Dragon Hoops

Gene Luen Yang is one of my favorite graphic novelists. His new book Dragon Hoops is a memoir about his 17 years as a teacher at the Bishop O'Dowd High School in Oakland, CA.  The book focuses on his interactions with the school's basketball team during his last year as a teacher.

The author begins with his story as a youth.  Being unathletic he hated sports and focused on academics in school.  After he learns that his first graphic novel will be published, Yang tries to find something interesting to write for his next book.  He decides to have a talk with O'Dowd's coach Lou Richie. The men's varsity basketball team, the Dragons, is headed to the state championships.  Yang decides to follow the team all season, interviewing the athletes, the coach and former coach who had to resign due to a sexual abuse allegation.  This book is the result.

I am not a sports fan but because Yang wrote this book I was excited to buy it.  I knew he would make it interesting and he did.  The book is more than a memoir as Yang gives mini-bios of the athletes on the team as well as the history of the game.  He even has a section on women's basketball. He also delves into the race issue is basketball from all perspectives: middle school, high school and college.  I learned a lot about the game while being entertained with great writing and graphics.  With an impressive 434 color pages,  the artwork was drawn by Yang but colored by Rianne Meyers.

I loved Dragon Hoops and highly recommend it to young adult readers as well as adults.  5 out of 5 stars!

Book of the Month: March

Apartment 6 was my favorite book this month.  It is a psychological thriller that grabbed my attention from the first page.  The book reminded me of an Alfred Hitchcock movie.  Each chapter ended with an eerie type of suspense that kept me reading until I finished it in one sitting.  The book tells the story of a woman named Meagan, alternating between 20 years past and the present.  Meagan's mother was murdered by her father and as an adult she is the victim of domestic violence from her husband.  After meeting a man named Oliver on her work commute, she tells him about her husband.  Soon thereafter Meagan asks Oliver to kill him.  Thus begins Oliver's downward slide as Meagan messes with his mind.

Dreamland

Dreamland is Nancy Bilyeau's latest book.  It takes place in New York City in 1911 with 20-year-old Peggy Batternberg agreeing to spend a summer with her wealthy family at the luxurious Oriental Hotel.  The Hotel is about one mile from Coney Island but because her family disapproves of that type of entertainment she is forbidden to go there.  Peggy preferred to spend her summer working at the Moonrise Bookstore in New York City instead of socializing with her controlling and snobbish family.  In order to help her sister Lydia set a wedding date with Lydia's fiancé Henry Taul, she leaves her job at the bookstore and travels with them for the summer.  A marriage between Lydia and Taul will save the Batternbergs from financial ruin.  A chance visit to Coney Island captivates her even before she meets a poor artist named Stefan in the Dreamland section of the amusement park.  It is love at first sight for both of them and Peggy agrees to meet Stefan often.  However, she has to keep this love affair a secret from her family as they would disapprove of her seeing a poor immigrant. Before long, there are murders occurring with Peggy and Stefan at the center of them.

I loved this book!  It was an engrossing read.  While the beginning was a little slow as the author set up the characters, once the family was settled at the Oriental Hotel the action increased the speed of the novel.  What sets this historical mystery apart from others is that the author addresses discrimination issues such as immigrant rights, women's rights, socioeconomic status, and privilege within the plot.  It works seamlessly with her superb writing.  If there is anything to criticize about the novel it is that the murders do not begin to occur until well into the book.  I expected a historical fiction story based upon the beginning but it turned into a mystery as well.

5 out of 5 stars!

Allie Aller's Crazy Quilting

Allison Aller is one of the top crazy quilters in the world today. Her 2011 book is chock full of eye candy as well as how-to information on crazy quilting.  I read her blog for years and have read every book on this subject.  I can honestly say that Aller's book is the mother of all books on crazy quilting. Much of what she wrote in her blog is in this book.  It is a physical book that cannot be deleted online, making it a great reference guide.  In addition, this book has more eye candy than other crazy quilting books that I have seen.

As with all other crazy quilting instructional books there is the usual section for beginners where materials, fabrics and tools are discussed. Ideas for selecting fabrics and threads for embellishment are shown in color photos. Instructions on how to print images from your computer onto a special fabric that you can print from a printer are also included.  Several traditional embroidery stitches are shown too.  The photos of her work are where the reader gathers ideas on seam treatments.  Aller normally combines 5 or 6 embroidery stitches into one seam treatment.

