K DRAMA REVIEW | City Hunter (2011)

SYNOPSIS:  When he is just one month old, Lee Yung Soon's (Lee Min Ho) father is killed and his father's best friend (Lee Jin Pyo played by Kim Sang Joong) abducts him. Lee Jin Pyo raises Yung Soon with the sole purpose of training him to get revenge against the people who killed his "real" father.  At the age of 28, Yung Soon arrives in Seoul to begin his revenge. The only complications are that he has different ideas from his foster father on how to exact that revenge and in his cover life, despite his efforts to remain aloof, he starts to make friends and pretty quickly falls in love with a girl (Kim Na Na played by Park Min Young) who has mysteriously been a part of his dreams for 10 years.

First of all, I have to say that SO MUCH HAPPENS in this series.  It is 25 hours of action-filled, emotionally charged, complex plot so I found writing a good comprehensive review of it quite challenging.  I don't even mention any of the awesome secondary characters or really do justice to the crazy emotional roller coaster of Yung Soon and Jin Pyo's relationship. So,please excuse my inadequacies and trust me that this is an exciting and gripping drama with all the plot twists and complicated and emotional relationships you could ever hope for!

City Hunter is a pretty typical need-for-revenge-made-me-a-vigilante type of thriller.  Complete with the conceit that all it takes is a little strip of cloth over his mouth to make Yung Soon completely unrecognizable.  If you've seen Arrow or Batman, this plot will mostly be nothing new to you. It's even based on a manga and has an awesome black and white manga style opening. (Random Question: Why are vigilantes always so wealthy?)

The twist in the story is an interesting one from a character stand point.  While Lee Yung Soon wants to avenge his father, he is driven to it mostly by honor and the relentless pressure from his foster father rather than from any sense of real emotional betrayal by the perpetrators. The emotional drive behind the quest is Lee Jin Pyo and Yung Soon's desire to please him and earn his love.  Jin Pyo is also still holding a lot of cards close to his chest and is blatantly manipulating Yung Soon. It is impossible to tell what his feelings for the boy are. He is an enigmatic figure and he and Yung Soon's relationship is deliciously complex. Their relationship takes what is a pretty generic revenge-vigilante plot line and bumps it up a notch.  The pacing for the plot is really excellent for most of the show's run and even when that fails it still manages to have exciting cliffhangers in key places. The action/fight scenes are creative, well choreographed, well-shot and well- performed and are always exciting.  In short, this drama overall is a ton of fun.

It makes sense that a complicated character and relationship are what make this drama stand out.  What I've found in my limited experience with K Dramas is that developing characters and complicated relationships  - and making the viewer 100% invested in them - is their major strength. They are certainly not above doing a little emotional manipulating but I'm down with that.  I love characters that are conflicted in themselves and a vigilante plotline lends itself to that so well.  Yung Soon's big conflict is that he just desperately wants a normal life and everything that comes with that.  However, his upbringing has insured that he doesn't even know exactly what that looks and feels like.
 
My first impression upon being introduced to Lee Min Ho in his role as Lee Yung Soon, was that this kid was far too pretty to play a character that is meant to be a super duper bad ass vigilante. I mean look at him. He's really really ridiculously good looking (Zoolander reference intentional) not to mention slim and kind of willowy.

Apparently, Lee Min Ho is kind of a big deal in Korea.  His career started as the ('a'?) lead in a hugely popular drama that I have not seen but I have certainly heard of, Boys over Flowers.  That role and his good looks have pretty much guaranteed him a spot on every "hottest Korean actors" list you can find on the internet.  What I didn't bargain for was that he is not only popular because of his pretty pretty face but because he is also a good actor.  Probably the best I've encountered in the handful of K Dramas I've watched.

So it didn't take many episodes for me to realize that he is actually perfect for this role which has a serious bad ass side but also a sad and lonely little boy side (as so many vigilantes do) and he carries off the dichotomy really well.  His look really works for this.  He can pull off being an arrogant player prick one minute and a damaged little boy the next.  Plus I don't know many dudes who could pull off looking and being bad-ass while wearing a pair of salmon colored skinny jeans.

The female protagonist, Kim Na Na (Park Min Young) also has her share of troubles.  Ten year's previously, when she was just a school girl, her mother was killed and her father put in a coma by a car accident.  She lives very stressfully, trying to pay her father's exorbitant health care bills by working multiple odd jobs like being a designated driver and selling sketchy health tonics.  Despite these troubles, her personality is fairly cheerful and things take a turn for the better when she gets accepted to work as a secret service agent/bodyguard at the Blue House (the equivalent of the White House in the U.S.).  Also working at the Blue House?  Lee Yung Soon as an IT professional and unbeknownst to Kim Na Na, along with his revenge mission, Yung Soon has been asked, for some complicated unknown reasons, to keep an eye on Na Na. Mysteries everywhere! While he hides it well, he is pretty much smitten with her before he even meets her.  And it's no wonder because Na Na is really lovely in a stunning but very girl-next-door sort of way.

