The Golem and the Jinni

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www.helenewecker.com

The Golem and the Jinni
Helene Wecker
2013

Cover Synopsis
"Chava is a golem, a creature made of clay, brought to life by a strange man who dabbles in dark Kabbalistic magic.  Ahmad is a jinni, a being of fire, borne in the ancient Syrian Desert.  Trapped in an old copper flask by a Bedouin wizard centuries ago, he is released accidentally by a tinsmith in a Lower Manhattan shop.

"Struggling to make their way in 1899 New York, the Golem and the Jinni try to fit in with their immigrant neighbors while masking their true selves.  Meeting by chance, they become unlikely friends whose tenuous attachment challenges their opposing natures, until the night a terrifying incident drives them back into their separate worlds.  But a powerful menace will soon bring the Golem and the Jinni together again, threatening their existence and forcing them to make a fateful choice.

"Marvelous and compulsively readable, The Golem and the Jinni weaves strands of folk mythology, historical fiction, and magical fable into a wondrously inventive and unforgettable tale."

Thoughts
The language of Helene Wecker's novel was the first thing to catch my eye.  It has a storyteller's tone, if that makes sense:  it reads easily, smoothly, and it seems to pour from the page.  It's very easy to become engulfed the intertwining stories of the golem and the jinni as they struggle to adjust, acclimate and otherwise fit in.

I should point out, that Wecker is very clever in crafting her story.  The ways in which she skillfully weaves together the jinni's history and the golem's origin and the present is fascinating.  I mean, it's amazing how perfectly they overlap and how spectacularly well they seem to just grow into each other.

And I love Chava and Ahmad.

Oh, I adore Avram Meyer - and there's something about the villainous Yehudah Schaalman that's thrilling; however, I love Chava and Ahmad best.  I love that Chava is made of clay, that she can visualize other's desire and act upon them, that she is wildly powerful and yet incredibly kind.  I love that Ahmad is made of fire and wind, that he can craft beautiful works of art in molten metal, that he is wild and arrogant and struggling with a life he didn't foresee.

They're wonderful characters, and it's a lovely book to read.  While it may sometimes be difficult to pinpoint which direction the story will go, that's really half the fun.  I like the element of suspense seeded into the novel, the way it keeps you guessing for a few more pages.

Overall Impression
I enjoyed every morsel of The Golem and the Jinni.  It was, in fact, "compulsively readable."  It had a wonderful pace, an intriguing set of characters, a fantastic blend of history and folklore and myth, and it had a magnificent story to wrap it all together.

To tell the truth, it would be very easy for me to read it again.

The Book Thief

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www.randomhouse.com

The Book Thief
Markus Zusak
2005

Cover Synopsis
"By her brother's graveside, Liesel Meminger finds her life changed when she picks up a single object, partially hidden in the snow.  It is The Grave Digger's Handbook, left there by accident, and it is her first act of book thievery.  So begins a love affair with books and words, as Liesel, with the help of her accordion-playing foster father, learns to read.  Soon she is stealing books from Nazi book-burnings, the mayor's wife's library, wherever there are books to be found.

"But these are dangerous times.  When Liesel's foster family hides a Jewish man in their basement, Liesel's world is both opened up and closed down."


Thoughts
The Book Thief is heart-wrenching and endearing and beautiful.  It is an unusual book, considering Death acts as the narrator of Liesel Meminger's story, but it's laced with beautiful and intriguing language, a sort of synesthesia in which colors are linked with perceptions and experiences, meetings with the dearly departed.

Death makes a surprisingly good narrator.  He's very precise, very measured in recounting Liesel's story, but he's also thorough and thoughtful.  Although I found him - or it, or whatever it is that Death might be considered - slightly unnerving, I enjoyed every last morsel of his tale.

I will also note that The Book Thief works upon you slowly.  It builds slowly, it takes time to reach that all-important resolution; however, it gives you ample time to form attachments.  You won't even notice how important these characters are to you, how attached you've become to them, until, suddenly, tragedy strikes and it's quick, explosive, heart-rending - and it's like you've suffered along with Liesel, like you've endured this horrifying and tragic loss with her.

You experience it.  You feel it.

And, as much as those final pages hurt, as much as they will wound you in the reading, you'll be glad you finished and you'll be glad you picked it up.

Overall Impression
As part of the final blurb on the cover synopsis, I read this:  "In superbly crafted writing that burns with intensity, award-winning author Markus Zusak has given us one of the most enduring stories of our time."

And, honestly, I couldn't agree more.  I was completely in love with every chapter, every page of Zusak's novel.

Don't get me wrong, The Book Thief left me in tears.  I mean, I completely lost it when I reached the conclusion, but I don't regret reading it and, truthfully, I feel as if I would have missed out on something truly wonderful if I had let it pass me by.

The Book Thief is an exceptional novel with wonderful characters, beautiful language, and a truly magnificent story.

American Gods

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www.neilgaiman.com

American Gods
Neil Gaiman
2001

Cover Synopsis
"Shadow is a man with a past.  But now he wants nothing more than to live a quiet life with his wife and stay out of trouble.  Until he learns that she's been killed in a terrible car accident.

"Flying home for the funeral, as a violent storm rocks the plane, a strange man in the seat next to him introduces himself.  The man calls himself Mr. Wednesday, and he knows more about Shadow than is possible.

"He warns Shadow that a far bigger storm is coming.  And from that moment on, nothing will ever be the same..."

Thoughts
Neil Gaiman's novel is beautifully detailed and intricate, overflowing with interesting characters and places.  It's a wild odyssey full of old gods and myths, ancient stories and strange adventures - and even stranger ideas that linger in places you'd never expect.

It's a great novel.

However, I will say American Gods is a long novel and, yes, I'll even admit it was a confusing novel for me to read.  Sometimes, I thought Shadow's story made absolutely no sense - why has he agreed to do this?  Why is he so important?  What is it that makes him so special that Mr. Wednesday specifically singles him out? - and it wasn't until the very end of the story that I understood Shadow's real importance.

Likewise, I didn't always understand who (or what) certain characters represented.  Some characters were obvious (or were when I realized the implication), like Low Key Lyesmith or Mr. Wednesday; however, with other characters, I went the entire novel without ever finding out who they really were.

But that may be my own fault, considering my knowledge of world mythology is rather small.

Overall Impression
To put it simply, I enjoyed American Gods.

So much of the story (and the characters) rely on simple belief alone for their existence, what may or may not exist and what we, as people, give power to - and this idea made Gaiman's novel unique and interesting.  I was pretty well hooked as I tried to puzzle out Shadow's story and figure out what would happen next.

I will point out, however, that if you know anything about mythology and the religious fervor once attached to old gods, you'll know that their stories and their entire existence will not always be pleasant.  They are selfish, murderous, promiscuous, and volatile.  They are destroyers and killers and pillagers, demanding of sacrifice and belief - and, honestly, that's about as nice as they get.

Cinder

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www.marissameyer.com

Cinder

Marissa Meyer

2012

Cover Synopsis

"Sixteen-year-old Cinder is considered a technological mistake by most of society and a burden to her stepmother.  Being a cyborg does have its benefits, though:  Cinder's brain interface has given her an uncanny ability to fix things (robots, hovers, her own malfunctioning parts), making her the best mechanic in new Beijing.  This reputation brings Prince Kai himself to her weekly market booth, needing her to repair a broken android before the annual ball.  He jokingly calls it "a matter of national security," but Cinder suspects it's more serious than he's letting on.

