My thoughts: I loved Margolis' novel, Apockalipstick and a few others so I had high hopes for this one, and though the story was an interesting one, I never got engaged in the novel and it ultimately fell flat for me. I felt like there were perhaps just too many characters in the novel for any one person's story to grab hold and compel me. Still an enjoyable read, just not one of my favorites of hers.
This breakout book by Alison Bechdel takes its place alongside the unnerving, memorable, darkly funny family memoirs of Augusten Burroughs and Mary Karr. It's a father-daughter tale pitch-perfectly illustrated with Bechdel's sweetly gothic drawings and like Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis a story exhilaratingly suited to the graphic memoir form. Meet Alison's father, a historic preservation expert and obsessive restorer of the family's Victorian house, a third-generation funeral home director, a high school English teacher, an icily distant parent, and a closeted homosexual who, as it turns out, is involved with male students and a family babysitter. Through narrative that is alternately heartbreaking and fiercely funny, we are drawn into a daughter's complex yearning for her father. And yet, apart from assigned stints dusting caskets at the family-owned "fun home," as Alison and her brothers call it, the relationship achieves its most intimate expression through the shared code of books. When Alison comes out as homosexual herself in late adolescence, the denouement is swift . . . graphic . . . and redemptive.
My thoughts
I picked this book up from the library just based on the cover and the name. I had no idea what to expect as I started reading it. I was blown away by the story! Nothing is more interesting than a powerful true story, and the author does an excellent job of telling her story in this book. The artwork is really telling, and I found myself staring at the pictures for a long time picking out all the many details. I think the author does a really great job breaking down the personalities and the motives of her family members. She has insights that most likely would have never occurred to me. I really enjoyed this book and I call this a must read.
My thoughts: I've read Jane Eyre, but not since I was a teenager. Unfortunately for me now, the younger me never cherished the classics (Emily and Charlotte Bronte, Jane Austen etc.)the way it seems most women do. I always wondered if the word stylings were a hindrance to me, but after reading this, I feel confident that is at least partially the case. This was a modernized update of Jane Eyre, and it was as compelling and moving as everyone says the original was. With the elements of tragedy, unrequited love, loneliness, and many more extreme emotions, I couldn't put this down, and it made me go through my boxes to find the original Jane Eyre, which I hope to dust off and crack open very soon. For all those who have, give this update a chance. I doubt disappointment will be a feeling it leaves you with.
Artichoke Tales is a 176-page coming-of-age story about a young girl named Brigitte whose family is caught between the two warring sides of a civil war, a graphic novel that takes place in a world that echoes our own, but whose people have artichoke leaves instead of hair. Influenced in equal parts by Little House on the Prairie, The Thorn Birds, Dharma Bums, and Cold Mountain, Kelso weaves a moving story about family amidst war. Kelso’s visual storytelling, uniquely combining delicate linework with rhythmic, musical page compositions, creates a dramatic tension between intimate, ruminative character studies and the unflinching depiction of the consequences of war and carnage, lending cohesion and resonance to a generational epic. This is Kelso’s first new work in four years; the widespread critical reception of her previous work makes Artichoke Tales one of the most eagerly anticipated graphic novels of 2010.
My thoughts
This graphic novel is not a casual read, it has more depth than the cover might let on. The book spans generations of women and families in a way I haven't seen before. There are a lot of themes running through this book, but the generational story is what really spoke to me. This is the kind of book you could easily read multiple times and come away with new insight each time. I really enjoyed the artwork as well, and would keep an eye out for more from this artist.
Having solved the matter of the Radiant Boy, Riley, Buttercup, and Bodhi are enjoying a well-deserved vacation. When Riley comes across a young ghost named Rebecca, Riley soon learns Rebecca's not at all what she sees. The daughter of a former plantation owner, she is furious about being murdered during a slave revolt in 1733. Mired in her own anger, Rebecca is keeping the ghosts who died along with her trapped in their worst memories. Can Riley help Rebecca without losing herself to her own nightmarish memories?
