Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Book To Movie Adaptations I Need To Watch

Posted in Top 10 Tuesday by wingedcreature

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the lovely folks over at The Broke And The Bookish. Every week, bloggers share their own bookish top ten lists based on the topic of the week. You can check out Ten Tuesdays here.

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Top Ten Book To Movie Adaptations I Need To Watch

I feel like I’m somewhat okay with seeing movie adaptations. At least, I am with YA adaptations, but other ones? Not so much. It took some to looking at the books I’ve read over the last few years, but I did come up with 10!

The Martian. I really need to watch it, because it would make such a great movie. And Matt Damon is such an awesome choice for Mark Whatney.
Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them. I am so excited there’s going to be another movie set in the HP universe, and I can’t wait to see it!
The Maze Runner. I haven’t read the books or seen the movie, but one of these days…I will!
Paper Towns. I did try to read Paper Towns, but I couldn’t get into it. I definitely want to see it. I know there’s a movie, but I’ve heard absolutely nothing about when it’s coming out. Maybe I should find out.
Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter. I listened to the book ages ago, and I’m sort of curious to see how it works as a movie.
Allegiant. I’m not too bothered by changes made for movies, but if a certain character lives, I’m actually going to be annoyed, because it will completely change such a tragic ending.
Mockingjay, Part Two. I can’t wait to see how it all ends.
The numerous adaptations of Jane Austen’s books. I know I’ve seen the Keira Knightley adaptation of Pride And Prejudice, but that’s about it. That will be a fun weekend, though.
First Position. I read Michaela DePrince’s memoir this year, and it made me really want to watch First Position, a dance documentary she appears in, so much.
Warm Bodies. Actually, I’ve seen the movie, but I need to listen to the book.

9Nov2015

Book Review Round-Up Fledgling And The Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks

Posted in Audiobooks, Book Review Round-Up, Books, diverse books by wingedcreature

Book #1: Fledging by Octavia Butler, narrated by Tracey Leigh

Published August 2008 by Blackstone Audio|12 hours, 17 minutes

Where I Got It: I got the audio from audible.com

Series: None

Genre: Adult Sci-Fi

What It’s About: Fledgling, the late Octavia E. Butler’s final novel, is the story of a young amnesiac girl whose alarmingly inhuman needs and abilities lead her to a startling conclusion: she is in fact a genetically modified 53-year-old vampire. Forced to discover what she can about her stolen former life, she must learn who wanted to destroy her and those she cares for, and how she can save herself.

Fledgling is a captivating novel that tests the limits of “otherness” and questions what it means to be truly human.

What I Thought: Why did it take me so long to read Octavia Butler? I’ve had Fledgling for a while, and figured it was a good time to actually read it. I really liked it, and I think I’m going to read Kindred sometime soon. Butler certainly created an interesting vampire myth with Fledging, and the humans needed the Ina (Butler’s vampires) as much as the Ina needed their humans. I thought Shori was an interesting (but also compelling) character- she’s human and Ina, attacked, and left with no memories. I can’t imagine what she had to go through and what it was like for her to remember nothing.

Leigh was a wonderful narrator for the book- in my mind, she was Shori. While I liked her as a narrator, I’m not sure if I like her enough to seek out anything else she’s narrated. But if I happen to come across a book she’s narrated, I wouldn’t hesitate to listen. I sort of wish I had reviewed Fledging right after finishing it, because I’ve forgotten a lot of what I wanted to say between when I finished the book and now.

My Rating: 4 stars. I really liked it, and Butler really drew me into Shori’s world.

Book #2: The Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

Published February 2010 by Crown|370 pages

Where I Got It: I borrowed the hardcover from the library

Genre: Adult Non-Fiction/Medical/Science

What It’s About: Henrietta Lacks, as HeLa, is known to present-day scientists for her cells from cervical cancer. She was a poor Southern tobacco farmer who worked the same land as her slave ancestors, yet her cells were taken without her knowledge and still live decades after her death. Cells descended from her may weigh more than 50M metric tons.

HeLa cells were vital for developing the polio vaccine; uncovered secrets of cancer, viruses, and the atom bomb’s effects; helped lead to important advances like in vitro fertilization, cloning, and gene mapping; and have been bought and sold by the billions. Yet Henrietta Lacks was buried in an unmarked grave.

