The Silent Whispers

... expect a review :)

Hi invisible readers,

I apologize for failing to post #FridayReads last week. I just missed the date and I didn't have any particular reasons.

Personally, this week has been a little tough as I sought to restart my job hunting efforts. Let's just say that unemployment can take a toll on one's wellbeing.

However, this is why I enjoy this book blog. Even when I leave really negative reviews, the whole process of reading is highly external and escapist. By reading I am immersed in a reality that is not full of job ads and uncomfortable networking requests. Instead, I am transported to India (Life of Pi) to the musings of an optimist (The Silver Linings Playbook), to a young high schooler crushing on her favourite athelete (Hana-Kimi) and even, to the solemn reflections of a butler (The Remains of the Day). I appreciate that graduating has given me the opportunity to rediscover the pleasure of reading.

And in spite of the feelings provoked by the immersion in these new, fictional worlds, the whole process remains external. There is no such thing as failure when being a reader. Reading slumps, difficult passages, sudden neglect of books are not a reflection of the self; unlike, say bad grades at school or the anxiety of not getting call-backs. Whatever I read or say does not reflect who I am or my place in this all-to-injust society. Of course, someone may state that one's failures are not a reflection of who one is as a person but I think that the 'to-do-is-to-be" mindset is already too ingrained in cultures.

Onto reading itself. I am so grieved that I have misplaced my copy of the Great Gatsby.  :( Until, I find it I will focusing on reading other books such as What Do Women Want? Adventures in the Science of Female Desire, by Daniel Bergner. I have also finally finished my super secret series-- Hana-Kimi. Feel free to check out the review here.

In the meanwhile, you can expect the following upcoming reviews:

• Arise Magazine and New African Woman
• The Silver Linings Playbook (the movie)

I will probably also be writing an article about "good writing," and "writing bad reviews." I know that this Friday Reads was slightly different because I began with a reflection on why I enjoy reading for pleasure. 

That's it from me. xox, S.

Must add to my to-read list. And check out Didi from Frenchiedee. Her internets are available there.

Sexy

Hello, my invisible readers!

I am finally unveiling my super-secret series, which was Hana-Kimi! Yaaaaaaay~ urgh! There was no particular reason for keeping it a secret, other than that secrets always beget mystery and mystery generates interests. Or not. You decide. This review may contain a few spoilers, such as pairings (also known as ships. Funny concept right?) or some plot lines. I do not want to follow the foot steps of Pat Peoples and just spoil away, hence the spoiler alert.

I found out about this series by browsing the shelves of Chapters and then, I , somehow acquired it.

Anyways, onto the review.

Summary:

Originally named, Hanazakari no Kimitachi e [English: For You in Full Blossom], Hana Kimi's premise goes as follows. Mizuki Ashiya is a young Japanese girl living in the States, who moves back to Japan in order to meet her idol-- high jumper, Izumi Sano. The only problem is that Sano attends an all-boys school-- a detail which Ashiya fails to mention to her parents, who allow her to transfer back. As such, she starts a new life by cutting her hair and posing as a young boy; hilarity ensues as readers follow her misadventures in boarding school.

What I liked:

It is a cute serie and the gender-bender premise is quite interesting. I found it entertaining and quite hilarious at times. I guess that I mostly enjoyed witnessing the first signs of love and the beginning of a relationship.

What I didn't like:

That said, I mostly did not like the series. And it isn't because I don't like shojo (I prefer josei, but I have read plenty of shojo in my time) or that I don't like manga (which is a laughable concept). So let's run through my problems.

Plot: The premise--as outlined in the summary-- is interesting and I guess, something I hadn't heard of yet. However, it was not strong enough to warrant 23 volumes, or over 140 chapters. Yes. A HUNDRED AND FORTY chapters. The story is told through mini-vignettes about different compromising situations that Ashiya finds herself in, which rarely advance the plot, develop characterization or, I don't know, are entertaining. It is as if to say, "oh look, at this cute situation that Ashiya and Sano found themselves in" or "Oh no, will Ashiya's identity be revealed." However, Sano finds out about Ashiya's true sex within the first volume and both start developing reciprocal romantic feelings within the first volumes. Therefore, why would we ever need, such a long series if there is nothing really happening? The only time, that the plot actually advances during the climax and denouement which coincides with the end of the series. In sum, the storyline drags on and drags on and drags on. 

