San*Show: Books

book talk. with occasional extra goodies.

[sanshowbooks]

Review: Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell My rating: 2 of 5 stars It's not you, it's me. Maybe: Calling this book shit is a stretch though. I mean, it's decently written and the characters are well-crafted, it's just...to borrow a phrase from the book, humdrum to me. I've never read Rainbow Rowell before and after this I'm pretty certain that her style and stories are not for me. It's the book version of Sabrina songs (to be fair, it's better than Sabrina); easy on the taking, but failing to elicit strong emotions out of me other than the occasional small annoyances at how everyone loves Cath because she's so smart and cute (rainbow eyes anyone) and quirky - so the book tells me. There's a sense of laid-back authenticity in the characters - fleshed-out personalities, yet I'm somehow not convinced that these are real people - it's like they fit into formulaes for 'quirky characters'. Or perhaps I don't have an understanding of how people behave in Nebraska. I guess my inability to reconcile the characters' vivid personalities with how such people would behave in real life also stemmed from frequent doses of because the book says so. For example, why would Professor Piper be so taken in with Cath? Obviously, 'cuz she's so talented; the fanfics she wrote spawned their own humongous fanbase, she's the brightest student in the class, she won the underclassmen essay prize...but I'm not sure I read between the lines well enough to see evidences that indeed show Cath to be what she's written to be. And if Levi is dyslexic (not only reading-wise but also in speech apparently - whoever was the one who said exploitive?) or whatever he is that prevents him from keeping his attention when reading books, why the literature class? He's majoring in Agriculture and in college I'm sure there are no compulsory subjects to take outside of your major. What I do like are the family scenes whenever they enjoy their screen time. For it's during those scenes that I feel the characters are acting in line with their circumstances and personalities. The Simon Snow snippets were entertaining too, and in a way, Rowell's own fan fiction of only one of the most famous story franchises in recent memory. The mention of Harry Potter in a book where the fanfic (Rowell's) version is de facto HP is lamentable, though. Not sure if Cath's belief in her fanfic being better than Gemma T. Leslie's in some ways is an allusion to Rowell's own beliefs with regard to Harry Potter, I hope not. Reading Fangirl is like dropping by Cath's world and spending a semester with her really; the scenes are fluid, the characters jump off the pages into your imagination, none of them too endearing, none too detestable. And just as incidentally, Rowell snaps her fingers: ok, visiting hour's over, time to head back to our own worlds, the book ends and Cath's story continues in her own world. It's a tiny piece of allowed voyeurism into the life of a fangirl in Nebraska, a special fangirl. It's just that I'm not that interested in her life, and I feel bad for not liking her story enough, because, who am I to judge someone's life, right? At least everything looks rosy for our dear fangirl when I last left her, cuddled up with her lovely boyfriend and bonding over her favourite book, with a trophy in the bag for acing college. All's pretty in a Rainbow world. I'll ride on this mood and get myself a cupcake. Laters! View all my reviews

[sarangseureowo]

“The time when we meet again, I will recognize you first. The time when we meet again, I will love you first” - Kang Chi

[sanshowbooks]

In school we learn things then take the test, in everyday life we take the test then we learn things.

Admon Israel

[hiddenreviews]

Original post here. Wendy blogs at The Midnight Garden.

I’ve been thinking about what I want to say since this announcement went live, and I almost said nothing—because at this point, it seems obvious this Feedback thread, like countless others before it, is pretty futile anyway. I want...

[sanshowbooks]

Short Story: I Needed That (Smiles)

