Book Review: Are You My Mother by Alison Bechdel

Alison Bechdel brings her childhood back to life in this graphic novel which serves as a follow-up to her earlier work, Fun Home. Fun Home focused on the relationship between Alison and her father. In her current work, she focuses on the relationship with her mother, or specifically her feelings about her relationship with her mother. We follow Alison while she goes through years of psychoanalytical therapy to heal from her interesting childhood. 

What I find so interesting about this work is that its completely personal to Alison, however, it remains interesting to the reader (or at least to this reader). I do wonder if this would translate well to a text only book. The comic portion give such life to the story, that I doubt it would work in a different medium.

I think this a great read for those that enjoy reading about psychology and maybe those who have some issues with mom (I would fall into both categories).

Favorite quotes:

Donald Winnicott quote, "So the man that falls in love with beauty is quite different from the man who loves a girl and feels she is beautiful and can see what is beautiful about her."

Dorothy Gallagher quote, "The writer's business is to find the shape in unruly life and to serve her story. Not, you may note, to serve her family, or to serve the truth, but to serve the story."

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Bookish Stuff You Should Know (vol 2)

First, Happy World Book Night! If you see book lovers wandering about handing out books, do not fear! They are giving away 20 books that mean something special to them, and they want to share it with you! I'm very excited/honored to hand out The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood (lucky the WBN folks are considerate and will allow me to hand my books out when I get back from this trip. Atwood is a fantastic author. This was the first dystopian novel that I've read. I read it in my third year of college, in a class that was both listed in Literature and Women's Studies. I don't recall the reactions of my classmates, but I do know this book shook me. My grade school education existed in the halls of private Christian schools. When I moved onto a non-religious college, I was a bit sheltered. There was so much that I didn't understand of the world. Let's just say, I would not be friends with my college freshman self. I began to reject my upbringing and jumped at any opportunity for reading material that would help open my mind. Enter The Handmaid's Tale, this novel was decades before its time. The book is set in a very strict dystopian future, where women's rights are completely stripped from them. I applied to distribute this book because the timing seems so right after the craziness of the last election. Specifically regarding: Planned Parenthood, "legitimate rape," the ability for women to have birth control covered by their insurance, etc. This book is so important to me, and I hope that whomever receives my copies will allow this book to have a lasting effect on them. 

Second, it's pub day for David Sedaris's latests book Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls, I'm so excited to have my copy! I had to catch transit to the local mall to pick up this copy. I got there so early that they books were still on the shelving cart. I'm just glad that I didn't have to beat up an old lady to get to this Mostly because I would beat up an old lady to get a copy. 

Book Review Quickie: I Can Barely Take Care of Myself by Jen Kirkman

Fifty years ago it was mind-boggling to think of a married couple not wanting to have children. Though the decision to abstain from child-rearing has become more common the shock of society seems to not have lifted at all. This is the subject of Kirkman's work.

You may recognize Jen Kirkman from the roundtable of Chelsea Lately or even from her Drunken History videos. She is her mid-thirties and quite happy to be child-free. However, complete strangers cannot grasp this, and since Jen does speak about not having children in her stand-up act, these strangers feel ok to corner Kirkman and try to get her to change her mind. Jen tells several stories of being cornered by women who feel the need to get her to change her decision. 

I have experienced the situations that Jen describes in her book. It was nice to have someone voice my frustrations with the situation. When a stranger says that "oh, you'll change your mind," I am flabbergasted. Why does this person think that they know me more than I know me? My hope is that more women (and men) will be outspoken about their reproduction choice so that the decision will loose its taboo status. 

As far at the book, I felt it to be entertaining but a bit repetitive. I think this would be better delivered an as audiobook. 

I Can Barely Take Care of Myself was released this week. Visit your favorite indie store (or mine) to purchase this book. ​

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Bookish Stuff You Should Know

First, the Catching Fire trailer has been released. Yay! It looks great. The trailer doesn't spoil what will happen in the next film, which is rare in trailer. 

