soiread-blog1 - Tumblr blog

[soiread-blog1]

When you're constantly treated as a pariah and labeled bad, you might begin living up to that expectation.

Wicked Fox (Gumiho #1) by Kat Cho

[soiread-blog1]

Why I mainly buy books on Book Depository.

Okay, this kind of an ad, but it’s actually more like a Storytime? I don’t know. Take it as you want.

The thing is, for those who don’t know, I’m Latin-American. Therefore, buying books from Amazon is very expensive. As someone impatient, I also have to deal with waiting for the book to be translated, as where I live there are no libraries that sell books in English. And my third complain: What the fuck. Books are so expensive in here.

So, the most convenient thing, for me, is to buy books from Book Depository. The free delivery makes it affordable when it is compared to other websites and places where I can buy them. Sure, for someone whose country has an amazon page (does that work that way?), it might be cheaper to buy books from amazon. However, I decided to do a little experiment and compare prices.

For five books, I spent like 73 dollars. It might be cheap or expensive depending on your incomes, the price of books in your country, and many other factors. For someone who is living with his parents again and do not have to spend money on many things, of course it is affordable. My job is not great, but it gives me enough money to spend on books. On Amazon, however, the same books (not necessarily the same edition, as I tried to buy the cheapest one) were 143 dollars. I would dare to say that they might have been the same price without taxes, but that was exactly the problem. Taxes make buying books from Amazon, at least for someone who live in the other side of the world, so expensive that I see Book Depository as the cheapest alternative.

I always prefer to read book in their original language (as long as it is English and/or Spanish, because… well, I don’t know any other language. I barely know any.), and the great thing about Book Depository is that it has many options for the same book. You need to be careful, though. I think it is next to the author’s name, so make sure you’re buying it in the correct language.

Now, there are some downsides. The first one is that it takes like a whole month to put your hands on the book. At least that’s in most countries of Latin-America. In many other countries it takes way less. The other one is that they do not give you a tracking number. I think you can ask for it as long as your order is already taking more time than it should, but you cannot track it while its being shipped. I like to think that I’m not bothered by this, but of course I would like to have them in a week or less.

Why do I tell you this? Two reasons. I want to ‘change’ (not really sure it’s the word) the format of my blog. I’ll keep reviewing books, of course. But I want to read a wide variety of books. One of my main goals, and the reason why I started this blog, was because I wanted to share my voice and opinion with someone. And for this I want to share Latin-American literature with people from the other side of the world. I’ll make sure that the majority of the books I review are available in English, so you can buy them on case you’re interested in them.

The other reason why I share this is because I am now a Book Depository affiliate. I’ll leave the link in case you want to buy any book. Each time you buy a book with my link they give a small commission which helps me a lot to continue with this blog. In case you’re interested, I’ll leave you the link: http://www.bookdepository.com/?a_aid=SoIRead

[soiread-blog1]

Friendly reminder;

I wanna buy a copy of your future best seller.

I wanna wait in a long ass line to see you for a book signing.

I wanna dive head first into your book’s fandom.

I wanna draw fan art of your characters.

I wanna write fan fiction about your book.

I wanna preorder your book’s sequel the moment I hear you’re writing it.

I wanna follow all the tags about your book on Tumblr.

I wanna see you succeed.

[soiread-blog1]

So, I Read... Heartstopper by Alice Oseman [Graphic Novel Review]

Well, it seems that I’ll never finish my review for Shatter Me. I don’t know why I keep pushing it if I actually really enjoyed it. Anyways, if you’re asking what I think of Heartstopper by Alice Oseman, then you’re in the right place. Oh, by the way. I liked it. Although I do have some issues with it?

So, Heartstopper tells us the story of Nick and Charlie. Charlie is already out of the closet by the start of the book, although his life is still a mess when it comes to love. Nick, on the other hand, has never been in love with another man. That’s until he meets Charlie for the first time. I SWEAR IT’S NOT A SPOILER. IT’S LITERALLY THE PLOT.

You might be wondering if I enjoyed the graphic novel, right? Probably you’re not. But in case you are, yes. I enjoyed it. However, I did have to actively ignore some things in it that I wasn’t a fan of.

I think it’s great when it comes to diversity, not only because of the LGBTQ+ characters in it, but also in terms of different bodies. Nick is not necessarily your usual skinny guy. It’s also very diverse when it come to race. It is the story of Nick and Charlie, though, so don’t think that the other characters are really that important.

When it comes to the actual story, I thought it was very cute. I wouldn’t say it was something groundbreaking or new, but it’s definitely enjoyable. In fact, I want to read the sequel just to know what happens next, so I was really into the plot. It’s not only cute, however. It has some comedy in it that made me laugh or at least grin. Kind of rom-com-ish, in a good way.

