On my never-ending quest for all things graphic (my new form of crack), I was at the library recently and spotted this trilogy. I first read about it over at Gavin's place at Page 247, and I've never forgotten the arresting visuals. I sat down and knocked them all out in a matter of days. (Side note: This is one of many reasons why graphic novels are so incredible, and why you really need to get on this bandwagon. They pack a huge punch emotionally, because they are so visual and often well-written at the same time. And you can normally read them in one or two sittings.)
Synopsis: In Korea, Kim Dong Hwa is highly revered as the standard in graphic novels, called "manhwa". The Color Trilogy is his first work translated and sold in the US, and tells a story of a young girl's coming-of-age in nineteenth century Korea, and her relationship with her widowed mother.
In The Color of Earth, we first meet Ehwa, who lives with her mother in a small village. Her mother runs the local tavern, and is a beautiful but lonely woman. Ehwa has just started feeling stirrings of adolescence, and harbors her first crush on a young monk boy. At the same time, her mother meets a mysterious and handsome traveling artist, and Ehwa observes her mother in love, an emotion in which she is has a sudden interest. The onset of puberty is explored as we see the young monk experience his first wet dream and Ehwa's first period. The novel ends when a new love interest of Ehwa's, a enigmatic student, leaves the village to return to school, and she is crushed.
In The Color of Water, Ehwa becomes a somewhat difficult teenager, and is often moody. She longs to have the attention of a young man, and spends her energy on wondering who she will marry. She becomes agitated (and jealous?) at her mother's obsession with the continuing visits from the traveling artist. Ehwa learns about the birds and the bees from a precocious and promiscuous childhood girlfriend. She finally meets the man of her dreams in Duksam, who must leave at the end of the book to earn money so they can be married.
In The Color of Heaven, most of the plot is spent focused on Ehwa and her mother's constant longing and waiting for the men in their lives to come back to them. They find common ground in their angst, and begin to relate to each other as equals. The men eventually do return, and Ehwa is married.
Not only does this trilogy address all of the confusion and excitement of the transition from child to adult, it also gently reveals many different Korean customs, as well as local foods, roles in the family unit, attitudes towards single women, arranged marriages, sexual taboos and social order. Hwa also incorporates a great deal of symbolism and metaphors with a multitude of text and images dedicated to the blossoming of flowers, ripening fruit, and butterflies.
My thoughts: The Color Trilogy is unlike any of the graphic novels I've read before. It is seeped in Korean culture and beautiful images of the countryside.
The book is also very straightforward in its depiction of sexual awakening. It is a little disarming because there are pictures, but also refreshing in its honestly. For this reason, this could be an excellent book to give to a teenager (I think at 12, my daughter might be still too young) - just make sure you read it first so you can use it as an opportunity to discuss.
The artwork was absolutely gorgeous. It seemed, in some of the frames, that actual photographs had been merged with illustration (not sure if it actually was or not), and the result was breathtaking.
I felt like I was getting a mini-tutorial on traditional Korean culture, of which I was completely uneducated. Hwa even added footnotes to some of the dialogue, with explanations of some of the customs.
On the downside, I did grow extremely weary of reading about flowers and butterflies. I completely understood the point, but it was heavy-handed. And I also have to mention one particular sex scene near the end of the last book, taking place between two older townspeople at the same time that Ehwa consummates her marriage, that left me turned off. I didn't think it was necessary, and did not add to the beauty of the story.
Overall, a wonderful graphic novel experience that I would highly recommend.
4 out of 5 stars
Yay! It is finally my turn at this little slice of fun. I am being featured at Kittling: Books weekly feature "Scene of the Blog". Come on over and see all the places I drag my computer and blog on a day-to-day basis. I'll see you over there...
Perhaps the fate of this book was sealed by the fact that I WANTED to listen to Assassination Vacation by Sarah Vowell, but my iPod pooped out. (Therefore I was forced to listen to the only audio I had in physical disc form - this one.) Perhaps it was because it was literally freezing outside and this was a beach book. Whatever the case, this audio was defending itself before I ever started it!
Synopsis: Fifty-something sisters India and Birdie, along with Birdie's two daughters Chess and Tate, retreat to the family cabin on Tuckernuck Island for a month to lick their wounds caused by men. Birdie recently divorced her husband of 30 years. Chess suddenly called off her engagement. Tate has never fallen in love. And India's famous artist husband committed suicide two years prior, leaving India questioning her role in his demise. It is a month to reconnect and rejuvenate. After all, the island has no electricity, no cell coverage, no wireless connections...and all supplies must be transported by boat from nearby Nantucket. (And oh by the way, the dude that delivers their supplies is quite handsome, and is a recent widower...)