Call me a narcissist, but I do think my charms perfectly suited to what I do. I’ve barely started, just about two weeks fresh out of my wrapping. Every day from 10:00 to midnight, I touch the lips of all sorts of people, from beautiful actresses to up-and-coming execs (ugh, the smoke sometimes) to jovial expatriates with their well-shaven chins. I don’t know about my fellow siblings (we come from a limited-edition ‘Hand-made in Bali’ set commissioned by the owner), but my sole type of passenger is the Wedang Ronde. She of the colourful rice balls with crushed nuts and spicy ginger water, all sweetness and warmth and Indonesian tradition (so she claims). I may be the epitome of cold white minimalism that would fit perfectly in an Apple showroom, but between W (my nickname for them Wedang Ronde), the eclectic customers and the cosy restaurant overlooking the idyllic bay, like I said, my charms enhance the appeal of W just as much as their warmth and colours bring out a beauty in me that the true connoisseur would appreciate. Isn't this just the perfect backdrop for an appetizing Wedang? Or so you would think. But yesterday noon a certain trendy-looking girl quite blatantly dismissed my W-12 (since they’re all identical, I differentiate them by the hour they are served every day). Now, I take pride in how chic our restaurant’s Ws look as I present them in all my modernist glory, so this takes the cake really. Girl: “Man, I feel old now that I look at all of your lemonades and frapped milkshakes. Am I the only one ordering this?” Friend: “Haha, hey, but it’s supposed to be the restaurant signature and you said you wanted to try it.” Girl: (sips) “I’d just finish this and order hanoman or something.” Well, Hanoman has been very popular among the hip crowd, I admit... Losing to that Hanoman! I was just telling this to W-22, who is being poured into me as I speak. Ever since the past two weeks, yesterday was the first time I’ve heard someone associate W with being old, so W-22 and I were fantasising about what our ideal customer would be to forget that episode. W-22: You think this next customer would be the one? Oh, how I long for a gourmet, a culturist, who truly loves Wedang Ronde! Me: A connoisseur for me, someone who appreciates local heritage, and who notices the fine care taken by our chef and our owner in concocting the perfect W and matching it with the perfect container (a.k.a. me). My guess…someone just back from overseas who misses the taste of home, perhaps? W-22: We need more fans! . . . You know what they say about being lost in fantasy? That did not happen to W-22 and I for long. The moment we got placed in front of The One Who Ordered W-22, I knew we found the reason why Trendy Girl said the things she said. Talk about being true to stereotypes. The geezer has a face as sour as W is sweet. His eyes were bleary-looking and some snot was even dripping from his nose. To rub it in even more, his companion (who ordered coffee) seems like my favourite connoisseur type. Well, to be fair, the old guy is wiping his nose now – I can’t choose my customer, but at least W-22 and I don’t have to deal with snot. The younger companion seems to find all of these amusing. Companion: “Haha, slow down, pak. I can’t believe you asked me to drive you here so late at night. You have the funniest cravings!” W-22 craver (?): “Your mum is so busy now I can’t even get to taste her Wedang except at her restaurant! Plus it always works when I have the flu.” Companion: “If you say so, pak. Hurry before it turns cold!” So with trepidation at our impending fate at the lips of Mr Craver I said my farewell to W-22, like how I do to all my Ws. Me: So long, then, W-22. Too bad you didn’t get your gourmet-culturist, huh? W-22: Yes, maybe, but at least he seems to really like Wedang, huh? I feel a certain affinity somehow, as if he had known me and I had comforted him in the past, many, many times before. Not too bad after all! W-22’s words were still in the air as a spoon started to scoop up the glutinous rice balls and I feel lighter and lighter, until I get picked up altogether and the remaining Wedang is drunk, leaving me empty yet at the same time fulfilled for having completed yet another serving. This time, like any other time when I am emptied, I like to observe the drinker. The One Who Drank W-22 was licking his lips, which are now curved upwards slightly. The simple change softened the lines and creases on his face, to which colour and warmth have been restored somewhat. I think that must be W-22’s gift, just like how the Ws add a healthy glow to my cool exterior. He let out a sigh of satisfaction, and sat back with contented eyes. Companion: “Feel better now, bapak?” The One Who Drank W-22: “Ahh, I needed that. Nothing beats a hearty Wedang to lift you up from the dreary cold. That was the best Wedang Ronde I’ve had in a while…fancy bowl too, huh?” I guess I now get why W-22 seemed content then. All this time I had been priding myself on being the perfect accompaniment to the perfect W, or thinking about meeting the ideal connoisseur who could appreciate me. But really, I know now that I feel most proud when the Wedang I carry fulfils people (be it sick old men who love W, or even image-conscious trendy girls who don’t love us quite as much), and when I bear witness to the goodness brought about by my W friends. Be it Hanoman or warm Wedang Ronde or fancy bowls or the multilingual Balinese working here, there is a raison d'être each of us is needed for, and in giving ourselves to that need and appreciating one another’s purpose do we experience this feeling that makes me just want to curve my lips up too if I had them. I, too, had needed the geezer’s smile. This fancy bowl can hopefully be witness to many more smiles, and serve with good cheer always. Selamat makan, enjoy your meal. Yep, everyone is integral here. The waiter, the customers, the food, the drinks...the smiles :) *Blog post ini dibuat dalam rangka mengikuti Proyek Menulis Letters of Happiness: Share your happiness with The Bay Bali & Get discovered! dengan tulisan The Bay Bali yang di link ke website www.thebaybali.com