My take
Shimmer is a book I am not likely to ever forget. Author Alyson Noel steps outside of her norm and explores some rumored historical events in the second book from the Riley Bloom series. She paints a grisly scene in which a vicious cycle of abuse and slavery is at its peak. Riley is in charge of helping all of these angry souls to find their inner peace and cross over, but in the process she sees first hand what they have been through.
I feel as though Shimmer can teach readers a lesson in understanding those around us. We learn from Riley that first glance doesn't mean much. There are many more layers to people, and if you take the time to peel them back, well we all have a lot more in common than you might think.
I am really looking forward to whats next with this series. I like the level of depth in Shimmer and hope to see more of the same from Alyson Noel.
The trailer
Excerpt
Chapter 1
Other books in the series
Radiance (Riley Bloom book 1)
Look for Shimmer in stores and online TODAY!
Buffy Summers and her Slayer army have suffered heavy losses throughout Season Eight and faced scores of threats new and old, but the one mystery connecting it all has been the identity of the Big Bad-Twilight!
In this penultimate volume of Season Eight, New York Times best-selling novelist and comics writer Brad Meltzer (The Book of Lies, Identity Crisis) joins series artist Georges Jeanty in beginning the buildup to the season finale in the story line that finally reveals the identity of Twilight! In the aftermath of the battle with Twilight's army, Buffy has developed a host of new powers, but when will the other shoe drop, and will it be a cute shoe, or an ugly one? Still reeling from the losses of war, Willow goes looking for missing allies, and discovers a horrifying truth about several of the Slayer army's recent ordeals. Adding to the mayhem is the unexpected return of Angel, in his Season Eight debut!
My take
Holy bombshells Batman! There is a lot in this volume that I could have never in a million years seen coming and I was literally bowled over by the dramatic reveal of Twilight's true self. You might have to read this one twice. A lot of information is unloaded and it can be a large pill to swallow. Do yourself a favor and try to take it all in otherwise you might find yourself confused when you start to read the final volume.
Check out the preview here
Buffy Season Eight Volume 6 showcases the first retreat of the Slayer legion. Vampires have solid footing at the top of the totem and Slayers have been crushed to the bottom -- in short, no one likes Buffy anymore . . . least of all this season's mysterious Big Bad, Twilight, who is hot on her magical trail!
Now that it's the world against Slayers, Buffy must find a way to return the status quo to . . . status quo -- and keep her girls alive long enough to do it! Enter Oz, the only person/werewolf Buffy knows who is down with the suppression of magic, and can take the Slayer army off of Twilight's magic-specific radar.
With Oz's assistance, the Slayers and Wiccans try to become "normal" through meditation and hard labor -- although, not everyone sees the advantage of being magicless, namely, Willow, Giles, and Andrew. And they could be right. After all, is a peaceful life for a Slayer even possible?
My take
The heat is on and the prospects of survival seem silm for the slayers and their groupies. Not only has public opinion of them gone down the tubes, but Twilight is stronger than ever and turned their greatest asset into their greatest weakness. There is no shortage of action in this volume, it is an exciting build up to what will be an epic showdown between Buffy and the mysterious and powerful Twilight.
Check out the preview here
Buffy's world goes awry when former-classmate-turned-vampire Harmony Kendall lands her own reality TV show, Harmony Bites, bolstering bloodsucking fiends in the mainstream. Humans line up to have their blood consumed, and Slayers, through a series of missteps, misfortunes, and anti-Slayer propaganda driven by the mysterious Twilight, are forced into hiding.
In Germany, Faith and Giles discover a town where Slayers retreat from a world that has turned against them, only to find themselves in the arms of something far worse. A rogue-Slayer faction displaces an entire Italian village, living up to their tarnished reputation as power-hungry thieves. And finally, with the help of a would-be demon lover, Dawn addresses her unfaltering insecurities.
