YA Wednesday: 2 for 1 Graphic Novel Book Review: Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood by Marjane Satrapi

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This book...it had the thing. You know, the THING. The thing that makes you all swoony while you're reading. That makes you sigh just remembering it, like an amazing first kiss that still makes you shiver when you think of it years later. The thing that makes you fall in love.

I had seen the movie version of this book a few years ago and it was excellent (if you haven't seen it, go get it immediately), and I'd wanted to read the books ever since. Well, I'm so glad I did. I was not disappointed. It's only rarely that I can love a book and a movie both so much, equally. This book is worthy of attention and not to be missed. Absolutely powerful, brilliant, and stunning.



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Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return by Marjane Satrapi

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I don't know if it's possible, but I may have loved this book even more than the first one. Such a wonderful, heartbreaking example of what it means to be an outsider.

Displaced from her homeland, our heroine never feels at home in Austria. But after spending years there, when she goes home, she no longer fits into their conservative culture, either. I ached for her as I read this half of her story, maybe even more so than when I read the first part.

Amazing story that everyone should read. Recommended for anyone who's ever felt like an outsider.



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YA Wednesday: Blankets by Craig Thompson (Graphic Novel #Review)

Blankets by Craig Thompson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I fell in love with this book from page one. The illustrations and the story were equally gripping. From the start, I couldn't wait to hear about the relationship between the brothers, and later on, when the book begins to focus on the romance, I kept reading for the glimpses of memory of Craig and his brother.

While this is ultimately a romance, and the relationship between the characters is sweet and realistic, the romance did not hold the same interest for me as the brotherly relationship. I did enjoy the romance, though, or I could not have liked this book, which is, at heart, a romance about first love and coming-of-age, written in memoir form. Most of the graphic novels I've read have focused more on historical/cultural issues, but this one was wonderful despite its narrow scope.

It is thick for a graphic novel, but a quick read. I breezed through a hundred pages in a sitting easily. I did get a bit distracted once it got deep into the romance, because that never holds my interest, no matter how beautifully drawn and realistic Raina may be. That said, I did find her to be a wonderfully real, well-rounded character. I felt like she was someone I could have known in real life, and I loved the sweet, realistic course of their doomed first-love relationship.

Even though the book sort of wrapped up some of the issues from throughout the story, it felt somehow incomplete to me. I was happy that Craig and his brother were able to become, at least a bit, a part of each other's lives, as I waited for glimpses of the brother throughout the story.

Overall, a wonderful story with lovely illustrations that I would recommend to those 16+.



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Virgin, by Radhika Sanghani--New Adult Book Review

 I got an arc copy of this through Netgalley. In honor of it's release on August 5, here's a review. Run out and get it on Tuesday!

Virgin by Radhika Sanghani

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


4.5 stars

I love books that make me laugh. That's all there is to it. If a book can make me laugh out loud even once, it's pretty much guaranteed 3 stars even if it's crap. And this book is not crap.

In short, it's about a girl trying to lose her virginity. But it's also about so much more. Considering the shallow topic/plot of the book, I was expecting it to be a lot of fluff. But for someone who places such importance on such a thing as virginity, our protagonist is actually smart and somewhat empowered. It was a very female book, and even though it has a great message about accepting ourselves, it is definitely not for everyone (especially those uncomfortable with the word "vagina"). This book is all about loving oneself completely, as our protag Ellie learns to do.

But aside from the important feminist issues cloaked in the silly, candy-coated shell, this book is just real. It's like reading someone's diary--someone very honest with herself. I doubt most people are even this honest in their diaries, so I applaud the author for not shying away from squirm-inducing topics. On top of that, the characters are loveable as well as real and honest. Even when some parts get predictable or obvious(her mom walking in on her, Jack talking about someone else), they still work. You are waiting for them to happen, cringing because you know they will, but it doesn't make them any less painful when they do.

By the end of the book, when I hit the 90% mark, I was so invested that I got a bit teary-eyed when Ellie is rejected. I wanted to punch the guy...but I also wanted to say, "Yes, this exact thing happened to me!" It didn't, but this book felt so real that for a second, I thought it had. I WAS Ellie in that moment. I've had enough similar situations that it felt completely real. And that's where this book succeeds--because we've all been rejected, or misread the signs, or gotten our hopes up, or gotten crushed and had to pick ourselves up and start over (and the lucky ones have had friends as good as Ellie's to bring wine, encouragement and their own horror stories).

I would recommend this frank, hilarious book to just about all women, but especially those in the 18-30 age group. THIS is the new-adult book I've been waiting for. THIS is the book I was excited to read when I heard about the new-adult category. Not another romance with a generic plot-line and carbon-copy characters.

I could not stop reading this book. I found every excuse I could to read more of it. I used precious moments when I should have been doing other things, but all I wanted to do was keep reading. It made me laugh. It made me cry. It made me become the character. It grabbed me and didn't let go. All that adds up to a 5-star read. This book may not change your life, but it will make you feel good. Sometimes, that's enough all by itself. Not every book needs to be THE NEXT BIG THING. This book is like it's message--it doesn't try to be something it's not. And that's just fine with me. For what it is, it's perfect in itself.