What I liked most about the book is Aller's methods for piecing the squares that she later embellishes with embroidery.  For many years I made my squares too big.  Her squares are just 6 inches square while mine were 12 inches or more.  The reason that her embellishments cover the square entirely is because those squares are small.  The heavy embellishment is what makes her crazy quilts  look exquisite.

Another interesting feature of Aller's work is that she does not always attach her squares in a traditional shape.  Included in the book are designs that the reader can follow to make a landscape quilt out of crazy quilt squares.  Another design attaches several squares into a larger square for the middle of a piece and then attaches borders that are later embellished.  Sometimes the borders are embellished to continue looking like a border.  Sometimes they are not.

Allie Aller's Crazy Quilting is the best book on the subject that I have seen.  If you are interested in learning about this craft I highly recommend her book over others that are out there.

Hide Away

Jason Pinter's latest book is the first in a new series.  I am not sure what type of mysteries the Rachel Marin Series will be. It is hard to tell from Hide Away. Rachel is not in law enforcement so I am assuming that she is an amateur sleuth. However, in Hide Away Rachel did not do an investigation of the crime. She was present at a number of events but did not go out and look for evidence or interview witnesses. 

The publisher's summary of the book:

"On the surface, Rachel Marin is an ordinary single mother; on the inside, she’s a fierce, brilliant vigilante. After an unspeakable crime shatters her life, she changes her identity and moves to a small town in Illinois, hoping to spare her children from further trauma…or worse. But crime follows her everywhere. 

When the former mayor winds up dead, Rachel can’t help but get involved. Where local detectives see suicide, she sees murder. They resent her for butting in—especially since she’s always one step ahead. But her investigative genius may be her undoing: the deeper she digs, the harder it is to keep her own secrets buried. 

Her persistence makes her the target of both the cops and a killer. Meanwhile, the terrifying truth about her past threatens to come to light, and Rachel learns the hard way that she can’t trust anyone. Surrounded by danger, she must keep her steely resolve, protect her family, and stay one step ahead, or else she may become the next victim."

I think the book has a few failures.  Rachel does not have a defined role.  Being a vigilante, as the publisher summary states, is not enough.  She needs to be involved in the investigation of a crime and the author has not shown if she will be an amateur sleuth.  If she is not a sleuth then who is she?  Also, I did not think that she was a likable character.  She bored me.  Other characters stated that she was crazy but the author did not give her any attributes of a crazy or eccentric person.  How can a series have a heroine that is undefined in the first book? The reader does not know what to expect in future novels. 

Hide Away was an OK book.  I rate it 3 out of 5 stars.

Botanical Drawing in Color

Wendy Hollander's instructional guidebook on drawing botanicals in colored pencil is a beginner's guide to mastering the realistic form of plants.  As colored pencil artists know, in every colored pencil book there are the usual chapters on art supplies, how to use colored pencils, and color theory.  This book is no different.  What is different are the instructions on mastering this particular subject matter. These may include how to depict elements that overlap, understanding the form of plants, determining what parts of a plant to include and ignore in your drawings, measuring your subject matter in perspective, and how to plan a composition.

The book is filled with exercises for readers to practice.  The author recommends that the reader practice each exercise even if they already know how to do the exercise.  While many of the author's own drawings are shown, she prefers that readers not use them as a guide for exercises.  It is best to use your own plants and learn your own style of drawing.  The exercises fill about 75% of the book and cover topics such as how to draw a cup and a ribbon that twists and turns, taking a flower apart and drawing each part of it separately before drawing the entire flower, and drawing under magnification.

If the reader follows the author's advice and uses their own plants in the exercises, they will come away with knowledge on how to create their own drawing designs in the future.  In this regard the book helps an artist become creative on their own.  Personally, I have been taking my time with the exercises and am considering a thirty to sixty day plan for working on them daily.  I then should be able to create a final design.  Right?  We shall see.

Lilith

Christine De Melo took a big turn from her usual Italian Renaissance stories to write this novel of Old Salem, Massachusetts. The book features many historical figures such as Increase and Cotton Mather.  All twenty of the Salem citizens who were executed in 1692 are characters.  What makes this historical fiction novel unique is it's supernatural component.

The publisher's summary:

"Lily Healer is a reclusive albino with incredible spiritual power.  Mass hysteria and terror sweeps through her community in the year 1692 when the village children complain of being  tormented by witches.  The arrival of Marcus Wiseman, an intimidating Puritan nicknamed the "Hammer" (Malleus Maleficarum), strikes fear into the hearts of many.  His mission is to help the reverend find those who have signed the Devil's Book.  Lily avoids the fearsome man at all costs until a shocking dream reveals the truth.  Her life changes drastically after that fateful night, for she knows that their destinies are intertwined.  Together, they must combat the Puritanical tyranny threatening Salem Village."

