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The Good Times Are Killing Me
I'm a nerdy girl with too much time on her hands, and too many books on her to-read pile.
Young Stalin
This is one of the few biographies I've ever read, and it left me wanting more. Who knew Russian history could be so interesting? (many people, I know, but that particular truth was kept from me until I saw this book in the bargain bin at a book shop) What I liked the most about “Young Stalin” was the attempt to portray the man as a human being, with all the complexity that such a title entails. He had childhood friends, two wives he loved and neglected, a couple of flawed parents and a history of diseases that marked his face and left one of his arms useless. He rejected religion, but felt that Marxism came before anything else, even family. He also loved to read, wrote beautiful poems, and sang very well. It’s easy to think of men like Stalin as one-dimensional monsters who dedicate every breath to the complete destruction of all living things, but the truth is that they are humans, just like us. It was very interesting to see how “Young Stalin” presented the good and the bad of Stalin’s character, and while it didn’t make me feel any sympathy for his cause, it gave me a new understanding of the Bolshevik revolution, and of the way that Stalin took advantage of the moment to rise to power, and built a totalitarian empire. (Oh! and he was short too, about 5 ft, 6 in, or something O_O) The one thing that slowed me down a bit was the difficulty trying to keep track of all the names (in all their variations) that are mentioned in the book. I had to get a notebook and write everything down, for future reference and to not get lost. But now that I’m in the middle of “Court of the Red Tsar” it’s coming in handy.
Survival in Auschwitz
I deeply believe that no one can finish this book and leave unscathed. Primo Levi's one year experience in Auschwitz is one of those tales of survival that puts in perspective everything in your life; every notion of discomfort and pain, and every thought on humanity.On "If This is a Man" Levi describes the process that took away from him every preconcieved notion of what it meant to be a human in the XX century, and made him a faceless, hopeless slave that saw death at the turn of every corner. And even now, decades after these events happened, when people are faced with new forms of horror and the future is as uncertain as ever, his words remain powerful and current, warning us about the dangers of power and the fragility of everything we think is inherent to our nature as human beings. This book also got me thinking about the little details in my daily life that I take for granted. I couldn't help but feel guilty about reading such a memoir in my bed, surrounded by blankets and nursing a slight fever with proper medication and the care of a mother. I also thought about the massacres that happen so often in my country, specially of things like the death by execution of 4 policemen that had been kidnapped 12 years ago, at the hands of the criminals that took them. One of them had a kid that was battling cancer, and who never got to meet his dad. The fifth prisoner got away at the last minute, and this morning I heard him talk about the inhuman conditions he and his partners had to endure in the jungle, with chains all over their bodies and completely disconnected to everything they knew and loved. And what about the Rwanda genocide, and the conflict in the middle east, and the Guantanamo tortures? It seems that as time goes by we find more and more excuses to turn against each other, while also believing that the horrors of the holocaust will never repeat again. This is why I think that "If This is a Man" (or Survival in Auschwitz) has to be read by everyone: it reminds us that horror is not in a movie, that we are both the monsters and the victims, and that, if we let ourselves be carried away by fear and lies, we may very well become the next slaves, or the quiet, powerless people at the other side of the fence, witnessing injustice and doing nothing about it.
Esto no es todo
¿Sería una exageración decir que AMO a Quino? Tal vez... pero definitivamente no se aleja de la realidad decir que es uno de mis autores favoritos. Las tiras que reune esta antología me llevan a los domingos en los que le rapaba a mi papá el suplemento dominical para ver sus caricaturas a página completa y, aunque no siempre entendía el mensaje, no fallaban en sacarme una sonrisa. Los temas del libro van cambiando sutilmente: De relaciones pasamos a las dificultades de ser niño, y luego a la no menos complicada rutina de la edad adulta y la vejez. Quino no deja piedra sin remover o ironía sin notar, y puedo decir sin temor a equivocarme que hay caricaturas para todos los gustos. En particular aprecio el humor negro que le imprime a temas serios como la muerte, el desempleo, la pobreza y la guerra, y tan tabú como Dios. Después de esto espero poder encontrar sus otras compilaciones y sacarlas cuando la realidad se me ponga demasiado pesada.
Kafka on the Shore
I could tell you what this book is about (a 15 year old kid running away from home, and an old man, who can talk to cats, fulfilling his destiny) but, for the life of me, I can't tell you what it's REALLY about. The whole thing feels like a dream: it makes sense while you're in it, but 5 minutes after waking up you realize that the meaning got lost in the process. It is, also, beautifully written, and it makes me wish I knew japanese. The language (simple, straightforward) manages to tell you that there is more here than what meets the eye, but it doesn't sound arrogant or condescending. Other reviewers felt that the characters were preachy, or unlikeable, but I found them engaging. I enjoyed Oshima's dissertations, and Hoshino's discovery of music, and Nakana's chats with cats and supernatural beings. In the end, I found myself sorry to leave them, and intrigued for Murakami's other works.The only aspect of the book that I didn't care much for, and that prevents me from giving it 5 stars, is the scene with Johnnie Walker and the cats. It was shocking, unexpected, and for a cat lover like me, too hard to get through. I had no problem with the sex bits, but this little display of animal cruelty annoyed me to no end.
