Recent Reads

99. Monstress, Vol. 2: The Blood
"To quote the poets ... it is possible to drown in information ... and die for lack of wisdom."

I adore this graphic novel series and tore through this volume, though I did go back and flip through it more slowly so as to better savor the art. The art is fantastic and might be some of the best I've ever seen in a comic. Combine that with a wonderful story and color me delighted. We get to meet a whole new cast of characters, and learning more about the worlds this story is set in is delightful. The Isle of Bones is especially wonderfully illustrated, and the various factions and their agendas makes this a compelling read. It's hard when you don't fit neatly into any of the boxes, but can Maika come to terms with her dual nature without turning into a monster herself? I docked a star because some of the plot lines are rather murky but I expect things will clear up as the series continues. Sexy, violent, wonderful. Cannot wait for the next installment. Rating: 4 stars.

100. Frommer's Portland day by day
This little guide book is a wonderful and practical introduction (or review) for a visit to Portland. Easy to use, chock-full of information with good maps and fun itineraries. If you're looking for just one guidebook to take along with you for a city visit, I'd suggest trying this one out. Rating: 4 stars.

101. The Oregon Trail: A New American Journey
Book blurb: "The Oregon Trail" is a major work of participatory history: an epic account of traveling the 2,000-mile length of the Oregon Trail the old-fashioned way, in a covered wagon with a team of mules--which hasn't been done in a century--that also tells the rich history of the trail, the people who made the migration, and its significance to the country.

I love reading books about or set in places I visit, so moved this one up my TBR in anticipation of our Oregon trip for the Great American Eclipse event in August.

This is a memoir of a trip that two brothers, Rinker and Nick Buck, plus dog, Olive Oyl, undertake to traverse the trail the old fashioned way. I quite enjoyed learning about both their day to day predicaments and achievements, and the history of the early pioneers on the trail. The early section on mules alone makes this one worth picking up. As you'd expect with a story that has two dudes, a dog, and three mules, there's a bit of repetitiveness to this story, but I learned many things I didn't even know, for example Hollywood did mules a huge disservice when they pretended that horses did all that glorious work in getting the early travelers across the country. It wasn't horses, but mules that made Manifest Destiny possible, so where are all the odes to mules I ask?

I listened to the audiobook which is narrated by the author, and I would not recommend going that route. He's got a way of reading that emphasizes incorrect parts of a sentence, and there were some strange pronunciations that kept pulling me out of the yarn. I really liked the historical facts woven into the story, but felt that there was much that could have been edited out to make this a tighter story. I tend to love travel/adventure stories, and this one while good wasn't great. Still, I enjoyed learning about prairie schooner travel logistics, and it gave me a better appreciation for the ease of air travel as I flew across the country. Rating: 3 stars.

Cinemascope: Narcos (Season 3)

Cinemascope is a regular blog post where I will share with you movies and TV shows I think are worth watching.



Released in 2017.

Plot line: Now that the bloody hunt for Pablo Escobar has ended, the DEA turns its attention to the richest drug trafficking organization in the world: the Cali Cartel. Led by four powerful godfathers, this cartel operates much differently than Escobar's, preferring to bribe government officials and keep its violent actions out of the headlines.

I love this Netflix series. You learn much about the drug industry, the cartels, the US culpubity in all of it, and the reason why the moeny spent on "the war on drugs" was essentially money flushed down the toilet. The acting and production quality is really good. I am often to be found talking to the characters while I watch, and my blood pressure increases with every show. So good.

You can see the trailer here. If you have yet to see it, this is TV worth watching.

Recent Reads

96. A Bride's Story, Vol. 4
This installment could be subtitled "Double Trouble."

In this volume, we stop at a fishing village along the Aral Sea, and tumble headlong into the lives of young, loud, and troublesome Laila and Leily, The twins are not fishing for fish, well, they do that too, but they are really fishing for husbands. After all, their father doesn't seem to have his act together, and they are rather impatient. Their (mis)adventures made me smile, and I was rooting for them the entire time. The art continues to be astoundingly good, and I really liked getting a look at this community and their clothing style, etc.

I look forward to seeing where this story goes. Rating: 4 stars.