The journey starts in the “colored” ward of Johns Hopkins Hospital in the 1950s, her small, dying hometown of Clover, Virginia — wooden slave quarters, faith healings, and voodoo. Today are stark white laboratories with freezers full of HeLa cells, East Baltimore children and grandchildren live in obscurity, see no profits, and feel violated. The dark history of experimentation on African Americans helped lead to the birth of bioethics, and legal battles over whether we control the stuff we are made of.

What I Thought: I am so glad I read this book! I don’t know where to start with Immortal Life, because there were a lot of interesting things in it.

I think what made her story so fascinating was that they took her cells without asking. I mean, it’s not surprising, given the time period (not that I’m trying to assume anything, because assuming isn’t good) but it’s hard to believe. Her own family has trouble getting good healthcare, and I really felt for them, especially her one daughter, who wanted to know more about her mother.

Immortal Life is really two stories- HeLa cells, which are very really important in the science world. A lot of advancements made seem to be based on the cells they took from Lacks. The other story is of Lacks herself (only a little) but it focuses more on her family and how what happened to Lacks had such a huge effect on them.

Not only that, but I was horrified by how Lacks name was attached to the cells, and that her name was attached to her medical records…and that they just randomly handed it off to people. I work in medical records for my day job, and I kept having to remind myself that this was way before HIPAA and that there weren’t federal privacy laws. At least some states had them, but unfortunately, Maryland wasn’t one of those states. That has since changed, but I was so taken aback by that. And the fact that they didn’t even have the right name!

I can’t help but wonder so many things. Like, how would things have been different if they did get informed consent. Was her race or socioeconomic status a factor?

And she is definitely a real person, which the researchers seemed to forget. It did seem like they saw her as just cells, and it also felt a little bit like that with her family too. I don’t blame her family at all for wanting their mother to be recognized for her huge contribution to science. It’s such a balanced look, and you see so many different pieces of the story.

It’s definitely a non-linear story, and Skloot herself does appear in the book. But it’s only when it’s absolutely necessary, and I can’t imagine the story being told in a linear way.

I feel like it’s so hard to do this book justice, but it’s such an amazing look at the ethics of research and consent and trying to find the truth.

My Rating: 5 stars. It’s an awesome book, and if you haven’t read it, you really need to.

3Nov2015

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Sophomore Novels I Want To Read

Posted in Top 10 Tuesday by wingedcreature

Top Ten Sophomore Novels I’m Looking Forward To Reading

I really wasn’t sure about this topic at first, because I don’t always read an author in order, and I don’t always pay attention to debuts and sophomore books, so I sort of went with 10 authors I want to read another book from. Some I think only have one book, but I know others have other books I need to read.

Andy Weir, author of The Martian. This was great on audio, and I can’t wait to read another book by him.
Atia Abawi, author of The Secret Sky. The Secret Sky made me think a lot and I really hope she writes another book, because I am a fan!
Nicola Yoon, author of Everything, Everything. This book was a doozy, and I am so looking forward to reading another book by her.
I.W. Gregorio, author of None Of The Above. This is one of my favorites I’ve read this year, and I want another book by Gregorio so much because I know it would be amazing.
Stacey Lee, author of Under The Painted Sky. This book really makes me want to read more historical fiction, especially YA historical fiction.
Kasie West, author of On The Fence. It’s such a cute, fun book, and while I haven’t read any of the other books I know West has written, I know I want to!
Robin Talley, author of Lies We Tell Ourselves. I requested her new book from the library, and I’ve actually been looking forward to reading it.
Katherine Howe, author of Conversion. I know she has at least one or two other books out and I will have to read them, because I liked Conversion enough to read her again.
Yvonne Ventresca, author of Pandemic. This was frighteningly realistic, and yet, I want another book by Ventresca.
Rosamund Hodge, author of Cruel Beauty. Hodge is another author that I know has other books out, but like some of the other authors, I haven’t read them yet. I want to, especially if the world building is as amazing in those books as it is in Cruel Beauty.

2Nov2015

Currently Obsessed With: October 2015

Posted in Currently Obsessed With by wingedcreature

Currently Obsessed With is a once-a-month feature but sometimes more feature where I talk about my favorite things from the last month.