The Haunted Vagina
I'm surprised to say that I liked this book! The journey into Stacy's vagina was not pleasant, and sometimes I needed to put it aside for a minute to think "am I really reading this?", but for the most part it was a good experience. The thing I like the most about "The Haunted Vagina" is that it has a plot. It may not be the best, but it's also clear that this isn't just an attempt to shock with a big title; a real story lurkes underneath. It goes like this: For as long as she can remember, Stacy has felt and heard weird things coming out of her vagina. At first she believes that all girls struggle with similar issues, until a girlfriend (in a rather rude way) sets the record straight and informs Stacy that her situation is not common, or acceptable. Later on, she meets our narrator, Steve, who loves her enough to embark upon a journey of exploration down her girlfriend's vagina, with unexpected results.So what do you think? Too far-fetched? Maybe, but the results are good. And while I admit that it's not the best book you'll ever read, or the most outrageous, it will be a good way to spend a slow sunday afternoon.
Maus II: A Survivor's Tale: And Here My Troubles Began
As you all probably now, Maus tells two different stories: In one, we are transported to World War II, and witness Vladek Spiegelman's attempts to survive the holocaust. In the other we meet his son Art, who struggles to mantain a relationship with a holocaust survivor while trying to do justice to the story his father has to tell. The result is a book that everyone should read, regardless of their opinion of comics. I love how Spiegelman takes different animals to represent each nationality: jews are mouses, nazis are cats, frenchmen are frogs, polish are pigs, and north americans are dogs. That transports you to a time where your place of birth determined your worth and your right to live, and puts jews at the bottom of the scale; their mere existence was an insult to many people back then. Maus is also an example of the power of comics. I've read a lot about WW II because my father has a lot of books on the subject, but almost none of them gave a truly personal account of what it meant to be there. We see statistics, we know that a lot of people died, but we don't feel the anguish, nor we cry for the fallen. That's why at least here (in Colombia) human rights organizations do their best to put a face to our private war: So we can empathize and put ourselves in the victim's shoes. In terms of empathy, Maus did this for me, and not just regarding the holocaust. I can't even begin to imagine what it feels to live your life depending on a couple of people that haven't learned to live with themselves, behind the shadow of a brother that didn't make it past the war and whose perfect picture mocks your entire childhood. This conflict puts Maus way beyond any other account of the holocaust, and beyond any other comic (for me).I end this review asking teachers to add this novel to their "required reading" list, and anyone who comes across this review, to buy this novel and read it cover to cover. It's worth it.
The Princess Bride (Ballantine Reader's Circle)
If I had read this book 10 or 13 years ago, I would've loved it. It has everything I was looking for back then: sword fights, animals, a handsome hero, a beautiful leading lady, miracle men, pirates... Instead, I got to read it now, and while I'm no longer swayed by promises of true love (specially when they stand solely on good looks), the style of this book and the way that Goldman mocks the genre are very refreshing. I would've wished to feel more for the characters though, Buttercup had potential but she settled for the role of damsel in distress, and Westley... well, I liked him at first, but he couldn't think of anything besides Buttercup's beauty when he's asked about his "true love", and even after faking his own death he's only too happy to slap her for moving on. That's not hero material in my book, but in his defense, it kept me reading. As for the other characters... my favorites were Inigo and Fezzik. I liked their background stories, and Fezzik was adorable, making me care about an ending that otherwise I wouldn't have bother to read.I also wanted to add that, unlike many, I liked the frequent interruptions of the author. They were witty and took me away from some very boring parts, but unfortunately weren't enough to ensure a future visit to this particular tale. (or to make me look for the movie that many reviewers praise so much.)
Batman: Crimson Mist (Batman Beyond (DC Comics))
Wow. That's pretty much all I thought after the final panel of Crimson Mist. This is the darkest Batman of all, the one that honors his name and becomes a predator of criminals and innocents alike. We start Crimson Mist with the agony of Batman, condemned to exist in Limbo and to thirst for blood for all eternity. At the same time, we see that Gotham has fallen victim to the Penguin, Two Face, Killer Croc, The Riddler, Poison Ivy, and many more, and that Alfred and Gordon are doubting their decision to kill Batman. In a moment of desperation, Alfred removes the stake that is immobilizing his master and releases an evil worse than the one that is already corrupting Gotham, for the Batman that is loose is no longer the protector of the city, but its biggest threat. I can only end this review by saying that this was a fantastic trilogy, worthy of Dracula and Batman. The art has been consistent and scary, the story is solid, and it was great to read it so close to halloween. I can't wait to give it to my brother.