[sanshowbooks]

When I get away from books or football, and up against the world, I'm just mixed up. But I think that, whatever you told me, I would understand it, provided it concerned you.

Rampole, Hag's Nook by J.D. Carr

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We accept the love we think we deserve.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

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Visit Original Link

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There were no divine assurances or encouragements to be had, but the people never knew a moment's doubt.

The Tower of Babylon, from Stories of Your Life and Others by Ted Chiang

[sanshowbooks]

Exciting news! Read the prequel to the upcoming Seven Wonders, The Select, by Peter Lerangis on the web or download as a PDF! 

Have just read it and this looks to be a promising new series indeed, in the vein of Artemis Fowl! 

[sanshowbooks]

Review: Curse of the Diamond Daggers (Hattori Hachi #3)

Star Rating: 2/5 

Mood: 

I wanted to like this book more than I did, but the many cognitive dissonances I experienced while reading this, either from plot loopholes and uneven use of Japanese terms which distracted me from the story meant that I couldn't. Questions and issues popping up (SPOILER ahead):

How come the dagger wasn't detected by the scanners at the airport checkpoints?

Nothing was explained on how it was successfully concealed. That part about Bushi and Akira was already pretty implausible but I'm willing to let it slide, but nothing was offered on the dagger. Unless you're saying that the UK airport security doesn't cut it. Yeah, maybe the author skipped mentioning about the dagger since it's a plot device later on in the story, but that's no excuse and it just jarred as a big plothole. And in any case, I already knew the dagger was definitely not in any of the boxes.

Japanese terms

Not to be a grammar nazi here but it really bothered me how some terms were spelled wrongly, and by the native Japanese too. I thought when Hattie pronounced Satsuki/Sasuki (I assumed) as Saski and when Neena spoke the few Japanese phrases in the weird spelling it's to show their foreign accents, so that's fine, but then no, other phrases and verbs were really being pronounced as how a foreigner would (again, my assumption).

The most obvious example: sake being pronounced as saki and forcibly associated with sakki, or probably it's deliberately misspelled just so it could rhyme with sakki. Either way, it's weird and incorrect as saki means altogether a different thing.

Some terms were also used incorrectly and especially when the Japanese themselves were using it, it didn't make sense. Nevermind that hara-kiri was sometimes written as hari-kiri, I attributed it to one of the several typos that I came across in the book. First of all, the right term should be seppuku, and even then it's something more commonly associated with the Samurai than the Ninja profession. Also, geisha means culture people? uwakiri means standing up (or something like that, I forgot the exact term used)?

Which dictionary are you using here, Hachi?

Centuries-old traditional Japanese families speaking English

This just doesn't gel. Seriously. Yes, it's for convenience' sake so everyone can accommodate Hattie (typical. more on that later), but there wasn't any explanation as to why's everybody simply able to converse in English. Especially the villagers, or those guys from the other branch of the Hattori family. I mean, they're old Ninja families! Or did I miss that detail about them being jetsetting global citizens trained to be polyglots and in other various arts?

It just would be more interesting if they're more authentically dyed-in-the-wool Japanese is all I'm saying. This is just my own beef, so, don't mind me.

Now that that's out of the way, let's see. The pacing and action were brisk and easy to follow so this was a breezy read, and I liked the descriptions used for London and later on Tokyo. Two of my favourite cities, and I think the touristy part was blended seamlessly into the story.

The characters' growth was also a welcome development, although less so for Hattie. She's still the all-telling Mary Sue and to make it worse, she came across as a leetle too smart alecky for me.

