The POWERS of reading

Hello everyone! And welcome back to another round of "Jass Reads Books"! Yay!!!...I'd like to start off this post with a presentation of awards to readers who have been super supportive in my first month of this blog:

First award goes to Stacey Boden for being the only person to ever comment on my blog! Seriously I have two blogs, with 34 posts between them and ONE comment! Thanks Stacey!

 (Sidenote: Check out my other blog HERE It's a 31 day challenge of Halloween prompts, where you can read my mad story writing skills (or lackthereof, I leave you to decide. Just know that decision #2 makes you a dick. Yeah. I said it.))



The second award goes to Stamata Massaoutis for sharing my blog with others on her Facebook page and spreading my word. The Gospel of Jass: A never ending deliverance of my unfiltered thoughts for the masses. Never asked for, as it's a gift they never knew was needed. Now that it's here...browser histories ache for a deletion, because the power of each crafted sentence is too much for their cookies.






Next we have Amy Tyler. Amy has cheered me on from post number one. She has also stated twice now that I should, as I fully agree, be on SNL. Cheers Ames.




Last but not least, is Vera LeFranc for always commenting on my FB with thoughtful responses.




While I have awarded only a few, please know there are many wonderful people reading my blog and all of your comments are appreciated. I sadly can't list everyone, but who knows? You can be February's recipients! (Because I know you all secretly want that. I saw your birthday lists!)


Are you all still there? Because I swear I do have a blog post ready to go! What have I checked off this time, you (don't) ask? Why a little thing called GRAPHIC NOVEL! That's right baby, I checked off what is arguably the EASIEST category for me. Why's that? Because I LOVE SUPERHEROES! For those of you who know me, you know that I can talk on and on about superheroes, SH comics, SH cartoons, SH movies, and superpowers in general. I once asked my biology teacher on the likelihood of finding a radioactive spider...she told me not to try it...IN SERIOUSNESS.


Whatever, I don't need to cheat my way to superpowers! (Looking at you PP!) Once I finally master what my mutation is/get one, I will go full Generation X on you! Not the classification society gives people born in certain decades--that shit's lame, yo! No, Generation X-the awesome 90's teen mutant team started by Emma Freaking Frost and Sean Cassidy. Until then, I'll work on amassing a fortune, train in multiple combat forms, and find a reliable English butler who has preferably served as British Intelligence and trained in emergency medical techniques. I can't tell you why...it's no big deal. Seriously. It's nothing-What's that? Graphic novels? Right! Lets talk about that.




BOOK #4 A Graphic Novel




Welcome to POWERS: WHO KILLED RETRO GIRL? by Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Avon Oeming.


This is volume 1 of the series and I really enjoyed it. The premise of the world is people with powers are a common occurrence in society. Some are born with abilities, some accidentally gain them (Looking at you PP!) and others actively seek them out. The point is...it's more or less normal. There are superheroes, as well as super villains and they kind of cancel each other out.

The thing that sets this apart from other worlds with superheroes, is that our main characters are regular cops. While superheores set the world, they are not our story. It's an interesting take, and done fairly successfully. The only reason I'm not as impressed with it as it may deserve, is because it's not really a new story to me. Remember how I said I love superheroes? Yeah, that includes ALL types of SH stories (not just those from the big 2) and I suggest anyone who also enjoys these types of stories pick up After the Golden Age.

So, while not completely new for me, still well done. There's a surprise twist that really adds a layer to the characters in this. I won't give it away...if you want to know, message me or leave a comment below and I'll tell you.







It begins with a hostage situation, where we are introduced to our protagonist, Christian Walker. He's a homicide detective and confused as to why he's been brought in. Turns out the captor specifically asks for him. By the end of this issue (Graphic novels are often collected comic issues of story arcs. So while this is Volume 1, it consists of issues 1-6) he ends up with a kid named Callista, who was being held hostage by her dad. This turns out to be important later in the story.


He also meets his new partner Deena Pilgrim. A sassy, easily angered, young detective. She has a problem watching her mouth. At first I wasn't very fond of her, but she grows on you as you learn more about her. She is also the perfect foil to Walker. The characters are super thought out in terms of their personalities and skills. For example, Deena doesn't believe Walker isn't a "power" because of his strangely personal relationships with the cities costumed heroes and villains. So she roundhouse kicks him to catch him in the act and sends him flying into a wall. That's who she is. Walker in response gets up calmly then asks what that was. He's angry and baffled, but remains fairly stoic and understands her reasoning when she explains it.