My Take
Bringing back the funny, volume 5 takes a bit of break from all the seriousness of the previous volume. Its a welcome change of pace while at the same time giving us greater insight into the world's view of slayers and vampires. Harmony is an obnoxious, yet entertaining addition to season 8. I honestly didn't think we would hear from her again, but it all just makes sense once you see why shes back. We learn more about Dawn and why she is forever changing. The season seems to be building up to a major event and its getting exciting to read!
Check out the preview here
Willow and Buffy head to New York City to unlock the secrets of Buffy's mysterious scythe, when something goes terribly awry. Buffy is propelled into a dystopian future where there's only one Slayer -- Fray, the title character of Joss Whedon's 2001 series, the first comic he ever wrote. Their uneasy alliance falls apart, leading to the death of a major character from the TV series, while back in the twenty-first century, the Scotland base falls prey to a mystical bomb courtesy of the Biggest Bad-Twilight.
My take
Season 8 takes a dark turn in volume 4 as we learn more about the future of the world and slayers alike. When Buffy is transported into the future I had a really hard time grasping what was going on. I found myself reading and re-reading a lot of the pages because they just didn't seem to make sense. Once I got through it all though it seemed to come together. Buffy finds herself challenged in a much more personal way in this volume, and it has lasting effects on her psyche. Not to be missed.
Check out the preview here
Vampires that, at will, can transform into wolves, panthers, insects, or fog invade the Slayer base of operations in northern Scotland, and not only walk away unscathed, but in possession of Buffy's scythe, the symbol of Slayer power worldwide. Buffy and the Slayer legion travel to Tokyo in order to learn more about their dangerous new foes, as Xander journeys to Transylvania to solicit the only person they've ever known to possess such power: Dracula.
My take
One of my favorite episodes in the series was the episode with Dracula. I found his character to be hilarious and I loved the effect he had over Buffy and Xander. Well Dracula is back in this volume and he is just as entertaining as he was in the show. This is the funniest of the volumes I have read so far and I really enjoyed reading it. I also like how the story is international now and not Sunnydale based. I think that the graphic form has really freed the creativity of creators and has overall made the series even better.
Check out the preview here
About the book
When a rogue debutant Slayer begins to use her power for evil, Giles is forced to recruit the rebellious Faith, who isn’t exactly known for her good deeds. Giles offers Faith a clean slate if she can stop this snooty Slayer from wreaking total havoc--that is, if Buffy doesn’t beat her to it.
Georges Jeanty (The American Way) remains at the top of his game as series artist, and Whedon continues as Executive Producer in this direct follow-up to Season Seven of the smash-hit TV series.
My take
I was really psyched to see Faith make a comeback. Her raw grit translates well from screen to page. I have always loved the dynamic between Faith and Buffy and the relationship is more deeply explored in this volume. We learn a lot more about Faith and her character motivations. If the first volume didn't have you hooked, this one will!
Check out a preview here
Since the destruction of the Hellmouth, the Slayers-newly legion-have gotten organized and are kicking some serious undead butt. But not everything's fun and firearms, as an old enemy reappears and Dawn experiences some serious growing pains. Meanwhile, one of the "Buffy" decoy slayers is going through major pain of her own.
Buffy creator Joss Whedon brings Buffy back to Dark Horse in this direct follow-up to season seven of the smash-hit TV series. The bestselling and critically acclaimed issues 1-5 are collected here for the first time, as are their covers by Jo Chen and Georges Jeanty.
My take
How great is it to have a television series end, and then be picked up again in comic form?! The series always ran hot and cold for me, and after reading the books I have to say that I am a much bigger fan of the books than the actual show. I like the grander scale, I like the creative freedom that the page can deliver better than the screen.
The first compilation is a major adjustment from the show. It can be difficult to wrap your head around the new format, and learning to read the comic can be frustrating and confusing. Once you get the hang of it though, its really exciting and an adventure in and of itself!