It is November, which means NaNoWriMo has started! I look forward to it every year, and I really am hoping to do at least one post about it. I’m also going to the Night Vale live show tomorrow, and I am so excited about it! I also went to a Halloween party, and a midnight kick-off party for NaNoWriMo, and they were awesome! I had a lot of fun, especially in my Cecil costume.

Crochet:

I crocheted things…and finished them!

I made a unicorn hat, and I did have to slightly adjust the pattern- I did one less row for the hat, and I did half double crochet for the earflaps instead of single crochet. I did the single crochet for one earflap, and thought it seemed too short, so I opted for something slightly taller. I know the mane added some weight, and pulled it down a little, so I wonder if that’s why it was in single crochet. But the earflaps I made are the perfect length, so I’m happy with how it worked out!

I also made a headphone hat, which was part of my Halloween costume, and let me tell you, it was so much easier (and cheaper!) to do than actually buying the headphones. I considered making a microphone, but I knew that would have stressed me out, so I’m glad I didn’t make one. Anyway, I also altered the hat a little bit- I added a row to the hat because I finished it, and it seemed a little too short, so I took out the ribbed part, added another row, and re-did the ribbed part of the hat. Adding another row of that would have made it a little too tight.

I did learn the magic circle technique, and I can’t believe it took me so long to learn it! I skipped over so many projects that featured it, and now I want to do all the projects that feature it. It will make crocheting in the round so much easier. I also learned how to do post stitches, which was hard at first, but it got easier! The first row or two was hard, because I could never remember if I was doing a back post or front post stitch, but after that it was easier because I could actually see what stitch I was on. I have a couple of things I want to do next, but they might have to wait until October.

Books:

I got the Night Vale book!!!! I got it on audible, because it’s narrated by Cecil, and I can’t imagine reading a Night Vale book any other way. But I am curious about reading a Night Vale book, so I may end up getting a copy of it. I bought a few e-books: H2O by Virginia Bergin (so I can read the ARC I have of the 2nd book), Say What You Will by Cammie McGovern, The Queen Of The Tearling and The Invasion Of The Tearling by Erika Johansen, and Lagoon by Nnedi Okorafor.

I also got More Happy Than Not by Adam Silva in hardcover- I totally meant to buy the e-book and did instant purchase not realizing that it was on hardcover, and spent a couple minutes trying to figure out why an e-book was $16 when I looked at my email and realized I bought the hardcover instead of the e-book. But I kept the book because I’m going to read it anyway, and it made no sense to me to return it.

T.V./Movies:

I’ve watched a few episodes of Arrow, and I like it enough to at least watch the first season. I’ve also been re-watching Doctor Who- I’ve watched the season with Capaldi, because it was just added to Netflix recently. I still don’t like Clara, and I’m not sure how I feel about Capaldi yet.

And Walking Dead…until it’s confirmed, I don’t want to believe that IT has happened. But I’m also trying to get ready for the fact that it may have happened, because it is possible. It’s been a week, so I’m sure you know what I’m talking about, but I also know that there may be people who haven’t seen it yet, so I’m being really vague instead of doing a spoiler alert.

Around The Internet:

You can find all of the cool stuff I find on the internet over on Pinterest. There are way too many cool things out there!

I went down The Nostalgia Machine rabbit hole.

I can totally relate to this post about finding new favorite books.

What Should I Read Next? is an interesting book recommendation generator thing.

Booklist Online has one of the most balanced posts about Twilight I’ve ever seen. And I really like this post over at Book Riot about Twilight.

Music:

I heard this song on the Air Raid Podcast, and I just love it! I can’t wait until the album comes out, but in the meantime, I’ll have to check out his EP’s.

Happy November!

1Nov2015

Nail Polish Talk: October 2015

Posted in Nail Polish Talk by wingedcreature

I wore a lot of polish this month: Anisa and Ursula, Cassandra and Logan, Ledi and Margarita, and Brandt and Sabrina. I went for more Halloween/Fall polishes this month, and since I had some trouble deciding on which colors to go with, I figured I’d pair some together. A couple of them, though, had a paired crackle polish, which I thought would be a lot of fun to do.

Week Of October 4: Anisa and Ursula

Anisa and Ursula seemed perfect for fall/Halloween, and not surprisingly, I haven’t worn them before! I really liked Anisa, and I was glad that I wore it. Anisa is really pretty and I would wear it again, even on its own.