"Although eager to impress the prince, Cinder's intentions are derailed when her younger step-sister, and only human friend, is infected with the fatal plague that's been devastating Earth for a decade.  Blaming Cinder for her daughter's illness, Cinder's stepmother volunteers her body for plague research, an "honor" that no one has survived.

"But it doesn't take long for the scientists to discover something unusual about their new guinea pig.  Something others would kill for."

Thoughts

Marissa Meyer's first book in the Lunar Chronicles is unique and fascinating.  It's Cinderella meets science-fiction; it's a classic fairy tale with a dystopian twist - and it is invigorating.

I love the fact that Meyer has completely re-imagined and revitalized a familiar old fairy tale and turned it into something wonderfully complex and fascinating.  And I especially love that the author has created a tough, intelligent, and pragmatic heroine in the character of Linh Cinder.

Cinder is smart.  She's self-sufficient.  She's inventive.  She's a mechanic - and a darn good one at that - and she doesn't need anyone to rescue her.  She may eventually find her Prince Charming, but she's more than capable of rescuing herself (which I really like about her).

Be forewarned, however, Cinder is tragic.  I'm just going to come out and say it:  There is no happily-ever-after.  This novel is only the first of four, which means Cinder's story still has a long way to go - and she still has a lot of trials and tragedy to face.

Overall Impression

I loved Cinder.

I devoured this book:  I finished it in less than two days, and then I promptly went online and bought the second and third in the series (the fourth one, according to Marissa Meyer's website, comes out in November of 2015 with a prequel appearing as early as January).

I loved the characters.  I loved the complexity of the story.  I even loved the sad parts (which broke my heart, but I loved them regardless).  So, long story short, I found Cinder to be a beautifully detailed story with appropriate amounts of suspense, action, and discovery to keep you invested from beginning to end.

Shoot the Moon

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www.barnesandnoble.com

Shoot the Moon
Billie Letts
2004

Cover Synopsis
"In 1972, windswept DeClare, Oklahoma, was consumed by the murder of a young mother, Gaylene Harjo, and the disappearance of her baby, Nicky Jack.  When the child's pajama bottoms were discovered on the banks of Willow Creek, everyone feared that he, too, had been killed, although his body was never found.

"Nearly thirty years later, Nicky Jack mysteriously returns to DeClare, shocking the town and stirring up long-buried memories.  But what he discovers about the night he vanished is more astonishing than he or anyone could have imagined.  Piece by piece, what emerges is a story of dashed hopes, desperate love, and a secret that still cries out for justice...and redemption."

Thoughts
Shoot the Moon has an intriguing premise:  a small, American town turned upside-down by a grisly murder; a boy returning home after discovering the truth; a mystery and a secret buried beneath the quiet facade of a seemingly amiable old town.

It's a murder-mystery, so parts of Billie Letts' novel are unpleasant.  Like the abusive and corrupt sheriff, or the mean-spirited radio station owner.  They both make my skin crawl (as they probably should, given their part in the debacle).

And, even though I did find closure in the final chapters of Shoot the Moon, it's still a tragic story.  I can honestly say I was disappointed.  That is, I understand why it ended like it did - and I completely understand the motivations of the characters.  How they act falls in line with how you imagine they would act in such a situation - but I wasn't exactly happy with the novel's resolution.

Overall Impression
Admittedly, I wasn't completely invested in the story.

I finished the book, but I wasn't completely committed to it.  I really just wanted to see what happened at the end - you know, the Big Reveal, the Scooby-Doo unmasking, the who-really-did-it in the Whodunit - to gain closure.

I'm not knocking Letts' novel.  I mean, I find it thoughtful and interesting, a comprehensive examination of human nature and a series of unpleasant circumstances that does, as the cover synopsis asserts, discover justice and redemption.

However, I can truthfully say Shoot the Moon isn't a novel I will read a second time.

Change is in the Air

I haven't made a single post for three months, which seems like such a long hiatus when I've read plenty of books and voiced plenty of opinions - all of which fall outside the realm of Reader's Reach.  I feel as if I've neglected my blog.  Not purposefully, mind you, I've simply lost the intense interest I once had in writing as detailed posts as possible.

Which is why I'm considering a change.

Change can certainly be unsettling.  It requires some adjusting and it requires a lot of patience as you learn to navigate something entirely new, but, sometimes, it's needed.  Reader's Reach has been a pet project of mine for nearly three years, and I've noticed it's changed very little in that time.

A reboot may be necessary, and a new format may give me just the initiative I need to keep writing and keep sharing with all the lovely people who love books as much as I do.

So, some things may change in the coming weeks.  I may update more sporadically, more irregularly; likewise, I may vary my updates with different content and change my usual review format.  (It needs something different, something new.)  And, really, I'm not sure where it will go.

Until then, I'll keep searching and reading and writing.

And, as always, happy reading.

Best regards,
The Scrivener

The Age of Miracles

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www.theageofmiraclesbook.com

The Age of Miracles
Karen Thompson Walker
2012

The Summary

Julia lives an ordinary life in California.  She struggles with school, she deals with the loss of friends and the reception of new ones, she copes with the fragmenting of her family.  However, on October 6, life - and the world as Julia knows it - changes forever when it is announced that the world's rotation is slowing.

Known simply as the slowing, the event triggers environmental disasters, affects gravity, and extends the days and nights by hours and days.  Eventually, time becomes irrelevant - and life becomes a matter of remembering the past and being remembered.

The Good
Karen Thompson Walker has a masterful grasp of language.  The Age of Miracles is filled with beautiful descriptions and expressive, almost poetic, language that makes this novel especially enticing to read.  Even the characters are carefully detailed, carefully cataloged and defined by the narrator, giving them a clear and precise form in the novel.

The changes that occur in the world - that is, how the slowing affects the world and its inhabitants - are fascinating, too.  Walker puts a lot of thought, a lot of detail in describing and chronicling the changes that are sometimes too subtle to see, sometimes too enormous to ignore.

And it's interesting to see the effect of the slowing on people:  how they react to the change of days, the change of weather, the change of life as they know it.

The Bad
I'll be honest, I wasn't entirely satisfied with Julia's story.  Since she creates it from a future place and time, she has the benefit of hindsight and she employs that hindsight in every chapter.

I was frustrated by her frequent references to the future - that is, her constant comments that left a sense of foreboding without actually revealing more than a morsel of the truth - which left me waiting and wondering about the future (if a future existed), instead of simply enjoying the story as it was happening.

Too much of my mind ended up being dedicated to Julia's ambiguous future, rather than enjoying the story of her past.

The Ugly
When all is said and done, The Age of Miracles isn't a story about survival and human adaptation.  It isn't about rebuilding and reinventing; it's a tale of extinction.  It is Julia's memoir of the past:  what happened when the slowing began and how life altered dramatically when it happened.

This novel shows the end before the very end.

One for the Money

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www.barnesandnoble.com

One for the Money
Janet Evanovich
1994

The Summary
Stephanie Plum's life is a little less than stellar right now.  Faced with imminent eviction and repossession of her car with no paycheck in sight, Stephanie is forced to go to her cousin, Vinnie, to ask for a job.