Now. I know nothing about art, so I cannot tell you if the drawing were super good or whatever. But, I can tell you that I really liked it. It felt kind of like those pictures that you see on the internet, that you know the author made for fun and not to profit? What I mean is that it doesn’t feel pretentious or something like that. If you’re looking for authenticity, then I guess you’ll enjoy it.

My favorite character? Miss Singh. She states that gay and straight are not the only choices, that you cannot tell peopleʼs sexuality by looking at them, and that itʼs rude to speculate about it. Love her.

However, I did say that I had some issues with it, so let’s get into it. It’s gonna get a little bit spoiler-y, so read under your own risk.

This is my perception, so you can completely disagree with me. But if it wasn’t because they already had chemistry, I would’ve thought that their relationship developed just because Nick saved Charlie from Ben being an asshole. Also, their relationship might have developed from Charlie being unsatisfied by his ‘relationship’ with Ben, and Nick cares about Charlie, so that fits into what he’s looking for. Oh, and following someone, even if you saved that someone, is still a bit creepy in my opinion.

I love Nick. He’s one of my favorite characters. However, I do think he has some issues with entitlement. I know Charlie needed to get rid of Ben ASAP, but why does Nick think that he has the right to tell him what to do. You can give someone an advice, talk to them to make them understand the violent situation in which they are. But I don’t necessarily think it’s right to force someone to do something. Especially because it kind of replicates the same dynamic.

If you don’t like binary relationships, then you might not enjoy this one. I tell you this. It’s the description of a binary relationship. Really. Both physically and mentally. That being said, I kind of didn’t mind that? Sure, I wasn’t a fan of it. But I wasn’t mad either. Also, you might not like that it’s a ‘I wasn’t gay until I met you’ story.

That being said, Tara deserved better. She’s kind of a key character, although I do think that she was there just for that. To drive the story in the ‘right direction’. And I don’t know about you, but I need a spin-off about Tara and her girlfriend.

Do I recommend it? Sure. Not sure if it’s the first thing I would recommend, though. If you ask me if I do, then yes. The thing is, it feels like that kind of middle grade book that older people can enjoy too, unless you’re not into that kind of book. I didn’t feel like I lost my time reading it, but I’m not sure I’d re-read it. So, I guess this is my rating:

Overall: 3/5

Fun Facts:

- I thought that the picture of Tara and Nick when they were kids was super cute. I would also like a spin off based on their childhood.

- I am now a Book Depository affiliate, so it would help me a lot if you click the banner under the picture if you want to buy it. And if you do, thank you very much. In case you cannot click the banner, you can also click here: https://bit.ly/2RM55wy

[soiread-blog1]

I need help finding a book that might not even exist.

Well, first of all, thank you if you’re willing to help me. Reblogging, liking, whatever, it all helps.

The thing is, I once heard that there is about that goes kind of like this: Satan is not actually bad. In fact, God sent Lucifer to take care of hell because no one else did, and he’s kind of sad because people think he’s bad. 

It might not be like this at all, but maybe similar?

Anyway, if you have an idea, a hint or something like that, please let me know because for some reason I’m really interested in that.

By the way: Always remember you’re loved. And if you think no one does, I love you <3

[soiread-blog1]

Chocolate Book Tag

I should be working on my review for Shatter Me right now, but for some reason I don’t feel like writing, but I still wanted to upload something. Oh, and I know this tag was popular like 5 years ago, but I wasn’t on the ‘sharing my opinion about books’ boat, so I’m doing it right now. Are book tags even a thing nowadays? I feel like a grumpy old man doing something that was interesting half a decade ago. I’ve also been thinking on recording like an audio for my reviews and upload them on Youtube, but I’m not sure yet.

Anyways, I’ll be uploading a review for Shatter Me and Heartstopper soon. Maybe even Peter and Alice. So:

Dark Chocolate: A book that deals with dark issues.

For this one I chose Let the Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist. In case you haven’t read it, its about a little girl who is a vampire who meets a boy and develop like a friendship. Even something more. However, what the actual fuck. It’s very heavy. It deals with pedophilia, prostitution, murder, and many other things that are really triggering. For what I remember (because I read it like 5 years ago), it was very respectful with those issues and tried to portray it as something that happens but still problematic? I might be wrong, though. I do recommend it.

White Chocolate: A light reading.

For this one I had to go with one of my favorite new readings, which is Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston. I know I said that it was very political, but it is still a very heartwarming story. It’s easy to read, kinda fun, very cute. It contains a lot of sex, so don’t think it’s for everyone. But it’s definitely a book that I recommend. In fact, if you want to read my review, you can click here 😉

Milk Chocolate: A book that is highly hyped right now and you’re dying to read.

I’m going with Wicked Fox by Kat Cho, from the Gumiho… series? Trilogy? It’s probably going to be a trilogy, let’s face it. Of course I cannot tell you if it’s good, it’s not out yet. But I really want to read the whole series right now in one sitting. It sounds amazing. I know it’s focus it’s the romance, which I like if it’s done good, but I hope I like it.

