Showing posts with label Mini-Review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mini-Review. Show all posts

How To Survive The PPP

Posted by Joanne ♦ The Book Zombie on 08 October 2009 / Labels , / Comments: (15)

It seems that lately the world has been taken over by a romantically-minded virus that I will call the PPP – Pride & Prejudice Pandemic. One woman’s innocent imaginings put to paper started this pandemic that has caused mutations, variations and (film) adaptations.

In today’s post I present to you five different books that are filling the shelves and minds of readers around the world – the first exposure was in 1813 when Jane Austen released Pride & Prejudice upon an unsuspecting society of readers. Now almost 200 years later, the power of P&P is still going strong.

Darcy Is Head Over Heels In Love ♦ Six months into his marriage to Elizabeth Bennet, Darcy is still Awestruck by his beautiful wife and their unparalleled love and passion. For Darcy, each day offers more opportunities to surprise and delight his beloved bride.

Lizzy Is Ready For Anything ♦ Elizabeth has quickly adapted to being the Mistress of Pemberley, charming everyone she meets and handling her duties with grace and poise. Just when it seems life can’t get any better, Elizabeth gets the most wonderful news.

Together They Embark On The Journey Of A Lifetime ♦ The lovers leave the serenity of Pemberley, traveling through the sumptuous landscape of Regency England, experiencing the lavish sights, sounds, and tastes around them. With each day come new discoveries as they become further entwined, body and soul, and a most sacred bond grows even deeper.

Title: Loving Mr. Darcy
Author: Sharon Lathan
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark
Genre: Regency Romance (Austen)

Type: Trade Paperback 448 pages
Publication Date: September 2009
ISBN: 978-1-4022-1741-8
Purchase: The Book Depository

Loving Mr. Darcy: Journeys Beyond Pemberley is the second novel in Sharon Lathans’ ongoing Pride & Prejudice saga. It begins where book 1 Mr. & Mrs. Fitzwilliam Darcy: Two Shall Become One (link to my review) left off. The couple have married, set up house in Pemberley manor and spent quite a bit of time becoming acquainted. Now they are on their way to London to meet up with family and friends. Oh and most importantly to share the news that their will soon be a brand new member of the Darcy family. I enjoyed this second book of the series quite a lot. Like in the first book, the author adds so much to her writing by the addition of so much historical detail. Along with an excellent story, the reader gets to learn so much about this particular time period. However, the one deviation from the normal male behavior of the period was awesome – Darcy becomes so lovable as he dotes on Elizabeth and his unborn child, wanting to be as much a part of this experience as possible. Loving Mr. Darcy was a fantastic read and I highly recommend it and the others in Lathans’ series. Next in the series, coming January 2010 is The Darcys at Year's End. Also be sure to take a look at Sharon Lathans’ home on the web – there is so much information to be found here including info on the books, character bios, links of interest to Austen fans and resources to help one learn more about the Regency era.

♦ Other Reviews ♦
A Tale Of Two Gentlemen’s Marriages To Two Most Devoted Sisters ♦ Three days before their double wedding, Charles Bingley is desperate to have a word with his dear friend Fitzwilliam Darcy, seeking advice of a most delicate nature. Bingley is shocked when Darcy gives him a copy of The Kama Sutra – but it does tell him everything he needs to know.

Eventually, of course, Jane finds this remarkable volume and in utmost secrecy shows it to her dear sister Elizabeth, who goes searching for a copy in the Pemberley library…
Title: The Darcys & The Bingleys
Author: Marsha Altman
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark
Genre: Regency Romance (Austen)		 Type: Trade Paperback 417 pages
Publication Date: February 2009
ISBN: 978-1-4022-1348-9
Purchase: The Book Depository

Here in The Darcys & The Bingleys we have another authors take of how things might continue on after Pride & Prejudice ends. Moving along at a quicker pace, this book begins with the approach of a dual wedding. Elizabeth and Jane are busy getting everything ready, preparing to become new wives. Meanwhile Darcy is helping Charles out with a few things he isn’t too confident about – mainly the private affairs of husband and wife. Darcy decides that what Charles needs is a little research, and so he passes a copy of the Kama Sutra along to his friend. This leads to some scandalous (for the times) fun. Honestly, the banter between characters is the absolute highlight of this story. Once things begin to settle down, about halfway through the book, a new plotline emerges as Caroline Bingley introduces the new man in her life, Lord James. Together Darcy and Charles take a closer look at this man and decide that something isn’t right. This second story arc adds a nice touch of intrigue to the humor of the first part. Altogether a very readable and enjoyable book. Marsha Altman also has two more Austen follow-ups, The Plight of the Darcy Brothers (which I talk about next) and coming in the future Mr. Darcy’s Great Escape. 

