Artemis Fowl // Eoin Colfer {Audiobook}

Why I'm reading
It’s one of those series/characters I keep hearing about, and it’s Scifi, and it’s available on audiobook.

Where I got the book
Greenwich!

Expectations
To be honest? Not high. I got pretty burnt by the trainwreck that is the Dresden Files, so I’m hesitant to start another popular scifi/fantasy detective series. Also, Artemis is a girls name.

So how was it?

The adventures of Artemis Fowl, pre-teen super-villain ; his bodyguard Butler ; fairy LEPrecon officer Holly Short ; the technical genius centaur Foaly ; and Mulch Diggums, a kleptomaniac dwarf.

Soooo much better than I expected. It’s not high literature (or even high fantasy) and it’s definitely YA, but it’s a good solid adventure with a well-built world and lots of interesting characters. Fairies are real, and they're technologically advanced. Awesome.

I’ve seen it billed as something similar to Sherlock Holmes, and Artemis is theoretically the villain... and while that’s not untrue, it’s not really accurate. Artemis himself certainly fits the idea of a young Sherlock well (or, since the audiobook reader gives him an Irish accent, BBC’s Moriarty) and some deduction happens, but the plot is more action/adventure than detective mystery. As for his villainy, you might not even notice that he’s the “villain” of the first story if he (and other characters) didn't keep mentioning it.

I blew through the whole series in a few days:

1. Artemis Fowl
   Twelve-year-old Artemis, super-villain in the making, kidnaps fairy officer Holly Short for a ransom of fairy gold.
2. The Arctic Incident
   Artemis and the fairy LEP reluctantly team up to fight a goblin conspiracy, led by an evil pixie.
3. The Eternity Code
   Artemis looses a piece of refitted fairy technology to an evil human businessman, and once again teams up with Holly and the LEP.
4. The Opal Deception
   Fairy LEP drafts Artemis to help prevent humans from finding and destroying a major fairy city.
5. The Lost Colony
   The demon island Hybras, banished millennia ago, returns to the normal time-stream.
6. The Time Paradox
   Artemis and Holly go back in time to save his mother from a magic-related illness; the timeline gets all sorts of messed up.
7. The Atlantis ComplexArtemis is suffering from magic-related paranoia and OCD, and is kidnapped.
8. The Last Guardian
   Artemis and Holly struggle to prevent an evil pixie from destroying the human race.

Recommendation
Fans of Scifi and Fantasy. I'd call this "techno-fantasy" or "techno-detective-fairies."

Feels
A little bit like like a detective story, a little like a classic YA novel (before they all got obsessed with love triangles and contests).

Favorites
I really can't choose. Technologically advanced fairies, for one. The ridiculous characters.

Least favorites
Okay, let me get this off my chest: OMG ARTEMIS IS A GIRL’S NAME. Greek goddess. Hello. I actually just met someone who didn’t know that. But hey, at least someone acknowledges that in the second book.

Hunger Games // Suzanne Collins {Audiobook}

Why I'm reading
I feel like a bad librarian for not having read Hunger Games yet. That's me, always late to the party!

Where I got the book
Overdrive from Greenwich Library.

Expectations
I've seen the first movie, so more or less (more, it turns out) know the plot.

So how was it?

The movie stuck fairly close to the plot -- and feel -- of the book, so it was what I expected: a dystopian future, where North America is split into twelve districts, each of which sends two 'tribute' citizens to compete in the Hunger Games.

The book is always better (of course) but in this case, the movie had no chance; as a film medium, it just can't get the same message across. In the book, we understand that Katniss is playing things up for the camera, that everything she feels/does is filtered through the lens of being watched and fighting for her life, and that she's disgusted by the audience watching her -- all things that are nearly impossible to convey to... well, an audience watching her. Jennifer Lawrence actually does a fantastic job conveying the right blank-face disgust and terror.

I've held back on watching the other movies, because I don't want to spend the rest of the series comparing the two (hey, it worked for LotR!)