Chocolate with a caramel center: A book that makes you feel gooey and warm on the inside.

For this category I chose Heartstopper by Alice Oseman. I don’t want to tell you so much about this graphic novel, because I’ll give you a full review. But you definitely need to read this if you’re looking for a heart-warming LGBTQ+ story.

Waffer free Kit-kat: A weird book that surprised you.

I don’t necessarily understand this category, but I know about a weird book that I recommend you. And that’s Uzumaki by Junji Ito. It’s a horror manga, so if you’re not into that, I don’t think you’ll like it. But what the actual fuck. It’s horrifying and the plot is very twisted. An amazing manga, though, so if you’re into horror, give it a try.

Snickers: A book you’re going nuts currently.

Shatter Me. Definitely. I really loved this book. And I need to put my hands on the rest of the series, but I haven’t bought them yet. I don’t know what happens, but I definitely need to read them ASAP.

Box of chocolates: A book with a little bit for everyone.

Hands down, Percy Jackson and the Olympians. The whole series. I read this a long time ago, but I do remember that I loved it. I grew up with Percy, so there’s always room in my heart for the series, and I’m sure that everyone would enjoy the books. They’re very light, fun exciting and even sassy. So if you haven’t read the series yet, give it a try.

 Feel free to do it (as I didn’t create it, of course), and leave recommendations in case you want to share them.

Original by A Daydreamer’s Rambling

Photo by Alisa Anton on Unsplash

[soiread-blog1]

The human imagination is often disastrous when left to its own devices

Shatter Me (Tahereh Mafi)

[soiread-blog1]

So, I read... Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston [Book Review]

I got to admit that at first, I thought I wasn’t going to like it. And I guess I still don’t like some things from the beginning? However, I was gladly surprised by the novel. At first I thought this was another story written by a straight white woman essentializing, fetishizing and fantasizing about gays; which kind of made me realize that I’m an asshole, as the author is not straight and I didn’t even took my time to research about the author. There’s room for growth in this blog, so I learnt my lesson. That being said, I don’t mean that straight people cannot write stories with LGBTQ+ characters or stories which main plot is about LGBTQ+ people; it’s just that sometimes it feels like a ‘token’ character for inclusion or that (mainly) gay men are cool just because they’re gay. I think that Becky Albertalli did a wonderful job when writing Simon vs The Homo-Sapiens Agenda, which makes sense as she worked as a child psychologist. Anyways. Did I like it? I has some issues with it, but I ended up loving it.

 Red, White and Royal Blue is about the son of the first female president of the US, Alex Claremont-Diaz. For a reason that is not really that important, Alex hates Henry, the Prince of England. And guess what? Henry hates Alex too. After being a drunk mess, Alex and Henry got into a really small fight, but they end up screwing the royal wedding cake. Of course, such a scandal ends up in the news, and in order to keep everything great, they have to spend time together to make people think they’re actually like best friends. It’s not really a spoiler, as it is on the back of the book, but they go from being a drunk mess (well, actually Alex was the only one drunk) to be a cute mess.

 I’ll start saying what I didn’t like because I want to end this review in a positive note, as I truly recommend the book. Also, most of what I didn’t enjoy have to with tropes that I personally don’t enjoy more than the quality of the book, so if you actually love what I don’t like it’s completely okay.

I know that it’s the trigger for the story to happen, and that’s why I thought I wasn’t going to enjoy the book, but I couldn’t like the fact that it was a foes-to-lovers story. It might be because I hate this trope, but I found the rivalry between to be kind of forced and very unnecessary. Their ‘hatred’ towards each other was only important on the first pages, so it didn’t work for me. I would’ve preferred if it was more like they met each other for the first time, or after years of a small talk they had, and start to know each other and ended up liking each other. However, that’s just a personal preference, so if you liked their rivalry, great for you.

Another thing that I didn’t enjoy that much was the ‘you have no friends’ stuff that was happening, especially because [SPOILER ALERT I GUESS] they told Alex that his sister and Nora could not be his only friends, but at the end of the book the only additions to this group are Henry and his sister. Don’t misunderstand me, this group of friends is amazing, I truly loved them. But I didn’t think it was necessary to say that over and over when it wasn’t going to be a great deal.

This is just a stupid complain that I have, but the first pages are super weird when it comes to the terms they use. First of all, for a while I felt that Alex and Henry were treated just as sexual body parts? Does that make sense? It was when the rivalry was still relevant. The first 50 pages (I think) were all about Alex’s ass and Henry’s penis. If you’re reading it for the first time, pay attention to that, because it’s so weird that it’s almost funny? Almost, though. And the other thing that called my attention was that, when they were not even friends yet, the terms used by the characters in order to refer to Alex and Henry’s ‘forced’ friendship (when it was still a plan) were related to couples. And I guess the author did this to ´foreshadow’ their relationship, but we already knew that that was going to happen, so I don’t really see the point on doing that.