Coming to theaters November 22nd, 2013... Watch the trailer and experience the phenomenon like never before, only at the Hunger Games Explorer! - http://www.theHungerGamesExplorer.com THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE begins as Katniss Everdeen has returned home safe after winning the 74th Annual Hunger Games along with fellow tribute Peeta Mellark.

Second, ​ Penguin has come out with a fun iOS app to celebrate National Poetry Month. The app helps you memorize famous poems. I've played around with it a bit and its pretty fun (well, depending on what your definition of fun happens to be). Check out Poems by Heart

​Third, it's National Library Week! If you love your library, and want to find out how to help support your local library, check out the ALA website. 

Lastly, I am so disappointed in finding out today that Sam Tanenhaus is retiring as host of the NYTimes Book Review Podcast. I have spent many a Monday listening to Sam interview authors and collaborate with his colleagues on publishing news. It makes me sad to think of not hearing Sam every Monday, however, its an opportunity for those who are not aware of this awesome podcast to start fresh with a new host. NYTimes Book Review Podcast. 

That's all that I have for this week in publishing news. Happy Reading! ​

Book Review: Horns by Joe Hill

Ignatius Martin Perrish has a hellish life (he,he). Within the past year, his girlfriend, Merrin, was brutally murdered and his small town has turned against him. Once a devout Christian man, Ig has a fierce hatred towards God. Then one day he wakes up with horns.

The horns have a strange power over people. When they see the horns they begin to spew out information that they would otherwise keep to themselves. For example, Ig's current fling admits that she fooled around with her ex the night before. As Ig  attempts to get help for the spontaneous growth on his head he is pin-balled around town by neighbors who hate him and wish him dead. He seeks respite in his family home only to find that they all despise him. All except for his brother, who confesses that he knows who killed Merrin. 

The book then skips back and forth between present and past. It is within these flashbacks, that Hill develops Merrin as a character. However, even the character aspects of Merrin are told through the memories of Ig and his friend Lee. It can bring a bit of a confusing picture of her. At the end of the book, I do feel that she is fully developed. I found myself begging the author to let Ig and Merrin be together. I know she's dead but then again, he's the devil, or at least a devil. 

Also, apparently a side effect of becoming a demon is that snakes LOVE to be around you. At one point I screamed "NIGHTMARES!!!" and closed the book. Shudder. 

Joe Hill is a fantastic writer. I was completely enthralled with this book, outside of all that snake business. Hill reminds me a lot of Chuck Wendig, if you like one, then I highly suggest the other. 

Quotes that I loved: 

"It bewildered Ig, the idea that a person could not be interested in music. It was like not being interested in happiness." (side note: this is what I think when people say they don't like to read)

"Pi is an irrational number, incapable of being made into a fraction, impossible to divide from itself. So, too, the soul is an irrational, indivisible equation that perfectly expresses one thing: you."

"…and together they burned."

​To find out more about Joe Hill, follow him on Twitter.

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Book Review Quickie: Fun Home by Alison Bechdel

Sorry for the short reviews lately, I'm a bit backlogged in my "review every book you read" challenge. 

Fun Home is a graphic novel that deals with the author's relationship with her father. I love that graphic novels are being used in this fashion (i.e., Maus, Blankets, etc.).

Alison had a strained relationship with her father, when she was a child. He was very meticulous and stressful, sometimes abusive. Her mother seemed emotionally absent. It was not until Alison grew into a young lady who preferred masculine aspects of herself, that she was able to bond with her father - who also had an appreciation for masculine beauty. When Alison left for college, she discovered that she was a lesbian. She immediately wrote home to tell her parents. Her mother was disappointed. Her father's response was to explain that he too had experimented in college. Her mother further explained that the experimentation on her fathers behalf did not end in his youth. Alison is not only dealing with the facts of her budding sexuality, but the lies and deception regarding her father's sexuality. 

Then he dies. 

He dies before she is able to make peace with him. Alison believes that the death was a suicide but the method of death was very ambiguous. 

Fun Home is Alison Bechdel's cathartic way of dealing with the death of her father. It's interesting, funny at times and painful in others.