♦ Other Reviews ♦

Once Again, It Falls To Mr. Darcy To Prevent A Dreadful Scandal In The Bennet Family ♦ Darcy and Elizabeth set off posthaste for the Continent in yet another attempt to clear one of the Bennet sister’s reputations (this time it’s Mary.) But their madcap journey leads them to discover that the Darcy family has even darker secrets to hide…

Meanwhile, back at Pemberley, the hapless Bingleys try to manage two unruly toddlers; Caroline Bingleys’ husband has a wild encounter with King George himself; and the ever-dastardly George Wickham arrives, determined to seize the Darcy fortune once and for all.
Title: The Plight of the Darcy Brothers
Author: Marsha Altman
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark
Genre: Regency Romance (Austen)		 Type: Trade Paperback 359 pages
Publication Date: August 2009
ISBN: 978-1-4022-2429-4
Purchase: The Book Depository

The Plight of the Darcy Brothers is Marsha Altmans’ second book of her Pride & Prejudice continuation. Where the first book was a steady and fun romp, this book is fast-paced action. Starting off with Mary Bennet in a bit of trouble, Darcy and Elizabeth take off to help out. From France to Italy to London they are determined to set things right. What I liked best about this book was that although it has a main plot, there are lots of other subplots happening. Some favorite parts for me were the ones involving the Bingley and Darcy children. It’s so cool to see the second generation and how they are evolving into characters of their own. 

♦ Other Reviews ♦

A Married Man In Possession Of A Dark Fortune Must Be In Want Of An Eternal Wife ♦ Amanda Grange's style and wit bring readers back to Jane Austen's timeless storytelling, but always from a very unique and unusual perspective, and now Grange is back with an exciting and completely new take on Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet.

Mr. Darcy, Vampyre starts where Pride and Prejudice ends and introduces a dark family curse so perfectly that the result is a delightfully thrilling, spine-chilling, breathtaking read. A dark, poignant and visionary continuation of Austen's beloved story, this tale is full of danger, darkness and immortal love.
Title: Mr. Darcy, Vampyre
Author: Amanda Grange
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark
Genre: Paranormal Regency Romance (Austen)		 Type: Trade Paperback 308 pages
Publication Date: August 2009
ISBN: 978-1-4022-3697-6
Purchase: The Book Depository

Mr. Darcy, Vampyre is another Pride & Prejudice sequel, starting off again with the preparations for the big double Bingley/Darcy wedding. However, once the rings are exchanged this version shakes things up a bit, when Darcy takes Elizabeth on a honeymoon tour of Europe to meet the in-laws. Along the way Elizabeth becomes uncomfortable as she meets people she considers creepy and deals with a husband who doesn’t share her desire to become intimate. She’s confused and worried, he’s broody and weird. Not exactly the marriage Elizabeth hoped for. As a paranormal re-imagining of this famous couple, and from the book’s title I expected much more, or maybe I just expected more vampyrish-ness sooner. It seemed to take quite awhile to get to the actual paranormal aspect. Not an entirely bad read, it just moved along slower than I’d hoped.

♦ Other Reviews ♦

It Is A Truth Universally Acknowledged That A Zombie In Possession Of Brains Must Be In Want Of More Brains ♦ So begin Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, an expanded edition of the beloved Jane Austen novel featuring all-new scenes of bone-crunching zombie mayhem. As our story opens, a mysterious plague has fallen upon the quiet English village of Meryton – and the dead are returning to life! Feisty heroine Elizabeth Bennet is determined to wipe out the zombie menace, but she’s soon distracted by the arrival of the haughty and arrogant Mr. Darcy. What ensues is a delightful comedy of manners with plenty of civilized sparring between the two young lovers – and even more violent sparring on the blood-soaked battlefield. Can Elizabeth vanquish the spawn of Satan? And overcome the social prejudices of the class-conscious landed gentry?
Title: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
Author: Seth Grahame-Smith
Publisher: Quirk Classics
Genre: Paranormal Regency Parody 		Type: Trade Paperback 319 pages
Publication Date: April 2009
ISBN: 978-1-59474-334-4
Purchase: The Book Depository

Here we have something a little different, a whole new zombiefied version of Pride & Prejudice rather than a sequel. And this one has zombies! And pictures of zombies! It may seem silly or juvenile that the pictures in a book might excite me – but seriously these pictures are awesome! As was the entire idea of this book. The first time I read Pride & Prejudice I fully admit I was bored to tears (I was only 13) but in my late twenties I re-read and began to appreciate Austens’ writing more. If only there had been zombies involved back when I first read it (lol) I guess it’s obvious that I totally loved Pride & Prejudice & Zombies – it was just so much fun to see how Seth Grahame-Smith could incorporate zombies into a classic novel. And it was done so damn well, I never once felt like it was just a gimmick. I’m a hard-core zombie lover and this book more than lived up to my expectations.

♦ Other Reviews ♦

© 2008-2010 Joanne Mosher of The Book Zombie. All rights reserved.

Graphic Novels v.4 ♦ Spookiness Abounds

Posted by Joanne ♦ The Book Zombie on 29 September 2009 / Labels , , , / Comments: (9)

Figured it was time for another round-up of graphic novels, and this time I thought, since Halloween is right around the corner, I would focus on the creepier side of comics. Can it really be nearly October? This year is flying by, but I can’t complain, since Halloween is my very favoritest holiday!

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The Complete
Bite Club

Don't miss this 264-page volume collecting both the original critically acclaimed BITE CLUB and its sequel, BITE CLUB: VAMPIRE CRIME UNIT!

