When a boy refuses to grow up, he visits the monsters. When a boy needs to grow up, the monster comes to him.
The clock hits 12:07AM and Con...moreWhen a boy refuses to grow up, he visits the monsters. When a boy needs to grow up, the monster comes to him.
The clock hits 12:07AM and Conor O'Malley is visited by a Monster, but it's not the one he was expecting. This isn't the monster from his nightmare. It's not the monster that's slowly taking his mother's life. This monster is here because Conor unwittingly called upon him.
Taking a story idea from the late Siobhan Dowd, Patrick Ness has created a most memorable monster. A Monster Calls is horrific, harrowing tale of a thirteen-year-old boy being forced to grow up as he watches his mother slowly succumb cancer. When the monster awakens him at 12:07AM, Conor doesn't get what he expects. Instead of the punishment he longs for, the monster comes bearing three tales and expecting the fourth tale to come form Conor's lips. The monster wants the truth, Conor's truth. But is Conor ready to accept his fears and admit what his nightmare really holds?
I know it's stereotype to think that a juvenile book contains no merit - even though I dislike J.K. Rowling, I will admit that Harry Potter holds some weight in the world of literature - A Monster Calls is the most powerful novel I've read this year thus far. It outmatches anything I read last year, as well. It's a curiosity on how Siobhan Dowd would have written it had she not passed on, but Patrick Ness doesn't fail in giving us this masterpiece. The illustrations within the book are beautiful in that haunting sort of way. (less)
Let's be honest: If not for the fact that I work in the Children's Department of the local library, I would have never picked up a copy of Brian Selzn...moreLet's be honest: If not for the fact that I work in the Children's Department of the local library, I would have never picked up a copy of Brian Selznick's Wonderstruck. I would have not paid $16 dollars - that's $14 off cover price - for this insanely thick children's book. I may not have even beaten myself over the fact that it took me four days to read rather than the one night/one morning time span it should've taken me (my eyes do get tired). However, I can't say I didn't enjoy the book. Hell, it might be a brick but it's still a damn good book.
The novel follows to characters. Ben, a partially deaf boy who becomes fully deaf after an accident during an electrical storm and recently suffered the loss of his mother after a car accident; and, Rose, a young deaf girl who dreams of escaping her father's house in order to find a place in the world. The two stories are set fifty years apart - Ben's taking place in the 70's while Rose lives in the 20's.
Having never read anything by Selznick before - and if the price of this book is any reflection, it'll take another mandatory reading to get me to pick up anything by him - I don't know much about his style. Whether or not The Invention of the Hugo Cabret follows the similar structure is beyond me. See Ben's story is told through conventional storytelling - you know, with words - while Rose's story takes a more primal spin - with pictures.
It's a sweet story of two kids looking for their place in the world with a mixture of pop culture, Deaf culture, arts, history, and nature. The art work is beautiful and its detail is breath taking. Selznick has a way to keep his readers captivated and wanting more, while dropping subtle clues as it leads you down the path.(less)
If you haven't been keeping up, I work at the children's department of the local library. One of the perks that's stapled to the job is getting to see...moreIf you haven't been keeping up, I work at the children's department of the local library. One of the perks that's stapled to the job is getting to see the new book arrivals. Some of these are reminiscent of my childhood - I recently green dotted a copy of Horrible Harry and the Ant Invasion, which is actually packed somewhere in this house - and others just bring the child out of me. Enter Binky, space cat.
Binky and I only became acquainted recently. And if what Ashley Spires presents in Binky Under Pressure reflects anything in the other books, then I hope the department has the other books (I found out today that we have Binky the Space Cat, but not Binky to the Rescue - though that latter just might not be on the shelves as I didn't browse the card catalog).
Binky is a great space cat. He remembers his exploration into outer space fondly. And while space was fun, he couldn't imagine leaving his humans. Still, he protects his space station from the alien invaders that attempt break in.
