The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

Title: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
Author: L. Frank Baum, adapted by David Chauvel
Genre: Graphic Novel
Page Count: 96
Why I read it: graphic novel challenge
Grade: B

Synopsis:
Rediscover this wonderful world of Oz, along with the fantastic and familiar characters that inhabit it, in this fresh adaptation of L. Frank Baum's classic by David Chauvel, featuring the breathtaking artwork of Enrique Fernandez. Originally published in France and winner of the prestigious 2005 Grand Prix de La Ville De Lyon Award for Illustration, this all-new adaptation of The Wizard of Oz is presented here for the first time in English.

My review:
I have never read the novel of The Wizard of Oz.  So I'm just guessing here that this follows the story fairly closely, but I honestly have no clue.  That being said, I didn't care for the story all that much.  It bored me a little, even though I did think the backstory on some of the characters was fun.  And maybe it's just the I'm used to the movie version, which speeds along fairly quickly, so I kept thinking things were dragging a bit.

But what saved this book was the amazing artwork.  I really think this might be my favorite artwork ever in a graphic novel.  It was so vibrant and beautiful and I loved it.  I would seriously hang this art on my wall.  So even though the story wasn't quite my cup of tea, all I had to do was look at the pictures, and I was in love.  This is why I like graphic novels so much.

I would recommend this if you, like me, read graphic novels for the incredible art.  I found this novel in the children's section at my library.

City of Ashes

Title: City of Ashes
Author: Cassandra Clare
Genre: YA Fantasy
Page Count: 453
Why I read it: 2nd in a series
Grade: B+

Synopsis:
Clary Fray just wishes that her life would go back to normal. But what's normal when you're a demon-slaying Shadowhunter, your mother is in a magically induced coma, and you can suddenly see Downworlders like werewolves, vampires, and faeries? If Clary left the world of the Shadowhunters behind, it would mean more time with her best friend, Simon, who's becoming more than a friend. But the Shadowhunting world isn't ready to let her go -- especially her handsome, infuriating, newfound brother, Jace. And Clary's only chance to help her mother is to track down rogue Shadowhunter Valentine, who is probably insane, certainly evil -- and also her father.
To complicate matters, someone in New York City is murdering Downworlder children. Is Valentine behind the killings -- and if he is, what is he trying to do? When the second of the Mortal Instruments, the Soul-Sword, is stolen, the terrifying Inquisitor arrives to investigate and zooms right in on Jace. How can Clary stop Valentine if Jace is willing to betray everything he believes in to help their father?


My review:
City of Ashes is the second book in the Mortal Instruments series.  This book was far better than the first one, City of Bones.  While I thought the first was all over the place and a bit of a mess, it seems that the author got it together a bit for this second book.  It was more cohesive, and the writing was just better.

I remember not really caring about any of the characters (or even what happened in the story for that matter) in the first book, but here in book two I really started to care.  I think the characters have become more likeable.  Some of the characters, Valentine in particular, seems to be a little bit too one dimensional.  A little bit too evil just for the sake of being evil.  Although there are glimpses that show that there might be a little bit more to him.  

There also seems to be a lot of foreshadowing, and lots of things that may not be what they appear.  It makes me want to read the rest of the books to find out what happens.  I would recommend this book, but first you have to get through book one, which I only halfway, maybe recommend.  But if the books continue to get better, it's definitely a series to check out.

Serenity: Better Days

Title: Serenity: Better Days
Author: Joss Whedon
Genre: Graphic Novel
Page Count: 80
Why I read it: graphic novel challenge
Grade: B

Synopsis:
Serenity: Better Days follows everyone's favorite space cowboys in a thrilling, action-packed adventure, where Mal and his crew take on a heist that promises a big payoff. But when one of Serenity's crew is taken captive and tortured, the gang must put their enduring differences aside and work together to save one of their own, even if it means losing the cash prize of a lifetime! Joss Whedon returns to the world of his blockbuster film Serenity, reuniting with Brett Matthews and Will Conrad, his collaborators on the bestselling 2005 series Those Left Behind.

My review:
Ahh, Firefly, how I miss you.  These serenity graphic novels are good, but they're certainly no replacement for Firefly.  Reading one of these graphic novels is like watching an episode, in that there's humor and it's fun, but without the awesomeness that the actors brought to the show.

Better Days was a little bit confusing, in that I kept wondering exactly what was going on.  It jumped around a little bit, and I sometimes couldn't figure out who some of the people were supposed to be, or where they came from.  Still, it's a little piece of the Firefly world, and I'll take whatever I can get.  I would recommend this if you are Joss Whedon or Firefly fans.  But first, read Serenity Vol. 1: Those Left Behind.

Teen Titans Spotlight: Wonder Girl

Title: Teen Titans Spotlight: Wonder Girl
Author: J. Torres
Genre: Graphic Novel
Page Count: 144
Why I read it: graphic novel challenge
Grade: C

Synopsis:
Like every other teenager, Cassie Sandsmark has more monstrous problems than she can handle alone. Only no one else pulls duty as Wonder Girl -- or follows in the footsteps of an Amazonian princess. But with a rift growing between her and Wonder Woman, Cassie's striking out on her own....
 

