-
I Am Malala
I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban by Malala Yousafzai Published: 2013 Narrated by: Archie Panjabi (introduction by Malala Yousafzai) Length: 09:55 When Malala was first up for a Nobel Peace Prize in 2013, I saw an interview with her and was amazed at how strong a speaker she was for her age. I got goosebumps listening to how passionately she spoke about women’s right to education. It felt obvious right away that she was someone who, given the time and resources, could really make a difference. She didn’t win the Nobel Peace Prize that year, but she was the co-recipient…
-
A Wrinkle in Time
A Wrinkle In Time by Madeleine L’Engle Published: 1962 Length: 211 pages I remember occasionally coming across this in my father’s book collection when I was young. I nearly picked it up to read a dozen times, but I always chose something else. It has a really pulpy cover, so I just assumed it was an old generic fantasy novel. I mean, there’s a Zardoz-esque floating head and a winged centaur on the front, what was I supposed to think? It wasn’t until I was well into my twenties that I discovered this is a young adult science fiction classic and is apparently beloved by many. It’s a shame actually,…
-
Chew: Omnivore Edition, Volume 4
Chew: The Omnivore Edition, Volume 4 by John Layman Illustrated By: Rob Guillory Format: Hardcover Comic Collects: Chew #31-40 Published: 2014 Publisher: Image Comics Length: 272 pages Finally, the fourth omnibus of Chew has been released. The wait between these editions can be torturous, but at least there’s no chance of getting burnt out on them. Not the ideal way to read through a series, but I actually don’t mind too much. I like having an annual release to anticipate, and these oversized editions are just too nice to ignore. I’ve really liked the last couple of books for the humour and the creative ideas, particularly around the invention of…
-
Trouble With Lichen
Trouble With Lichen by John Wyndham Published: 1960 Length: 204 pages John Wyndham is one of my favourite writers. His novels are beautifully written, and his stories feel fresh and innovative, despite being written half a century ago in a genre that is always building and expanding on itself. Unfortunately, Trouble With Lichen wasn’t my favourite of his. I still enjoyed it, but it didn’t hold my attention the way his novels typically do. I am making my way through the entirety of his bibliography, so I guess it’s inevitable that I’ll come across a few of his novels that fall a bit short for me. The premise is fascinating.…
-
The Scar
The Scar by Marina and Sergey Dyachenko Published: 1996 (2012 translation) Translated By: Elinor Huntington Narrated By: Jonathan Davis Audio Length: 15:17 I started listening to this just after I had finished playing The Witcher 2. It’s a game in a series based on The Witcher books by Polish writer Andrzej Sapkowski and developed by CD Projekt RED, a Polish game studio. It was a great game, but the main character is a uncharismatic misogynistic bore that women inexplicably throw themselves at. The main character in The Scar, Egert Soll, is very similar to this at the beginning of the novel. I, rather narrow-mindedly, was beginning to think this was…
-
September in Review
Books Acquired: None! Books Read: The Scar by Marina and Sergey Dyachenko Trouble With Lichen by John Wyndham Chew: The Omnivore Edition, Volume 4 by John Layman September was not a very bookish month for me – two novels and one graphic novel. I’m not breaking any records right now. Meanwhile my girlfriend is burning through those chunky Diana Gabaldon novels like she’s planning to head back in time herself soon. She should probably be the one with the book blog. I held off buying any new books for the month, which is a small victory I think. Movies watched: Welcome Aboard – Sometimes you just want to watch a…