And the last thing that I couldn’t stand of the book, for at least the first half of the book, was Alex himself. He was too much of an asshole, in my opinion. I know he’s the protagonist, but he made everything about himself. That’s even stated in the book, so I guess that was the point of it. Now, I hate the ´bad boy changed by the good girl’ trope, but this is completely different. At the end of the book I genuinely liked Alex, but because I could see him grow because of Henry’s influence. He was never a bad boy, just annoying. So, I truly appreciated that.

 Now to why I liked this book. Yay!

I was pleasantly surprised by the portrayal of bisexuality in this book. I thought that it was going to be the usual ‘and I suddenly discovered that I actually never liked women’. I know that it’s something that could happen in real life, but in media it tends to happen that bisexuality does not exist at all. You can just go from straight to gay. Because apparently the only letter in LGBTQ+ is the B. Speaking about that, I must admit that I said out loud ‘Yass. Bitch. Work.’ when I read ‘the B is not silent’. Not because of the impact in terms of narrative, but because it’s inherently political and related to our own reality. Also, Nora kind of acknowledges that realizing about your own sexual orientation just happens, and it’s not that you wake up at 3 AM with lights in your eyes while a storm is outside your window and a spirit comes to tell you ‘hunty, you gay’. Sorry if this seems confusing, but I had this picture in my head and I needed to write it.

Although some sex scenes were a bit confusing (which might be because English is not my first language), I was really pleased with the portrayal of safe sex as something important, even if it was just a glimpse of it. And I’m not only talking about condoms, but also the inclusion of lube as something important. I know that in 2019 is way easier to take care of yourself and your sexual partner when it comes to STI’s, it’s still important to keep acknowledging the significance of safe sex. Also, I loved that the author portrayed their sexuality as very versatile. I think that media tends to create a binary relationship, in which one has to be a top and the other one a bottom, when in reality that’s not necessarily how it works.

Even though I loved the film ‘Love, Simon’, one of my issues with the movie was that, in my opinion, it gave a little bit the message that being an asshole is okay if you’re suffering. So I was really moved by Alex when he stated that it was unfair for his sister and Nora to be treated as objects in order to cover the main couple. That’s what I mean by the ‘growth of Alex’, he realizes that it’s knot okay, and not only because he feels uncomfortable not being himself publicly.

I know it’s a touchy subject, so I appreciate the inclusion of the problematization and treatment of sexual harassment. I like that the author states that it’s not something about sexuality, but rather about having power over another human. I would like to know more about this situation, maybe in a spin-off or something like that.

 I truly recommend you this book, in case you haven’t read it. Consider that it has various sex scenes, in case you want to recommend it to a child or someone who’s sensitive about this, or more conservative or whatever. However, please consider that this is not only a cute story. Is very political about issues regarding the LGBTQ+ community. It’s a great book to read this pride month, as I think it ends making you feel hopeful about the world.  The world can change, but we need to fight for it. No one is going to give us our rights if we don’t fight for them. As the author says in the acknowledgements ‘Keep fighting, keep making history, keep looking after one another’.

 Story: (3.5/5)

As stated before, I wasn’t a fan of the premise. I do think is way better than I thought it was going to be, but the rivalry was unnecessary for me. And not only that, it didn’t work for me. However, it is a really cute and uplifting story, and I really enjoyed reading the book, so I only have problems with the beginning of the story.

Style: (3.5/5)

At the beginning I felt like the characters were not fully developed. By that I mean the narrator had to state ‘[character] is [adjective]’, instead of showing it. This is a bit dumb, but I also didn’t like the use of couple terms at the beginning. However, I do think the narrator is very good at being at Alex’s perspective. You know what he’s thinking, what he resents, even when he’s not talking. That also makes me think that it might be an unreliable narrator, which is great.

Narrative: (4.5/5)

It’s really easy to keep up with the reading. The emails make it more likable, in the sense that the way it tells you the story is not only through narrative, which feels kind of like a break. I love that, which might or might not be related to the references. What I didn’t like was a specific paragraph that I found unnecessary, and that at some points I found myself skipping some parts that I didn’t find engaging.

Characters: (4/5)

I love the wide variety of character. I felt that each of them was unique in many ways, so it was great. It might be because of the narrative, but I felt that the only character that was detached from his own reality was Alex. There’s a moment in which it is stated that he ‘genuinely care[d] about people’, but I didn’t start to feel that it was true until the end, so I don’t necessarily think it was well developed. I think the author had the idea of the Alex at the end but didn’t realize he wasn’t like that at the beginning. Again, I give it the benefit of the doubt because I want to believe that it was an unreliable narrator, but I don’t really know.

Overall: (3.8/5) Yes. I’ll give it 4 stars in Goodreads.