My review:
I haven't read a whole lot of DC comics.  My tastes seem to run more towards Marvel for some reason.  To be honest, I think it's because a lot of the DC comics have the newspaper feeling paper instead of the glossy paper, and it just bothers my fingers.  Silly, right?  Wonder Girl had the glossy paper, so me and my fingers were okay this time.

I also haven't read any Teen Titans, so this was all new territory for me.  It was okay, but not good enough for me to go out searching for more.  The writing wasn't great.  The artwork was good, except for the Wonder Girl character kept doing really funny things with her mouth.  I understand that graphic novels have a certain style that's not always realistic (hello big boobs and tiny waists), but this was just distracting for me.

I don't think I'd recommend this one.   

January Reading Summary

I'm a bit late with the summary for last month, but I'm trying to make a goal this year to write wrap up posts for each month.  It's always nice to look back and see a quick summary.

So, for January I finished 20 books:

1. Fire by Kristin Cashore
2. The Maze Runner by James Dashner
3. Y: The Last Man - Unmanned by Brian K. Vaughan
4. Captain America: The Man With No Face by Ed Brubaker
5. The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch
6. Blankets by Craig Thompson
7. Leven Thumps and the Gateway to Foo by Obert Skye
8. The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan
9. The Language of Love and Respect by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs
10. Y: The Last Man - Cycles by Brian K. Vaughan
11. The Demon's Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan
12. The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner
13. Girl in the Arena by Lise Haines
14. Comfort Living by Christine Eisner
15. The Complete Maus by Art Spiegelman
16. The Farwalker's Quest by Joni Sensel
17. Captain America: Road to Reborn by Ed Brubaker
18. Play it Again, SAHM by Meredith Efken
19. Gone by Michael Grant
20. Persepolis 1 by Marjane Satrapi

The best book for this month was:

I loved this book so much!  Kristin Cashore is becoming one of my very favorite authors, and I'll be reading whatever she writes.  I loved the characters and the story.  Everything about it was excellent.








The worst book this month was:
Going Bovine by Libba Bray.  This one was a DNF for me.  I've read so many good reviews from bloggers whose book judgement I trust, so I'm not sure what my problem was.  I think it was mostly that I just wasn't in the mood.  It seems like one of those books that you have to be in the right frame of mind for.

I'm noticing a trend of a lot of YA books and graphic novels, which is okay since those are the ones I need to read the most of for challenges.  I'd like to get a few more longer, heavier books in, though.

Ultimatum X-Men/Fantastic Four

Title: Ultimatum X-Men/Fantastic Four
Author: Aron E. Coleite & Joe Pokaski
Genre: Graphic Novel
Page Count: 152
Why I read it: graphic novel challenge
Grade: C

Synopsis:
The unthinkable has happened as the X-Men find themselves reeling from the devastating events of Ultimatum. A band of humans have stolen Sentinel technology and attacked Xavier's mansion - killing any mutant they see! With the X-Men locked in battle with Magneto, can anyone save these students? Their greatest hope might rest in the hands of their worst enemy as the Weapon X program returns! Also, Ultimatum has hit the planet hard and the Baxter Building was ground zero. Johnny is still missing. Dr. Storm is dead. And Reed has taken off to parts unknown. Sue's life hangs in the balance and rests in the hands of untested pilot Ben Grimm, a.k.a. The Thing, and Dr. Arthur Molekevic, now better known as the megalamonical Mole Man. Collects Ultimate X-Men #98-100, and Ultimate Fantastic Four #58-60.

My review:
I really liked the X-Men portion of this graphic novel, but I could take or leave the Fantastic Four half.  I'm more familiar with the X-Men world, and although I like the Fantastic Four, their part of the story just didn't really grab me.

Although I did feel a bit lost during the X-Men portion.  I think this is much further into the story line than I've gotten in my reading, so there were things that were referred to that I'd never read about.  That's what happens when my library doesn't carry all the graphic novels I want to read. 

The artwork in the whole book was great, though.  Beautiful colors, and just my style.  I would only recommend this for those who have read at least parts of these series already, otherwise I don't think you'd like it.

Dull Boy

Title: Dull Boy
Author: Sarah Cross
Genre: YA science fiction
Page Count: 308
Why I read it: looked good
Grade: B+

Synopsis:
What do you do if you can deadlift a car, and you spend your nights flying to get away from it all? If you’re fifteen-year-old Avery Pirzwick, you keep that information to yourself. When you’re a former jock turned freak, you can’t afford to let the secret slip.
But then Avery makes some friends who are as extraordinary as he is. He realizes they’re more than just freaks—together, maybe they have a chance to be heroes. First, though, they have to decide whether to trust the mysterious Cherchette, a powerful would be mentor whose remarkable generosity may come at a terrible price.


My review:
Anyone who has read my blog for any length of time knows that I really love superheroes.  So it should come as no surprise that I really enjoyed this book.  It seemed to get off to a bit of a slow start, but for the most part it was just really fun.  There honestly wasn't a whole lot going on in this book.  It makes it hard to review a little bit.