The tale itself is pretty straightforward "whodunnit" mystery: As the title suggests, they try to determine "Who killed Retro Girl". They go about questioning witnesses and other suspects. The pacing and issue endings build a strong story. One of the best things about this arc is how they drop exposition so you get backstory without the characters taking up too much time. Remember, each comic has so many pages, and an artist can only draw so many panels, with only so much text. The medium requires both written and visual language. Space and layout is important!


POWERS delivers backstory and action simultaneously: They keep the detectives storyline moving forward and show the case being solved, while also telling us everything we need to know about the superheroes in this world, and who Retro girl is by using televised news.






Look at this spread-See how most of the page is the action? The storyline we're meant to follow with our main characters? The top is a scene of the detectives discussing with their medical examiner. The case is moving forward and we're getting the dialogue and process. Now notice at the bottom the smaller panels with white text above them...that is meant to be a TV screen, and it tells as all the exposition we need to know, to understand the world. It's quick, out of the way, and a very smart way to drop a bunch of info that would be tedious to see talked about in lieu of the actual plot.

If I ever write comics, I might steal this- I mean "borrow" this...yeah. Borrow this.


You can also notice, the artwork is pretty awesome on this comic as well. Shadows are used really well for effect.


The one thing I didn't like, ironically, is also the layout. It's not traditionally set and while I love that-there were pages where I had a tricky time knowing which order to read things. This isn't a horrible problem because it's easy enough to figure out, but when you're invested in a story, it definitely is a small out. If I'm reading the funny books, I don't really want to work that hard.


In the end, POWERS is a cool comic and I'm on Volume 3 now. The more the world gets fleshed out, the more I want to know.



 *A quick note: I'm reading two books simultaneously, and one of them is "a book with more than 600 pages". It may take some time before the next post...so don't disappear on me!*







 

Reading the Blues

Woah! Check me out! Two posts in a row! I must be reading like...nobody's business! A...lean, mean, reading machine! A...real read-naissance man! A...I don't have anything else.

And I'm going to use that anticlimactic note to delve right in, to book number three of my reading challenge:

Book #3: A book with a blue cover

I never meant to write another blog post so soon, but I ended up reading a book and it fit into this nifty little topic. What else could I do after realizing this? It practically begged me to fulfill my monthly quota of 3/4 books and I had to say yes! Well, no I didn't. I just recognized the longer I delay, the less likely it is to happen. I'm going to go ahead and give unsolicited advice: (Just think of me as your "favourite" relative, you know which one I'm talking about!) When you build up momentum, don't stop! It is better to ride it without breaks and crash, than lose it and go nowhere. So basically, I'm admitting this blog has no happy ending. Le sigh, such is life.

Back on track-I ended up reading a book with a blue cover. I never meant to read a book with a blue cover, I just wanted to read a book that has been on my list for awhile. Serendipity, you might ask? and I say no! I don't believe in that crap! The universe is mysterious, for sure...but that's only because we refuse to fund science properly and let it do its thing. Which is ridiculous, because I'm always more awed by what we discover than uncertainty. Uncertainty is easy, knowledge is the burden.
Wow, I've just noticed how easily I let myself get distracted. No wonder, I'm always surprised by how long my posts are...four paragraphs in and I haven't even gotten to the book. Lets rectify that: It's Neil Gaiman's The Ocean at the End of the Lane.

Look at how blue this cover is! Who would have thought a book about an ocean would have a conveniently blue cover?

 

As I stated, this book has been on my list, mostly because I really enjoy Gaiman's works. I would suggest everyone read his Sandman graphic novels, and follow them up with his spin-off Death series. Death and Delirium are two of the coolest characters I have ever met. (Yes, you meet characters. You just meet them in pages, and in your head.) If you've never read his work, you may have seen it on film: Stardust, Coraline, Mirrormask. He's pretty well known in the fantasy world.

I read the book, and was immersed in it quickly. It's written as a memory our male protagonist is telling us, of an event that occurred when he was a boy. This framework works really well. For one, it adds an "adult" presence to keep the book for an older audience, but allows Gaiman to write the age he excels at: Childhood. The book discusses many mature themes; suicide, adultery, hopelessness...but it does so from a child's perspective.