 Fun facts:

-          History, Huh?

-          I think it’s the longest review I’ve ever written.

-          kensingtonemail.com is the worst email I’ve ever seen.

-          I shared one of my favorite quotes a few days ago, in case you want to share it too.

-          When June was talking about Drag Race I couldn’t help myself and I wrote ‘I’m so into voguing right now’.

-          I didn’t took a picture of the book because… I read it on my kindle.

 You can also find me in Instagram, Goodreads and Pinterest: @soiread

[soiread-blog1]

If people bring so much courage to this world the world has to kill them to break them, so of course it kills them. The world breaks every one and afterward many are strong at the broken places. But those that will not break it kills. It kills the very good and the very gentle and the very brave impartially. If you are none of these you can be sure it will kill you too but there will be no special hurry.

Ernest Hemingway, A Farewell to Arms

[soiread-blog1]

When I sleep, I see you, the dip of your waist, the freckle above your hip, and when I wake up in the morning, it feels like I’ve just been with you, the phantom touch of your hand on the back of my neck fresh and not imagined

Red, White and Royal Blue (Casey McQuiston)

[soiread-blog1]

So, I re-read... Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck [Book Review]

Trigger Warnings: Racism, Sexism, Violence.

 As you might have assumed by the title, I’ve already read this book. I remember liking this book so much that I even watched the film adaption (the 1992 one). And guess what… I had a great time re-reading it. That being said, I do think that I enjoyed it a lot more because I already knew what happened in the end. If it was my first time reading it, I don’t think I would have enjoyed it that much. Not that it isn’t good, but because it’s kind of a slow-paced book. It takes it time to be really thrilling, but it’s a short book, so I don’t think that’s a problem. Now, if you want to get a great experience, read THESE THEORIES before reading Of Mice and Men. Or even better. Read the book, read the theories and then re-read the book.

 So, Of Mice and Men is a novella about two men, George and Lennie (who has a cognitive disorder), in the 1910’s, who are running away from another field in which they were working. The reason for their escape is due to a rape accusation against Lennie. They finally get to a new farm and ask for an opportunity to work there. Once they’re accepted, they start to get in trouble with Curley (the boss’s son), as he has something against Lennie because he’s bulkier and stronger than him, and also Curley’s wife, whose name is apparently not important enough because she never has a name. Oh, and because she’s also unhappy with her marriage so she gets bored and decide to visit the other men, who think she’s just trying to seduce them. Which could be or could be not true? I mean… It was 1910. She was probably really bored. By the way, after that, everything goes down and down.

 The first thing you should take in consideration when reading this book is that absolutely everything is written for a reason. Unlike other books in which some small details are just there, John Steinbeck writes everything to make sense at the end of the book.  And that’s maybe the reason why I say that I might have not enjoyed it so much if it wasn’t because I’ve already read it. I was constantly surprised (?) by the things that made sense to me now. And, even though it’s the only book I’ve read by John Steinbeck, it made me realize that he was an incredible smart author. I don’t want to spoil anything, but I’m only going to say that one of these details is the fact George takes so much care of Lennie. Or that he used to make fun of him… until something happened. There are certain parts of the book that could be taken as racist or sexist, however, I do think that Steinbeck uses his style to criticize that. Although some George dialogues are straight up sexist, the way Curley’s wife (the only woman in the book) develops in a way that one can see a deeper side of her that none of the characters are able to see. The same happens with Crooks, who is seen by the rest of the characters as the stereotypical black man, although we can see another side of him.

 In general, I would say that this book is kind of a potential. By this I mean that the more you read, the more happens and the more you want to get to the end. There’s probably a word for this, but I don’t know how else to describe it. I know the description is kind of obvious for a good book, but you know that some books are kind of disappointing. I would recommend this book to everyone who’s older than 14 years old. I think it could be easily enjoyed by teens, but it contains some mature themes that might not be taken seriously as they should.

 Story: (4/5)

The story was great. A little bit slow, maybe, but in general I really liked it. I think it was thrilling at some point, which does not necessarily mean that the whole book was thrilling. It’s kind of light, in the sense that it’s easy to understand, and not many things happen. Is very lineal, in a sense.

Style: (5/5)

Amazing. Simply amazing. The way Steinbeck pays attention to every detail to create a story that is all about the end is great. Language is very on point, which helps to imagine what’s happening. Descriptions of the landscape are very vivid, so it’s all made to create a picture in your mind.

Narrative: (3/5)

As I said, It was a little bit slow. I guess it could be hard to get into it, but once you’re in there’s no way out.