The Sopranos have nothing on the Del Toros, a vampire clan that has run organized crime in Miami for nearly a century. Beautiful, rich and immortal, these bloodsuckers are also masters of backstabbing and in-fighting.

Author: Chaykin & Tischman Genre: Graphic Novel
Illustrator: David Hahn Type: Softcover Color 264 pages
Publisher: Vertigo Publication Date: August 2007

My Thoughts   
When the first single comic issue of Bite Club was released I picked up a copy and was instantly intrigued, Vampires – Sopranos style! For whatever reason I ended up missing the next couple issues and *wham* forgot all about it. Until …. I walked into my library and saw this gorgeous complete book that collected all of the Bite Me series as well as the sequel. Which was awesome because I could sit myself down and read it straight through without worrying or waiting for the next installment.

It ended up being as good as I’d hoped. The Del Toros’ are a family of vampires, and also one of the major families in the Miami underworld. They run legitimate businesses as a front for their less community friendly enterprises, but everything comes to a grinding halt when Eduardo, the head of the family, is killed (with wooden bullets no less.) Now the remaining family (blood members, and mob) are drawn together to figure out who will take over. And this is when it gets going, there is fighting, affairs, brown-nosing, secret plots, treachery, bitter rivalries, incest(?!), sex, blood and violence. So uhh yeah not exactly proper reading for the young ones.

It may sound like it’s all just action, but there are subtle (very, very subtle) traces of serious drama to be found. A good example would be Risa, daughter to the deceased mob boss. She’s hot, smart, and determined to run the business no matter what it takes. The only thing standing in her way is that no one really takes her seriously (being a girl and all.) Then there is Leto who faces a pretty tough decision. He is a vampire who turned to religion to escape the darkness of, not only his vamp side, but also his family. Now that his father is dead he must decide whether to stay true to his god or to his family.

All in all, Bite Club was a fun, short diversion into the life of a Miami-Vampire-Mob-Family.

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Dead High Yearbook

Meet The Students Of Dead High

Watch as they encounter their grisly fates: death by vampire attack; body invasion by muscle-building “supplements” gone haywire; a car crash that leaves the victim somewhere between life and death; and a twisted love triangle ending in violence.

Dead High. It’s A Killer School.

Author: Various Genre: Young Adult Graphic Novel
Illustrator: Various Type: Hardcover 80 pages
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile Publication Date: March 2007

My Thoughts    
First off, I’ll admit I picked up Dead High Yearbook solely because of how much I wanted to examine the books binding. Sitting on a display stand, it looked like an actual yearbook. Beautifully textured cover (you know the kind with a cushy feel,) the pages were heavy, high gloss type and it was just irresistible (oooh look at the shiny, sparkly thing.)

So back to the book. On the inside front cover we see typical yearbook photos of high school kids. Turn the page and the reader is introduced to the rather strange group of kids who make up the school yearbook committee. Together they are compiling the info for the coming year’s edition. As each person is found we segue into a story about that student. The rest of the book follows this format of stories, intermingled with the yearbook staff. Now on the back inside cover we see the pictures that this committee has compiled and while it stars the same students from the front of the book, let’s just say that they’ve changed a bit over the school-year!

Dead High Yearbook was thoroughly entertaining and I enjoyed each story. The actual stories have that Tales From The Crypt feel to them, some ironic, some funny, some with a moral, some just gross. I’m crossing my fingers and hoping to see another installment of this someday.

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Emily The Strange

 


Emily The Strange -- Emily may be odd, but she always gets even! Meet Emily, the peculiar soul with long black hair, a wit of fire, and a posse of slightly sinister black cats. Famous for her barbed commentary and independent spirit, this rebel-child in black has spawned an Internet and merchandising phenomenon (Emily's Web site gets 35,000 hits per month!). Emily the Strange, her first book, captures the quintessential Emily, featuring her most beloved quips and a host of new ones. Anarchist, heroine, survivor, this little girl with a big personality appeals to the odd child in us all.

Author: Rob Reger, Cosmic Debris Genre: Graphic Novel
Illustrator: Rob Reger, Cosmic Debris Type: Hardcover 64 pages
Publisher: Chronicle Books Publication Date: July 2001

My Thoughts    
What can I really say about this book? If you’ve ever seen anything featuring an Emily graphic then you know what you’re in for. Emily is strange, but in my opinion that’s not a bad thing. The entire book is filled with artwork done in red, white and black. The illustrations are very appealing, some are basic, but others are filled with tiny details. Most of the text is presented in short one to three sentence phrases, some funny, some weird, and some that prompt deeper thinking.

This particular Emily book gives a new reader a brief glimpse into who Emily is. There isn’t that much to the book, but I still enjoy it. Sometimes strangeness should be celebrated and I like that.

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Emily’s Book
Of Strange

Emily's Secret Book of Strange -- The secret life of Emily the Strange is quite a bit more strange than was previously understood. Uncover the truth behind her mysterious world in this recently discovered volume, Emily's Secret Book of Strange, the revealing companion to the best-selling Emily the Strange. Enter, if you dare, the house that Emily built. Decipher the secret language of the Emily Strange Posse: Morose Code. Learn little known facts, like what's developing in Emily's darkroom. In the same graphic style, with the same high production values, and featuring all new art, Emily's Secret Book of Strange is an irresistible sequel for Emily fans everywhere.

