BOOK REVIEW: Homegoing

 

Get Ready: This is the best book I’ve read so far this year.

Homegoing is a book I’ve heard a lot about from book-related podcasts and websites. It’s a debut novel with a sweeping scope both location and time-wise, and like I mentioned above, it’s the best thing I’ve read in 2016.

The book begins in 18th century Ghana and follows two sisters separated at birth, and the lineage that comes from each of them. One sister marries a wealthy colonist while the other is captured and taken to America through the slave trade. The resulting family history from each sister varies drastically of course, and it’s amazing to see the differences as well as the similarities that come from each side. The tragedy that each side of the family faces points to both the horrors of slavery and its aftermath and the plight that Ghana (and Africa as a whole) was left with because of European colonialism. Despite all the sad moments in the book, it all felt earned and realistic, not gratuitous and exploitative.

Every “chapter” follows a new character from alternating sides of the family  and the timeline stretches all the way to modern day, so you can imagine just how much is packed into this book. I’ve heard other people mention this about the book and I’ll reciprocate their thoughts here – I wished there was a whole book for each of these characters. There are so many of them and we don’t get much time with them. But rather than making this a downside of Homegoing, I’d say it simply shows how good Yaa Gyasi (the author) is at creating believable and well-rounded characters.

I want to say so much more about this book, but don’t want to spoil anything for you. If you are able, PLEASE PLEASE BUY THIS BOOK OR CHECK IT OUT FROM YOUR LOCAL LIBRARY! You won’t be sorry.

 

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Book vs. Movie Battle: The Little Prince

 

A new installment!

Starting with the post you are reading right now, I be conducting book vs. movie battles in order to compare (and contrast) a book and its movie adaptation. Pros and cons for each will be given and a winner will  be chosen. I know some of you are asking,

“Aren’t you just going to pick the book every time?”

Probably. But you never know.

ANYWAY, this battle concerns the beloved children’s classic The Little Prince and its animated film counterpart.

THE BOOK

So The Little Prince is a timeless children’s book that’s been pretty popular since its publication in the 1940s. The book focuses on an aviator who is talking directly to the readers and telling them of the time he met the Little Prince and what he learned from the Prince’s story. This is a really short book and is filled more with short vignettes rather than a traditional narrative. In the book, the Prince tells the Aviator about his travels to other planets (which are actually asteroids) and how he has come to understand adulthood and humankind through his journey. The story is full of symbolism and allegory and is filled with meaning. That such a short book can contain such in-depth lessons on the nature of man is impressive. If you haven’t read it yet, please do. The themes of greed, arrogance, time, memory, adulthood, death, and sacrifice are so thought-provoking and really made me want to savor this book and read it slowly. The book, in my opinion, deserves a 4 star rating. It’s definitely one I want to get for my own collection and I’d definitely reread it a lot.

THE MOVIE

Now the movie of The Little Prince intrigued me from the start, both because of the adaptation itself and because I love animated movies. This movie, very strangely, was dropped from its distributor Paramount the week before it released in theaters. Netlfix came to the rescue and decided to make the film available through its site. The movie does take some creative freedom. They keep the story of the Little Prince the same, but place it within a story about an overworked girl and her new friendship with the old aviator next door. This man tells her the story of the Little Prince, and the only theme that really carries over is the one about the possible downsides that come with adulthood. The animation is really good, especially the Little Prince sequences, which include amazing stop-motion animation. The movie doesn’t have the same amount of depth as the book, but it does have a timeless feel about it and I enjoyed it. The movie gets a 3.5 star rating from me!

 

THE BOOK WON! It was close, but ultimately, the book had more emotional impact for me. Thankfully, the movie has a different enough feel to make me appreciate both equally. IF YOU’VE READ THE LITTLE PRINCE AND SEEN THE NEW MOVIE, WHICH DID YOU THINK WAS BETTER? LET ME KNOW IN THE COMMENTS!

 

To get a copy of The Little Prince, click the link below. And if you want to see the movie, watch it on Netflix if you have a subscription, or get get a friend who has it to host a viewing party. Happy reading (and watching)!

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BOOK REVIEW: The Nightingale

 

Well I finally got around to reading The Nightingale. Is it just me, or are World War II novels having a moment. There was All the Light we Cannot See, The Lilac Girls, and Everyone Brave is Forgiven. Not to mention all the non-fiction WWII books that are getting buzz. I guess you can’t really say that books about WWII are a fad, but sometimes I feel bombarded by them all.

Which brings me to the highly-praised and much-talked-about The Nightingale by Kristen Hannah. I’ve never read anything else by this author, but I will say upfront that I liked All the Light we Cannot See more, as far as WWII novels go. Not that I didn’t like this book; I did, just not as much as other people. For one, there seems to be too much sadness in the book. I get that it’s war and I know horrible things happened, but sometimes authors seem to throw everything they can in the mix to elicit sympathy from the reader. But that’s just my opinion.