Characters: (5/5)

Very deep and identifiable characters. Each of them has their own motivations and personality. I would say the characters are really deep for a book that is that short, which I think is amazing. Lennie is portrayed as a potential danger, but it’s kind of hidden at the same time. The part that made me state that characters in the book are really well written was when Candy’s dog was killed. Steinbeck took his time to show the attachment that he developed to his dog, but at the same it’s possible to see how Candy sees himself in the dog. They’re both old, and he’s really sad by the way the rest refers to his dog, as he sometimes might feel the same about himself. The characters are not only shown in their actions, but also in their environment.

 Overall: (4.25/5)

 Fun facts:

-          I don’t know… I guess I recommend you the film too. It’s great.

[soiread-blog1]

We know what we got, and we don't care whether you know it or not.

Of Mice and Men (John Steinbeck)

[soiread-blog1]

I haven’t upload anything in a while, so I decided to leave you with a picture of my new bookshelf. Made by my dad, btw. These aren’t all my books, though. Just the ones that I decided to put in here.

I’m currently working of a review for Of Mice and Men and Red, White and Royal Blue. By the end of this week I pretend to upload them, along the review for Shatter Me, that I’m currently reading.

I tried to use a filter for the picture but I actually think it doesn’t look as good as the original one. I’ll post it anyway.

[soiread-blog1]

So I Read... Exit Stage Left: The Snagglepuss Chronicles by Mark Russell [Graphic Novel Review]

Trigger Warnings: Homophobia. Hate Crimes. Suicide. Violence.

 I’ll start saying this: You have no idea how much I loved this graphic novel. I remember being obsessed with Hanna-Barbera’s cartoon when I was a kid, mainly because my grandpa wanted to watch TV with me, so I kind of grew up wanting to be like Yogi Bear. (Spoiler: I became him). So, yes. I was really excited to read this, but I didn’t think I would like it that much. I was wrong.

Before the review I’ll also give credits to the artist, Mike Feehan, who did a great job. I know nothing about art, but at least I found it pleasant.

Exit Stage Left: The Snagglepuss Chronicles is all about the Snagglepuss (obviously), a beloved Hanna-Barbera character, but with a twist. He is presented as a playwright. A gay playwright. As you might know, being gay in the 1950’s was very difficult, to the point it was not legal. As if that wasn’t hard enough, Snagglepuss has some enemies that are willing to do anything to destroy him, as they think his plays do not help the U.S. develop more.

You might be wondering why I liked it so much. Well, let me tell you. It is a very smart graphic novel. The attention to detail of Mike Russell when writing the whole world is amazing. Every single thing matters in the graphic novel. First of all, Dorthy Parker, a poet, writer and gay icon, appears at the beginning of the book. She was known for being realistic to the point that it was almost pessimistic, which conversation with Snagglepuss leads to the changes that he is going to have later in the story. Also, Marilyn Monroe, an actress and gay icon too, appears to show Snagglepuss her “human side”. By this, she tells him how she feels about fame and how she feels that she has to put on a masquerade, so nobody gets to really know her (with only two exceptions). Snagglepuss doesn’t give a whole speech about it, but it makes me think that it was there highlight the fact that people in those time (and even today) feel like they needed to hide part of themselves in order to please the rest, to the point that they become a character instead of a human being.

And what is the greatest detail of all (debatable, bc I actually also love what I’ll be saying in a second) is the fact that the bar where they attend is Stonewall. In case you don’t know, Stonewall is the place where one of the most important riots for LGBTQ+ rights took place. (I don’t know if it was the first one, though). I really appreciated that the author took one of the most important events for us, as the LGBTQ+ community, to make such a cool reference.

Of course there are many other references within the characters themselves, like Huckleberry Hound being clearly inspired by T. S. Eliot and Snagglepuss being clearly inspired by Tennessee Williams (who I love, btw); but my favorite character has to be the barman of Stonewall. Not only he gave me the best uplifting quotes, stating that the community shouldn’t fight just because they expect to win, but because those need to be fought; but the BEST thing is that he was a bear. A literal bear. It might seem like nothing, but it is a detail that I really loved.

In case you’re wondering, as I think I talked too much about the characters, the story is really… Every feeling you’ve ever felt? I mean, it makes you happy, it makes you sad, angry, etc. It’s really a heartwarming graphic novel, so I would really recommend it to everyone. If you’re looking for your next LGBTQ+ book or graphic novel to read, this needs to be your next pick. I can assure you that you’ll love it. Especially if you like

I don’t know that much about art, and I don’t think that many of the criteria I use for my reviews apply to a graphic novel. But in case you’re asking:

Overall: 5/5

 Fun facts:

-          My favorite quote is when Snagglepuss is surprised to see Huckleberry Hound after a long time, so he says “Well, spank my daddy”.

-          Remember that episode of The Simpsons in which they were doing a sketch called ‘Behind the Laughter’? Remember that at the end of the episode Huckleberry Hound said he was gay? Well… I guess they were right.

[soiread-blog1]

Our only choice in this life is to change the world, or be destroyed by it. And God help me, S.P., I’m not sure which one I prefer.

