April was definitely a better than March. I read 2 books last month, and I've managed 9 books this month. A sure step up. With no further delay though, let us get to the books that I have read and my thoughts on them.
Book #1: Of Dice and Men by David M. Ewalt
Book #1: Of Dice and Men by David M. Ewalt
The
Hobbit meets Moneyball
in this definitive book on Dungeons & Dragons—from its origins
and rise to cultural prominence to the continued effects on popular
culture today. Even if you’ve never played Dungeons & Dragons,
you probably know someone who has: The game has had a profound
influence on our culture. Released in 1974—decades before the
Internet and social media—Dungeons & Dragons is one of the
original ultimate nerd subcultures, and is still revered by more than
thirty million fans. Now, the authoritative history and magic of the
game is revealed by an award-winning journalist and life-long dungeon
master. From its origins on the battlefields of ancient Europe,
through the hysteria that linked it to satanic rituals and teen
suicides, and to its apotheosis as father of the modern video game
industry, Of Dice and Men
recounts the development of a game played by some of the most
fascinating people in the world. Chronicling the surprising history
of D&D’s origins (one largely unknown even to hardcore players)
while examining the game’s profound impact, Ewalt weaves
laser-sharp subculture analysis with his own present-day gaming
experiences. An enticing blend of history, journalism, narrative, and
memoir, Of Dice and Men
sheds light on America’s most popular (and widely misunderstood)
form of collaborative entertainment.
I bought this book because I play roleplaying games. I was only ever in one D&D campaign like eight years ago. I've been playing Pathfinder ever since. I love the game and I was very interested in reading about the history of well, anything really, so this book really piqued my interest. I couldn't pass it up for under $5 on BookOutlet. I started this book immediately upon it's delivery to my house. I went in knowing there wasn't as much history as a 259-page book would lead one to believe. Not that it would have all that much if it were fully a historical novel. I actually liked that part. It made it feel more like a chat with a friend. It made it more interesting. The interspersing of games was weird. I could have done without that. Overall I gave this book a 5/5. It made me laugh when he had a character named Fargrim hit a hobgoblin with an impressive hammer because we have a dwarf in our party who hits things with a hammer named Falgrim. It wasn't even intentional either. I am going to look for more things by Mr. Ewalt and see what I think of them.
Book #2: The Cat Who Went to Heaven by Elizabeth Coatsworth
In ancient Japan, a
struggling artist is angered when his housekeeper brings home a tiny
white cat he can barely afford to feed. But when the village's head
priest commissions a painting of the Buddha for a healthy sum, the
artist softens toward the animal he believes has brought him luck.
According to legend, the proud and haughty cat was denied the
Buddha's blessing for refusing to accept his teachings and pay him
homage. So when the artist, moved by compassion for his pet, includes
the cat in his painting, the priest rejects the work and decrees that
it must be destroyed. It seems the artist's life is ruined as well --
until he is rewarded for his act of love by a Buddhist miracle. This
timeless fable has been a classic since its first publication in
1930, and this beautifully reillustrated edition brings the magic and
wonder of the tale to a new generation of readers.
Book #2: The Cat Who Went to Heaven by Elizabeth Coatsworth
In ancient Japan, a
struggling artist is angered when his housekeeper brings home a tiny
white cat he can barely afford to feed. But when the village's head
priest commissions a painting of the Buddha for a healthy sum, the
artist softens toward the animal he believes has brought him luck.
According to legend, the proud and haughty cat was denied the
Buddha's blessing for refusing to accept his teachings and pay him
homage. So when the artist, moved by compassion for his pet, includes
the cat in his painting, the priest rejects the work and decrees that
it must be destroyed. It seems the artist's life is ruined as well --
until he is rewarded for his act of love by a Buddhist miracle. This
timeless fable has been a classic since its first publication in
1930, and this beautifully reillustrated edition brings the magic and
wonder of the tale to a new generation of readers.
I bought this book because a friend recommended it to me. She said it was one of her favorite books to read as a child, so of course I was interested in reading it myself. I understand why she likes it as much as she did then and does now. The story is cute. I enjoyed how almost...sentient the cat was when it came to certain things, such as how she reacted to the various animals in the painting. The tale of the cat's own folly made me think of Natsuki Takahashi's Fruits Basket series and how the cat spurned God by not attending a banquet and thus got himself banned from being part of the Zodiac. Perhaps Natsuki picked up some inspiration from this novel? I took the last star off because it was far too short for my taste and when I got the book it was damaged. I'm glad I read it though.
Book #3: The Female Persuasion by Meg Wolitzer
Greer Kadetsky is a
shy college freshman when she meets the woman she hopes will change
her life. Faith Frank, dazzlingly persuasive and elegant at
sixty-three, has been a central pillar of the women's movement for
decades, a figure who inspires others to influence the world. Upon
hearing Faith speak for the first time, Greer--madly in love with her
boyfriend, Cory, but still full of longing for an ambition that she
can't quite place--feels her inner world light up. Then,
astonishingly, Faith invites Greer to make something out of that
sense of purpose, leading Greer down the most exciting path of her
life as it winds toward and away from her meant-to-be love story with
Cory and the future she'd always imagined.
