The Attribute of Poetry by Elisa Galgut

Synopsis:

These deeply felt poems are at once plain-speaking and alive with complexity; Galgut's elegant response to both pain and loveliness is inspiring. Elisa Galgut teaches in the Department of Philosophy at the University of Cape Town. She has a PhD in Philosophy from Rutgers University and a Masters in Creative Writing from the University of Cape Town. Her poetry has appeared in local literary journals and anthologies. She lives in Cape Town.

Rating:★★★

Review:

This actually started off pretty strong for me but it quickly went down hill from there, then I found myself on this weird roller coaster ride between love & hate. I just found myself in an unusual position while reading this, which was confusion. I've never had the problem reading poetry so it was a little unnerving to say the least. Most of the poems were enjoyable and the use of nature was very beautiful, but the others were just confusing. I can't in good conscience recommend this seeing that I was fairly confused during this book but you may see something that I didn't. May the force be with you!

Rat Queens Vol. 1: Sass & Sorcery by Kurtis J. Wiebe

Synopsis:

Collects RAT QUEENS #1-5
Who are the Rat Queens? A pack of booze-guzzling, death-dealing battle maidens-for-hire, and they're in the business of killing all god's creatures for profit. It's also a darkly comedic sass-and-sorcery series starring Hannah the Rockabilly Elven Mage, Violet the Hipster Dwarven Fighter, Dee the Atheist Human Cleric and Betty the Hippy Smidgen Thief. This modern spin on an old school genre is a violent monster-killing epic that is like Buffy meets Tank Girl in a Lord of the Rings world on crack!

Rating: ★★★★★

Review:

Ladies and gentlemen can we say band wagon?? I surprisingly loved this!!! I feared that this was going to fall victim to "the hype" but instead it actually lived up to it. I was shocked but pleased to find out that this was an adult/mature content graphic novel, instead of teenager content.

I loved the short but self explanatory introductions of each member of the Rat Queens. Also, I liked how we got little glimpses into their past lives before they were a group throughout the book. In my opinion it makes you feel closer and more sympathetic towards the characters this way. (P.S. Sawyer was pretty fine for a fictional character😍😍💦)

 The graphics blew me away from the beginning and the conversations between the characters took me to a completely new level. I had laughs, awe moments, wtf moments, and omg moments so it goes without saying that I recommend this. I leave you for the night with one final phrase, "Shut the fuck up Gary!" 😂 (If you don't pick this up you'll never know what I'm talking about.)

Allerleirauh by Chantal Gadoury

Synopsis:

In the kingdom of Tranen, a king makes a promise to his dying wife that he'll only remarry a woman who possesses her golden hair. In time, the king's eyes are turned by his daughter. Realizing her father’s intentions, Princess Aurelia tries to trick him by requesting impossible gifts: dresses created by the sun, moon and stars, and a coat made of a thousand furs. But when he is successful, Aurelia sacrifices her privileged life and flees her kingdom, disguised by the cloak and a new name, Allerleirauh. 

She enters the safe haven of Saarland der Licht, where the handsome and gentle Prince Klaus takes her under his care. Hoping not to be discovered by her father’s courtiers, Allerleirauh tries to remain hidden under her new identity when she finds unexpected love with Prince Klaus, even though his arranged marriage to the princess of a neighboring kingdom approaches. Risking everything, Allerleirauh must face her troubled past and her fears of the future along her journey to self-acceptance in this triumphant retelling of the classic Grimm Fairy Tale.

Publishing Co.: The Parliament House
Release Date: August 22, 2017
Rating: ★★★★

Review:

I was sent an eARC copy of this book from the author, Chantal Gadoury, and Parliament House publishing company in exchange for my honest review. I waited to read this book until December because it seemed like good 'wintery' type read to get me in the winter spirit.

I loved some many things about this book but there were a few things that I didn't like. I loved all of the rising action leading up to the climax of the story and I mean you could really see the build up to the big bang. I really feel like the amount of imagery used in this was very well done because I could close my eyes and visualize just about everything I was reading.

I genuinely caught feelings for the characters, good for some & bad for others. Chantal did a good job of making you want to get involved in the story, just to slap some sense into some of the characters. I got pretty emotional for some parts, especially the rape scene because it was a quite graphic and brutal scene. *Which brings me to warn those of you who may have rape triggers, even though there's only one scene I wouldn't feel right not mentioning it* I really appreciated the fact that Allerleirauh didn't open up right away to prince Klaus instead she actually was relatable and struggled with the fear of revealing herself and her past. 