What she expects is to make minimum wage; what she doesn't expect is to become a bounty hunter - a bounty hunter on the look at for none other than Joe Morelli, an old high school flame (who she may or may not have accidentally hit with her dad's Buick).

The Good
Janet Evanovich's novel is intriguing on a certain level.  It will keep your interest (at least, until you can actually unravel the mystery), and it has a nice pace.

The narrator, Stephanie Plum, is both sassy and tough.  She's tenacious if not altogether pragmatic when it comes to making decisions about being a bounty hunter, and she knows how to handle herself on some level that makes her an admirable character.

The Bad
Not the best novel I've ever read, but not the worst either.

The dialogue is sometimes quirky (and not always in a good way), and the humor is sometimes difficult to grasp (being nearly 20 years old probably has something to do with that), but it's a bearable novel and it can hold your interest long enough to complete the story.

It simply falls under the category of being unmemorable.

The Ugly
Benito Ramirez is insane (obvious point).  However, you'll also be faced with a dangerous twist you'll never see coming - unless, of course, you've seen the movie, in which case, you probably have a good idea of what's going on.

Stardust

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www.neilgaiman.com

Stardust
Neil Gaiman
1998

The Summary
Tristran Thorn has entered the world of Faerie with a mission on his mind:  he is going to retrieve a fallen star for Victoria Forester to prove his love and, more importantly, win her hand in marriage.

However, Tristran Thorn has a problem in retrieving the star:  she is very much alive - and she does not like Tristran one bit.

Thus, taking with him an embittered and sarcastic star, Tristran journeys through the land of Faerie, fighting to keep himself and the star alive so he might return safely to his hometown of Wall.

The Good
Stardust is a wonderful novel with elaborate details and beautiful descriptions, and a witty sense of humor that's sure to please.  The fantastical world of Faerie (including the Faerie Market) created by Neil Gaiman is a true treat to imagine, and the adventures of Tristran Thorn and Yvaine are enthralling.

It's a simple task to become invested in their story, to get caught up in all the adventures and mishaps and dangers of the wild, wonderful world of Faerie.  The magic involved, the pure inventiveness and fantasy of Stardust, makes it easy to become attached to not only the characters but the entire world.

I especially loved the complexity of the story.  In Stardust, you'll find a variety of tales and characters - the lords of Stormhold, the witches of the Lilim, the star and Tristran - that intersect throughout Gaiman's novel.  Sometimes, it's difficult to discern where they meet and why; however, it's thrilling when all the pieces finally come together and the story unfolds.

The Bad
It's a bit of an odd story; that is, it reads in a completely different way than what I've ever read.  But Stardust is exceedingly enjoyable to read, and I can't say I have any complaints.

The Ugly
Gore.

Something about witches and stoat entrails and the like that's slightly sickening to read - and, how can I forget, there's some fratricide going on? - but, otherwise, it's a fairly mild novel.

Top Ten

I might as well get this out of my system.  I was bound to make a list at some point on Reader's Reach and, with well over a hundred posts - and, more importantly, approximately 100 books "reviewed" - it's time to succumb to the inevitable urge.  It's time for a Top 10.

So, here we go:

10)  The Long Halloween
9)  The Tenant of Wildfell Hall
8)  Gilead
7)  To Kill a Mockingbird
6)  World War Z
5)  This is All
4)  The Lord of the Rings (yes, I'm cheating a little here)
3)  Jane Eyre
2)  The Help
1)  The Fault in Our Stars

These are the books I have truly enjoyed the most on my blog.  They're pretty interchangeable - I like them better at different times, depending on my mood and my inclination for zombie gore - but I have to point out that The Fault in Our Stars by John Green will probably always be one of my favorites of all time, if not my most favorite.

As for the rest, well, I feel like it's worth mentioning a few others that left their mark:

• Daredevil
• Speak
• Storming Heaven
• Seraphina
• Far Far Away
• The Monstrumologist
• Great Gatsby
• The Snow Child

Now, what's next?

Happy reading,
The Scrivener

100

Reader's Reach has made it to 100 reviews!

With two years come and gone - and dozens of books read - it's thrilling to know this project is still going.  I started Reader's Reach with the intention of writing about books.  I had an itch to scratch:  a desire to share what I thought and, I hoped, discuss with other readers their favorite books and authors.  It's been about sharing a personal opinion, but it's also been about sharing a love for words and books and reading.

And it's extremely gratifying to know Reader's Reach, despite the occasional break or unexpected interruption, has made it to 100.

So, here's to another 100 - and another book.

Happy reading.

Best regards,
The Scrivener

The Joy Luck Club

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www.barnesandnoble.com

The Joy Luck Club
Amy Tan
1989

The Summary
Jing-Mei (June) Woo has lost her mother, Suyuan, and must now take her mother's seat at the Joy Luck Club.  As she speaks to her mother's friends, she learns a stunning secret:  the twin daughters that Suyuan left behind are alive and wish to meet her.

Thus, begins June's journey to remember her mother and meet her sisters, just as Rose Hsu, Waverly Jong, and Lena St. Clair learn to reconnect with their mothers and reclaim one more piece of family history.

The Good
Simultaneously heart-warming and heart-wrenching, The Joy Luck Club is a wonderful collection of stories that recounts the lives of mothers and daughters - Chinese immigrants and their American-born children - as they struggle to bridge a gap in language and culture to communicate and, more importantly, find common ground.

What makes Amy Tan's novel so appealing, however, is that it's readily accessible for readers.  Although The Joy Luck Club prominently features Chinese and American culture (individuals learning how to embrace and/or acclimate to one or the other),
Tan's work doesn't focus on one nationality over the other.

This novel holds many universal themes that offer a deeper connection to the work and to the individual characters.  It is about human emotion and experience, perspective of mothers and daughters as they learn to listen to one another and, finally, connect.

The Bad
My primary difficulty lay with distinguishing each story and figuring out how they matched, how each mother's story matched her daughter's narrative; however, I believe that's more attributed to my personal confusion than anything else.

The Ugly
Not all the stories you read will be pretty.  You will find eloquent tales with beautiful imagery and emotional narratives that will shed light on both Chinese and American culture; however, many of these stories will be tragic and many more will be heart-breaking.

In particular, it's important to note that all of the mothers - Suyuan Woo, An-mei Hsu, Lindo Jong, Ying-ying St. Clair - lived through World War II and faced the turmoil of that era.  They experienced damaging social upheaval, political strife, and human depravity, and all of their stories reflect the tragedies they faced during World War II and the tribulations they endured in emigrating to America.

It's not always a pretty picture.

Under the Cajun Moon

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www.mindystarnsclark.com

Under the Cajun Moon
Mindy Starns Clark
2009

The Summary
When Chloe Ledet, an international expert in business and social etiquette, learns her father has been gravely wounded, she rushes home to New Orleans; however, she becomes embroiled in a police investigation and a dangerous plot that involves murder, buried treasure, and intrigue.

Now on the run with an high school friend, Chloe must evade the police and an anonymous murderer if she wants to stay alive - and uncover the secret her father has kept hidden for more than forty years.

The Good
Although it took some time to really sink into the story, it was intriguing.  I especially enjoyed when the novel veered into the past.  With Under the Cajun Moon, you actually have two perspectives to follow:  Jacques Soleil (his story) and Chloe Ledet (her personal narrative).