She is also bad ass in her own right! She really annoyed me at first - there was a lot of over-the-top crying in the first few episodes and she is a little blatantly unfair to Yung Soon, though she of course does not know his secret.  However, she eventually turned into one of my favorite female leads - she's strong, fearless, and compassionate.  And way more emotionally intelligent than Yung Soon.  Unfortunately, the drama seriously drops the ball on her character at a particular point but more on that below because it is tied up with my criticisms of the drama.

And what about the romance?  It's development is fantastic.  Slow burn, in best K drama fashion.  Kim Na Na truly loathes Yung Soon, despite his good looks, until she starts to catch on to his secret and realize he is not quite the selfish a-hole she has thought him to be.  And once she falls, she is so forthright and brave about her feelings - it is so sweet and confident and awesome. Unfortunately, once again, the Drama - despite putting a TON of screen time and effort into developing the romance - drops the ball.

Here's the reason why this Drama does not get full marks from me.  It does a decent job of wrapping up the revenge plot line and resolving Yung Soon and Jin Pyo's relationship. Mostly. However, somewhere around episode 15ish it just completely goes off the rails regarding its characters and relationships which it has been meticulously developing. The romance and Lee Yung Soon's wanting to be part of a loving family are a huge theme of the drama but it mostly put those aside for the last 5 episodes or so and never really adequately picks theme back up and brings them to a closure.  Kim Na Na, practically disappears from the show and her character is boiled down to two minutes of reaction shots per episode.  The independence of her character completely disappears.  The pacing in the last 5 or so episodes is also out of whack, spending lots of time on unimportant details so then at the ultimate end, everything feels rushed.  It's a shame because up until that point the Drama was really hitting everything out of the park, so it was a shame to see it stumble in the end.

I'll end with some technical comments.  The production values of the show are seriously top-notch.  They are indistinguishable from a big-budget Hollywood action blockbuster and they sustain that for 25 hours of television.  It's beautiful and stylish from the opening credits to the last shot.

I've also learned that it is impossible to properly review a K Drama without reviewing the Original Soundtrack.  City Hunter's is AWESOME!  The music was addictive and used really well to enhance the action.  My favorite is the main "Heisty things are going down" theme music. Thence forth this shall be the music to accompany all my heroic ass-kicking. It has this driving jazzy drum beat, lush strings and then some bombastic and ominous horns come in mid way - Yum! The name of the song is Sad Run though as one Youtube commenter appropriately pointed out: " 'Sad Run'? More like Epic Strutting of Lee Freakin' Min Ho":0)


Finally, I watched the show on Viki.com which uses amateur teams of translators that are either volunteers or likely only paid a little to produce the subtitles.  This is a cool system and it definitely allows the site to offer lots of dramas translated into many languages.  However, my experience has been that you have to be prepared for a lot of meaning to be lost in translation.  The translations are usually literal rather than meaningful and it can lead to confusion.  (For example one translation I copied down: "You're sitting on top of your father's head now, aren't you?" Um, what?) Also because it is usually a team doing the translating, sometimes terms that are frequently used throughout the series can switch mid stream.  For example there are two characters that are initially in early episodes referred to as ex-boyfriend and girlfriend but later in the show (and more accurately) they are ex-husband and wife.  It doesn't effect my overall enjoyment and understanding of the show but I do feel like I maybe miss nuances.  Something to be aware of if you plan on watching the show in translation on Viki.

FINAL VERDICT:  If you like comic book revenge-vigilante plot lines you will love City Hunter which is well done and so much fun though it loses a little steam towards the conclusion and has a very frustrating ending. 7.5 out of 10

Other Opinions Are Available: K Drama Fighting | Drama Beans Recaps

Saturday in the Garden | Possum!

 

OUTSIDE

So where do you fall on Didelphis virginiana - the Virginia Opossum?  I know a lot of people that are freaked and/or grossed out by them, including one of my co-workers who is a wildlife technician.  I kind of like them. They're North America's only marsupial, have fifty freakin' teeth (more than any other mammal hereabouts), opposable thumbs on their back feet, a prehensile tail and are obviously very adaptable.  I have a soft spot for the opportunists in the animal kingdom. They're survivors.

