Superb: different yet not totally unfamiliar
938633
Magdalena Ball's poems in this collection display a considerable interest in, and enthusiasm for, nature, both on this planet and in space. This is appropriate for "unconventional love poetry" as love for someone else often makes them seem to be everything (ie, the universe); it is also not what we expect since, on the face of it, love has no connection with outer space or the natural world on earth. This particularly appeals to me.

The awe in which we hold the cosmos together with its beauty and loneliness also make it ideal for poems about love. For instance, "Galactic Collision", one of my favourites, is about the virtually catastrophic fusing of two people in love with each other. The comparison of a human heart to a black hole is amazing, bold and apt: after all, a black hole is so powerful that nothing -- not even light -- can escape it. And true, deep love, draws us in and won't let go. She then goes on to underline this by going to the other end of the scale: light ("black hole/ expanded into a cartwheel blaze"). Love it.

Carolyn Howard-Johnson, on the other hand, explores the inner recesses of the human world: the heart, the mind and the home, neatly complementing and counterpointing Ball's macroscopic world-view (or should that be "universe-view"?). As they say, "Home is where the heart is".

Howard-Johnson's skill is in choosing original settings for poems that address different sentiments from the expected. It is also evident in  her relaxed style, which cuts to the emotional crux of her works in a simple yet elegant way and embraces the real issues rather than the simplistic pseudo-sentiments of most commercial greetings cards. For example, the bittersweet "Dreaming Lilacs", primes the reader to expect a poem about intoxicating, fulfilled love through its vivid evocation of place and utilisation of all the reader's senses ("It's you who had me dreaming lilacs,/ breathing April's sweetest tears, tasting sugared lemon rinds,"), then reveals that it is really about expired or unrequited love ("... As if you/ were with me,/ as if you loved me."). Brilliant.

All in all, a superb collection: different yet not totally unfamiliar.

Roll on the next collection!

Mark Logie,

award-winning poet & short-story writer;

Author of "On the Road to Infinity" & "You Have No Power Over Me"
2697087
I am quite familiar with Tatsumi's work, but this gem from the 50's is an entirely different, surprising animal. It's has more to do with noir fiction, as it does not portray the often bleak lives of working-class japanese people during the 60's and 70's. The drawing style is also quite different: although quite good, it still had not reached maturity. A very well-told story with a surprising twist, worth every penny!
77950
Fabulous. Quite a departure from the other works that I've read by him, but a stellar read nonetheless.
2740738
Transports the reader to a very different, in many ways, place and time. Yet it seems as contemporary and familiar as if it were written yesterday about evnets and people today.

The translation by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky is superb.
9194
As a white, middle-aged woman in mid-america, the world of Oscar is about as far off as another planet.  However, thanks to Junot Diaz, I was able to travel there and be sincerely touched by  what I "saw."  Just as a traveler to a remote and strange culture, however, there was much that I simply didn't understand.  I never read science fiction/fantasy; have no knowledge of Spanish/Spaglish; hate video games; kind of a prude when it comes to language; and know almost nothing of DR history -- yet, I can say I truly enjoyed this book. The character development of Oscar and his family is absolutely brilliant.