The Characters: Can we talk two seconds about the characters? Of course, some mangakas create round and dynamic characters, or even static and dynamic characters-- such as, Kimi wa Pet or Nana. Yet, there are some mangakas who create relatively flat and static characters. Ashiya, Shuichi Nakatsu, Sano are all flat, static and somewhat stock characters. Ashiya is the cutesy, ditzy protagonist who remains loveable in the eyes of the public and other characters of the book-- a stock character common in mangas. Other examples include: Sakura from Card Captor Sakura, Tohru from Fruits Basket, Ryoko from B.O.D.Y. Meanwhile, Sano is a Prince Charming, the ultimate protector of the ditzy, cute protagonist--as seenwith Ryu from B. O. D. Y or Yuki Sohma of Fruits Basket. So, far, this is not a problem.

What is problematic are the power relations in the couple. For example, there is one chapter where Ashiya, to put it bluntly, gets sexually assaulted and if, Sano had not magically saved her, she would have been raped. Yet, the next chapter, they act like that was no problem and in fact, Nakajo focuses instead on the 'kiss' that Sano gives to Ashiya afterwards. Because, Ashiya is so unaware of the danger she puts herself in, she always needs Sano to protect her; without his protection, she runs the risk of not only getting physically hurt but also, having her secret revealed. Therefore, Sano and Ashiya's relationship becomes simultaneously one of idol- fan and protector- protectee. Sano embodies perfection while Ashiya remains flawed and this trend permeates throughout the series. On top of which, Ashiya doesn't seem to have any ambitions further than being with her idol (yeah, she wanted to be a dog trainer but really? really?).  That relationship is  waaaaaaaaay too imbalanced and always in Sano's favour.

The Fake Love Triangle: The final thing that really frustrated me is the 'fake' love triangle between Nakatsu, Ashiya and Sano. Mind you, the following will contain spoilers. Take a few seconds to observe the covers of volumes in the series; notice, how there are also three people, Nakatsu, Ashiya and Sano. You would, perhaps believe that there is a love triangle between the three. But no. There never was one. While Nakatsu was in love with Ashiya, her and Sano were already pretty much on the same wavelength in terms of feelings, it was only a question of them discussing it openly. In other words, Sano and Ashiya were a 'couple' from the get-go and Nakatsu was intensely third wheeling. In fact, it is quite revealing that when Nakatsu declared his love for Ashiya, she never gave him a response-- despite the fact, that Nakatsu risked outing himself as gay in order to build a relationship with her.
Compared to other mangas, such as, Peach Girl where there is an actual love triangle, this 'triangle' is quite disappointing.

Rating:

I am giving this series a rating of 1.5 stars because according to my "On Rating Books" scale, I felt that I didn't like the series and it was incredibly underwhelming. In my opinion, the series was long and shallow; it actually took considerable effort for me to finish it.

I would recommend this book to... 
no one. I don't really feel comfortable recommending this series. Maybe, if you are looking to quickly read a few chapters for entertainment, you will enjoy it. There were several positive reviews on Goodreads and the nets. Nonetheless, I would recommend readingthe following series instead:

• Peach Girl by Miwa Ueda.
• Fruits Basket by Natsuki Takaya

For something lighter:

• Marmelade Boy by  Wataru Yoshizumi
  
• Mint Na Bokura by Wataru Yoshizumi (it is a short, entertaining gender bender).

That's it from me. Sorry for my inability to stop from accidentally publishing unfinished reviews (oops?) xox, S.

F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, page 19

Hello invisible readers!

May I start with acknowledging that I am surprised that I have 18 followers. Thank you so much for reading and accepting to have my content on your dashboards. I am quite grateful.

Here is another blogpost of Broken Promises. I haven't posted any reviews and I have not really read anything that I wish to post a review on. This past week was the last few days for a very important, and spiritual month in my religion and therefore, I have been focusing on reflecting and learning more about my religion. ANYWAYS, it is just to say that I have been busy and perhaps my reading priorities did not lay where I thought they would.  

I understand the importance of not forcing religious content upon viewers who may have a variety of spiritual backgrounds. However, if you are interested in gaining an overview on any religion, I recommend the Teach Yourself Series. If any of the other books are as informative as the one I read, then it is worth a shot.

I am also just finishing up my super secret series. I had to force myself to pick it up again, which may be telling about how my review will go. I am really excited to just get a post up about it and be done with it!

