Here are the books from my summer reading. For the most
part, they were all light “summer time” books. I’m starting a STM degree in a
month, so in one year’s time (August 2014) my goal is to read 50 books. I’ll
keep track of ‘em here with short reviews.
1. Men
and Feminism by Shira Tarrant
This is part of the SEAL Studies collection
on contemporary feminist and LGBTQ. This book provides a short introduction
into whether or not men can be feminists (yes), masculinity: nature or nurture
(both, probably, but mostly nurture), and ways men can get involved in feminist
organizations and the movement(s) in general. Is a nice read that I could see
assigning as a text for an introduction to women’s studies class, but is by no
means the definitive text on the subject of men and feminism (which is
perfectly okay, because that’s all the text sets out to be). The book is easy
to read and is written in a laid-back, humorous style. May 2013.
2. Husbands
by Brad Bell and Jane Espenson
This is a graphic novel tie-in to the online
sitcom of the same name (HusbandsTheSeries.com). I have only seen a few
episodes of the show, but love the show’s creator and author of this book, Jane
Espenson, whose writing credits include Buffy
the Vampire Slayer and the Doctor Who
spin-off Torchwood. The graphic
novel follows a newly accidently married couple Brady and Cheeks who fall into
a number of misadventures. The book takes a hilarious romp through genres
including sci-fi, superhero, medieval fantasy, and Archie-esque high school pop
comic. The characterization is a little lacking, but the graphics and humor
make up for any lacks elsewhere. I also imagine that the graphic novel plays
off of the show’s characterization, and as such, relies on what has already
been established on screen. A fun and light read, nonetheless. June 2013.
3. Chocolat:
A Novel by Joanne Harris
I have wanted to read this novel for quite
some time. I simply adored the film based on the novel, as it had a
refreshingly strong-willed heroine who overcomes the central plot issue without
the help of a man. The film and book I think have been dismissed by many to be
simply a romancey chic-flic. The novel did not disappoint and lived up to my
expectations; however, I will say that the way the resolution to the domestic
violence relationship subplot played out in the novel was less realistic (and
potentially more dangerous) then in the film. The book had delicious
descriptions of chocolate that made me crave it for hours after I would finish
reading for a day. The book was light and fun, a pleasant summer read. June
2013.
4. Tickets
for a Prayer Wheel by Annie Dillard
Annie Dillard’s first of only two collections
of poetry. Her nonfiction writing is so poetic that I was curious to see how
her poetry would fare. The collection wrestles with God, the natural world, and
human nature, themes found in many of her works. This collection was published
in the same year as her first nonfiction work, Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, and yet her poetic voice tackles similar
themes in a very different light. Even
so, a handful of the poems in this volume feel a little forced, as if she was
still trying to find her voice. July 2013.
5. The
Nerdist Way: How to Reach the Next Level (In Real Life) by Chris Hardwick
Chris Hardwick is a comedian, creator of
the podcast The Nerdist, and has been
hosting television shows all over the place now days. His foray into self-help
literature is interesting, to say the least. First, the book is definitely a
cheesy self-help book, full of advice and false hopes (if you just keep trying,
you’ll make it someday!). Beyond that, the book does have practical advice
drawn from Hardwick’s experiences as a recovering alcoholic, down-and-out broke
actor, and nerd to his eventual success as a comedian and producer of various
nerdy entertainment outlets. The book tackles things like panic attacks,
recovery from addiction, and how to get in shape with practical steps and
humorous illustrations, told in Hardwick’s comedic voice. At some points,
though, his humor does get a little sexist, which I found frustrating. All that
said, it’s decent for a self-help book, and perhaps a nice summer reading
distraction from the heat. July 2013.
6. Mornings
Like This: Found Poems by Annie Dillard
Mornings
Like This is one of the most interesting collections of poetry I have ever
encountered. The author describes the poems within the collection as “instead
of presenting whole texts as ‘found,’ [this volume] offers poems built from
bits of broken text. The poems are original as poems’ their themes and their
orderings are invented. Their sentences are not. Their sentences come from the
books name. I lifted them. Sometimes I dropped extra words; I never added a
word.” The books she found or lifted the poems from range from New Testament
Apocrypha to nature books, grammar handbooks to the letters of Van Gogh. And
while I will admit that there are a few duds in the collection, most of the
poems are stunning and quite brilliant. The new meanings unearthed when the sentences
are rearranged are lovely, heartbreaking, and beautiful. I highly recommend
this volume of poetry for anyone interested in poetry or the style of Annie
Dillard (it’s remarkable how her style even comes through when she is using
other people’s words…). July-August 2013.
7. Superboy:
Volume 2, Extraction by Scott Lobdell, Tom DeFalco, R.B. Silva, and Rob
Lean
I am a huge fan of the Superman franchise.
So I have been following the new 52 storylines, even with all the sexism going
on there (that’s enough for another post, but simply search “New 52 controversy”
and you’ll find out what’s going on). So anyway, Superboy is a clone of
Superman and a mysterious human (spoiler alert: most likely Lex Luthor). This
incarnation of Superboy is very melodramatic, but not too much to turn me away.
The problem with the second volume collection is that the Superboy series is tied in so closely with Teen Titans and Legion Lost
that there were a lot of cross-over stories making this volume confusing as
hell as a standalone story. In order to get the complete tale I’d need to get Teen Titans and Legion Lost and frankly I’m not interested in the story enough to
do that. August 2013.
8. Supergirl:
Volume 2, Girl in the World by Michael Green, Mike Johnson, and Mahmud
Asrar
This treatment of Supergirl isn’t as sexist
as others (just search “Powergirl costume” and you’ll see what I mean), but it’s
not without its faults. Her costume is a bathing suit, and with blonde hair and
blue eyes she’s more of a sex symbol than action hero. How is her skin tight
bathing suit with cape supposed to be Kryptonian armor? All someone would need
to do is aim at her legs and she’d be a goner. The story is decent, but is full
of the fish out of water tropes as Supergirl is trying to get adjusted to life
on earth. It’s decent, but not anything special. August 2013.
9. At
Home in Mitford (Number 1 in the Mitford Years series) by Jan Karon
My mother and grandmother LOVED this
series. If you know my mom or knew my grandmother, that’d be enough of a review.
The book series follows an Episcopal priest, Father Tim, as he struggles with turning
sixty, diabetes, new love in his neighbor, balancing his personal life and
ministry, and deals with the craziness of small town parish ministry. The book
is full of cheesy moments, and the whole town of Mitford is a self-professed
love of the pastoral genre, the town being practically a paradise with no crime
(except for outsiders that later find Jesus and repent), no significant
illnesses (except for the rector who has to learn to manage diabetes), and rich
parishioners that see to the church’s financial needs, even gifting the church
a heft multi-million dollar sum to build a new nursing home. Having spent much
of my life in rural congregations, the whole thing just seemed to fake and idealistic
for me to really enjoy (and also full of pietistic theology, which gets on my
nerves). The characters are compelling though, which tempts me to at least
consider reading the second in the Mitford Years series. August 2013.
Currently Reading
Under the Dome: A
Novel by Stephen King
Three Treatises from
the Edition of Luther’s Works by Martin Luther, various translators
When I was a Child I
Read Books: Essays by Marilynne Robinson
Up Next
Doctor Who Shada: The Lost
Adventure by Douglas Adams by Gareth Roberts
The Secret Life of Bees
by Sue Monk Kidd
Apocalypse Now and
Then: A Feminist Guide to the End of the World by Catherine Keller
0 comments:
Post a Comment