Legends of Red Sonja (Comic Book Read)

Legends of Red Sonja(Collected Edition)Collects issues 1-5 of Legends of Red Sonja mini-seriesWritten by Various (Gail Simone, Marjorie M. Liu, Mercedes Lackey, and more)Art by Various (Jack Jadson, Cassandra James, Doug Holgate, and more)Netgalley Review

Available for Purchase on September 9, 2014Pre-Order: Amazon|B&N
Review:
This collected edition of the "Legends of Red Sonja" mini-series is a great place for a newbie, like myself, to jump into when they are unaware of who the character of Red Sonja is. It provides that needed jumping on point without needing to figure out what all the previous stories have been related to her, which can be a common flaw with many comic book characters even after some of the big houses have rebooted their characters. Red Sonja is presented here as a female bad-ass with ties to being a warrior and a thief, which helps us to respect that she is a strong female character with a lot of potential.

In this mini-series the focus is on one linchpin story that is interwoven with other side characters telling stories of their interactions with the main title character. They are telling these tales to a group that are hunting down Red Sonja because she has killed their prince for believing that she was his property. To understand the rest of this series you do not need to know much outside of that basic premise to enjoy it. The stories are seamlessly woven in and are not jarring, which because the linchpin story is written by one writer (Gail Simone) and the others are written by various other female writers (for example Mercedes Lackey) could have easily taken place.

The art for the most part is seamless. It isn't until much later into the collection that any issues with art came to the forefront. This was in the singular story of when Red Sonja received her armour. The style shift at this point was drastic, but considering that this is one story in a 150+ page collection it is a minor error on the original editors part. It is easily forgiven as the overall art is done in a stylistic fashion that befits each singular story and does not take away from the overall works as a singular unit. It is apparent that attention to how this would be collected was carefully considered, which as a fan of reading books in their collected form I greatly appreciate.

Another fine point of this collected edition is that there are two bonuses contained within it. The first bonus is a script of the number one issue of the series. It contains several notes to the artists and other several key aspects to the writing of a famous comic book writer (Gail Simone), which will be fascinating to see for those that are fans of this particular writer. The other bonus added within is some of the concept art for various characters that will be seen throughout the series. For those that are not familiar with this it is often in a comic book series that a writer and an artist will work together to make sure that their ideas for what a character will look like during the run that they work together. This often is done in the form of drawings, which is what is contained here in the concept art bonus section.

I would recommend this collected edition to those people looking for strongly written female comic book characters outside of the two big comic book companies. It also is a great collection for those that enjoy stories of how history is passed down in a world, since the entire series is about people sharing their experiences with her. Some of the stories are true and some are not. Some are mixed in with their own subtle flavors to make them better while others are direct and to the point. It makes it easily enjoyable for those that enjoy stories of myth-making and as the title states "legends".

Until next time... stay OPTIMISTIC!!!!

Returning Soon!!!

You may have noticed that there have been some minor changes to the blog along the side, which is your first indication that I am finally working on regularly reviewing again. I am pleased to announce that:Returns onAugust 4, 2014with new posts WEEKLY!!!

The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides

The Virgin Suicides

by 

Jeffrey Eugenides

“She held herself very straight, like Audrey Hepburn, whom all women idolize and men never think about.” 

For much of this book it felt like we were just muddling through a story that had little to no real plot points. In some lesser books that I have read this would have caused me to end the novel prematurely and think that it was the worst book I have ever read, but for some reason this book enticed me enough to stay. It never really, in my opinion, got a point to it overall. This being said though the book is still a worthwhile read. 

The book heavily showcases what it is like to grow up in a family that is best described as dysfunctional. The seclusion that is placed on these young girls is similar to what numerous parents put their children through when they are severely abused. I was shocked that this aspect did not come up more within the confine of the pages, but it would have detracted from the overall story so I understand the author's choice not to include it as an element. The boys do little to pinpoint that the girls are suffering from a form of abuse either, since they are our primary source of information in this book as the narrator.