The last thing Jamie
Watson wants is a rugby scholarship to Sherringford, a Connecticut
prep school just an hour away from his estranged father. But that’s
not the only complication: Sherringford is also home to Charlotte
Holmes, the famous detective’s great-great-great-granddaughter, who
has inherited not only Sherlock’s genius but also his volatile
temperament. From everything Jamie has heard about Charlotte, it
seems safer to admire her from afar. From the moment they meet,
there’s a tense energy between them, and they seem more destined to
be rivals than anything else. But when a Sherringford student dies
under suspicious circumstances, ripped straight from the most
terrifying of the Sherlock Holmes stories, Jamie can no longer afford
to keep his distance. Jamie and Charlotte are being framed for
murder, and only Charlotte can clear their names. But danger is
mounting and nowhere is safe—and the only people they can trust are
each other.
Gotta read 'em all!
Ash and Pikachu are invited to a Pokemon party on a cruise ship. But
they've been tricked by the evil Team Rocket, who plan to steal all
the Pokemon on board! Things get worse when the ship sinks, and the
survivors end up lost in a strange land filed with monster-sized
Pokemon! Will the castaways find their way home? Or will they be
stranded forever on the Island of the Giant Pokemon?
Book #3: The Female Persuasion by Meg Wolitzer
Greer Kadetsky is a
shy college freshman when she meets the woman she hopes will change
her life. Faith Frank, dazzlingly persuasive and elegant at
sixty-three, has been a central pillar of the women's movement for
decades, a figure who inspires others to influence the world. Upon
hearing Faith speak for the first time, Greer--madly in love with her
boyfriend, Cory, but still full of longing for an ambition that she
can't quite place--feels her inner world light up. Then,
astonishingly, Faith invites Greer to make something out of that
sense of purpose, leading Greer down the most exciting path of her
life as it winds toward and away from her meant-to-be love story with
Cory and the future she'd always imagined.
"Strong" I think, is a good word to describe this book. "Human" also springs to mind. The way Ms. Wolitzer told the story of Greer was amazing. She went from this shy, awkward book nerd to someone who was important, needed. Something we all strive for in one way or another. To have value to some other person beyond oneself. I did enjoy the way we kept circling back to Zee and Greer, but I wasn't really a fan of Zee's part in the story beyond moral support for Greer as entered the adult world. I like friendships like that. There were parts, like the letter, where Zee may have overreacted a bit. I also wasn't sure how I felt about Greer's relationship with Cory. She could not really handle life with anyone who was not Cory Pinto to the point where she kept going back to him or pining over him when they weren't together. It was stupid. I rated this book a 4/5 and I'm glad I read it. I will read more books by Meg Wolitzer in the future and hopefully I like them as much as this.
Book #4: Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
Unfairly deprived of
their family inheritance by the grasping Mrs John Dashwood and her
husband, Elinor and Marianne Dashwood and their mother find
themselves in greatly reduced circumstances. Compelled to leave
Norland in Sussex for Barton Cottage in Devonshire, the two sisters
are soon accepted into their new society. Marianne, whose sweet
radiance and open nature charm the roguish John Willoughby, is soon
deeply in love. Elinor, whose disposition is more cautious and
considered, who carefully conceals her emotions, is suffering the
loss of Edward Ferrars whom she has left behind. Despite their very
different personalities, both sisters experience great sorrows in
their affairs of the heart: Marianne demonstrably wretched and Elinor
allowing no one to see her private heartache. It is, however, the
qualities common to them both - discernment, constancy and integrity
in the face of the fecklessness of others - that allow them entry
into a new life of peace and contentment.
I started excited, because I loved Pride and
Prejudice. Normally I don't read romance like that. This one did
start very promising. Like the other one. The plot was great when I
started. Then it went south. I have no idea what even happened. I got
bored, other books were more interesting? No clue. All I know is it
went from great to okay to shit to okay where it hovered the last
100-150 pages. I got really just done with the Dashwood girls. They
were full of themselves and I thought they all needed a good dose of
reality. I doubt I will re-read it, but I will give more Jane Austen
books a fair try. Overall 3/5 because I was just meh in the end.
Book #5: Tales of Greek Mythology by L.L. Owens
This collection contains stories
about Zeus, Athene, Heracles, Odysseus, and more.
I like Greek mythology, but this was borderline crap. It was simplified for kids, but they must think kids are low/non functioning or something because that, whatever that was, was so stupid. The end had the same story with the same words in two different forms! Not reading it again. Ever. Considering getting rid of it. I rated this book a 2/5 because it wasn't absolute crap. I did like the stories, just not the way the stories were told. Perhaps if they had not written or edited it like the people who were meant to read it were morons, I would have liked it more. Perhaps I should take more consideration into looking at the content of books I read before I read them. Lesson learned for next time.