It's fascinating to see how the stories change and how they interweave.  At first, I didn't see how the stories even connected.  I mean, you have Jacques who is a goldsmith in 18th century France and Chloe who is an etiquette savvy businesswoman in modern America.  It's difficult to see the link between them, until you realize there's more to the story - and, more importantly, more to the random shooting that injures her father.

I also enjoyed the descriptions within Mindy Clark's novel.  The details afford to New Orleans and the surrounding areas really gives the reader a feel for the environment and, more to the point, the challenges which Chloe will face in her search.

The Bad
To be perfectly honest, I struggled a bit reconciling the religious undertone of Chloe's story - she does indeed go through a crisis of faith during the course of her story - and the sense of suspense and adventure as she and Travis Naquin go in search of buried treasure.

I have no problem with the addition of faith, merely how it appeared to pop up abruptly (at least to me) in the middle of what I assumed was an action-adventure tale of buried treasure and romance.  I mean, I suppose I imagined something along the lines of Indian Jones-esque adventure - you know, an unexpected and reluctant hero thrown into tough situations - rather than the tame, semi-religious novel I received.

I'm not bashing Clark's work.  It's a good novel with solid development and enjoyable characters.  However, I'm simply pointing out it wasn't quite what I expected - although I suppose I should have taken the hint when I read the back cover:  "[Clark] offers another exciting standalone novel, one full of Cajun mystery...and the glow of God's unending grace."

Yeah.  In retrospect, that should have been a dead giveaway.

The Ugly
Murder.  Big thing right there.

Otherwise, Under the Cajun Moon is pretty tame.

French Trysts: Secrets of a Courtesan

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Barnes and Noble

French Trysts:  Secrets of a Courtesan
Kirsten Lobe
2007

The Summary

For Alexandra, Paris is the city of her dreams.  Now residing in France, earning her doctorate and living with her boyfriend, Laurent, she's tickled at the opportunity to explore and live in such a beautiful city.

However, when Laurent abruptly leaves and breaks her heart, Alexandra's life is turned upside-down - and when the opportunity presents itself to meet a powerful, dynamic man, Alexandra can hardly resist, even if he is married.

Thus, she abruptly finds herself playing the unique role of courtesan to some very rich - very, very rich - and powerful men.

The Good

Kirsten Lobe's novel is intriguing.  As I've made only a few literary forays into the lives and minds of courtesans, I find Alexandra's story interesting.  How she copes with her new-found sexual prowess and juggles her non-traditional "obligations," so to speak, adds a little appeal to her narrative.

Another point I enjoyed:  Alexandra's descriptions of her surroundings.  When Alexandra takes it into her head to offer a description of a specific location, her asides are frequently rich with detail.  During her tenure as courtesan, she visits some beautiful places, which I find are appealingly described.

The Bad

Although I enjoyed Alexandra's descriptions, I found her personal narrative grievously lacking.  For a Ph.D. hopeful, her story leaves something to be desired.  Her eloquence only reaches so far, apparently, and her emotional appeal was virtually nonexistent, and I really don't think it has anything to do with her roots as a small-town American girl.

There is also an element of repetitiveness that makes French Trysts frustrating.  Yes, we know Alexandra is in awe of her unexpected influence over powerful men and we know she is "one very lucky girl" for the unexpected opportunities she has to visit beautiful places, but we don't need to be reminded in every single chapter.

She's trying far too hard to justify her new lifestyle.

Additionally, Alexandra makes her mark as a sexually precocious and dynamic individual; however, she uses up her quota of surprising her readers by overusing her flippant attitude and indulging in frequent asides about her sexual escapades.  It's less amusing and racy, more vulgar and tiresome (and I might even be so bold as to call it trite).

The Ugly

Alexandra has no filter:  absolute candor is her policy.  Discretion is kicked to the curb.

So, when she mentions an orgy at the beginning of the novel, you can bet she'll eventually share every detail.  Likewise, she fashions a running "tip-sheet" for courtesans and logs the unique observations she makes, which means she's sharing a lot of intimate information about herself and her partners.

Thus, if you find heaps of sexual content (she talks about an orgy on the first page, for crying out loud) and strong language unappealing (yes, there's quite a lot of that going around, too.  Alexandra is exceedingly fond of a four letter word beginning with "F"), I don't think I would recommend French Trysts.

All-American Girl

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www.megcabot.com

All-American Girl
Meg Cabot
2002

The Summary
Samantha Madison is an average girl, who has run into a bit of trouble:

One, she's forced to take drawing lessons after her parent's discover she's drawing caricatures during her German class - for a fee; two, she's in love with her sister's boyfriend; three, she just saved the president of the United States from being assassinated.

The Good
Honestly, I've enjoyed reading Meg Cabot's novel in the past.  Having finished it twice, now, I find her characters charming and her story exceptionally well-written.  Although the plot seems absurd given the circumstances, Cabot manages to create a story that's both intriguing (even with its absurdity) and engrossing.

Likewise, the characters in All-American Girl are spectacularly depicted.  They have depth and breadth, emotion that makes them simultaneously compelling and sympathetic.

In particular, you'll find yourself enjoying Samantha Madison, the central protagonist and narrator.  She's intelligent and sarcastic, but she's also thorough and flawed.  She has a unique voice, but it's a voice we may have heard at one time or another when faced with our own woes from high school.

You'll like her.

She's also a fan of creating lists in the middle of her narration, which comes across as a positive thing in my opinion.

The Bad
Occasionally, Samantha's narration comes across as petty.  I mean, she's a teenage girl.  Her tone of voice will sometimes sound juvenile, she will sometimes frustrate you with her teenager logic (and her infatuation with Gwen Stefani), and she will not always present the most likable qualities.

However, Samantha is only human - and she also happens to be a teenager thrown into a very difficult situation.

The Ugly
I can't say which is worse:  a broken heart or a broken arm.

The Lace Reader

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The Lace Reader

Brunonia Barry

2006

The Summary

With the sudden disappearance of her grandmother, Towner Whitney is brought back to her hometown in Salem, Massachusetts, in search of answers.

Her journey, however, leads her to not only confront her family's ancient gift - an uncanny ability by the Whitney women to read the future in lace - but her own history as well, including the startling truth behind her twin sister's death.

The Good

Brunonia Barry's novel is intriguing because it uses a mixture of magic and superstition to present a unique and heart-wrenching story of loss, guilt, and forgiveness.  Emotionally charged and startlingly dramatic, The Lace Reader creates a world full of surprising twists and dark turns that will leave you speechless - and, more to the point, keep you riveted as you dig for answers right alongside Towner Whitney.

Although it is occasionally difficult to read Towner's narrative given the tragic nature of her story and the  insanity with which she grapples, she is an interesting character and her storytelling is precise, evocative, and, more importantly, candid.

She presents a truly compelling story, one that brings together her life and her history - and her family's mysterious gifts.

The Bad
Towner has visions.  She can see the future in a piece of lace.  She obviously struggles with multiple psychological disorders.

As such, her narrative can veer in new and surprising directions - and, occasionally, that means it can be difficult to differentiate between what Towner sees and perceives and what actually happens in reality.

For Towner, reality isn't set in stone.

The Ugly

At the beginning of The Lace Reader, you realize Towner is damaged.  Her mind is broken after the death of her sister, after her world came crashing down; however, you do not realize just how broken, until you learn what really happened to her twin sister, Lyndley - and what really happened to Towner herself.