Enter a new invader: Gracie. Another cat moving into Binky's territory, eating his food, stealing HIS best friend! Binky. Must. Bring. It. But Gracie isn't all that she appears - is she a friend or foe?
It's a fun read. I'm even sure your kids will love it.(less)
A murder mystery unfolds in the turn of the century England as a party awaits a war hero...ZAP! A disgruntled writer plots revenge on a fellow word cr...moreA murder mystery unfolds in the turn of the century England as a party awaits a war hero...ZAP! A disgruntled writer plots revenge on a fellow word craftsman steals and publishes his life story...ZAP! The classic Shakespearean play, Richard III begins...ZAP! A Russian woman is dragged to live in her...ZAP! A one woman show, performance art...ZAP! A couple sees it as no big deal when they find a corpse...ZAP! An artist plots to run away from his Southern home while his grandmother...ZAP!
So is the play by Paul Fleischman, which seems to stem from a conversation I had with my co-worker one afternoon about how short my attention span has become when watching movies on television. And that's just the idea of the play, isn't it not? How we continually flip channels during commercial breaks or during the most important parts of a movie or TV series just to see what's on the other channel? Theatre is dying and television is the box they'll bury it in.
It's a different high school play and quite the humorous read - reminiscent of Noises Off at some scenes. It starts off with something experimental, a play controlled by the audience. The idea is to give the audience remote controls to "change the channel" at any given time. A computer in the back will tally up the number of times a change is requested and when a sufficient number is hit - ZAP! - the play changes. Cramming seven plays into one single piece, Paul Fleischman not only keeps us entertain but holds a mirror to ourselves, examining how disenchanted and jaded we've become with the arts.
Zap is a must for every high school aged student and drama teacher. (less)
"Sometimes in this life, you get a moment, a time when everything lines up. When anything is possible. When suddenly you can make things happen. ...more"Sometimes in this life, you get a moment, a time when everything lines up. When anything is possible. When suddenly you can make things happen. God help us if we take that moment. And God forgive us if we don't."
Those are the words we deserved to hear on the big screen, instead we got X-Men: First Class. Not that I'm comparing standing up against the S.S. men during the holocaust to a mediocre movie. It's nothing like that. As a fan of the X-Men franchise, I feel we deserved something better. Something that helped us understand Magneto's anger. After reading Greg Pak's story in X-Men: Magneto Testament, I say that we finally have it. However, the miniseries was overlooked. It still deserves a adaptation of its own. Maybe not for the big screen, but for the small screen. A direct-to-DVD animated film. Something to think about.
The five-part miniseries that chronicles Max Esienhardt's life during the most horrific time in human history. From being mistreated because he was a Jew in an all Aryan school to witnessing the murder of his family to finally taking a stand against the monsters who stole his childhood away from him. Di Giandomenico's art work captures emotions - though, at some points, it's hard to decipher one character from the next, even Max's love interest, Magda, looks similar to Max.
That aside, the story and art play off each other when it comes to the emotions. Even in the happier panels in the first chapter are dreary and dark. There is little room for happiness in this story. And the grains that we received are treasured.
The graphic novel also includes historical notes and pointers, even adding a section to use the story as a text book. It's more than just a comic book, I should say.(less)
Very few people are original these days when it comes to old mythos. Rarely do I see any evolution of fantastical creatures of old lore, so it's alway...moreVery few people are original these days when it comes to old mythos. Rarely do I see any evolution of fantastical creatures of old lore, so it's always refreshing to see a new take on something familiar. We're in the age of the undead - be it zombies returning to pay homage to our society, or vampires representing civil movements. However, if all you're adding to a mythos is talking zombies or vampires who sparkle in the sun, then you're clearly missing the point of evolution. Rather than evolving the creatures, you're simply dumbing them down to fit your homage to nothing. You should've written fanfiction instead. Though, even fanfiction adds to the mythos rather than raping it - yes, even the homoeroticism of every fanfiction adds more to the mythology than Mormon-esque philosophy and horny teenagers.
