Recent Reads

111. Alternative Art Journals
If you keep art journals and are interested in some of the ways you could create outside the book format, this book has some interesting ideas. I guess I was expecting more information on alternative journals than this book conveyed however. There were too many sections on page prepping, etc. However if you are a beginner art journaler, this might be just the introduction you need. Rating: 2 stars.

112. When Memory Dies
I'm headed to Sri Lanka in a month, and I am so glad that I picked this book to read pre-trip. The story of this island nation unfolds through the lives of three generations of a family, from Colonial times to almost up to present day. This is not a fast read, and is often depressing, disturbing, and heart breaking. But then given the civil war that ravaged the nation, that is to be expected. I learned much about the political, economic, social, and racial landscape, and have had vivid dreams the entire time I was reading this book. Not pleasant ones either. Would recommend this book to those visiting Sri Lanka, or anyone trying to get a handle on some of the island's history and culture. To quote the author: When memory dies, a people die. Rating: 5 stars.

113. Fables, Vol. 3: Storybook Love
This is book #3 in the Fables graphic novel series, and I actually liked this one more than the first two. The multiple story lines are more interesting, and you get to know the characters better. Spending time with some of my fave story characters in a non-fairy-tale setting is quite fun. And Goldilocks! What happened to that girl? As an aside, this is not a series for the young end of YA as many of the themes and content would not be appropriate. I've got the next one in the series ready to go. Rating: 4 stars.

114. Joyland
Let me first say that I am a Stephen King fan. His books have made me laugh, cry, and scared me so much that I've had to sleep with all the lights on. I get emotionally involved. I am invested in the characters. I inhabit a different world while reading his stories. This one though just did not work as well for me. The book is set in an old style amusement park, one that sells fun, and it is a coming of age story for 21 year old Devin Jones. While I enjoyed the carnie talk, the murder mystery, and the ghost angle, I was not invested. Not in the characters. Not in the story. I listened to the audio version wonderfully narrated by Michael Kelly, and might have actually given the book a star less if I had read the print version.  Rating: 2 stars.

115. The Gryphon
This is the first book in the second Griffin and Sabine trilogy, and it changes how I interpreted the ending of the first trilogy. The story introduces us to two more characters and two new locations. The art is wonderful, and I loved the addition of additional ephemera, but overall was not as captivated with this story as the first trilogy. That being said, I do plan on reading to the end of the series. A tip: Compare Sabine's and Griffin's handwriting in this book. What does it tell you? Rating: 3 stars.