And the fact that these critters survive is kind of amazing because their defense behavior is just odd. They are famous of course for playing dead when really frightened but the two I have had close encounters with lately didn't even bother with that.  Apparently, I'm not very scary?  They just freeze, open their mouth wide and maybe hiss, which you can see below:

They must be the easiest prey on the planet.  Though there are the 50 teeth to contend with, I suppose.  I think the gentleman above was not in great shape.  He was skinny and wandered right in front of our office in the middle of the afternoon (they're generally nocturnal).  He didn't even notice me walk out the front door and up to him until I was two feet away.  Then he just froze and let me have my mini photo shoot.  He was missing part of his tail and you can see his ears were nicked and torn. He's probably an elder. I hope he's still doing okay and I enjoyed his visit though I am sure he could have done without my attention.

SOOOOOOOO....the garden plan. YIKES!  It is February 11th and I have yet to do anything garden-related nor ordered the first seed packet. Priority for tomorrow!  How about y'all?  Are you rarin' to go for the garden season?

Update on the indoor bulb forcing for grape hyacinth? LOTS of growth as you can see!

Last Week

This Week

GAK

So I just want to point out two things.  

One, I have found an overnight oats recipe that is TO DIE FOR.  I am not so sure it is the healthiest but it's at least not a doughnut or a pop tart?  It has chia seeds? And oats? And only a small amount of unrefined sugar (maple syrup)? The key I think is the chia seeds and coconut milk which solidify overnight to make a kind of chocolate mousse. Because, yeah it's got cocoa powder in it.  The below picture doesn't make it look really tasty and I forgot the frozen cherries and toasted sliced almonds I'd been topping it with but hopefully the texture comes through.  Yum!  Do you have any overnight oats recipes you love?

Overnight Chia Oat Pudding. Recipe

Second I wanted to shout out a list of Modern Classics on Book Riot that I particularly like.  I may have loved it because the very first book listed is a Barbara Pym, and one of my favorites of hers, but also all the books on the list I have read, I really agree with.  That doesn't happen often and it definitely makes me want to read others on the list!

WATCHING, READING and BLOGGING

Watching 

I finished the K Drama City Hunter and while overall I did think it was pretty great, the ending really drove me up a wall:(.  It was bad enough that it bumped this drama from top-of-the-heap stellar to middle-of-the-pack good.

I caught up with the recently released season two of Voltron on Netflix - It was a lot of fun. I ADORE Hunk and Pidge especially.

I watched the final 2.5 episodes of Arrow season 4.  I got irritated with the show during this season, when after a really strong start they threw one of my favorite characters under the bus.  The last couple eps were good and they left me curious to watch season 5 once it makes its way to Netflix.

I also started watching The Flash again which I had stalled on about halfway through season 1.  Barry Allan/Grant Gustin could literally not be more charming and adorable and awesome but the rest of the cast bores me.

Reading 

Finished Since the Last Time I Posted

• Memories of Ash (Sunbolt #2) by Intisar Khanani: I loved book 1 so much, I immediately had to jump into book 2!  Not quite Sunbolt levels of awesome but still good!
• Ninefox Gambit by Yoon Ha Lee:  WHOA.  This book is going to be impossible to review...

Currently Reading:

• Intuitive Eating by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch: A book about how to improve your relationship with food.
• Mr Impossible (Carsington Brothers #2) by Loretta Chase:  Regency romance set in Egypt.  It's okay.
• Lady Cop Makes Trouble (Kopp Sisters #2) by Amy Stewart: I am so happy to be hanging out with Constance, Norma and Fleurette Kopp again!

Added to the TBR:

This is a list of books that I have added to my Goodreads TBR list this week.  It helps to burn the books I want to read a little more firmly into my mind, maybe get them on some other folks TBRs and gives me a chance to recognize a lot of the awesome bloggers that add stuff to my TBR!

I added some books this week but don't have time to make the list.  I'll include on nest week's.

On the BLOG LAST WEEK:

TUESDAY: TOP TEN TUESDAY | Books that Could Use More Ladies

THURSDAY: REVIEW | Please Look After Mom by Kyung Sook Shin, translated by Chi Young Kim 3.5 out of 5 stars!

Pile-o-Dogs

Have a Great Week!

REVIEW | Please Look After Mom by Kyung-Sook Shin

Please Look After Mom by Kyung-Sook Shin, Translated by Chi-Young Kim

Publication Year: 2008/2011 (translation)

Genre: Fiction
Series: NA

Awards: Man Asian Literary Prize (2011)
Format: Audio (from Library)

Narrator: Mark Bramhall, Samantha Quan, Janet Song and Bruce Turk

WHY?:  I don't remember where I heard about it but it made a big splash a few years ago, people liked it and the premise sounded interesting.