I found this book to be amusing.  While the historical aspects of the book were interesting, I chuckled throughout the book when Lily Healer spiritually battled demons while young girls were screaming about witches controlling them.  SPOILER ALERT!  The demons were inside the real witches in the community - the Puritan ministers!  Instead of the twenty accused Salem residents controlling the girls, it was actually the clergy controlling them.

The world of seventeenth century Salem was well researched by the author.  She made the setting come alive through the characters as they attended the required church services, some attending in fear of the authorities, and keeping a distance from anyone and everyone who might find a reason to make a false accusation against them.  It was interesting to me that most of the citizens knew in their hearts that the accusations were false, yet they did not speak up.  Everyone feared the authorities but it seems to me that if a group of people banded together to stop these trials and executions of their neighbors, they would have been able to stop the terror that gripped their community.

Lilith was an enjoyable read.  I am rating it 5 out of 5 stars.

Creation

Sylvia Nickerson's graphic novel Creation was a big disconnect for me. Creation is the story of the gentrification of her neighborhood in Toronto.  While the plot is good, the story suffered at the midway point as the author alternated between giving her own story of self-discovery as a mother and telling the story about the changes in her neighborhood. I did not see the connection between the two.

The artwork did not help this story in any way. She used graphite pencils throughout the book. I could not understand why she drew people with blob figures and shaded her drawings in deep gray. The book cover is quite colorful and gives a happy feeling but this feeling is not carried out through the book.  It's rather depressing. When I bought this book I had not seen the inside so when it arrived in the mail I was surprised.

It is almost impossible for me not to like a graphic novel but this book was a big disappointment. Skip it. 

Trap Door

Trap Door is pure suspense.  This psychological thriller was published last month on February 11, 2020.  It is scary and I had shivers down my spine as I read it.  I think you will like it.  Here is the publisher's summary:

"100 years ago young women were killed in this workplace.  Is history about to repeat itself?   

Rachel, a young woman in serious debt, needs to find a job fast before she's made homeless.  She gets a lucky break when she is offered a great position in a successful company.  Then she discovers that the building was once a Victorian sweatshop with a tragic history. Is this why Rachel feels something increasingly sinister?  Soon her new job becomes a living nightmare.  Rachel desperately wants out, but she has no other way of escaping her debts.  She's trapped.  Then she makes a shocking discovery.  Haunted by the death of others and as the present and past begin to close in, Rachel needs to find ans 

What is really going on in her workplace?  And can she ever escape her inner demons?"

I loved this book!  It had many subplots and shocking twists that kept me reading until I finished the book in one sitting.  Secondary character Keats was an interesting character, more so than the protagonist Rachel.  Keats is quirky and has secrets of her own. In fact, I did not even know that she was female until the midway point!  Rachel seemed like the typical whiny, privileged girl who cannot stop spending money.  She was not as compelling as Keats but the plot was intriguing and that kept my interest in the book.

I will definately read author Dreda Say Mitchell's other books.  She is a fantastic writer.  After reading her online biography I learned that she received a MBE from Queen Elizabeth II this year for her service to literature and educational work in prisons.  She received several other awards and has written for the Guardian, Independent and Observer newspapers in Britain.  I feel like a dummy for never having heard about her until I found this book on Kindle.

Mystery and suspense lovers need to read this book.  5 out of 5 stars!

Apartment 6

Apartment 6 was just published two months ago and it is one heck of a spellbinder. This gripping psychological thriller opens with a five-year-old Meagan trying to help her mother who has been physically abused by her husband. The story then switches to the present day with an adult  Meagan trying to cope with her abusive husband Rob. The novel alternates between twenty years past and the present.

The publisher's summary:

"Do you have the courage to escape?  Be careful what you wish for.  When Meagan was five years old her mother was viciously attacked and murdered.  Now as an adult, she herself is the victim of an abusive relationship.  Meagan is so desperate to escape but doesn't have the courage to leave.  So, when Meagan meets Oliver, a decent guy who is on the rebound after a failed relationship, the two strike up a connection.  But when Meagan confesses that her husband is abusive, it leads Oliver down a dark and dangerous path.  Just how far would you go to protect someone?  Oliver is about to find out and be pushed to his very limits."