Now lets get into what I didn't like about this book. I just find it really hard to believe that no one recognized her once she was out of the coat, it was just too much naiveness for me to handle. I also started to grow tiresome and bored of Klaus and Allerleirauh's courtship of sorts, it started to drag on in some places and it felt a bit dry. But at the same time I'm glad it was not love at first sight and there was no love triangle, which I was expecting to happen. 

I was expecting more of a search party from Tranen once Allerleirauh disappeared, seeing that she was only in the next town over, but it's almost like she was forgotten by the kingdom until it was convenient for the story. I stared to feel like I was reading almost an entirely different book once Allerleirauh escaped from what I was reading when she was still in Tranen. I also wish I got more of that feeling of urgency to actually hide from Allerleirauh, mind you it had only been a few days, not months, before she decided to do away with the coat.

Thankfully, by the end of the book I was grinning from ear to ear at 2:30 in the morning. Also, the ending reminded me a lot of One Night With the King. 

To sum everything up, this was savage yet swoon worth, and sorry but a little of the story was expected(but it didn't really bother me). I think the good of this story outweigh's the bad, or at least balances it out, so I definitely recommend this wonderful retelling.

A Christmas Gift by Stella Wilkinson

Synopsis:

Holly and Caleb had been best friends as children, growing up on the same street, but as teenagers they couldn't be further apart. When Caleb unexpectedly asked Holly to help him pick out a Christmas gift for his girlfriend, neither of them anticipated where it would lead. 
A young adult romantic comedy, from Stella Wilkinson, acclaimed author of The Flirting Games Series. 

A Christmas Gift is a "clean" romance, suitable for ALL ages

Rating:★★★½

Review:

This was really cute but also really cheesy, but I guess that's to be expected when this is a holiday love story. I felt like this took me on a trip back to high school, just seeing all of the drama unfolding and seeing Holly struggle between wanting to remain herself and wanting to be accepted.

There was one thing I didn't agree with and I felt was just the worst thing you could ever tell a 16 year old or a person period and that was the advice from Holly's mother to Holly. She told her she should changer her appearance to be more acceptable for a boy. You should never teach a girl that it is okay to change the way you look just for the acceptance a boy or for anyone for that matter. I feel like that's teaching girls not to be comfortable in their own skin or with themselves.

Besides that I think this was a cute but predictably cheesy short story.

The Pocahontas-John Smith Story by: Pocahontas Wight Edmunds

Synopsis:

The Pocahontas-John Smith Story tells the story of the famous romance, written by a descendant of Pocahontas.

Rating:★

Review:

I'm sad to say that I am very disappointed in this book since I am one that is very interested in the real, non-Disney version, of Pocahontas. First, I think the introductory is completely unnecessary because it's only author explaining how she is a decedent of Pocahontas and where Pocahontas's final resting place may or may not be. I personally did not need to know all of that and it didn't contribute to the book at all.

The main reason I'm disappointed is because the book, in my opinion, is not at all about Pocahontas and John Smith's relationship with each other, give or take a couple pages. It's basically about how England came over and then quickly took over. 

The first half of the book is mostly about John Smith alone and how he was trying to rise up the chain of command even thought he was not very well liked among the other Englishmen, but he was tolerated because he had a way with the Indians that no one else could quite understand. I feel cheated because the only meeting we have with him and Pocahontas is when they first met and how she and other women put on a show for him and his men, which only lasted maybe 4 pages all together. One good thing I got out of this was that I did come to understand that John looked at Pocahontas as a little sister more than a love interest but she seemed to have a crush on him. So I got to define the relationship that Disney completely ransacked.

Then the second half is about this John Rolfe person and Pocahontas and how the got married and had children, which I knew nothing about.

The sentence structure is really bad and I usually don't pay attention to stuff like that, especially since I think this was converted from someone's actual journal, but it was just really hard to ignore here. And this reads almost exactly like someone's journal, copied and pasted, except a few things are changed around so it wouldn't be a complete train wreck but it's still pretty bad to read. I just wish it would have been edited better because if you don't pay close attention it will start to sound like gibberish.   

I think it goes without saying that I DO NOT recommend this to anyone, not even my worst enemy.

An Absent Mind by: Eric Rill

Synopsis:

An Absent Mind, a riveting new novel from Eric Rill, author of Pinnacle of Deceit and The Innocent Traitor, is about a race against time. The ticking time bomb is Saul Reimer's sanity. His Alzheimer's is going to be the catalyst that will either bring his family together or tear it apart. Although An Absent Mind depicts Saul's arduous struggle with Alzheimer's, it is equally a story about his relationship with his loved ones and their shared journey. 

