a very proud and prejudiced review

26 Jan

After reading Marvel Illustrated’s Sense and Sensibility (adapted by Nancy Butler and illustrate by Sonny Liew), I was eager to read their take on Pride and Prejudice. Reviews on amazon were not particularly favorable with regards to the artwork, but the cover had a look similar to that used in S&S so I wanted to judge for myself…. Unfortunately, the reviewers were right. The text is very well adapted (Butler adapted P&P as well as Marvel’s Emma); however, the images were just wrong. There is a liveliness and softness to Liew’s illustrations in Sense and Sensibility, they work very well with the text.

Hugo Petrus’s illustrations just scream classic, fanboy comic world. As one amazon reviewer put it, “Other than Lizzy and Mr. Darcy, the girls look like 80s porn stars and her mom looks like Granny Goodness from the animated JLA series.”

They do. The hair is big and the expressions are fierce, while the color palette applied to the first half of the series is extremely harsh and orange. It just made me cringe. Great cover art, disappointing story art.

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casting on

9 Jan
Wishes and Stitches by Rachael Herron
I am not a knitter, nor have I ever read a book about knitters, so I was more than a little surprised when I started to read Wishes and Stitches and found that it defied all my expectations regarding what a book about knitters might be about… if that makes sense.

Preconceived notion #1: a book about knitters will center around some sort of mother-figure.

Notion totally blown out of the water.

Preconceived notion #2: the characters will be cozy types, hanging out in little shops and scheming.

Couldn’t be more wrong.

Preconceived notion #3: it will probably involve some sort of family reunion.

I was right on this one, but not in the manner that I expected.

I was completely wrong with my book cover judgements and happy to admit it. This book was a fun, sexy read. A completely unexpected romance that kept me reading through the night during my winter break and made me want to read more of the Cypress Hollow books.

The novel centers on the socially awkward Naomi, a doctor and closet knitter who moved to small-town Cypress Hollow, a haven for knitters of all ages. Eager though she is to fit in, shy Naomi has a hard time finding her place within the close-knit community (no pun intended). Unsure how to react when presented with a friendly greeting or an invitation to join Cypress Hollow’s knitting circle, Naomi comes off as standoffish and unsociable. But all that changes when she finds herself working with Rig, the hot doctor (and one night stand) who joins her practice. Soon, Naomi’s carefully planned life becomes nothing but a memory as family and friends start to shake things up and her relationship with Rig becomes something more.

Naomi is incredibly awkward, despite her intense focus on goals and life plans, so there were moments when I just wanted to shake her.However, this is a story about coming into one’s own and finding where one belongs. Part of the challenge is learning to let things go and Naomi learns to do just that, coming to accept change as it happens and taking things in stride. Rig is a perfect complement, the sort of romantic hero who helps the heroine find her own happiness even as he struggles to find a way to fit into her plans. It’s the sort of sappy love story that just works. It’s sweet and comfortable and hot all at once. A perfect read for a lazy weekend.

I received my copy of Wishes and Stitches from HarperCollins.

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capturing a classic

4 Jan

Sense and Sensibility is not my favorite Austen (that honor goes to Persuasion), but after re-reading it a couple of months ago, I found that I was able to notice some of the nuances of character that I missed when I first read it. I was able to note more of the comic elements and barbed social commentary throughout the novel, and particularly during Lucy’s meetings with Elinor. I gained a new appreciation for Elinor and Marianne.

That said, the holidays seemed like the perfect time to read Marvel Illustrated’s adaptation of Sense & Sensibility by Nancy Butler and illustrated by Sonny Liew. Given that SS is one of Austen’s longest novels, adapting the text into a comic book format, speech bubbles and all, could not have been an easy feat. Butler’s text manages to retain the essence of the original, while Liew’s illustrations help reveal complexities of character and plot that might otherwise be lost in the simplified narrative.

My only complaints are that a few of the characters, especially Colonel Brandon, reminded me a bit too much of the actors in the BBC’s 2008 adaptation, and that Lucy was presented as a much more sympathetic character than she was in the book.

Nevertheless, I like it as a graphic novel and can see this being a great way to engage students in a class on visual-textual literacy.

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Born Wicked

30 Dec

Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood

Scheduled Release: Feb. 2012

Growing up female in a patriarchal society that views women as little more than decorative objects is never easy, especially for a trio of smart, intrepid sisters. Growing up a witch in a society governed by religious zealots that view magical ability as an evil sign of female wickedness can prove even harder. Left in the care of their distant father after their mother’s untimely death, Cate, Maura, and Tess bear the truth of their magical heritage, keeping it secret for fear of retribution from the Brotherhood that rules the country. Unsure where to seek advice, the Cahill sisters fight to stay strong as they learn to wield their powers without guidance, but these girls are part of a greater truth that threatens to destroy them all…

—

Born Wicked was not at all what I expected after reading the blurb on the back cover… it was so much better! Cate, Maura, and Tess are distinctive, well-developed characters that I instantly wanted to know more about. Cate narrates the trial of being an older sister to a pair of girls growing to fast and powerful for their own good. Always the voice of reason, Cate is a classic older sister as she tries to make the best of a complicated situation while keeping her sisters safe and deflecting the attention of their neighbors and the Brothers.

