Book 2: Summer Blonde by Adrian Tomine

This novel: 132

Total: 311

Title: Summer Blonde

Author: Adrian Tomine

Publisher: Drawn and Quarterly (June 1, 2003)

Rating out of 10: 6

What they thought

From Booklist

Tomine is at the forefront of the younger generation of alternative-comics artists; now in his mid-twenties, he began publishing at age 16. Known for his clear, direct drawing and acute scrutiny of his contemporaries, Tomine has an understated approach, light on plot but rich with memorable characterization. The young protagonists of these four stories range from alienated to out-and-out misanthropic and include a successful but shy novelist who seeks out the girl he was obsessed with in high school; a lonely woman who loses her job and veers into erratic behavior; and a pair of high-school outcasts who improbably wind up together. Tomine shows them dealing with bad attitudes, bad choices, and bad sex. The narratives pick up at seemingly arbitrary points in the characters' lives and end just as abruptly. They are snapshots of lives just gathering steam. Tomine's figures look a bit stiff, and sometimes his panels are cramped, but that isn't inappropriate to depicting the constricted lives of his not particularly likable but always sympathetic characters. -Gordon Flagg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

What I thought 

This is a graphic novel, composed of four shorter, more emotional stories. I have this thing where I read books and I get angry when they are all mushy and gushy and have happy endings and almost nothing goes wrong in the protagonist's life. It's like authors want to glorify life as this magical, fairy tale event that is so beautiful and so perfect and nothing could ever go wrong. But it is exactly the opposite of that. Life. Sucks. There is no getting around it, shit is going to happen and it is going to happen a lot. The typical fiction book almost ignores life and all of it's tragedies and goes on being happy. Tomine says "fuck that" and slaps you in the face with life. Life shouldn't be controversial. We can't just ignore the suck. 

 

Book 1: Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

This novel:179

Total:179

Title: Fahrenheit 451

Author: Ray Bradbury

Publisher: Ballantine Books (August 12, 1987)

Rating out of 10: 8

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. After years of working as a fireman--one who burns books and enjoys his work--Guy Montag meets a young girl who makes him question his profession and the values of the society in which he lives. Stephan Hoye's narration is perfectly matched to the subject matter: his tone is low and ominous, and his cadence shifts with the prose to ratchet up tension and suspense. He produces spot-on voices, and his versions of the gruff Captain Beatty, the playful Clarisse, and the fearful professor Faber are especially impressive. 

A Ballantine paperback. (Aug.)
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

What I thought

I've taken a few days, waiting to write this, getting all of my thoughts in place. (Bad idea. Lesson learned: type right away.) This book made me want more, it made me want to change, it made me fear technology. I do not want to become a technology dependent robot. Yeah, technology is great (useful for things like, say, blogs...) but I do not want to depend on it. Having my own thoughts, my own feelings.... well isn't that what life is all about? 

Interesting videos. Will post the other parts when they are uploaded.(Two brothers with a huge YouTube following read Fahrenheit 451 and discuss.)

John Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjCk8J6L_SI&feature=plcp
Hank Part 1:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hqfF536A94&feature=channel&list=UL

The rebirth!

It's about time we get back into the swing of this, eh?
It's been quite some time.
Nice to see you again.

Here goes nothing......

Book: 10 How Beautiful the Ordinary

This novel: 350
Total: 2810
Title: How Beautiful the Ordinary
Author: David Levithan, Francesca Lia Block, etc. (Short stories)
Publisher: Harper Teen.
Rating: 3

Usually I don't like short stories, but this time was different. I wanted more from each story. I wanted more from each character. Within the short amount of plot and dialogue, I got connected to their lives, wanting the best for them.  

Book 9: Zombicorns.

This novel: 36
Total: 2460
Title: Zombicorns
Author: John Green.
Publisher: Short story. Not published, really.
Rating: .5

Being a short story that was written quickly, it was obviously terrible. I liked the idea, though.  With editing and more plot line, it would have been better. But it was knowingly terrible.

Book 8: Ender's Game.

This novel: 364
Total: 2424
Title: Ender's Game
Author: Orson Scott Card.
Publisher: Tor Books, 1985
Rating: 3.5

I can't find my notcard, but here's the gyst of it:
This is interesting... this is interesting.. can we get on with it? OH MY GOD WHAT JUST HAPPENED.
Pretty much.

Book 7: Lies by Micheal Grant.

This novel: 464
Total: 2100
Title: Lies
Author: Michael Grant.
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books March 4, 2010
Rating: 3.5

Don't have notecard with me.
Looking forward to Plauge.