Recommendation
If you liked the movie, you'll like the book. It's got a little of everything: fighting, survival, romance, a little bit of a psychological thrill (like a spy novel), family drama, and pageantry -- but definitely heavy on the fighting and survival.

Feels
Fast-paced without being ridiculous or confusing. The romance elements are a bit annoying, but honest and don't have any real resolution.

Favorites
It's nothing groundbreaking, but I really appreciated the detail and honesty given to Katniss' relationships -- they're allowed to be conflicted and confusing. She doesn't understand the motives behind her own actions, especially when it comes to Peeta.

Least favorites
Suddenly werewolves? Or something? I can see why they downplayed that in the movie.

Writing style
Easily accessible, descriptive, just the tiniest bit cheesy. Lots of flashbacks.

So what did I really think?

Click "read more"... massive spoilers ahead!

Inside Out {Movie}

Why I'm watching
It’s got incredibly good reviews, and Tina Fey Amy Poehler is the main character/voice.

Where I saw the movie
Local theater with Alan.

Expectations
Family friendly fun. I was hoping for something on par with Pixar’s other fantastic works, like Up! and Wall-E.

So how was it?

Inside Out is the story of a young girl, Riley, during her move from the Midwest to San Francisco -- or, rather, the story of her emotions. Joy, along with Fear, Anger, Disgust, and Sadness, try to make sense of Riley’s upheaval by exploring the metaphorical landscape of her mind.

Recommendation
EVERYONE. Literally everyone should see this movie. Including people who have already seen it. Go. Now.

Okay, no, this isn’t really a movie for younger children. It’s not going to be scary, but it deals with concepts that young children might not understand. They'll be super bored.

And if you're depressed, it's a great message, but it will make you feel all the emotions.

Feels
It’s beyond hilarious, but it’s also sweet and upsetting in places… and no, not upsetting like Up! It’s pretty much teaching an entire generation of children (and adults!) the importance of acknowledging and listening to sadness.

Favorites
As an individual character: Anger. Anger is ridiculously hilarious. But the star of this movie is absolutely the relationship (both literal and metaphorical) between Joy and Sadness.

Least favorites
I know a lot of people loved Riley’s imaginary character, and I appreciate his role in the story, but I didn’t actually connect with him as a character.

So what did I really think?

Click "read more"... massive spoilers ahead!

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children // Ransom Riggs {Audiobook}

Why I'm reading
I’d heard the title before, and it seemed pretty interesting. I actually went looking for this one, instead of just browsing.

Where I got the book
Greenwich/Overdrive.

Expectations
Harry Potter with less wizardry and a more circus/freak show vibe.

So how was it?

Soooo…. not actually what I was expecting. For one thing, there isn’t really a “school,” in the sense of Harry Potter (which I did find in the Finishing School series). And while it has a lot of YA themes, it didn’t feel constructed the way a lot of modern YA books do. It felt like the books I read (oh god am I about to say this) when I was younger, before YA was such an established genre. It reminded me of Hunky Dory Dairy.

The plot is fun. It requires you to suspend a whole lot of disbelief, but it’s fun. It’s not all that easy to explain without a blow-by-blow, but the basic premise is: there are “peculiar” children who have special powers or mutations (think side-show, not X-Men), who live in time-looped locations, and who therefore don’t age. The modern-day main character stumbles into this situation, after growing up hearing about all these kids from his grandfather, gets crazy confused, and eventually there’s some monster-fighting.

Recommendation
Fans of adventure stories, historical fiction, circus freak shows.

Feels
Fun, imaginative, much more fantasy than scifi.

Favorites
I love that the “peculiarities” are much more freak show than X-Men. They’re not always useful, or at least not always obviously so.

Least favorites
There is pretty much zero logic behind “peculiarities.”

Sh*t My Dad Says // Justin Halpern

Why I'm reading
I came across it looking for audiobooks, and I know Shatner did the TV adaptation.