For most of their existence, vampires have been shrouded in darkness. Very few people have attempted to change that - day-walkers weren't scary enough, or thrilling enough (or sparkly enough, apparently). They are always placed in dank, dark locations because that's how it's always been. With the obvious exception of Anne Rice's existential vampires, who seem to find sunny areas like California and Miami quite alluring, even though they still only come out at night.
In American Vampire, writers Scott Synder and Stephen King offer us something new for us to sink our fangs in. Blending the old Euro Vampires - you know, the fancy dressed ones who hate the sun - with a "new vampire for a new century."
Blending the last years of the Wild West with 1920s America, the story follows the origin of the American Vampire and the war brewing between the old and the new. Stephen King focuses on the origin story, following outlaw Skinner Sweet as he descends into the well-lit realms of the American vampire as the Euro Vampires stand in shock of the abomination that is their bloodline. As Skinner Sweet tears through the new the century seeking revenge, he realizes the old west he once knew is coming to an end; meanwhile, lawman James Book is hot on his trail, seeking retribution of his own and hoping to put Sweet in his grave for good. Meanwhile, Scott Synder focuses on the twentieth century vampire and Skinner Sweet creation, Pearl Jones. The ambitious young actress is lured into her grave by her fading hopes of becoming a well-known actress. It's Skinner Sweet who brings her back from the dead in hopes that she will aid him in the destruction of those who made him what he is. Pearl seeks vengeance of her own on the Euro Vampires, killing them one at a time. The war is far from over in the conclusion of the first volume, as figures from Sweet's past return to finish what Book couldn't do.
The first volume is well thought out, and the characters are amazing. The fact that it blends two of my favorite time-periods is just the added bonus. The fact that something so well crafted by Stephen King has actually reached my eyes - let's remember my love/hate relationship with the writer - gives me goosebumps and keeps me wanting more.(less)
It's simple math, isn't it? Start off with Rachel Kramer Bussel, add in Susie Bright, mix in the sex and you have yourself Best Sex Writing 2012. ...moreIt's simple math, isn't it? Start off with Rachel Kramer Bussel, add in Susie Bright, mix in the sex and you have yourself Best Sex Writing 2012.
Susie Bright selected the best of the best of the year passed, and her ability to read and choose has not waned since her departure from - and the untimely death of - The Best American Erotica. And Rachel Kramer Bussel is equally awesome.
The collection contains articles, essays, and pieces by Thomas Roche, Amber Dawn, Joan Price, Marty Klein, Susie Bright, and Rachel Kramer Bussel. The wind range of topics extends (no pun intended) the idiocy behind banning circumcision to rape culture to growing up queer in the Meatpacking District.
In Marty Klein's piece, "Criminalizing Circumcision: Self-Hatred as Public Policy," follows San Francisco's insane idea to outlaw circumcision in infants. It's the first - can I call it pro-circumcision? - positive circumcision piece I've read. It addresses the myths that anti-circumcision "activists" tout, and explains that any "physical" lacking a circumcised man feels is strictly psychological.
In "Losing the Meatpacking District: A Queer History of Leather Culture," Abby Tallmer reminiscences about growing up in the Meatpacking District in the midst of the queer and leather nightclubs, reminding us to never take our presents for granted because they can simply be erased.
Both Susie Bright and Thomas Roche pieces attack the laughable "news reporting" of major newspapers that fail at fact checking and op-eds how the media fails our sexual society by filling people's minds with the Christian Right-wing agenda.
Greta Christiana, on the other hand, reports how a secular lifestyle might improve your sex life over a religious one. In "Atheists Do It Better: Why Leaving Religion Leads to Better Sex," we learn that secular households tend to do it, well, better. Not only in the bedroom, but with raising children, as well. (You'll have to read the piece.)
