Review: Princess Princess Ever After

Princess Princess Ever After by Katie O'Neill
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Once again, I fail the graphic novel test. I just don't care for them, to be honest. The problem is, I expect some character depth and nuance and it just isn't there for me. The characters all seem like caricatures, rather than people with depth. We have the strong, black, hard-working, tough-talking princess. We have the slightly overweight, blond, simpering princess, and we have the relatively clueless prince. Sure, it is nice to have a lesbian romance, but it is a bit too superficial for me. Sorry, I didn't love this book. I am glad it exists, but the story could be better. The illustrations are good, though. They are heavily influenced by manga, so, if that is your thing, you may enjoy this book more than I did.

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Review: The Benefits of Being an Octopus

The Benefits of Being an Octopus by Ann Braden
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I got this as an e-book from my library, which means I have to read it on my computer, since I don't have an e-reader. I originally was just going to read a bit of the first part and save it for later. A couple of hours later, I had finish both it and dinner. This is pretty major for me, as I really don't usually finish books that I try to read at my computer (a desktop).

I think the thing that got me involved so much is that Zoey actually seemed real. I could feel her anger, sadness, desperation, resentment, and all of the other emotions that beset her as she went about her days. I could see a lot of my former students (I am retired.) in her and I was rooting for her teachers to be able to help her.

Recommended.

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Review: Book Uncle and Me

Book Uncle and Me by Uma Krishnaswami
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is a nice story about a child taking steps to influence people's minds. I also like that it shows that sometimes there are unintentional consequences of something we do - the original letter, in this case.

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Review: Building Our House

Building Our House by Jonathan Bean
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is a sweet book about a family moving to the countryside and building their own house over the course of time.

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Review: Powerful

Powerful by Alicia Thomas-Woolf
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

There are advantages and disadvantages of "reading" this book as an audiobook. The major advantage is that you can hear the song as it is sung, in the proper place in the text. The major disadvantage is that there are no pictures.

This book is for a much younger age group than I usually read books for. Perhaps this strategy works well for this younger age group, but for the age group I usually read books for, this strategy would need to be augmented with some more "Powerful" back up strategies. If there is real harm being inflicted, e.g., physical bullying, stronger measures are warranted.

Good for the pre-school crowd, though.

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Review: Giant Days, Vol. 1

Giant Days, Vol. 1 by John Allison
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

When I first saw some of the angry illustrations in this book, I was sure that I was going to dislike it. I didn't (and still don't) like the exaggerated angry looks and evil-looking people. And then I read some of the story. I like the premise - three young women going off to their first semester at the university and forming a friendship. But some of the story lines were a bit much for me - the anger at the previous boyfriend, the pill-popping rave. Nevertheless, by the end of the book, I was interested. Since this book isn't available through my local library, I am even seriously contemplating buying the next installments in the series. I am still not sure what drew me in, but I am going to at least try the next one.

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Review: Modern Houses: Who Built That?: An Introduction to the Modern House and Their Architects

Modern Houses: Who Built That?: An Introduction to the Modern House and Their Architects by Didier Cornille
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I have long been fascinated by floor plans (and maps in general, of which floor plans are a subset) and I am glad that this book has included not just views of the outsides of the houses, but also indications of how the insides are planned and arranged. And, unlike many people I know, I actually like the simple, blocky style of most of these houses.

This book was originally published in French as Toutes les Maisons Sont dans la Nature or All Houses Are in Nature. I am not sure what to make of the French title. Perhaps it is that all of the houses that are featured have extensive views of their surroundings. But the French title doesn't say anything about the idea that these houses (and other buildings) have a very different style from many of the houses that preceded them. So it is curious that the English title emphasizes the modernity of the houses, while the French title emphasizes the relationship to nature.

There are other books in this series, one on bridges and one on skyscrapers. Those interest me less than houses, so I will probably skip them.

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