Each woman takes turn narrating their present state of mind, their past and how they got to this point in their lives, slowly unraveling each of their own secrets and ghosts. Why did Birdie divorce Grant, and what about her new boyfriend Hank? Why did Chess call off her engagement so suddenly? Why has Tate never found Mr. Right? Who is India involved with now, and what will her family think? Their month on the island also is a study in mother/daughter relationships, and sister/sister relationships, and the dangerous, rocky territory that these relationships are built upon.
My thoughts: When someone mentions the term "book for women" or "chick lit", this is the exact type of book I think of. Women with baggage, emotional angst, the hope of new love, buried secrets, handsome boy toys, mean threatening rich bitches, and happy endings. There is really nothing wrong with a plot like this, as long as that is your expectation. It was easy to listen to this book, because while there were some serious issues and tragedy, it still felt light and unencumbered. I might even call it fluffy.
I started out liking the characters well enough. But as the book progressed, I began to dislike some of them. Chess was always brooding and refusing to discuss her "horrible" secret. She was very self-absorbed. Tate was like a hyper dog and was very jealous and immature. Birdie was a little bit of a doormat. Then there were those very predictable situations where, early in a relationship, there are misunderstandings, nervous lovers refuse to just sit down and talk things out, and ALL IS LOST! Or so they think, but then they work things out and live happily ever after. You know what I'm talking about right?
I did indulge in a fantasy of a family home on a remote island. I guess I might get tired of having to boil water for a bath, but I'd get used to it after awhile. The beach, fishing, cooking over a propane stove, happy hour with Sancerre wine? Yes ma'am. Turns out, there really IS a Tuckernuck Island, which I find intriguing.
Bottom line, this is a perfect beach read. Pack it in your duffel, get sunscreen on it if you want, then leave it at the condo you are renting.
A word about the audio production: The narrator for this book was Denice Hicks, who is new to me. I was not altogether impressed with her narration. Her voice was almost too sticky sweet, and it never varied. She was reading for four different characters, and the vocalization never changed. This would have been one audio where four different narrators would have served well.
3 out of 5 stars
Some friends of the Bumbles are getting ready to take the plunge and build a house (something my husband and I have never attempted!) and were checking out Molly and Andy's handiwork. Which of course inspired Molly to come up with this week's topic...movies about building. And it doesn't necessarily have to be about building houses or skyscrapers. This is a chance to get creative, but there are only so many of those brain cells firing at 5:30 in the morning. This is what you get today from me:
1. The Social Network - building Facebook
2. The Wall - building an imaginary wall between yourself and reality
3. Tucker: The Man and His Dream - building an ultimately ill-fated supercar
4. Iron Man - building a cool flight suit
5. Miracle - building a hockey team that would defeat the Russians and win the 1980 Olympics
I'm excited to see what ideas come from this topic today. What are some of your ideas?
A cold, snowy Sunday to you all out there. How many of you are under? Quite a few I've heard. We aren't "under" per se, but it did get a bit nippy last night. I got a little cocky this week with Caite, bragging about how I could lay out by the pool and drink fruity drinks in the warm Florida weather, so that is what I get. Bad Karma.
So the kids were back to school this week, and not a moment too soon. I got a chance to do some serious walking, attempting to work off lobster tails, cheese fondue, cheesy mashed potatoes and my husband's mixed drinks. Beyond that, I persisted in lining up visits from various worker boys. Estimates on stuff, the all-exciting cable provider visit for an upcoming 3D HD TV, scheduling furniture pick-up, all that business. I am also attempting to finalize the school library volunteer schedule for the last half of the year, with people dropping like flies. New football league for my son, with practices from 6pm to 8pm. I swear I didn't sit down and read for more than five minutes a day, and it is cramping my style.
Anyone getting excited for the new season of American Idol? I am. If only to see if these three can pull off some chemistry and make us forget Simon. And while I am going through my Entertainment Weekly, I must add that I am half-disgusted, half-tickled that they are calling Selena Gomez "Justin Bieber's cougar". I'm easily entertained...it doesn't take much.
