Anna Frost's Blog, page 8
March 28, 2013
Amazon Buys Goodreads: Everybody Panics
Like a lot of other people, I'm not especially happy about Amazon getting its paws on Goodreads. Amazon only cares about sales and keeps bad practices such as removing low-star reviews because the author complained and ignoring blatant instances of mass fake reviews. As an independent reader community, Goodreads was far more trustworthy. Now, I don't know.
I suppose we can only wait and see what they do.
I suppose we can only wait and see what they do.
Art Day: Wire Bonsai
I love finding something new and unexpected. Here we have an amazing artist who makes tiny bonsai trees with wire. Here's a gorgeous tiny one:
Micro Wire bonsai tree by Ken To by *KenToArt on deviantART There's a bigger one on his website that I adore.
Micro Wire bonsai tree by Ken To by *KenToArt on deviantART There's a bigger one on his website that I adore.
March 22, 2013
Japanese Dystopia vs American Dystopia
I've been watching some interesting shows lately and I think I'm on to something. In an American dystopia, the hero almost inevitably ends up rebelling and fighting against the system because it's evil and wrong and omg it must be brought down. In a Japanese dystopia, the system may be evil and wrong, but it may also be justified enough that the hero choses to NOT overthrow it, because not having it would be worse for society. I think these different approaches illustrate the difference between a society hellbent on individuality and freedom (America) and one hellbent on prioritizing the well-being of society as a whole (Japan). I'd need more data to be certain this is a trend, but it makes sense to me. I'm going to talk about two recent shows that fit this pattern.
In Shin Sekai Yori (From the New World), children who do not meet certain standards are ruthlessly eliminated. There's logical reasons for this, and while the main character hates everything she finds out about the system, she seems to think there's no better way. The ending even has a "the evil we do is totally justified!" vibe to it.
I found the first half of Shin Sekai Yori absolutely amazing, but I don't really like the direction it took later on. It stopped being about tension, mysteries, and plot twists and just turned into an adventure. You can also tell it's based on a book because of the time jumps in the future: they start as kids, grown into teens, and then into adults. I like that everybody seems to be bisexual. The main character is in a lesbian relationship but she's also crushing on a boy who is in a gay relationship.
Psycho-Pass is set in a world with a system that can determine your "crime coefficient," which is more or less the odds that you're going to turn into a criminal. If your number goes up too far, they lock you up in a rehabilitation center. When the heroine discovers the secret behind the system, she's shocked and angry but still believes that bringing down the system would cause greater harm to society than letting it continue.
Psycho-Pass is more enjoyable than Shin Sekai Yori because it remains the same kind of story throughout and keeps moving things along. The story follows a group of law officers catching murderers who snapped before they were caught by the system and/or who found ways to hide their crime coefficient. The main villain is a criminal who can fool the system perfectly. It is due to his actions that the main character discovers what's behind the system. Bonus: the only relationship portrayed is a lesbian one between minor characters.
Shin Sekai Yori can be watched on Crunchyroll and Psycho-Pass is available on Hulu. Note that while Shin Sekai Yori is pretty YA, Psycho-Pass is an adult show and contains a fair bit of violence.
In Shin Sekai Yori (From the New World), children who do not meet certain standards are ruthlessly eliminated. There's logical reasons for this, and while the main character hates everything she finds out about the system, she seems to think there's no better way. The ending even has a "the evil we do is totally justified!" vibe to it.I found the first half of Shin Sekai Yori absolutely amazing, but I don't really like the direction it took later on. It stopped being about tension, mysteries, and plot twists and just turned into an adventure. You can also tell it's based on a book because of the time jumps in the future: they start as kids, grown into teens, and then into adults. I like that everybody seems to be bisexual. The main character is in a lesbian relationship but she's also crushing on a boy who is in a gay relationship.
Psycho-Pass is set in a world with a system that can determine your "crime coefficient," which is more or less the odds that you're going to turn into a criminal. If your number goes up too far, they lock you up in a rehabilitation center. When the heroine discovers the secret behind the system, she's shocked and angry but still believes that bringing down the system would cause greater harm to society than letting it continue.Psycho-Pass is more enjoyable than Shin Sekai Yori because it remains the same kind of story throughout and keeps moving things along. The story follows a group of law officers catching murderers who snapped before they were caught by the system and/or who found ways to hide their crime coefficient. The main villain is a criminal who can fool the system perfectly. It is due to his actions that the main character discovers what's behind the system. Bonus: the only relationship portrayed is a lesbian one between minor characters.
Shin Sekai Yori can be watched on Crunchyroll and Psycho-Pass is available on Hulu. Note that while Shin Sekai Yori is pretty YA, Psycho-Pass is an adult show and contains a fair bit of violence.