Author: Rob Reger, Cosmic Debris Genre: Graphic Novel
Illustrator: Rob Reger, Cosmic Debris Type: Hardcover 64 pages
Publisher: Chronicle Books Publication Date: February 2003

My Thoughts   
The format of this, the second Emily book is pretty much exactly the same as the first one. Great illustrations with short little messages from or about Emily. In this volume the reader gets to learn a little more about Emily in between random strangeness. Emily isn’t just a little girl with dark intentions, she’s about art, imagination, music, experimenting, learning and being creative. I think the reason I like the Emily books is that she is a girl who seems to say “I’m strange, and if you don’t like it – so what!” As an added bonus included in the back is a secret glossary of the symbols Emily has created. And with this code the reader can translate some hidden message spread throughout the book. Another example of Emily’s creative strangeness.

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Hills Have Eyes:
The Beginning

Deep within the remote hills of the New Mexico desert, a group of townspeople thought wiped out by the United States government when it began above-ground atomic testing has returned to the now-irradiated land they still claim as their home. Within the eye of this nuclear storm good people will go bad, battle lines will be drawn, and a new family of mutated monstrosities must protect their own at all costs in a mind-boggling orgy of blood and vengeance.

The Hills Have Eyes: The Beginning tells for the first time the epic origin story behind Wes Craven's classic tale of mutant carnage, leading into and bridging the gap between the 2006 remake of The Hills Have Eyes and its sequel, The Hills Have Eyes 2.

Author: Palmiotti & Gray Genre: Graphic Novel
Illustrator: John Higgins Type: Softcover 112 pages
Publisher: Harper Collins Publication: July 2007

My Thoughts    
In case you didn’t know I am a huge horror fan, I love it in all it forms and what got me started on this life-long obsession was scary movies. The original Hills Have Eyes from 1977 has been a favorite of mine for some time, and the remake in 2006 is probably one of the only remakes I’ve respected in that it stayed true to the original screenplay. The basic idea behind the films is that somewhere in the California Desert there is a family of severely mutated cannibals preying on lost travelers. The film versions have focused on the travelers with only minimal historical mention of the hill people. All the viewer really knows it that their mutations were caused by nuclear testing done by the US military.

Now with this graphic novel The Beginning, the focus is turned around and the secrets are revealed as to how these people came to be cannibalistic killers. I enjoyed this story and felt it compliments the movies quite well. Now if only someone would write the screenplay!

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Legends of the Dark Crystal:
Garthim Wars

 

This much-anticipated original prequel to Jim Henson's fantasy masterpiece is set 100 years before The Dark Crystal, the groundbreaking film that won the hearts and minds of fans all over the world and set the stage for the new age of muppet-making.

Author: Various Genre: Graphic Novel
Illustrator: Various Type: Softcover 192 pages
Publisher: TokyoPop Publication Date: November 2007

My Thoughts   
I’m not sure what was wrong with me when I read this. I’ve loved The Dark Crystal since I first watched it as a little kid, but somehow this comic just didn’t work for me. The artwork was gorgeous even though I felt the Gelfling didn’t quite look as they should. The story was interesting as this book is telling what happened before the film. But I dunno, there was just something missing. Or maybe this is just one of those stories I feel works better on screen than in book/comic form.

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Peculia & The Groon Grove Vampires

Night is coming and the local baby-sitters club needs an extra sitter. That strange new family in town is expecting four warm bodies, not three — one for each member of their household. Each sharp-toothed, blood-thirsty, downright undead member of their household! Sala's popular character Peculia, a mysterious and clever young waif, returns in this, her first full-length story! This deliciously macabre graphic novel manages to both parody and celebrate elements of classic horror and vampire tales.

Author: Richard Sala Genre: Graphic Novel
Illustrator: Richard Sala Type: Softcover 80 pages
Publisher: Fantagraphics Books Publication Date: November 2005

My Thoughts    
Peculia and The Groon Grove Vampires was campy comic fun! A trio of girls who form the local babysitter’s club get asked to all babysit for the new family in town – but this family needs four sitters, so by chance the three girls ask Peculia if she could help them out. But upon entering the spooky old house where they are to sit, Peculia begins to think something strange is going on. And when the family reveal their big teeth all hell breaks lose.

What a fun read this one was! It comes across as a mixture of horror movie, campy comedy with a touch of Scooby-Doo Mystery thrown in for good measure. I really liked that this story didn’t try to be serious because the small hints of humor made it all the more enjoyable. There isn’t too much mature subject matter in this comic, but I would say it would probably be more appreciated by young adult readers and older.divider6


© 2008-2010 Joanne Mosher of The Book Zombie. All rights reserved.

Comic Book? Graphic Novel? … Awesome Anyway You Say It!