The plot is tightly woven and suspenseful. This was definitely one of those books I couldn’t put down! I just wanted to know what would happen… Would the girls be discovered? Would they suffer the fate of the other girls branded as witches by the Brotherhood? So many twists to keep me guessing. The history of the Daughters of Persephone–the matriarchal order of witches that ended when the Brothers waged war against witchery–was equally fascinating and lent the story a sense of time and place. I really look forward to following this series.

A great read for anyone interested in mystery, alternate history, and realistic magic (think Charmed).

I received my copy of Born Wicked through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program.

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Out of Oz

19 Dec

Out of Oz by Gregory Maguire

To say that I love Oz is a bit of an understatement. I live in green (and red). Finding bits of green glass or red shoes always brings on a Dorothy moment. Yes, I know all the songs and still think the Wheelers are the creepiest baddies on wheels.

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is one of the few, truly American fairy tales that continues to resonate as a sort of cult, imaginary world peopled with a hodgepodge of characters, creatures, and possibilities waiting to happen. Oz is boundless, lending itself to all manner of re-imaginings, tellings, and mediums.

There are 14 Oz books in the Baum canon and a slew of sequels and companion books set in Oz. Maguire’s revisionist history of Oz in the Wicked Years series adds a new layer of complexity to an already captivating series, raising issues on politics, animal rights, ethics, gender, and more.

I first read Wicked at the recommendation of a friend, whose suggestions I rarely took (our taste in books being too dissimilar to generate much confidence). I picked up a copy and devoured it in three days (oh, those lazy days of summer before I became a responsible adult). I loved the power-play in the novel, the one-liners and richness of language that made it impossible to put down. I was more than eager to know how Elphaba’s legacy would end in Out of Oz.

Opening with the siege of Mockbeggar Hall, Lady Glinda’s country seat, the reader is tossed into the middle of a secret plot to secure the waters of Oz for the Emerald City. A prisoner in her home, Glinda faces all the inconvenience that comes with being in the middle of military mission. Having to make due with a limited staff, Glinda keeps only four members of her household: a companion, Miss Murth, Chef, Puggles the butler, and her broomgirl–Rain. A prickly little girl of indeterminate age, Rain knows little about her past other than a couple of obscure memories involving the ability to feel for animals. Drawn into the battle between Lady Glinda and General Cherrystone of the Emerald City forces, Rain becomes part of a bet between the two: Glinda will learn to cook, if Rain learns to read. But reading can be a dangerous pastime, revealing more about people and power than a child can comprehend. Rain is soon drawn into the struggle for Oz, becoming part of a history that she never imagined.

I enjoyed the book; actually, I was surprised by how much I did enjoy it. Maguire is great with language and setting, he takes all manner of liberties with his creation. That said, Out of Oz was slow to start… very slow. It took a while for Rain to grow on me, but it takes a while for Rain to grow on herself. This is a story of self-discovery, and that comes with a lot of wandering and wondering. Old characters appear out of nowhere, loose ends are picked up, and there is a lot of self-doubt.

However, when Rain finally came into her own, the pace picked up considerably and I was sucked right in. Young Rain is an odd, ragamuffin with little personality, only the Lion seems willing to bother with her until she grows up. Teenaged Rain makes the story come together, becoming an agent of change in her own right rather than the unfortunate victim of her parents’ misguided efforts to protect her. I wish there was more to Rain’s story and her relationship with Tip (which can make for all kinds of interesting discussions on gender and love), just when the story was getting truly interesting, it ended. But, given the history of Oz books, is there ever really an ending?

Once upon a time, I wrote a nostalgic response to Wicked.

My copy of Out of Oz magically appeared in my mailbox, courtesy of HarperCollins.

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update

3 Dec

Just an update… I apologize (in advance to some/too late for others), but I’m not really replying to emails or review requests at the moment. My health was not great during the last month or so, and I just had emergency surgery this week. Reviews of books I have received may be slow in coming until my energy levels return to a normal state.

-Gricel 

bookish haul

20 Nov

Book Fair time come again and this year’s selection of vendors (and events) proved to be a good one :) . Started my visit with some tasty macarons and stumbled across a great bargain stall… soon followed by several more bargain stalls.

book fair 2011 haul

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lost and found

17 Oct

Reading a good piece of women’s fiction is like making a great new friend. Suddenly, you get to share all those little intimate details that make lives unique. Well-written, engaging chick lit always makes me feel like that–as if I just had a reunion with an old friend and managed to catch up on all the moments I missed. Marisa de los Santos’ Falling Together stirs up that kind of emotion, drawing the reader into the lives of three awkward, flawed individuals who made the mistake of drifting apart.

Pen, Will, and Cat meet under the most dramatic of circumstances–while Cat was having a seizure. They can’t help but fall in together after such a meeting. The closest of friends throughout college, these three share an intensity that is nearly impossible to overcome, and so they decide to go their separate ways with the memory of this passion intact and spare themselves the disappointment of growing up and growing apart.