March 15, 2013
Book Rec: Parrotfish
Angela Katz-McNair has never felt quite right as a girl. Her whole life is leading up to the day she decides to become Grady, a guy. While coming out as transgendered feels right to Grady, he isn't prepared for the reaction he gets from everyone else. His mother is upset, his younger sister is mortified, and his best friend, Eve, won't acknowledge him in public. Why can't people just let Grady be himself?Grady's life is miserable until he finds friends in some unexpected places -- like the school geek, Sebastian, who explains that there is precedent in the natural world (parrotfish change gender when they need to, and the newly male fish are the alpha males), and Kita, a senior who might just be Grady's first love.
The Good:
"Issue" books like this can come across as preachy, but this one manages to express the problems transgender teens face without being obnoxious about it. It does this with a decent plot and a variety of different characters. Sebastian is my favourite because he's such a little geek.
The Meh:
It feels short. I finished it in under 3 hours and I reached the ending feeling like I hadn't had enough time to get to know the secondary characters.
The Picky:
Contemporary books don't have much of a choice because this is how modern life is for most teens, but I still don't like books that take place in school. It gives me the impression I'm reading the same book over and over again.
Overall:
Books like this are important. They can help confused teens understand themselves a little better and help everybody else understand what being transgendered means and how hard it can be. People who already know about transgenderism and associated issues may not find it especially engrossing though.
March 7, 2013
Comic Rec: The Fox Sister
I just found a delightful online comic called The Fox Sister. It's about a girl whose older sister becomes possessed by a Korean kumiho, a nine-tailed fox that likes to eat men's hearts and livers. Japanese fox shifters can be good or evil or in between, but it looks like the Korean version is pretty much always evil.
Be warned the murders are a little bit graphic, so it's not kid-friendly but it's fine for teens. Gorgeous art, too.
Check it out at: www.thefoxsister.com
(Deep question of the day: kitsune vs kumiho: who wins? They both like to turn into women, so what if they were fighting over the same guy? If he picks wrong, he gets eaten...)
Be warned the murders are a little bit graphic, so it's not kid-friendly but it's fine for teens. Gorgeous art, too.
Check it out at: www.thefoxsister.com
(Deep question of the day: kitsune vs kumiho: who wins? They both like to turn into women, so what if they were fighting over the same guy? If he picks wrong, he gets eaten...)
March 4, 2013
Results of Goodreads Giveaway #2
The results from the first one are here.
The new stats:
1 copy
14 days
895 sign ups
395 'to-read' additions
Notice how I got double the results from last time? It's because I picked a much better end date. On the last day, my book was the first one listed under the 'young adult' tag and the second one listed under 'fantasy'. It was also the tenth one listed on the overall 'ending soon' list, on the first page. I got over 300 entries in that single day. I also opened this draw to AU and UK residents (plus the usual USA and CA), so that must have helped the numbers a little bit.
I'm not obsessive enough to go through all the entries and figure out the overlap percentage (as in, the number of people who entered both giveaways), but it'd be interesting to know.
The new stats:
1 copy
14 days
895 sign ups
395 'to-read' additions
Notice how I got double the results from last time? It's because I picked a much better end date. On the last day, my book was the first one listed under the 'young adult' tag and the second one listed under 'fantasy'. It was also the tenth one listed on the overall 'ending soon' list, on the first page. I got over 300 entries in that single day. I also opened this draw to AU and UK residents (plus the usual USA and CA), so that must have helped the numbers a little bit.
I'm not obsessive enough to go through all the entries and figure out the overlap percentage (as in, the number of people who entered both giveaways), but it'd be interesting to know.
March 1, 2013
Release Day!
The second book in my trilogy comes out today! To celebrate I have an interview coming up on the Musa blog. It should be posted very soon.
Links:
Musa Publishing
Smashwords
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
I don't know how other authors celebrate a new release, but I went with an outing at my favorite Chinese restaurant to eat delicious Pekin Duck. That was hours ago and I'm still trying to digest. Maybe Japanese food would have been more appropriate but I no longer have a favorite Japanese restaurant since the sushi place I used to love started doing horrible things to their menu. The california rolls went missing and everything else has spiced mayo in it! It makes me weep, it does, but it's a topic for another day. ;)
Links:
Musa Publishing
Smashwords
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
I don't know how other authors celebrate a new release, but I went with an outing at my favorite Chinese restaurant to eat delicious Pekin Duck. That was hours ago and I'm still trying to digest. Maybe Japanese food would have been more appropriate but I no longer have a favorite Japanese restaurant since the sushi place I used to love started doing horrible things to their menu. The california rolls went missing and everything else has spiced mayo in it! It makes me weep, it does, but it's a topic for another day. ;)
February 27, 2013
Anime Rec: Puella Magi Madoka Magica
Puella Magi Madoka Magica (translated as Magical Girl Madoka) is a short show (12 half-hour episodes) but it packs one heck of a punch. It's one of the best shows EVER.