Self-righteous much? I admit, I might've been guilty of this too.

I maintain that she's still a better role model than most YA heroines out there (bonus: she's half-Asian! yay diversity), and but for the narrative technique, I think she'd be a more believable character. It's the Mary Sue-ism and convenient coincidences that I couldn't stand. The obstacles didn't really feel like obstacles somehow, and way too much agency for the context here. I'm not sure how come I wasn't able to overlook this even though it felt ok for some other stories. Perhaps it's because this series wasn't set in a fantasy-world setting, and I expected more realism.

As for the rest of the characters. They felt stereotypical, but they were distinct nevertheless and weren't simply cardboard cutout stereotypes, so it was stereotypical in a good way; a simplification of sorts that made it easier for the targeted audience to identify archetypes and immerse in the story while learning morals such as differentiating what's good and bad, etc. It's pretty clear-cut. Plus there's diversity of character types which made for a rich enough cast.

So in a nutshell, this book was ok, but not a book that I liked as much as the first two in the series, although basically they're similar in structure and in fact this instalment was more well-rounded than the first two. Perhaps it's because when I first read the other books I was still new to the series and as I continue on, my familiarity with the story structure, which didn't change much, meant I unconsciously became more critical, especially when I came across those points I mentioned in the beginning of the review.

And also coming into the 3rd book, the whole ninja folklore thing became too predictable. I was hoping there were some fresh perspective to rejuvenate the common conception of ninja lore.

 Something to this effect.

It would've been better if the whole ninja theme were portrayed in less adoring colours (which I think is the most straightforward view to take) and added with some sobering realities; that ninjutsu is a lost art, and how it came to be so, for example. Instead of all that wealth and power thing (a popular theme for kids, maybe?), what about the struggles faced by a family from a shinobi lineage trying to adjust in the modern world?

That angle would have piqued my curiosity more instead of the Karate Kid vibes that I was getting. But hey, if it satisfies the intended audience, count of it as me cherry-picking. In any case, I was still able to enjoy the book, if not enthralled by it.

*Many thanks to the author for the free review copy!

Also on Goodreads

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Review: Stalking the Enemy (Hattori Hachi #2)

Star Rating: 3/5 

Mood: 

I'm torn between giving this 2 stars out of my ho-hum experience with the way the narrative ran, and giving it the 3-star merit for the enjoyable enough story that made me want to read the next book. I'm thinking this would sit well with early teens and considering that I'm not irritated by the characters, I'm rounding this off to a 3-star.

So, in this second book we're right smack in the all-important time when Hachi, our girl, will turn 16 and hence become the Hattori Golden Child, aka an almost omnipotent status which all the bad guys wanted to control and all the good guys could use to bring peace. All these would happen only if she signs her name on an ancient scroll to make it all legit.

One of the more famous ninjas in fiction going by the Hattori name. Hachi didn't seem to come from this line though...

What followed was Hachi displaying her Mary Sue qualities (admittedly, she's not an annoying Mary Sue), jetting off to the countryside of Kielder to do what an ass-kicking heroine must do, ie fulfil her destiny as 'the chosen one', solve puzzles and overcome obstacles to get all that she needed to fulfil that destiny, defeat the baddie and reunite with loved ones while saving the whole town and then some. Pretty straightforward, and it could've been boring if not for the easy, fast pace at which the plot moved and campy action scenes, which were written such that you'd feel you're shooting a tele-movie as a teen action star. There's cultural diversity too: the heroine's half Japanese, her bestie's half-Trinidadian...you catch the drift. The baddies and the plot felt a little too comical, but that might be because I'm not exactly the target audience for this. Still, it was a breezy, enjoyable read.

Entertainment-wise, this was even better than the first book since the story cut to the chase by delving fast into the thick of the action, with little introductory lessons on ninjutsu or the ninja arts, upon which this whole series is based.

The first book had a kick going on in that it weaved in the issue of underprivileged kids and showed readers how important it is not to have preconceived notions of people; the moral message was delivered without heavy-handedness. This wasn't present (as much) in the second book so the book stands mostly on the basis of its characters and plot.