"Grief, Resilience, and My 66th Birthday Gift" teaches us the sex life of an older woman and author, Joan Price. From finding someone to spend her life with, to the dynamic of her sex life to the grief she felt when he passed to regaining her sexual self afterward. The piece is possibly the best in the collection - in my humble opinion, anyway.
All in all, Best Sex Writing 2012 is worth the read and a place on your shelf or e-reader.(less)
As part of their Cyber Monday sale, Amazon priced the Kindle edition of Go the F**k to Sleep around a buck or so. Of course, I bought it. And, of cour...moreAs part of their Cyber Monday sale, Amazon priced the Kindle edition of Go the F**k to Sleep around a buck or so. Of course, I bought it. And, of course, I regretted.
While the book itself is downright hilarious - no, wait. There is no real term for how funny this book really is - the Kindle version is a miss. I can only imagine that the format works better on a Kindle Fire rather than the plain ol' black and white Kindle.
It's a fun read for adults. Because I'm a soon-to-be parent, I thought it was a nice preparation for what it's in store for me. However, I am not, under any circumstance, to read this book to my son - yes, it's a boy!!! - when putting him to bed.
"We become them!" exclaims a beat-up Rick Grimes. "You think we hide behind walls to protect us from the walking dead! Don't you get it...more"We become them!" exclaims a beat-up Rick Grimes. "You think we hide behind walls to protect us from the walking dead! Don't you get it? We are the walking dead!" As much as I've hated Robert Kirkman's inability to tell a great story, I have to admit it that the six issues collected in the fourth volume of The Walking Dead series is the best thus far. We're finally hitting the primal instinct, the savage within all the characters that had laid dormant until the last panels feature Rick's realization and damning all hopes out of the everyone's mind. Unlike his television alter ego - though you can see it peeking through with the mid-season finale when he guns down the child-zombie - the comic series Rick knows what lays in wait. He's accepted that the world order that we've grown accustomed to is over. There isn't much of any hope left and all that there is left to do is survive.
Any zombie enthusiast will tell you that zombies are only plays a small horror percentage in the story. Most of the horror comes not from the flesh eating creatures, but from humanity. Or the fall of it. The reason why The Walking Dead bothered me so much is that it never shone through. Sure, with Shane going mental in the first book and Hershel's damning naivete have pushed the story through, it was never enough to actually do much of anything. And like any plot device, it was quickly extinguished. Snubbed out.
With Rick's fall - or delightenment (as oppose to enlightenment) at the tail-end of issue #24, the actual horror can begin - I just hope that Kirkman can continue it with such grace. (less)
"Today, I recognize that being human is the greatest adventure of all. And being a parent is the best part of that adventure," David Gerrold...more"Today, I recognize that being human is the greatest adventure of all. And being a parent is the best part of that adventure," David Gerrold writes in the afterward of the Kindle edition of The Martian Child - an autobiographical piece about his adoptive son. "[A]nyone who hasn't experienced that hasn't finished the job of learning how to be human."
I caught the film adaptation Thursday morning, staying up until three to watch it - after baking pies all Wednesday night for Thanksgiving, I needed some quiet time with the TV and my eyes were too heavy for book reading. The film stars John Cusack as science fiction writer David Gordon - the straight version of David Gerrold, the author of the novelette turned novel turned film (not really sure which order that falls in, though). And like with most movies I fall in love with, I instantly wonder whether or not there was a book before hand. Even before the film was rolling its credits, I had downloaded the novelette to my Kindle - one can never be sure if you'll like the writer's style, so I opted for the novelette rather than the novel. The fact that it was under $4 also didn't hurt.
David Gerrold's writer, as I learned, is marvelous. There's a certain wit that most writers lack these days - whatever happened to them, I wonder. The story's a great, short read and I do look forward to purchasing the novel the moment I have placed this story behind me - if it's too familiar, I tend to lose interest in a story. Also, I'd want a hard copy of the book so I can lug it around to show people what I'm reading.