At first, it looks like yet another cutesy show about school girls gifted magical powers so they can fight evil and learn about friendship. Then characters start dying. Then it gets cruel and heartbreaking. I don't know what more I can say without spoiling the good bits! The fact the characters look so young (supposed to be 14, but they look 12 to me) makes it hit harder because of the way their innocence gets trampled and corrupted. There's violence in this show (people dying, remember?) but the worst of it is psychological.
The animation style is interesting as well. When they fight a monster (called "witches" for reasons revealed later on), the animation goes psychedelic. I'll admit I was disappointed by the cliché ending, but that's no reason not to watch it.
Look at this promo image. See how cute it all is? And it's all a LIE. I love the contrast between what the show looks like and what it really is.
Madoka Magica can be watched free and legally on Crunchyroll (right here). The first big twist is at the end of episode 3. That's when the viewer starts to understand things are heading downhill. After episode 6 there's no turning back.
If you enjoy following characters put through terrible ordeals and choices, character who nonetheless do their best to keep going... I dare say you'll enjoy this one. You're welcome to come flail/squee at me after.
At first, it looks like yet another cutesy show about school girls gifted magical powers so they can fight evil and learn about friendship. Then characters start dying. Then it gets cruel and heartbreaking. I don't know what more I can say without spoiling the good bits! The fact the characters look so young (supposed to be 14, but they look 12 to me) makes it hit harder because of the way their innocence gets trampled and corrupted. There's violence in this show (people dying, remember?) but the worst of it is psychological.
The animation style is interesting as well. When they fight a monster (called "witches" for reasons revealed later on), the animation goes psychedelic. I'll admit I was disappointed by the cliché ending, but that's no reason not to watch it.
Look at this promo image. See how cute it all is? And it's all a LIE. I love the contrast between what the show looks like and what it really is.
Madoka Magica can be watched free and legally on Crunchyroll (right here). The first big twist is at the end of episode 3. That's when the viewer starts to understand things are heading downhill. After episode 6 there's no turning back.
If you enjoy following characters put through terrible ordeals and choices, character who nonetheless do their best to keep going... I dare say you'll enjoy this one. You're welcome to come flail/squee at me after.
February 22, 2013
About Reviews
For an author, reading your books' reviews can be many things. It can be soul-crushing (this person hates me, therefore I must defenestrate myself at once), insightful (everybody thinks I should work on this aspect of my writing, so I shall) or comforting (they don't hate everything, I'm not doing so bad). Turns out it can also be touching.
Here's the proof: Brooke Book Bank Reviews The Fox's Mask. I should print this review and keep it handy for those moments I feel like the worst writer ever. If a total stranger* can love my book like this, I must be doing something right.
*She was a stranger before she read the book, anyway. We've been talking this week.
Here's the proof: Brooke Book Bank Reviews The Fox's Mask. I should print this review and keep it handy for those moments I feel like the worst writer ever. If a total stranger* can love my book like this, I must be doing something right.
*She was a stranger before she read the book, anyway. We've been talking this week.
February 20, 2013
Book Review
Blurb from Goodreads:
Weaving philosophy and science together into a riveting, dystopian story of love and adventure, The Office of Mercy illuminates an all-too-real future imagined by a phenomenal new voice in fiction.
Twenty-four-year-old Natasha Wiley lives in America-Five—a high-tech, underground, utopian settlement where hunger and money do not exist, everyone has a job, and all basic needs are met. But when her mentor and colleague, Jeffrey, selects her to join a special team to venture Outside for the first time, Natasha’s allegiances to home, society, and above all to Jeffrey are tested. She is forced to make a choice that may put the people she loves most in grave danger and change the world as she knows it.
Short Review
I'm conflicted about this book. There was nothing bad about it, but it never truly grabbed me or made me feel invested in the characters. The beginning was a bit difficult to follow but the pieces fall in soon enough. I did like the world/setting and I was quite curious about how the world ended up like this, but that was not enough to pull me in.
The book reminds me of older utopia novels such as 1984 and Brave New World, especially because of the ending but also because it feels more like an idea-driven novel than a character-driven one.
It's easy to gush about books I love and rant about books I hate, but books in the middle are difficult to review since I don't have much to say. I can see how some people can find the book unbearably slow and how others can find it deep and insightful. It's up to you to guess in which camp you'd fall.