One element of this book that went right over my head was the fact that there is supposedly dark humor contained within it, but this element never seemed to present itself to me. The book instead seemed to be about a group of young girls forced to live away from the world and what can happen as a result. There was nothing contained within the pages that made me laugh in any context (dark or not), but this could be due to my previous history studying the field of social work. 

The book was sad and depressing, but sometimes we need a book like this. I appreciated it for what Eugenides was creating here because the overall story has a very "Stand by Me" or also what I like to call the "growing up" type of storyline where a group of kids from a neighborhood have a moment in time or a summer that they always will remember. He weaves this aspect into the story seamlessly even when it is not really about a group of kids like others in this type of genre. He creates an underlying feeling though of this and it creates a masterfully woven tale because of it. 

I did enjoy the book, but I would not place it in my top ten favorite reads ever. I give it a solid three faerie points and would say spend time reading it for yourself. You may get the humor that was allegedly contained within because all people view the world differently.

Until Next Time... Stay OPTIMISTIC!!!

For One More Day by Mitch Albom

If you could have one more day with someone you loved would you take it? What would that day look like? For "Chick" Benetto that wish has been granted with one more day with his mother. The story tells us about how his life went from one of promised grandeur to one of desperation at the end of a neck of a bottle.

Albom creates a story filled with hope even in the darkest of times and how we as humans can return from that darkness to live fulfilled lives. He is one of the masters of this type of uplifting story, another master is Coelho for another example of this particular type of story. Albom creates realistic and believable characters here because he roots them some firmly in reality, while allowing for the mystical elements to shine through as well. He lets the otherworldly elements not be so boldly shockable that they feel organic in the context of the story. He never makes a bigger deal of them than he should, which provides the right touch for such an enjoyable read.

If you have ever felt down and out in your life this is a book that you need to read. There are millions of people similar to "Chick" out there and to have someone tell such a story will help you connect with others that have shared similar experiences. For a brief moment it does help to recognize that we are not the only ones that go through struggles in this life. People can become overwhelmed by their own individual struggles that they feel they are alone, but we are not. There are those of us out there that have struggled and Albom taps into that. So if you are struggling read this and recognize you are not alone, but afterwards take the first steps like "Chick" does to recuperate that lost life you want back. It just takes one single step forward because unlike "Chick" most of us will never get "One More Day" to make the things right, so do what you can today. It is a powerful book with a strong message that will engage a reader that understands it. Share that message with the world.  

 

Until next time... Stay Optimistic!!!

Morganville Vampires Series Book 1: Glass Houses by Rachel Caine

I haven't been much for Young Adult novels of this particular type for awhile now, but I thought what the heck it has to be better than the other mainstream vampire series that will go unnamed here. I devoured this book in one sitting while I was on the greyhound bus going from Indiana to California (the bus trip was multiple days the book however was finished in one day of that trip).

Caine, whose real name is Roxanne Longstreet Conrad, creates a new world of vampires that is engaging in a way that I haven't seen from the genre in awhile. She makes the vampires in charge of this singular town and creates a mystery as to why others cannot remember aspects of the town upon their exit. This made for a rather fun first read of the multiple book series.

We are introduced to the main characters relatively quickly in the book, which is always nice since sometimes it can feel like an author takes their sweet time to make you aware of the big names. Someone may get introduced in chapter twelve in another series book, but here it is like "these are the big names for at least a few books", which was nice. You could also tell that it was a series because there are several moments where you go "I bet that comes back later". It made it feel like I was part of an ongoing world instead of just reading a one and done novel. Often I don't like feeling like I have to read more books than the one currently in my hands, but here it felt natural and right. I reached the final page of this book WANTING there to be more instead of being thankful I reached the ending and that it was enjoyable. I was saying, "Okay more and what happens to such and such character next..." I don't normally say that. I didn't even say that in the Sookie Stackhouse book that I read.