As a soon-to-be father, I feel that I can relate - sort of. Aren't all children aliens to new parents? And while I hope my little bundle of joy doesn't grow up to think she's a Martian, I do hope she is blessed with such a wonderful imagination, one that puts my childhood antics to shame.
It's a must read for all parents, new, old and adoptive. And I hope to learn as much from my child that David Gerrold learned from his.(less)
So the tension finally begins to build. Still Robert Kirkman's ability to tell a story that keeps the reader on the edge of the seat is nearly lacking...moreSo the tension finally begins to build. Still Robert Kirkman's ability to tell a story that keeps the reader on the edge of the seat is nearly lacking. No big deal - as long as Charlie Adlard continues with his wonderful artwork, we can ignore Kirkman's inability.
The clan occupies a prison in this one - joining up with few survivors who were locked inside. It seems that the days of traveling across the post-apocalyptic country is behind them all. But inviting new people into your life leaves a gap in your security plan. It's a lesson Rick and the other will learn the hard way.
Blandness aside, the story gets a tad interesting when non-zombie murders begin. However, much to Kirkman's disadvantage, the fact that there are only so many people secured in the prison limits the number of victims the killer can take. The subplot is resolved within rather quickly. We're getting a peek at humanity - human nature? - during the apocalypse, which makes for better story telling. However, the writer obviously doesn't know what to do with all this psychology he's introducing. In the end, the third volume of The Walking Dead series falls short of a worthwhile read. I'm only hoping that the story deeps and the tension rises with the next set of volumes. Otherwise, how people enjoy this series so much will be forever lost on me.(less)
**spoiler alert** "What else am I going to do? Retire and play golf?" Batman ponders in the finite infinite moments, just before the last ga...more**spoiler alert** "What else am I going to do? Retire and play golf?" Batman ponders in the finite infinite moments, just before the last gasp - for most of us - shudders through the body, taking all life with it. "I doesn't work that way. It can't. I fight until I drop. And one day, I will drop." But are these flashes a mere near death experience, or is this the real thing? Has the Dark Knight succumbed to the inevitable? Because, in reality - comic book and real life - nothing lasts forever, not even the hero. Yet Batman has defined all the odds - his back has been broken. He's been shot. He's been framed. Brainwashed. Blown up. Seen his apprentice murdered only to rise again. Then again, hasn't the Dark Knight been dead before? Hasn't he risen again? And will the process not occur again and again in the infinite loop?
Neil Gaiman has given us a chilling tale of the Dark Knight's funeral and all those in his life is in attendance. From his closest friend and butler, Alfred Pennyworth, to his greatest nemesis, the Joker. The first chapter - originally published in Batman #686 - tells two stories of the his death. One at the hands of former Catwoman, Selina Kyle. And the other, tells a rather different take of the Dark Knight's legacy, having Alfred Pennyworth hiring several of his former acting buddies to masquerade as the villains we know and love - with Alfred playing the Joker. In the end, Batman dies by a gunshot wound.
The second chapter - originally published in Detective Comics #853 - clues you in the other deaths of the Dark Knight - as told by the Joker, Robin - Dick Grayson - Superman, Harvey Bullock, Clayface among others. Meanwhile, Batman is led through the abyss of memories and the in between by his mother, who - sadden - states, "No matter how many lives you save, you can't bring us back."
Neil Gaiman and Andy Kubert manage to combine several versions of our hero into two issues, nodding to woks by others who have molded and rewritten the Batman canon. Not only do they give an ending to Dark Knight's mythos, but rewind it to the very beginning - "You don't get Heaven or Hell," his mother explains. "Do you know the only reward you get for being Batman? You get to be Batman."