Book #6: A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro
The last thing Jamie
Watson wants is a rugby scholarship to Sherringford, a Connecticut
prep school just an hour away from his estranged father. But that’s
not the only complication: Sherringford is also home to Charlotte
Holmes, the famous detective’s great-great-great-granddaughter, who
has inherited not only Sherlock’s genius but also his volatile
temperament. From everything Jamie has heard about Charlotte, it
seems safer to admire her from afar. From the moment they meet,
there’s a tense energy between them, and they seem more destined to
be rivals than anything else. But when a Sherringford student dies
under suspicious circumstances, ripped straight from the most
terrifying of the Sherlock Holmes stories, Jamie can no longer afford
to keep his distance. Jamie and Charlotte are being framed for
murder, and only Charlotte can clear their names. But danger is
mounting and nowhere is safe—and the only people they can trust are
each other.
This is my second time reading this book. I loved it just as much now as I did then. So good. I loved how she made allusions to the original Sherlock Holmes, but made Charlotte and James their own people with their own problems. They had struggles Sherlock and John could never have fathomed (at least not the original from the 1890s, not the new BBC Sherlock set in our time). One of the more interesting things, to me, was how intelligent Jamie actually was. He would pick up on clues Charlotte herself had missed somewhere along the way. I picked up books 2 & 3 and I am excited to get to them now that I have re-read the first one.
Book #7: Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
Sixteen-year-old and
not-so-openly gay Simon Spier prefers to save his drama for the
school musical. But when an email falls into the wrong hands, his
secret is at risk of being thrust into the spotlight. Now Simon is
actually being blackmailed: if he doesn’t play wingman for class
clown Martin, his sexual identity will become everyone’s business.
Worse, the privacy of Blue, the pen name of the boy he’s been
emailing, will be compromised. With some messy dynamics emerging in
his once tight-knit group of friends, and his email correspondence
with Blue growing more flirtatious every day, Simon’s junior year
has suddenly gotten all kinds of complicated. Now, change-averse
Simon has to find a way to step out of his comfort zone before he’s
pushed out—without alienating his friends, compromising himself, or
fumbling a shot at happiness with the most confusing, adorable guy
he’s never met.
I get it now. The hype over this book is well deserved. Everything people said about it being great is true. I have been meaning to read more LGBT+ fiction for a while, but I was a bit apprehensive because the previous LGBT+ books I read were crap. I had thought own voices (the authors of the books are both gay men) would be better than they were. Apparently not. Simon, however, was amazing. I adored the way it was told. Simon was not uncomfortable with his sexuality at all. He was more so with the conversation it would spark. I loved how he thought heterosexual should not be the default orientation. I figured out who Blue was early on, in fact the person I guessed first to be Blue was correct around the second or third email we got. Some of the statements he makes in the emails make it obvious who it is if one is familiar with obscure as shit superheroes. (I am a fan of both DC and Marvel and I love random superheroes). I loved Simon's relationship with Nick and Leah, which I hope is explored more in Leah on the Off-Beat when I get to it. Definitely looking into The Upside of Unrequited in either May or June. Becky Albertalli is a great author and I can't wait to read more from her.
Book #8: Island of the Giant Pokemon by Tracey West
Gotta read 'em all!
Ash and Pikachu are invited to a Pokemon party on a cruise ship. But
they've been tricked by the evil Team Rocket, who plan to steal all
the Pokemon on board! Things get worse when the ship sinks, and the
survivors end up lost in a strange land filed with monster-sized
Pokemon! Will the castaways find their way home? Or will they be
stranded forever on the Island of the Giant Pokemon?
I realize it looks weird for a grown woman to be reading kids' books, but I love Pokemon. I've been watching, playing the video games, and collecting the cards/plushes since I was a kid myself (I was 5 when the first Pokemon game, Red/Blue/Green was released for the Gameboy). I've played every generation of the game from Red/Blue to Black/White, my favorite being Diamond/Pearl. The book was exactly like I thought it was going to be. A novelization of the Indigo League episode where they are trapped aboard the sinking S.S. Anne and end up on an island covered in gigantic Pokemon. Team Rocket shenanigans ensue, a great battle, and the good guys save the day like every other episode of Pokemon. I enjoyed this and will be tracking down the rest of the series if I can find it.
Book #9: Team Rocket Blasts Off by Tracey West
The members of
Pokemon-stealing Team Rocket--Jessie, James, and Meowth--try to
impress their boss by bringing him Togepi, recount times when they
nearly defeated Ash Ketchum and Pikachu, and try to work together
when they become substitute Gym Leaders.
My other nostalgia read of the day. This one actually had screenshots of the episode as photos in it. It was that obvious. I loved, once again, that it was a single episode from the series redone as a kids' book. This one follows Team Rocket when they were made Leaders of Viridian City Gym for a day and how they failed in their attempts to get Pikachu. Team Rocket will never learn from their own mistakes, it seems...Tracey West is a great adapter for the series and I hope to find volumes 1, 3, 4, and 6 one of these days.
