Boo! With a little bit of cute, dark and funny thrown in! {Anya's Ghost by Vera Brogsol}

Be careful when the cutesy turns sinister ...

Back blurb of Anya's Ghost by Vera Brogsol*: Anya could really use a friend. But her new BFF isn't kidding about the "Forever" part. Of all the things Anya expected to find at the bottom of an old well, a new friend was not one of them. Especially not a new friend who’s been dead for a century. Falling down a well is bad enough, but Anya's normal life might actually be worse. She's embarrassed by her family, self-conscious about her body, and she's pretty much given up on fitting in at school. A new friend—even a ghost—is just what she needs. Or so she thinks. Spooky, sardonic, and secretly sincere, Anya's Ghost is a wonderfully entertaining debut from author/artist Vera Brosgol.

My two cents

So I was reading the densely packed Snow by Orhan Pamuk and was fresh off the amazing Of Love and Other Demons by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. While I can't deny that Read Nobels Challenge 2016 is upping my reading game, it's heavy stuff. Good but heavy. So to break it up, I picked up this graphic novel.

But look closely at the cover ... and lo and behold, Neil Gaiman loves this book! I can't think of higher praise. So off I go into the pages of this quirky ghost story.

This starts out with an introduction to Anya's angsty teenage life, spiced up by the fact that she had made her Russian immigrant self American enough to actually fit in and be cool. She has one close friend, who is every bit as interesting as herself but who gets on her nerves (probably as much as her friend gets on Anya's nerves, you do know that teenage friendships are complicated, right?) One day, Anya accidentally falls into an old well.

In the middle of darkness and scared to death, she is befriended by ... yes, a ghost of a young woman called Emily Reilly! With the ghost's help, Anya is able to get out of the well. A friendship develops between Anya and the ghost getting help in daily things, school, boys, and just hanging out. Over time, Anya learns about the ghost's sad past and Anya vows to help Emily. Then it all takes a pretty bizarre, even sinister turn, when Anya realizes that Emily may not be the Casper, the friendly ghost, she hoped for. True circumstances and motives are revealed ... you'll want to find out!

*** 

I'm not a huge graphic novel reader but admit it is a genre I'd like to get more into. Short text with amazing graphics holds a charm and appeal to me. This one was a nice surprise on so many fronts.

For one, I like listening to author recommendations and I think Neil Gaiman definitely saw something special about Anya's Ghost! I'm a huge Gaiman fan so I knew it had to have a bit of darkness to it. I thought this was sweet, cute, dark (yes!), and oh-my-goodness, so funny!

Another aspect I enjoyed is that this is cutesy but has real world teenage situations - complicated teenage friendships, the need to fit in, peer pressure, sex (yes, it's implied!). One obvious theme points to the pressures of immigrants to making a new country their new home. This is explored in Anya's own day-to-day struggle of "fending off" her mother's insistence on holding on to her Russian customs, food, and community. While Anya has managed to become "American" enough to fit in, it is contrasted with a younger and newer immigrant who is bullied, made fun of, as he slowly tries to assimilate.

Lastly, the illustrations! Brogsol's cartoons are beautiful and quirky. I love them!

Verdict

A quick and enjoyable read for teenagers and young adults. Those who enjoy quirky graphic novels with a dark twist will surely enjoy this. I'm very curious what Brogsol will churn out next.

Do you read graphic novels? Does this appeal to you?

 

Book Depository

Book Tour: Monsterology by Ernest Drake

Monsterology - The Complete Book of Fabulous Beasts - fabulous embossed and guilded cover, complete with red gems.

This is the second book tour for the Ology World Series, a very popular series of illustrated fantasy books. If you have a fascination for dinosaurs (come on, everyone does), this series takes it a notch higher -- presenting fictional topics as if  they were fact ... in a fun, tactile encyclopedia format.

Monsterology - The Complete Book of Fabulous Beasts by Ernest Drake is the book where I have the distinct memory of  the daughter glued to the Ology World website insisting and adamant, that there have been actual sightings of Big Foot and the Loch Ness monster. She was so excited that we couldn't bear to break the news. Check out some snaps from this wonderfully illustrated book that will keep your kids entertained for hours.

I first showed you Dragonology by Ernest Drake, which is among the most popular posts here. It's pretty obvious that the book is interesting. (But do you want to know the real reason why?)

This second volume, also by Dr. Drake, explores fantastical  creatures. Yetis, unicorns, krakens, griffins ... and more. Mythical? I doubt it. Yes, there have been sightings, yes we know their behaviour, and yes, we have even have samples like sea serpent skin and a feather from a winged horse.

Chockful of trivia, facts and figures, booklets and foldouts, even riddles to tell a sphinx! And lo and behold at the very back, a cabinet of curiosities! Poke around and be amazed!

Yes, you need a passport, of course. What are you thinking?

So, are you ready to find out about all these monsters? Read the letter first. Rethink.

Here's Dr. Drake once more, also the author of Dragonology.

Can you figure out what animal this is?

Awesome map to help you out in your quest to learn more about these monsters!