Finally, I have started reading the Great Gatsby by F.Scott Fitzgerald ... and I am already struggling to understand it. I regret not learning it in a classroom environment; perhaps, it is because I am too used to critical thinking being exclusive to academia and I am scared that if my review does not capture the symbolism and the literary devices-- that then I have failed. On the other hand, Pat Peoples has kinda ruined it for me (once again, thanks a lot. Grrr.)

Feel free to comment on what you are looking forward to this weekend :) . Monday is BC Day and I have just finished a contract position so it is going to be time for me to re-orient myself and reflect.

That's it from me. I can't wait to get back to you with a review (squeal) xox. S,

Hey invisible readers,

It is Friday and so that means #FridayReads is up!

Well, this week I read nothing. Like absolutely nothing. My mind has been so oriented on work and finding more employment opportunities that I have not even made weekend plans. One of my favourite bands is playing a concert as we speak and I had forgotten to buy the tickets!!!!! Aaaaah!

However, last week I read Where'd You Go Bernadette by Maria Semple-- you can read my amateur review here. 

I will also have two book reviews coming up: one is a themed read and the other is my super secret series.

Otherwise, I am going to watch Silver Linings Playbook tonight and get up a review on that.

I am also hoping to make a post about writing and pleasure reading; eight months have passed since I took my last university level class, and I really got reacquainted with the pleasures in writing and reading. The posts would cover what some of my qualms are as well as a bit about what I tend to like in books I read.

So on that note, check out my review.

That's it for now. xox. S.

Edit: I wanted to give a shoutout to my brother and sister. It is their birthday this Sunday. Woot Woot!

I re-visited the charming lands of Ingary over the weekend, and was reminded of why I loved Howl's Moving Castle to begin with. 

"Magical" is a commonly overused descriptor, but really, the story-telling is so neat and original that I found myself wishing I  caved and purchased the two sequels during my brief journey into Barnes and Noble.

This book is responsible for helping cement my love for the genre. If you know of somebody who has tired of contemporary YA or MG fiction and would appreciate an enchanting introduction to the world of fantasy, look no further. It's accessible, lively, and brimming with engaging characters.

Go pick up a copy. Now.

I must admit that the characters in the book are quite witty, quirky and unique. It gives a completely different feel than the movie. Read it peeps! Read it!

Erhmigod, it has been so long-- or not. Anyways, I am back here with a book review and before you ask, my dear invisible reader , this is not my uber-secret book. I just happened to pick this book up in the Fast Reads section of the Vancouver Public Library. It was already reviewed by Karate of AdamandKarate and Didi of Frenchiedee. So I decided why not give it a go and here are my opinions.

Summary:

Bernadette Fox is notorious. To her Microsoft-guru husband, she's a fearlessly opinionated partner; to fellow private-school mothers in Seattle, she's a disgrace; to design mavens, she's a revolutionary architect, and to 15-year-old Bee, she is a best friend and, simply, Mom.

Then Bernadette disappears. It began when Bee aced her report card and claimed her promised reward: a family trip to Antarctica. But Bernadette's intensifying allergy to Seattle—and people in general—has made her so agoraphobic that a virtual assistant in India now runs her most basic errands. A trip to the end of the earth is problematic.

To find her mother, Bee compiles email messages, official documents, secret correspondence—creating a compulsively readable and touching novel about misplaced genius and a mother and daughter's role in an absurd world. (source: the back of the book)

What I liked:

I liked that the first two thirds of the book are written in mostly epistolary style with emails, letters, reports guiding us through the plot and narrative of the story. I also liked that the book was extremely fast to read and it captured the reader's attention. In fact, I snuck in a few pages during work hours (ssssh! it's our secret). The style really suits the story and adds another dimension to the novel.

What I didn't like:

Well, except for Bernadette's unwarranted dislike of Canadians, (is it only me who is tired of Americans making fun of Canadians?), I would say that I didn't like the fact that Semple changes the style of narration from epistolary to first person, limited narration, two thirds into the book. I think the following Goodreads reviewer was right in saying that the change in style was an attempt by Semple to have it all at once. She wants an epistolary style novel yet she also wants a first person narration. However, the novel stands out because of its innovative and witty usage of documents, emails, notes as a form of narration.

The change in narrative styles did not completely ruin the book, though I must admit that the end lost a bit of steam.

