Luminous Airplanes
Alas, this book is pretty tremendously boring. For a while I was blaming the reader, whose repetitive cadence was awkward and unnatural, but I really think that’s only part of the problem. The bigger issue is that I simply could not sympathize with any of the characters. I don’t have daddy issues; I’ve never abandoned my family; I’m not a nymphomaniac; I think going through somebody else’s things is great fun; I don’t do drugs; I am not in a doomsday cult. In short, I did not care. I listened to the whole thing anyway, hoping that the plot would show up in the end. It didn’t.
Also posted on BookCrossing.
by Tove Jansson: A collection of short stories about our favorite Moomins and the other creatures who inhabit their world. I liked hearing about the fillyjonk, the hemulen, and other such critters, but my favorites were about the last dragon (I heart Snufkin!) and Moominpappa’s journey with the Hattifatteners. The latter was particularly satisfying, as it’s referenced in many of the other Moomin books. As with all things Moomin, I am a terrible reviewer because I just love them so much. The characters, for all their flaws and foibles, are absolutely charming. I can never seem to get enough Moomin.
by Art Spiegelman: I read this in two separate volumes but they were back to back so I’m going to review the whole thing as one. This is the tale of Spiegelman’s father’s experiences during the Holocaust in Poland, as told through interviews with his son. There are a large number of flashbacks, but interspersed are present-day exchanges as Spiegelman attempts to deal with his often unreasonable father. A number of interesting things were done here: first, the father’s imperfect English was kept verbatim, so I could completely hear his Polish accent. Second, various creatures were used to represent various peoples: Jews were mice, Germans were cats, Poles were pigs, Swedes were reindeer, and Americans were dogs. Oddly, the animal attributes were only applied to the heads; the bodies were unquestionably human. The tale itself was one of horror, as expected, but also one of love and hope. The choice to tell it as a comic in stark black and white was a wise one: it really drove it home for me, leaving me with both words and images. The Holocaust – much of WWII, really – remains an incredible, almost unbelievable part of human history, and one that must never be forgotten. Maus is only one story from it, but it is a powerful one nonetheless. Recommended.
by J.K. Rowling: A collection of five fairy tales for the magical set, complete with extensive commentary by everyone’s favorite headmaster, Albus Dumbledore. The illustrations, penned by Rowling herself, were very nice. However, the commentary was by far the most interesting part, as the stories were honestly kind of generic. And there were so few of them they didn’t really get a chance to make much of an impression on me. I appreciate that this was created for charity, but on its own it’s nothing special. That said, if you’re dying for one more taste of the world of Harry Potter, this might just fit the bill.
by Laurie Halse Anderson (unabridged audiobook read by Mandy Siegfried; 5 hrs on 4 discs): After calling the cops at a party full of underaged drinkers, Melinda begins ninth grade as the school pariah, all her former friends having abandoned her. Little do they know Melinda hides a horrible pain. Though I guessed Melinda’s secret early on, the gradual revealing of all the details was still just as harrowing. As she deals with being friendless and afraid she begins to find herself through art and gardening. I found Melinda’s voice to be quite realistic, quite reminiscent of my own high school experience (minus the trauma and truancy, that is). She’s both funny and tragic, detached but still wanting to belong. I was completely engrossed in her journey. Next I need to see the film. I hear Kristen Stewart is actually really good in it, which actually doesn’t surprise me, considering I’ve already nicknamed her Twitchy McStutters. Perfect for someone who barely speaks.
by Martha Bourke: When already awkward teenager Maya discovers she’s become a shapeshifter – a socially shunned minority of people who can turn into animals – she fears her life is over. Little does she know this is the least of her worries, as she is destined to play a pivotal role in the upcoming end of the Mayan calendar. (Yes, Maya is Mayan. It’s a little silly, but easily overlooked.) I sped through this book in a couple days. Maya is quite entertaining as a narrator, reminding me quite a bit of myself as a teenager. Her best friends, the ever enthusiastic twins Lyssa and Damian, are tons of fun as well. The only part I wasn’t so keen on was the romance, which was overly melodramatic, but I probably would have appreciated it more before I got old and cynical. The ending was a bit anti-climatic, somewhat clumsily clearing the way for the next book, but until then the action was well paced. In short, a quick, fun read. I’ll have to keep my eye out for the rest of the series.