The trade includes Andy Kubert's sketchbook, as well as, other stories written by Gaiman. "A Black and White World" has Batman and the Joker living in a comic book world - as in, actors playing roles. In "Pavane," tells the intoxicating story of Poison Ivy's beginnings and the depths of her seduction. A group of edgy journalists attempt to bring the human side of the masked villains of Gotham within the pages of "Original Sins" and "When is a Door." The team digs deep, attempting to find the madman himself, the Joker. But as the saying goes, don't go looking for the Joker because the Joke will find you.
An all around great read - Gaiman at his best, you may say. And Andy Kubert's art as a homage to those who came before him is spectacular.(less)
Rachel Kramer Bussel - editor of books like Please, Sir and the upcoming, Best Sex Writing 2012 - returns with a collection of dark delights for those...moreRachel Kramer Bussel - editor of books like Please, Sir and the upcoming, Best Sex Writing 2012 - returns with a collection of dark delights for those of us who take a walk on the wild side and those who want to venture there. Best Bondage Erotica 2012 is not for the faint of heart or the sensitive, but for those who want to add a little more spice into their lives. The stories presented here are easily adapted to real life scenarios, so don't just think of it as a collection of well written erotica by some of the best writers of the genre; instead, think of it as an instruction manual - Intro to Bondage.
In Teresa Noelle Roberts's "Suffer for Me," we learn that bondage isn't just rope and leather. That our restraints can be mental as well as physical. We also learn that being climatically controlled can cause the same yearning arousal that handcuffs and servitude bring. And best of all, it also teaches us to remember that tingling sensation of concentrated lust time and again.
In "Melting Ice," Shoshanna Evers informs us that a bondage fantasy doesn't have to have two people. A pair of handcuffs and an ice cube is all Amanda Scott needs to get rocks off.
Kay Jaybee pushes us further from just experimenting with the kinkier side of sex in "The Cupboard Under the Stairs," when a dominate invites someone else into their sex chamber.
And Elizabeth Silver brings in the gothier side of BDSM in "Laced," as a bartender sees a friend in a light he's never seen him before.
Each story is carefully crafted to yank on our lusts (no pun intended - or perhaps it is) and I can imagine Bussel having a hard time to select which to use. Collected here, however, are the best bondage erotica that the year has to offer. I'm on the edge to see what's in store for next year.(less)
There was also the shed of hope that, as the story progressed, I'd open up to Kirkman. Or at least, he'd improved. With The Walking Dead Vol. 2: Miles...moreThere was also the shed of hope that, as the story progressed, I'd open up to Kirkman. Or at least, he'd improved. With The Walking Dead Vol. 2: Miles Behind Us - which collects issues #7-12 - Kirkman gets wordier. It's like during the zombie holocaust, everyone's vying to say the most. How do I put this? You know when you're in a room with someone who just like the sound of his own voice and a lot of what he says serves no true purpose or carries any depth? Or perhaps, you're in a room with someone and the silence has stretched out so long - or in order to prevent the silence from stretching - that you just have to say something - anything - just to keep the awkwardness from building up? Yeah. That's every single one of Kirkman's characters.
Tony Moore - who was responsible for the art in the first six - dropped out of the project after issue six, continuing to create the cover art. His replacement, Charlie Adlard, is suitable, making the characters his own, rather than attempting to copy Moore's style. Sadly, not even Adlard's art could save volume 2 for me. My fear is to what depths volume 3 will take me.(less)
Now that season two is four episodes deep, I decided it was high time that I read the comic series. For those of you who don't know, the television se...moreNow that season two is four episodes deep, I decided it was high time that I read the comic series. For those of you who don't know, the television series deviates greatly from the original graphic novel story. Spoilers aside, some characters don't ever leave the original campsite.
I stepped in this one with caution - meaning, I didn't go out and buy any of The Walking Dead books - because Robert Kirkman storytelling bores the crap out of me. Much like Marvel Zombies, Kirkman takes a brilliant idea and finds a way to dull it out, and toss in things from left field. Makes me happy that the television series gives a little more back story to our characters, making them three dimensional rather than the shells of people Kirkman created. Storytelling over boring us, people.
