, and it's true that reading this incendiary call to protect the American wilderness requires more than a little of the old willing suspension of disbelief. The story centers on Vietnam veteran George Washington Hayduke III, who returns to the desert to find his beloved canyons and rivers threatened by industrial development. On a rafting trip down the Colorado River, Hayduke joins forces with feminist saboteur Bonnie Abbzug, wilderness guide Seldom Seen Smith, and billboard torcher Doc Sarvis, M.D., and together they wander off to wage war on the big yellow machines, on dam builders and road builders and strip miners. As they do, his characters voice Abbey's concerns about wilderness preservation ("Hell of a place to lose a cow," Smith thinks to himself while roaming through the canyonlands of southern Utah. "Hell of a place to lose your heart. Hell of a place... to lose. Period"). Moving from one improbable situation to the next, packing more adventure into the space of a few weeks than most real people do in a lifetime, the motley gang puts fear into the hearts of their enemies, laughing all the while. It's comic, yes, and required reading for anyone who has come to love the desert.
Dear Reader,

I started reading this book over a year ago, when I began an interim position I held at the library of a state university. I of course got all ambitious and decided (absurdly) that I wanted to read as many books as possible from their fiction section, and so I started with the first book I wanted to read that was located in the "A" section. Of course, that plan got derailed quickly, being put aside for things like library books and the BEA, but I still wanted to read this book, even while it sat, continually neglected, in my pile of to-reads. Unfortunately, I had to return the library's copy when I left that job, and then had to wait until we moved to another state so I could obtain a new library card and then get my butt over to the main library, which held a copy of this book. Phew. But, after all was said and done, I am glad that I finally got around to finishing this! It's an anarchist and environmentalist classic, so of course I was rooting for the gang as they fought The Man and worked tirelessly to save the then-unsullied American Midwest from the pollution and destruction of highways and oil drilling and coal mining.

The pacing and timbre of the book reminded me in some odd way of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, even though the only things they really had in common was the era and a similar type of humor. I wonder if Abbey and Thompson were friends; they certainly shared a certain familiar quirkiness, I think.

The Monkey Wrench Gang characters are great in that they epitomize hypocrisy even as they fight for what they think is right - Hayduke is a destructive, violent man who litters like there is no tomorrow, and Bonnie can't live without her creature comforts. Doc is a surgeon who often operates drunk, and chain smokes cigars. And Seldom Seen is a polygamist Mormon who can't keep his wives straight, and rarely takes care of his families. These four form a very strange and unexpected collective who decide to band together to protect the land from developers and the government. Their personalities allow Abbey to really create some true comic gold, which explains why this book remains a beloved classic to many. (Many young boys like Brian Hart have wanted to be badass Hayduke!) While most of the humor isn't of the laugh-out-loud variety, it is still a very funny book; Abbey knows how to poke fun at things even while he clearly loves and fears for the American Midwest. His writing spurred many to take a second look at what big industry was doing to our beautiful country. While I don't know how much difference it made in the end, I am glad Abbey was bold enough to stand up and raise awareness of the issue. For that reason (and for everything I learned about mechanics and that part of the United States), I am glad I read this novel.

I looked up a lot of the described
Midwestern landscapes while
reading this book; above is an aerial
view of The Fins in Utah.
Gorgeous, right??

And to finish up, I had to share my favorite quote from the book:
"You're horny today."
"I am a veritable unicorn of love."

Yours,
Arianna

The Monkey Wrench Gang

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