This graphic novel explores themes of racial identity, prejudices and straddling cultures. The main character, Ben Tanaka, is rather whiny and passive aggressive, however he says things like: Tell me you don't agree that when you see a white guy with an Asian girl it has certain ... connotations. And when asked: And when you see an Asian guy a white girl you think? His response: Good for him! Good for both of them! In this multicultural word we inhabit, the book explores interesting questions. Rating: 3 stars.
21. The Unfinished Work of Elizabeth D.
How well do we ever know someone? How fully do we ever let others know us? Yes, this novel is also about friendships, marriages, motherhood, stay at home moms as opposed to moms who work outside the house, and paths not taken, but what most intrigued me was how the story explored those first two questions. Rating: 3 stars.
22. Cultivating Your Creative Life
From the subtitle: Exercises, Activities & Inspiration for Finding Balance, Beauty & Success as an Artist. This book is a fun way to dip into bite-sized inspiration. Rating: 3 stars.
This is Bartimaeus #4, and is a prequel to the older trilogy. I do believe that Bartimaeus is my fave Djinn ever. I really enjoyed the original trilogy, but found this book not as compelling. Oh, Bartimaeus steals the show as always with his witty remarks - I do believe these are the only books where I look forward to reading the footnotes - but the story seemed rather forced. Kinda like watching the most recent James Bond movie, there is lots of action, and explosions, and chase scenes, but after the show is over you are not sure what all the fuss was about. Though if Bond had the lines that Bartimaeus has, the movie would have been so much more entertaining. I am delighted that I have hooked my 10 year old nephew on Bartimaeus, and love our book discussions on his exploits. If you have not read the series, start with the original trilogy and enjoy the ride. Rating: 3 stars.
24. The Art Forger
We've been reading this book aloud in our home for the past several weeks, and while it started out strong, I have decided to move it to my Did Not Finish pile. So much potential - art, art forgery, local Boston color, the Gardner heist - but after the first handful of chapters, the story seems to lose its way. I found the characters rather one dimensional, and the plot meandering. The most vivid character is the Isabella Stewart Gardner museum, and only because I have visited it several times and love it. At page 237, I have no idea where this story is going, and frankly do not care. Rating: 1 star.
Having read dozens of books, and seen many movies on the Holocaust, I am surprised that I had not stumbled on this graphic memoir earlier. A father tells his son about his experiences, and while most of us know the broad brush strokes of this history, the individual story is often the most compelling. The use of animals - mice, cats, pigs and dogs - reminds me of reading Animal Farm. Without human labels and preconceived notions, the story snares us in ways that often catch us unawares. I loved everything about this book, and plan on diving into the sequel shortly. Rating: 5 stars.
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