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YA Wednesday: Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


3.5 stars

This was one of those books I picked up solely because it had been recommended and because it's popular. I'd never read a review for it, a synopsis, or even the back of the book. So when I started listening and found the book was about college students, I was surprised, as most YA ends at the end of high school. I guess it would fit into the New Adult genre, but it was probably rejected because it didn't have any explicit sex scenes.

However, it was a romance, which isn't really my cup o' tea. I guess Eleanor and Park was too, but somehow there was enough other stuff going on in that one that I was never getting that squicky feeling I get when I read romance. The romance in this was more predictable for me. I realized way before Cath that Levi liked her. He was an okay character, but just kind of eh. I would have liked the book much more if it had kept the focus on Cather's relationship with her sister and father. Those parts of the book came alive and just sang. I was left with a few unresolved questions about those relationships (like why Wren and Courtney had a falling-out, and what happened in Wren's relationship with Alejandro, what happened with her dad's mental state, etc). Instead, the book took a downturn and suddenly became all about the romance.

Okay, here's the thing. Unless you love someone, beyond-the-norm makeout scenes are just gross. And I sort of loved Levi, but not enough to think making out with his chin was sexy. To me, it was just kind of icky and funny at once. Levi was once said to be exploring her throat with his tongue or something like that--automatic gag reflex. I kept thinking--Eewww. These people do not know how to kiss! At first, the Simon Snow snippets were so boring I zoned out on them, but during the obsessive love stuff, I was glad for a moment of relief. It bordered on Twilight-esque at times.

Overall, I did like this book. I loved most of the characters, especially the dad. He was so true and sensitively portrayed. I also loved the relationships and dynamics between all the characters in the family, including the mother. My other favorite character was Reagan, so I was disappointed that she never got much of a story herself. She was just there to drive Cath around and be her friend. Which was fine, except that she never had any backstory or a life of her own beyond being Cath's friend.

I'm still sort of torn on the number of stars. May upgrade to 4 at some point if the book sticks with me for a long time.




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YA Wednesday: #Book #Review: Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


3.5 stars

I know this book is on everyone's radar right now. It seems everyone is reading it. Insane how popular it's gotten all of a sudden--like Hunger Games explosion style.

I thought I would like this book more, since it's contemporary ya. I'm a little disappointed that I didn't fall madly in love with it like everyone else. I'm due for one of those reading experiences, but this one wasn't quite there.

The plot was alright, if a little slow. It just didn't go as deep as I would have liked. Also, becuse of the cover and synopsis, I thought there would be more 80s music themes in it. The journey was slow, but it progressed quickly enough that I was never bored, just a bit antsy for things to pick up. I loved how the relationship progressed at such a slow, natural rate. It was a sweet romance, nothing shocking or disturbing (between the two title characters), no one emotionally scarring or controlling the other, although Eleanor was manipulative through her constant need for drama and to be consoled. More on that below. Overall, I liked the realistic, teenage progression of their relationship.

On to the characters, since that's what this novel is all about. Park--wow. I fell madly, completely in love with his character. More accurately, I remember falling madly in love with a real person who was EXACTLY like his character, right down to his collection of comics and The Smiths cassettes. Maybe that's why I liked this character so much--he was as real to me as a real person. He was so completely honest/confused/flawed/good intentioned. Eleanor--well. Here's where the problem came in for me. It wasn't that I hated her character. She was sympathetic, and I felt sorry for her as her home life was so awful. But she seemed a little lacking in depth somehow. She just never came alive for me the way Park did, so that next to him, she felt a bit flat. Also, she was a very obnoxious character to read about. Realistic, yes, we all know that girl who can't stop causing drama and intentionally misunderstanding every little nit-picky thing a guy says so she can pick a fight. But I hate those people in real life, and it was hard to LIKE her as opposed to just pitying her.

The ending--everyone has focused on that for some reason, but it didn't bother me. I thought it was very realistic, and that's what I was looking for. I didn't mind not knowing the three words, as I came up with several things they could say and was happy with that.



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New Year's Resolutions

So I posted my New Year's Resolutions last year, but I'm scared to even look at them, because I'm pretty sure I achieved zero out of however many I made. Still, I forge ahead with new goals for this year. Always the optimist!

2014 Goals and Resolutions:
1. Write a book. You know those crazy people who do nanowrimo and write a whole book in a month? I'm not one of them. However, I believe I can write a whole novel in a year. That's optimistic for me.

2. Publish a book. I think that was the one resolution I made in 2013 that I achieved. So I'm going to keep it for this year. I only have about 20 books written that need to be edited and published. I'm sure I can find one that's worthy of publication this year.

3. Blog consistently. I am going to try for 3 blogs a week. Don't know how long it will last, but I'm going to try.

4. Move in with my husband. Every time I tell someone I don't live with my husband, they look at me like I'm crazy. We bought a house at the end of 2013, but it's a huge project. So my goal is to live in it before 2014 is over.

5. Have a garden. I've been itching to do this for a few years now, but I don't have a garden space. At our new place, I will. I'm starting small, but anything is better than nothing.

6. Be more social. Not the kind of social that I've been doing (social media) but hanging out, going to see my friends in person. I'm going to try for at least twice a month, realistically.

7. Stay positive. This is a hard one for me. My mind tends towards the negative. But I've been trying to 'think positive' for a few months now, and it's starting to get easier. Onwards and upwards in 2014!