There are three female characters who assist the protagonist. Lettie Hempstock, her mother Ginny, and her grandmother, who live on their family farm. It is implied that these women are more than mere human, but not necessarily supernatural. They know things, and they can do things. Our unnamed protagonist trusts them instantly and never questions how or why they "are." The most we get is an exchange where he asks Lettie how old she is. Lottie responds eleven. Our protagonist doesn't believe she can be so young, so he asks, "How long have you been eleven for?" to which he gets a smile of approval from his friend.
This is the brilliance of Neil Gaiman. He is so good at making you believe in the magical, the extraordinary, that he never needs to give you more information than what is presented. He never tries to justify why these three women have power, they simply do. His character never questions them, so neither do we. That being said, he also keeps to the cardinal rule of fantasy...stick to the laws you've created. He may not explain how the women happen to be, but there is implied rules that govern them, and he never breaks them. This is also a big reason we can accept the characters.

The antagonist is distinctly Gaiman as well; strange, terrifyingly threatening, and ultimately sad. She is from another world, but hitches a ride on our protagonist to ours, and names herself Ursula. She seduces his father, wins over his sister, and entraps him. There were moments where I felt desperate and severely anxious for the boy. I was relieved when he reached the Hempstock farm and found warmth and safety.

The ending is interesting, and flashes to the present where the unnamed man has just left a funeral. He finds his way to Hempstock farm and doesn't know how or why. Old Mrs. Hempstock tells him he came because Lettie wanted him to. I won't say more, because it will give to much away. This is a book I recommend to people who like fantasy and a little bit of a thrill. I don't know if it's the best thing he's ever written, but it's quick and pretty darn good.

This book also continues Gaiman's love of having random cats around. Seriously, what is up with that?

Celebrities Write Books

Welcome back to my "Reading Challenge" blog! A big thank you to all those who read it-special shout out to Vera, Ariel and my mom. My mom thinks I'm cool!

So this post is going to cover the second book I read, and I think I'll just go ahead and dive in:

Book #2: A book written by a celebrity
There are so many celebrities, and far too many of them attempt to write books. So where do I start? Who interests me enough, and convinces me they have the chops to write a decent book? Leslie Knope. To fulfill this challenge I went with the delightful Amy Poehler and her book, Yes Please. I  absolutely adore her and love the work she does with Amy Poehler's Smart Girls

I went into this with high hopes. Possibly the highest of high hopes. Maybe even the hardest highest of high hopes. Or, the hugely hardest highest of high hopes....and I'm going to stop there, because I could do this all night: Adding one more 'H' word that makes sense, until this blog has completely lost its focus and is overrun by a horribly, horrendous, hit of 'H's! Alright, alright...I'll hurry along and halt with the harassment.
(See the problems I have?)

Anyways, big expectations and I am happy to say...the first thing I read made me mad! What?! Yeah, it did! But don't get me wrong...the book is good! I really liked it: I smiled, then giggled, then laughed. And I don't really mean "mad"-mad, more miffed. You see, Amy begins her book talking about how hard it was to write. Which I don't doubt! Then she goes on to say how most people/writers lie and act as if it isn't difficult. This I do doubt. I do not know anyone who thinks it's easy to write a book. There are countless interviews with best sellers who admit to the amount of time, hard work, and endless editing/redrafting it takes. I am twitter friends with a number of published authors (#humblebrag #IHopeIUsedThatCorrectlyBecauseIfNotILookLikeAnAssholeAndDumb) all of whom stress how difficult it is, and without the bonus of knowing they have a large readership upon completion. I think this last bit is what got me. Who are these mythical people Amy thinks brag about how easy writing books are? And, yes it is hard, but at least you know people are going to flock to your work! (Myself included-no regrets!) Publishers approached you! Writing a book may be hard, but getting it seen and published (Traditionally) is much harder and that part was handed to you!

Basically this book and I, were off to a good start! I couldn't wait to read it, only to promptly become cross with it. Then more cross because it made me temporarily dislike something created by Ms. Poehler. That rocked my world more than anything. Luckily I was absolutely charmed by the next section of the book and ended up really enjoying it. I especially liked how collaborative she ended up making it; with a chapter from Seth Meyers, and notes by Mike Schur. She also teased when she'd talk about Tina Fey, letting us hang from a thread until she got there. Sadly her chapter on Tina was a bit of a let down...but I guess she didn't want to repeat what was mentioned in Tina's book.  Nonetheless, the love she has for Fey still shines through.

