The Rabbit Back Literature Society

The Rabbit Back Literature Society Pasi Ilmari Jääskeläinen, Translated by Lola M Rogers 3/5	First Published in Europe 2006 U.S. Translation Publication Date Jan. 2015 First Sentence "The reader was at first surprised, then shocked, as the criminal Raskolnikov was abruptly slain in the middle of the street, right before her eyes."
Publisher's Description: Only nine people have ever been chosen by renowned children’s author Laura White to join the Rabbit Back Literature Society, an elite group of writers in the small town of Rabbit Back. Now a tenth member has been selected: a young literature teacher named Ella. Soon Ella discovers that the Society is not what it seems. What is its mysterious ritual known as "The Game"? What explains the strange disappearance that occurs at Laura White’s winter party? Why are the words inside books starting to rearrange themselves? Was there once another tenth member, before her? Slowly, as Ella explores the Society and its history, disturbing secrets that had been buried for years start to come to light. . . . In Pasi Ilmari Jääskeläinen’s chilling, darkly funny novel, The Rabbit Back Literature Society, praised as "Twin Peaks meets the Brothers Grimm" (The Telegraph), the uncanny brushes up against the everyday in the most beguiling and unexpected of ways.
Dear Reader, My first impression after starting The Rabbit Back Literature Society was "yes, another book about books, writing and all the bookish awesome you could think of!", I do love these. However, as interested as this book kept me, it wasn't enough to love it... only "like" it. Before I can tell you what I liked and didn't about the book, I think you need a little more background. I usually try not to go into the plot but for my opinions to be clear, you have to know the basics. Ella Amanda Milana is a substitute teacher of Finnish language and literature at the Rabbit Back school, where she finds a discrepancy in a "Crime and Punishment" edition brought to her attention by one of her students. When she return the book to the Librarian, Ingrid Katz, she inquires about the plot changes to that particular edition. The Librarian snatches the book away and tells her it must be a misprint and these things happen. Ella feels the Librarian acted strangely and decides to investigate the situation a little closer. This brings her amongst the Rabbit Black Literature Society, founded by famous Author Laura White. We also learn this society plays something called "the game" and this reveals secrets within each member. As you may notice, the plot sounds super intriguing right? Well, the book IS/WAS but the main character fell entirely flat for me. As the other characters grew around Ella, and you started to feel connected with them... you lost that connection with her. The mystery of the society, the game, the Authors, all this held my attention and kept me reading to the end, I'll give it that. I also loved when the Author introduced each new character, how they came with a revealing personal trait or story. For example, Ella with her defective ovaries or Winter getting so fat that he loses sight of his Mister Peter. I haven't yet experienced a book or Author that exposes the character before anything else. It's almost like imagining the crowd before you naked (while on stage) or maybe this is how it feels to be a part of a support group like AA?! The style is very unique and I liked how the Author also embraced this concept and embellished upon it with the societies "game". Overall, this book had some interesting style to it. This might be attributed to the cultural differences between Finland and the United States, I haven't picked up many Finnish books or maybe this is truly a style the Author is known for. I have to say, if it weren't for that little bit of uniqueness, I might have rated this book even lower. I'm not going to lie, this will be a book I'll recommend to any writer and maybe even some book lovers, the society itself is a nice magical concept that might sparkle in the eyes of those aspiring for literary greatness. The Rabbit Back Literature Society also focuses on one of my favorite concepts about art, that we create the best art when suffering and emotional, not when life is perfect. I can't knock any book that delves into that topic, but that's my personal opinion. Happy Reading, AmberBug P.S. - This ARC was sent to me by the Publisher & BookBrowse. A shorter version of this review will be posted on BookBrowse for their "First Impressions" program. Please check out the site and consider becoming a member, I love getting the monthly updates from them.

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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!

