May 2010

If I suggested that the month of April was horrible, I can't go into words about the month of May. On the bright side, I was so incredibly busy with starting a new job and my new classes that I can barely remember the past month. It went by sooo fast - which is probably why I only got through three books. I'm going to dash through this post as I really really should get back to my 2-weeks worth of unfinished homework...

1. Half Magic - Edward Eager
2. Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall - Bill Willingham
3. The Namesake - Jhumpa Lahiri

*****

1. I'm unclear as to how many people I know have actually read Edward Eager. I picked this little book up at my parents house in preparation for my Children's Lit class. As opposed to the previous month's dud, I was able to fully appreciate and engage in this wonderfully nostalgic novel about children, a magic coin, and everything magic happening in halves. Now, I've never been a fan of math - but you don't need to be in order to love this book. In fact, soon after finishing the last page, I promptly logged on to Amazon.ca and discovered Eager had written many more books than just the 2 that I had at my parents' house. AKA I'm on it!
9/10

2. This prequel to the groundbreaking comic series "Fables" is beautifully illustrated and cleverly written. Again, this time in response as opposed to prelude for my Children's Lit class, I devoured this graphic novel within minutes. Seriously, you don't have to have any prior knowledge of the main series at all. You just have to let yourself go and appreciate the fairy tales in this story, new/old/retold that are fantastical and wonderful.
9.5/10

3. Finally, "The Namesake." I bought this novel a long time ago at Powell Books in Portland after watching the movie, but had left it on my shelf for a very long time. In May I decided to start reading it during my breaks at work. It took me a rather long time to finish - not solely because I was only getting half-hour sessions, but because it is written so descriptively and carefully that you can't miss a single word on a single page for fear of throwing off the entire flow of the story. Even if at times I felt the incredible amount of detail and absence of dialogue more-or-less daunting, I grew accustomed to it quickly, and was then able to enjoy it for what it was. If you read the first page you will quickly understand what I mean.
8/10