Posted by Joanne ♦ The Book Zombie on 17 May 2009 / Labels , , / Comments: (14)

Graphic novels are a reading format that I love. To me they are much more than comic books. It’s the ability to tell a story using words and pictures together and have it be that much more powerful. I like that so much thought goes into making the drawings speak what the words aren’t saying. And with graphic novels sometimes words come with space limitations, which makes me think the words, phrases and dialogue are chosen with that much more care. For me a successful graphic novel leaves me feeling satisfied that the words and pictures have been designed and combined to present the best possible story, with meaning and feeling perfectly visualized. Sometimes the stories are serious or sad, other times silly and fun, but also a good graphic novel is the best example of team-work and differing arts merging to create a whole new experience for the reader.

I found this snippet on wikipedia and couldn’t resist including it here:

Writer Neil Gaiman, responding to a claim that he does not write comic books but graphic novels, said the commenter "meant it as a compliment, I suppose. But all of a sudden I felt like someone who'd been informed that she wasn't actually a hooker; that in fact she was a lady of the evening."

Since I started blogging, I’ve come across so many fantastic graphic novels because of the terrific bloggers and reviews. This past Saturday I spent the entire day enjoying a few of them. It was so great and I’d like to thank all the amazing bloggers who share my love of the graphic novel – without you, I never would have gotten to enjoy all these great reads :)

Kat & Mouse
Volume 1
Teacher Torture
When Kat’s dad gets a job as a science teacher at a posh private school, things seem perfect – that is, until Kat’s rich, popular classmates shove her to the bottom of the social heap just for being smart. And bad turns to worse when an anonymous student blackmails Kat’s dad to give the class better grades! Can Kat and her rebellious computer nerd friend Mouse, find the real culprits before Kat’s dad loses his job?

Author: Alex de Campi Genre: Graphic Novel (ages 9+)
Illustrator: Federica Manfredi Type: Paperback 96 pages
Publisher: TokyoPop Publication Date: July 2006

My Thoughts
Thanks to Darla D. from Books & Other Thoughts I picked up this cute manga. I found it in the children’s section of the library and without Darla D's review I most likely wouldn’t have spotted it.

This isn’t the type of graphic novel that I would have come across on my own. Having two teen sons means I miss out on a lot of the girly type stuff. But I am so happy that I took a look for this after seeing Darla D.’s review. Kat & Mouse was so much fun! The main character, Kat, is starting grade seven at a brand new school where her dad is going to be teaching science. What I found most appealing about this first of a series is that Kat and her friend Mouse seem like normal teenage girls, also it was nice to see a character who doesn’t fall all over herself to impress the “in-crowd.” Kat comes across as a smart girl, who knows what is important in life. Working hard at school and also working at keeping a good relationship with her parents are things she cares about. And the relationship between Kat and her parents does seem very realistic – they argue, but they care about one another at the same time. Another really fun thing about this book was that the girls use science to solve the mystery, and included at the back of the book is instructions for conducting your own at-home science project with easy to find materials - giving you the chance to experience exactly what Kat & Mouse did. Fun with Science!

Oh and Kat & Mouse Volume 1 Teacher Torture can be read online at TokyoPop!

Other Reviews
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Let me know and I’ll add your link.
 

Ethel & Ernest
A True Story
Utterly original, deeply moving and very funny, Ethel & Ernest is the story of Raymond Briggs’s parents from their first, chance encounter to their deaths, told in Briggs’s unique strip-cartoon format. Winner of the British Book Award for the Illustrated Book of the Year and acclaimed by the critics, Ethel & Ernest was a huge bestseller on first publication.

Author: Raymond Briggs Genre: Graphic Novel / Non-Fiction
Illustrator: Raymond Briggs Type: Hardcover 103 pages
Publisher: Jonathan Cape Publication Date: 1998

My Thoughts   
This one is thanks to Nymeth of Things Mean A Lot. Nymeth’s review was fantastic as always, but what convinced me I needed to read this was a particular quote she included. I’ve taken a photo of the page that this quote appeared on – it was just as touching and clever as I first suspected.

At first, I was a bit apprehensive about how well the premise of this graphic novel would play out. Ethel & Ernest is the true story of the couple’s relationship, from the first time they meet ‘til the day they die. But the apprehension quickly vanished as I realized that their story was going to be wonderful. Told in quick snippets, it perfectly illustrates a happy, hard and sometimes impossible seeming existence. Through the story of Ethel & Ernest we get to experience how time changes people, places and life itself. Things like war, technology, politics and culture are all examined from this couple’s first-hand point of view. By the end I felt like I had personally known these people and I had a hard time letting them go. Some people don’t think that graphic novels can be as emotionally involving as traditional novels, but I would have to disagree and suggest those people read this one. Reading about their life and seeing the happy moments along with the sad times touched me – and I am not normally a very sappy person. Knowing beforehand from the book’s description that the reader would follow Ethel & Ernest all the way through to their dying days was not preparation enough for the emotion their deaths would provoke – it was heart-breaking but still left a small smile on my face as I recalled how full their lives were. They were not famous, or rich, or extremely lucky – it was how they lived, how they conquered the everyday sadness to be a happy and loving family. We should all be so blessed to live such ordinary, yet remarkable, lives. 

