Monday, March 30, 2020
Radish man
Occasionally I'm struck by a random craft idea that won't leave me alone until I see it out. Sometimes that works out well, like when I made my K-9 shelf. Other times, it leads me to make a radish man out of the end of an old sock.
Not sure what else to say about that.
What am I reading today?
Total read in March thus far: 65
Sunday, March 29, 2020
Saturday, March 28, 2020
Friday, March 27, 2020
Book review - The Vinyl Underground
Author: Rob Rufus
Genre: historical fiction
Similar books: Revolution by Deborah Wiles
Freedom's Just Another Word by Caroline Stellings
Rating:
 |
| more complex than it initially appears |
Summary (provided by publisher): Dig it.
During the tumultuous year of 1968, four teens are drawn together: Ronnie Bingham, who is grieving his brother’s death in Vietnam; Milo, Ronnie’s bookish best friend; “Ramrod,” a star athlete who is secretly avoiding the draft; and Hana, the new girl, a half-Japanese badass rock-n-roller whose presence doesn’t sit well with their segregated high school.
The four outcasts find sanctuary in “The Vinyl Underground,” a record club where they spin music, joke, debate, and escape the stifling norms of their small southern town. But Ronnie’s eighteenth birthday is looming. Together, they hatch a plan to keep Ronnie from being drafted. But when a horrific act of racial-charged violence rocks the gang to their core, they decide it’s time for an epic act of rebellion.
My opinion: I'm definitely a fan of music as a metaphor for dealing with social change. It's use in a book set during the Vietnam War era is an obvious choice, with so much music of the time being protest music. The plot doesn't take big risks thematically. It talks about racism, anti-draft sentiments, and gender roles. It lays out a pretty simple good and bad dichotomy. If it stopped there it would be pretty forgettable. But Rufus allows for some gray area, points out the fallacy of most absolutes. There's this idea that no one has the right to make decisions on everyone's behalf. Ronnie engages in this big protest and then realizes that's he's hurt people. That while he was morally right he can't claim absolute right. While the general plot treads very familiar ground it takes some unique views. Most of the explorations are fairly simple and conflicts are perhaps too easily resolved, but I'm a fan of anything that opens up a discussion, that asks us to explore our opinions more deeply and this book certainly does that.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley
Thursday, March 26, 2020
Graphic novel spotlight - The Fox & the Tanuki
If you have any interest in Japanese folk tales, in magic and mythological beings, then this is the manga you're looking for. Largely a humorous tale, this book is also fully rooted in a complex mythology of spirits, yokai, and old gods. The fox is a spirit who is being punished for cruelty and self-centered behavior. He's presented as a villain but as in many Japanese stories he's not truly evil. He makes bad choices, may even have evil inclinations, but he remains redeemable. He can learn to consider the welfare of others, even while he continues to cause mischief. There's a lot of humor present, making it a lot of fun to read. And as is typical in manga, the art has a heavily cartoony style with a lot going on with facial expressions.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley
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