SYNOPSIS:  Set in modern day South Korea the book tells the story of a mother's disappearance using 4 different perspectives - daughter, son, father, mother.  Each narrator reflects on their relationship with and their feelings for mother while also sketching a picture of the woman's life.

THOUGHTS:

The first thing to know is that this is not a thriller nor really a mystery though it is at times mysterious.  I think I was expecting this type of book and it was not that at all - it is a character study and a contemplation of what "mother" means  - what it means to the mother and to all those around her.  It is also a mild commentary on modern Korean life and the contrast that apparently still exists between rural and urban culture.  I found it very readable and interesting if a tad over-the-top at times.  

The book is told in 4 parts: from the eldest daughter's, eldest son's, husband's and then  finally Mom's perspective.  In each part they are reacting to the loss of the matriarch of the family, quite literally.  On a trip from their home into the city to visit their children, Mom fails to follow her husband onto a train in a busy subway station and then is never seen again.  The book starts right after this happens with the eldest daughter's perspective and then moves further away in time from Mom's disappearance as the book goes on and the perspective changes.

In this way, from multiple perspectives, the life of Mother is revealed.  The first and last section are interestingly and somewhat confusingly told in 2nd person (for example "you hand out flyers with your brother and worry...").  I think this is to place the reader into the role of having lost your Mother in such a way.  Feeling frantic and bewildered and regretful about harsh words from the past and how you took Mom for granted.  It is likely a universal experience for children, especially if they have chosen a life quite different from their parents which is the case here.  I think this may have been my first time reading a book told using 2nd person and it was a little awkward and at times confusing but it didn't ruin my enjoyment of the book or keep me from understanding.
  
Mom and Dad raised their family in a small rural village, where there is still a lot of manual labor, poverty and tradition.  All the children have moved to Seoul and have modern jobs and lives.  We get the impression, as the tale is told, that Mom is mostly happy that her children have a more comfortable and free life than she did but it doesn't stop their being disappointments, conflicts and misunderstandings.  And guilt. LOTS of guilt now that Mom is gone.

It's a neat way to tell the story of someone's life - from different perspectives, after they are gone.  Mom is perhaps a little too much of a super woman as she is portrayed but could part of that because her children and husband are exaggerating her goodness out of guilt and loss?  Are they reliable narrators?  Regardless, her life is so interesting as is the exploration of a changing, modernizing Korea. Not just interesting but really readable and emotionally engaging as well!

I listened to the audio and that worked well.  I do have to say that the second person sections, particularly the last section were a tad confusing at times and I don't know whether that might have been easier (or harder) in print.  It wasn't enough of a distraction for me to not really enjoy the audio and the readers. 

FINAL VERDICT:  A thoughtful and emotional book about family, particularly a mother's life and role, set in a fascinating modern-day South Korea.  3.5 out of 5 stars!

Other Opinions Are Available: NPR* | Danny Yee's Book Reviews

* Maureen Corrigan was the reviewer here and she did NOT like this book.  It made a lot of people angry.  

TOP TEN TUESDAY | Books That Could Use More Ladies

 

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme for bloggers who like books and lists. It's awesome and is graciously hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.  

Hi there!  This week's TTT topic is an interesting one that invited creativity!  Unfortunately, my creativity declined this invitation - it's feeling a little introverted these days - but despite that I do love the topic idea which is:

Top Ten Books I Wish Had (More/Less) X In Them (the original idea came from Andi who suggested top ten books I wish had more kissing which I thought could be fun but also realize it might not be everyone's thing! Could also be top ten books I wish had more diversity in them or top ten books I wish had less violence in them or less romance focus in them or top ten books I wish had more dragons in them. IDK! Have some fun with this one!) 

While I do like me some kissing and I originally started making a list of books that need more romance, it was feeling pretty random and uninspired.  Eventually, I hit on a topic that is near and dear to my heart, being a lady and all.  The below are all good books/series but they would have been even better if they a) had a few more of the lady kind and/or b) used their females characters in a stronger or more realistic role.  This is just my opinion of course and I am, admittedly, a little biased.  Here goes!

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1) Armada by Ernest Cline

Really liked this book about a gamer saving the world but the women were both hard to find and not very well-developed.  Overall, I felt this was a book that could have used a little room to breath and I think well-developed female (and really all secondary) characters was one of the casualties.

2) The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch

I LOVE this series but this first book really has a dearth of females.  The second book is a smidge better in that respect (Lady Pirates!) and while I (for SHAME) have not yet read book 3, I'm pretty sure it introduces a main character that is female.