The book is filled with references and allusions I didn't understand (I did look many of them up and still didn't understand [what's with Joseph Conrad's wife?]) The language is raw, the story is filled with brutality, yet it glitters with humor, insight, and love.  It's not for everyone, but I, for one, am glad I read it.
3914022
It's hard to classify this sound. It's so new and different it's almost groundbreaking. It has great music, trippy almost techno pop-rock with some hip hop beats even great piano on one song (Lok at All the People) and even a bluesy track (Wasting My Time, from the 8 Mile soundtrack). It has bold lyrics such as "I won't break, I might bend but I won't break ... I will try, I might lose but I will try" (B4 It's 2 L8) The tones change from fun and a bit sexual (Crazy Love) to inspirations for the world (Left Side/Right Side). The three fun hit/hit bound songs on this album are The Wreckoning, Move On and Now Understand This. Overall it's really different and fun to listen to!
3546605
This book was a bit more difficult to get into than others I have read from Julie Smith.  Don't get me wrong, it was neither boring nor bland, just different.  But this was slightly different turf for her, as well (whether intentional, or the way the story flowed out from the recesses of her mind, or even, perhaps, where my own mind took her words):  in the earlier pages, there was much said about modern prejudices.  Even the conclusions we form about a person, based upon attire and personal presentation.
  No, it was not preachy.  Nor blatant.  It was just there (at least to my mind).
  And they weren't the usual, traditional prejudices, rather more subtle proclivities:  how we perceive those claiming to have a "sixth sense", beliefs in UFOs, modern religious perceptions and how that affects how we approach and react to those from the various spiritual persuasions.
  And we see through her writing that prejudice remains alive, tempering our interactions.  Although, as she so aptly demonstrates, prejudices have become more subtle.  Still, they remain, and can, unchecked, grow into something every bit as dangerous as the unrestrained responses to prejudices of old.
  And, then, we must not forget "The Thing", also k own as one of mankind's greatest fears: finding a potentially cancerous lump.  And the author brings to life, through Rebecca and her responses to the situation (or sometimes lack thereof) literally all the fears suffered, and all the tricks played at avoidance, that plague anyone confronting The Thing.  A delicate yet important subject superbly and realistically handled by Ms Smith.
  Finally, it is the story of an innocent accident of childhood.  One which proved, ultimately, the destruction of two families, from that point on entwined for eighteen years, individual members freed only by cruel turns of fate, turns sometimes radiating to others whose lives touched at least one member of the affected families.
  In many respects, the writing of this book deserves five stars; the tapestry blending these disparate story lines is beautifully woven.  However, I must hold true to my previous promises to make my ratings primarily based upon enjoyment.  And while I thoroughly enjoyed the reading, I find myself disturbingly haunted by some of those story lines.
  Still, you would disservice yourself by not reading this fascinating and beautifully written book, despite the risk of a few restless nights to follow.
1065233
This is an excellent book but not what I had expected.
1270945
Originally released in 1977. I'm giving this CD a five-star rating for effort,alone. Until here recently, I never even knew about this title. It's much different than the other Grobschnitt discs I have in my collection which are their self-titled album, 'Volle Molle' and 'Solar Music Live' (see my reviews of all three). Couldn't help but to notice a strong Yes-like influence, specially with Stefan Danielak's superbly done vocals. Best cuts here are the awesome "Ernie's Reise", the twenty-minute title track "Rockpommel's Land" and the reissue's bonus tune "Tontillon". Truly brilliant German progressive here for the taking. If you're able,try to follow this lp's story line. Recommended.
2041607
I read a review of this book in a national newspaper in the UK, and it sounded so interesting I bought it. I had never heard of the Marchesa before, but I have no idea why, she is so strange and marvellous that she really ought to be a household name. It's a bit too heroine-worshipping - yes, she is fascinating, but perhaps she wasn't terribly nice to know. But this is still a very absorbing book - I wish there had been more photos of her, but I suppose there is a generous selection already.
763557
Not for most people, but we think it was brilliant!
1495904
It is difficult to find something distinctive and yet joined to familiar music.  It is a pity that the Sussex Wit, of which Johnny Flynn is but an important component, only has a limited amount of music at this point. The blend of acoustic guitar, horns, and strings may not be familiar to some, but I feel it is necessary for dynamic, textured music. This amalgam allows the creation of nu-folk that is enjoyable (like pop), but with enough blues, country, and clever and amusing lyrics to thankfully make it more interesting than the "top 40" type.

I encourage you to examine this music on YouTube as it is different than the typical and rather rare.  If you are at all familiar with this nu-folk or similar music, you are likely to find this music to be far better than the average.  I particularly enjoy "Leftovers" since it is so human and also entertaining.  However, I listen to the entire CD without pause.  It is rare that I find a CD like this.
2309143
Very interesting, stunningly different and beautiful to read, written with deep emotions and deep thoughts
2069558
This album is virtually unknown, and it's not hard to see why. It is based on an unusual concept, never saw particularly wide distribution, and is led by Jan Johansson, a name seldom heard outside of Scandinavia. I only came across it a year or two ago in the course of an hours-long wikipedia binge that took me deep into the history of European jazz.

I'm not sure what exactly it is that makes this album so special--it's understated, obviously heavily influenced by traditional music, and certainly doesn't push many envelopes for 1967. Nonetheless, I find myself coming back to it again and again, and I can't think of another album in my collection better suited to keeping warm indoors on a snowy winter day.

Maybe it's that this album represents an oasis of calmness and restraint in a time characterized by loud, fast, and chaotic experimentation. It stands as a performance so different from everything around it, but one that still manages to demand respect.

If you haven't heard this, check it out. It's well worth a listen, preferably while there's snow on the ground.
1864377
I titled my review 'unusual' because I have not read another book quite like this one.