Rating:

I liked Where'd You Go Bernadette, even though I completely failed to understand the satirical aspects of it (oh, did I forget to mention that? Oups). I just found it under-whelming. After finishing the book, I found that I didn't feel any wow factor-- unlike with the Silver Linings Playbook. I just didn't feel anything in particular. To put it more crudely, I don't care much for this book. It was blaaaaaaah. Maybe it deserves closer to a 2 star rating but I decided to be nice and what not.

I would recommend this book to...
anyone looking for an innovative, witty and light take on epistolary novels. Like just for that reason, it is worth it.

Ok, that's it from me. You can expect two other reviews soon (one of which will be the super top secret series).

xox. S.

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Uhm, YEAH! #canadianliving

Uhm YEAH!

Hey my visible readers-- gosh 13 followers. I can't even believe it.

Well, I am writing in midweek as opposed to the end of the week, as this week there will be no #FridayReads :( .

Because, this Friday is my birthday!!!! I'm turning 23 years old-- say what?!

Anyways, I wanted to make sure to keep #FridayReads a regular habit and make sure I am accountable to whomever reads this blog.

As for books, I have been reading a book, but it is neither a themed read nor is it on my to be read list. I will keep its name under the wraps until I post my review on the series-- yes, it is a series. I just happened to learn about it and considering that I am a scatterbrain when it comes to reading. I have decided to focus on that.

Otherwise, I will be posting a review for Arise Magazine and New African Woman relatively soon, as a part of my themed reads series.

Alas, I have yet to watch The Silver Linings Playbook movie version; once again, I will hopefully have a review up soon.

Like the Francophones say: "Il y a du pain sur la planche." (meaning there is lots of work to be done).

That's it from me. xox, S.

Hello, my invisible readers. So good news, I got my hands on a copy of the Silver Linings Playbook  by Matthew Quick.  My Life of Pi book was due this Tuesday and I decided to just swap the two books. I will still be reading Life of Pi, but instead of borrowing it from the library, I might buy it. We shall see how life goes. Anyways, let's get into the review, shall we?

Summary:

Meet Pat. Pat has a theory: his life is a movie produced by God. And his God-given mission is to become physically fit and emotionally literate, whereupon God will ensure a happy ending for him -- the return of his estranged wife Nikki. (It might not come as a surprise to learn that Pat has spent time in a mental health facility.) The problem is, Pat's now home, and everything feels off. No one will talk to him about Nikki; his beloved Philadelphia Eagles keep losing; he's being pursued by the deeply odd Tiffany; his new therapist seems to recommend adultery as a form of therapy. Plus, he's being hunted by Kenny G!

In this enchanting novel, Matthew Quick takes us inside Pat's mind, showing us the world from his distorted yet endearing perspective. (Source: Back of Book Cover)

What I liked:

Let's not lie, here. This book deals with mental health issues and clinical depression; that said, it is a surprisingly light and fast read. Yes, for once, the Vancouver Public Library did not mis-categorize a normal book as a fast read. Silver Linings is actually a fast-read, I finished it in a matter of hours-- which is a plus for me. I think it is the fact that the writer kind of feeds you the story which makes it easy to go through. 

I really liked the characters; whether it was  Pat Peoples, who is the protagonist, his father, Patrick Peoples, or Tiffany, they each had their quirks that rendered them memorable. I felt that Quick took an interesting take on manhood by juxtaposing Pat Peoples and his father. On the one hand, we have Pat who is very in tune with his emotions, thoughts and seeks to improve himself. On the other hand, we have his father who rarely demonstrates any emotions, who is quite taciturn and who doesn't seek to improve his marital relationship. I feel that in a culture where manhood is defined closer to Patrick Peoples' behaviour, it is interesting to actually observe how beer and football does not make Pat's father seem manly. It makes him seem -- for lack of words-- out of touch with reality.

Tiffany was also a very strong character who is quite outspoken. I suspect that her role in the movie is really different, and I am excited to see the differences between the media.

What I didn't like:

I finally understand why spoiler alerts exist; because, dang this book can spoil your life! So here is a list of books that you can expect to be spoilt for you; that is, Pat Peoples will reveal the end, denouement, whatever you might call it. And it isn't at a point where you can think, "Oh, it is ok because I want to see how the characters get there." No! The protagonist -- or let's be honest-- the writer spoils even how the plot unfolds. I don't know whether to pin this to bad writing or to just how the protagonist would act. Both are plausible. 