 
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The Invention of Hugo Cabret

A Novel in Words and Pictures

Orphan, clock keeper, and thief, Hugo lives in the walls of a busy Paris train station, where his survival depends on secrets and anonymity. But when his world suddenly interlocks – like the gears of the clocks he keeps – with an eccentric, bookish girl and a bitter old man who run a toy booth in the train station, Hugo’s undercover life and his most precious secret are put in jeopardy. A cryptic drawing, a treasured notebook, a stolen key, a mechanical man, and a hidden message from Hugo’s dead father form the backbone of this intricate, tender, and spellbinding mystery.


Author: Brian Selznick Genre: Childrens Fiction (ages 9+)
Illustrator: Brian Selznick Type: Hardcover 544 pages
Publisher: Scholastic Press Publication Date: January 2007

My Thoughts   
This is a book I’d seen reviewed all over the blogiverse and I really didn’t think it would be something I would be interested in. So what finally prompted me to give it a read? Chickens! Yup, after reading Bethany’s review and seeing that she awarded Hugo Cabret a Stellar 5 Chicken Book Rating, I knew this would be a fantastic review. For more Chicken rated reviews, check out Dreadlock Girl Reads!

It feels as though I am the last person in the world to read The Invention of Hugo Cabret, and now I’m kicking myself for having waited so long to read this amazing story. So why did I wait so long? That old bad habit of judging a book by it’s cover! The cover seemed so garish to me that I never would have guessed there was a treasure between the covers. The basic plot is outlined above and I won’t bother going through it again here, and honestly I’m not sure that the story would have worked quite so well for me without the outstanding artwork. The illustrations are the exact opposite of the color explosion on the cover. Saying that they are black and white is impossible though, because I am certain the art contains thousands of shades of grey. The depth and detail to these illustrations is mind-blowing! The story would be perfectly magical for a child’s bedtime story, but be prepared to finish this book in one sitting, because it’s definitely a page-turner and make sure to spend lots of time examining the gorgeous pictures.

At Home With Books
Bart’s Bookshelf
Becky’s Book Reviews
BookBunny 
Dreadlock Girl Reads
Hidden Side Of A Leaf

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The Tale of
One Bad Rat

Helen Potter lived a happy life until she got lost in a nightmare of sexual abuse. Now she's on a journey, a journey which takes her through urban and rural England along the same path that another Potter, Beatrix Potter, once took. Across the decades, two lives touch, and Helen discovers that the strength of two is far greater than one. Bryan Talbot constructs a very special story in The Tale of One Bad Rat which immediately endears the reader. The victim of child sexual abuse, Helen Potter becomes the armored knight before her own personal demons in this story of heroism and courage.

Author: Bryan Talbot Genre: Graphic Novel (ages 16+)
Illustrator: Bryan Talbot Type: Trade Paperback 136 pages
Publisher: Dark Horse Books Publication Date: October 1995

My Thoughts   
This one caught my attention when Kailana posted one of her awesome Dear Dewey reviews. I’d seen this around a few times, and I must be completely oblivious but it wasn’t until I read her review that I finally saw the connection this graphic novel has to Beatrix Potter.

The cover design, the title, even the color palate are so reminiscent of those beloved little Potter books I used to read constantly as a child. But my Beatrix books were full of happy little animals with not many problems, and The Tale Of One Bad Rat is quite the opposite. It’s a story of abuse, anger, sadness and loneliness. But it’s also a story that shows how a person can fight back against everything that might destroy them. It’s about self-discovery, renewal of the spirit and courageousness. It’s a book that really pushes home the idea that no matter how much you hate yourself, other people or the life you have – you are the only person who can make positive changes. But it also emphasizes that you don’t have to do it alone. By learning to trust the right people and by following the heroes you respect, happiness is possible. Motivational self-help books have never been my thing. Often I find that they hand out a lot of crap that confuses more than enlightens. With The Tale Of One Bad Rat, the reader follows a young woman who must search and battle to find herself and her happiness, while along the way she must learn to shed the guilt and hate she feels for herself. This, for me, was one of the most beautiful and motivating stories of survival. And another thing, which some might not find as fascinating as me, this book addresses the horrible fault that lies in judging things, whether by believing false stereo-types or misinformed beliefs. Rats are not bad creatures, I’ve seen rats who are family pets and are more loving, well-behaved and clean than other families human children. It’s all about the animals for me :)

Books of Mee
Comics’ By Products
Hidden Side Of A Leaf
Nothing of Importance

Other Reviews

Have you reviewed this book too?
Let me know and I’ll add your link.

So there you go, four fantastic graphic novels! Originally I had planned to include 12 mini-reviews in this post, but I have the terrible habit of blathering on and this ended up being much longer than I’d planned. But if this is something anyone would like to see more of, I would love to continue highlighting my comic reading with these combined mini-reviews.

Oh and if you have any recommendations for great graphic novels that you’ve enjoyed or that you’re looking forward to reading – let me know!


© 2008-2010 Joanne Mosher of The Book Zombie. All rights reserved.

