Stargazing Dog

Stargazing Dog by Takashi Murakami, 128 pages

Stargazing Dog is about a puppy named Happie that gets adopted by a young girl. At first everything is great and both have found a friend. Unfortunately as she got older and entered into her teen years there was less and less time for Happie. Eventually the dog is all but ignored by her. Luckily for Happie though her father starts taking care of him. At first he does so only grudgingly and with lots of complaining. Eventually as his life falls down around him he comes to enjoy the walks and Happie's company.

I really wish the book would end there, but it doesn't. Soon everything is quickly spiraling down hill into a dark finish.

Stargazing Dog is one of the few books that really seemed to touch on my emotions. There were times when reading it that I had to put it down and wipe tears away from my eyes. I am not sure if it was the power of the writing, the heartbreaking loss the book deals with, or just dredged up emotions that effected me more, either way this book should be a must read for everyone.

Will Grayson, Will Grayson, John Green & Levithan

Will Grayson, Will Grayson. John Green & David Levithan, 2010. 310 pages

     This book got me from the first page, as good teen fiction should always do. I  thought it was hilarious, and I am a tough critic.  The character of Tiny Cooper could quite possibly be one of the most entertaining fictional gay men I have ever felt like I've known.  He also reminds me of a few people I grew up with, which made him more plausible as a character for me, at least. Especially my friend who used to pretend he was Stevie Nicks by wrapping himself in a sheet and twirling around. Tiny Cooper made this book. Ok, I'm done.

      That aside, I recommend this book to everyone. It is funny, charming, awkward in the way the adolescence can be, and very well written. I loved that it was set in this area of the country, and I love that both Green and Levithan present the reader with dimensional LGBTQ characters.  These characters do not struggle with their sexual orientation as much as trying to deal with interpersonal relationships like everyone else at this age struggle to do. I did have the idea from the cover and book jacket description that there would be more of a science fiction angle, but was not disappointed to find out that this was not so.

The Comical Tragedy or Tragical Comedy of Mr. Punch

The Comical Tragedy or Tragical Comedy of Mr. Punch by Neil Gaiman, art by Dave McKean, 112 pages

When our unnamed narrator was a young boy, he visited his grandparents and met a mysterious Punch and Judy puppeteer at his grandfather's arcade. This simple story is masterfully told through Gaiman's easy, conversational style and through McKean's haunting artwork. As much a fan I am of Gaiman's, it's McKean's mix of drawing, photography, and sculpture imagery that makes this volume so breathtaking. Originally released in 1994, this 20th-anniversary edition also offers a few extras regarding the graphic novel, a short film based on it, and some additional artwork that was created for a companion CD-ROM (that, as far as I can tell, never came to be).

This book is beautifully constructed, and should be on any list of must-read graphic novels.

The letter Q : Queer Writers' Notes To Their Younger Selves

The letter Q : Queer Writers' Notes To Their Younger Selves, edited by Sarah Moon, 281 pages

 

 

 

      What a fantastic book that should be in every teen non-fiction section of every library across the land. No Joke. This book is the real deal.  While the book has entries from Queer writers of all kind, the entries all take the form of a letter each person has written to their younger selves.  These letters are often humorous, witty, and poignant. Some of the letters speak about things that happened to the authors that should never happen to anyone, and all of the letters speak about how much better it gets as they have grown into adulthood.  For LGBTQIA questioning youth, this is an invaluable book that can actually make a difference.

Ocean at the end of the Lane

Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman, 181 pages


Since it was declared that Neil Gaiman books would be worth more points I have been meaning to read one. Now that we are at the end of this round I am down to my last chance (or maybe I have completely missed it). Having not read anything by Gaiman I asked around to see what I should read. This was the most suggested book.

Ocean at the End of the Lane follows an unnamed boy as he discovers both a friend and a scary magical world. It is extremely gripping and easily passes as horror/suspense novel. There are some disturbing, cringe worthy scenes that could be hard to get past. But what really hits home is the ending. It left me feeling completely drained and shocked. I would love to talk about it more but that no spoilers thing gets in the way.

Anyways if all of Gaiman's books are this good you will be seeing a lot more of his reviews on here.

Mad World: An Oral History of New Wave Artists and Songs That Defined the 1980s

Mad World: An Oral History of New Wave Artists and Songs that Defined the 1980s by Lori Majewski & Jonathan Bernstein, 319 pages.

Here's another book that I ordered for our collection. My first 10 years on this Earth were in the 80s, so you'd think that maybe my exposure to New Wave would be limited. But I had an older sister and brother, 10 and 9 years older respectively, so I heard all the good stuff through them. (Depeche Mode, Duran Duran, Tears for Fears, Psychedelic Furs, New Order, to name a few.)
This book is set up in interview form, with the two authors introducing each band's section, and then various members of the bands talking about their history and the history of the song they're best known for. I was not familiar with a few of the bands, but I knew all the songs. I YouTubed each song as I read, to hear it again, and especially if the video was referenced as something special.
Almost all of these bands have re-formed at some point for reunion tours, which I wasn't aware of. Most of them have, of course, departed from their big hair and pretty makeup (at least the boys) but they still have their 80s sound.
This book was fascinating and a must-read for any child of the 80s, or for a younger sibling of a child of the 80s. Also, if you're just into New Wave, check it out.
P.S. I was a little disappointed that for the section on Depeche Mode (to this day, one of my favorite bands), they did not interview Dave Gahan or Martin Gore, instead going to Vince Clarke, one of the founding members but no longer with them.

Blood, Bones, & Butter

Blood, bones, & butter : the inadvertent education of a reluctant chef. Gabrielle Hamilton.
291 pages

        For anyone who has ever worked in the restaurant business, sometimes reading or watching shows about people who work in kitchens can feel a little too close to home. It can be like working an extra shift for the week.  Normally, I shy away from these types of memoirs because of this, (most definitely away from Hell's Kitchen or the like) but Gabrielle Hamilton does a fantastic job here. 
         The road for Hamilton begins in her childhood, in the kitchen of her mother- and then moves towards owning her own restaurant in New York many years later.  Her descriptions of the often soul sucking environment of kitchens both near and far are honest, as well as the joy one can also find in these places.  I found myself both rooting for her, laughing, and even disliking her in some parts- especially when she talks about cooks who burn themselves just not being careful enough.  Her descriptions of the food are by far some of my favorite parts as the flavors shift with the rhythms of her life.  Riveting, in a take no prisoners kind of way, which is how you have to be if you want to survive as a chef.