Without further ado, the list of spoilers:

1. The Scarlet Letter
2. The Great Gatsby
3. A Farewell to Arms
4. The Catcher in the Rye
5. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
6. The Bell Jar

Now remember how in a blogpost, I mentioned that I bought the Great Gatsby. Yeah, thanks Pat. Thanks!

On an unrelated note, I was also quite bothered by the portrayal of Danny, Pat Peoples' only black friend. To begin with, I am black and though I am not black/African American, it seems that most people believe that all black people behave like African Americans. Therefore, I have also been asked questions or spoken to, as if I were African American (though, I am East African). I deal with African American stereotypes-- stereotypes that I am sure that even the concerned population hates. Well, Danny's role was not only very limited, but also stereotypical. It is almost as if Quick created Danny in order to appropriate Ebonic phrases such as-- I'm rollin'. When compared to the only other person of colour-- Cliff, the therapist-- the level and depth of characterization are eons apart. I know that this is just a book review; however, in this world, people of colour are too frequently misrepresented and representations of black people should be analyzed critically. 

Final rating:

I enjoyed this book; therefore, I really struggled figuring out how many stars to give it. For me it was a good to average read. It was smack in between a good read and an average read, which justifies the score of 3.5 stars. I am feeling a little guilty for giving this score, because it is a good book and I hope the score does not discourage anyone from reading it. But who am I kidding? No one reads this blog.  

I would recommend this book to... anyone who is looking for a quick, simple read. 

K, that was a review the size of a college paper. My apologies. I will be doing a shorter movie review; so look forward to that. I am really looking forward to watching the movie. Even the trailer looks 200 times better than the book (sorry Matthew Quick!). 

xox, S. 

Oh hi, my not-so invisible readers.

It is time for another Friday Reads--my weekly post on books that I have been reading and plan to read.

On Tuesday I finished the Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick, a book that I would recommend to everyone. If you want a more in-depth review, check out this post.

I have also started my themed read for the months of July and August, which is Magazines and Quarterlies. You can check out my reasoning behind this themed read and which magazines made the cut in this blog post.

Otherwise, I haven't had the time to read anything else. For the upcoming week, I am planning on either reading my themed reads or on finishing Dracula by Bram Stoker. In other good news, I bought Life of Pi by Yann Martel which I shall be finishing up eventually. (Preferably before the next two weeks, because then I can return it. Money don't grow on trees!)

I am definitely going to make a book to movie review on the Silver Linings Playbook this upcoming week, which I am excited about.

I know this week is special for my Muslim brothers and sisters-- Ramadan Kareem!

That's it from me.

xox, S.

So just a couple of days after "publishing" my I-am-not-ready-to-start-themed-reads blogpost, I am announcing that I am starting a themed read. Yaaaay! Yeah, I feel that I am bit all over the place at the moment--which is okay, because that is part of being a recent graduate in your 20s. 

So my themed read for the next two months is Magazines and Quarterlies. 

I know, I know. This is a book website; however, magazines and quarterlies can contain quite good, even dare I say, literary articles. Additionally, I remember that in my adolescence, I used to read magazines quite frequently. That decreased as I moved to North America, where I finally had proper internet and could afford to watch Youtube beauty vloggers. Furthermore, I wasn't as interested in the stereotypical, mainstream magazines because I realized how much they can pry on women's insecurities by setting unrealistic expectations and focusing too much on people's whose reality is far removed from ours. 

What really prompted me to start this themed read was meeting someone who recommended me a couple of interesting and high-quality magazines beyond your star-laden, mainstream Cosmos. 

Just to drive this point home, I will not be reading the stereotypical feminine magazines, such as VOGUE, GLAMOUR, or Cosmopolitan.

Instead I will be reading :)

• Arise Issue 18

-->Africa's Global Style and Culture Magazine from This Day (website)

• Lapham's Quaterly  Volume VI, Number 3 (Summer 2013)

--> The embodiment of "the belief that history is the root of all education, scientific and literary as well as political and economic." (website)

• New African Woman Issue 19

--> An IC Publication bi-monthly magazine (website)

• BC Business (July 2013)

-->  This is for my recent graduate-ness. There was an article the Top 100 firms in BC. (website)

• Artful Blogging 

--> A Stampington and Company publication. I still have to acquire this magazine or find a way to free read it.  (website)

So, you can look forward to my reviews during the month of July and August. 

That's it from me. 

xox, S.