Exit Stage Left: The Snagglepuss Chronicles

[soiread-blog1]

So, I read... The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness [Book Review]

Have you ever wandered what happens to all those people that are not even characters in your favorite books? Extras, not even important enough to be secondary characters? At least I haven’t, but I really enjoyed this book.

 So, The Rest of Us Just Live Here tells us the story of Michael and his group of friends who, unlike the Indie Kids (please remember this concept), are not the chosen ones. Do you remember Bella Swan’s cousin, Harry Potter’s neighbors and the guy who was in the other room of the hospital in which Charlie Kelmeckis was hospitalized? Well, me neither, because I don’t even think they were mentioned. And it makes sense because they’re not Indie Kids, unlike the protagonists. In this story, Michaels and his friends are in the middle of a very heavy situation: Indie Kids are in problems, which means that something could happen to their town. Or even worse: to their prom night.

 Even though I really loved the book, I don’t think I was prepared for what was coming. I mean, one of the first reviews in my book said “Hilarious!”, so I was expecting to crack my back laughing. And guess what, most of it was really depressing. In a way that I really enjoy though.

 I must admit that it is a little bit boring at the beginning, especially if it is your first time reading a book by Patrick Ness, as he really takes his time to get you to know the characters and the world in which these are situated. I will say right now that it a very character-driven story, which I’m sure many people would love.

 There are two storylines in the book: Mike and his friends’ storyline and the Indie Kids storyline, which is only a paragraph at the beginning of the chapter and actually serves to give context to what the main characters are going through. At the same time, however, the storyline of the Indie Kids also tries to parody the usual tropes that are repeated in YA books and, although I think it is successful at doing that, I also think that the book itself falls into some of this tropes. At some point the paragraph of the Indie Kids talks about how adults are not present, which is something that most of these kids (the non-Indie ones) complain about. Also, I live in Latin America, so I’m not used to hear names like “Dylan” and “Finn” in my daily life. That being said, I don’t think those names are like super weird and special, so I don’t understand why the book makes it seem as it those names were very vintage and uncommon. Speaking about this, the name of each member of Michael’s family starts with “M” which, I don’t know about you but, sounds very Indie to me.

 In order to explain those “mistakes”, “inconsistencies” or whatever you want to call it, I came up with my own theory. So, the book is about those characters that are not special in stories. However, I’m not sure Ness do it so well. They’re all special in a sense. They suffer and struggle. Sure, we all do, but at the beginning it’s not so clear that they’re not special. Maybe it’s a way of saying that the “extras” are also special as they have their own struggles. Stories usually make us think that only the important characters have problems. So, I think the idea of the book is to show the opposite. Maybe I’m wrong and it was just a failed experiment, but I love Patrick Ness so I prefer to think my theory is correct. Sorry.

 The book, as almost every other YA book, deals with various realistic issues. I don’t say this as if it was a bad thing, on the contrary, I think it is great if it is done right. And guess what. This book definitely does (until the end, which I’ll talk/write/complain about after the fun facts, so I don’t spoil you the book). I would say that the novel is mainly about growing up and leaving things behind when you do. It’s all about how nothing is forever. As someone who left his hometown for 4 years to study, and someone who is constantly afraid about the future, I related to many parts of the book. Sometimes it was heavy and depressing, but it was really relatable. It also deals really well with mental illnesses (until the end…). I was actually very surprised of how realistic and even respectful it was when talking about depression, anxiety, Alzheimer and suicidal tendencies. I know that I said that the book’s funny moments were overshadowed by the heavy moments, but it doesn’t mean that it wasn’t funny at certain times. That being said, there is no single sentence in the book that treats these issues in a funny way.

 Now, leaving aside what I’ll say about the end later, I think the conclusion was cute and uplifting. Overall, I think it was actually a very enjoyable book. I don’t recommend you reading it if you’re going through a hard moment, though. I think young adults are the ones who could enjoy it the most (which is obvious, as that is the target audience).

 Story: (4.5/5)

I really liked the story. It was simple but very smart. It does take some time to get to the more exciting parts, but if you’re patient you’ll enjoy it.

 Style: (5/5)

I’ve always loved Patrick Ness’s writing, so I cannot complain about that. Dialogues feel real, common, without being boring. I like that the narrator tells us the story of the Indie Kids too at the beginning of each chapter, because it also feels like a guide to understand what is happening in the world created by the author at the time. Even though some tropes that are parodied are also present in the book, I don’t mind it that much.

Narrative: (4/5)

As I said, both storylines kind of join towards the end of the book, but the rest of the time it lets you know the consequences of the Indie Kids storyline. It makes you feel the right feelings at the right time. When it needs to be sad it makes you feel that way, and when it needs to be funny it can make you laugh. The only thing I didn’t like is that spoiler that I’ll write later.