The truth will be shocking.

Knit One, Kill Two

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Knit One, Kill Two

Maggie Sefton

2005

The Summary

When Kelly Flynn returns to Colorado for her Aunt Helen's funeral, she expects the police have found the killer and solved the crime of her aunt's murder.  But then she learns her aunt has withdrawn a surprising amount of money - twenty thousand dollars, to be precise - and Kelly knows something is amiss.

Plagued by the inconsistencies of her aunt's gruesome demise and missing family relics, Kelly decides to do some digging of her own - and she will find out a startling secret about her aunt.  A secret she never expected from her bright, sensible reality.

The Good

Maggie Sefton's mystery novel is a quick, easy read.  It's intriguing with a dash of dark scandal to make it scintillating.  You're curious, one way or another, to see how things turn out for Kelly Flynn as she hunts for a killer and looks to unravel an incredible secret in her aunt's past.

The Bad

Knit One, Kill Two is an easy book into which you can jump, but not necessarily a book that can keep your attention for very long periods of time.  It's simple and it has enjoyable moments, but it's a book that once you figure out the mystery and divine an answer from the clues provided, you're hard-pressed to actually finish.

Moreover, some of the subplots are left dangling at the end of the book.  There's zero resolution for the little side adventures Kelly has, and you're still left with a couple questions by the end of the novel.

Over all, it isn't a very memorable story and it doesn't beckon to be read immediately.  But, luckily, it's easy to finish in a day - maybe, even an afternoon - if you're set on finishing a book from cover to cover and it actually has a recipe for cinnamon rolls, so that's pretty rewarding if you like to cook.

The Ugly

Well, it is a "murder mystery," so murder is obviously involved, but there's very little otherwise to make it a chillingly grisly novel.

Seraphina

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Seraphina

Rachel Hartman

2012

The Summary

Seraphina Dombergh is a gifted musician and a talented singer and, as the assistant music mistress, she is constantly moving in and out of the royal court.  Seraphina, however, has one very dangerous secret:  she is half dragon.

With tensions rising between the dragons and mankind, Seraphina finds herself in a very precarious position.  Caught up in the investigation of the prince's death and struggling to keep her secret hidden from everyone she has ever known, Seraphina will find herself balancing on the precipice of two worlds - the human world of her father, and the dragon world of her mother.

The Good

Rachel Hartman's novel is wonderfully descriptive and detailed.  With her narrator (Seraphina Dombergh), she creates a beautiful and strange world full of dangerous dragons, unique races of people and creatures, martyred saints, and volatile politics.  It's an intriguing piece of work and highly addictive.

Additionally, Hartman tinkers with dragon lore by turning dragons into more than a sentient race but an entire people:  a population with its own laws, its own system of beliefs, its own technologies and literature.  Moreover, she creates a reality in which dragons have managed to take human form.  She offers a new series of questions about dragons and, more to the point, presents readers with a richer mythos.

I also enjoy Hartman's narrator, Seraphina Dombergh.  She's wonderfully descriptive and completely candid, having both a scathing wit and shyness that make her an intelligent and enjoyable narrator.  She's brave, she's flawed, and she's startlingly human - and it's incredibly easy to become emotionally invested in her story.

The Bad

Seraphina ends on a good note.  I can safely say I was pleased by its conclusion, despite the fact it lacked a complete resolution - that is, I was left with several lingering questions and an open-ended adventure.

So, I would really like a sequel.  I mean, most books I can wait to see - I'm patient.  You have to be when you inadvertently stumble into a series - but I need a sequel.  It ends with a cliff-hanger, so it's too inconclusive to not have a second in series.

The Ugly

Seraphina has many obstacles to face:  her dragon heritage, fear and self-loathing, hatred of her parentage, fear of discovery, fear of an impending war, fear for her own soul, social stigmas, struggles with her own mortality - or immortality? - and love.

It's a heady brew of emotional, social, and political conflicts.  And, honestly, you sometimes fear for Seraphina's safety.  You hope, even more than she hopes, that she finds happiness - and you keep your fingers crossed for her safety and the safety of those she cares about.

Far Far Away

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Far Far Away
Tom McNeal
2013

The Summary
"What follows is the strange and fateful tale of a boy, a girl, and a ghost.  The boy possessed uncommon qualities, the girl was winsome and daring, and the ancient ghost...well, let it only be said that his intentions were good."

Far Far Away begins with the story of Jeremy Johnson Johnson and Ginger Boultinghouse, as told by their ghostly friend, Jacob Grimm - as in the other half of the Brothers Grimm - while they navigate life in the tiny town of Never Better and steer clear of the Finder of Occasions.

The Good
Far Far Away is a unique and exceptional story.  Filled with wonderful characters - endearing characters who will win you over with their eccentric personalities and human compassion - and brimming with one enchanting and amazing fairy-tale of a story, Tom McNeal's book is, in one word, fantastic.

In particular, I loved how Jacob Grimm served as the narrator.  He's not omniscient, so he cannot keep track of everything going on, but he can observe so much in the small village of Never Better and, more importantly, offer commentary.

He's precise and descriptive, but his narration is also laced with a thread of emotion.  You'll find yourself enjoying his digressions as he recounts scenes from his past, both his regrets and his accomplishments; however, it's even more satisfying to read about his growing relationship with Jeremy as he not only helps the boy navigate his scholarship but protects him from the diabolical Finder of Occasions.

The Bad
The waiting is the worst part:  waiting to see what happens with the Finder of Occasions, waiting to find out what has happened to the missing children of Never Better, and waiting as Jacob seeks his brother and, more importantly, his time to leave.

The Ugly
Although McNeal's novel starts out with very little information on the Finder of Occasions - he's more like a vague idea, an evil and faceless villain lurking at the edge of a story - readers gradually learn about his existence and, more importantly, his activities.

The Finder of Occasions is not who you might expect - and the twist will be utterly heart-wrenching as Jacob and Jeremy both endure what the Finder of Occasions has in store for them.

World War Z

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World War Z

Max Brooks

2006

The Summary

As the greatest conflict in human memory, the "Zombie War" changed the world and everyone in it - and one man is intent on retelling the memories of those days, preserving history that may one day be forgotten.

He starts his interviews at the beginning of "The Crisis" and follows the thread of history from one country to the next (China, America, South Africa, England, Antarctica, Israel, etc.), until the "present day" when humanity no longer faces extinction.

The Good

Max Brooks' novel is fabulous.  I personally loved the concept of reading "interviews."  Not only do readers have the opportunity to experience different stories - different characters with different experiences - we have the chance to see what happens to different parts of the world and how various countries encounter the same conflict.

It's also fascinating and inventive.  I mean, World War Z answers questions I didn't even know I had about a zombie apocalypse.  For instance, what happens to astronauts stuck on space stations?  Do zombies float - or do they sink and walk on the ocean floor?  Can a person fool a zombie?  And what happens to the global economy after everything goes kaput?

There's an amazing breadth and depth to Brooks' novel.  Although you never receive a complete explanation as to how the zombies came into being and how or where the apocalypse really beings (there's plenty of supposition between all the characters involved, so you're not completely left in the dark), it's so fully comprehensive that you never notice it lacking.

Honestly, it's enough to see what happens to the world from "Day One" to the end of the war that you're satisfied with the answers you receive.

