Take a photo of a barcode or cover
audaciaray's reviews
1618 reviews
Stitches by David Small
5.0
I tore through this gorgeous book in an afternoon. Such a perfect balance of graphic and novel - with beautiful illustrations that make contemplative silence throughout the book. A great example of a well-paced story, and just an awesome read.
Ladies Coupé by Anita Nair
3.0
I really wanted to love this book - I picked it up in Delhi at an English-language bookshop when I was there in September because it was on the store's recommended list. It's a quick, engaging read that is essentially a feminist tome disguised as chick lit. But somehow, I just felt like the characters were a bit flat. To paraprhase what another reviewer says, the basic arc for pretty much all the characters is, "first I did what was expected of me, and I was miserable - then I did what I wanted to do, and I was happier."
Secrets of the Sideshows by Joe Nickell
1.0
The research that Joe Nickell did for this book is exhaustive and impressive, and the images within the book are fantastic - and there are lots of them.
That said: I was really disappointed by the book's lack of depth. Maybe it's because (ok, not maybe) I have somewhat academic inclinations, but I felt really frustrated by the lack of analysis in this book. It was basically a prose-y list of sideshow acts over the years, and the years are often all tangled together, with mentions of acts that happened in the late nineteenth century and mid-twentieth century right next to each to each other. There's no analysis of how these acts mean and how that meaning may have changed over the last 150 years or so. There's no analysis of the dynamics of race, gender, class, ability, and otherness - analysis which I would've really loved to see because there's such an incredible cast of characters that quickly parade through the book, and Nickell obviously knows a whole hell of a lot about sideshows.
Instead of Secrets of the Sideshow, I recommend
[b:Freak Show: Presenting Human Oddities for Amusement and Profit|8974|Freak Show Presenting Human Oddities for Amusement and Profit|Robert Bogdan|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1165847255s/8974.jpg|11869] if you're looking for cultural history and [b:Geek Love|13872|Geek Love A Novel|Katherine Dunn|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41ZCMK1PTVL._SL75_.jpg|1474375] if you're looking for great fiction. Both are well-written and have much more depth to them.
That said: I was really disappointed by the book's lack of depth. Maybe it's because (ok, not maybe) I have somewhat academic inclinations, but I felt really frustrated by the lack of analysis in this book. It was basically a prose-y list of sideshow acts over the years, and the years are often all tangled together, with mentions of acts that happened in the late nineteenth century and mid-twentieth century right next to each to each other. There's no analysis of how these acts mean and how that meaning may have changed over the last 150 years or so. There's no analysis of the dynamics of race, gender, class, ability, and otherness - analysis which I would've really loved to see because there's such an incredible cast of characters that quickly parade through the book, and Nickell obviously knows a whole hell of a lot about sideshows.
Instead of Secrets of the Sideshow, I recommend
[b:Freak Show: Presenting Human Oddities for Amusement and Profit|8974|Freak Show Presenting Human Oddities for Amusement and Profit|Robert Bogdan|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1165847255s/8974.jpg|11869] if you're looking for cultural history and [b:Geek Love|13872|Geek Love A Novel|Katherine Dunn|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41ZCMK1PTVL._SL75_.jpg|1474375] if you're looking for great fiction. Both are well-written and have much more depth to them.
Half Broke Horses: A True-Life Novel by Jeannette Walls
4.0
I loved the Glass Castle, and I hope that Jeannette Walls continues to mine her family history for her books. Half Broke Horses did not disappoint - the character of Jeannette's grandmother is lovingly rendered, and I really loved reading a tale of the American southwest in the first half of the twentieth century. A fast, well-told read that will definitely stick with me.
I Saw You...: Comics Inspired by Real Life Missed Connections by Shaenon Garrity, Abby Denson, MariNaomi, Tom Hart, Laura Park, Janelle Hessig, Julia Wertz, Corinne Mucha, Minty Lewis, David Malki, Rodd Perry, Sarah Glidden, Gabrielle Bell, Shannon Wheeler, Peter Bagge, Joey Sayers, Damien Jay, Jesse Reklaw, Keith Knight, Emily Flake, Kazimir Strzepek, Aaron Renier, Austin English, Sam Henderson, Ken Dahl, Alec Longstreth
3.0
In addition to the fact that I'm nosey and something of a voyeur of craigslist, this book is really lovely because it demonstrates the art of understated storytelling.
Not connected to this book, but see also Sophie Blackall's weekly Missed Connections art blog: http://missedconnectionsny.blogspot.com/
Not connected to this book, but see also Sophie Blackall's weekly Missed Connections art blog: http://missedconnectionsny.blogspot.com/
The Adderall Diaries by Stephen Elliott
4.0
I'm not sure if I *liked* the Adderall Diaries, per se. But the writing is great, and it's a book that I'll definitely be thinking about a lot in the future.
The Magicians by Lev Grossman
5.0
Grossman is a great and lush writer: his characters and descriptions really spring to life. The Magicians is a fantastic book that is alternately stimulating to the magic-coveting geek in me, while also being a somewhat dark coming of age story. Its book that I will be forcing on my friends with great enthusiasm.
Asterios Polyp by David Mazzucchelli
2.0
The form of this graphic is lovely and intriguing. The characters and narrative, however, are okay at best. I'm all about the graphic novel as a literary and artistic form, for sure. However, the writing and story shouldn't be an afterthought, as it seems to be in this book. The main character is not very likeable, but not in a pointed way either. The story arc was not especially inspired - there are some interesting issues presented throughout, but the characters don't really confront/struggle with them.