Characters: (4/5)

I really liked the characters. Each of them feels different to me. They have similar, but different issues, as most teenagers do. It makes you realize that everyone carries their own scars, and that you shouldn’t be an asshole if you think yours is more painful. (You are totally allowed to feel that, though). The Indie Kids stay in a second plane, which is great, as we all know how they behave.

 Overall: (4.3/5)

 Fun Facts:

-          It reminds me to that “The Amazing World of Gumball” episode in which the focus is on other characters and it sort of turns out in a teenage drama.

-          The author really hates short people, apparently. And as a shortie, I felt a bit uneasy (not really).

-          I picture this dull indie filter over scenes. And I’m obsessed with that.

-          At least my copy glows in the dark. And I LOVE that.

 SPOILERS:

So, what bothered is that, at the end Jared (Mike’s friend, in case you haven’t read the book) gets godly abilities and he offers to “cure” Michael’s anxiety and OCD. I know that it’s fiction, but the thing is, in the whole book they acknowledge that these treatments take time and work, and then they say “hey, it is as easy as if I want to cure your mental illness”. Sure, Michaels decline the offer, but it also bothered me. People would do the impossible to live their lives “normally” (I use this term very loosely), so I think that the best would’ve been to keep this out of the book.

[soiread-blog1]

So, I read… Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer [Book Review]

By the title I thought that I was facing that type of book series in which everything happens to and everything is about the protagonist. You know, like Harry Potter or Percy Jackson. Well, I was wrong.

Before continuing, consider that I bought the book a long time ago, so I read it in Spanish. That means that some things might be different.

Artemis Fowl is a twelve-year old millionaire boy. Not only that, but he comes from a family of genius criminals who do it for the thrills more than they do it for money. However, his family has been going through some issues, as the disappearance of his father, his mother going crazy and the fact that they are not billionaires anymore, but just millionaires (an everyday struggle, I know). That being said, Artemis is willing to do anything to bring the dignity his family deserves. And to do so, he decides he needs to take his criminal record to the next level and mess up with magical beings.

I liked the book. I thought it was really engaging and fast paced, so you go throughout the story having no problems at all. We are introduced to many characters in this book, but they are presented in a way that it doesn’t feel like a clusterfuck. The author uses multiple points of view, and he does it successfully. It almost feels like a TV show in which every episode starts with the perspective of another character, which I found great so we could see them evolve throughout the book.

It is an entertaining story, but what makes it really good is that it goes beyond that and addresses real world’s issues, as how humans are not taking care of the environment. The (rightfully) resentful magical beings say from time to time that humankind have not only taken the lands where they used to live, but also taken advantage of nature to the point that it barely resembles what it used to be. Of course, nature is also where they get their powers, so it is understandable that they are mad about it.

The world is also very well constructed. The magical aspects mixed with the sci-fi descriptions of their technology makes it a fully realized world that Eoin Colfer had in his mind. He is successful to drive me into this fantasy, making me ignore the fact that he left some things behind when thinking about it.

I guess what makes it really easy to read are the action-packed moments throughout the book, although I do think the final battle (which I’ll not spoil for you) was maybe a little bit too gorey for kids. Question mark? I don’t know, it felt a little bit too violent even though no blood was mentioned.

As I said, I really liked the book. However, I don’t think I’ll continue the series. Although I do think that the book leaves some things unresolved that I would like to know, the end of the book was enough for me. Some things felt a little too childish, which I understand because it is meant for kids, so I don’t feel a drive to continue the book.

I would really recommend the book to children up to 14 years old. It’s great as a book to start reading more fantasy and even science fiction, or even to make your children feel interested in reading.

Story: 5/5

Again. Really cool. I loved the story from the beginning to the end. Great story. Nothing else to say.

Style: 4/5

As I said before, the use of multiple points of views was successful. That’s the good side. The language use is great. I appreciated that the narrator repeated “Holly did not want to sit please”. It does not only show the language barrier between human and magical beings’ language, but also how the narrator puts itself in the perspective of the other character. I’m obsessed with points of view. I know.

However, I think that sometimes humor was too childish, but not very funny because the author used really bad euphemisms. Also, fart jokes are so cheap that I really cannot see how the author thought it was going to be great.

Narrative: 4/5

Easy to read. Very engaging. I know that it is a series, which means that things that weren’t solved now will be in the next books, but some storylines (especially the missing father) kind of didn’t matter. I just think that they could have been introduced better.

Characters: 3/5

Physically and even anatomically they were great. You could picture each character because of the detailed description of how their bodies work. However, when it comes to personality, I wasn’t so crazy about it. They kind of blended for me. They were all sarcastic, so it was difficult to differentiate them in that aspect. If I had to pick a word to describe them, it would have to be a physical description, otherwise it would be repetitive.

Overall: 3.2/5

Fun facts:

-       I really couldn’t imagine Foaly as a centaur. I was just picturing Bojack Horseman the whole time.