As for Ursula, I really liked it with Anisa, and I wonder what it would look like with other colors. I don’t have experience with crackle nail polish, so I’m not sure how it stacks up with other brands but I thought it went on well. Some nails had a little bit thicker of a coat, and it was sort of cool to see how how much the design changed depending on the thickness of the coat.

Week Of October 11: Cassandra and Logan

Cassandra was from a recent Maven box, and I got it specifically because I was in the mood for something I don’t wear often. It was a lot more brown than I expected (based on the bottle and from the swatch on Julep), but that might have been the lighting anytime I looked at my nails. I really liked it, though, and I’m glad I took a chance on it. It’s a nice, dark color, and it was nice wearing something a little more dark, since I tend to go for brighter colors.

I also paired it with Logan, which was more black than purple. At least, it looked more black to me, but maybe that’s because I’m not sure what aubergine is as a color. I did like it, and it’s a good fall color. I’m not sure if pairing it with Cassandra was the best choice, but Logan is an interesting color.

Week Of October 18: Ledi And Margarita

These two paired well together! Ledi is a great shade of black- I don’t wear a lot of black nail polish, even though I have a few bottles of it, and I think sometimes black has the potential to look like Sharpie (sort of how white can look like white-out). But Ledi did not remind me of Sharpie! There was no shimmer that I could see (even though it’s described as a shimmer). But it is a good black to have in your collection, because there is something to this polish.

Margarita is a pretty purple, and I want to wear it again! Together, they are good Night Vale colors. I sort of forgot I had Margarita, but if you need a good dark purple, Margarita is a really good choice because it’s pretty subtle for a purple.

Week Of October 25: Brandt And Sabrina

For Halloween week, I went with the traditional black and orange, which meant Brandt and Sabrina!

I sort of wish I had one nail that had just Brandt on its own, to get a good feel for the color. Brandt did go on a little streaky, but two coats even it out. I think I like it as much as Ledi, but something about it is a little softer, making it a good addition to your collection, particularly if you want black, but something less striking than Ledi.

Sabrina goes well with Brandt, and judging from the bottle, I have worn it before. But it’s been so long that I remember nothing about wearing it. As far as crackle polishes go, it was on par with Ursula, but I also don’t have much to compare it to.

Maven Box:

I did skip October’s box, but I can’t wait to get November’s box. It’s nice to be getting a Maven box, since I’ve skipped a lot of them this year, having skipped so many, it feels a little weird to be getting it. I can’t wait to share the box with everyone!

Happy November!

27Oct2015

Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Bookish Halloween Costumes

Posted in Top 10 Tuesday by wingedcreature

Top Ten Bookish Halloween Costumes

Halloween is such a fun holiday! Dressing up is always fun, and books are a great source of inspiration for Halloween costumes. Harry Potter is a good inspiration, and while I could do an entire list based off of Harry Potter alone, I won’t because there are some other characters I want to dress up as!

Harry Potter:

Luna. I dressed up as Luna when I went to a Harry Potter party a few months, and it was fun, because really, you just need a quirky, colorful outfit and accessories, and some Spectrespecs.
The Golden Snitch. This would be fun to do! Lots of gold, and I’m sure Etsy has a ton of Snitch-themed jewelry.
The Sorting Hat. I’m not quite sure how you’d dress up as a sorting hat, other than wearing one, but still. It would be fun, especially in putting it together.
Rita Skeeter. Dressing up as her would be so much fun!
Hagrid. It would be fun, and if I did it, it has the potential to be absolutely hysterical because I’m 4’10. Still, I kind of want to dress up as Hagrid at some point.

Non-Harry Potter:

One of the Avicen from The Girl At Midnight. Putting together a feathered costume would be fun.
Lola from Lola And The Boy Next Door. I can’t remember if I’ve mentioned her before, but considering she wears some interesting outfits, you could have a lot of fun with it.
A ballerina. I’ve read a couple of ballet-themed books this year, and I would love to dress up as a ballerina.
Something inspired by a Gail Carriger book. I haven’t worn anything steam-punk inspired, but her books really make me want to wear something steampunk!
I have yet to read the Night Vale book, but Night Vale costumes are so much fun to do. I’m dressing up as Cecil this year, and even though my costume is pretty simple, I had a lot of fun putting it together. Like, HP, I could probably do an entire list around Night Vale.