This was engaging on an important fun level that many books have lost touch with. Often, as readers it appears we want to have really deep meaningful books to read. We want it to be literary masterpieces, but I state right now I find I enjoy the books that are not considered masterpieces so much better because they provide enjoyment over substance. I would rather leave a book feeling that I have went on a journey with characters I like and want to see again than to read a book where I feel like I am dragged through the coals to get to the ending. Glass Houses never felt like I was dragged along, but felt like an enjoyable ride! What if other writers understood that a book should be enjoyable like Caine does? I think we would all have better reading experiences.

All of her characters are richly layered with secrets. You can tell from the first moment any character is introduced that something is not being said about them regardless of their importance in the series. To naturally have that with each character is rare. While this is a multiple book series commitment it is one that I am going to be taking on over the next several months between other reading I am doing as well because I feel that it will be well worth it based on this first book of the series.

 

Until next time... Stay Optimistic!!!

The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (KINDLE)

When you recognize that you love a good mystery book it is hard to say that you hate the king of the mystery/detective story, so I won't because this was legitimately an excellent book. It held my interest from the first few pages until the very end, which is rare for a book to do for me. In most instances I find myself not wanting to come back for at least a day and then pushing myself to read the rest of a book, but this one I read every single day since I started it for at least an hour a day.

Doyle came back to Holmes for this great story that infused supernatural and reality together nicely. He made you believe that it was possible the supernatural was occurring, but then revealed all when appropriate. I enjoy a writer that can turn the plot around quickly to reveal the truth of what is happening to characters.

The characters are believable for the time period. The motives are sound and reasonable as well. Some mysteries I have felt that the author is grasping at straws, but here everything adds nicely. It may just be that Doyle has had enough experience filling in every plot hole imaginable that one doesn't feel that he is lacking. He even goes as far to explain how an animal was fed while its master was away. These things showcase a brilliant writer who thinks about the aspects that a reader may notice or question.

This story made me desire to devour more Doyle in the future. I believe that reading some more Sherlock Holmes stories may be in my near future!

 

Until next time... Stay Optimistic!!!

Joy for Beginners by Erica Bauermeister

"You know," Marion said, "I met a woman once when I was a teenager. I knew she had gone through a lot, but she was so strong, so compassionate. I asked her how she could be the way she was, and you know what she told me?"

Hadley shook her head

"She said, you can be broken, or broken open. That choice is yours."

- Page 146

For many this would be classified as chick-lit because it involves a story focused primarily on the friendship between a group of women that make a promise to one of the other characters to meet certain tasks that she places before them, due to deciding to go white water rafting after she beats cancer. For me this wasn't chick-lit, but human-lit. It weaved stories of hopes, dreams, loves, and loss all within its mere 260-some pages.

Bauermeister alternates the chapters by being the complete story of one of the women in the group of friends. We are told somewhere within the chapter their task that was presented to them and we discover throughout why this task was such a burden to accomplish for them to that particular date and why Kate, the cancer survivor, has chosen it for them. In some cases it seems rather mundane the tasks given, but when you understand that in life the simple things are sometimes the hardest for us to accomplish it rings so much truer than if they were being told to do bigger tasks. Sometimes with the stories bigger tasks are revealed to the character and it changes their lives. That is why I call this human-lit because it is about how we must take these small moments/small steps sometimes to see what our full potential is. If you never take that first step you never know what you are capable of and sometimes you will falter, but most of the time it results in learning that would never have occurred otherwise.

Bauermeister isn't the next Hemingway by any means, but who needs every single story they read to be a classic, sometimes a lighter story is more desirable. Sometimes a simpler read can touch you in more ways than a classic can ever do. "Joy for Beginners" is that, a simpler read, that will teach you a lesson about life, if you allow it to and do not get caught up on other things, like macho pride for you male readers out there. So nothing technically blows up in this story and there is little to no violence within its pages, but this book is about humanity and the lives that are touched by one singular event. How friendships grow organically and how people can do big things if they just try. Oh we may not be the best all the time, but we humans can do such beautiful and wonderful things! This book reminded me of that!

Until next time... Stay Optimistic!!!