A few books that smacked me upside the head and said "READ ME" (after the TBR Dare, that is): Swamplandia! by Karen Russell (I don't know, it is a Florida thing I guess) and The Sentry by Robert Crais (hard-body, strong-and-silent, tattooed Joe Pike makes my motor hum). And then of course, I got an e-mail from Rhapsody Jill, the temptress, with things I must read after The Dare as well. It is going to take three years to dig myself out of the hole after The Dare, haha!
So, because of the walking, I managed to finish Freedom on audio. If you held a gun to my head, I'm not sure I could tell you how I feel. Gonna have to let it simmer and stew and see what is left. Some good feelings, some not so good. I also completed, in about a day and a half, Moonlight Mile by Dennis Lehane. Not mind-blowing, but entertaining. Now I am a few discs into Pray for Silence by Linda Castillo, the sequel to Sworn to Silence which I reviewed this week.
And yet I LABOR over the printed novel, The Lake of Dreams by Kim Edwards. Going on what? Close to two weeks now? It really isn't bad, but is not captivating enough to make me sit down and focus. The slow pace makes me want to rip out my hairs. You'd think I could work up the cajones to stop the bleeding and cast it aside, but I can't because I've heard good things about the book.
So next week the husband turns 50, so I must cater to him. I've got a book club meeting on Ape House by Sarah Gruen. I'm supposed to facilitate the discussion this time, but it will be difficult since I hated the book! I'm hoping to golf, provided we have decent weather. And I'm going to finish this printed book if it kills me. Goals are our friends!
I hope you are quickly able to dig yourself out of wherever you are. If not, build a fire, make some hot chocolate and read a book!
With Apple's attempt (a successful one, I'm thinking) of Total World Domination, I am sure there are a few of you out there that received Devices for Christmas...iTouch, iPhone, iPad? So I thought it would be a good time to offer this public service announcement with a few apps that I've found quite helpful in my day-to-day life:
1. Weatherbug (Free) - Ask my friends, I have an obsession with the weather. Florida, as a rule, is pretty consistent with its temp, but the rain is what drives me crazy, especially with football practice, the golf game, and yard work. Enter Weatherbug. It not only provides the current temp and various stats, but the seven day forecast (hourly if you'd like), the current radar map which you can zoom on to your neighborhood, and even live camera footage from places around town.
2. AllRecipes (Free) and Epicurious (Free) - meal plan on the run! Access thousands of recipes for anything and everything. Epi even will create a shopping list for you from the recipes you choose.
3. Open Table (Free) - I am assuming you have all heard of this, but if not, you must partake. Say you are laying around your house on Saturday at 4:00pm, and you decide you want to go out to dinner. Dang it, it is too late to find an open reservation! Not with Open Table. You plug in what time, how many people, and it will give you all openings for restaurants within a specified mile range. And it will make a reservation for you. You earn points every time you use it, for cash back. Greatest thing since sliced bread.
4. Angry Birds (99 cents) - Beware all you obsessive personalities. Slingshot various angry birds at blockaded pigs that snort and snigger at you. Crush those pigs. It is excellent stress relief and the best buck you will ever spend. (There is an Angry Birds Lite for free...test it out. But it is worth the buck for the full deal.)
5. Have2P (Free) - Have you ever had those moments where you HAVE TO GO and there are no bathrooms to be found? Get this app. Whether you are at a mall or in the middle of nowhere, it will show you the quickest path to relief.
6. Point Inside (Free) - I probably should have given this to you right after Thanksgiving. Sorry. But it has detailed maps for every mall and airport known to man. Never again will you need to race manically through an entire mall to find a Starbucks.
7. .Parking (99 cents) - This is another one that probably would have been useful during the holidays. For any of you that have lost your car downtown, or at a large shopping mall, this will solve your problems. Via GPS, mark the location of your car, and the app will lead you back to it when you are ready to leave!
8. Common Sense Media (Free) - Reviews on movies, video games, websites, apps, books, etc. from a parent's perspective. This provides rankings from one to five on messages, role models, violence, sex, language, consumerism and drugs, and offers what parents need to know, and what families can talk about. My kids are at the age right now where they are attempting to push the envelope, and this app gives me quick and practical advice on what is appropriate and what isn't.
9. Pizza Hut (Free) - Plant yourself in your comfy chair, declare yourself on strike from making dinner, and pull up your Pizza Hut app to order your meal. It is sloth at its best. You will have to register before you order, and I found I couldn't do that on my phone, it had to be done on the computer. Still.