Tony Moore's art, on the other hand, is great. His zombies are dead on and the characters hold a wide range of emotions. If anything, buy the first book - issues #1-6 - Days Gone Bye just for Moore's art work. (less)
"The first duty of a storyteller is to tell a story." Katurian is confused. Perhaps it's, "The only duty of a storyteller is to tell a ...more"The first duty of a storyteller is to tell a story." Katurian is confused. Perhaps it's, "The only duty of a storyteller is to tell a story." Can it be both? Do stories hold more than what they offer? Ever talk to an English major? Ever ask the same question to someone in the math department? The answers will vary. Is it up to the writer to leave messages, reasons, symbols, explanations, statements, philosophies, etc. within his stories? Or is it solely the reader's duty to find the scripture?
In his play, The Pillowman, Martin McDongah leaves it up to us to decide. Or not to decide. Or rather, forces upon us to see what might lay upon the page. But his character, Katurian warns us - what we read upon the page might always be true. Nor what we see with our eyes.
The story opens with Katurian sitting in an interrogation room with hot tempered Ariel and collected Tupolski. He doesn't know why he's there in the first place - perhaps some read into his short stories, seeing political insults towards the country. He hopes he can clear up any misunderstanding. What he doesn't know is that his dark stories are linked toward the grizzly deaths of two children and one missing girl. And the police are dead certain and Katurian and his brother Michal are behind it all.
Bold, dark and hauntingly beautiful, The Pillowman will grab your attention by the short hairs and lead you down its wicked little path, never allowing you to lose focus on the purpose - what exactly makes a man a monster?
The twists and turns of the story keep you moving forward. I sorta wish I could see a live performance of the play - anyone know where I can find a recording? - especially the version in which Jeff Goldblum portrays Tupolski. (less)
"Ireland America was never Ireland America to me." It's Langston Hughes rewritten, but the message works an ocean away from Harlem. And that...more"Ireland America was never Ireland America to me." It's Langston Hughes rewritten, but the message works an ocean away from Harlem. And that's what drew me into Roddy Doyle's stories. Racism isn't just an American issue, nor is immigration. I'm sure the world will like to think so, but Doyle has painted a clear picture that it's not. But it's those topics that hit home. That made these stories memorable.
The book collects nine stories - eight of which are set in Ireland, one in New York - and each deals with the xenophobia\racism of a nation.
The title story is a sequel of sorts to Doyle's novel, The Commitments, in which Jimmy Rabbitte decides it's high time for another band. No whites, he wants to write in the ad. In fact, that's part of the interview. Do you like the Corrs? Are you sure you're not white? With a rag tag of immigrants, Jimmy decides that the name of this new band is The Deportees and they will sing folk songs rather than soul.
"The Pram," a Polish nanny decides to seek revenge on her troublesome charges, two daughters who seemingly sabotage her romantic life, by telling them a ghastly story. Only the hauntings enter her waking life rather than their nightmares. The story echoes The Turning of the Screw with a slightly different ending.
In "Guess Who's Coming for the Dinner," a liberal-thinking father is faced with the fact that one of his daughters might be seeing a black man. How he acts surprises him and his family. Luckily, they're there to make sure he doesn't embarrass himself.
A group of teenagers shine some light on racism and stereotypes at local shops and how it hurts the stores financially in "Black Hoodie."