WG12 Mini Reviews

Posted by Joanne ♦ The Book Zombie on 30 August 2008 / Labels , , / Comments: (1)

Bybee said ... Does the new Coupland book take place in Canada? Is it highly comedic in tone? Does it have lots of references to pop culture? Is the title character an adult or child?

gum thief You know I can't for the life of me remember the city it was set in (Ottawa seems to keep coming to mind) Are there any Staples stores in the US or Canada only because the story revolves around the employees of a Staples lol. Gum Thief was hilarious (I giggled all the way throughout) but it also has lots of drama too. The characters in this Coupland novel really pull you into their lives, loves and heartaches. The references to how big box stationary stores run had me cracking up, and there's a bit of talk about the Goth subculture too. The two main characters are a twenty something Goth girl with identity issues and a forty something divorced man dealing with midlife and loss (I hate spoilers so that's all I will give about the title.)
bookchronicle said ... I've only read one book by Mosley (Always Outnumbered, Always Outgunned) and while I loved it, I generally have not heard favorable things about his books. Does race have an important theme in the book? Would you consider Mosley's literature readable by a large audience or is he more of a nook demographic writer?

man in my basement Race is an issue in this novel, as the story revolves around a younger black man who has fallen on bad times and fears he may lose his family home. When it seems like he has no options left, a very rich, powerful, middle-aged white man offers him $50,000 dollars to imprison him in his basement. However racial themes seem to be overpowered by issues involving the true face of good and evil and how society and individual humans deal with punishment, the giving, receiving and deserving of. Man In My Basement is the only book I've read of Mosley's so I am unsure of whether his novels target certain readers. His most famous works are the 11 books from his Easy Rawlins PI series which I have seen recommended. The lead characters from Man In My Basement and Easy Rawlins are both African-American, which is very refreshing in mainstream fiction.
Joy Renee said ... My questions are for any or all of the titles in your list: How was Point-of-View handled? Was there a single POV character or did it alternate among two or more. Was it always clear whose eyes and mind were filtering? How was language used to set tone and mood? Was the prose dense or spare? Were sentences generally simple or complex? How was metaphor used? Were associations fresh or did they tend toward cliche? Did they add to your understanding of the theme? What was the central or organizing theme? How does the title relate to the story? Was it fitting? Does Book of Revelation have anything to do with the New Testament book of that title? If not directly, then how is it alluding to it? Any novel of that title in our culture would have to be intentionally triggering our associations with the Biblical book of that title so I am interested in how it relates.


Man In My Basement by Walter Mosley
This is told in the first person point of view of Mr. Blakey. It was very clear throughout the novel who was speaking and to whom. The type of story that flows almost poetically from page to page, it's clear that Walter Mosley is very confident with words, and creating realistic thought patterns. The author's choice of how the character's spoke added an element to the story that I found very enjoyable. Mr. Blakey speaks in a very relaxed, casual way that makes it seem like the words are rolling like smooth river water. While the other character Mr. Bennett seems to me that he would sound the way an automated phone message sounds, quick, business-like and to the point.There are many different themes investigated in Man In My Basement including race, power, money, punishment, redemption and humanity. But perhaps the most powerful theme found is the definition and classification of good and evil. It asks the question of whether there is a grey area between the two and if it's possible for good and evil to co-exist. Or is it a question of needing evil in order to define good.

The Book Of Joe by Jonathan Tropper
book of joeJoe wrote a book. The book is about the town he grew up in and left. It's a bestseller because it's controversial, gossipy and seems to be true. But now Joe is going back home to face the people he wrote about. Using a great mixture of present and past tense Joe recounts his experiences and relationships with the people he grew up around. Telling it from Joe's point of view is what really makes this story sizzle, because what you see and assume isn't necessarily the truth. The language used to tell his story is very fluent and easy to follow. The scenes of dialogue are upbeat and reminded me of sitcom dialogue in that they get right to the punch-line without missing a beat.The central theme of The Book Of Joe is the very important lesson that what you see isn't always the way things are. Joe wrote a book based on what he perceived to be fact while growing up, but as an adult he comes to see that he misunderstood almost everything that happened around him. Even though he wasn't an overly self-involved person, he did have the flaw of being confident that his perspective was clear and unbiased.

The Collector by John Fowles
collector The Collector was written in a very interesting way - telling one story from two perspectives. There are essentially only two characters - the collector and the collected. The first half of the books recounts the experience in the first person pov from the collector. The second part of the novel is written as journal entries that the collected wrote throughout the experience. So the book really presents a mirror-image of differences. This method was highly successful and adds to effect of the novel.The first half is narrated by the collector, who clearly has limited vocabulary and shows an average intelligence with no respect for higher learning. His words are awkward and often child-like. Whereas the second part, told by the collected, sounds like a completely different writer. A higher understanding of proper speech, obviously well-educated and also displays the false worldliness of an adolescent. The central metaphor of this novel is comparing the collecting of butterflies, beautiful, wild things that should be kept under lock and key for observation to the kidnapping of a beautiful young girl, not for sexual purposes, solely for the knowledge that she has been captured and available to watch, to study.

