Graphic Novels, anyone?

I suddenly realized that I made a grave error in judgment when reviewing my blog recently. To my amazement I found that I had not reviewed any graphic novels or manga books. I am an advocate of both, and believe all libraries should have them (if their patrons want these items) so it’s high time I start reviewing them too.

Without delay here I go.

X-23 Innocent Lost was recommended to me by a friend, who is a huge comic fan. He stated that it was one of the best comics he had ever read. I needed to read it. So I tracked down a copy, which was a little difficult because both Amazon and Barnes & Noble were “temporality out of stock.” I prevailed, found a copy, and sat down to read it.

The story focuses on the character X-23. In the story we learn how she was created, who she is, and how she became a killing machine. The story also explains how she is related to the famous X-Man Wolverine. This story is about the ultimate weapon, so there is some violence in the book. It sounds more gruesome than it is, but be forewarned this graphic novel might not be for younger readers.

The story is narrated by Dr. Sarah Kinney, whom we watch struggle with her own demons as she tries to create the perfect weapon. The story has plenty of twist and turns and some unexpected developments that make this story an excellent read. I enjoyed the art as well. There are two other graphic novels about this character including: NYX (horrible story, skip it at all costs!) and X-23 Target X drawn by the very talented Mike Choi.

I really enjoyed this graphic novel and look forward to X-23 Target X.

Happy Memorial Day

I just wanted to wish everyone a safe & happy Memorial Day weekend.

I'm still reading Madapple and I will have the review up June 18th.

For Twilight fans here is the offical movie website

Nonfiction: It isn't always about dead white guys

When my students hear the word "non fiction" and "project" they panic. For most, reading fiction is bad enough, but no one wants to read non fiction because it's full of "dead white guys" and "who flanked who at the battle of Gettysburg." What students don't realize is there is a large slection of non fiction books that they may find interesting.

If teens, and adults, are looking for a gritty story about being homeless and what it takes to survive, this is the book for them. Tina S. spares no details and shares her horrific story with readers as she struggles through homelessness, addiction, jail time, and her fight to reclaim her life.

The story is told through a series of flashbacks. First the reader is introduced to Tina S. and her dysfunctional family. Her stepfather sells drugs and also does them. Her mother is out of work, and everyone(including her brother and sister) are living in a welfare hotel called Prince George. Plus, she smokes a lot of pot, occasional drinks and doesn’t always go to school.

She hates life until she meets April, whom she believes is the coolest person she ever met. April has a carefree attitude that Tina is drawn to and soon the two are constantly hanging out. It is only a matter of time before Tina gets sucked into the world of homelessness and begins living in Grand Central Station.

The language and details in this book are startling, but that’s what makes it so powerful. Tina writes with raw emotion. She goes into graphic details about an abortion, how she robbed people, and her addition to crack.

I felt sorry for Tina, and then there were incidents that made me want to hate her. Tina S.’s story is filled with pain, suffering, loss and redemption. A must read.

Madapple Advance Reader's Copy

I was just given an advance reader's copy of Madapple by Christina Meldrum. This is the first novel by the author. I look forward to reviewing it. It will be available to the public on May 13, 2008.

What others are saying:

Starred Review, Booklist, April 1, 2008:"There is much to ponder in this enthralling achievement from a debut author.

"Starred Review, Kirkus Reviews, May 1, 2008:"With this spellbinding debut, Meldrum marks herself as an author to watch.

"Review, Vanity Fair, June 2008:"In debut novelist Christina Meldrum's mesmerizing literary mystery MADAPPLE (Knopf), the worlds of science and fiction collide."

Do we want another prequel?

When I first saw there was going to be a prequel to Anne of Green Gables, I thought, why God, why? I mean do we need a prequel? We had a sequel to Gone with the Wind and we also had a spin-off book entitled Rhett Butler’s People. Plus there are slew of sequels to Jane Austen's novels. I won’t lie, curiosity got the better of me and I decided to loan this one from the library.

The story starts off with Anne’s parents and who they were. Both, we find out, were school teachers. They die very early in Anne’s life (she was a few months old) and she is taken in by a friend of Anne’s mother. She has the best of intentions, but as time goes on, her husband continues to drink, and she has more children. The friend starts to become cruel and resents Anne. There is a death and Anne is shipped off to another family with three sets of twins. We gain a little insight into her life there, and another death occurs and she is off to the orphanage.

To be honest, I thought that there would be more information about the orphanage, but really I think there were only 50 pages of it. The majority of the novel is Anne living with her first family. And no matter where she goes she is nothing more than slave labor.

If nothing else, this book reminded me how grateful I am that my ancestors fought for the rights I now have. Throughout the entire novel women were nothing more than broodmares. They hated, or strongly resented, their children and were tired and cranky. No one seemed happy.

The story was good. I enjoyed it. Now, did this story need to be told? Nah. I think the world could have gone without a prequel to Anne of Green Gables. But this is coming from someone who has never read the series(tried numerous times, but could never finish). Although I will say that I am now interested in the books and may try to read them over the summer.

For people interested in this novel, I say give it a go. It was well written.