97. 2 Sisters: A Super-Spy Graphic Novel
This is an example of a graphic novel I wish I had read with Kindt fans. The rave reviews make me thing I missed the point of this one in a major way. There are things I really liked about this one, and the two sisters and the artifact threads were interesting enough, but I'm not a fan of the art style, and after the final page was left wondering what it was all about. Rating: 2 stars.

98. Monstress, Vol. 1: Awakening
Updated August 2017: Re-read before I dive into Volume Two.

From the author's note: And the root of my desire, I finally realized, was to tell a story about what it means to be a survivor. A survivor, not just of a cataclysmic war, but of racial conflict and its antecedent: hatred. And to confront the question: how does one whom history has made a monster escape her monstrosity? How does one overcome the monstrousness of others without succumbing to a rising monstrousness within?

As good as the first read. Can't wait to see how this yarn unfolds.
--------------------------
First read in December 2016:
I don't even know how to summarize this graphic novel, so will stick to the blurb:

"Set in an alternate world of art deco beauty and steampunk horror, Montress tells the epic story of Maika Halfwolf, a teenage survivor of a cataclysmic war between humans and their hated enemies, the Arcanics. In the face of oppression and terrible danger, Maika is both hunter and hunted, searching for answers about her mysterious past as those who seek to use her remain just one step behind...and all the while, the monster within begins to awaken..."

This might well be the most beautifully illustrated graphic novel I've read in ages. The art alone makes this one worth picking up. But, that's not all you get. This is a wonderfully women/girl/female centric world, and trying to figure out what different groups the main characters belong to is part the fun. This one is certainly more action/plot driven than I'd expect for the first volume. There isn't much world building, and you are left to figure things out at your own pace. And there are things that we just don't know, and I look forward to uncovering those plot lines as this story unfolds. There's also this adorable fox. There so much I loved about this one, and if you are a cat person, you must get this one pronto. Delightful. Violent. Dark. Not for the kiddos. Rating: 4 stars.

Journal pages

Inspiration is where you find it. Junk mail in this case. This one just makes me happy.

Bedtime sketches while listening to the wisdom of #tarabrach. Anyone else a fan of this #podcast?

Recent Reads

93. A Bride's Story, Vol. 1
As a kid I was fascinated by stories of the Silk Road, so imagine my delight when I stumbled upon this Manga series set in Central Asia in the 19th century. This historical fiction graphic novel slowly reveals the culture, artifacts, and traditions of people we don't often get to read about.

The story itself centers around Amir Halgal, a young woman who finds herself married to a twelve year old boy, eight years younger than herself. Over the course of this book she settles into married life, and has to deal with cultural and familial differences in a new place while surrounded by strangers.

I loved so much about this book, but the art is what steals the show. Wonderfully detailed pen and ink illustrations that made me feel as if I was walking in Amir's world. I could feel the textures, taste the smells, hear the sounds, see the colors. I love Amir, and was delighted by how her new family treated her. If I have one complaint, it's that they were simply too nice and welcoming, but maybe that's just my jaded point of view.

This didn't get a higher rating because I had issues with some of the pacing, and inspite of the historical setting, there is no doubt that this is Japanese Manga, and all those big eyes can get a tad annoying. That being said, I'd highly recommend this one to anyone interested in learning about a different culture, and reading about a strong woman character in a world that is oh so Patriarchal. Wonderful. Rating: 4 stars.

94. A Bride's Story, Vol. 2
I'll keep this one short and not repeat all my gushing from my review of the first volume of this Manga series.

The art continues to be superb, the story is engaging, and I got used to all those huge Manga eyes. I love that this story educates about the culture without being heavy handed. Those scenes around the value of sewing, embroidery and dowry cloth are wonderful. Plus, we get introduced to more feisty female characters. Just loved everything about this one. Rating: 5 stars.

95. A Bride's Story, Vol. 3
This installment of life on the 19th century Silk Road has Mr. Smith making his way to Ankara. On the way he meets Talas, a young widow with an interesting and very sad history. Their lives get intertwined in ways neither expects.

It's easy to in this modern age to forget that we live in a patriarchal society as so much is not as overtly visible as in the past. Talas is another interesting character, though not as well developed as Amir, and her situation is very different as she has no man to "protect" her. I loved the relationship between Talas and her mother-in-law. A bit fairytale-ish I suppose, but lovely nonetheless.