The Book Of Revelation by Rupert Thomas
book of This story is narrated by the main character, a male ballet dancer who is kidnapped while leaving his house in Amsterdam. It starts out in third person perspective telling of his capture and imprisonment. But once released it changes to the first person point of view as he relates the way his life has changed, the struggles he must go through and how he deals with his psychological scars. In my opinion, the central theme of The Book Of Revelation is how experiences (good or bad) change the way we view ourselves and our beliefs, in a sense revealing our true selves.The title was very fitting to this story as the main character undergoes a series of revelations about himself. As to the religious connotations, I am not familiar with the biblical Book Of Revelation, the small knowledge I do have is that it concerns prophecies about the end of days. If that is the case then I can see how it would relate to this story as the main character comes to realize that his life as he knew it, has now ended, changing everything.
Tasses said... You've a few controversial authors/titles on there! Do you normally read books that are considered edgy?


Great question. I've honestly never thought about this but I guess I do search out the more controversial novels. I like to think that every written word has some treasure to be found, because they are in some way the thoughts and ideas from a human being (if every person is special than shouldn't every person's thoughts be too?) I know that can seem optimistic when you consider how many formulaic, plagiaristic books are out there, but I like to hope. Another reason for my choices may be that I don't always respect the opinions of "professional" reviewers, so if the NYTimes says "this is pure garbage" I've got to take a look.


© 2008-2010 Joanne Mosher of The Book Zombie. All rights reserved.

WG12 - Mini Review - Snuff by Chuck Palahniuk

Posted by Joanne ♦ The Book Zombie on 18 August 2008 / Labels , , / Comments: (7)

Snuff
Chuck Palahniuk
Published by Doubleday Canada

snuffCassie Wright, porn priestess, intends to cap her legendary career by breaking the world record for serial fornication. On camera. With six hundred men. Snuff unfolds from the perspectives of Mr. 72, Mr. 137, and Mr. 600, who await their turn on camera in a very crowded green room. This wild, lethally funny, and thoroughly researched novel brings the huge yet under-acknowledged presence of pornography in contemporary life into the realm of literary fiction at last. Who else but Palahniuk would dare do such a thing? Who else could do it so well, so unflinchingly, and with such an incendiary (you might say) climax?

Joy Renee from Joystory asked...

How was Point-of-View handled? Was there a single POV character or did it alternate among two or more. Was it always clear whose eyes and mind were filtering? What was the central or organizing theme? How does the title relate to the story? Was it fitting? 

Snuff has three main characters and each chapter switches between perspectives. The flow is not all that clear and sometimes it became confusing as to what was happening. The language was basic with no discernable traits for individual characters. Cliche is an adequate way to describe the entire novel as it was predictable from the start.

I honestly have no idea what the basic theme of Snuff is. Some ideas I can throw out would be: removing the glamour from the porn industry, showing that life comes full circle whether you're looking or not, or maybe the idea that things change no matter how much control you think you have - "What do you do when your entire identity is destroyed in an instant? How do you cope when your whole life story turns out to be wrong?"

As to the title of the novel you just need to read the first chapter to understand the relevance - "Six hundred dudes. One porn queen. A world record for the ages. A must-have movie for every discerning collector of things erotic. Didn't one of us on purpose set out to make a snuff movie." Fitting yes, original no.

Andi from Tripping Toward Lucidity asked...

As for Snuff, again, have you read Palahniuk's other works? If so, how does it stack up? I've heard descriptions of it here and there in various reviews, and I'm just wondering if it's hard to stomach?I will try it either way, probably, but it does sound pretty um....uncomfortable...from what I've heard. But, as I said with Oates...I generally respect an author very much for taking me out of my comfort zone.

Snuff ... hmm first let me say I am a huge, huge fan of Palahniuk. He takes the most ordinary people and circumstances and distorts them like a funhouse mirror. I've never been let down with his fiction or non-fiction, but honestly Snuff was terrible. The idea is that a porn star is going to break the gang-bang world record by sleeping with 600 men, but the story is told from the views of 3 of these men who have other plans. I had expected some crazy plot twists, but none came, the ones that were included ended up being totally predictable. There may be alot of uncomfortable descriptions in the book, but overall they seemed to be trying so hard to offend that they ended up boring me to tears. Most of Palahniuk's works have something to say, but I missed the message here. For a better Palahniuk try Lullaby, Choke or Invisible Monsters.

Dewey from The Hidden Side Of A Leaf asked...

I skipped Snuff because I haven't heard anything good about it so far. Was it disappointing? Have you read other Palahniuk novels? Which one is your favourite, if so?

As stated above, sadly Snuff was a disappointment to me.  I have managed to read all of Palahniuk's works (fiction and non-fiction). Choosing a favourite from them is hard because I feel that beneath the shocking parts and the unusual characters there was something valuable from each. But I can say that Lullaby and Invisible Monsters would be the top of my list - Lullaby is about a mission to destroy a child's nursery rhyme that inexplicably causes SIDs - Invisible Monsters is the story of a supermodel turned into a "monster" by an accident.

 

About The Author

Chuck Palahniuk caught literary recognition with the publication of his first novel Fight Club back in 1996. Fight Club received excellent reviews and even won him some awards....yet its time on the shelves was limited. The hardcover never really made it to any bestseller lists, but nevertheless, a trade would soon follow and soon Fight Club had established itself a cult following. Palahniuk is now a best-selling novelist and lives in Portland, Oregon.

Author Website


© 2008-2010 Joanne Mosher of The Book Zombie. All rights reserved.