Scott Pilgrim Volume One: Precious Little Life by Bryan Lee O'Malley [Color]

Oni Press
Published August 14, 2012
192 pages
Buy here.

I must begin this review by saying that this release is my first ever exposure to the Scott Pilgrim universe.  I have never read the comics before now, and due to my lack of interest in seeing anything starring Michael Cera, I skipped the movie.  The comics are now being re-released with added color, so I took the opportunity to finally acquaint myself with this series, and I must say I'm glad I did.

Scott Pilgrim didn't strike me as a particularly likable character at first.  He is twenty-three, lives in Toronto, and at the start of the comic has just begun dating a high school girl named Knives Chau whom he met on the city bus.  He's in a band and lives with/off his gay roommate, Wallace (who apparently ends up "stealing" all of Scott's sister's boyfriends).  He seems to lack motivation to really do anything, and I'm not sure if he even has a job.  Also, he's a twenty-three-year-old dating a high schooler.

Things start getting interesting for Scott, however, when he begins dreaming about a girl on rollerblades.  As it turns out, this girl exists in reality, and her name is Ramona Flowers.  After meeting her at a party, Scott starts to date her in addition to Knives.  He also begins receiving mysterious messages from a Matthew Patel.  In the big climax of this volume, Scott's band plays a show and Matthew Patel shows up to battle Scott to the death.  This battle consists of what I think is supposed to be a choreographed musical number that pits Scott and his crew against Matthew and his evil bat-girl minions.  Ramona informs Scott that if he wants to continue dating her, he must defeat her seven ex-boyfriends.

The plot is pretty basic, if not a bit bizarre, but the volume serves as a good introduction to all the characters, the setting, and the conflict for the rest of the series.  The writing is funny and the color definitely pops, so even though I kind of want to punch Scott in the teeth for being a bit of an idiot, I certainly want to keep reading the fun character interactions, over-the-top action sequences, and (I can only hope) more dance numbers.

If you're new to the series, give it a go with this re-release.  If you've already read every issue, at least check out the great color.  Volume 2, Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World, is out in color on November 7, 2012.

Rating: 4/5

Shakespeare on Toast by Ben Crystal [Reprint]

Icon Books
Published September 11, 2012
272 pages

A blessedly brief work on the Bard, this book is a guide of sorts to approaching Shakespeare's works, either for the first or hundredth time.  Crystal begins with some background on Shakespeare and his plays, including Elizabethan audience expectations versus modern deifying of the playwright.  This tendency to put Shakespeare up on a pedestal is part of what makes people unwilling, nervous, or incapable of understanding and enjoying his writing.  Crystal also describes the Globe Theatre and how a typical performance of a play would have looked and sounded.  Not being a Shakespeare expert by any means, this was all information that I found fascinating, and reading just this far helped me to realize that simply reading Shakespeare in a classroom for analytical purposes is, without doubt, the least interesting way to experience Shakespeare.

Throughout the rest of the book, Crystal's main thesis is that Shakespeare wrote everything he did in the ways that he did with very deliberate purpose, and by understanding these methods it is possible to better interpret and act out the plays in a way closer to what Shakespeare seems to have envisioned.  By paying attention to prose vs. verse, any deviations from iambic pentameter, use of thou and you, and characters with no speaking lines, Crystal argues that readers can make more meaning out of plot and characterization.  He illustrates his tips with short bits of his own analyses.

Overall, Crystal does a wonderful job of presenting strategies that can help make Shakespeare more approachable, more understandable, and more enjoyable to the "average" reader, and would be a wonderful supplement in English classes.

Rating: 5/5

Buddy: How a Rooster Made Me a Family Man by Brian McGrory

Crown Trade
Published November 6, 2012
304 pages
Buy here.