Years later, they are once again drawn together when one of their number is in need, but they soon find that they are all in need of each other and that their impulsive decision to lead entirely separate lives cannot go on forever.

Though not one of my usual chick lit type reads, I found myself enjoying Falling Together. I had never read one of Marisa de los Santos’ books, so it was a new experience and one that I might like to repeat. That’s not to say that it was a perfect read. I found some elements a bit far-fetched… like taking off to another country at the drop of a hat to save someone who may or may not need saving, but that’s why it’s fiction. It’s a bit escapist, but sweet and refreshing after reading too many “serious” books. It’s a perfect read for a lazy weekend or after a long day at work and sure to appeal to a wide readership.

I received my copy of Falling Together from HarperCollins.

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the scent of chai

18 Sep

A Good Indian Wife by Anne Cherian

I’m smack in the middle of arranging a week of festivities based on Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat, Pray, Love (part of the library’s campus-wide reading project), so I’ve been looking for inspiration everywhere. And, as “everywhere” usually involves some sort of book, I started looking for anything and everything on or about Italy, India, and Indonesia. A Good Indian Wife was one of my many finds, and one that I absolutely had to read at once.

Cherian’s novel explores the emotional and psychological aspects of the immigrant experience among the Indian community in the US, particularly sexism, racism, and the reasoning behind arranged marriages. What she does not do is glamorize or lend any sense of exoticism to her characters or the choices they make, resulting in a believable and complex plot that allows the reader to glimpse the awkwardness of marriage between two total strangers who are not quite sure how they found themselves together in the first place.

The novel follows the lives of two very different individuals as their paths converge and they are into a relationship that puts them both in an unfamiliar situation. Suneel Sarath, doctor and Stanford alum, wants nothing more than to become as American as possible, shedding every trace of Indianness that he can in his desire to become a true American. For self-conscious Neel, the American Dream means becoming a well-to-do, educated, American citizen with a white wife who can compensate for his cultural deficiencies. It is a Dream he cultivates every day, ignoring his family’s invitations to come home and most especially his mother’s insistent pleas that he settle down with a good girl from a good Indian family. Meanwhile,  Leila Krishnan teaches at a local college in India, earning her place in her home as she waits for a marriage offer that she is certain will never come. The eldest of three daughters, Leila feels she is a disappointment to her family, failing to do that which she is meant to do–get married to a good Indian man and have children. Well-educated and desiring nothing more but a happy life and the ability to do right by her family, Leila has long suffered under the weight of convention and her mother’s efforts to marry her off.

When Neel reluctantly agrees to travel to India to visit his ailing grandfather, it means a whole new set of possibilities and complications for him. Caught up in the whirlwind of customs he has tried to forget, Neel is unwittingly drawn into an arranged marriage with Leila. Suddenly married, he feels his American Dream slipping away and yearns to hold on to it all the more. Neel’s efforts to remain the All-American doctor he tried so hard to become challenges Leila and places her in an awkward position, that of burdensome, unwanted wife. It is a long and difficult journey for Leila and Nee,l as they learn to get along and overcome the insecurities and emotional baggage that they both carry.

Both Neel and Leila are flawed characters who suffer for their hopes and dreams. Neither is quite without fault in their hasty, unwanted marriage, though Neel’s egocentric personality and inability to ever own up to his own mistakes often make him seem the villain of the piece. However, Cherian does a great job of ensuring that Leila never becomes a victim of circumstance. Leila is aware of the challenges that can accompany an arranged marriage and is quick to act when she realizes that Neel is not the man she thought him to be when they met. Instead, she tries to make the best of a bad situation and takes control of her side of the relationship, making her presence known and gaining what independence she can in her new home.

At times, Cherian’s sudden changes between first and third-person narration is somewhat jarring, but they provide insight into Neel and Leila’s actions, making them all the more believable.

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a highland fling

6 Sep
Laird of the Mist by Paula Quinn

Soon after I received my Nook, my Bchan asked if I was loading it up with trashy novels… ebook sales often show that a lot of so-called trashy novels are purchased by customers with readers. So, yes, I had purchased a trashy novel, but like so many novels in the Romance genre, there was a lot more to it than just ripped bodices and throbbing… er… bits.

Laird of the Mist takes the reader to seventeenth century Scotland, into the bloody feud between the Campbells and the outlawed and proscribed MacGregors. Cromwell rules as Lord Protector and the Scots must obey English law. For Duncan Campbell, English law has much to offer, especially when it comes to taking matters into his own hands against the Devil MacGregor and his sympathizers. But when Kate Campbell, Duncan’s niece, falls to the clutches of the Devil, she soon learns that her uncle’s tales about the brutal MacGregor chieftain are not all that they seem, and sometimes there is more to a man than his reputation.

Kate Campbell is a plucky heroine who always makes her will known, her bravery and self-command serving as a perfect complement to Callum “The Devil” MacGregor’s stalwart honor. The story is fast-paced and romantic, but also filled with plenty of adventure. A nice treat while I wait for another Outlander novel.

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