Leslie Knope, being Leslie Knope

Amy does a great job outlining her life and the years of work it took to get where she is now. She never really brags about her success, but rather looks fondly at the path that got her there. She's really down to earth. When discussing the book with my friend who read it (it was Stamata...it's almost always Stamata) I remarked how I was surprised by how some chapters made me like Poehler less than pre-book, then others made me like her more than pre-book (Big Feat!). I didn't think anything would make me question my love of she-who-was-Knope. I told her that after thinking about my mixed feelings, I realized the brilliance of the book: She's being completely human. No one is flawlessly likable, and neither is she.  I can only imagine how many people run into her expecting to meet Leslie Knope, and unable to separate character from actor. I think some of my disillusion with her, was a very deliberate thing. A big, I'm Amy Poehler! Not *insert what you like best of mine here* The other thing I realized was; she was honest, because she doesn't have to try to be funny or entertaining...She is funny and entertaining.

One of my favourite segments was her discussing the Golden Globes and they way she distracts herself by coming up with "bits" to do, instead of focusing on whether she wins or not. It not only showed her dedication to comedy, and collaboration, but showed that her contemporaries are also "down to clown". It was nice knowing that celebrities are as bored with award shows as I am! They really are JUST LIKE US! ...And this time they get the added downer of not being able to change the channel...because they're there live: Getting free swag, food, and liquor! JUST LIKE US!

One of my least favourite aspects of the book is her strange need to always specify someone's ethnicity if they aren't white. Regardless of whether it needs to be stated or not. For example, is it necessary to point out where your three nannies come from? Does knowing one's from Trinidad, add anything? Without context, and the ability to interpret tone, it's really hard to understand why Poehler does this.

In the end, I loved this book. I adored the way any mention of former husband, Will Arnett, is nothing but positive and full of respect and thankfulness of the time they had, and the children they share. She doesn't go into their divorce, and I admire her for that. It could have been juicy gossip, but she doesn't care.

The biggest thing I took from this book was, Amy joined SNL at 30. Do you know what this means? I am not quite 30, I can still join SNL. As usual Amy Poehler has given me hope.

POPSUGAR's Reading Challenge 2016: Gregory Maguire

Welcome to the blog that's going to document my (hopeful) completion of POPSUGAR's Reading Challenge. Each month, I will attempt to read 3/4 books and write about them. I admitted to my mom shortly after agreeing with myself to do this, that I wished I hadn't. Of course, there's a lack of accountability here to anyone other than myself...so theoretically I could just not blog my experiences of the books I've read. Few would know, less would care! However, because I either really hate or love myself, I'm trying very hard to become a better writer, reader, and thinker. So I guess being accountable to myself is all I need to do this....yeah, it's hate. I hate myself. Either that or I did something super bad in a prior life and I'm being punished with masochism in this one.

If it isn't obvious: The Reading Challenge list.

Before I begin with my first book, if I catch the attention of some very small part of the internet; I hope it will join me in this challenge. I'm making an assumption you all will also be readers, or want to become readers...if I'm wrong? Well, it wouldn't be the first time I've made an Ass out of you and me! Actually it's usually just me, so the company will be nice!

Alright, because I'm really not ready to publicly share my thoughts and potentially look like an idiot (particularly in front of friends who I've done a solid job of convincing I'm intelligent)-there's no better time to dive in!

Book #1: A book based on a fairy tale
So, before I begin I'm going to let you in on how I feel about fairy tales: I'm a mixed bag. As a child I loved them, I have all the Disney classics on VHS (Youngin's do a Google search) and for the most part could re-watch any one of them, any time. However, a lot of my love for Disney's classics came from their soundtracks not necessarily the story (barring the renaissance era which was filled with awesome female characters whom I adore). I mean, I'm still not sure what happened in Bambi...as I barely remember it. I know there's a hunter, but I didn't really get that until years after watching it. I remember being scared of Alice in Wonderland, but that's technically 19th century children's literature (yes, I realize Bambi isn't a traditional fairy tale either).

Anyways, beyond Disney's versions, I also loved the scarier versions of fairy tales. I have always enjoyed being put on edge, to the point where I can't stop thinking about something and re-write endings to my liking in my head.

Currently, I still like fairy tales but do see the problematic nature in some of them. They were passed down as morality tales/lessons, and it was pretty obvious who those lessons were usually for and about. It was women. Women and being virtuous. Of course I'm over-simplifying, and haven't put time period into context, yada, yada, yada...but this is my blog and a place for my opinions- so I don't care. Side note: If you're interested in this I recommend Fairy Tales and the Art of Subversion by Jack Zipes.