3) Nathaniel Cade Series  by Christopher Farnsworth

This is a pretty enjoyable paranormal action adventure series about a Super Secret Agent Vampire and his human handler.  There are a few VERY secondary female characters - there is a female vampire Cade has some very uninspired dalliances with - and while I enjoy Cade and Zach's bromance, this series would definitely move up a notch in my estimation with some strong female secondary characters.

4) The Richard Jury Mystery Series by Martha Grimes

There are certainly many one off women that appear in these mystery books but the two main recurring characters are Scotland Yard Detective Richard Jury and bored aristocrat Melrose Plant.  Melrose's Aunt is a secondary recurring character but her main job is to be SO annoying.  I kind of wish Jury's D.C. was a woman or that Melrose had a female friend or something.

5) The Peter Wimsey Series by Dorothy L. Sayers (at least up through The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club, #5)

I'm pretty sure that the lack of strong recurring female characters is going to change in book 6 and I am really excited about that.  It's one of the reasons I've flown through the first five books - they were fun AND I can't wait to get to Harriet Vane.  Interestingly, depending upon who you are talking to, they either think the introduction of Harriet Vane is where the series starts to go down hill or else it is the best thing to happen to the series:).

6) Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe

A classic book which follows the changes happening in Nigerian culture in the 1950s by telling the story of a highly respected village man, Okonkwo.  The female characters in this book are mostly very side-lighted and I would've liked to know more about them or have this same book from their perspective.

7 and 8) Timothy Wilde Series by Lyndsay Faye and Matthew Corbett Series by Robert McCammon

I put both these series as one item because despite being by different authors and set at two different times, they have a similar set up.  They both have young, smart, adventurous men as their protagonists and they both have a love interest who is particularly smart and spunky for the time period which is great.  However, I want MORE of these female characters which end up not being used to their full potential.

9) The Iron Druid Chronicles by Kevin Hearne

I like this series about a 1000+ year old druid living in New Mexico but throughout the first three books, as a female reader, I felt pretty unengaged - it has this very masculine slant and voice. It read like geek boy wish fulfillment.  Absolutely nothing wrong with that approach but it alienated me and kept me from really loving the series.  More realistic female characters would be a start.

P.S. I should definitely point out that this series owes a measure of its style, whether consciously or unconsciously, to Jim Butcher's Dresden Files.  The same complaints could be made about that series and yet I dearly love it and did not include it here for one main reason: Karrin freakin' Murphy.

10) The Kingkiller Chronicles by Patrick Rothfuss

Pretty much ditto the above but a little less harsh in the judgment.  This series is for the most part hella engaging and I love it but it could use a few more realistic female main characters.  There are are a few female secondary characters that are written well and interestingly and when they are on the page that's when this series shines the most for me.

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That's my list!  Do any books come to mind for you, that you liked but thought they would be even more awesome with some kick-ass women characters? Any of the above that you disagree with?

Saturday in the Garden on Sunday | Stop the (Chemical) Madness!

Good Morning!  It's beautiful and sunny here in Iowa.  I've had trouble keeping up with blogging this week because a) I had an intense work conference the last couple days and b) K Drama sickness. If you're wondering what KDrama sickness is, it is when I become so addicted to watching a K Drama that all other responsibilities and hobbies are rendered impossible for a time.  If you are a book nerd you probably recognize this phenomenon, lol!

OUTSIDE

I want to start with a bit of a P.S.A. (public service announcement).  For the love of Pete, folks, try your darndest not to use chemicals in your yard and garden!  One of the talks at the conference I attended was about pollinators and pesticides and it was terrifying in the extreme.  Why terrifying?  25% of bumblebees in the U.S. are facing extinction.  We can't quantify the number for other native bee species because there are not enough resources to properly evaluate but overall numbers are declining.  And if you aren't sure why this matters...

Don't like vegetables and fruits?

This group of insects is incredibly important to our survival. They help the world function! And I'm not just referring to the use of insecticides, recent research has showed lethal and sub-lethal affects to bees from herbicides and from interactions between fungicides and other chemicals.  Please don't take this as me berating you - this is directed at myself as well.  I avoid chemical usage for the most part in the garden but I frequently am lazy and buy pre-mixed potting soil from companies like Miracle-Gro and lord knows what is in these mixes, that gets incorporated into the plants that grown in it or may be alternatively toxic to ground-nesting bees.  I vow to do better!  Please join me because bees (and butterflies and moths and...) are cool y'all! PSA OUT.

Christy Stewart 2012 - Rusty-Patched Bumble Bee that was just the first bee to be listed on the U.S. Endangered Species List in the last couple weeks. p.s. The flower here is Dalea purpurea - a gorgeous native prairie plant here in the U.S. and a great garden plant too! 