Batman Bloodstorm SC
This comic creeped me out in a good way. The art is powerful (much more so than in Batman/Dracula: Red Rain) and it enhances the plot. In Bloodstorm, we meet a Batman that has been turned into a vampire and that is determined to finish those who share his curse, while fighting the thirst of blood that threatens to consume him. It's so interesting to see how he tries to abide by the same rules that governed him when he was alive, not noticing that he's breaking them with every breath. That being said, I also have to say that I found catwoman's interaction with Batman to be a bit too cheesy, and lacking the love/hate relationship that I enjoy so much in them. The Joker, on the other hand, was perfect.
Batman & Dracula (DC Comics)
I really liked this one! The Alternate Universe excuse that gave birth to Red Rain allowed Doug Moench to take Batman to a whole new level. What I liked the most was the use of vampire lore: So many recent stories completely disregard the classic tales of the undead, and here we encounter silver, control of beasts, and a non-romantic transmission of the disease! It goes back to the basis, complementing Batman and giving us a tale worthy of the hero.
John Dies at the End
I wish I could talk about the plot, but it's so convoluted that I wouldn't know where to begin. All I can tell you is that it involves weird dogs, soy sauce, wig monsters, doors to other dimensions, ghosts (I think), and some sort of insect/lizard god who wants to take over our world. Oh! and blood, and people exploding, and meat monsters. What more do you want? The writing style is great, (it feels like the best Cracked.com articles) and it made me laugh a lot, probably because dick jokes don't bother me. The ending was cool, John was fantastic even if he didn't make sense most of the time, and I had a blast reading his and Wong's retarded adventures.
Batman Gothic (Batman Beyond (DC Comics))
I have mixed feelings about this comic. It's not bad, and I have a very high opinion of Morrison, but I'm not a big fan of the "Batman meets the supernatural" stories when there are still so many cool psychopaths and gangsters to beat. (except with the Batman-Dracula trylogy; that was amazing!)"Gothic" starts with the selective death of a bunch of Gotham criminals at the hands of "Mr. Whisper". At the same time Batman is dealing with a recurrent nightmare, and with hellish memories from his childhood school, both of which he believes have something to do with the man that is frightening the worst criminals in Gotham. There's a Freddy Krueger feel to this comic that I liked at the beginning, and the story of the Austrian Monastery is intriguing (and was very well drawn), but the whole comic felt like 2 different plots stucked together with chewing gum. The massacre we witness in the first issues is downplayed as a hobby in the last part and the religious context is not something that I care much for in a Batman comic. That's why I gave it 3 stars, and moved on to read something better. :)
Arkham Asylum Anniversary Ed SC (Batman)
I absolutely love the art in this. I hadn't seen the work of Dave McKean before, and I found it mind blowing. It's dark, terrifying, and the inmates were everything I ever wanted them to be. (This rendition of the Joker will haunt my dreams for a loooong time) The one thing that made me take one star from Arkham Asylum was the way that Morrison presented Batman at times: When has Batman ever justified murder? When he brushes off Dr. Ruth's concerns about ending the life of Cavendish I felt that I wasn't in a Batman comic anymore. He's very out of character here, and for the most part I admit that it works but sometimes it feels... off. I'm also not sure that I liked the ending, with the friendly good-bye between the Joker and Batman, and Two-Face saving his life (and shitting himself at the start of the story). But still, it left me a good feeling. I definitely will have to revisit this one and, like other reviewers, play Batman: Arkham Asylum again.
Can You Keep a Secret?
I'm glad I wasn't anywhere public while reading this. I laughed sooo hard... but, for some reason, I don't want to read more Kinsella books. "Can You Keep a Secret? is fun while it lasts, it resonates with our fear of being exposed to our peers for who we really are, but then it ends and, well, it's easily forgotten. So why the 4 stars? Those represent the good moments it gave me, the laughs, the "OMG I would die if that happened to me" parts, and the realization that not every book has to be memorable to be good. It got the job done, and maybe when I find myself in a similar frame of mind (or, to say it in other words: when I get dumped again by another guy) I'll know that there is an author that will help me escape the tears with some funny book.
Mindfulness For Dummies
Although it gets a bit repetitive at times, this certainly is a must-read for those wanting a good introduction to mindfulness. I'm working on the 8 week program (I'm currently on week 2) and it's been the best thing I've done for myself on a loooooooong time.
The Mermaids Singing (Tony Hill and Carol Jordan Series #1)
I couldn't put this book down. I don't know if its because I'm a huge fan of the TV Show or because this is a very interesting book with relatable characters... maybe both. if you happen to like serial killer books pick this up, you wont be dissapointed.
 - Val McDermid)