The art continues to be fantastic. There isn't as much action in this one, though the market scenes with all that delish food had my mouth watering. After three volumes I'm still unsure about Mr. White. Is this white guy supposed to represent us the reader? Outsiders trying to make sense of a different culture? It was fun that characters we've met before make a cameo appearance, but this one is clearly focused on the lack of agency women have in the culture.

Am gobbling up these books. So good. Rating: 4 stars.

Journal pages

I've been sketching in bed right before I fall asleep. Taking a line for a walk is so soothing.

Cinemascope: Hidden Figures

Cinemascope is a regular blog post where I will share with you movies and TV shows I think are worth watching.



Released in 2016.

Plot line: Three brilliant African-American women at NASA -- Katherine Johnson (Taraji P. Henson), Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer) and Mary Jackson (Janelle Monáe) -- serve as the brains behind one of the greatest operations in history: the launch of astronaut John Glenn (Glen Powell) into orbit, a stunning achievement that restored the nation's confidence, turned around the Space Race and galvanized the world.

I have yet to read the book that this is adapted from, and plan to move it up my TBR. This is an interesting look at the contributions that women, women of color in particular, made to America's space program. It's about time stories like these are told on the big screen. It could have been tighter in parts, but I really enjoyed learning more about these women and their achievements.

You can see the trailer here. If you have yet to see it, this is a movie worth watching.

Recent Reads

90. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
This coming of age novel is targeted for a young adult audience, and while it won lots of awards, I didn't love it as much as I expected to.

Aristotle and Dante are two Mexican kids who meet one summer in El Paso, Texas. They are both loners, but don't really have much in common other than that. One teaches the other to swim and a friendship develops.

Let me start with the things I really liked about this novel. Firstly, I love that these types of stories now exist for teens, especially kids of color. There is quite a lot of teen angst, and I especially liked the exploration of the horror of hair growing in unexpected places. C'mon, we all went through that awkward phase, and it is well described here. I liked that both boys had a good relationship with one or both parents, which is somewhat rare in YA books and I found that quite refreshing. Also, I was interested in learning about the parents who would give their kids such names, for surely they are interesting people.

All that being said, I had quite a few issues with this one. I didn't like the pacing. It's hot. I'm bored. Nothing happens, and then bam something does. Oh wait, nothing happens again, until bam. Rinse. Repeat. While I think the author accurately captures what time feels like for a teen, it didn't make for a engaging reading experience. Lots of time nothing happens, or you're wondering where the story is going. And while I really liked the parent/child relationships depicted, and it's wonderful to read about such supportive families, it's more than a tad unrealistic in my experience. No one had any issues at all with what was going on? Really? I simply could not suspend my disbelief. After lots of nothing happening, the ending felt rushed and we only get a superficial view at that. The other issue I had was with the dialogue. Maybe teens do talk this way, but I wanted more. More talking, more depth, more reality I guess.

When you're a teen no-one has ever felt the way you do, and there is that sense of being the first person on the planet to ever feel this way. I liked this story, I especially liked Dante, and I want to join the Quintana family too. I liked that it explores diversity in a couple of ways, and hope it ends up in the hands of kids who need some light in the depth of their darkness. Rating: 3 stars.

91. The Crabby Condition (La Marche du Crabe #1)
A graphic novel about crabs? I'm in.

We think of evolution as inevitable, but what if you are a species that hasn't had to evolve for millennia? This cute and poignant story is told from the POV of three Cancer Simplicimus Vulgaris, or the square crab, who decide to try something radical one summer day. The art is wonderful, and I enjoyed the deeper exploration of rebelling against the straight and narrow and finding your own path. An informative and fun summer read, especially if you plan to spend some time on a beach. Rating: 3 stars.

92. Dragon's Breath: and Other True Stories
I'm one of those people that think that there are simply too many memoirs being published these days, but decided to try this one as the reviews were great. This graphic memoir is a collection of vignettes, and I appreciated the honesty of the author in the telling. I really liked the illustration style, especially how extraneous bits are simply left out. That sentiment carries over to the stories themselves. I enjoyed this collection while reading it, but a couple of weeks later find that none of the stories have stayed with me. Rating: 3 stars.