The Bad

I don't have anything negative to say about Brooks' book.  It's intriguing and detailed and, while there are certain elements that make it difficult to read (on an emotional level), it remains one of the best books I've read.

Perhaps my only complaint was trying to recognize the different names individual characters called zombies:  the tried and true "zombie," but also Zed Heads, Gs, Zacks, etc.  But context clues basically cleared that up.

The Ugly

World War Z is a story about a zombie war, so, of course, you'll be faced with gratuitous amounts of gore and violence and bloodshed.  You'll read "reports" and "interviews" about people being eaten alive, being trapped in their cars and dying of exposure.

And, if that isn't gory and disheartening enough for you, there's stories of human desperation - murder, cannibalism, suicide, genocide - and world-changing amounts of pollution from burning cities and the living dead walking from one corner of the earth to the other.

It isn't a pretty picture.

Brooks creates a terrifying world in his novel, a dystopian future guaranteed to give you chills.  In fact, it's the stuff of nightmares, especially when you're sitting up at midnight and reading with only a dark, creaky house for company.

The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana

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The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana

Umberto Eco

2004

The Summary

After suffering a major stroke, Yambo is faced with a terrifying crisis:  he can't remember anything.  He can't remember who he is; he can't remember the names and faces of his children, his wife, his mother or father or sister; and he certainly can't recall his own childhood.  Yambo, however, remembers everything he ever read.

Faced with this gaping memory loss, Yambo goes in search of all the things he read as a child and all the journals he kept.  All in the hope of stirring some spark within him, some mysterious flame of recognition.

His story, now as an old man, is not a tale of self-discovery but of rediscovery as he struggles to remember who he was, who he is, and how he got there.

The Good

The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana is a book full of helpful illustrations and beautiful imagery.  In this book, Umberto Eco commands a superb vocabulary (although I can likely thank the translator, Geoffrey Brock, for his contribution as well) and reveals he has a capacity for detailed description that's difficult to rival.

Additionally, Eco creates a wonderful narrator in Yambo.  He's witty and sarcastic - frequently sardonic - but he's also bright and highly aware.  Short of what he has forgotten with his stroke, Yambo doesn't miss much and he's able to express so much more.

Yambo is a fabulous narrator, because he's observant but, also, because he's able to communicate so successfully.  He can express uncertainty and fear just as well as he can express joy and happiness.  His emotions and thoughts are candid, unfiltered, which makes him accessible.  We can understand him, and he can understand us.

The Bad

At the beginning of Eco's novel, the reader learns that Yambo has survived a massive stroke and lost much of his memory.  As such, we realize that not everything Yambo does or says is clearly defined.  In fact, his thoughts can sometimes prove to be elusive and confusing when he makes sincere attempts to reclaim the scattered bits of his memory.

More to the point, Yambo's memory starts to spiral out of control at certain points.  At one point, you have a virtual "sensory overload" with all the stories, memories, songs, and images that converge all at once.  There's too much to process and too much to understand.

It's confusing and bewildering - and the slightest bit overwhelming.

The Ugly

Personally, I didn't really know what to think about detailed descriptions on preserved dog testicles or musings on defecating.

Just saying, it was a little awkward.

Can I Get an Amen?

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Can I Get an Amen?
Sarah Healy
2012

The Summary
Filled with both tragedy and comedy, Sarah Healy's novel tells the story of Ellen Carlisle - a recently divorced former career-woman struggling to get her life back on track and deal with her infertility and growing despair - and her family as they all struggle to acclimate with changing circumstances and familial rifts.

Although Can I Get an Amen? deals with the question of religion, it isn't about finding religion or becoming a born-again Christian.  It's about coming to terms with the flaws of family and the looming questions about faith, love, and life.

The Good
Ellen is a witty and charismatic narrator, a relatable character with understandable problems and conventional wisdom, but she's also damaged, flawed, and, on occasion, mistaken.  She provides Can I Get an Amen? with an emotional depth and distinctly human voice that makes Healy's novel incredibly appealing on a personal level.

In general, Healy also presents a concise and well-written story with an appropriate amount of suspense, a touch of tragedy, a helping of romance, and a cast of enjoyable characters.

Can I Get an Amen? is also a fulfilling novel.  Although we aren't exactly told what happens with the rest of Ellen's life once we reach the final chapter, it's difficult to leave Ellen's story and not feel a bit optimistic.

The Bad
In Healy's novel, you'll find some strong language and "mature themes."  Grief, infertility, and attempted suicide come to mind; teen pregnancy and abortion, too.

You'll find nothing gratuitously graphic in Can I Get an Amen?, but you'll be confronted by topics that are sometimes difficult to face.  Topics that leave Ellen wanting to run away - and, sometimes, you can't help but want to join her.

The Ugly
Perhaps one of the ugliest elements of this book is the faint traces of tragedy that link this family.  In general, it's difficult to watch these characters - these people so easy to understand and relate to - simply sweep trouble under the rug, hide from scandal at the expense of their loved ones, and, in general make the usual mistakes that human beings tend to make over the course of a lifetime.

And reconciliation may not be an option.

Darkly Dreaming Dexter

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Darkly Dreaming Dexter
Jeff Lindsay
2004

The Summary

Dexter Morgan is a blood spatter analyst for the Miami police department.  He's also a serial killer, a serial killer with a rigid rule that he never kills an innocent person.  Never.

But, now, Dexter has a problem.

Faced with a string of murders with striking similarities to his own style of disposing of victims, Dexter is confronted with the knowledge that someone knows about his extracurricular activities - and that someone may be him.

The Good

Darkly Dreaming Dexter is a unique novel in that it snares you with an interesting and dynamic character who is, in fact, a certified sociopath.  He's a murderer - granted, he's a murderer who only kills "bad guys" who slip through the system - and yet Jeff Lindsay gives you every reason to like his homicidal narrator.

Quirky, eloquent, and chillingly descriptive, Dexter Morgan is a fun narrator to follow.  I mean, he's obviously a bit off.  He's a killer with a Dark Passenger and a Need, so, of course, he's going to be different.  But Dexter is a surprisingly enjoyable narrator.

He does sometimes speak in the third person, and he has a habit of alliteration and grandiose internal musings, but that's just part and parcel of the whole package.  You get used to it.

The Bad

Although this may be an obvious observation, here it is:  Dexter is a broken individual.  Not for the obvious reasons, I should point out, like his uncontrollable desire to kill.

No, during the culmination of Lindsay's novel, Dexter frequently struggles to distinguish between reality and memory, fact and fantasy - and, as a witness to his thoughts and misadventures (as his extra "passenger"), that broken and disjointed perspective is eventually passed on to you, the reader.

While I can appreciate this gives Dexter's tale a dramatic twist and offers readers the opportunity to see what kind of emotional (?) and psychological stress Dexter suffers from, his insanity - his actual mental break-down - is sometimes difficult to read.  After reading pages and pages of an eloquent Dexter, it's a bit of a turn to meet a deteriorating Dexter.

The Ugly
Dexter Morgan is a sociopath.

We've established this, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that, as you read, you'll become intimately acquainted with his diabolical thoughts and, more to the point, be an eye-witness to the murders he commits.  There's blood and gore, and then more blood and gore.

And it isn't like the TV show.  The camera doesn't pan away at the precise moment Dexter begins to mutilate his victims.  You know what's coming, and you get to be audience to every brutal hack and slash Dexter commits.