20Oct2015

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Wishes I’d Ask The Book Genie To Grant Me

Posted in Top 10 Tuesday by wingedcreature

Top Twelve Wishes I’d Ask The Book Genie To Grant Me

I love this topic, and yet, I had a really hard time with it! I’m not sure why, because you’d think I’d have so many book-ish wishes I’d want granted. Here are my ~~ten~~ twelve wishes!

I’d wish…for extra hours in the day to read! If this book genie can somehow magically give me more time to read all the books I want to read, that would be amazing.
I’d wish…to meet J.K. Rowling. I love Harry Potter, and it’s such a huge part of my life that meeting J.K. Rowling would mean everything to me.
I’d wish…for a really awesome reading space at home. I know my own personal book genie could make it happen. I’ve seen some awesome reading nooks on pinterest.
I’d wish for…a library in my house! Seriously, how awesome would it be to have one? It could even have an awesome reading nook or two.
I’d wish…to meet Laurie Halse Anderson. Her books mean almost as much to me as Harry Potter does, and meeting her would definitely be a highlight!
I’d wish…for another Harry Potter book, preferably Marauder-era or Founders era. But really, I’ll take any Harry Potter book that J.K. Rowling wants to write.
I’d wish…to go to Shakespeare And Company Bookstore. I have no idea why I want to go to this bookstore in particular, but I really want to!
I’d wish…to go on a tour of the U.K., led by Alison Weir. This would be so awesome, and she is one of my favorite non-fiction writers. I feel like I’d learn so much!
I’d wish…for a book by Stephanie Perkins that is all about St. Clair and Anna’s wedding. It’s not even funny how much I want to read that.
I’d wish…to go to The Strand Bookstore. I know the 18 miles of books slogan, which would make it an awesome bookstore to just to see.
I’d wish…for my Hogwarts letter! Because I know that a book genie could make Hogwarts real, and somehow get me in.
I’d wish…for the ability to magically remember every single book I read pre-blog. Because it would be nice to have a record of that. If I knew I would someday want a list of books I read, I’d totally keep track. Or the book genie could grant this wish for me!

13Oct2015

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Author Duos I’d Like To See Write A Book Together

Posted in Top 10 Tuesday by wingedcreature

Top Ten Author Duos I’d Like To See Write A Book Together

This is a really cool topic, and it was a little hard, because I could think of so many authors I’d love to see write a book with someone else. The problem is matching them up with someone else! Here are ten author duos I’d love to see write a book together.

Julie Kagawa and Aprilynne Pike. I love the Iron Fey series (Kagawa) and Wings (Pike), and if they could write a fairy series together, I’d love to see how it turned out.
Maya Angelou and Toni Morrison. Obviously, this isn’t going to happen, but if it could, I would love to see what they wrote.
Nnedi Okorafor and Chimamanda Adichie. I don’t know what I’d want them to write, but whatever it is, I’d read it.
Gail Carriger and Rachel Caine. They need to do steampunk paranormal something. It would hilarious and an awesome twist on something.
Jessi Kirby and Jenny Han. I know they’d write an awesome, nostalgic YA contemporary book.
Sarah J. Maas and Maria Snyder. I’d love to see what sort of fantasy world they’d come up with.
Marissa Meyer and Rachel Hawkins. I don’t even know what I’d want them to write, but it would have to be something awesome.
Malinda Lo and Robin LaFevers. This is the oddest combination on the list (for me) but I’d be fascinated to see what sort of awesome bad-assery they could come up with.
Jennifer Brown and Jennifer Echols. I have no particular reason, but I’d love to see them write a book together.
Elizabeth Wein and Ruta Sepetys. They really need to write a World War 2 historical fiction. Can this happen? I want it to happen.

11Oct2015

Book Review Round-Up: Vampire Knight, Volumes 2-5, by Matsuri Hino

Posted in Book Review Round-Up, Books, diverse books by wingedcreature

Book Review Round-Up is a random feature where I talk about several books in one post.

Today is Volumes 2, 3, 4, & 5 of Vampire Knight. I thought it might be good to review them together! I did go through them pretty fast, and they all started to blend together, so I had a little bit of trouble remembering which thing happened in which volume! All four volumes are by Matsuri Hino.