This book was written in Hitchcock style. Every chapter ended with an eerie, suspenseful cliffhanger. The tension begins with the first chapter and continues through the unexpected ending.   If you decide to read it, prepare yourself with some snacks and a beverage because you won't be able to put it down.  I am still spellbound 3 days after reading this book.  It is that good.

5 out of 5 stars!

Song of the Siren

C. P. Lesley's Song of the Siren is the first book in her Songs of Steppe and Forest series. It takes place in16th century Poland/Russia and covers the life of Juliana Krasilska.  The publisher's summary of the plot is below:

"Since childhood Lady Juliana has depended on her allure for survival.  So when a sudden, debilitating illness robs her of her looks, her sense of place in the world is shattered.  The court that once idolized her spurns her.  Who is she, if not the siren of men's dreams? Enter Felix Ossolinski - scholar, diplomat, Renaissance man. A riding accident in his teens forced him to redirect his energies from war to the life of the mind, and alone among the men of the sixteenth-century Polish court he sees in Juliana a kindred spirit, a woman who has never appreciated her own value and whose inner beauty outweighs any marring of her face. At Felix's suggestion the Polish queen offers Juliana a way out of her difficulties:  spy for the royal family in return for a promise of financial independence.  Facing poverty and degradation, Juliana cannot refuse, although the mission threatens not only her freedom but her life. Felix swears that he will protect her. But no one can protect Juliana from the demons of her past."

I loved this novel!  Part of the attraction is that it takes place in Poland, Lithuana and Russia. There are not many historical fiction books that take place here and it added a new excitement for me. It is always enjoyable to find a new place to read about other than the usual books taking place in Italy and England. While it is my first book of Lesley's that I have read, I did not need to have read her prior books concerning the Juliana character in order to follow the plot.  In addition, Carolyn Pouncey, who writes as C. P. Lesley, is a historian by trade and her knowledge of this era was abundantly evident. She wrote into the story plenty of background information on the political climate in Poland, Lithuania and Russia. Several historical figures were also woven into the story. 

I am looking forward to reading the second book in this series!  4 out of 5 stars.

The Violinist of Venice

The Violinist of Venice is about the world renowned composer and priest Antonio Vivaldi and his fictional student Adriana d'Amato.  Forbidden to play music by her wealthy merchant father, Adriana secretly visits Vivaldi at night to ask him to teach her to play the violin. He agrees but after a few lessons they quickly fall in love and begin to make love after each lesson. Adriana has to sneak around her strict father to practice her instrument and continue to visit Vivaldi. Her father is showing her off to several noble Venetian families in hopes of arranging a marriage for her. Adriana wants Vivaldi but is he willing to give up the priesthood for her? That will mean giving up his ability to work in music as well.

While this book has been described as "a story of Vivaldi," the main character is actually Adriana. It covers thirty years of her life, most of it lived without him but still pining for him. However, his music is prevalent throughout the novel. The author has written into the plot plenty of information on violin techniques and on how to compose music. Both characters are shown playing the instrument exquisitely and the reader can hear the music coming off of the pages. Pardon the pun, it makes the book sing.

Writing a musical romance was a brilliant idea. Perhaps the author has a series here where she can feature a different musician in each novel. 5 out of 5 stars!

Fasting Feasting

The title of Anita Desai's 1999 novel uses food as a metaphor.  The first half of Fasting, Feasting takes place in India where food is celebrated. The second half takes place in America. There are two families who are primarily featured in the book.  The Indian family, which includes Mama, Papa, Uma, Aruna and Arun, use food as a way to commune with each other and with their friends. When son Arun travels to Massachusetts to attend college, he stays in a dormitory during the school year and with the Patton family during summer vacation. The Pattons are a typical American family who use food as an isolation tactic, never sharing a meal.

The theme of the novel is family relationships. The Indian family contrasts sharply with the Pattons. Their story is mainly concerned with Uma, the oldest, who is used as a servant by her parents. She has not been able to make a successful marriage so she stays at home with her parents raising her brother Arun, ordering around the cook and has plenty of house cleaning to do.  Arun, on the other hand, does not seem to fit in anywhere. He prefers to be alone, his own isolation tactic, after a lifetime of having to do whatever his family decides that he will do.  The Pattons, by contrast, have no bonds of connection.  Each member of the family does whatever they want to do and whenever they want to do it.

Fabulous reading!  5 out of 5 stars.