I always knew unicorn hairs were shiny!

 More unusual creatures!

A secret code to break!

A cabinet or curiosities ... let's take a peek, shall we?

Yeti fur, a feather from a hippogriff ... and is that an insect in amber? Hmmmm ....

Verdict: Thumbs up for this beautifully illustrated encyclopedia of fantastical beasts. Monsters do exist! This book proves it!

Monsterology - The Complete Book of Fabulous Beasts by Ernest Drake is the second volume in the Ology World Series. You know you want to see more ... because I definitely do!

Valentines Book Tour: Morning Star by Nick Bantock

This is my first foray into putting up a video that I actually filmed, so please be nice! :) I simply wanted to show you the beauty of this unique graphic novel and photos just didn't seem to cut it. I haven't read Morning Star yet, so this is just a sneek peak, not a review.

This book was given to me by a good friend who saw that I was totally enamoured with Nick Bantock's work. She had read my review on The Venetian's Wife and had chatted some, and it turned out she had two copies of Morning Star! So thank you, dear Valerie.

Oh, and how apt! This is a love story ... so Happy Hearts Day to you!

Check out the video after the jump!

The Venetian's Wife by Nick Bantock

About The Venetian's Wife: A Strangely Sensual Tale of a Renaissance Explorer, a Computer, and a Metamorphosis by Nick Bantock: Nick Bantock's illustrated novel, The Venetian's Wife, is part love story, part mystery, and part ghostly tale—and an altogether bewitching brew of sensuality and lost treasures. Thoroughly bored with her job at the local museum, Sarah heads to the gallery to take another look at that new drawing, the one she can't stop thinking about, the one of the Hindu god Shiva, who dances...That's when it all begins.

The next day, an e-mail message brings her a job offer: to find the few remaining pieces of a 15th-century adventurer's renowned collection of Indian sculptures. Her employer, curiously, wishes to communicate only by computer. She has no idea who he is or why he wants her. But other mysteries soon preoccupy her, such as the meaning of an enigmatic illuminated manuscript—and the sensual transformation that seems to be overtaking her.

Through her quirkily decorated diary and the artful e-mail exchanges between Sara and her mentor, Nick Bantock has conjured up a richly illustrated tale of a relentless quest, an amorous legacy, and the resonating power of art—a lush, romantic adventure of the soul that tantalizes the reader to the last line.

My two cents

I got a few of you interested in The Venetian's Wife: A Strangely Sensual Tale of a Renaissance Explorer, a Computer, and a Metamorphosis by Nick Bantock in my recent Friday 56. So without much ado, here's my promised post!

The book in one sentence: A bored young art conservator rekindles her passion for life starting with an unlikely encounter with a drawing of the Hindu God Shiva.

My thoughts: This is an unusual book. The title alone gives you an inkling that it's not a typical story. In fact, it may seem such an odd combination that it may put you off. After all, what on earth could these things have in common: a Renaissance Explorer, a Computer, and a Metamorphosis?

But that is exactly what you'll get and there is nothing remotely corny about it. In fact, I found the  experience of flipping through this book quite heady - a combination of romance, a mystery story, the mysticism of India, and rich luxuriant images.

The book opens with the renaissance explorer - a flashback to Niccolo Conti's anguish as he loses his beloved wife. It then comes back to the present-day and Sara Wolfe's arousing encounter with a drawing of Shiva in the museum where she works.

An unlikely correspondence ensues. Someone who has witnessed her extreme reaction in the museum contacts her through email, and she is offered a job: to track down the missing pieces of a 15th-century adventurer's collection of Indian sculptures. Her employer, Niccolo Conti - curiously of the same name as the explorer - insists on communicating solely through the computer. Who is he? Why does he want to communicate only through email?

Curiouser and curiouser.

Like her first encounter with Shiva, Sara surprises herself by willingly accepting the job. Hereon unfolds a beautiful love story of a young Venetian adventurer and his beautiful Indian wife; and out of his love for her, his quest to reunite the pieces of a vast collection of some 40 mystical Indian sculptures that they had acquired in their travels across Persia, India and China.

Through all this, we witness Sara as she travels the world tracking down these sculptures. She finds herself doing the unusual, at loggerheads with an equally persistent group of rival collectors from the Vatican. Slowly, she is transformed from a mousy art conservator, to a gutsy woman who finds herself, her voice, and love.

The illustrations are an integral part of the narrative. Like Griffin and Sabine, the story is told through the exchange of correspondence and personal diary entries. This not only lent a tactile experience, but also gave me the thrill of finding something out, sort of like peeking into someone's old love letters! But unlike Griffin and Sabine, this book accomplishes this mainly through the exchange of emails! The same tactile feeling remains with old yellowed and singed letters written in calligraphy, pages from art gallery catalogs, and beautiful collages of old photos, stamps, and maps. This is the trademark of a Nick Bantock book, and the reason why I absolutely love them!

I am intrigued by how Bantock so deftly weaves art, history, and Hindu mysticism into the storyline. In their own right fascinating; as a combination, even moreso. More subtlely, Bantock touches upon  sexuality and sensuality! Yes, this is actually an homage to sensuality in all its glory!