Where I got the book
Greeeeenwich!

Expectations
Someone's crotchety old dad saying funny things.

So how was it?

The book is based on the twitter account Shit My Dad Says, which (as you’d expect) consists of funny and insightful quotes from Halpern’s dad. But the book itself is less “funny shit my dad says,” and more “life lessons from my dad, who often says funny shit.”

It’s fairly good, as far as humorous essays go.

Recommendation
I imagine this would mostly appeal to young men, and to people who are close with their fathers (err… not that I’m not the latter).

Feels
Coming-of-age, family bonding. What I imagine Everybody Loves Raymond is trying, and utterly failing, to be.

Not My Father's Son // Alan Cumming {Audiobook}

I’m quickly coming to the realization that memoirs make great audiobooks, especially when they’re read by the authors. Unfortunately I’m tearing through the small number of audiobook-celebrity-memoirs, at least the ones I’m interested in.  

Why I'm reading
Alan Cumming is one of my (many, many, many) long-standing celebrity crushes.

Where I got the book
Greenwich Library, audiobook. I’d passed this by before, but decided to pick it up this time because I wasn’t in a sci fi mood.

Expectations
I know the basics of his life, but I haven’t really delved into it much.

So how was it?

Wow, I had no idea Alan Cumming was abused as a child, let alone so severely. I can’t imagine how hard it was for him to put this all out there for the public to read; at one point, he explains that he tries to live his life as openly as possible, and he’s not kidding.

I was expecting your standard “my life up ‘til now” memoir, which is not what I got. The book specifically focuses on Cumming’s father, and family history on his mother’s side. He starred in an episode of Who Do You Think You Are?, discovering some unfortunate things about his grandfather on his mother’s side; while shooting the episode, he explains, he was also going through drama with his estranged father. I actually just watched this episode -- like, paused it halfway through, went to bed, went to work, then borrowed the audiobook -- and completely forgot about it.

Recommendation
Fans of Alan Cumming, of course. Although I can’t speak from experience, I think it would be a validating and uplifting read for survivors of abusive homes. If you’re just interested in family history (in the historical sense), you’re better off just watching the Who Do You Think You Are? episode.

Feels
Both devastating and uplifting. Cumming is surprisingly frank about everything, and it somehow does not feel uncomfortable.

Writing style
Honest, dramatic, paints a colorful picture.

An Abundance of Katherines // John Green {Audiobook}

Why I'm reading
The path to me reading John Green was a strange one. I'm a huge fan of SciShow and CrashCourse, two YouTube channels run by Hank and John Green -- who started their YouTube endeavors with Vlog Brothers. Hank Green is this perfect blend of hot and obnoxiously nerdy but you didn't hear that from me...  Meanwhile, the YA world has been abuzz about The Fault in Our Stars by John Green... yeah, it took me way too long to realize John Green is John Green. That was the little extra push I needed to read these YA books everyone has been in love with.

Where I got the book

I'm actually listening to this via CD audiobook in the car, on the way to my new job (yay!) in Greenwich (boo!) Naturally the audiobook is from Greenwich library.

Expectations
Whiny teenage boy plot; fun, friendly, slightly goofy writing style, if Hank's videos are anything to go by.

So how was it?

An Abundance of Katherines is a nice, gentle, fairly predictable teenage coming-of-age story. It follows Colin, a child prodigy desperate to become a genius, and his overweight and fairly religious friend Hasan. Colin just got dumped -- by Katherine the Nineteenth, the nineteenth Katherine he's dated -- and Hasan drags him on a road trip. They meet Lindsey Lee Wells in a small town called Gutshot, and Colin works on an equation to predict the course of a relationship between any two people.

I really liked it! I mean, it's not groundbreaking, but all the characters were fairly engaging, and it wasn't too trope-y. The plot isn't over-dramatic, it's not driven by avoidable misunderstandings, and all three main characters actually go through their own independent coming of age experiences.