In less depressing news, here's an update on the indoor bulb forcing for grape hyacinth.  So far so good!

Last week

This Week

 Also my goldfish plant has started blooming.  I'm taking this as a sign that we're on the backside of winter! A side of winter I always like to see!

WATCHING, READING and BLOGGING

Watching 

As alluded to above, the K Drama I started last week has worked its black magic and gotten me completely addicted to it.  It's called City Hunter and is a somewhat ridiculous revenge/spy/vigilante thriller/romantic comedy.  I love it. It will definitely be going into my growing stack of K Dramas I'd recommend and I hope to write a review to post. Only 3 more episodes of the 20 episode run to go so I expect I'll finish it tonight.

Reading 

Finished Since the Last Time I Posted

• The Dark Days Club (Lady Helen #1) by Alison Goodman:  As I suspected I would, I loved this book which the author describes as Buffy the Vampire Slayer in Regency England.  I sucked it down in record time!

Currently Reading:

• Memories of Ash (Sunbolt #2) by Intisar Khanani: I loved book 1 so much, I immediately had to jump into book 2!  It's going quite a bit slower than Sunbolt partially because of the Kdrama effect but partially because it isn't quite as engaging for me as book 1.  But still good!
• Intuitive Eating by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch: A book about how to improve your relationship with food.
• Ninefox Gambit by Yoon Ha Lee:  As I suspected from everything I read about this book, It is not an easy read but I am also really into it.  It's going to be a bitch to review/rate!

Added to the TBR:

This is a list of books that I have added to my Goodreads TBR list this week.  It helps to burn the books I want to read a little more firmly into my mind, maybe get them on some other folks TBRs and gives me a chance to recognize a lot of the awesome bloggers that add stuff to my TBR!

I added a whole slew of Graphic Novels to my list this week after the TTT topic (see below)...

• Seconds by Bryan Lee McNally: From a great list by Emma Likes Books!
• Scott Pilgrim by Bryan Lee McNally: From a great list by Emma Likes Books!
• The World of Edena by Moebius: Recommended by Greg over a Book Haven.
• Runaways by Brian K. Vaughn: Recommended by Greg over a Book Haven.
• Monstress by Marjorie Liu: Recommended on the Reading The End Podcast (by Gin Jenny).  This and Get Booked are my two fave book podcasts by the way...
• Letter 44 by Charles Soule: Recommended on Turning the Pages.  Great list this week!
• Revival by Tim Seeley: Recommended on Turning the Pages.
• Rat Queens by Kurtis J. Wiebe: Recommended on Turning the Pages though this series has been on my radar for a while and just hadn't made it onto my TBR.

And just a couple non-graphic novels:

• Wolf Totem by Jiang Rong and Howard Goldblatt (translator):  This book was on the list of Man Asian Literary Prize winners.  
• Truth or Beard by Penny Reid:   A romance recommend by Sam on Booked on a Feeling.  With the number of romance novels that are appealing to me right now I suspect that is what I am in the mood for and neither of my two current reads has a drop of romance in them which is potentially part of why they are going a little slowly.
• Bookburners by Max Gladstone et al.: An interesting looking compilation of a serial novel recommended on The Bibliosanctum. 

On the BLOG LAST WEEK:

TUESDAY: TOP TEN TUESDAY | Graphic Novels

WEDNESDAY: REVIEW | Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger 4 out of 5 star  mystery novel!

This is also why I can't get anything done. This is Rudy taking up 2/3rds of the sofa and then reaching out with his paw to grab my arm while I was trying to type on the computer, because he needed tummy scratches.

Have a Great Week!

REVIEW | Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger

Ordinary Grace by William Kent Kruger

Publication Year: 2013

Genre: Fiction, Mystery
Series: NA

Awards: Anthony Award for Best Novel (2014), Edgar Award for Best Novel (2014)
Format: Audio (from Audible)

Narrator: Rich Orlow

WHY?:  A work colleague recommended this author to me a few years ago, specifically for the Cork O'Connor mystery series which includes a lot of natural history. Plus, Krueger lives just to the north of me in Minnesota.  This book is a stand alone (not part of the Cork O'Connor series) but many think it is his best book. The fact that it won two of the most prestigious mystery novel awards supports that consensus!  I think I bought this during one of Audible's sales. 

SYNOPSIS:  The book takes place in a single summer during the 1950s in a small town in Minnesota.  The narrator is Frank, as a 40 year old, recounting the events of the summer he was 14 and his whole life changed. 