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The Picture of Dorian Gray (Review by AmberBug)

The Picture of Dorian Gray Oscar Wilde 4.5/5	Published 1890 First Sentence "The artist is the creator of beautiful things."
Publisher's Description: Oscar Wilde's story of a fashionable young man who sells his soul for eternal youth and beauty is one of his most popular works. Written in Wilde's characteristically dazzling manner, full of stinging epigrams and shrewd observations, the tale of Dorian Gray's moral disintegration caused something of a scandal when it first appeared in 1890. Wilde was attacked for his decadence and corrupting influence, and a few years later the book and the aesthetic dilemma it presented became issues in the trials occasioned by Wilde's homosexual liaisons. Of the book's value as autobiography, Wilde noted in a letter, "Basil Hallward is what I think I am: Lord Henry what the world thinks me: Dorian what I would like to be--in other ages, perhaps.
Dear Reader, This is THAT book. The book that you know exists, you know you should read, you can even confidently say you know you'll enjoy it... but haven't read it yet. I'm in my mid 30's and I just read THIS book, the book that I know is the perfect classic for me. It has the creep factor, the large and thoughtful ideas, the punch in the stomach, and the shock value! ALL of this is included in your very own copy of "The Picture of Dorian Gray" and yet, I had not read it yet. No longer! I can now say that I've read THIS classic that has all those traits I love. This wasn't my favorite "classic" book, but it surprisingly didn't disappoint. My expectations were completely met with this book. I wasn't overly impressed but on the same token, wasn't disappointed. So if you're anything like me, you know the basics behind the story but I'll fill you in anyways. There's this guy named Dorian Gray, a wealthy young gentleman who associates with the aristocrats and artists of his time. He befriends a particular artist that develops a slight obsession with Dorian while painting his portrait. After the portrait is painted, Dorian wishes that the painting could hold all of his sins and his age. Why? Well, because of his corrupt and incorrigible "friend" Lord Henry. This man is despicable and corrupts Mr. Gray slowly and surely throughout the story. His first known "corruption" deals with convincing and lecturing Dorian on age and pointing out that this painting of him will forever be younger than Mr. Gray himself. So, from the beginning, we see Dorian as a nice enough guy, one who thinks well of others and has good intentions BUT he starts getting a little self involved (especially on his looks). So Dorian looks upon this newly painted portrait of himself and begins to hate what it represents... AGING! He wishes the painting could hold his sins and age and all of a sudden "poof", (we find out a little later on) this is EXACTLY what has happened. Boy, oh boy... could you imagine a gift more important than that? You get to live forever AND not suffer from your sins? That can't backfire can it? Hahahahaha. Poor Dorian Gray, we see his slow descent into corruption, becoming an overall terrible human being. He becomes even worse than Lord Henry, which I would have never guessed that could happen. Without giving the ending away, I must say... this story has a lot going for it, SO many "morals". To delve a little deeper below the surface, we start to realize that Lord Henry gives us TONS of fuel to fire our inner rage. How can you not be upset when he acts as if women have no worth, the only person that matters is yourself and you shouldn't care about anything else. Ugh, so frustrating to read his lengthy horrible spouts of monologues. I think Arianna said it nicely, in her review of this book. She had a hard time liking it because the characters had such horrible qualities, and I completely agree with Arianna on this one. It was hard to finish the book because I hardly cared for Dorian by the end. I still feel strongly about the depth of ideas the Author was trying to convey, so deep that I have a hard time describing what that IS. I keep coming back to the conscience and relating it to the "Pinocchio" story. Just like Pinocchio, Dorian has a friend that leads him astray (Honest John the Fox was the character who led Pinocchio astray). Pinocchio ends up being coaxed to Pleasure Island and we find out "IT'S A TRAP". This is similar to what Lord Henry does to Dorian with all his talk on egotistical philosophy, which ultimately leads Dorian to his own Pleasure Island (that magical place where you can be completely selfish and disregard the emotions of others). You want to scream at the book and at Dorian, telling him to STOP listening to Lord Henry and START listening to his conscience. At one point, the star-struck Artist comes to speak with Dorian and tries to warn him of this dark path he is going down (like Jiminy Cricket?), but at this point Dorian is too far gone and finds his help insulting. I won't go into what happens from that point on, this is something that you have to find out on your own. I can't say I really enjoyed reading the book per se, but I do think Oscar Wilde made a very large statement with it. I think this is an important read, it delves into subjects that very few books bring up (or none that speak too deeply on the subjects), I would most certainly recommend it as a classic and one not to miss. Happy Reading, AmberBug