As far as the characters go, I liked and related to Vianne more than I did Isabelle. Too me, Isabelle was too independent, too feminist, and too much of a troublemaker. I had a hard time imagining someone like Isabelle could exist, but Vianne was realistic and I think, reflected the struggles that most of the women in France at this time went through. I also thought the author restated how unfair life was for women any chance she got. Isabelle’s character did this constantly and even Vianne began doing it towards the end of the book. I like when themes are brought out more subtly; I want the author to show me the injustice towards women through the characters’ actions (if that’s her goal), not tell me.

I did like this book though, lest you doubted that from what I said earlier. I liked the themes of family, sacrifice, and bravery. I also liked how the relationship between Vianne and Isabelle was painted. Here are two women who love each other (they are sisters) but who have different views of the world that make it hard for them to like each other. Again, I really liked Vianne and appreciated her as a character. Books (especially ones about WWII or other difficult times) tend to have the main characters be “correct” in their thinking when viewed from today’s standards. If a book’s protagonist doesn’t protect their Jewish friend (WWII example again) then the readers won’t like them. This book does that to, but there are other moments where the actions of the characters seem more realistic. (I’m sure some people in Europe at this time protected Jews, but it definitely wasn’t the majority.)

Anyway, my thoughts and feelings towards this book are complicated. If you like to read bestsellers or really like novels about WWII, then read it. I was glad I read it, but wish my expectations hadn’t been so high. Happy reading!

 

Click below to buy this from an independent bookstore near you (or just get it from the library)!

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BOOK REVIEW: Coraline

I run a teen book club at the library I work at and it’s always a lot of fun to pick the book for the month. August’s book is Coraline by Neil Gaiman, and I was super excited to get to work and read it.

I’ve seen the animated movie Coraline, created by the oh-so-wonderful Laika. SIDE NOTE: I’m a huge animation nerd! I cannot draw to save my life and will never work in the industry, but I appreciate the art so much and pretty much see every animated movie I can get my hands on.

I enjoyed the movie; I think it’s the perfect Halloween movie since it is so creepy. The book was pretty similar to the movie. It’s definitely just as scary, and with its extended length, I think there are even more frightening aspects.

(SIDE NOTE, AGAIN: There’s a song in the movie where Coraline’s “other” father performs a nice tribute. It’s really catchy and it kept replaying in my head while I was reading this book. Watch it below, but don’t blame me if you can’t help but sing it for the rest of the day!)

 

The basic plot of the book is that Coraline, a young girl, adventures into a new room in her house where she has “other” parents and an “other” room. This new dimension is much more her style and her parents aren’t as lame. As the book goes on though, Coraline discovers all is not as it seems.

I thought there were some neat themes to this book too. There’s the It’s a Wonderful Life lesson of appreciating what you have, but there’s also lessons on what it means to be brave and what true love looks like.

I hope the library teens will also enjoy this book, and if you like a delightfully creepy story, then be sure to read this book. Escape the dog days of summer and enjoy this with a chilled beverage. Happy reading!

So … if you’ve read or seen Coraline what do you think? What are some of your favorite animated movies? (I’ll be doing a countdown of my favorites in the coming weeks.)

 

To buy Coraline from an independent bookstore, click the link below, or get it for FREE from your local library!

 

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BOOK REVIEW: Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children

We have arrived at the next iteration of a Harry Potter/Twilight/Hunger Games/whatever young adult series you can think of theatrical blockbuster. These things aren’t going away, mainly because they make money. But before all of these were movie series with the last installment split in two, they were books.

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children is coming out as a movie in the fall (and there are two more books in the series, so expect three additional films). Don’t despair because the trend is continuing though, Miss Peregrine’s is really good and I think it will translate well into a movie. (After you read it, you’ll realize that Tim Burton is the perfect director for such a project.)  The basic premise is that Jacob, an ordinary kid, must come face-to-face with his grandfather’s mysterious past and … that’s about all I can say without giving more away.

I CAN give you my thoughts on the book though. I first of all loved the way the book revolved around these old photographs that Ransom Riggs (the author) dug up. He includes an interview at the end of the book where he talks about his process and it’s really interesting. I like the main character Jacob as well; he’s funny and sarcastic and lends a great voice to the book. I also liked the fantastical elements of the book. Again, I can’t say too much without giving it away, but let’s just say there are plenty of twists and turns to keep you hooked.

Altogether, I really liked this book. I’m excited to read the next two books in the series and am looking forward to the movie coming out this fall. Happy reading!

 

Buy Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children  here:

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BOOK REVIEW: The Girl Who Fell from the Sky

 

I don’t listen to a lot of audiobooks, since my commute is about 3 minutes on a bad day. I really enjoy them though and listen to them whenever I can (and yes, they count as reading)! Audiobooks are a great way to experience books and really bring them to life. Some bring in a whole cast to voice the characters (the best!) and others are read by the author (SUPER cool).

I listened to The Girl Who Fell from the Sky and though it took me a while, I really enjoyed it. The book is about Rachel, a young mixed-race girl who is basically orphaned and has to move in with her grandmother (who she barely knows). The interesting detail about Rachel struggles adjusting in her new city – she finds she is too white for the black kids and too black for the white kids. The book is really engaging; it alternates between different characters and from past to present. This makes it a little hard to follow but it’s not a total turn-off.