As for Sara, her character resonates with me. She reminds me of Steve Martin's Mirabelle in Shopgirl -  the insecurity, the unsureness and yet with a burning desire to find meaning and a passion in life. I found her transformation endearing, particularly as she slowly gained confidence in being true to herself and her feelings, and embracing life for all its worth.

Verdict: For the art lover, the mystery lover, and the lover of love stories.

First line: The year is 1496.

Last line: Then to a rattle of thunder, and enveloped in lightning's brilliance, Yasoda, celestial handmaiden to Parvati, rejoined me after over five hundred years of forced separation.

Listen to an interview about The Venetian's wife with the author here:

The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick

Synopsis of The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznik: ORPHAN, CLOCK KEEPER, AND THIEF, twelve-year-old Hugo lives in the walls of a busy Paris train station, where his survival depends on secrets and anonymity. But when his world suddenly interlocks with an eccentric girl and her grandfather, Hugo's undercover life, and his most precious secret, are put in jeopardy. A cryptic drawing, a treasured notebook, a stolen key, a mechanical man, and a hidden message from Hugo's dead father form the backbone of this intricate, tender, and spellbinding mystery.

My thoughts

The book in once sentence: A 12-year-old Parisian orphan makes a startling discovery of a man's true - and astounding - identity.

This is one of the most amazing books I have ever read, and I really, really think you should read it. No, get your own copy!

The story alone will hook you. But add those mesmerizing images ... and they make this book a true gem. I guarantee that you have never seen a book like this, ever. This chunkster (526 pages!) is a story told in both words and pictures. Now the pictures aren't just pretty pictures - they are an essential part of how the story is told. The book alternates in being a flip book, to sections with text like a "typical" book, and strangely enough, somehow capturing the sense of a movie. This rather heady combination just kept me going, going ... and I really didn't want the book to end! To see the opening sequence: click here.

Convinced you yet? Read more after the jump. And a short video on how the book was made.

Our hero is an orphaned 12-year-old boy called Hugo Cabret. He is a shadow in the world, living a anonymous life: he secretly winds up the clocks in the train station, he secretly steals in order to survive, and he secretly loves movies. Until one day, he gets caught stealing toys in the toy booth, and here starts an unlikely friendship with the toy booth owner, a lonely old man and his niece, a young girl about Hugo's age called Isabelle.

Hugo's cloak of anonymity slowly lifts and what follows next is an unlikely mix of revelations. What are those strange drawings in Hugo's treasured notebook? What is this strange drawing of a moonface with a rocket in its eye? What will Hugo's mechanical man, saved from a fire and is Hugo's only link to his father, draw when it is finally fixed? What is Hugo Cabret's invention?

All these converges to the biggest revelation of all. And an unassuming man's identity is finally revealed for all the world to recognize and applaud. In the end, a young orphan boy's life is forever changed.

***

Spoiler here: What makes this book extra special is that there is so much back research done. Look up the various elements that make up the story, and many of them are rooted in reality. The story centres on Georges Méliès, maker of the first science fiction movie, a renowned filmmaker from the 1890s through the 1920s. That strange image on the left is from Méliès's movie A Trip to the Moon. The automaton that draws is not a figment of someone's imagination, it truly existed!

Watch this earlier video of Brian Selznick - both author and illustrator - explaining his book, how he created those beautiful images it, and the story that inspired it. Thank you, Brian, for bringing "The Invention of Hugo Cabret" into this world! This is truly one of my most treasured reads!



Verdict: Need I say it again: This is one of the most amazing books I have ever read, and I really, really think you should read it. No, get your own copy! (And I mean every single one of those words in italics and bold!)

Check out the website for more info, the back story, and more incredible images at the official website:

http://www.theinventionofhugocabret.com/

The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy by Tim Burton

The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy by Tim Burton

The book in one sentence: A hodgepodge of 23 short poems about the poor lives of misshappen oddities, aptly named what they are - Oyster Boy, Staring Girl, Stain Boy, among others.

Voodoo Girl

Staring Girl

Who would you recommend it to: Those who love Tim Burton and his macabre humor. This definitely isn't a book for kids!  

OK bits: Its brevity, its dark humor, its lovely illustrations - all done in trademark Burton style. This book is so much more than what it seems, a commentary on violence, being different, and the alienation of being different.  

Boring bits:  The poetry feels a little stilted at time. Nothing rhymes (not that I really expect it to). I got a tad "sick" after a few stories and put the book down and read some more when I had "recovered." I tend to be really affected by books, and yet in its simplicity, this really hit me.   

Verdict: I've been a vascillating Burton fan. For example, Edward Scissorhands I loved/hated. I find it deeply disturbing to find humor in other people's misfortunes; and while there is a humorous side, I laugh with a hollow feeling within. Enjoy yet understand.  

Random quote:

For Halloween,
Oyster Boy decided to go as a human.

If you'd like to read this book in full, click here.

To view a very well-made video:



{Originally here.}