Today's prompt: Favorite Song Outside Your 'Usual' Taste
This meme is hosted by Bookish Things & More.
This was tough because my 'usual' taste--depending on my mood probably covers a lot. I don't just have one or two genres as my comfort zone.
But I think I'll go with the soundtrack to HOME.
© 2016 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews
Saturday, September 03, 2016
Snow White: A Graphic Novel
First sentence: What's the story here? Who is she?
Premise/plot: Those questions are asked by a New York City detective as he examines a crime scene--or potential crime scene at a department store. They provide the framework for Matt Phelan's newest graphic novel, Snow White. The book is a retelling of the traditional tale set in America, in New York City, for the most part, during the Depression.
Instead of an evil Queen of a stepmother, Samantha White (aka Snow) has dealings with the Queen of the Follies. Her stepmother being a Broadway star, a Ziegfeld girl. Instead of seven dwarfs, Snow is saved by THE SEVEN, a gang of street children.
My thoughts: I like this one a lot. I really enjoyed his artwork. I thought while both story and illustration were on the simple, understated side, it worked well for me. While the setting makes this one unique, the story is traditional. No further characterization has been done--for better or worse. I didn't mind this. As I said, it worked for me. I don't have to have "new" and "modern" twists and turns and complications for me to like a fairy tale retelling.
© 2016 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews
Friday, September 02, 2016
2016 Challenges: RIP XI
Host: Stainless Steel Droppings (sign up) (reviews)
# of Books: Peril the First (4 books)
Dates: September - October 2016
What I Read:
1) Snow White. Matt Phelan. 2016. Candlewick. 216 pages. [Source: Review copy]
2) The Night Gardener. Jonathan Auxier. 2014. Abrams. 350 pages. [Source: Bought]
3) The Heart of Betrayal (Remnant Chronicles #2) Mary E. Pearson. 2015. Henry Holt. 470 pages. [Source: Library]
4) The Beauty of Darkness (Remnant Chronicles #3) Mary E. Pearson. 2016. Henry Holt. 679 pages. [Source: Library]
5) The Stars Never Rise. Rachel Vincent. 2015. 368 pages. [Source: Review copy]
6) The Flame Never Dies. Rachel Vincent. 2016. 343 pages. [Source: Review copy]
7) Hansel and Gretel. Neil Gaiman. Illustrated by Lorenzo Mattotti. 2014. Toon. 54 pages. [Source: Review copy]
8) Thrice the Brinded Cat Hath Mew'd. (Flavia de Luce #8) 2016. 320 pages. [Source: Review copy]
9) The Last One. Alexandra Oliva. 2016. 304 pages. [Source: Library]
10) Mystery in White. J. Jefferson Farjeon. 1937/2014. 211 pages. [Source: Review copy]
11) The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde. Robert Louis Stevenson. 1886. 144 pages. [Source: Library]
12) Weighed in the Balance. Anne Perry. 1996. 373 pages. [Source: Library]
13) The Singing Bones. Shaun Tan. 2016. 208 pages. [Source: Library]
© 2016 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews
Wolf Hollow
First sentence: The year I turned twelve, I learned how to lie.
Premise/plot: Annabelle, the heroine, faces her hardest struggle yet in the year 1943 when a new girl at school, Betty, begins to bully her. Annabelle is reluctant to tell her parents--or her teacher--what is going on. Afraid that Betty won't stop bullying her and will start to bully her brothers as well. But one adult, a near-homeless war veteran named Toby, witnesses Betty in action. When one of Betty's pranks goes too far, Annabelle's world is turned upside down. Life will never be the same, could never be the same.
My thoughts: Wolf Hollow might suit other readers better than it suits me. The depiction of Annabelle's aunt, Lily, bothered me. "A tall, thin, ugly woman who might have been handsome as a man, Aunt Lily spent her days working as a postmistress and her nights praying and reading from her Bible...her big, square teeth and her feverish devotion to God frightened me." In every single scene with Lily, she's presented as a villain. And at least in Annabelle's eyes, part of the villainy, part of the "getting it wrong, being in the wrong" is connected with her aunt's Christian faith. If Lily was more than a one-dimensional character, if she was perhaps a complex creature with strengths and weaknesses, then perhaps I could forgive much. I don't mind characters with weaknesses. I really don't. In fact, give me a HUMAN character each and every time. But don't give me someone who is 100% wrong because she's 100% devoted to Christ and call it characterization.
That being said, Annabelle is a solid narrator. I really enjoyed getting to know her. She is a young girl in a difficult position forced to remain in a difficult position. There is plenty of drama and action and conflict in this one. I would say the drama almost overpowers the characterization, however. In particular, Betty and Andy were lacking in character development which is a pity. What motivates a person to act a certain way? What is going on in his or her life behind the scenes? I could think of half a dozen more WHY questions. And perhaps it's asking too much for an author to get inside the head of a bully or two. But I've read other novels--even for this audience--that go there better. I didn't "need" a redemption story where Annabelle and Betty become best friends over the course of a school year, and, all this misunderstanding is swept aside as both girls experience forgiveness and new beginnings. So I wasn't disappointed exactly with the turn of this story.
There are definitely things I like about Wolf Hollow--just not everything.
© 2016 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews
Thursday, September 01, 2016
Swallow the Leader
First sentence: 1 Fish 2 Fish Follow the leader. Do as I do. Splash when I'm splashing, then I'll follow you.
Premise/plot: Swallow the Leader is an ocean-themed counting book. The fish in the ocean are playing follow the leader. Perhaps because the fish are busy playing together, they are less aware of their surroundings than they should be. But all ends well in this one--for better or worse.
My thoughts: I haven't decided if I like the ending or not. Is that cruel of me? I like this one okay. But I'm not sure I love it.
Text: 3 out of 5
Illustrations: 3 out of 5
Total: 6 out of 10
© 2016 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews
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