There’s not a lot of action in the book but its messages and themes are profound. The book is a lot about identity and what defines us. It’s also about family and what it means when the people we love hurt us. The characters are also really relatable. Anyone who has felt like the new kid can relate to Rachel. This book is also for anyone who is passionate about something that others simply don’t get. And it’s for anyone who is struggling to make tough decisions.

Overall, The Girl Who Fell from the Sky is a good reflection on life. There are times in our live when things go wrong and times are tough (sometimes really, really tough) and yet there are moments of happiness and beauty too. I think this book is about how to embrace the good times and lean into those who love us during the bad ones. I really liked this book, so if this review interested you at all, then give it a try.

 

Here is a link to buy (the audiobook of) The Girl Who Fell from the Sky from a local bookstore. Or, you can save your money and check it out from your neighborhood library!

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BOOK REVIEW: See Me

 

I’ll admit that one of my guilty reading pleasures are Nicholas Sparks books. I scratched out guilty because people should be free to read what they like without feeling bad about it. Some adults love middle grade novels, some people like Harlequin romances, and some only read magazines. Finding what you like to read is important,  so accept it and don’t be ashamed of what you enjoy!

All that said, I like Nicholas Sparks books. The writing is not the best, almost every book has the same core plot, and the characters aren’t super deep. So why do I like these books? I just do. I remember reading an interview Sparks did and he said he writes romance novels because everyone can relate to a love story. It’s a good point. His books seem rooted in reality and I can read them knowing there will be a (fairly) happy ending. While there are similarities in all of his books (North Carolina setting, romance, at least one person dies, etc. ) there are enough differences to make the stories feel unique. My favorite of his so far is The Lucky One; it made me cry and the movie based on it is pretty good too.

Funny Nicholas Sparks story. I saw him once in Savannah, Georgia at the local Books-a-Million. My dad and I were there for a casual shopping trip and he happened to be signing copies of The Last Song (which was filming nearby). I didn’t realize who Sparks was at that point (even though I had read A Walk to Remember). Everything clicked when I related to friends later that day that Nicholas Sparks was at the bookstore. I felt embarrassed. Oh well, maybe I’ll see him again someday and actually get something signed.

See Me isn’t my favorite of his that I’ve read, but it is a bit longer than usual. The book also has a mystery involved which made it even more compelling. The two main characters, Colin and Maria, are likable enough. The book actually flips back and forth from their perspectives, but never in first person. Colin was a little annoying to me, with his constant working out and anger issues, but Maria was interesting and relatable. I thought the book was a little too long, as it took a while for it to reach page-turning status.

All in all, I thought it was a decent addition to Sparks’ cannon. If you’re a fan, give it a go. If not, they’ll probably make it into a movie – and I think it would be a good one. Happy reading!

 

Here is a link to buy this book from a local bookstore!

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BOOK REVIEW: The Public Library

I was browsing Book Riot’s website as I do most days, on the hunt for interesting bookish content. I came across a post about Robert Dawson’s photographs of libraries and was immediately hooked.

I love photography. It’s a hobby of mine that I don’t spend enough time pursuing but the photographer in me is always appreciative of excellent examples of the craft. Dawson’s pictures had that quiet simplicity I admire about architecture photos; he manages to capture the calm grander of even the humblest public libraries. Reading further, I discovered that Dawson published a photographic essay that amasses 18 years worth of library photos. I put the book on hold at the library and two days later it was in my hands.

I really enjoyed the book. Dawson divides his pictures up by themes, with some chapters focusing on architecture and others that look at libraries in poor areas. He even includes several pictures of now shuttered libraries, which are sad to look at. Dawson definitely created a love letter to libraries. The pictures speak of his appreciation for libraries and librarians; and he especially focuses on how essential they are in poor communities, where libraries may be the only place people have access to a computer.

The essays included by several authors added a special touch; pieces by notorieties such as Ann Patchett and E.B. White are included. It was nice to get a glimpse of the inlfuence libraries have had on these authors’ lives. The Barbara Kingsolver essay did get on my nerves but other than that they were inspiring and moving.

Since I work in a library I may have more of a emotional connection than other readers will, but I think it’s still worth checking out. It would make a great coffee table book thanks to the gorgeous photos and I think it does a good job reminding people about the importance of libraries. So, I’ll get on my soapbox and say that if you haven’t been to your local library in a while, then pay a visit. Let your government officials know that it’s important to you that the library remains well-funded. Libraries mean so much for so many people and it would be a shame if even more of them closed.

Thanks and happy reading!

 

Here is the link to the original story I found through Book Riot.

http://www.citylab.com/design/2016/06/robert-dawson-american-public-libraries/487352/

Also, if you are interested in purchasing this book, I’ve included a link to Indie Bound, which connects you to an independent bookstore in your area. Shop local! Or better yet, check this book out from your local library FOR FREE!

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