Long story short: I like fairy tales, and I enjoy contemporary re-examining of them. I've read a few adaptations, and really enjoyed them. This is why I chose to read Gregory Maguire's Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister, for this part of the challenge. Gregory's  kind of made re-tellings his thing, and I really like the ugly stepsisters. Anastasia's my favourite character in Disney's Cinderella. Now, here's where I'm going to feel a little bad-I don't have much to say about this book. I read it in a day, but not because it was particularly gripping, more I read fast and have issues with not knowing things. (I'm a fan of spoilers; they have never once ruined my experience of something. In fact, I enjoy it more because of anticipation to see how what I know, plays out. I prefer to see how elements are connected and fit in, than the surprise of them. Science backs me up on this! )
The book was a quick, easy, read and enjoyable enough. Forgettable as well. If you were to ask me months from now (when book isn't fresh in my mind) my favourite part, I probably couldn't come up with anything. I could probably list things I liked, but I don't think I could muster the enthusiasm to gush about my "favourite" or the "best" part.

I'm not going to give a summary, as that's not my intent in writing this blog. If you would like a summary of the plot, Wikipedia does that quite well here!
I will talk about my thoughts on the characters and the general concept. So lets dive in:
 
This was definitely an interesting take on a classic tale, at least interesting enough they made a TV movie. It focused on Iris, the plain step sister and her new life in the Netherlands. It lightly examines the rise and fall of the tulip trade there. This background of true history definitely embeds the tale in realism, but I felt more could have been done with it. It's mostly used to have a rich man become a poor man...Getting back to Iris, our protagonist, we see a young girl on the verge of womanhood grow up. I can't say she's likable, but she is rounded. She's intelligent, if not learned, and has keen observational skills. Her internal thoughts show she picks up subtlety but in other things she's completely oblivious. There were moments I rooted for her, and others where I found her ridiculous. In short, she was probably a good example of a girl her age going through changes and hormones. Whose father has just been killed, causing her mother to uproot her from her home in England and take her to the Netherlands. She's her sister's caretaker despite being younger, and the only person her mother has. Kid's got shit going on! What I like is Iris is neither good nor bad, mean nor nice: Rather all at different times. She has a romantic plot that runs through the tale, and it is a fairly accurate portrayal of a first crush. She wants to be a painter, but her crush-the apprentice, would be there and she realizes she couldn't handle being that close to him, in unrequited love, all day...so she bails.

The other characters are: Ruth, Iris' elder sister who is mute and considered "grotesque". I don't want to give anything away in case someone wants to read the novel...but her reveal at the end, was probably my favourite part. It actually surprised me. Unlike Margarethe's (Iris/Ruth's mother) confession, which I saw from so far away, I thought I might get to call my optometrist and tell him I don't need his stupid glasses! Of course I wouldn't do this, that's not how vision works. I felt for Ruth, but she reveals she doesn't need my pity. She's no fool. She is sort of in the background a lot, always there but never really there. Yet, in the end, she is responsible for a pivotal moment.

Going back to Margarethe, I have to say I couldn't tell if she was a developed character or a cliche. She actually straddled the line (for me). There were moments where I genuinely felt that while her actions were gruff, her heart was in the right place. This was mostly at the beginning of the book, later when she marries Cinderella's (named Clara) father she becomes more of a stereotype. Which was too bad, because I really, really, really wanted Maguire to go another route. Actually, I just wanted more in general. I was fond of his Wicked, and wanted this to be just as tight. (Not saying Wicked doesn't have its own problems.)

Now, here's where I might stir some controversy with those who have read the book: My favourite character was Clara. Our Cinderella. She was brilliantly petulant and dramatic, in all the ways I like. She also had a lot of my sympathy, especially because of the glaringly obvious "secret" I saw miles away. She may act childishly, but there were hints she occasionally knew what she was doing as well. She wasn't soft, she wasn't hard. In fact, in a lot of ways her and Iris are similar.

There are a bunch of male characters too, but really I didn't care much about any of them to write. Yes, I'm lazy. Also this is my first post, I'll get better as I go!

In conclusion: There's interesting ideas about beauty and ugliness, youth and adulthood, vision and observation, but like I said: The book was sort of "meh" to me. The ending was abrupt, but I liked that. It was retelling of a story we know...it's a rare occasion where the ending is actually the least important part. We want to see how these re-imagined characters get there, not what it is. For those wondering...SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS! it is the ending of Cinderella.
I can't say I would read this book again, but it isn't bad. If you really enjoy reading fairy tale adaptations, and like seeing familiar characters in new ways? Sure, read it. You're probably more likely to enjoy it than someone just looking for a cool book to read.

So that's it for my first Reading Challenge blog post. Join me next time for Book #2: Amy Poehler's Yes, Please