10. Yelp (Free) - You want to find something, you've got it. Plug in the name of whatever (restaurant, theater, attraction, etc.) and not only will you get the address and reviews on the place, but a live map and directions. If you are on a road trip and you need to find a grocery store, just type "grocery store" and it will show you everything in your area. You want pizza, type "pizza" and it will give you choices, with a million reviews on which one is best. It is a beautiful thing.
Which ones are your favorites? I'm always looking for the newest and most clever.
In a previous life, I was a murder mystery addict. Seriously, that is all I read. And when I locked into a series, I was in it for better or worse. After about ten years of that, I began to get tired of the predictable, formulaic trends I was seeing, and moved onto other pastures. Before I moved on, though, I threw a few of my favorite series into my baggage, and am always on the lookout for new material. Caite recently reviewed Pray for Silence by Linda Castillo, a part of a murder mystery series that takes place in Ohio Amish country. It was enough of a hook to inspire me to try it. Sworn to Silence is the first in the series and luckily found it on audio at my library.
Synopsis: When Kate Burkholder was 14, she experienced a horrifying encounter with a serial killer that left her alive but scarred for life. As a result, she cast aside her Amish heritage and joined the "English" community, became a police officer, and is now the Chief of Police in her hometown of Painter's Mill. In a town where the biggest problem she has is the occasional wayward cow on the road, the community is turned upside down when the body of a naked and slaughtered young woman is found. The body has all the same markings as the serial murder from Kate's past. Could this be the same person?
Although Kate is a smart, competent police officer, she is a woman, and the town's leaders decide to bring in outside help to compensate for Kate's perceived inexperience. Enter BCI agent John Tomasetti, a mysterious, smouldering dude with secrets and baggage of his own. As the killer escalates, the murders get more and more gruesome, and it becomes obvious that Kate may possibly have to sacrifice her career, her family and her long-hidden secrets to save the next victim.
My thoughts: In many ways, I've read this story a thousand times. Everyone has secrets. Attractive, competent woman is instantly repelled by dark, mysterious man. But then they hook up and become a team for the greater good. There are red herrings, and ultimately a really evil antagonist is revealed. A colorful secondary cast of characters. Gratuitous, out-doing the competition gore. Some pretty bad dialogue. I found very little in the story that would be considered a surprise or a plot twist.
But there are also some elements that make this story stand out. The first would be its unique setting of an Amish community. Because the character of Kate lived as an Amish youth, she has insight into their customs, and as a reader, we are treated to a little bit of an education on their way of life. Combine that goodness, that pureness of the Amish people, with a series of incredibly vicious, over-the-top murders? It is a shocking contrast, and one you don't see often in murder mystery literature.
The characters were well-drawn and entertaining as well. Not only is Kate likable, but her staff is as well. Her eager beaver, CSI-wannabe dispatch operator Mona, her semi-retired piss-and-vinegar officer Pickles, and ex-military badass officer Glock all pepper the story with humanity and humor. I wouldn't mind hanging around to see them again.
Are these positives, burdened by an overused plot and trite dialogue, enough to carry a series? Time will tell. I have the second book in the installment, Pray for Silence, on my iPod, waiting to provide an answer.
A word about the audio production: The narrator for Sworn to Silence is Kathleen McInerney, a narrator I've listened to before (Love the One You're With by Emily Giffin) and is experienced in the area of children's literature on audio. I remember enjoying her narration of the Giffin novel, but had small irritations with this one. Her vocal portrayal of the dudeish John Tomasetti was breathy and low, kind of like a lounge lizard, and the ridiculousness of it made me laugh. It instantly turned Tomasetti into a caricature, and it was hard for me to take him seriously. Beyond that however, she did a decent job. I think she would be better suited, however, for women's or children's fiction.
3 out of 5 stars
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In The Color of Water, Ehwa becomes a somewhat difficult teenager, and is often moody. She longs to have the attention of a young man, and spends her energy on wondering who she will marry. She becomes agitated (and jealous?) at her mother's obsession with the continuing visits from the traveling artist. Ehwa learns about the birds and the bees from a precocious and promiscuous childhood girlfriend. She finally meets the man of her dreams in Duksam, who must leave at the end of the book to earn money so they can be married.
In The Color of Heaven, most of the plot is spent focused on Ehwa and her mother's constant longing and waiting for the men in their lives to come back to them. They find common ground in their angst, and begin to relate to each other as equals. The men eventually do return, and Ehwa is married.