The story takes a few interesting turns in the first volume. All the main characters are in the story, as well as some characters thought to be history. The story has an edge to it that never quite came across on the screen that makes this comic more appropriate for older readers.
Fans of the series have got to check this out. Totally worth reading.
Check out a preview here
Alex Barnaby and Sam Hooker are back together and fighting crime the only way they know how -- by leaving a trail of chaos, panic, and disorder. Alex, an auto mechanic and spotter for racecar driver Sam Hooker, is drawn to trouble like a giant palmetto bug to a day-old taco. Unfortunately, she's also drawn to Hooker in the same fashion. There's no steering clear of trouble or Hooker when friends Rosa and Felicia call for help. A man has gone missing, and in order to find him Barnaby and Hooker will have to go deep into the underbelly of Miami and southern Florida, surviving Petro Voodoo, explosions, gift-wrapped body parts, a deadly swamp chase, and Hooker's mom.
Check out a preview here
Barnaby, Hooker, Rosa, Felicia, and Beans the St. Bernard set sail to the Florida Keys in order to find the wooden body of Baron Samedi that matches their recently acquired (and stolen) wooden hand. But in the world of Petro Voodoo a hand for a hand and a Baron for a boat is fair play. When the Happy Hooker disappears from its mooring in the Keys, Barnaby and Hooker have to find a way back to Miami with the stolen body of Baron Samedi. Ransom notes for the Happy Hooker, a sack of snakes, and a ticked--off chicken leave only one place safe enough to hide a body . . . Hooker's mom's house--a situation that makes the sack of snakes look like chump change.
Check out a preview here
Check out Janet Evanovich's website here
The synopsis: Six months have passed since the last Ellerton teenager died, but Darina is still traumatized by the stabbing of her own beloved Phoenix. But there's work to be done as Darina must now turn her attention to the shooting of Summer Madison - the beautiful and gifted, singer-song-writer with a heart of gold. It's been nearly a year since the random shooting in a shopping mall caused Summer's meaningless death.
Summer left behind recordings of her wonderful songs and a deep sadness amongst high school friends. Now Darina must act as Summerās agent to track down the psychotic killer in a clear search for justice. With the sound of Summer's music constantly playing inside Darina's head, recalling the wonderful months when she was alive and performing her first gigs, Darina, Phoenix and the Beautiful Dead are determined to catch the crazed killer. And all the while Darina's love for Phoenix continues to beat
My thoughts:
I didn't know much about these books, but I have the Beautiful Dead: Arizona (Book #2) somewhere I'm sure of it. I kind of loathed the cover of it and so lost interest. Even though this cover is in the same vein, I adore it. Likewise, I adored the book, the premise, the lack of familiar terrain, and especially the never saw it coming twist as Darina attempts to solve Summer's murder and give her peace before her time runs out and she is stuck in limbo for eternity. I will be searching for Arizona's book as soon as I get home, and likewise keeping an eye out for Phoenix's story. Fans of supernatural, and teen lit - add this series to your TBRs. It's fresh and fascinating premise will hopefully guarantee Darina will go beyond the four and help other Beautiful Dead also.
The synopsis:
Daisy MacLean runs the country house hotel owned by her flamboyant father, Hector. When she hears who's about to get married there, she isn't worried at all - her friend Tara absolutely promises there won't be any trouble between her and ex-boyfriend Dominic, whom she hasn't seen for years. But Dominic has other ideas... Meanwhile, Hector's getting up to all sorts with...well, that's the village's best kept secret. And then Barney turns up, with a little something belonging to the husband Daisy's been doing her best to forget. That's the thing about hotels, you never know who you're going to meet. Or whether they're going to stay...
My thoughts: What can I say that I haven't already? Love Mansell, love her characters, love her plots, love her books. This story brought back the cheeky humor of Millie's Fling, with the dynamic characters whose quirks bring them to life and make you wish you were inside the book. If I could stay at Daisy's, I'd be loathe to leave.