The characters were likeable enough, even though I couldn't really relate to any of them.  I would like to have superpowers, but sadly I don't.  I think it would have been interesting to have some other POV's besides just Avery's.  With some of the characters, I just couldn't quite figure out their motivations.

I would probably recommend this book to YA readers.  It's a fast, fun read that will keep you entertained for a few hours.

Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood

Title: Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood
Author: Marjane Satrapi
Genre: Graphic Novel
Page Count: 153
Why I read it: graphic novel challenge
Grade: B

Synopsis:
Persepolis is Marjane Satrapi's wise, funny, and heartbreaking memoir of growing up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution. In powerful black-and-white comic strip images, Satrapi tells the story of her life in Tehran from ages six to fourteen, years that saw the overthrow of the Shah's regime, the triumph of the Islamic Revolution, and the devastating effects of war with Iraq. The intelligent and outspoken only child of committed Marxists and the great-granddaughter of one of Iran's last emperors, Marjane bears witness to a childhood uniquely entwined with the history of her country.

My review:
As with any graphic novel, I must comment on the artwork.  After all, that is why I read them.  Other people probably have different reasons for reading graphic novels, but for me it's the combination of getting to read a story while looking at art.  So, if the art's not good, I don't care how interesting the story is, I'm not going to love the book.  All that being said, I did not care for the artwork in Persepolis.  I think I've mentioned a few times that I like the more realistic artwork.  And I definitely like for it to be colorful.  So the black and white cartoonish art didn't really bring out the love for me.

BUT, I can't imagine this graphic novel with the kind of artwork that I like.  I'm not sure that it would have worked.  The pictures seemed to match the story here.  And the story was very interesting.  I liked reading about this time period and this bit of history, which I really didn't know much about, told from the perspective of a young girl.  Obviously the author didn't write it as a young girl.  She's an adult, writing of her young girl memories, so it's not quite right to say it's from the perspective of a young girl.  But still, it was very well written.

I would recommend this to graphic novel readers, and to those who are looking to get into reading graphic novels.

In My Mailbox and Library Loot

In my mailbox:

Original Sin by Allison Brennan.  I've never read anything by this author, but I was contacted to review it, and it sounds interesting.













Library Loot:

• Audrey, Wait! by Robin Benway
• Black Hole by Charles Burns
• Buffy the Vampire Slayer Omnibus Vol. 2 by Scott Allie
• Landon Snow and the Auctor's Riddle by R.K. Mortenson
• The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
• Runaways by Brian K. Vaughan
• Serenity: Better Days by Joss Whedon
• Teen Titans Spotlight: Wondergirl by J. Torres
• Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler
• The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by David Chauvel

As I look over my list of library loot, I've started to realize that I might have a slight book addiction.  Probably not, though.  The amount I check out every week is completely normal, right? 

I'm checking out more graphic novels, because I realized the graphic novel challenge I'm participating in, which is to read 10+ graphic novels is not even a challenge for me.  I'm over halfway there, and we're not even done with January.  So, I decided I'm going to go for 100.  It's a big number, but I don't think it'll be difficult.  We'll see how it goes once I've got a few months of 2010 behind me.

Gone

Title: Gone
Author: Michael Grant
Genre: YA Science Fiction/Fantasy
Page Count: 558
Why I read it: It sounded good
Grade: B

Synopsis:
In the blink of an eye. Everyone disappears. GONE.
Except for the young. Teens. Middle schoolers. Toddlers. But not one single adult. No teachers, no cops, no doctors, no parents. Just as suddenly, there are no phones, no internet, no television. No way to get help. And no way to figure out what's happened.
Hunger threatens. Bullies rule. A sinister creature lurks. Animals are mutating. And the teens themselves are changing, developing new talents—unimaginable, dangerous, deadly powers—that grow stronger by the day.
It's a terrifying new world. Sides are being chosen, a fight is shaping up. Townies against rich kids. Bullies against the weak. Powerful against powerless. And time is running out: On your birthday, you disappear just like everyone else...

My review:
Gone definitely had an interesting premise.  It's another one of those books that you think about when you're done reading, and it also sparked a good discussion with my 12 year old.  I asked her what she would do if everyone over the age of 14 disappeared, and it was interesting to hear her answers.

There were a lot of characters in Gone, with author going so far as to start listing them a couple times.  Like: "On this side, there was Sam, Astrid, other kid, other kid, other kid, other kid, other kid, and other kid."  The problem was that, even though there were lots of characters, there wasn't a whole lot of variety.  It seemed like the kids were either very, very good or extremely bad with no morality whatsoever.  I believe there was just one character who struggled with what side he was on, but I found him so unlikeable that I didn't care about him at all.

But the story was well-written enough that I could get past my few problems with the book.  Any book that I can finish in a day that's 558 pages has to be pretty good, even if it is YA and is a fairly easy read.  Once again, we have a book that doesn't really have an end.  You HAVE to read the next book if you want to find out what happens.  Fortunately the second book is already out, so nobody has to wait around for it.  Also fortunate is that the book was good enough that reading a second book isn't necessarily a bad thing.

I would recommend this one to fans of YA literature.  Be aware that it's pretty violent and hard to read at times.