THOUGHTS:

How many books have I read that follow just this format?  Middle-aged man (or less often woman) looking back on a crucial, coming-of-age moment during their small town childhood?  Dozens at least during my reading life.  Despite that I almost always enjoy them and this is a particularly excellent example of this type of story.  It is written beautifully, has a perfectly imperfect narrator whose voice is just right, a cast of lovingly crafted characters, a mystery at its heart and plenty of ideas for the mind to wrestle with.  

As I started it I admit was a little nervous.  Frank's father, Nathan, is a minister and there are a lot of Christian overtones to the book.  I am not anti-religion but a book with  a strong religious message can sometimes go sideways with me.   Thankfully Krueger handles all with grace and kindness.  The Christianity presented here is the type that makes me think about going back to the church.  Frank's dad is one of the best characters in the book, an Atticus Finch type character, all about forgiveness and love for all despite, or maybe because of, being a veteran of World War II.  His sermon's are where some of the most beautiful prose appears in the book and they brought tears to my eyes.  Here are two of my favorites, both of them centered around death and mortality which is a major theme of the book (I apologize - they are long but I have to highlight them):

“God never promised us an easy life. He never promised that we wouldn’t suffer, that we wouldn’t feel despair and loneliness and confusion and desperation. What he did promise was that in our suffering we would never be alone. And though we may sometimes make ourselves blind and deaf to his presence he is beside us and around us and within us always. We are never separated from his love. And he promised us something else, the most important promise of all. That there would be surcease. That there would be an end to our pain and our suffering and our loneliness, that we would be with him and know him, and this would be heaven.”

“It isn’t Easter,” he said, “but this week has caused me to think a lot about the Easter story. Not the glorious resurrection that we celebrate on Easter Sunday but the darkness that came before. I know of no darker moment in the Bible than the moment Jesus in his agony on the cross cries out, ‘Father, why have you forsaken me?’ Darker even than his death not long after because in death Jesus at last gave himself over fully to the divine will of God. But in that moment of his bitter railing he must have felt betrayed and completely abandoned by his father, a father he’d always believed loved him deeply and absolutely. How terrible that must have been and how alone he must have felt. In dying all was revealed to him, but alive Jesus like us saw with mortal eyes, felt the pain of mortal flesh, and knew the confusion of imperfect mortal understanding. “I see with mortal eyes. My mortal heart this morning is breaking. And I do not understand. “I confess that I have cried out to God, ‘Why have you forsaken me?’ ” Here my father paused and I thought he could not continue. But after a long moment he seemed to gather himself and went on. “When we feel abandoned, alone, and lost, what’s left to us? What do I have, what do you have, what do any of us have left except the overpowering temptation to rail against God and to blame him for the dark night into which he’s led us, to blame him for our misery, to blame him and cry out against him for not caring? What’s left to us when that which we love most has been taken? “I will tell you what’s left, three profound blessings. In his first letter to the Corinthians, Saint Paul tells us exactly what they are: faith, hope, and love. These gifts, which are the foundation of eternity, God has given to us and he’s given us complete control over them. Even in the darkest night it’s still within our power to hold to faith. We can still embrace hope. And although we may ourselves feel unloved we can still stand steadfast in our love for others and for God. All this is in our control. God gave us these gifts and he does not take them back. It is we who choose to discard them. “In your dark night, I urge you to hold to your faith, to embrace hope, and to bear your love before you like a burning candle, for I promise that it will light your way. “And whether you believe in miracles or not, I can guarantee that you will experience one. It may not be the miracle you’ve prayed for. God probably won’t undo what’s been done. The miracle is this: that you will rise in the morning and be able to see again the startling beauty of the day. “Jesus suffered the dark night and death and on the third day he rose again through the grace of his loving father. For each of us, the sun sets and the sun also rises and through the grace of our Lord we can endure our own dark night and rise to the dawning of a new day and rejoice. “I invite you, my brothers and sisters, to rejoice with me in the divine grace of the Lord and in the beauty of this morning, which he has given us.” 

The second quote in particular made me completely fall apart in public.  I've lost people close to me and this spoke to my heart so forcefully.  It's an incredible moment and it is one of the clearest points which illuminates Nathan's character.  The entire secondary cast, particularly Frank's mother, his little brother Jake, and his big sister Ariel are also fleshed out and interesting, their relationships with each other forming the foundation of the book's story.  Frank himself is a great narrator - a blend of his very different parents he represents the innocence of a boy as well as childishness which slowly gets stripped away as the events force him to grow up. 

I hope that the quotes make clear as well that despite death being a major theme of the book, it is mostly infused with hope and is not overly dark or depressing.  In fact, it is a very propulsive read  - the mystery at its heart did not overwhelm the coming of age story but definitely made the book a page-turner (or a can't stop listening-er).  