In this well-written, laugh-out-loud memoir, McGrory writes all about his life prior to and after the death of Harry, a dog with which he had a wonderful relationship.  Life for McGrory after Harry involves a new wife, two stepdaughters, and a houseful of various animals, including Buddy the rooster.  Unlike Harry, Buddy more or less despises McGrory and has no qualms about letting that fact be well known.  In the end, though, life with Buddy helps McGrory realize how to better adjust to life in the suburbs and how to truly be a member of the family.

I found this book impossible to put down.  Not only is the writing brilliant, but McGrory's story runs a wide gamut of emotions.  His account of his relationship with Harry is touching, and it makes his relationship with Buddy all the more hilariously dysfunctional.  The descriptions of Buddy's various but calculated outbursts of hatred toward McGrory are probably my favorite parts of the book, and McGrory's indignant jealousy toward a family pet is understandable yet entertaining.

I cried, I laughed, I marveled, I wanted to read it again immediately.

Rating: 4/5

The Lucky Ones: My Passionate Fight for Farm Animals by Jenny Brown

Gotham Books
Published August 2, 2012
304 pages
Buy here.

Given that I love books about human-animal relationships, I was really expecting to enjoy this one.  What I got from this book, though, was a little more than I had bargained for.  Brown documents her journey from clueless meat-eater to extremely impassioned vegan on a mission to save whatever animals she can through her sanctuary in Woodstock, NY.  She also highlights the journeys of many of the animals themselves, describing their personalities and showing their individuality and worth as fellow living creatures.  Also included are basic facts and descriptions of the horrors of factory farming.

All of this is for the good, certainly, and I did really enjoy reading about the individual animals that Brown's organization had saved.  Everything else, though, came across as a little...overwhelming.  After a couple chapters, I had a really hard time stomaching the pathos oozing from every single page, the celebrity name-dropping, and the feeling that Brown sees anyone who continues to eat or raise meat as ignorant and/or heartless.  She is extremely opinionated and forthright in her views on animal cruelty, and while I certainly don't fault her as a person for that, it was just a bit more than I could deal with in her book.

Despite emotional appeal not being my personal cup of tea, I can see how this could be a great introduction to the topic for someone who is currently clueless about how factory farming operates.  She does do a good job of laying it all out, but again, for me, the raw emotion in the book is just too much.

Rating: 3/5

The Plant-Powered Diet by Sharon Palmer

The Experiment
Published July 17, 2012
400 pages
Buy here.

Recently I have been thinking more about my diet and realizing that I am still eating far too many carbs and fats, and not enough green stuff.  I was quite drawn to this book when I read the title, and I am pretty psyched to have stumbled upon it through NetGalley.

Palmer approaches plant-powered eating not necessarily as a "diet" as we typically understand it, but rather as a whole lifestyle change for overall health rather than, say, a quick weight loss program through brief periods of plant-centered eating.  The book is a super handy reference for anyone looking to cut out any amount of meat and animal-based foods from their diet, and Palmer stresses that it is as useful for omnivores as it is for vegans and vegetarians.  She outlines the benefits of various grains, vegetables, fruits, non-animal proteins and fat sources, herbs and spices, chocolate, dairy substitutes, and coffee, tea, and wine.  Each chapter includes very thorough lists of foods in each of these categories with nutritional and/or flavor descriptions and/or ways to use them.

Also included in each chapter are one or two assignments to help readers begin integrating these foods into their diets; this is a particularly helpful tool for those who don't know (or, like me, have forgotten) just how easy it is to do and need some help making small changes to their eating habits.  Additionally, there are tips on eating out and exercising, a 14-day sample menu, and loads of recipes, all of which are meat free (but which could easily be modified for those who want to include it).

Overall, Palmer provides great guidance as she holds readers' hands through the nutritional benefits of meatless/reduced meat eating, and I will certainly be referring to it myself as I get back on track with vegetarian eating.  Her approach is all-inclusive, and while she highlights the benefits of not eating meat, she does not take a holier-than-thou stance despite being a vegetarian herself.  I found the book well-written, easy to follow, and, above all, something I can really use to improve my own eating habits.

Rating: 4/5