Speaking of characters and plot, it's different from most books in the genre as it has minimal romantic elements getting in the way of the action. Imagine Powerpuff Girls as opposed to your YA truckload of Sailormoon. The downside is it's less contemporary despite being set in modern times, and the whole plot felt like a very old-school middle-grade adventure.

Fine enough for readers who enjoy such things, but most YA these days either contain superhuman/paranormal elements or more far-fetched fantasy/imagined worlds, and that I suppose is where the bulk of demand lies. Books like these, which I think have more positive messages for teens, might not generate as much frenzy as the books that follow the formulaic 'next-big-thing' YA hit hopeful. Younger audiences not yet exposed much to such YA might enjoy this for all it's worth.

All in all, it's a book that definitely would work better as a screenplay as it's got quite a bit of telling with less showing to balance it. It's a nice enough lightweight book to pass time and get into the shoes of a 13 year-old again, although the narrator's constant habit of explaining every single detail to the reader was tiresome. I know it's for the benefit of younger readers, it was fine the first time round but coming into the second book it did get a little too lecture-y.

I do appreciate the simple, linear plot and the equally clear, fuss-free character dynamics, although I'd like more wasabi to the vanilla here. Maybe a less 'all-knowing, all-telling, all-lucky' heroine with reduced agency and smarter villains would do the trick. And please don't hammer into the readers on how smart these villains are; show us how. And can we stop having water-based battles? Both the big battles in the first two books had involved water scenes.

The third book might repeat the structure of the first two; if so it'd be an uphill battle for the series to keep the interest of fickle YA readers like me. Or it could surprise with the change of locale to a new continent, the land of ninja (although there are no existing ninja in Japan anymore, supposedly), NIHON! If it succeeds, then this series would prove good its ninjutsu teachings; always fluid, lucid, and an exciting adventure indeed. Fingers crossed.

Whose side will I be after the third book?

*Book was given courtesy of the lovely author, Jane Prowse. 

Also on Goodreads

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Review: The Adventure Capitalist

Star Rating: 4/5 

Mood: 

Part travel log, part old-school economic practice, this light book made me feel as if I was with the author on a reality TV programme involving an Amazing Race style adventure mixed with Dragon's Den and The Apprentice tasks.

I liked it that some of the locations he picked were locales I'd probably not visit or otherwise wouldn't know a thing of, and he included the trading bit without dumping too much technicalities or the more mundane red tape stuff. True, by the end of it, as a reader I can't say that I'm able to embark on a trading adventure, but I did get a glimpse of how trading works, even at a superficial level, and he made it seem fun.

Mr Woodman and Mr Sayeed. Photos included in the book such as this one made the read even more enjoyable. Edit: Woot, Mr Woodman has his own TV show on Ch4!

His exploits in trading coffee in particular reminded me of my own recent experience buying the indigenous produce of villagers in a remote area of Flores. I'd bought coffee beans directly from village farmers as souvenirs (and because they tasted great) and now that I think of it, those beans aren't as cheap as I thought they were and in fact even at the first trading point I was already on the short end of the bargain (although in this case I was happy to oblige since the experience in that village was amazing). One thing's for sure, I'll always think of the insane profits coffee retailers are making and will think twice when I'm ordering a cup at Starbucks.

More importantly, the flashes of candour and humour thrown in helped to make the adventure capitalist a relatable and maybe even likable personality despite the fact that he's more mercenary than your friendly drinking (or in my case, gourmet) buddy. In fact, I liked the fact that he's upfront about his profit-seeking goals and in some of his journey logs his decisions did reveal that he's not all that unfeeling nor invulnerable to mistakes and 'trickay'. I suppose he'd be a great sport as a trade partner and travel companion.

This travel diary of sorts are well-balanced in trials and rewards, and in the end you get a satisfying conclusion where he made his profit and everything's tied up nicely with a pretty ribbon. Oh, and he's Irish too, so perhaps luck had something to do with it. Not to take credit away from his achievements, I just couldn't resist on that one.

This is a perfect book to carry when one is travelling, one that introduces some culture into the countries featured, while also reaffirming some universal human nature that we know but often overlook. No mind-blowing discoveries or breathtaking literature and plot, just the simple pleasures offered when one immerses oneself in humanity, in nature, in adventure and in life.