Vampire Knight, Volume 2

Published May 2007 by Viz Media|186 pages

Where I Got It: I borrowed it from the library

Series: Vampire Knight, Volume 2

What It’s About: Yuki and Zero go into town to do some shopping for the Headmaster, and they are attacked by a fiendish vampire called a “Level E.” Two Night Class students, Takuma Ichijo and Senri Shiki, come just on time and slay it, and invite Yuki and Zero to their dormitory at midnight to find out why they killed one of their own kind…

What I Thought: I really liked it! I am amazed at how she can tell a story with so little words and such detailed artwork! Yuki and Zero really stood out to me, and I love how kind Yuki is, even knowing that Zero is coming to terms with being a vampire. I liked seeing more of the vampires in this world, and I feel like as we get further into the series, we’re going to learn a lot more about the vampires! I’m really curious about whether Yuki offering her blood to Zero will come again, and what sort of effect it will have on things. Zero is definitely brooding in this book, which I totally understand but I also wonder if he’ll start to move on at some point. And his former vampire hunter teacher is around, so I can’t wait to see where that goes.

My Rating: 4 stars. I really liked the story and some of the things that come up, because I’m really curious about where things are headed.

Manga #2: Vampire Knight, Volume 3

Published October 2007 by Viz Media|196 pages

Where I Got It: I borrowed it from the library

Series: Vampire Knight, Volume 3

What It’s About: Kaname, the pureblood vampire, has kept to his room since learning of Yuki and Zero’s forbidden act. However, the arrival of Ichijo’s grandfather brings the entire Night Class together to greet one of the oldest vampires on the senate. Ichijo’s grandfather says he’s there merely to visit his grandson, but he’s out for Kaname’s blood.

What I Thought: I really liked Volume 3! We learn more about the characters, especially Yuki, and I really liked the flashbacks! Kaname, Zero and Yuki are all very connected. And the new transfer student, Maria…there is more to her, and I’m curious about where her story is headed. It seems a little random, a new transfer student but I feel like there’s a purpose behind it. New students don’t randomly show up for no reason. We are getting deeper into this world and how things outside the school are affecting things inside the school. And the concept of the Senate is introduced in volume 3. I’m wondering how much of a presence they’ll have in future volumes. I really liked the art, and both art and story are getting better with each volume.

My Rating: 4 stars. I like that 3 volumes in, we are learning so much more about this world. I can’t wait to see where things go.

Manga #3: Vampire Knight, Volume 4

Published April 2008 by Viz Media|197 pages

Where I Got It: I borrowed it from the library

Series: Vampire Knight, Volume 4

What It’s About: Zero warns Yuki to stay away from Maria Kurenai, the new Night Class transfer student, although he won’t tell Yuki why. Kaname is also wary, and he sends Ichijo to watch Maria so she doesn’t start trouble. Who is this girl, and why does she have the entire Night Class on edge?

What I Thought: This is the book where we learn what’s really going on with Maria! I don’t know why I didn’t see it coming, because I feel like I should have. There’s the deal between Yuki and Maria and Kaname is pretty awesome. And I feel for Zero, even though he still has a lot he needs to work on. And he’s pretty sulky too. But I still love him, and I still feel for him. I also love the side bars she has throughout the book (and the ones in volumes 2 and 3 are equally as awesome).

I am having trouble keeping the characters who aren’t Yuki, Zero and Kaname apart, but hopefully as the series goes on, I’ll be able to tell them apart! I really want to learn more about the Purebloods and their powers. I feel like it’s going to come up again in the series.

My Rating: 4 stars. The story is really starting to get interesting, and the artwork is getting better and better!

Manga #4: Vampire Knight, Volume 5

Published September 2008 by Viz Media|195 pages

Where I Got It: I borrowed it from the library

Series: Vampire Knight, Volume 5

What It’s About: Zero is suspected of killing Shizuka Hio, the pureblood vampire who murdered his family. Incensed, the vampire senate sends assassins to Cross Academy to execute him. Will the Night Class intervene, or will Kaname let Zero take the fall?

What I Thought: I am hooked on this series! I have been since the first volume but this volume is really good! We learn why Shizuka did what she did. I tried to dislike her but I had a really hard time doing that- in fact, the opposite happened, and I felt a little bad for her. Even though Shizuka has died, I can’t help but wonder if we’ll see more of her in flashbacks. Things don’t look good for Zero, but Kaname shows that he’s pretty awesome by defying the Senate and protecting the school and Zero. We also meet a certain someone, and I’m wondering if that certain someone is going to show up again. I feel like we will, and I can’t wait to see how that will go. There really is a lot to Kaname, and I want to know more more about him. I’m sure more will be revealed about him in the continuing volumes, so I’ll just have to read to find out!