Even if they are "bad guys" - even if you know they deserve this moment of so-called "justice" - you can't help but feel a little bad for the man or woman Dexter has set his sights on.

Bonus: Chew: Taster's Choice (Volume One)

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Chew:  Taster's Choice (Volume One)
John Layman
Rob Guillory
2009

The Summary
Tony Chu is a police officer - turned FDA agent - and he is a cibopath.  As a cibopath, Tony can taste or eat anything (and I do mean anything) and figure out what it's made out of, where it comes from, and what happened to it.

In fact, he can figure out just about anything from a single bite.

Except beets.  Beets don't work.

Now, along with Agent Mason Savoy (a cibopath like Tony), Tony can - and will - use his gift to solve food-related crimes.  Like contraband chicken.  Or cannibalism.  Or murder.

The Good
Quirky and dark, Chew is a unique blend of cleverness and the supernatural.  Throw in a hint of political intrigue, and you have a surprisingly good series to read.

Strewn with bits of comedy, fast-paced action, and odd-ball mysteries that can only be solved by the FDA - currently, the most powerful bureau in the U.S. government and, perhaps, the entire world - and the cibopathic abilities of Tony Chu and Mason Savoy, Chew is energetic and pretty fun to read.

The characters are unusual and intriguing enough to keep you riveted, and the story is well-constructed and interesting to hold your attention from beginning to end.  It moves quickly, so it's easy to read in one sitting and easy to become hooked.

The Bad
Altogether, it's a good story.  An odd art style, yes, but it's vivid in its depictions and it's oddly fun.

However (and this is a very big "however"):

If you have an aversion to violence, or foul language, or things just plain gruesome - like vomiting induced by a sabocrivner (one who writes so vividly that people can actually taste the things she describes), or homicidal cannibals - or other unsavory events, Chew may not be the best read for you.

The Ugly
Because Tony can receive psychic impressions from the food (and other things) he eats, he encounters some very unusual situations during his investigations.  Situations that invariably force him to eat unsavory foods.

And other things.

Like fingers.  Or dead animals.

Empire Falls

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Empire Falls
Richard Russo
2001

The Summary
In the tiny Maine town of Empire Falls, Miles Roby works at the floundering Empire Grill and deals with the imperious Francine Whiting - of the Whiting family which owns everything and everyone in Empire Falls - on a frequent basis.

And all the while, he struggles with his soon-to-be-finalized divorce and attempts to properly raise his daughter, Tick.

Despite it's small-town roots, however, Empire Falls is anything but small:  big in story and big in heart, Richard Russo's novel tells about all the struggles of a tiny, former factory-town and the people who live there from day to day.

The Good
Intricate, well-written, and emotional, Russo's Empire Falls is fantastic to read for the list of human interactions and connections it cultivates, as well as the tragedy it sometimes invokes.  The connections between characters, as well as the relationships they create or, as is sometimes the case, destroy, allows the reader to truly see the world of Empire Falls and embrace it.

Although Russo's novel isn't filled with thrills for every minute, it's certain to get you hooked as you strive to figure out what has happened - what secrets are hiding within the Whiting family and within the town itself - and wrap your mind around what will continue to happen in the tiny town of Empire Falls.

You're sure to become invested in Russo's characters.

The Bad
Empire Falls often appears to reveal the futility of the human condition.  Full of cases where people become trapped by their fears, trapped by their circumstances, or simply trapped, it's a sad commentary of how life can go awry from what one anticipates and it can leave you speechless, wounded, or worse.

While sprinkled with plenty of warm moments, especially those between father and daughter duo, Miles and Tick, Empire Falls is a story more of the heart-wrenching variety.  The seemingly inevitable climax will surprise you - and certainly not in a good way.

The Ugly
Throughout the course of Russo's novel, one anticipates a tragedy to occur - i.e. you just get a "bad feeling" about how the story will end and what will happen to the characters in which we have invested our time and feelings.

Personally, I feared for Tick.

As one of the few good things Miles still has in his life, Tick seems crucial not only to Miles' story but the story of Empire Falls.  And, perhaps in the middle of the novel, I uncovered a sense of foreboding - in fact, a genuine fear - for the safety of Tick.

Whether I imagined she was in danger of becoming trapped in Empire Falls by Francine Whiting, like her father, or becoming the fixation of a disgruntled ex-boyfriend, I worried Tick would not reach the end of the novel.

I won't spoil the conclusion (of course, I wouldn't), but I found this sense of foreboding had an influence on my entire reading of Russo's Empire Falls.  I still enjoyed the novel; however, I probably didn't enjoy it half so well as I might have if my mind hadn't been plagued by fears of impending tragedy.

The Snow Child

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The Snow Child
Eowyn Ivey
2012

The Summary
Set on the Wolverine River of Alaska in the early twentieth century, The Snow Child recounts the experiences of Jack and Mabel, homesteaders on the frontiers of the far north, as they struggle to survive another year in grief and another winter.

But on an especially cold night with the first snow of winter, Jack's and Mabel's lives change forever when they meet a little girl name Faina, a mysterious young girl surviving in the inhospitable wilderness - a girl who seems to have sprouted from the snow.

The Good
The Snow Child is a hauntingly beautiful story.  Well-paced, intricate, and emotional, Eowyn Ivey's novel pulls together all the elements of a great novel by combining legends with simple, human psychology and amazing literary skill.

Although occasionally tragic, this novels combines evocative imagery, heart-warming depth, and fantastic characterizations to create a wonderful story that's sure to keep you glued to its pages.  In particular, Ivey appears to take great care in forming her characters, giving them emotional depth and heart-breaking honesty.

On a personal level, I also loved the way Ivey managed to weave together all the elements of legends - i.e. Little Daughter of the Snow by Arthur Ransome and "Snegurochka" - and fairy tales but still remain true to her own story.  While it borrows from old works, it also manages to forge a path of its own and tell an intriguing and riveting tale of sorrow, joy, and life.

The Bad
Perhaps my one and only complain about The Snow Child is the feeling of impending calamity.  From the instant you meet Faina - in fact, from the minute you see her becoming like a daughter to this sad, wonderful couple - you begin to wonder and worry and fret over who Faina is and, occasionally, what she may be.

More to the point, you begin to wonder what will happen to her by story's end.

The Ugly
Living and surviving in the Alaskan wilderness can be especially difficult.  More importantly, it can be brutal - and, as a reader, you may be witness to a few ugly and brutal things that may make you feel squeamish or may tug at your heart strings.

Bad Girls

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Bad Girls

Jan Stradling

2008

The Summary

Jan Stradling's book recounts the lives of 22 the world's "most powerful, shocking, amazing, thrilling, and dangerous women of all time," including ladies like Cleopatra, Boudica, Catherine II of Russia, Malinali, Cixi, Madame Mao, Mata Hari, and Elizabeth Bathory.  From Ancient Egypt to the modern world, Stradling looks into the lives, reputations, and psychology of history's most legendary women.

The Good
Bad Girls is full of intriguing material and interesting women; in fact, Stradling appears to make a point of investigating some of history's more obscure figures and providing an incredible amount of detail into their personal histories (and, occasionally, their psychological states).

More importantly, while Stradling does work from an academic perspective - that is, she attempts to produce a scholarly endeavor with her work - her book is concise and consistently interesting.  She has presented her content in such a way that it reads like a narrative, which makes Bad Girls attractive to read but, also, makes it convenient to merely search for the section to interest you most.