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Judging a Book by Its Lover

Judging a Book by Its Lover: A Field Guide to the Hearts and Minds of Readers Everywhere Lauren Leto 5/5	Published 2012 First Sentence "The first book I ever loved was a book about a monster in a child's closet."
Publisher's Description: Want to impress the hot stranger at the bar who asks for your take on Infinite Jest? Dying to shut up the blowhard in front of you who’s pontificating on Cormac McCarthy’s “recurring road narratives”? Having difficulty keeping Francine Prose and Annie Proulx straight? For all those overwhelmed readers who need to get a firm grip on the relentless onslaught of must-read books to stay on top of the inevitable conversations that swirl around them, Lauren Leto’s Judging a Book by Its Lover is manna from literary heaven! A hilarious send-up of—and inspired homage to—the passionate and peculiar world of book culture, this guide to literary debate leaves no reader or author unscathed, at once adoring and skewering everyone from Jonathan Franzen to Ayn Rand to Dostoyevsky and the people who read them.
Dear Reader, This book was included in the BookRiot Quarterly box, check it out. Anyone who loves getting surprise mail, especially book related, should check out this subscription. Judging a Book by Its Lover isn't a book I would have picked up on my own, the Author is the co-creator of the popular site Texts From Last Night. I wouldn't have thought her to be someone who has a lot to say about books and literature but how wrong that is! After enjoying every little chapter, I can now say that I will be following her on twitter and other social media sites to devour more of her bookish knowledge. She is extremely well read but not elitist about it, she isn't afraid to put down her own tastes and make fun of anyone and everyone. I find it very compelling that she has the balls to do this and this book shines because of it. Every chapter has something to enjoy, whether it be a comical review or advice on how to impress someone with your book reading prowess (even if you haven't read the book). I came away from this book adding quite a few "to-reads" and discovering things I didn't even know about myself. One of my favorite chapters was called, Petition to Change the Term from "Bookworm" to "Bookcat". The title says it all, and I stand behind her on this 100%. I will admit, there were times in this book that I felt a pang of anger when she jabbed at a favorite Author of mine, but I had to remind myself this was all in jest and she does it to everyone, even the most acclaimed. Another section of the book that had me on the floor laughing was the part that stereotyped the reader by their favorite Author. I found myself ashamed to admit that a few of these nailed it straight to my heart, and a few others I giggled about knowing it described perfectly other people in my life. I think the best part of this book is the connection you get with Lauren Leto, knowing she is just another reader like you... but how she is sharing these funny tidbits to connect you to the world of other readers. She tells you a little about herself, growing up without many friends, bumping into walls because she can't put a book down long enough to look where shes going. All those little quirks about her, those are the things that I related to most and she pulls you into her world before she bashes her hammer down on your favorites, bringing a little reality to the world of literary snobs. I loved everything about it. I can't help but want to shove this book into every hand I know who loves to read. It's quick, witty and makes your stomach hurt from all the laughter. Bravo to BookRiot and Lauren Leto for this wonderful reading escapade, I will be picking this book and referencing it for years to come. Happy Reading, AmberBug P.S. - I feel lucky to have read two favorites within the past month, but it always leaves me worried that my next read will be criticized all the more because of that. Keep that in mind when you read the next few reviews, I might be a little less gracious with me ratings.

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