Seventy-one, and a man used to controlling those around him, Saul finds himself helplessly slipping into the abyss in what he describes as his slow dance with death. As we listen in on his ramblings, humor, emotions, lucid moments, and confusion, we are also privy to the thoughts and feelings his family share with us-his wife, Monique, conflicted and depressed; caring, yet angry; his daughter, Florence, compassionate, worried about her father's health, yet proper and reserved; his son, Joey, self-centered and narcissistic, seemingly distant from his family's challenges. And Dr. Tremblay, Saul's Alzheimer's specialist, who provides the reader with facts and observations about this dreaded disease that imprisons more than 35 million people worldwide. 

We know from the beginning how it has to end for Saul, because no one has ever outsmarted Alzheimer's. But how will he navigate the meandering road that will eventually destroy his health and result in his death? And how will it affect those around him as they live with strain and guilt, while at the same time being forced to face their own demons? These questions are answered expertly by the author as he explores the conflicts that rise to the surface as the family deals with Saul's dementia. 

Eric Rill's novel is reminiscent of Lisa Genova's Still Alice, Nicholas Sparks The Notebook, and Alice Munro's Away From Her. Although a beautiful work of literary fiction, An Absent Mind will expose the reader to the reality of Alzheimer's.

Rating:★★★★

Review:

This novel really knows how to draw you in and it just captivates you. An Absent Mind is broken into 3 parts; The Discovery, Coping, & The Final Stop, which I really think helps make the plot seem faster paced. It is also told from multiple perspective of the family members involved, so you get the chance to see how Alzheimer's affects everyone involved and not just the patient. 

I felt really compassionate towards Saul in the beginning watching him go through all of his test and seeing how everyone changed their interactions with him. I felt like he was a part of my family and it hit home watching all of his mood swings and confused moments. But then we got to the one part that I absolutely hated which was the fact that I felt like we were supposed to ignore the fact that Saul was abusive towards Monique, his wife, way before the Alzheimer's. She literally said he pretty much bought her and she kind of learned to love him over time. He belittles her, he alienated her from her french speaking friends just because HE couldn't understand what they were saying, and he was overbearing and controlling. Plus he's a bit sexist in my opinion because he refused to allow her to get a college degree but has the nerve to treat her like she's stupid (mental & emotional abuse as clear as day). I went from being compassionate of Saul to hating him as a person because of how little he thought about his wife. I understand the disease is making him paranoid, angry, and confused but he didn't have to disrespect her the way he did. I'm wondering why did she stay married to him as long as she did, and as a matter of fact if he was like this in the beginning, why did she marry him at all?

I really liked how Eric Rill took the time to explain to his readers, that may not know exactly what Alzheimer's is, it's effects in a non-textbook way. I loved that the plot was fast paced and didn't drag on, even though it's not a long book anyways(276pgs). It made me feel like I was reading through this book super fast which really helped my reading-self-esteem.

I REALLY REALLY!!! recommend that people read this because this truly is an amazing book.

#NotYourPrincess: Voices of Native American Women By: Lisa Charleyboy and Marybeth Leatherdale

Synopsis:

Whether looking back to a troubled past or welcoming a hopeful future, the powerful voices of Indigenous women across North America resound in this book. In the same style as the best-selling Dreaming in Indian, #NotYourPrincess presents an eclectic collection of poems, essays, interviews, and art that combine to express the experience of being a Native woman. Stories of abuse, humiliation, and stereotyping are countered by the voices of passionate women making themselves heard and demanding change. Sometimes angry, often reflective, but always strong, the women in this book will give teen readers insight into the lives of women who, for so long, have been virtually invisible.

Rating:★★★★★

Review:

I honestly did not plan on reading this in one sitting but shit happens. I wanted to read Dreaming In Indian but I'm having trouble finding it at my library which is how I bumped into this beauty. This was such a beautiful book and I don't mean just the words that I read. There were so many beautiful pictures and often whole pages that were designed with such talent, I was in awe. 

I feel like I learned so much and got the chance to know so many different people from reading this and that goes to show you just how personalized this book was. I loved that this was made from so many different formats. There was poetry, interview articles, personal background retellings, and some pages that even looked like comic strips.

 I just absolutely loved this 😍😍😍 and I recommend this for everyone to read because I think this was a really powerful read.