Also on Goodreads

[sanshowbooks]

Review: The Stockholm Octavo

Star Rating: 3/5 

Mood: 

On the outset, this seemed to be a book tailored for divination + mystery buffs like me. And historical fiction has always held its charm for me as I'm quite fond of ye olde days settings involving historical figures that add a layer of realism to a fantastical backdrop of a time long gone by.

Alas, the offerings fell short in this book, although it began very promisingly. The Stockholm Octavo narrates the adventures of a certain Emil Larsson, a sekretaire in 1791 Stockholm, in finding the 8 influential people in his life as he faces a major crossroad (in this case, being 'forced' somewhat to marry in order to retain and advance his career amidst the waves of revolution). This started out from a uniquely devised divination by a Mrs Sparrow, an enigmatic seer who's also Emil's trusted partner in the game of cards, the pastime du jour in Stockholm at the time.

The story goes that Mrs Sparrow received a 'premonition' of Emil being on a golden path of love and connection, and his journey is apparently intertwined with the very 'lofty' affairs of the state, concerning plans to overthrow the reigning king and other games the aristocrats play. Over the span of 8 nights Emil's Octavo was revealed, with one card representing someone significant brought to light every night.

To cut a long story short, the story's modus operandi is to repeat the process of divination, and then moving on to a diversion told from another character other than Emil, followed by Emil finding the person through an event; add descriptions of characters, costumes, and fans along the way.

The language throughout the book is tempered with nostalgic beauty and an almost effortless flow, however the plot proceeds at a slow pace with many a contrived scene (especially those involving the art of fan-holding - I was almost put to sleep, not due to the purported hypnotic charms of the skilful use of the fan but rather by the ridiculousness of the scenarios arising out of it - I know right, ridiculous, but sleep-inducing? It's like a stage play with much overdone acting and scenes, and I couldn't help but be less than impressed).

And the characters, though admittedly unique and memorable, came out quite bland (mainly due to the predictability of their actions), with a few exceptions. Although the main narrator is male, the women in the book are actually where the spotlight's on, albeit being described left and right in terms of fruits or flowers - could be the trend at the time, otherwise the author might just be hungry or yearning for fruits when writing the book.

Speaking of characters, let's take a look at the main 8 **SPOILERS AHEAD**

Emil Larsson's Octavo (and which celebs they remind me of - yes, this has potential to be a film, given tight screenwriting and solid cast & production)

The Seeker: Emil Larsson

A presumptious, foolish but slightly pompous, almost self-insert character with some degree of vulnerability and a romantic imagination. Usually the type of characters acted out by Hugh Grant, the younger version.

The Companion: The Uzanne

The authority on fan-wielding, allegedly. She's too serious to be taken seriously as a character, and she has some of the most contrived scenes in the book - as Companion she's the one who brings events and people to the Seeker. Meryl Streep could probably pull her off to save the character from ridiculousness.

The Prisoner: Johanna Bloom

The 'heroine' of the book. Predictable with generous doses of Mary Sue-ism, although she's one of the characters with more 'admirable' skills/personality. Supposedly plain but of course transforms into a beauty when the occasion comes; like Taylor Swift in her music videos, awaiting her hero to rescue her.

The Teacher: Fredrik Lind

A dandy, eccentric calligrapher who's not above using unorthodox means for the sake of his art - has many tricks up his sleeve and some of these he taught Emil. One of the more interesting characters in the book; I cannot imagine anyone else bringing him to life other than the fabulous Johnny Depp.

The Courier: Captain Hinken

Someone who's indebted to Emil and later on provided him with the recourse(s) to fulfil his path. Not very memorable as he has few appearances; the important part is that he has connections to the pleasure houses. A reliable enough chap though, so this should be right up Colin Firth's alley.

The Trickster: Anna Maria Plomgren

A voluptuous beauty from the Opera who's wily and captivating as they come. Thought at first to be the damsel in distress he's looking for, Emil later found out that she's too hot for him to handle. Scarlett Johansson fits this role perfectly.

The Magpie: Lars Nordén

The one who spread news about the hero, thus expanding his network - the task fell onto a handsome, scrupulous chap that I suppose could be portrayed well by Jamie Campbell Bower.