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Book Review Quickie: Leopard by Jo Nesbo

After the traumatic ending of Snowman, Harry Hole has once again lost his love, Rikael. He has quit his job and run off to the East. During his disappearance, a new killer stalks the streets of Oslo. The Crime Squad sent Kaja Solness to go find Harry. He is found living in squalor in Hong Kong, he owes money to the wrong people and heavily using drugs. Kaja eventually convinces Harry to come back to Oslo by letting him know that his father is essentially on his death bed. 

Harry comes back to a political turmoil regarding Crime Squad vs a new law unit known as Kripos. The government wants Kripos to handle murder cases, while Crime Squad handles lesser crimes. Hagan, Harry's former boss, asks Harry to work on the recent murders in secret. However, it doesn't stay a secret very long due to a mole on team. Harry is pulled from the investigation, but -- being Harry -- he's unable to let go of something once he has sunk in his teeth.. 

So, minor spoiler alert, we get to see Katarine from Snowman. She's currently in a psyche ward, self checked in. I have to say that I LOVE batshit crazy Katarine. 

I absolutely will continue reading the Harry Hole series. The stories are excellent but they are a solid 3 stars in my book. 

Favorite quote: 

The answer to her question about what he most wanted right now. He wanted an armored heart.

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Before Sunrise/Sunset Continues with Before Midnight

Subscribe to TRAILERS: http://bit.ly/sxaw6h Subscribe to COMING SOON: http://bit.ly/H2vZUn Like us on FACEBOOK:http://goo.gl/dHs73 Before Midnight Official Trailer #1 (2013) - Ethan Hawke Movie HD We meet Jesse and Celine nine years on in Greece. Almost two decades have passed since their first meeting on that train bound for Vienna.

This was an excellent surprise today. If you were a teenage girl in the 90's, you may be familiar with the film Before Sunrise. ​The gist is that Jessie, Ethan Hawke, and Celine , Julie Deply, meet on a train while traveling through Europe. They spend the night together walking through the streets of Vienna. The next morning they walk to the train station and get on trains going opposite directions. They vow to meet up in six months time. The movie ends, with no resolution. 

Ten years later, Before Sunset came out. The film shows Jessie on a book tour and Celine in the crowd. Due to the death of Celine's grandmother, Celine did not show up to the meeting described in the first movie. Jessie did show. They spend the day together walking through Paris. Jessie is due to get on a plane to go home to his wife and kids. Again the ending has no resolution as to whether or not he got on the plane. 

Nine years later, Before Midnight will be released! I love this trip that we are going on with the actors. I love that twenty years after filing Before Sunrise, they are coming together again. I assume the audience will be left unresolved but I don't care. ​

To be released in May 2013.​

Goodreads acquired by Amazon...

​Goodreads, the fabulous social group for book lovers, has announced today that they have been acquired by Amazon. 

Heres the link. ​

And people are FREAKING OUT. OMG change is bad. Amazon is killing the independent bookstores, etc. ​

I've taken a stand regarding Amazon. I do not purchase books from Amazon, I pay the extra money to support independent stores. The experience of a indie store is worth the extra money, in my opinion. I won't fault someone for buying books from Amazon, I get the reason why. However, Amazon's acquisition of Goodreads will not alter the way that I buy my books. As long as the user experience of Goodreads remains the same, I have no plans to discontinue use of their service. 

In which I am quoted in a Paste.com article...

Zomg you guys, I was quoted in a magazine article about Ms Amanda Fucking Palmer. 

PASTE.COM

"It’s both awesome and strange as a fan to be so connected to your idols. As I follow both Amanda and Neil on Twitter, I tend to know a lot about what’s going on in their lives (of what they’re willing to share). But meeting them presented the realization that I know these people and they don’t know me at all.

It’s complete audience participation. The audience found the venue. The audience set up the stage. The audience spread the word, which enabled a mini-show of 500 people to show up within 20 hours of Amanda’s tweet. Amanda and Neil bring the entertainment, we bring the love and support, and several people brought cookies.—Jaime Abbess attended a Ninja Gig in Sarasota, Fla."​

Note: if prompted to become a member you can cancel out and still read the article. ​​