My Rating: 4 stars. As usual, the artwork and story is getting better with each volume, and we learn more about this world the further we get into the series. I can’t wait to see what happens next.

9Oct2015

Book Review: Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out by Susan Kuklin

Posted in Books, diverse books by wingedcreature

Book: Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out, written and photographed by Susan Kuklin

Published February 2014 by Candlewick Press|182 pages

Where I Got It: I borrowed the hardcover from the library

Series: None

Genre: Non-Fiction/LGBT

A groundbreaking work of LGBT literature takes an honest look at the life, love, and struggles of transgender teens.

Author and photographer Susan Kuklin met and interviewed six transgender or gender-neutral young adults and used her considerable skills to represent them thoughtfully and respectfully before, during, and after their personal acknowledgment of gender preference. Portraits, family photographs, and candid images grace the pages, augmenting the emotional and physical journey each youth has taken. Each honest discussion and disclosure, whether joyful or heartbreaking, is completely different from the other because of family dynamics, living situations, gender, and the transition these teens make in recognition of their true selves.

Beyond Magenta is a really interesting book but it’s also a hard book to talk about.

I like that she talks a diverse group of teens, but most of them (5 out of the 6 interviewed) are from New York, and all 6 teens (particularly the 5 from NY) seem to have access to a lot of services and support. The 5 from New York are in a section called Spectrum, while the last story is in a section Lifeline. And even the teen featured in that narrative seemed to have a good support system and quite a few resources available to him.

Kuklin does mention at the end of the book that she was in touch with a medical center in New York City, which does explain why it’s heavily focused on NY teens. She also talks about wanting the book to spread its wings and have another part of the country represented. Unfortunately, it makes the one non-NY story feel like an afterthought that’s there just for representation of a different part of the country.

While there are a wide range of experiences, I felt like it lacked stories from teens who don’t have the access to services/resources these kids do. The teens we see in Beyond Magenta do have varying degrees of familial support, and I felt for all of the teens, especially the teens who have parents who don’t seem to bother trying to understand their children, and denied/dismissed their experience and what they were saying.

Each teen has a very unique story, and it was heartbreaking at times to see what they were going through. There are times where you see gender stereotypes, particularly in the first couple of stories, which I think is something that will frustrate a lot of people (especially if reviews are any indication) but I just took it as their experience and I really felt like Kuklin really tried to keep their story as they told it to her. I will say that it felt very much like they were telling me a story, and that aspect of the writing would make this a particularly good book for an audio format.

Overall, though, there was something about the organization and format that seemed a little weird. I respect that Kuklin interviewed and photographed the teens, and worked with them to tell their story, but 5 NY stories in one section (Spectrum) and the lone non-NY story in a section called Lifeline made no sense to me. I don’t understand why you’d need two different sections, and it just really made the one story in Lifeline feel like an afterthought.

There isn’t any particular order to the stories- not that they need to be in any particular order, but something about the book felt a little disorganized. And while it is a quick read, I’m not completely happy with the format. It felt like a random assortment of stories with nothing to connect them together- other than all 6 stories being about a transgender teen.

There were random comments from Kuklin, which felt out of place and disrupted the flow of the story. They should have been left in some cases, and in other places, an introduction to the story would have been helpful, and a place where some of her comments could have been better served.

There is an author’s note at the end of the book, which I think would have been more insightful/better placed at the beginning of the book so that you had a much better idea of how the project changed for Kuklin. There are also resources at the end of the book, and Kuklin also included a list of books (non-fiction and fiction) and movies. I was disappointed that there only a couple of books in the fiction list, both of which were published over 10 years ago, just because something a little more recent (and more than 2 books) would have been nice.

I’m not sure what to rate Beyond Magenta. I think the organization of the book could have been better, and while there is a wide range of experiences in the book, I also think the representation of other parts of the country could have been better, and less like an afterthought. I still like reading about their experiences, and it would be a great book to have in any classroom or library.

As for an actual rating, I’m going to give Beyond Magenta 3 stars.

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