Finn by Jon Clinch
Since I read Adventures of Huckleberry Finn as my classic this year, what better way to do the Remix square then to find a retelling of the book I had just finished. The original would be fresh in my mind and I’d have a place to jump off from. I found Finn at the local book barn, and since it was only $5.00 for the hardcover, what was the harm? The premise was intriguing….a whole book from Huck’s father’s perspective….and for full disclosure, I was taken […]
Revenge by Stephen Fry
(DOUBLE BINGO – corners and center, top left to bottom right I think the reason that this reworking of The Count of Monte Cristo works so well is because (at least per the afterword) Stephen Fry didn’t realize he was adapting the book until midway through writing it, thinking he was only writing a tale of the utter devastation of an innocent man and his revenge against those who had wronged him once he recovered from rock bottom. I tend to believe this as I’ve […]
Fables: Legends in Exile by Bill Willingham
Bingo Square: Illustrated I admit, I’d been kind of holding off on the Illustrated category because if it hadn’t been its own square, graphic novels could have easily been my “Not in My Wheelhouse” square. I figured I’d probably do one of the ones dealing with issues, like Persepolis or Maus, but after Behold the Dreamers, I needed a nice, entertaining read as a palate cleanser. The two graphic novel series that have stuck in my head after countless positive CBR reviews were Fables and […]
Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld
Bingo Notes: This is my Remix square. It’s a modern retelling of Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen. Eligible tells the story of a modern Bennet family, set in Cincinnati, Ohio and updated to include things like Reality TV, CrossFit, and the trans community. In this telling, Liz is a magazine writer, Jane is a yoga instructor, Kitty & Lydia both work at a CrossFit gym, and Mary is hiding away completing one Master’s Degree after another. This story opens with the sisters more spread out (Jane […]
Gilgamesh Retold by Jenny Lewis
This is a retelling of the 4,000-year-old Epic of Gilgamesh, in which Gilgamesh, king of Uruk, abuses his power and insults the gods. The punishment he receives for his hubris subsequently leads him on a quest for immortality. I discovered this book by chance and bought it more or less on a whim, and wow, what a find. I only seldom read poetry, but this one captivated me from the start. The plot is pretty simple and straightforward, but it is all imbued with so […]
The Tea Master and the Detective by Aliette de Bodard
With my last review, of Pierce Brown’s Red Rising, I spent a bit of time musing on what might helps you decide whether or not to start new book series, and what compels you to continue. In the case of Aliette de Bodard’s The Tea Master and The Detective, I didn’t so much choose to start a new series as much as I stumbled into one. Thankfully, most of the books in the Xuya Universe can be read as stand alones, because as it […]