Recommendation
Young adult readers, definitely. But this could appeal to an adult, I think. Local history and small town communities are actually strong themes, not just a backdrop to romance.

Feels
Slow in terms of drama, but lots of stuff actually happens to make the story interesting. Natural, relaxed, but entertaining.

Favorites
Lindsey Lee Wells, hands down. Normal, salt-of-the-earth girl, going through her own independent identity crisis, just like Colin. She feels like a real person, not a side character in someone else's story.

Least favorites
There really wasn't anything annoying or upsetting about the book, really. Literally the only think I can think of to complain about is that the beginning ramps up this "going on a life-changing roadtrip!!!" feeling, but then they stay in the first town they visit for the rest of the book. Even that's not too bad, though; it's almost like this is just a chunk of a larger road trip story.

Writing style
Easy to read, fun, engaging. Definitely gets in the head of a melodramatic (but still relatively level-headed) teenager.

So what did I really think?

Click "read more"... massive spoilers ahead!

Ready Player One // Ernest Cline {Audiobook}

I wrote an extremely long and actually fantastic review of Ready Player One, with all sorts of insightful ramblings and meaningful commentary. It was pretty much the greatest review in the world.

This is not that review; this is just a tribute.

In a spectacular show of fail, I managed to lose that review completely. That’ll teach me to write something directly in the Blogger interface… I was lured in by the promise of cloud backup, and clearly forgot the ancient teachings of livejournal.  

Why I'm reading
I’d heard some great things about this book, but also some not-so-great things. It seems like the kind of book that’s fantastic if it’s your thing, and stupidly self-indulgent if it’s not.


Where I got the book
Greenwich library, audiobook format.

Expectations
Your classic YA Marty Stu character -- overpowered, angsty, shallow, and special -- with a nerdy 'uncool but secretly super cool' bent. And for some reason, I think I had a vague impression of Tron leotards, which is strange, since I know very little about Tron. In retrospect, this was not entirely incorrect.

So how was it?

Ready Player One is fairly easy to sum up: it’s almost Willy Wonka, but with 1980s nerd trivia instead of chocolate. A rich gaming guru dies, leaving his fortune -- and control of his massive multiplayer online virtual reality gaming company (OASIS) -- to the winner of a contest. We follow the five young frontrunners as they try to win before the employees of a faceless rival company take over and ruin OASIS for everyone.

This book was a little bit of a roller-coaster for me. The first few chapters were incredibly engaging, and then it took a rambling left turn into Self-Righteous Opinionville, for a chapter, before getting back on its feet, leveling out, ramping up to some pretty fun stuff about two-thirds in, and rolling to a gently satisfying conclusion.

Recommendation
If you like references to video games and 1980s pop culture, you’ll love this book (although you don’t need to understand the references in order to enjoy it). If that sounds irritating, this is really really really not the book for you.

Feels
Exciting, dangerous; cyberpunk post-apocalyptic, but not too gritty.

Favorites
Both side-kick characters were awesome. There’s also a major plot point with the evil rival company, but I don’t want to spoil it.

Least favorites
The book starts out well for the first chapter or so, but -- like I said -- it takes a bad turn for about a chapter. The author more or less hijacks the story to ramble on about some shallow and angry take on ecology, social responsibility, economics, etc. The worst offender is this little plot sinkhole: the economy starts to tank, with resources getting scarce, so people moved into the overcrowded city for the express purpose of finding food and work, because there was nothing to survive on in the rest of the country. You know, nothing but arable farmland.

Writing style
Engaging, with lots of focus on details and textures, which works for a story that takes place in both the real world and a virtual reality construct. I listened to the audiobook, which could not have had a better narrator (Wil Wheaton).

So what did I really think?

Click "read more"... massive spoilers ahead!

Breakfast on Pluto // Cillian Murphy {Movie}

Why I'm watching
Who can resist Cillian Murphy in drag?

Where I got the movie
Greenwich Library (new job!)