The depiction of small town Minnesota in the 1950s felt very authentic.  Idyllic in ways but not at all viewed through rose-tinted glasses.  I especially appreciated that the book showed the lingering effects of World War II on the population.  I've read a lot of books set in England that have dealt with this but few set in the U.S. 

In short the book combines the best elements of a page-turning mystery with beautiful prose and a contemplation of growing up and losing loved ones and seeing the world with love, forgiveness and hope.  Really well done.  

I listened to the audio book and Rich Orlow, the reader, was great.  His voice fit the tone of the book well and I enjoyed listening to him.

FINAL VERDICT:  A lovely coming of age story with a mystery at its heart that will entertain and inspire thought. 4 out of 5 Stars

 OTHER OPINIONS ARE AVAILABLE: Huffington Post | A Musing Reviews

TOP TEN TUESDAY | Graphic Novels

 

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme for bloggers who like books and lists. It's awesome and is graciously hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.  

I'm still a relative newbie to Graphic Novels so this I really don't have a top 10 GNs that I've read.  I can manage a top 5 however and I'll make the other five those I'm most hoping to read soon. Someday I aspire to be a Graphic Novel reader that can make a top ten!

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TOP FIVE READ

1) Fables by Bill Willingham and numerous artists most especially Mark Buckingham

This was my first Graphic Novel series and it's probably still my favorite though it had its ups and downs and ended with a bit of a whimper. Put out by Vertigo, the series recently ended with 22 collected volumes. My favorite was Volume 18: Cubs in Toyland which was seriously devastating and was a bit of a departure for the series which had its dark moments but mostly kept things light.  Definitely an adult comic.  Fairy Tales written for adults and brought into the modern world.

2) Saga by Brian K. Vaughn and Fiona Staples

Is there anyone who has read any of this series and not loved it?  I've only read the first 4 collected volumes and it looks like volume 7 will be out this year.  Again, definitely an adult comic and is a bawdy, beautiful space opera at its very best.  It will make you laugh, cry and everything in between. and the art is stunning.

3) Locke and Key by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez

With Joe Hill writing, this is as you would imagine a horror comic.  It's creative, creepy, poignant and has great character development. It's about a family that moves to a large old house after a tragedy in the family and awakens a malevolent spirit which is after a series of magical keys.  The artwork is atmospheric and absolutely gorgeous and crisp.  Definitely for adults and it's finished with 6 volumes.

4) Avatar: The Last Airbender by Gene Luen Yang and Gurihiru

I don't know that this is so much about what brilliant comics these are, though they are good, but may be more about my love for this TV show.  This is a middle-grade YA comic series which accompanies the popular show.  There are currently 5, short 3-volume series that continue the story of Aang and the gang post defeating the Fire Lord.  The art is practically identical to the cartoon and Gene Luen Yang is a great storyteller.  I hope they continue writing them forever and ever.

5) Rapunzel's Revenge Series by Shannon and Nathan Hale and Dean Hale

This is a two volume middle-grade comic series that re-tells the tales of Rapunzel and Jack and the Beanstalk with a wild west/steam-punky/magical setting.  I found it completely charming and love the colorful, crisp art.

Honorable Mention: Nimona by Noelle Stevenson, Alex+Ada by Jonathan Luna, The Wicked and the Divine by Kieron Gillen and The Olympians Series by George O'Connor

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TOP 5 ON MY TBR

1) Lumberjanes by Noelle Stevenson, Grace Ellis, Shannon Watters, and Brooke A. Allen

I have the first 5 volumes sitting on my nightstand right now:). Volume 6 comes out this year.

2) Ms. Marvel by G. Willow Wilson and Adrian Alphona

So part of the reason I've shied away from superhero comics is that the read order is just so confusing.  I've been told that No Normal (above) is where to start with this series.

3) The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl by Ryan North and Erica Henderson

I've heard so many good things about these comics and they just look adorable.  Plus I am pro any super hero that is part human - part critter.

4) The Dreamer  by Lora Innes

This is a long running web comic about a high school student that starts traveling back in time to the American Revolution.

5) Buffy the Vampire Slayer by Joss Whedon and Georges Jeanty

Like with Avatar above, the tale of Buffy and the gang was continued in Graphic Novel form.  I've heard mixed things about these but I'd like to give them a try!  I'd really like to see a reunion with Angel!

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This is a medium where I could really use some recs!  I'll be looking at everybody's lists but I'd love it if you'd mention your favorite comic of all time in the comments.  Also, if I was to delve into more superhero comics - where to start??  (I know that's  the most asked question in all of comic time.)