The Prize: The Nordéns

A couple of fan makers who imparted to Emil the value of love, with the goody-two-shoes but strong wife supporting her artist husband, a master of his art but quite the ignoramus in many other things needed to survive in the harsh world. Margot is probably the most likable character for me in that she's wise, cultured, subtle and soft in speech but never meek. I imagine Sophie Marceau and Christian Bale would suit these roles.

The Key: Mrs Sparrow

The one who set things in motion and who helped to control its flow. Marion Coutillard would make for a beautiful but believable Mrs Sparrow.

Aside from predictability and contrivance that for me bogged the story down, what caused the less-than-stellar outcome of the book, despite its potential, was the presence of two anchors - the Octavo divination and the role of fans - with neither receiving the kind of in-depth attention that would've made this book shine. Since this is a debut novel, the author should improve on subsequent outings and come up with outstanding work, she's definitely capable of it.

By the way, I visited her website and found this:

Now this is more like it, hopefully the Octavo method would be dissected in greater detail, even if it's all for amusement and entertainment. Although I would've liked the companion to be provided for free as a marketing app rather than as another commercial venture, I understand the more practical/financial considerations that drove the choice of output for the companion. Would be better if it comes along with a deck of cards too. Definitely looking forward to this handbook!

*Firstreads win from Goodreads

[sanshowbooks]

Review: Anthropology

Star Rating: 4/5 

Mood: 

I think Dan Rhodes is in love with the idea of love, but I wonder if he's in love himself or if he loves love. Like a curator, he presents these little exhibits of people in love to illustrate love. For the visitors, I suppose one can only feel love insomuch as one imagines love to be or superimpose their own experience onto the snippets offered by these one-shots.  While the collection is entertaining, whether any of these are actually true love stories or true love stories is open to interpretation. They felt neither to me. I have yet to truly know love or know true love of the romantic kind to be anything other than an amused voyeur to what I think are impressions of love. Like art is to life, impressions may well emulate love; but also like life, love is best alive, outside of curations of art or impressions.

Also on Goodreads

[sanshowbooks]

Review: Notes From Underground

Star Rating: 5/5 

Mood: 

Deep in the underground of our souls, what gives? If the autistic (but lucid) part of me were to be given an automatic mouthpiece broadcasting my tweets every other minute, my mumblings would probably echo that of Notes.  Hmm, not making any sense, am I? Precisely the point; because when is human nature ever completely rational? Even as we possess all the wisdom or know all the logic of things, we snowflakes lack the psychological (and sometimes physical, too) control to be fully compliant to sense; rather our senses, when heightened, might even make us nonsensical. Perhaps this is what results from the bite of apple that Eve took in Eden. In exchange for knowledge and loftiness, we trade ignorant bliss.  I cannot exactly pinpoint what makes this amazing, except that precisely because it is roguish (to borrow an analogy from the book) that it is arresting. It is in using the antithesis that a hypothesis is most commonly proven, is it not? Blending hyperboles, contrition, idealism, reality, critical thought, intent and action dissonance, consciousness, 'flow' and moralities, among others, the narrator is at once the romanticist in terms of placing oneself at the centre of the universe, whereby the world turns by one's actions and thought, but at the same time the nihilist who couldn't give a damn to actually executing anything consequential (because he gives too much of a damn over inconsequential things). In this outpouring of the consciousness, maybe the narrator was egging us all to be his antithesis and launch into action, to take off from the underground as a start from the end in Notes. Regardless whether we prefer 'lofty suffering' underground (but in doing so avoids the very heavy and real burden of facing reality and taking action to address it) or 'cheap happiness' (which is in fact obtained through costly means of, again, stepping out and taking responsibility), whereby these notions of weights were simply means of justifying oneself, this laying down of opinion and justifications mirrors man's need to be heard. As much as there is rottenness in us, there seems to exist the intrinsic need to pour out our confessions, in order to expose our underground dirt; and in admittance, irrevocably prove that we are really creatures of light, with nothing to hide.

As posted on Goodreads

[sanshowbooks]

(via A conversation with Buruu) A drawing I made for my Stormdancer book review at Goodreads.