Expectations
Something in the realm of Kinky Boots and Hedwig and the Angry Inch: sexy, heartfelt, and dealing with gender and human nature.

So how was it?

Good, but not exactly what I was expecting. The story follows Patrick "Kitten" Braden, whose sexuality and gender identity are... never directly examined, but you could say transgender. We see him grow up as an abandoned, feminine, and extremely bratty young man in Ireland in the 1970s, fascinated by the mother who abandoned him.

The movie was a lot more subtle than I was expecting -- definitely an Irish production. And it's very, very, very interwoven with the history and politics of 1970s Ireland (yes, that means car bombs.) I wasn't wrong in thinking this would be like Hedwig; if anything, it was more like Hedwig than I was expecting: raw, confused, and personal-political.

Recommendation
Fans of Hedwig and the Angry Inch, 110%. Except the singing.

Feels
Raw, a little mixed up, heartfelt without being melodramatic.

Favorites
The silly spy daydream (hallucination?) was adorable by itself, but really kind of dark in context. I really connected with Kitten's friends; smaller parts, but just as important and interesting.

Least favorites
The CGI birds were unnecessary. Some of the dialog was hard to follow (hey, Irish).

Beijing Bastard // Val Wang

An early adult coming-of-age story, following a second generation Chinese American who moves to China, hoping to find a career in film and journalism.

Why I'm reading
I straight up don't remember requesting this book, but it showed up in my mailbox, and it doesn't look awful, so why not?

Where I got the book
I received an "advance uncorrected proof" copy for review, from LibraryThing Early Reviewers. AWESOME.

Expectations
From reading the back cover, I'm expecting a relaxed coming of age story, a hint of Dragon Mom, a Bostonite view of mainland China, peppered with some edgy not-quite-racist humor.

So how was it? 

For most of the book, Beijing Bastards feels like it's trying very, very hard to get to a point, when I'm not entirely sure there is one. But that's ok; I enjoyed the ride, even if there was no destination.

It's the author's memoir of her early to mid twenties, when she decided to move to Beijing - not to reconnect with her heritage, but to escape her Chinese-American parents and follow her dreams. The title comes from an artsy-edgy movie about Beijing subculture. She's looking to connect, to become part of that subculture, to discover the "real" Beijing.

I liked it. Despite repetitive focus on the author trying to figure herself out, it's really more of an exploration of her experience in China. Her ultimate goal is to film a documentary in China, and the book was written in that same spirit.

It's very much what I expected - maybe a little less humor, but that's a good thing. Sometimes the people she meets come off as caricatures, but sometimes they're surprisingly real. I'm reminded of that time we all have late in our teenage years when we realize our parents (and all adults, and other people, too) have entire lives outside of what we know of them. That goes both for the author's family and for the people she meets along the way.

Recommendation
For fans of quirky memoirs, readers looking for a quick beach read that isn't romance, and anyone interested in a Chinese-American point of view.

Feels
Introspective and colorful.

Favorites
The littlest side characters are somehow the most engaging.

Least favorites
It's a little self-indulgent, but it's aware of its self-indulgence at least.

Writing style
Fun, lots of detail and flair, a typical "memoir" voice. Who couldn't love phrases like "having robbed me of my ancestral rent-controlled birthright" ?! And OH BOY the metaphors and similes. There's at least one every two or three sentences. That usually drives me nuts, but while I was certainly aware of it, it wasn't annoying.

Boyhood // Directed by Richard Linklater {Movie}

A coming-of age drama following a young boy from ages six to eighteen, living in Texas with divorced parents ; filmed in near real-time.

Where I saw the movie
I didn’t drive, so I honestly don’t remember. Oops.

Why I’m watching
Alan's been on about it for years; he's a big fan of the director. And I'll admit, he got me excited for it.

So how was it?

Boyhood was filmed over the course of a decade, using all the same actors. The main character started at about 8 years old, up through 18. It was weird watching everyone age.