The Bad

Stradling's work is fairly hefty.  Considering the author researches 22 separate individuals and presents individualized chapters on each of these ladies, there's a fair bit of content through which to wade to find the most interesting tidbits.

Admittedly, I did spend quite a bit of time skimming through Stradling's novel.  Being occasionally speculative with certain historical elements and dense, Bad Girls is one of those books that, while sure to keep your interests at different times, proves easy to skim.  It's simple to flip to the pages you want to find and still get the gist of everything else.

The Ugly
The ladies compiled in Stradling's book are all powerful, dangerous, daring women with very unique skills and very unique dispositions for the times in which they lived.  Many of these infamous women, however, frequently suffered under the violence of others (or enacted terrible violence of their own) and, more often than not, met a violent and gruesome end.

Cleopatra, for instance, committed suicide.  Elizabeth Bathory, after committing terrible atrocities (among them genocide) in the pursuit of youth and beauty, was locked away for the remainder of her life in complete solitude.  Belle Starr, after spending her life involved in crime, was shot in the back and killed.  Mata Hari, once one of the most sought after exotic dancers in Europe and one of its more infamous courtesans, was charged with treason and executed via firing squad.

And many others met similar fates.

The long and short of it, Bad Girls can seem pretty gruesome.

Hawkeye: My Life as a Weapon (Volume One)

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Hawkeye:  My Life as a Weapon (Volume One)
Matt Fraction
David Aja
Javier Pulido
2013

The Summary
Hawkeye chronicles a series of adventures had by Clint Barton - a.k.a. Hawkeye - as he tries to live up (or live down) his status as a member of the Avengers, fulfill his obligations as an agent of SHIELD, and live a relatively normal life.

Or as normal a life as possible when you're a human weapon.

The Good
Hawkeye is full of interesting stories.  Packed with plenty of action and adventure and questionable moral activities by powerful villains, Fraction and company's novel is sure to please that comic-loving junkie in all of us.

But, perhaps, one of the more memorable qualities of Hawkeye is actually its namesake, Clint Barton, who narrates the entire comic from beginning to end (excluding the final episode of Young Avengers, which features Kate Bishop - also Hawkeye).

Barton is especially intriguing over the course of this comic, because he is undeniably human.  Susceptible to human folly, to injury, to mistakes and failures, Barton is the human element in a world full of superheroes, ancient gods, geniuses, and other powerful beings.

He's the odd man out:  no superhuman strength, no magical weapons, no enhanced suit or shield or abilities.  But Barton certainly knows how to hold his own - which makes his story particularly compelling.

The Bad
While the reader certainly has an opportunity to see Clint Barton's skills as Hawkeye - as an archer and sharpshooter - Hawkeye doesn't always portray Barton's talents at their finest.  I can certainly appreciate the human element this adds to his character, but it also proves to be a little disappointing.

Kate Bishop definitely has the opportunity to show off, shouldn't Barton?

The Ugly
Arrows in eyes.

That's all I have to say.

The Amazing Spider-Man: Kraven's Last Hunt

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Marvel Comics

The Amazing Spider-Man:  Kraven's Last Hunt
J.M. DeMatteis
Mike Zeck
1987

The Summary
Consumed by guilt and fear over death - specifically the deaths of Ned Leeds and Joe Face, and others who have followed - and his own mortality, Spider-Man finds himself face-to-face with Kraven, the Hunter, and expects the usual tussle.

Kraven, however, isn't out to cause a bit of mayhem.  He's out to spill blood and take revenge for the shame Spider-Man has thrust upon him - and, more to the point, crush the Spider consuming his thoughts and, by all accounts, his mind.

The Good
Kraven's Last Hunt is founded on excellent craftsmanship, being full of detail on both a narrative and artistic level.  This comic creates an intriguing mix of characters and stories, and it weaves a brutal and wonderful story that postulates the question:  What happens if Spider-Man is killed?  And, more to the point, what happens if someone takes his place?

In creating this comic, J.M. DeMatteis doesn't stop at sharing one story with a single narrator; he creates three simultaneous stories with three very different narrators.  Peter Parker, Kraven, and Vermin each share a facet of Kraven's Last Hunt that makes the comic suitably complex without bogging it down.  They create an intriguing and, sometimes, frightening tale that blends psychological horror and madness on a grand scale.

The art is, likewise, enjoyable.  It combines detail and depth, bringing life to the dialogue and, occasionally, realizing the ravings of a couple of man men - and, sometimes, it can send a chill down your spine.  Not in a bad way, of course.

The Bad
Given the extreme emotional turmoil - or, more accurately, trauma - several of these characters endure, it shouldn't come as a surprise that some internal monologues can go a little sideways.

And, by sideways, I mean completely off the rails.

The Ugly
If you really, really like Spider-Man - and you'd really, really hate to see what New York would be like without him - your heart will be crushed during the course of this novel.

Yes, crushed.

Batman: The Long Halloween

Image courtesy of
DC Comics

Batman:  The Long Halloween

Jeph Loeb

Tim Sale

1997

The Summary
Like any good defender of Gotham, Batman spends his days - and holidays - catching crooks and vanquishing villains.  Another day in the life of Gotham's most fearsome caped-crusader.

However, a new threat has arisen in the city:  a serial killer known only as "Holiday," who has taken to murdering members of the local mob and causing ripples in the crime community.

But stopping Holiday could prove more difficult than Batman imagines.  Between the transformation of Harvey Dent into a criminal mastermind and a plethora of supervillains taking turns to tear apart the city, Batman must use all his wits and gadgets to stop a serial killer and make Gotham safe - well, safer.

The Good
Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale's comic is filled with the usual Batman-y goodness:  adventure, intrigue, plot twists, despicable villains, fantastic stories, and hints of tragedy.  As the drama unfolds, it's certainly easy to become enveloped in the story.  Between trying to guess Holiday's identity (it isn't who you think, trust me) and watching as Batman struggles with his own personal demons, The Long Halloween is surprisingly intricate and well-executed graphic novel that's sure to entice any reader.

The characters in this novel are also well-built and intriguing, deserving of their very own mention for the wild and wacky qualities they bring to Batman's story.  It's especially interesting to see how Bruce Wayne continues to develop as Batman, and how Catwoman fits into the whole equation.  They make a surprisingly effective duo.

Likewise, the art in The Long Halloween proves to be just as interesting.  Harsh lines and dark shadows make the plot more sinister, matching the atmosphere of the comic and breathes life into the script it follows.

The Bad
Honestly, I can't say there's anything I disliked about this comic.  It was surprising, creative, and enjoyable.  Perhaps the worst aspect about reading Loeb and Sale's work was the wait to see how it ended.

The Ugly
Gore, mob violence, strong language, murder - the usual in a dark, gripping crime novel with Batman as the central protagonist and mob bosses running amok in the city of Gotham.

New Year, New Resolution

It seems important that I should renew my schedule of reading with the beginning of the new year; in fact, it seems imperative.  Having neglected my blog - among other enjoyable pastimes - long enough, I think it's time to pick up a new book and finally finish up that enormous back log of dusty books starving for attention.

It's time to start the new year off right - with a book in hand.  So, here's to another year and another resolution and another book to read.

Cheers,
The Scrivener