false 4 73 71 true 5986657 read 1 true 2448830 currently-reading 1 true 2448829 to-read 9 false 2452243 manga 6 false 2452238 graphic-novels 3 false 2452270 fantasy 3 false 2452236 favorite-authors 1 false 2452268 sci-fi 0 false 2452271 funny 0 false 2452276 classics http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/45833998 The Prince (Paperback) by Niccolò Machiavelli
bookshelves: currently-reading
]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/32599799 to: American Widow (Hardcover) by Alissa Torres
bookshelves: graphic-novels
To grieve the loss of a loved one is difficult enough, but to grieve in the world’s spotlight seems an unfathomable trial.

Writer Alissa Torres’ husband started his dream job Sept. 10, 2001, at the World Trade Center. The next day, he was gone. Torres was seven months pregnant. “American Widow” chronicles her despair, struggle and determination, holding nothing back. At times, it’s excruciating to read, because this is her life, and you feel it on every page, the unfiltered, raw emotion.

The artwork never overshadows the words, providing the perfect vessel for Torres’ story.

“American Widow” doesn’t bang any drums for patriotism, sympathy or a cause, either. After the initial outpouring of support, greed and bureaucracy began to choke the good will. Torres details the Red Cross’ incompetence at distributing funds, the government’s heartless “economic value” for the deceased, charities’ use of victims for publicity and the public’s compassion turning into suspicion and scorn.

Each challenge, she rises above, not to be a hero, but because she has to. Forget politicians, TV tributes or 21-gun salutes: Torres and artist Sungyoon Choi craft an honest, quiet memorial for a very personal loss felt round the world.
]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/22574257 to: Deja vu - Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter (Paperback) by Byung-Jun Byun
bookshelves: manga
Everyone's familiar with the tragedy of unrequited love thanks to Shakespeare. But imagine if Romeo and Juliet were re-incarnated and made to suffer the same star-crossed fate over and over again.
That's the premise of "Deja-Vu." Two young people fall in love but are torn apart spanning the centuries, from the mystical beginning of time to beyond the apocalypse.
Hopeless romantics won't be able to tear themselves away from this beautifully drawn manga. Each tale is captivating. And as an added bonus to an already wonderful read, two short stories from contributing artists round out the book -- both drawn in different styles, but both absorbing reads. ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/22574128 to: Hell Girl 1 (Paperback) by Miyuki Eto
bookshelves: manga
The typical revenge story usually goes something like this:
Nice person is wronged by some jerk. Nice person exposes jerk for the lowlife he or she is. Nice person is vindicated, justice served, and lives happily ever after.
Not so in "Hell Girl."
In these revenge vignettes, when a person is wronged -- blackmailed, sabotaged, disgraced -- she gets justice by logging on to the Hell Correspondence site at midnight and entering the name of the person they want dragged to Hell. Just when the victim is at her most desperate, Hell Girl appears and offers revenge, but at a heavy price: "To curse someone is to dig a double grave." Hell Girl will do the dirty work, but, in exchange, the victim's soul also will be condemned to eternal torment after death.
This first volume doesn't delve into the background of Hell Girl, who, by day, is a mild-mannered high school student. It's a tantalizing concept that I can only hope gets fleshed out in the second volume. Otherwise, all you're left with is the feeling that justice can't possibly be served by punishing the victim the same as the wrongdoer. But the desire to dig deeper into the storyline proves its allure. There's no way I'm going to skip volume 2. ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/22574023 to: Pet Shop of Horrors: Tokyo, Volume 1 (Paperback) by Matsuri Akino
bookshelves: manga
Last time the androgynous Count D made an appearance in manga, he packed up his pet shop in L.A.'s Chinatown after coming under suspicion for murder.
Now, he's opened up shop in Tokyo's Neo Chinatown. He not only sells common household pets, but those of an odder sort that sometimes transform into human form. People wander in, and he sets them up with their dream companions.
One "pet" helps a struggling single mother overcome her nightmares; another falls in love with its mob goon caretaker. It's sort of like the "Twilight Zone" monkey paw premise -- be careful what you wish for. The most chilling tale comes as a bonus at the end of volume 1, about Eva Braun's desire to become Hitler's wife.
Each of the tales weaves a unique storyline that avoids feeling repetitious, despite drawing from the same premise.
If you like twists and turns Rod Serling-style, Matsuri Akino's "Pet Shop of Horrors" should be right up your dark, foreboding alley. ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/22573669 to: Mouse Guard Volume One: Fall 1152 (Hardcover) by David Petersen
bookshelves: graphic-novels
Sincerity and simplicity are endangered concepts in much of today's fantasy offerings -- be they books, movies or games -- but "Mouse Guard" recalls the fare of my youth, like "Watership Down" and "The Secret of NIMH," where even the most unassuming creatures face epic trials of life and death and morality.
Think of it as a "Lord of the Rings" for mice, but instead of battling balrogs, these warrior mice struggle against snakes and crabs, and instead of Sauron and his minions, they combat treachery from within their fragile community.
"Mouse Guard" draws its magic from a rich lore lovingly construction by author and illustrator David Petersen. The sumptuous artwork glows with a warm color palette, as if the illustrations would drip from the pages, and the contrast of shadow and light make the images jump from the page.
The main protagonists -- the mice who safeguard the villages within the border -- aren't rendered cutesy or cartoony. Who would have thought so much expression could be portrayed with beady, little eyes and nearly featureless, fur-covered faces? Yet Petersen succeeds in conveying emotion.
The story reads all too brief, only because the world it inhabits seems as if it would have stories that could fill volumes. It's the perfect book for parents to share with their children and for fantasy fans of any age. ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/22573771 to: Princess Ai: Rumors from the Other Side Volume 1 (Paperback) by Misaho Kujiradou
bookshelves: manga
Fans of Princess Ai will get the full celebrity-tabloid treatment for their otherworldly winged rocker in this collection of short stories.
Just like a trashy gossip mag in the checkout aisle, these amusing vignettes are from the perspective of inside sources -- mostly characters from the original series, like Mika from the strip club and Kent's gay roommate Hikaru.
More than a dozen talented manga artists and writers contributed to this collection, each offering his or her unique style, which suits the skewed viewpoints perfectly. There's also a story by the original "Princess Ai" artist that gives fans a glimpse of how Ai's coping now that she's back home and away from boyfriend Kent.
"Rumors" should tide fans over nicely until "Princess Ai: The Prism of Midnight Dawn" comes out -- no date set as of yet. ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/22557858 to: Flight, Volume 1 (Paperback) by Kazu Kibuishi
bookshelves: graphic-novels
]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/22535366 to: The Left Hand of Darkness (Paperback) by Ursula K. Le Guin
bookshelves: fantasy, favorite-authors, sci-fi
Race, gender ... her imagination transcends all of it. She's a truly incredible mind. ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/22535376 to: The Lathe of Heaven (Paperback) by Ursula K. Le Guin
bookshelves: fantasy, favorite-authors
This was my first Ursula LeGuin title, and I've been hooked ever since. Enough said. ]]>