I liked it, I thought it was a worthwhile project, but it wasn’t exactly what I was expecting. It wasn’t as fun as it could have been. It wasn’t even as “deep” as it could have been. I didn’t love any of the characters, or even like them very much, but I could empathize with them and understand their decisions. It was just sort of… real. In a way, it was a little disappointing; at the same time, life is a little disappointing, and we see most of the characters go through that. You expect these awesome, meaningful things, but life just sort of happens, and you do the best you can.

Alan described it as “looking through a window at a real person.”

Anyway, I feel like this review is overly negative, and I don’t want to end it like that. It was a good movie, and absolutely worth seeing. It’s something that hasn’t been done before, and it’s an extremely realistic portrayal of life and all its little disappointments and challenges. The acting (except a few teen side characters) is fantastic. Each of the characters is a real complex person, not just the main character’s mom/dad/sister/etc. And I bet that those characters will resonate emotionally for a lot of people who have had similar life experiences. For me, only a few things were close enough to my life to really have an emotional impact: the divorced dad sharing music with his kids, the mom making ends meet (thankfully the only thing she had in common with mine), the teenage whatever and I’m bored.

Recommendation
For people who like portrayals of real life (and don’t need closure).

Feels
The movie didn’t hit me in the feels, really. Some of the decisions left me a little unsettled and annoyed at the characters, while still understanding them. 

Favorites
The cognitive dissonance when he walked into his elementary school classroom, and it looked like every elementary school classroom ever. Suddenly my brain is recognizing stupid posters, door art, reading slogans, fonts, etc. that were entirely forgotten back in the 90s.

Least favorites
Several scenes with teenage actors (other than the main characters) were not very good. There was one scene that felt like a horrible cheesy anti-drugs-and-alcohol PSA, complete with stilted conversation, overt peer pressure, and cheesy teen lingo. The whole movie seemed to put too much emphasis on alcohol, which was a little distracting. I get it: alcoholism is bad. Yeah, I guess teen drinking is sort of bad. But there’s no need to focus the camera meaningfully when random adults are pouring a glass of wine at a low-key party.

Related reading (or viewing):

• The decade-long filming has been done before in movies like American Promise, Paradise Lost, and the non-fiction Up series.

Hyperbole and a Half // Allie Brosh

“Unfortunate Situations, Flawed Coping Mechanisms, Mayhem, and Other Things That Happened ” ; a full-color graphic novel based on the eponymous webcomic.

So, I'm about two weeks out from graduating with my MLS, which means I actually have time to read books again! And look for a job. And let's be honest, TV too. I've been re-watching Star Trek and blogging that -- more reactions than reviews -- which inspired me to do the same for the books I read. I've never tried before, so we'll see.

I'll start with something I read fairly recently, and really loved: Hyperbole and a Half, a graphic novel (sort of) by Allie Brosh. Check out her blog (same idea, same name). If you spent any amount of time on the internet, you've probably encountered at least some of Brosh's work. The Alot is extremely popular, and her (clean) ALL the things! image is a pretty popular meme. Her work doesn't really look like a traditional graphic novel: it's definitely a web comic style of illustration, with chunky sort-of-stick-figures. It works.

She writes stories based on her life: her childhood, adulthood (mostly her dogs), and even her experience with depression. But these aren't your run-of-the-mill trips down memory lane. How do I put it nicely? She's NUTS. In the best of ways. She has this twisted, unique outlook on life - not at all dark, just... special. And honest. At times, incredibly insightful. I've never experienced depression, but I've heard many people say that hers was the most accurate description of depression they've ever encountered. I know that I found it very empathetic, and (I'm not sure how) still incredibly funny. But if you're not interested in reading about depression, please don't let that turn you off from her work; it's just another topic she turns her unique attention to, right next to the simple dog and the Alot.

I'll be honest: there are some duplicated stories from her blog, and she definitely has some blog posts that are funnier. You won't meet the Alot in her book, either (and yes, a lot of people are complaining.) But it was absolutely worth reading.