The Deportees and Other Stories is an eye opener at the state that we're in. Cross out Ireland and Irish and replace with America and American, and you'll see how this stories echoes across the sea. It makes the reader take a side step and evaluate how low we've come as a people by refuses others the seem benefits and dreams that we hold close to our hearts.(less)
**spoiler alert** Darkly dreaming, dashingly devious Dexter is back and finding himself in a load of trouble. Someone witnessed him at play and is now...more**spoiler alert** Darkly dreaming, dashingly devious Dexter is back and finding himself in a load of trouble. Someone witnessed him at play and is now making his life hell. Much like Dexter, this Shadow has decided it his moral duty to punish the wicked, copying Dexter's trade step by step. Worse of all, he's not picking up his mess. Instead, he's leaving it in plain sight and pinning evidence of Dexter's dark delights on the scene. This is all the ammunition needed to send Doakes gunning for Dexter's head once and for all. But Dexter's not one to give up so easily. Question is, how do you defeat an enemy who's seemingly one step ahead of you?
There are several complaints with Lindsay's Dexter in every novel in the series. From the outlandish paranormal Dark Passenger to the fact that Dexter never carries out the final deed himself. That's not to say the TV series is without its flaws - why is LaGuerta still alive, for instance - but the flaws (in my eyes, anyway) of the novel series always bothers me more. Like Doakes. How is he still around after he's been de-limbed, de-tongued and pretty much a walking spud with hooks for hands? And while Astor and Cody are lovely little monsters, how is it that Astor's going through all the typical growing girl stages while Cody hasn't even aged - still with this three-word sentences? I'm not asking for Shakespeare here, but the kid's gotta come out of his shell sometime.
Without giving too many details away, there are a few things that pulled my strings of annoyance. Rita's suspicions and how quickly they are ratified. The odd coincidence of Camilla Figg's relationship to the plot. Astor's typical teenage girl act, even though she's supposedly a Dexter-in-training (a little too human, isn't it?).
A few nice touches include the fact that Dexter is not following a kindred spirit as his Shadow doesn't trigger any warnings from the Dark Passenger. The idea of someone mimicking Dexter while stalking him is also bold - Dexter's been stalked before Dexter by Design, but this is quite another level. In fact, next to Dr. Danco, Shadow is the sort of bad guy I wouldn't mind seeing adapted on the TV show. Doakes's probable departure also raises my hopes for the future, though not in the way that would've made me smile.(less)
Question the narrator of Imperial Bedrooms - Bret Easton Ellis's follow up to his cult novel, Less Than Zero - because you've been duped before. In Le...moreQuestion the narrator of Imperial Bedrooms - Bret Easton Ellis's follow up to his cult novel, Less Than Zero - because you've been duped before. In Less Than Zero, we're led to believe Clay's the one at the helm. He's writing the story as it happens. Imperial Bedrooms, on the other hand, opens with Clay - once again - narrating: "They had made a movie about us. The movie was based on a book written by someone we knew." Clay describes the book and the movie and the differences between the both. "The book was blunt and had an honesty about it, whereas the movie was just a beautiful lie," he says. We share the same feelings for the novel and its cinematic counterpart, "The movie was begging for our sympathy whereas the book didn't give a shit."
And the book still doesn't give a shit. Adapt that, Hollywood!
Less Than Zero is to first year of college as Imperial Bedrooms is to mid-life crisis. Is that accurate? In Less Than Zero, we're forced to see that things change. People change. And college is the enforcer of this change for many of us. Some of us become nostalgic, others become cold and jaded. And those who become come cold and jaded grow up to be Hollywood producers, writers, directors, actors, pimps, schemers, executives, and whore mongers. They use people for their own sexual gratification, whispering - not sweet nothings - spectacular promises that one can never hold on to.
Has Clay grown up? Has he matured? No. Not in the least. Rather than evolving, he's become less than he was in Less Than Zero. Has Julian learned from his time as a hustler, working for Finn? No. Instead, he becomes the pimp. Has Blair learned not to pursue Clay? No.
And much like the film of Less Than Zero, Rip plays the villain. Julian owes him a ton of money. Julian is his little project. And Clay is forced to realize that he has been given the same opportunity that his fictional counterpart was given on the big screen. He has the power to be a friend. To bail Julian out of troubled waters.
The novel shines a light on our darker selves, examining the people we can be and the people we choose to be.(less)
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