books read in June
I don't think I've read this much in awhile! Probably means I've gone to bed at a decent hour more this month...probably because most of my shows are on break...
The Sculptor by Scott McCloud
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I really don't know what to say about this beautiful book. It was not at all what I was expecting. It is a story about life, death, rebirth, love, family, legacy, art, promises we make to ourselves, friendship...so many things, all of them handled so well by Scott McCloud.
Go into this book as blindly as you can, don't read any reviews or plot summaries. Just read it.
I think this would look nice on my shelf right next to Blankets...
So You've Been Publicly Shamed by Jon Ronson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This book gets an extra star for making me really step back and think about social media and the Internet and participating in any kind of online "debate". It made me realize that there IS no conversation online, just people yelling at each other or, as in the case of this book, yelling about one person.
If you have any kind of social media account, especially Twitter, you should read this book, if only to help you think a bit more about public shaming. There was a reason it was outlawed in the late 1800s.
I really wanted Ronson to go further into the psychology and also into the difference between here and now. He stops short of what I wanted, I could read another 300 pages on the WHY we do this to each other. But I think he knows that book would be better suited for a more scholarly writer.
If you're reading this review, than you should read this book, because if you use the Internet, you should read this book. You may not agree with everything he says, but it is necessary for you to hear it and think about it, especially before you join in on a public shaming event on twitter.
Ms. Marvel, Vol. 2: Generation Why by G. Willow Wilson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Started off a little slow but once I saw where it was going and the message being sent, it all came together. Another great installment of the series, with Kamala growing as a person and hero on each page. Well done!
Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales: The Underground Abductor by Nathan Hale
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This series just keeps getting better! I am embarrassed by how little I knew about this American hero. I mean, we are told about Harriet Tubman in school, but it always felt like a footnote. Hale's book introduces us to the real "Minty" and her adventures.
Dragonbreath by Ursula Vernon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Great start to a series and perfect for early chapter book readers in 2nd/3rd grade. Lots of humor and GREAT vocabulary. This would be a really good pick for a kid/adult book club read too.
Louise Brooks: Detective by Rick Geary
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Rick Geary tries his hand at historical FICTION and does a wonderful job! As usual, his story left me wanting to know more about the real Louise Brooks. But the mystery was a lot of fun too!
Not Every Princess by Jeffrey Bone
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
A beautiful and sweet book with a subtle message that you can be whatever you want to be, that being a boy or a girl shouldn't limit your imagination and your dreams. It was a cute little poem and by including the word "princess" in the title this book is sure to get into the hands of many little girls.
I like that the message isn't in your face because for most kids (at least we hope) the idea of NOT being able to be something because of their gender should be ridiculous. To quote Sarah Silverman, "Stop telling girls they can be anything they want when they grow up. [...] Not because they can't but because it never would have occurred to them that they couldn't." Our adult hang-ups are usually what really hold back kids from believing in their abilities.
I appreciate the inclusion of a note for parents at the end with talking points on how to make their kids think outside the box or at least feel comfortable wishing to be something that maybe our society doesn't usually say they can be.
I only wish the book was a little bigger so I could do it with my storytime crowd.
The Bunker Diary by Kevin Brooks
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I don't even know what to say...this book grabbed me from the first page and did not let go. I would fall asleep with it in my hands and wake up and try to make myself read more, to find out what was happening.
This would be so good for a book discussion, to ask what would you do?
I forgot how powerful Kevin Brooks books are...
The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Reading this book, I kept marveling at how faithful the film adaptation had been! I don't think I've ever read a book and known it so well because of the movie. It was like they actually just took the pages right out of the novel and copied them into a script, even the descriptions were spot on. Really the only part missing was the Crawford family's drama but that doesn't play an important role with the main plot.
Unlike 'Red Dragon', I knew the story of 'Silence of the Lambs' pretty well because I had seen the movie several times. It's a classic! But that still didn't stop my heartbeat from speeding up during the last few chapters.
Also, Clarice Starling is such a great character. I was really impressed with how well written she was. She was a strong woman in a field dominated by men. But Harris didn't hit you over the head with the sexism issue, he just quietly slid it in there, with little phrases of how the men reacted to Clarice's presence.
I'm thinking this may qualify as a modern classic. Or if anything, the movie and the book should be held up as a how-to of from page to screen.
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