Overall, I will say I enjoyed the book.  I did not have a hard time putting it down, but neither was I reluctant to pick it back up.

I think Jolin does a good job capturing the chaos of the teenage years, and will be generous in suggesting that much of the chaos of the writing itself simply adds to that feeling of confusion.  Without giving away the plot, I will say that both the email at the beginning of the story and the rooftop scene at the end perfectly capture the teenage (and in general, human) desire to have some control over a world that we obviously have no real control over.  In addition, many of the scenes (in particular, the email and the rooftop scene again) perfectly illustrate the impact that our own perspective and hopes has on the reality of any situation, and the author has done a lovely job of leaving the reality of those scenes open to interpretation.

As for the three main characters, Aliya, Miya and Gillian--what teenage girls have in common is that they unexpectedly lost Trevor.  While this means something different to each of them (Aliya, who was in love with Trevor; Gillian, who was in business with Trevor; and Miya, who was an acquaintance and regretted her last words to Trevor), the crux of the book is that all lost a huge measure of control over their lives, and this sudden change has caused them all to rethink both the relationships they knew and their own dreams for the future.

Add to that is the way that each of them has to balance living their own lives with the expectations that their family has for them--or that they have for their family.  The details about the family relationships--and the transitions in these relationship throughout the books--are intricate and intriguing.

As other reviewers have commented, moments that promise to be climactic fall a bit short; some of the character development (in particular, Miya's change in attitude about "magic") comes out of nowhere and seems especially unrealistic (even in a book about Craft).

In spite of this, would I recommend this book?  Absolutely.  I think most teenagers (at least teenage girls) who are interested in books about Craft would be able to relate to at least one of the characters.  The book, while a bit creepy in parts, is unlikely, I think, to especially alarm a reader.

One small note: I would not recommend this for teenagers who have recently experienced the loss of a friend / loved one.
1232154
Before I opened Ancillary Justice and started reading, I had heard rumors that it was something quite different from anything I had ever read. I remember reading a review late last year, and the reviewer promised that the effect was nothing short of mind-blowing.

And perhaps it is. To be sure, within a few pages I was impressed with Ann Leckie's inventive, or innovative, way of spinning the story.

Told from the perspective of a former soldier of a wide-reaching space empire, Ancillary Justice brings a literary touch to the space opera genre without giving up what it means to be science fiction. Breq is the last unit of a massive starship, cut off by an artificial intelligence at war with itself. Once a single mind with a legion of bodies, she has been left with a single human body and a quest to wreck revenge on the perpetrator of her ship's doom.

To call Ancillary Justice different from anything I've read before would be a disservice, but also speaks to my inability to find a suitable comparison. Leckie keeps the pace careful and at times slower than I generally enjoy, but the plotting feels deliberate and suggestive of a noir at times. The language itself is the clue to the reader, sparse at times, even, suggesting more than it shows or tells, and leaving the reader to imply or guess.

In this sense, as much as Ancillary Justice left me fascinated and curious--and indeed, I've spent some time in the period since I finished it thinking about and wondering what exactly the book is and intends to be--the novel is lacking a certain sense of edge and drive. Leckie has no problem crafting the situations that raise the tenor of the plot, but often fails to raise the reader's pulse. Even when danger is imminent, the scene progresses with a sense of detachment that belies the action.

Not surprisingly, the novel is up for a Hugo and deservedly so. Leckie's novel dwells not just on what it means to be human, but also touches on economics, foreign policy, espionage, and more. Unfortunately, whether it gets the Hugo will depend largely on the disappointing politics that have raged around the Hugo nominations this year. That's not to say that I think Ancillary Justice deserves it--I also have great respect for other nominations, as well--but more to say that I think it is unlikely that votes cast will be relative to the novel's merits rather than in response to the politics around the nomination.

And that's too bad.

It's taken me a long while to review Ancillary Justice (I finished it back in December of 2013), even though I've recommended it on occasion and even loaned out my copy, as well. It's because the book did well what I look for in a novel: it both made me think and entertained me. However, I am equivocal about it. The novel has much to like about it, but there are places that feel incomplete or unfinished, or perhaps like they need to be fleshed out a little more.

Whether Leckie gets the Hugo or not, Ancillary Justice is a quality piece of fiction that you should read. Pick it up before the Hugo is announced in August, and let me know what you think.
1149986
This is un-categorical strange music. Compelling at times and not boring or same-y but yet yields aspects that you've likely heard before if you are into this type of stuff. I like the melodies moreso than the vocals.