The synopsis:
Alice Love keeps her life (and boss, and family) running in perfect order, so when her bank card is declined, she thinks it’s just a simple mistake. But shesoon discovers that someone has emptied every penny from her bank account, spending her hard-earned savings on glamorous holidays, sexy lingerie, and a to-die-for wardrobe, and leaving Alice with thousands of pounds worth of debt.
With her perfectly-organised world crumbling around her, Alice enlists the help of dashing fraud investigator Nathan and sets about clearing her name. But as she unravels the intriguing paper trail, she makes a shocking discovery: her thief is closer to home than she ever imagined.
Following the clues from London to Rome and LA, Alice edges deeper into a seductive new world, where honesty might not be the best policy, rules are made to be broken, and the power of a gorgeous cocktail dress shouldn’t be underestimated. Perhaps her alter-ego’s reckless, extravagant lifestyle is the one Alice should have been leading all along…
But as her little white lies begin to stack up, how far will Alice go to find the truth? And whose life, exactly, is she fighting for?
My thoughts: First off, how gorgeous is this cover? It's not the cover of the book I received, but all variations of the cover are captivatingly whimsical, perfect for the tale you'll dive into if you add this to your TBR pile. Alice is an instantly likable protagonist, becoming downright lovable by the last page. That's not to say she's not frustrating, but the fact that she is is a testament to just how caught up in this book you will be. A fun, charming romp - perfect for the days you want something light but not predictable. McDonald will be added to my must read list sooner rather than later
The synopsis:
Zoe Baxter has spent ten years trying to get pregnant, and after multiple miscarriages and infertility issues, it looks like her dream is about to come true – she is seven months pregnant. But a terrible turn of events leads to a nightmare – one that takes away the baby she has already fallen for; and breaks apart her marriage to Max. In the aftermath, she throws herself into her career as a music therapist – using music clinically to soothe burn victims in a hospital; to help Alzheimer’s patients connect with the present; to provide solace for hospice patients. When Vanessa – a guidance counselor -- asks her to work with a suicidal teen, their relationship moves from business to friendship and then, to Zoe’s surprise, blossoms into love. When Zoe allows herself to start thinking of having a family, again, she remembers that there are still frozen embryos that were never used by herself and Max.
Meanwhile, Max has found peace at the bottom of a bottle – until he is redeemed by an evangelical church, whose charismatic pastor – Clive Lincoln – has vowed to fight the “homosexual agenda” that has threatened traditional family values in America. But this mission becomes personal for Max, when Zoe and her same-sex partner say they want permission to raise his unborn child.
SING YOU HOME explores what it means to be gay in today’s world, and how reproductive science has outstripped the legal system. Are embryos people or property? What challenges do same-sex couples face when it comes to marriage and adoption? What happens when religion and sexual orientation – two issues that are supposed to be justice-blind – enter the courtroom? And most importantly, what constitutes a “traditional family” in today’s day and age?
My thoughts: I am an avid Jodi reader. Any book, no matter what, I'm going to be there on the day of bookstore delivery and, no more than three days later, I will have devoured the book. Topical button issues are her niche, and while a courtroom drama with a twist ending is always the route to expect, the twists leading up to the finale keep me coming back for more. This year, Jodi's thrown something new into the mix. Accompanying the book is a CD with the lyrics written by Jodi and the music and vocals by a friend of hers. The book is divided into parts with the music coming in at different intervals.
As to the book itself, it captured me from the start. Bringing in some nuances of Jodi's early writings (Songs of the Humpback Whale, Harvesting the Heart) and maintaining the controversial topic and courtroom drama that is kind of her thing, this book was the best of both worlds for me. Put in a lineup of favorites, it still wouldn't top Second Glance or Keeping Faith for me, but it enthralled me from the start and the great twist? I could not have predicted that one. Don't miss the 2011 offering from Jodi - just released today
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